Andi Wallick Personal Statement Indiana University School of Medicine Degree Objective: M.S. Pathologists’ Assistant My interest in pathology dates back to high school. I enjoyed most sciences but especially sciences about the body. I knew then that I wanted to work in the field of pathology.
Essay #1: Describe why you wish to enroll at WMed. You should describe any connection you have to southwest Michigan. I would love to stay in Michigan and I appreciate that Kalamazoo is a large city with only a forty-minute drive to Lake Michigan beaches. Not to mention that WMed is the only Michigan-based medical school to be voted one of the 50 Most Beautiful Medical Schools. It is also a new institution which allows for innovation by its students.
Personal Statement Many pairs of eyes stared at me, while I gave my first speech at the Sikh Temple of Riverside, on the Massacre of 1984 event that took place in Punjab, India. The speech was based upon a book that I read at my Sunday school while I was in high school, which described the 1984 genocide of Sikhs in India, by anti-Sikh mobs, most notable members of the government, in response to the assassination of Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. Thousands of people were displaced in the massacre and many mothers lost their sons and husbands in these riots. However, till this present day the Government of India has still not actively prosecuted and punished those responsible for the mass killings, and many mothers are still waiting for their sons to return after many years because they don’t if they are dead or missing. This book gave me an insight to the
The fast-changing pace of Internal Medicine appeals to me as a strong critical thinker. I enjoy the challenge of incorporating all spectrums of medicine into each differential diagnosis; every case is a new problem-solving opportunity. Internal Medicine, more than any other specialty, utilizes my personal knowledge, experience, and the assistance of my team in an all-encompassing analysis with the most up-to-date information for personalized care with each and every patient. Only with true understanding and a personal bond with a patient can one practice preventive medicine, which is a priority in all medicine, but especially important for Internal Medicine, where motivating lifestyle change is crucial. Internists, to me, are lifelong learners, which is why I feel the strongest connection toward the concentration of Internal Medicine.
I am a 27-year-old mother and fiancé. My goal is to complete my science prerequisite classes with 4.0’s so that I can apply to the Physician Assistant program at Western Michigan University. I graduated in 2015 with a Bachelors in Criminal Justice from WMU and I am currently working as a Medical Assistant. I have a son named Lorenzo, his first birthday is a couple hours away! In my very limited free time I like to work out through a program called Fit Body Boot Camp.
In third grade, I was assigned to create a project illustrating what I wanted to be when I grew up. At this time, due to my positive experiences with doctors and my desire to help others, especially children, I decided to describe the role of a pediatrician as my future career. Throughout my childhood, whenever asked about my future aspirations, I confidently declared that I would attend medical school and become a pediatrician. However, as I developed, the answer to this question slowly began to evolve as I gained a deeper understanding of my values and the people I desired to serve through medicine.
I love the one on one aspect of nursing or medicine, which is what I loved about teaching. If I go into medicine, I want to go into osteology. Bones and the way they work is fascinating to me. The way a bone looks like a piece of coral, and the way they break, that’s something I want to study for the rest of my life. I personally have early onset osteoporosis due to my stomach issues, lactose intolerance, and having a history of anorexia nervosa all combine to weaken my bones.
Through my studies of human expression and its reflection of how people deal with world events in different ways, I developed sensitivity to other worldviews that continues to prove useful through my daily interactions with people of different backgrounds. I have learned that just like art, medicine involves pattern recognition and derives insight from experiences. Similarly, what I especially enjoy about being a medical assistant is interacting with patients on a daily basis and getting to be a part of their medical experiences, even if it is just by lending an ear. The experiences on my path to a career in medicine have made me want to make a real, tangible difference in the lives of those around me – a difference that leaves my patients in a better condition than they were in before I met them.
For the past 18 years I wanted to do something practical and respected. Belonging to the model minority emphasized that belief even more. Due to those factors, I wanted to be an otolaryngologist specializing in laryngology. I thought this way I could get somewhat close to my passion of singing while raking in the prestige and cash. So then I decided to apply to schools with strong pre-med programs, but I also kept in mind my love for music, resulting in me applying to numerous liberal arts colleges.
A cube seen from only one side is a square. I have spent twelve years of my life in the same institution and had a small but well-loved group of friends. In contrast, a close friend of mine attended three different schools in the same time, and I saw how that affected him, he was more social, friendly and empathetic. Looking back I now realize that I need to learn how to be more outgoing to better my communication skills as life presents us new challenges and working well with others is an integral part to solving them. I came to the United States to both see the world from another perspective and reflect upon the different ideologies and thought processes that have developed in the presence of such a great number of differing cultures.
I want to be part of such a rewarding career. I feel that the subjects I have studied have provided me with a good foundation of skills and knowledge that I will use on a daily basis as Occupational therapist. In Biology I learned about the human body on a physical level. I found learning how the body works to be fascinating and I look forward to expanding my knowledge even more with this course.
Clinical medicine and science are inherently inseparable entities. Scientific advances and discoveries will perpetually influence any career in the medical profession. This was an idea I learned early on during my undergraduate education. However, my own interest in science spans further than using it as a means to an end. The process of developing theories and conducting experiments enthralls me.
Everyone has experienced a situation involving, medicine and prescriptions, whether it is grazing your knee from falling off a bike or visiting relatives in hospital. Biomedics has undoubtedly been a large part of my life and my desire for science originated from a young age while observing my mother working as a nurse on a day-to-day basis. This gave me a basic knowledge of different diseases and conditions, and enabled me to develop compassion and consideration towards people. My grandmother also suffered from coronary heart disease, which subsequently sparked my interest for medicine and potential cures for illnesses. I read an article about how “injections cut heart attack risk”.
Pre-med students always have an experience that sparked their initial interest in medicine. For me, it was caring for my mother during the onset of new medical conditions and being a medical aide for my grandfather before he passed away. Two years ago, when I sat down to write my medical school personal statement, this was my story. However, as I wrote and reflected on my experiences, I knew I was interested in medicine, but I couldn't answer the question of why specifically, medical school? Were my experiences enough to drive me through the next eight-plus years of rigorous academic studies?
I am passionate about science contributing to a better world, which explains my interest in medical research. My mother, as a nurse, exposed me to a broad range of diseases from an early age which definitely sparked my interest for medicine. My father, on the other hand, suffers from sarcoidosis in the lungs and a mitral valve disease; which also contributed to my interest. I am particularly intrigued by cancer research. I have known many people affected by this horrible and engrossing (for a medical scientist) disease.
