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Family Medical Scholarship Essay

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What is it that makes Family Medicine so enticing? A little over a year ago, I would have likely given some generic response about how primary medical doctors are the backbone of healthcare. And although I would not have been wrong, identifying what uniquely draws me to primary care has been more difficult to discern. Is it the prospect of treating patients across a wide range of acute and chronic conditions? The opportunity to become an impactful member of the community? Or is it the career I can build around my family? The truth is, they are all good reasons. But as the journey towards residency inches nearer, my decision to pursue a career in Family Medicine has boiled down to a single determinant factor – the stories.

Shortly after his …show more content…

One that maintains both the diagnostic and therapeutic potential for the physician who is willing to listen.

But narrative medicine is hardly exclusive to primary care. It is practiced across all specialties. Yet, Family Medicine offers something different – continuity. In a complex and frequently revolving system, primary medical doctors are often the lone constant in a patient’s healthcare experience, allowing for the development and strengthening of the physician-patient relationship. Thus, family physicians are provided with a greater opportunity to learn their patients’ stories, and deliver quality, cost-effective medicine.

Recently, I have diverted my attention to the current opioid epidemic, and particularly, the role of primary care physicians in combating substance-abuse/dependence. This includes, but is not limited to: compliance with opioid prescribing guidelines, the effective identification of substance-abuse patients, and the proper initiation of medication-assisted therapies. Currently, I am working on a case study that investigates the classically conditioned and physiologic responses of IV injection, particularly with cold water. The study further attempts to address potential treatment options that could help curb cravings and improve program adherence in opioid-dependent patients receiving medication-assisted

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