Why do I want to be a doctor?

So I know this is a question that I will be asked on Admissions Day and so I took the liberty to clear my mind of everything else and answer this question from my heart.  Crazy, but I prayed in the shower this morning and asked God to help me with this question.  For a while, I stumbled on my answer because my mind was not clear, but since asking for help, I think I am ready to answer it.  So I had to blog it!!!

I want to make sure it comes from my heart.  My mother just told me yesterday that, "Whatever you do, make sure all your answers come from your heart."  We think alike!!!  So with no more fear that I will stumble, I want to be a doctor because... 

As you may already know, my obtained degree is in Anthropology which is the study of human kind or people in the past, present, and future.  Well the sub-set of anthropology is cultural anthropology which focuses on people and their way of living and thinking and how these ways affect situations in their everyday life. Well the sub-set of cultural anthropology is medical anthropology which incorporates the field of public health.  I focused most of my course work in medical anthropology and public health to learn about the different ways these two topics influence many communities around the world.  Public health is merely about improving or enhancing the quality of life and medical anthropology is about finding and identifying the doctor-patient relationship needed while the patient is in his/her sick role. 

Well with all those in mind, I love helping and identifying with people.  My passion for medicine would allow me to interact with people and do so much more.  One of the reasons why disease persists in the world is because people's cultural and religious beliefs influence their health situations. With medical knowledge along with my anthropology and public health background, I would not only be able identify with my patients but provide medical insight so that my patients can understand their health and their sickness.  I think that people are entitled to their way of living, which is why as a doctor, I should be able to relate to my patient's past, present, and future while at the same time, provide them with the knowledge that could save their life.  That is, medical knowledge.

So now to visually see how I feel, some communities across the world believe that menstrual periods are unnatural.  Most of the young women that obtain their menstrual periods are ostracized from their communities where males are most dominant because they are not informed that menstrual periods are actually a natural condition for a female.  The problem with sickness and health stems from many communities not being educated or misinformed about medical knowledge.  For my future in medicine, I want to spread awareness by using my medical knowledge to help women understand their bodies.  The only way for me to do this is to have a medical background and relate to communities culturally and medically rather than judge their practices and the way their communities live.  Why not take my passion for medicine and my passion for anthropology and mix them by not only treating and diagnosing, but to relate to my patients in understanding their background and helping them relate to their health in a way they would never have understood it before?

I know "helping people" sounds like such a cliche, but I want to help people relate to their bodies.  As a doctor with this anthropological background, I want to be able to work "miracles" for individuals who would not have been able to receive care because of their living distances, their financial situations, or even their cultural and religious beliefs.  Now, I know I cannot really work "miracles", but at least I know I gave something that was close to a miracle because my patient would not have received care any other way.  

I believe the key to being a successful doctor stems in the doctor-patient relationship just as medical anthropology says.  I want to relate to my patients, I want to learn about what they believe, and I want to have that medical expertise that caters to their sickness.  As an American, I cannot just go into another country and impose my medical knowledge on a particular community.  I cannot stick my nose up and look down on these people because I think my medical knowledge overpowers their cultural beliefs.  I cannot judge people who simply have cultural beliefs or practices that influence the way they treat their bodies.  But as an anthropological American doctor, I can relate to those who do not understand or who are not informed about medical conditions.  Being a great doctor is about building a trusting relationship where my patient understands that I am here, putting their best interests at heart.  I am here to identify with your culture, not shoot it down!  CULTURE IS NORMAL! I am here to cater to my patient's health needs and to understand that as your doctor, I promise to provide the best care possible. 

From working at Lawndale Christian Health Center as a Medical Assistant Intern, I encountered patients that did not have insurance or were under-qualified for insurance.  I watched faces of those patients leave the clinic rooms and I could not help but feel joy because my team (the doctor and I) just helped a young woman who could not go anywhere else because she could not afford the treatment.  She did not have insurance, but one could tell that the money was not the issue.  The doctor was so understanding and created a relationship with his patient so that his patient would not be afraid to ask him for anything.  Not only do I want the same doctor-patient relationship with my patients, but I also want to provide my patients with a sense of comfort  in knowing that I can relate even if I am wearing a white coat. 

I can easily go to the hospital and receive treatment for anything because I am fortunate to do so.  But those 47 million uninsured cannot do so I do not want to take my medical degree for granted.  I want to use it to help those who need it the most, not just those in Third World Countries, but here in the United States as well.  So that is why I want to be a doctor.  I have the capacity to learn, the capacity to help others, the passion for medicine and the passion to identify with people so why not be a doctor? I'LL BE AN EXTRAORDINARY DOCTOR!!!