Asthma Personal Statement

I have had a variety of experiences that contributed to my overall motivation to become a health care professional. My passion for medicine began when I was an adolescent being evaluated and taken care of by my pediatrician, Dr. Gonzalez. As a kid, I loved being active and playing several sports. However, I consistently had shortness of breath, wheezing, and tightness in my chest during and after my sports competitions, which my parents quickly noticed. I visited Dr. Gonzalez who automatically knew from experience that I have asthma and prescribed both an inhaler and nebulizer for me to prevent further complications and allow me an opportunity to continue playing sports. The moment I began succeeding playing sports, I was extremely grateful

It was a whole new atmosphere to be thrown into and a risk considering I have asthma. Nevertheless, I loved competing and being quarterback even if I started out on the B team. In 8th grade, I became the A team quarterback and we opened our season against a tough opponent in my team’s district. That morning I had chest congestion, which gradually worsened. Considering I was one of the leaders of the team, I did not want to give in to what I thought was a minor complication. As it turns out, I began the game breathing uneasily and grasping for air on some occasions until I couldn’t take it anymore. I quickly went to my athletic trainer who took my pads off and gave me my inhaler which immediately

There were times when I took care of us both by cooking breakfast on the weekends and doing what I could so that we stayed positive. However, the reality of the situation was the opposite. Seeing both of my parent’s angry over a variety of issues mostly centered on money, I became depressed and would cry myself to sleep on many occasions when they were fighting. . Despite all of the disheartening events occurring at home, I focused on doing my best at school and telling my two year younger brother to not worry about anything. The fact of the matter was that having problems at home made me a stronger person. I relied on my own maturity and motivation to do well and be accomplished at school. For example, some of my achievements include participating in the Duke University Talent Identification Program, being an A honor roll student, being a winner of the Kohl’s Kids Who Care Scholarship Program, participating in the 26th Annual American Mathematics Contest, receiving a reading excellence award, and receiving an athletic award for participating in football, cross country, golf, and basketball. I never took a break from doing what I love just because my parents had conflict. I felt strong enough to continue to play sports and