When I decided to pursue a career in nursing 20 years ago, I knew deep in my heart that if I became a doctor, I would be able to make my most significant professional contribution. Thus, when I became a nursing professional, I also set my mind and heart on eventually becoming a doctor; and I have now completed medical school, several post-graduate training programs, and my USMLEs.
Born and raised in the Philippines and now a citizen of Hong Kong, serving as a doctor for the last several years has made me hungry to receive special training in the medicine I want to specialize in Dermatology. My Christian faith also drives this goal with its focus on healing. In addition to Hong Kong, my most recent observer ship at the Medical University of Graz in Austria has helped me understand the complexities of practicing medicine in a multicultural and multilingual setting. Along with my three months in Austria, I spent six months in Berlin, Germany, and finished medical school in England. While currently based in Hong Kong, I frequently travel to Thailand, the Philippines, and Switzerland. I hope to complete a one-year transition program that will prepare me to be accepted to a Dermatology residency program. I see Dermatology as the specialty where I can best use my multicultural/multilingual background.
I was still a child when I acquired keloid from a BCG injection. What started as a small bump enlarged into an ugly skin problem that I found terrifying, embarrassing, and uncomfortable, adversely affecting my self-esteem and confidence. After intralesional steroid injections, keloid excisions, and radiotherapy, I was left with emotional and physical scars. Having first-hand experience with how a simple skin problem like keloid could have a negative, long-term effect, even for a lifetime, was one of the foremost factors that set Dermatology at the forefront of my mind and heart.
My mother was diagnosed with psoriasis, and my husband contacted alopecia areata Universalis, both of which have indeterminate treatments and prognoses. Being the medical professional in the family, I often accompanied them during clinic consultations and assisted with administering medications. I learned to observe whether lesions have improved or worsened, whether there were new-onset lesions or the much-dreaded flare-ups. After becoming a doctor, I worked in various clinical institutions, one of which was a premier plastic surgery center in Hong Kong. I assisted the surgeon in performing facial procedures such as dermal fillers, Botox injections, Thermage, and other cosmetic procedures. Along the way, I cultivated gentleness along with skill, bringing me profound joy. As a medical student, I enjoyed the visual inspection that accompanies the physical diagnosis, using my visual and tactile skills. I want patient contact, as I am naturally very sociable and enjoy working with my hands. My talent for optical recognition will help me to excel in Dermatology.
My German national husband is highly supportive of my goal of receiving further state-of-the-art training in Dermatology, noting that it will benefit medical missions. I have already gone on two missions to Africa and hope to return to the Developing World which needs dermatologists to attend to the underserved suffering from various skin disorders.
Thank you for considering my application.
Dermatology Residency Personal Statement