I am a woman born and raised in Morocco until I was eight and before we immigrated to Canada. I speak Arabic, French, and English fluently. I hold a bachelor's degree in psychology and an MD from the Medical University of the Americas.
I had already developed an ardent desire to become a family physician by the age of ten, having witnessed the enormously beneficial effects of our family doctor's wisdom, skill, and commitment. I wanted to be like him and directly affect the lives of as many people as possible for the better. This desire has never left me, and I have never considered any other profession. Family medicine is more of a vocation than a career choice. I cannot imagine being more beneficial to humanity than a family physician, and I am passionately committed to becoming as effective in this role as possible.
When considering how to enter the profession, I realized that a family doctor treats the ‘whole person'. For this reason, I obtained a bachelor's degree in psychology before pursuing my medical degree. This has been of enormous assistance to me in my volunteer, professional and academic work to date. I keep abreast of advances in the subject so that I can apply this knowledge with a more significant effect in my interaction with patients throughout my future career.
Family medicine is the only specialization that has ever interested me. I am keen to work with patients of all ages suffering from various conditions. I will seek to provide integrated care of high quality. I believe this can only be achieved by forming a constructive personal relationship with the patient. This involves acquiring and maintaining knowledge of the family and working environments of patients and their circumstances. This knowledge needs, of course, to be underpinned by a genuine interest in their overall well-being. The family practitioner is in a powerful position to do a lot of good in promoting preventative medicine. I believe that much can be achieved to improve health by always providing appropriate primary health education during regular contact with patients. I also recognize the enormously beneficial effect of routine screening and the family physician's role in maximizing patient uptake.
I have acquired significant and relevant patient contact experience while volunteering with counseling services and in my clinical rotations. The most formative of these experiences was when working at the XXXX General Hospital Cancer Center, which seeks to provide a supportive environment to cancer patients by offering complementary care based on a ‘holistic’ approach.
I am a volunteer with the Canadian Red Cross. I have taught safety awareness and first aid skills to elementary school-aged children, and I loved doing so. I have hopes that one or two future medical professionals will emerge from my young students, some of whom I believe ‘caught’ my enthusiasm for helping others in distress. I have also been trained to act as a ‘responder’ to minor- or large-scale emergencies or disasters. I hold incredibly positive feelings towards the Red Cross and its magnificent work and intend to continue my association with them throughout my career.
I am used to social and professional contact with people of many different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. I am extremely interested in learning about other cultures and particularly how they touch upon attitudes to health and personal well-being. I am well-traveled, having visited Morocco, the Balkans, Cyprus, Turkey, and the Nevis Islands, and I have used the opportunities of travel to observe and learn from the cultures to which I have been exposed. Being of a bi-cultural background gives me some insight into the potential problems faced by others who are the products of non-local heritage.
I passionately believe that cultural variations in attitudes to health and well-being are a potential source of valuable lessons to be exchanged and considered. For instance, I am aware of a tendency among some cultures to avoid routine screening and seek medical intervention only when advanced symptoms arise. It is also well established that some cultures’ eating customs are detrimental to health. I seek to acquire a detailed knowledge of this aspect of health education and carefully consider such cultural variations in my treatment of patients.
I am aware that the residency program will attract many well-qualified applicants. However, I believe that my academic background, experience, and personal qualities will ensure that the program will benefit my patients and the medical community I seek to join. In addition, I offer a genuine and heartfelt passion for family medicine that I am sure will not be matched by many applicants.
Family Medicine Residency Personal Statement