More Than Skin Deep: My Vision From Human Development to Dermatological Care by Chelsea

More Than Skin Deep: My Vision From Human Development to Dermatological Care by Chelsea - August 2024 Scholarship Essay

My next big educational goal is exploring my passion for human development all the way to graduation and admission into medical school.
From my earliest memories of babysitting my cousins, during which each succeeding week flew by displaying profound significant developmental changes, to investigating further into the science of development in my AP Psychology class sophomore year, I have constantly been captivated by the “why” behind changes in various demographics. Naturally, this path of discovery has been bolstered by my ambition to explore the intricacies of human development, further extending into the realm of dermatology.

I fully believe that I have the capability of making a significant contribution in patients’ lives. The skin, our largest organ, translates to overall health and wellbeing as it undergoes remarkable transformations throughout life. However, this curiosity became more personal as I began to see the way it affected my sister’s overall wellbeing, sparking my interest in dermatology. Shaped by my desire to understand the science behind human development and skin health alike, my academic journey has been shaped to explore how I can speak out about people’s wellbeing as a whole. As Director of Communications for the non-profit organizations Girls in White Coats (GIWC) and The Sisterhood of Medicine (SOM), I have used my voice passionately and boldly to raise public health awareness and promote educational initiates to a large audience. Additionally, through my internship with the Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences with Johns Hopkins Medicine, I have connected with various health professionals and scientists to understand human development on a deeper level. These leadership positions and experiences that I was blessed to partake in have shown me that my goals aren’t impossible and I have the power to create change within the healthcare field.

My love for skincare and wellness has further reinforced my passion for dermatology. I hope to make a meaningful impact on people’s lives and am committed to pursuing this big educational goal from now through medical school and beyond. With this scholarship, I will be landing on a huge stepping stone that will enable me to fully dedicate myself into pursuing my educational goals passionately. This scholarship is the key to support that will enable me to fully focus and excel in my education as well as engage in valuable extracurricular experiences, such as research, in preparation for medical school. Having the ability to fund my education means to be able to graduate from college. Graduating from college means to be able to gain admission into medical school, allowing me to achieve my dream of making a lasting impact on public health as a dermatologist. My ability to accomplish these goals will surely have a profound impact on our nation’s overall wellbeing as we know it. I hope to take my ideas from pen and paper and contribute in public health initiatives to spread awareness and address disparities within access to dermatological care.

One of my main visions is to incorporate dermatological care with mental health support. Seeing my sister face mental health issues as a result of her skin helped me understand how skin issues truly affect an individual’s wellbeing, both physically and mentally. It wasn’t until I faced skin issues of my own that I realized how demeaning it is to one’s self confidence. Researching more on this topic, I found that many other individuals face this problem and that my sister and I weren’t alone. To combat this issue, I hope to take the initiative of establishing holistic care programs in my future clinic that addresses both psychological and physical needs. I also hope to incorporate new technology into dermatology and expand my research to vulnerable populations who aren’t fortunate enough to have access to dermatological care. My childhood curiosity concerning human development has blossomed into a beautiful flower, each petal filled with a goal waiting to be accomplished. With this scholarship, my goals can become a reality.