Medical Care Personal Statement

I believe healthcare to be one of the single most important aspects for each individual in our society today. Yet, we still have many communities and population groups that lack access to medical care. Being raised in a small town, a majority of the population lacked access to medical care. Whether that be due to the financial strain, or being unsure how to navigate the healthcare system, one thing was for certain: the health of the community and many others like it experienced significant health disparities. My family and I directly experienced some of these hurdles, as we lived in rural and designated medically underserved counties throughout southeast Kansas and Missouri. My parents did their best to ensure I had medical care when absolutely

During my undergraduate years of college, I was able to further satisfy my curiosity in regard to the problems the modern day healthcare system faces and how it functions with these challenges. I was able to shadow medical professionals in the clinic and hospital settings. This opportunity allowed me to witness medical care from an inside perspective and learn first-hand about the functionality and daily operations in medical settings. The providers demonstrated that quality care is provided by treating the patient on a personal level. Each health professional, whether their role was directly or indirectly interacting with patients, exemplified the care and compassion given to each patient as though they were their own family. Yet they also described the various limitations that they faced and their frustrations working in a system that is moving further and further away from patient centered care. They communicated with me that there is not one easy fix to the problems, and that the solution now lies on the shoulders of my generation. These experiences taught me that healthcare, an ever-changing field, full of adversity and challenges, is demanding, stressful, and at times disheartening; yet equally rewarding. It became apparent to me that working in this industry requires

Although science is fascinating, and the desire to learn is a huge motivating factor, understanding scientific principles is hardly rewarding on its own. When coupled with application and improving a patients quality of life, understanding and applying these scientific principles has become substantially more rewarding. I pursued a career in clinical laboratory sciences and now clinical research where I have been able to apply my education and science background to contribute to patient health and outcomes. The clinical settings of the lab sciences and research clinic has been complimented by the academic rigor of the biochemical sciences. This combination has allowed me to experience the dynamic process of learning new information and applying it to previously unfamiliar areas. The different perspectives I have learned here has helped me to better understand the interconnectedness across the different healthcare professions. This has given me a fantastic insight into the cutting-edge work that is being done around the world in medicine. In addition to the hands-on application and data analytics, this has been accompanied with the business side of healthcare, which has brought to light more of the major issues facing the health