Improving the medical field, one patient at a time by Omotola

Improving the medical field, one patient at a time by Omotola - June 2020 Scholarship Essay

Being young, I have many ambitions and goals. But above all, my dream is to do something marvelous in the medical field. I have a fascination with gene manipulation and how we could remove hereditary diseases out of the womb during pregnancy to prevent years of struggle. To contribute to stem cell research and get one step closer to creating all the biological processes needed in some of our most disabled citizens in the world (including my best friend who suffers from Glaucoma). I want to answer the generations-old dispute as to whether the environment or genetics determines a person’s psychological behavior and what that could mean to mental health. And I want to help create the vaccines that could turn some of the most lethal biological threats of our world today (Aids/HIV, STDs, etc.) into nothing more than an infantile shot. Overall, I want to work towards guaranteeing that the generation coming after us not only live innovative lives but healthier ones too.
All I have ever desired to be was a superhero. To be Someone who can help those less fortunate than themselves and encourage that behavior globally, whether given credit or not. After much growing up and research, I found that this personal goal of mine could be fulfilled by making discoveries concerning the human body and health in general, coming up with new ways to help the generations after me.
I have a passion for becoming a general doctor, with neurology, cardiology, and anesthesiology piquing my interest. Upon entering a university that gives much priority given to their STEM field, I plan to be a biology major. This opens doors to biotechnology, biomedical engineering, pre-med, genetics, and biochemistry classes that could help me gather as much information about the operations that occur within the human body, and the research still consistently done in the field. Owning a lab in the future to explore different topics and not be tied down to one specific department is a dream of mine as well. I would still want to continue outside research/study on topics I enjoy about medicine and continue to brainstorm ideas that could help make new findings to how the body works. By also having a vast interest in psychology and the workings of the mind, I would like to seek out more in-depth research about the connections that the brain makes with our consciousness when it comes to the overall processes done within a body regarding movement, emotions, and much more.
Lastly, within the medical field, I plan to be a loud activist and spokesperson for equality amongst all patients regarding healthcare. Being a minority and a witness to the racial injustice that exists against African Americans, I can no longer ignore the exposed bias of doctors towards us. There have been studies and reports in which numerous doctors and medical students believe that African Americans do not feel the same level of pain as their white counterparts or do not feel pain at all. Such a belief is nothing less than a racist ideology that has existed since slavery time when slaves did not get anesthesia while being cruelly experimented on by racist doctors. Just like how I do not want to be pregnant and denied of proper prenatal care, I would not wish that on any other woman of any color. A deadly disease should not be downplayed or ignored based on the color of the patient's skin. So in a position of being able to speak to other medicinal officials, I would urge us all to check our bias to prevent any patient dying of a preventable disease or to force these patients to demand basic procedures out of these doctors who went to school to carry them out.
Nevertheless, I have no doubts that if I put my mind and heart towards my goal of medical discovery and participation, I will not only reach it but exceed my expectations. This journey of mine will be a long one, with many obstacles, roadblocks, and intense moments guaranteed along the way. But the thing is, I cannot imagine this not being part of my story. Not taking part in such a large, complex, and groundbreaking field. Being a doctor would make all these years of schooling all the more worthwhile, knowing that someone in the world is alive and well due to my efforts. So to give myself to the highly demanding realm of medicine is a calling of mine as I hope that all those reading can see that. As we the youth go down our different routes, holding different passions in our hearts, I hope we continue to inspire the generations after us the same way we were, one story at a time.