Numerous neighborhoods with boarded-up rundown row homes and pot hole riddled streets. Children at play, jumping rope, only to briefly retreat to the side of the road for the occasional passing car. The community playground, littered with plastic bags and discarded needles. The frequent sound of police sirens, in the distance, muddled with the daily commute of traffic noises. Nearly every alternating intersection actively being patrolled by a disheveled pan-handler. The corner convenience store advertising in neon lights that food stamp form of payment was accepted. This isn’t a scene from a third world country, rather the route my bus took every afternoon on my way back home from school. As a kid I grew up on the west side of Baltimore, a city stricken with poverty. It was there, I developed an everlasting desire to care for the sick and less-fortunate. Past …show more content…
The broad field of study ranging through every organ system that encompasses medicine, a jack-of-all-trades if you will, is truly fascinating. One of the many appealing aspects of an internist is the opportunity to form meaningful interpersonal connections beginning with first interaction on admission to the day of discharge and the subsequent follow-ups. This will give me ample time to get to know my patient, address their concerns and work together to tailor a plan of action that is best for the individual patient. Excellent primary care to me is more than just about disease management. It is about prevention of complications of that condition, risk factor reduction, reassurance, counseling, educating, curing and most importantly improving quality of life. Furthermore, an internist is a compassionate, caring and trustworthy advocate for his or her patients. I have spent a great deal of my life honing these vital skills and I am confident they will best be utilized and appreciated in the field of internal