Throughout my childhood, I always asked my father to tell me the story of how he escaped Vietnam with thirty of his family members on a small fishing boat. He always concluded the story with, “Always be thankful for everything you have, and always give back to those less fortunate than you.” Naïve, I didn’t take his words to heart because I did not understand father’s humble beginnings or the struggles my family faced during the Vietnam War. When I began to volunteer at a hospital, I started considering becoming a physician as a career. It was not until I experienced my own suffering when I truly embraced my father’s words and developed a true desire to be a physician
My first hardship in life and encounter with medicine, was when my grandmother was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. Unable to speak English, my grandmother relied on my relatives to communicate her condition. Luckily, my cousin Le, who is
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Volunteering at the hospital has allowed me to recognize that I am able to give hope to patients. I am only able to do this because of my own experience with suffering and I am able to relate to them. Although I can already do these things, I’m still lacking, and believe I can do so much more. I aspire to be a physician because I would like the responsibility and the opportunity to give those less fortunate the opportunity to live happier and healthier lives. It gives me the comfort of knowing that I will one day walk with people through their journey of whatever may afflict them: pain, weakness, sorry, or cancer. Although the journey to becoming a physician is long and difficult, I am ready to dedicate my life to medicine not only because it gives me personal satisfaction, but because I believe I could not spend my time in any other