I am applying to enter the Internal Medicine Residency Program at ________ because your program provides the finest in multi-faceted practical training in internal medicine to provide patients with the best care possible. Although I have had a broad medical education and experience in my home country of Nigeria, I hope to learn much more at your innovative institution, especially concerning inclusive approaches to medicine.
When I was twelve years of age, I watched in dismay as my best friend suffered blistering sweats, and chattering teeth, finally fading away shaking from complications of malaria. I watched him die by inches on a hospital bed. The sad memory will always be with me. I promised myself I would do my best to prevent the same calamity from befalling others in my community. When my friends were choosing a career, I did not give it a second thought, as I had already decided to become a physician. Through much intense effort, I secured a scholarship to complete medical school.
I was born into a large family in a tiny village deep in the interior of Nigeria. I can still hear the early morning crowing of roosters and the bleating of goats. Later, we moved to a congested city, where countless bicycles and motorcycles filled the streets. My parents were loving, kind people and always encouraged me to pursue higher education. I have fond memories of growing up with helpful brothers, my sister, and my uncle. My worst memories are seeing people around me dying of preventable diseases like malaria, and typhoid. Seeing such avoidable human suffering steeled my resolve to be the best physician I could be to bring wellness and healing into people’s lives.
One of my most gratifying early experiences as a physician was when a patient with acute shortness of breath was rushed into the ER, where I was a medical officer on call. I was able to diagnose him with spontaneous pneumothorax quickly and treat him accordingly. It was a memorable day for me because it was the first time I ever saw and treated a case of SP since I finished medical school. Moreover, it was the first time I put every ounce of my training to work and was successful at saving a human.
By participating in the internal medicine residency program at XXXX, I will receive the advanced training needed to see many more lives saved. In Nigeria, when a father or mother dies, it is a profound loss, because they usually leave a large family almost orphaned. This creates significant hardship for the children. Carcinoma of the uterine and cancer of the cervix and breast are most prevalent among Nigerian women. Prostate and liver cancer top the list among men. Many deaths from these malignancies could be prevented with proper early diagnosis and treatment.
Learning innovative ways to avert unnecessary early deaths due to preventable diseases, such as AIDS, tuberculosis, typhoid, and the like, will also help keep families whole and intact; helping to maintain the equilibrium of Nigerian society, plagued by acute poverty at every level.
One of the verses in the Koran says, "A person should always seek knowledge even if they have to travel more than one million miles to receive it, and after the knowledge is acquired, it should be used to serve humanity." This is one of the reasons why I decided to embark on this long journey all the way from Africa to the USA to learn more about medicine and become a better physician. I realize the immense value of love and compassion and their intrinsic importance for making the world a better place.
Being a resident in your program would allow me to learn how to use the state-of-the-art medical facilities that are lacking in my country and learn how medicine is being practiced in the USA. I hope to use the knowledge and skills acquired in your program to train other young doctors in Nigeria.