Example, Personal Statement

Urbina Meneses, Elman M(14297128) Personal Statement
My interest in Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine started after a very difficult experience at a young age. I
am originally from rural Nicaragua; my grandfather was a farmer in the area and my grandmother the
first elementary school teacher who ever lived there. My dad was the youngest of their ten children. To
this day, I still remember how proud my grandmother was of my father, who went on to become a
well-respected pediatrician in town. On my dad’s 44th birthday we went to the beach to celebrate, but our
joyful festivities were shattered when my grandmother suffered a massive MI that led to her passing away
one month later. One day, after a difficult goals-of-care conversation, my dad broke down in tears in front
of me, frustrated because of poor communication with the primary team. Years later, during my
residency, I was leading the ICU team and it was time to speak with the family of a very sick patient with
shock and guarded prognosis. At the end of the meeting, one of the sons shook my hand very firmly and
told me they were thankful and relieved that a doctor like me was involved in the care. I was happy to
have made someone feel better in one of the most difficult times they could experience but also reminded
me of my father and how difficult it was for him at the time. I feel that I honor my grandmother’s
memory by being the best human being I can be when dealing with these situations.
When the Covid-19 pandemic started in March, our profession faced the difficult task of stepping up in a
situation none of us had ever experienced, to be there for everyone and be ready to help. Our county was
one the hardest hit in Massachusetts; at one point our hospital had three Covid-19 ICUs taking care of a
population of mainly minorities and the elderly. Even though I know this is far from over, I am proud to
have been part of the team that provided exceptional care to our people under these very difficult
circumstances, persevering and putting in hard work despite our fears and concerns against an enemy we
simply do not yet understand. Despite all of this, my commitment to the field of Pulmonary and Critical
care has remained intact and my resolve has strengthened; I would be humbled to have the opportunity to
have a life-long career in this field.
I have several characteristics that would make me a good prospective fellow. I am reliable, work well in a
team, have good communications skills, and I am hungry to learn. Some of these characteristics were
highlighted by my program director and peers when I was given the award of “Best Intern” at the end of
my intern year. I also have a passion for teaching that goes back to my time in medical school and
continued during internship and residency, can stay calm during stressful situations such as codes or other
emergencies, and like to lead by example. As a result of some of these, I was offered the position of chief
resident, which I accepted with an enormous sense of honor. My philosophy is that I came to this country
to learn as much as possible and the thought of entering a specialty that would allow me to see such a
variety of pulmonary and ICU cases as well as a procedural part makes me very excited.
My career goal is to become an academic clinician educator in the field of pulmonary/critical care. I
never forget about my home country, and I have had the honor of giving formal lectures in critical care to
medical students in the national medical school and have served as mentor for students planning on
pursuing training here. My experience as an educator during my residency and chief residency in the
United States as well as my experiences teaching in Nicaragua will help me to not only to contribute the
formation of physicians in the United states but also in other countries where I can make a difference. I
intend to use my research findings from the Framingham Heart Study fellowship in prognostic value
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Urbina Meneses, Elman M(14297128) Personal Statement
echocardiographic measure of cardiac remodeling as a base for future research that will improve the care
of our patients and the effectiveness of our work. After having received so much in this field, I look
forward to giving in return.
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