The Intersection of STEM and Service: My Journey to Becoming a Physician by Aaron

The Intersection of STEM and Service: My Journey to Becoming a Physician by Aaron - February 2025 Scholarship Essay

It was a typical Tuesday. A man entered the clinic, where I serve as an intern, for a DOT physical. Looking at his vitals; something was off. His blood pressure was high, his urine contained proteins, blood, and sugar, and his vision was impaired. What was really concerning, was the sharp pain in his right arm. If he did not receive proper care soon, he was at serious risk for a stroke. My attending PA and I did as much as we could at the time. We had to hope he would take action. The next week we reevaluated him, and he passed his physical with flying colors. This man had been on my mind constantly for a week. This experience, and the concern I had for a stranger, solidified my decision to one day become a physician. During high school, my physics teacher instilled a love of STEM. In particular, he revealed to me my fondness and aptitude for mathematics. I realized the importance of finding a major that would combine my future goal of becoming a doctor with my deep interest in STEM.

At the end of my sophomore year seminar class, my teacher had us begin the process of choosing a topic for our AP research class. It took the remainder of the year and the whole summer for me to settle on a topic, but once I had it, I was thrilled. I researched the connection between the effectiveness of music therapy and its correlation to different genres of music. Working with participants and analyzing data ignited a passion of discovery that I wish to pursue. This summer, in between exams at my internship, the attending PA and I would go over the information that was relevant to the previous case. He encouraged me to do my own research, so I scanned through medical journals and peer reviewed papers to gain a better understanding. As I continued down this rabbit hole, I reached the end of the tunnel. I am not satisfied; I want to know more. This is why college excites me, it will lead me down an avenue of discovery that paves a pathway to understanding. Completing my AP research project was one of the most invigorating journeys that I have ever taken. I look forward to participating in research as a biomedical engineering major at Georgia Tech.