Gastroenterologist Personal Statement

My deep-seated love for dance has always been intertwined with my passion for Gastroenterology. The art of movement, whether on the dance floor or in the endoscopy suite, requires discipline, careful planning, and a willingness to explore new depths of technique and skills. As I progressed through medical training, I found myself drawn to the intricate nature of the digestive system and the challenges it presents. Despite facing significant financial difficulties during medical school in a country struggling with financial collapse, my determination to succeed never wavered. My dedication helped me identify my live vision of becoming a gastroenterologist, a field that offers the opportunity to use my skills and passions to transform lives.

As medical students, we have been often asked whether we like surgery or not to make an informed decision on our residency choices, but GI was one of those which carried the mix of medical and surgical expertise. One of the main reasons that drew me to it is its multidisciplinary approach incorporating medicine, surgery, radiology, and nutrition. During my residency training, I had the opportunity to explore the field further on my inpatient and outpatient rotations. With Indiana University being a tertiary referral center with significant pancreaticobiliary expertise, I was exposed to a significant number of pathologies and rare clinical scenarios that further expanded my clinical acumen and fueled my thirst for knowledge. Every patient was a mystery to unfold. Could their abdominal pain be from gastritis, or could it turn to a terrifying scene of bleeding esophageal varices? The exposure to some of the rare clinical scenarios and complex cases honed my clinical acumen, making me better equipped to provide quality care for my patients in the future. Additionally, as an international graduate, I was faced with a myriad of medical and social complexities that taught me that illness is universal, regardless of cultural differences, and I have come to appreciate the unique challenges and perspectives that each patient brings to the table. What made me more interested in GI is that it is a field where people who

I have been working on growing from a lecturer to an educator, and over the last three years, I realized that teaching can be very rewarding, but can also be intimidating as there were many instances where I had to extensively read to be able to respond to some of the seemingly easy questions that I had no answers to. I want to be able to facilitate learning by creating an environment that fosters critical thinking, collaboration, and active engagement while continuously reflecting and adapting to improve my teaching practices. Besides education, my aim is to be a good leader, one who inspires others with a clear vision, challenges the status quo, and fosters a positive culture that enables others to act. My main message involves empowerment, which started with a small project I led called “Lokmat Aysh”, a bakery in a small village in Lebanon, for women who lost their partners during the war, currently supporting around twenty women for eight years, to organizing three national, free medical days that offered basic health screening and physical examinations for the underserved population in my country. During my second year of residency, I was at cross-roads on what comes after, until I was called for an impromptu meeting with my program director informing me that I was selected as a chief resident for the upcoming academic year. As a chief resident, I will be in a unique position