As I entered the operating room, I couldn’t believe my ears: the surgeons were playing salsa music and talking about the upcoming elections. This was just the first program I attended this summer, a shadowing program at the Hospital de Manatí. While I was driving to the hospital the first day, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Once I got there, they sorted us to the different specialties. The program director called out my name followed by general surgery with Dr. Jimenez. SURGERY. I couldn’t believe it. This wasn’t just like watching a medical drama on tv and being amazed at what the actors in a tv-show did. This was the real deal. I realized that I live for moments like this, that are almost indescribable but include a mix of utter fascination, …show more content…
After the shadowing program, I attended a 4-week program at the University of Pennsylvania called PennMed. Most days involved exciting activities, such as learning to suture, CPR, performing an ultrasound on ourselves, and even studying anatomy using real corpses. It was during the last two days of the program where I discovered how interested I am in conducting undergraduate research. I’m not sure if it was the silence, everyone’s concentration, or the fact that their research in immunotherapy for treating cancer was going to potentially save millions of lives, but I was immediately drawn to that environment. I could literally see myself being part of that, learning and research, at the Undergraduate Teaching Labs, or in any other research opportunity that JHU offers. At Johns Hopkins University, I see myself completing Biomedical Engineering studies. First of all, studying engineering teaches you a whole new way to analyze and solve problems. Furthermore, as a Type 1 diabetic, who relies on an insulin pump to control the disease, I experience first-hand the limitations that these devices have. I want to study in an environment where I can actually improve the lives of people with my same condition, or any other that requires a medical