Through serving others, I have come to realize that every person, regardless of one’s cultural background, has something to offer to the community. As an immigrant, I was quite hesitant about accepting new challenges. The fear of others’ judgment regarding my performance hindered my progress. However, through serving others in various capacities, I was able to interact and help people in my community, who themselves helped me overcome my fears. Whether helping patients at St. John Providence or assisting refugees at the American Red Cross, I was amazed as to how much my presence made a difference, especially for those who needed me to interpret for them. The gratitude these people expressed to me enhanced my sense of purpose and made me realize …show more content…
It brought to my awareness both the limitation and the capacity of medicine. Although there was no medical intervention that could cure the diseases of those terminal patients, their quality of life was improved by an outstanding team of doctors, nurses and volunteers. This awareness helped reconcile myself to the fact that certain things, such as death and terminal illness, can not be avoided or changed. By viewing death as a natural part of life, I will be able to offer my dying patients the best care possible while also understanding my limitation as a physician and a human being. Lastly, as a vice president of the Lions Club, I took part in providing eye screening for students in underserved schools. Recently, I met an employee of U of M Dearborn who brought his children to one of our events. He gratefully thanked us because his son obtained a pair of glasses after being screened and referred by our club. He said, “ My son has no headaches now and can see better.” Being told this filled me with a great sense of compassion towards those in need and opened my eyes as to how a small act of kindness can greatly impact someone 's quality of life. I hope that, through medicine, I will be able to impact the lives of many