An Indian American man who immigrated to America at the age of twelve, the ideals of my culture have directed me to study science and place an extremely high priority on education and serving one’s fellow man and community. I hope to practice medicine back home in India and in America, volunteering my time back home as much as possible as my medical career progresses.
My focus in India will be exclusively on the underserved, and this is one of the reasons that I am applying to study at an Osteopathic Medical School since I feel strongly that hands-on manipulation techniques have particularly great value when one sees large numbers of patients, perhaps only once, doing what one can for them generally on the same day. It has also been clear that my central goal is to help members of my community here in New York City, primarily Indian immigrants from Punjab.
I am pleased that I spent enough time in India to learn our native language, Punjabi, reading, speaking, and writing it on a level of excellence. This will enable me to relate to and better serve Punjabi speakers here in New York City. Throughout my adolescence and early adult life, I have paid close attention to the medically underserved in my community, Queens, NY, many of whom do not adequately attend to their health care needs for a variety of reasons, most of which have something to do with being a first-generation immigrant from India. Thus, I look forward to helping the underserved members of my community here in NYC.
My developing appreciation of how chemistry is the foundation of all life led me to choose it as an undergraduate major. I excelled and earned my bachelor's degree at XXXX this past January 2017. My most enjoyable moments as an undergraduate student were spent doing bench research for two years in an organic synthesis lab. My dedication to my studies and research was rewarded by earning a scholarship award and the privilege of giving several symposium presentations.
I hope to establish my clinic to advance my practice and service to the community where I live; I also look forward to having a family. Coming from a middle-class family and overcoming numerous obstacles and roadblocks to get where we are today, I have learned to appreciate the vital importance of family on many levels, especially health issues. Being a responsible family member is also central to my goals in life. I appreciate how my parents have struggled throughout their lives so that I would have educational and professional opportunities as an adult. I fully intend to do the same for the children I hope to have in the future.
Volunteer service is a fundamental cornerstone value for my family and culture. I shall always remain active on behalf of organizations concerned with providing health care for those in the greatest need. I started volunteering with the American Red Cross in 2016, and I am still a continually active member. I volunteer for the ARC’s HFPC (Home Fire Preparedness Campaign). With this program, we go to people’s homes and install free smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, educating them on fire safety and what to do in a fire. I have volunteered in a hospital for about two years, performing various duties, from organizing and maintaining medical files to helping the nurses. I especially enjoy bringing the patients their meals and the pleasant interactions. I have long hoped to be selected for your distinguished program in Osteopathic Medicine so that I can become a holistic medicine practitioner, doing everything in my power to help my patients recover and heal.
I like to think that everything that I have done so far has prepared me in one way or another to give my all 24/7 to your program in Osteopathic Medicine, including the jobs that I have had so far along the way. As a summer intern (2013), I learned a great deal while serving in my state senator's office, helping form community liaisons. This would often include preparing flyers about upcoming events hosted by the senator’s office and then going out in the field to communicate this information to the people. I have often worked dealing with immigration policy, job fairs, etc. After that summer of 2013, I began a retail sales position where I continued for the next two years, cultivating my people skills, and learning a lot about human nature and America and its many cultures.
Thank you for considering my application to devote my professional life to Osteopathic Medicine.