“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” - Helen Keller I was raised in a tiny Indian village and I realized, very early in life, that one must challenge oneself in order to feel accomplished. When I was 15 years old, I had the opportunity to work with differently abled children, when I volunteered at a school for children with special needs. It was during that immensely gratifying experience, I was able to discover an endless amount of patience, compassion and determination within myself. I was always a people person, and I liked being “in the know”. And so, I chose to be a physician. Medical school gave me a chance to realize my full potential, as a pupil and as a person. I, along with an enthusiastic colleague, ran …show more content…
I have to say, studying for the exams this last year was truly an enlightening experience; revisiting concepts and looking at them from a new perspective. I was fortunate, in this last year, to be involved as an observer, with clinicians as well as a research team. In the clinics and in the hospital, I was fascinated by how well the system, here in America, works to protect the rights and interests of children against all odds, even socioeconomic ones. I am amazed to see how agencies like the Children’s Health Insurance Program and Child Protective Services help to deliver health care to children in unfortunate circumstances. Another impressive aspect of Pediatric health care in America, to me, is the immense involvement of Pediatric patients in research and clinical trials. It is something I look forward to being a part of. Presently, I am a research assistant in a gastrointestinal physiology laboratory at the University of Chicago. Given that Diarrheal disease is the second leading cause of mortality in children, I welcomed this chance to explore the mechanism of intestinal transport systems, in health and disease. I also attend a Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition clinic, which helps me put into clinical perspective, the research we