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- Nov 19, 2015
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Below the line is exactly what is in my AACOMAS application. I am most concerned about the note at the bottom, is it acceptable? Or does it come across as pushy? I know that new MCAT date is late so that is my stealth way of asking them not to throw out my application before the scores are in. The programs that I am applying to all said that the January MCAT date is acceptable.
What do you guys think?
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Volunteering is an age-old tradition of performing labor without pay. To those who have never volunteered this might seem to be a waste of time and labor. Such a notion would be misguided as the aim of volunteering is not to benefit monetarily, but to learn the value of charity. From charity we can learn about others as well as ourselves. When I wrote my thesis on dementia, the inspiration came from my time as a volunteer at an assisted living facility when I was 16 years old. When I began to gravitate towards the study of medicine, this was also inspired by my time as a volunteer at a local hospital. From there I decided to shadow a doctor who attended my church and it was him who ultimately guided me to follow in his footsteps. From the time at the assisted living facility to the hospital volunteer positions and finally my time shadowing Dr. B, the experiences I have gained will shape me as both a medical student and an Osteopathic Physician.
I began college as a dual enrolled student, during my second semester I signed up to volunteer at an assisted living facility. Many patients there suffered from dementia such as an older lady that had late stage Alzheimer's Disease, the ailment had advanced to a point where her short term memory was limited to a few minutes. As a result, she would introduce herself to everyone in the room once, then reintroduce herself again every few minutes after. To this day, I wonder what it would be like to be confined to such a mental state. On one hand forgetting everything every few minutes would allow one to re-live new experiences, however such a state would also hinder the ability to understand why such experiences are enjoyable. The only way to know for certain is to either experience it personally or to ask someone who did and in both cases, such a state would prevent proper communication thereby barring conveyance of the experience. Such a concept is profoundly troubling.
Dementia is a sad reality that society has grappled with since the ancient times and despite advances in modern medicine, it is only marginally closer to understanding the disease. Regardless of the comforting appearance that many "treatment" institutions place on palliative care, there is little that is treatable especially with dementia sufferers. Many are relegated to these facilities and forgotten. Dementia and its effects have left a lasting impression on me, so much so that I wrote my thesis on potential links between forms of dementia in hopes of directing future treatment studies. In it I outlined my theory that dementia may be related to prion proteins and that researchers should focus on combating the infectious particles rather than each individual ailment.
My final and longest duration volunteer position was at a local hospital. Being able to work amongst a multitude of dedicated healthcare professionals and the ability to be a part of a team that embellishes the creed "Do no harm" is a privilege that I will not soon forget. This experience inspired me to reach out to a doctor who attended my church to learn more about the work of a physician. Dr. B is an osteopathic physician at a busy family care practice and was gracious enough to invite me to shadow in the clinic. Here I was able to observe first-hand how a physician goes about a typical work-day. All the while he tested my knowledge of various drug classifications and patient interaction. He demonstrated the integrative approach of medicine that an osteopathic physician is uniquely trained to employ and It is here that I decided to become a physician.
While compensated labor can and does build character, un-compensated labor builds even more. By spending time at various institutions within the community, I have been able to develop connections and learn more about those around me while also learning more about myself. The various positions that I have held have allowed me to develop a better understanding on what sort of career would suit me best. This knowledge and experience will aid in making better choices that will result in far less disappointment later on in life. My time as an undergraduate student has concluded and I will soon go on to bigger things but the experiences gained from my volunteer work will always remain with me as they continue to mold me into the man and physician I hope to become.
Please note: I will retake the MCAT on January 18, 2019 for a higher score.
What do you guys think?
___________________________________________________________________
Volunteering is an age-old tradition of performing labor without pay. To those who have never volunteered this might seem to be a waste of time and labor. Such a notion would be misguided as the aim of volunteering is not to benefit monetarily, but to learn the value of charity. From charity we can learn about others as well as ourselves. When I wrote my thesis on dementia, the inspiration came from my time as a volunteer at an assisted living facility when I was 16 years old. When I began to gravitate towards the study of medicine, this was also inspired by my time as a volunteer at a local hospital. From there I decided to shadow a doctor who attended my church and it was him who ultimately guided me to follow in his footsteps. From the time at the assisted living facility to the hospital volunteer positions and finally my time shadowing Dr. B, the experiences I have gained will shape me as both a medical student and an Osteopathic Physician.
I began college as a dual enrolled student, during my second semester I signed up to volunteer at an assisted living facility. Many patients there suffered from dementia such as an older lady that had late stage Alzheimer's Disease, the ailment had advanced to a point where her short term memory was limited to a few minutes. As a result, she would introduce herself to everyone in the room once, then reintroduce herself again every few minutes after. To this day, I wonder what it would be like to be confined to such a mental state. On one hand forgetting everything every few minutes would allow one to re-live new experiences, however such a state would also hinder the ability to understand why such experiences are enjoyable. The only way to know for certain is to either experience it personally or to ask someone who did and in both cases, such a state would prevent proper communication thereby barring conveyance of the experience. Such a concept is profoundly troubling.
Dementia is a sad reality that society has grappled with since the ancient times and despite advances in modern medicine, it is only marginally closer to understanding the disease. Regardless of the comforting appearance that many "treatment" institutions place on palliative care, there is little that is treatable especially with dementia sufferers. Many are relegated to these facilities and forgotten. Dementia and its effects have left a lasting impression on me, so much so that I wrote my thesis on potential links between forms of dementia in hopes of directing future treatment studies. In it I outlined my theory that dementia may be related to prion proteins and that researchers should focus on combating the infectious particles rather than each individual ailment.
My final and longest duration volunteer position was at a local hospital. Being able to work amongst a multitude of dedicated healthcare professionals and the ability to be a part of a team that embellishes the creed "Do no harm" is a privilege that I will not soon forget. This experience inspired me to reach out to a doctor who attended my church to learn more about the work of a physician. Dr. B is an osteopathic physician at a busy family care practice and was gracious enough to invite me to shadow in the clinic. Here I was able to observe first-hand how a physician goes about a typical work-day. All the while he tested my knowledge of various drug classifications and patient interaction. He demonstrated the integrative approach of medicine that an osteopathic physician is uniquely trained to employ and It is here that I decided to become a physician.
While compensated labor can and does build character, un-compensated labor builds even more. By spending time at various institutions within the community, I have been able to develop connections and learn more about those around me while also learning more about myself. The various positions that I have held have allowed me to develop a better understanding on what sort of career would suit me best. This knowledge and experience will aid in making better choices that will result in far less disappointment later on in life. My time as an undergraduate student has concluded and I will soon go on to bigger things but the experiences gained from my volunteer work will always remain with me as they continue to mold me into the man and physician I hope to become.
Please note: I will retake the MCAT on January 18, 2019 for a higher score.
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