Doctors Without Borders by Darlene

Doctors Without Borders by Darlene - December 2015 Scholarship Essay

Ten years from now I would like to be on the front lines of healthcare with the organization Doctors without Borders. Next semester I have been accepted into the nursing program and intend to exceed in my nursing courses to my ultimate goal of either Nurse Practitioner or Physician’s Assistant. I am using my education as stepping stones to reach my goal. Throughout my college career I have focused on ways to better my understanding of the human population in general and ways to reach people on a more specific case by case basis. What I mean by the previous statement is that I wanted to not only get to know the biological workings of the body but also the details of how people’s minds work.
Although I am attending nursing in the spring, I intend to finish my degrees at UNR for Biology, Psychology and a minor in English. I chose these degrees wisely because I think it is important for people to not only know the inner workings of the body but the mind as well. I want to be able to connect and relate with my patients on every level possible. This, to me, is what is most important in healthcare. Although physicians and nurses are capable of connecting with the patient they mostly do not think of the patient as a person while providing care.
I want to ensure that I treat every patient with the same respect and care that I would give a member of my own family. I put a significant amount of importance on psychological aspect of healthcare because I think it is forgotten in our society. Instead of treating the patients as people they are sometimes treated more like a case. My education is teaching me how to relate with people on a deeper level. I chose a minor in English because I want to be able to present myself properly and communicate effectively with my patients.
However, my ultimate goal is to travel with Doctors without Borders to help patients globally so I may encounter different languages but I think the basis for English builds upon different languages. For example, when I took Spanish for the four semesters I found that it was useful to know the basic grammar and tenses for English. Transition from language to language is much easier to do when you have a strong understanding of English. I plan on extending my knowledge in different languages when I have available time in the future because it will serve me in my future goals and education. In conclusion I believe that my education is building me a strong backbone to be able to relate and treat my patients successfully and with compassion in my career in Doctors without Borders. I am excited for what the future brings and looking forward to sharing my knowledge, compassion and using my problem solving skills I learned throughout school to assist those in need.