The Flame That Is Still Lit Today by Khadija

The Flame That Is Still Lit Today by Khadija - June 2017 Scholarship Essay

“Stop running in the store,” my mom yelled after me as I was racing across the aisles at Toys R Us. My eyes overlooked the Barbie dolls and Easy Bake Ovens and were fixated on the Fisher Price Doctor’s Kit that I had wanted for so long. Fixing my little brothers’ “boo-boos” and playing pretend doctor with my stuffed animals soon became my favorite childhood pastime. I always looked forward to my next doctor’s visit since that meant I could add more gauze, tongue depressors, and stickers to my kit. This became the spark that ignited the flame that is still lit today. From this point forward, there were a number of experiences, whether it was a family trip, personal illness, community outreach, clinical exposure, or setback which served as fuel for my passion for medicine and applying to medical school.
When I went to Bangladesh for a family vacation a few years later I was faced with an eye opening experience. Walking through the poverty stricken streets and bazaars in rural Chittagong, Bangladesh, I observed my grandfather treat his patients daily. The diverse community I was able to meet and interact with inspired me to come back one day and help the patients just as my grandfather did, not only in Bangladesh but in impoverished nations around the world.
Along with the unforgettable memories I brought back with me, I acquired two deadly diseases. The day after we arrived I was hospitalized for two weeks, diagnosed with Typhoid and Dengue fever, prior to starting fifth grade. I suffered weight and hair loss and experienced bullying as a result. With low self-esteem and lack of motivation I was unable to perform at my best. Through my parents’ encouragement and medical treatment from my pediatrician, I was able to recover and reach a healthy state within a few weeks. Consequently, I was able to stay on track with my school work, become Student of the Month for demonstrating academic excellence and character, and earn Gold Honor Roll for the remainder of the year. Through this experience, I knew that I wanted to become someone that could help others overcome their personal and medical obstacles just as my parents and pediatrician helped me rise above mine. Diversity and a desire to give back soon became important goals in my life that I wanted to continue in my future profession.
Upon attending college a decade later, I was motivated to take on leadership roles within my community, the most meaningful one being UNICEF. I started off as a member in my freshman year, moving up to Treasurer, and eventually President. Educating children about the impact of UNICEF’s work, raising nearly $10,000 in funds from the Trick or Treat fundraiser, and meeting with the CEO of UNESCO were some of the major takeaways from my involvement. However, the best part was being able to form connections and spread community awareness about world issues, such as poverty and child malnutrition. Through my personal and professional experiences, I am inspired to someday become a part of Doctors Without Borders.
It was then through my shadowing and clinical exposure that I confirmed my passion for medicine. I began shadowing a family medicine physician at an Urgent Care Clinic. One day, a healthy middle aged man came in with complaints of chest pain after his daily workout. The EKG results prompted the doctor to summon EMS immediately. However, amongst all of this commotion he managed to ask me about my interest in becoming physician. This heartwarming experience was humbling in that I was able to be there for a patient during a stressful event in his life. At this moment I knew that becoming a doctor was not just about the physical exams performed or the medicine prescribed, but about the relationships formed between people when they are most vulnerable. In addition, being a medical scribe changed my presumption about being a physician as I was able to see that the nature of the ER fit my personality and that there was a niche for me in medicine.
Experiencing a personal emergency during the previous medical school application cycle put me at a disadvantage as I lost my focus and also performed poorly on the MCAT, one of the major determinants of medical school success. While everyone’s path to medicine is different, I will not let a setback stop me from achieving my goals. Beginning the Master of Biomedical Sciences program this upcoming Fall will allow me to improve my qualifications while taking similar courses to those taught in the first year of medical school and also experience the rigors of graduate school. This program will not only prepare me for medical school, but also teach me valuable skills that will be beneficial to me as a future health care professional.
My clinical experiences and volunteer work with UNICEF allowed me to form connections with people and give back to the community from a young age. Additionally, my setbacks and experiences abroad in Bangladesh have exposed me to the diverse culture of medicine and showed me the importance of overcoming one’s personal and medical battles. The culmination of all these experiences have served as the fuel for my underlying passions of community service and medicine and have motivated me to work hard to achieve my goal of becoming a physician.