Half Japanese and half Chinese, I am a young woman in my fourth year of undergraduate studies who lives in Canada and hopes to attend medical school here in my newly adopted home. Born in Japan and raised in Taiwan, I am a natural appreciator of diversity. Very serious-minded for my age, at 23, I am a hard worker and a diligent student and very dedicated to achieving my long-term goal of being a successful physician. I will be graduating this May with honors, and, in addition to keeping my grades up, I am a volunteer at the Rehabilitation Unit at XXXX General Hospital. Helping people recover from accidents and disease is central to my existence.
As a result of my profound respect for the Osteopathic Tradition, based on my extensive research, I have made up my mind to attend an osteopathic medical school. I look forward to learning how to diagnose diseases, handle emergencies, and perform Osteopathic Manipulative Treatments. I chose osteopathic medicine because of its "whole person" approach, its emphasis on preventive medicine, and its philosophical focus on patient-centered care. I also aspire to become a distinguished expert concerning the musculoskeletal system, which I see as a significant key to a healthy body. In honor of my heritage and to satisfy my intellectual curiosity, I also plan to draw what I can from Chinese and Japanese medical traditions, harnessing the vast wisdom of these traditions in my service as a physician in North America. I hope to have the privilege of doing substantial research in the areas of nutrition and diet with an eye to longevity, especially in the Japanese tradition.
As a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, I look forward to a long and productive career as a primary care physician in the field of family or internal medicine. In the short term, I hope to be accepted into an osteopathic medical school and obtain the DO Degree. Aware of my gift of speaking three critically important languages, fluent in English, a native speaker of Mandarin Chinese, and a near-native speaker of Japanese, I plan to use all three languages in my medical career.
I look forward to the camaraderie with other Asian students in your program. I profoundly enjoy my interactions with staff and support individuals at our hospital—our sense of teamwork. Most of the patients have muscle and bone injuries. By helping them to achieve a complete restoration, I am learning a great deal about the healing of the musculoskeletal system while I develop invaluable hands-on skills. Aside from obtaining an NSERC research scholarship in the summer of 2008, and volunteering in an evolution genetics lab this coming semester, I will be conducting a fourth-year research project in nutrition with one of my favorite professors in the Department of Nutrition at XXXX U. I have also shadowed a family physician for a couple of days to get to know what it is like to be a doctor and obtaining a great deal of clinical experience.
After completing medical school, I look forward to contributing to the ethnic diversity of medicine in America. I hope to always serve on the front lines as a family physician providing holistic and preventive care. This is where I am most needed and will do my best. Thank you for considering my application.
Osteopathic Medical School Personal Statement