Underserved Osteopathy Personal Statement

Describe the top three reasons you have chosen osteopathic medicine as your professional choice in becoming a physician. = why D.O.

My desire to be an osteopathic physician came after attending an OMM session during my gap years as a research fellow at the NIH. This experience contributed to my interest in osteopathic medicine, as I was intrigued by the musculoskeletal manipulation techniques, and deeply appreciated the hands-on, holistic approach to patient care. I feel strongly that training as an osteopath, will prove invaluable in my career as I work deliver quality treatment to underserved communities.

I chose to pursue a career as a physician in osteopathic medicine for several reasons mainly relating to the nature and philosophy of osteopathy. My first reason is the the extra set of tools osteopathic physicians use to diagnose and treat patients. Osteopathic physicians are trained to use their hands to reorient muscles and joints to improve the body’s natural healing processes. By doing so, patients can reduce their dependence on prescribed medications or surgeries to treat their symptoms. My second reason is that I am interested in studying the wide variety of common health problems osteopathic medicine can diagnose and heal such as environmental allergies, asthma, and hypertension. My third reason is because I plan to offer the most effective

have professional and personal passions in my life. I am passionate about underserved communities. Growing up in Tijuana, Mexico, my experience volunteering at a Student-Run Free clinic in San Diego, and what I learned through my graduate program in Global Health have made have a very close connection to medical underserved communities and to have the desire of being involved in helping shortening the access to primary care services these communities have.

Nevertheless, due to the obstacles I face and my father’s health problems, my dream is to become a health care provider. I want to make a positive change in my community, especially for the people who struggle the most. I will make a difference by fighting against injustice, food insecurity,

One of the main missions of the university is to help underserved communities. I believe that both my personal and academic experience has engrained in me the qualities that are essential for completing medical school and becoming a doctor. I want to become an osteopathic doctor that is involved in the community and serves those who lack proper health care. My primary care doctor, who is an osteopathic doctor, influenced my decision to pursue osteopathic medicine. She taught me that osteopathic medicine consists of treatment with holistic approaches, and it involves an education in physical manipulation. This aspect is particularly of interest to me because this is an approach that is used in India. Overall, I believe that I am a thoroughly qualified candidate to pursue a DO degree from Touro college of Osteopathic Medicine. The sheer pleasure I derive from helping people and sharing what I know, coupled with the mental stimulation intrinsic to the profession, make medicine the clear career pathway for

I have chosen osteopathic medicine as my professional choice in becoming a physician, because I have a passion for the healthcare field and learning, I want to be able to help others and give back to the community and I believe that medicine is evolving towards an osteopathic approach which takes into account the body as a whole. Passion is the driver behind any good physician. I am always looking to learn and improve upon my performance in whatever I am doing. Whether it was undergraduate coursework, medical shadowing, EMT training, or community service I put forth my fullest effort into the task at hand. Every moment in medicine and life in general is a valuable learning experience. Osteopathic medicine will force me outside of my comfort zone and many mistakes will be made along the way, but I look forward to tackling the challenges ahead of me and in the end it will allow me to become the best physician possible.

My desire to become an osteopathic physician was nurtured by various experiences I’ve had in

I have an desire to practice medicine in a underserved community because I have found during my various community service activities that I enjoy making a difference in an community that desperately seek adequate care and attention. I discovered that the disadvantage community are extremely grateful and well deserving. I am also passionate about serving disadvantaged communities through making sure they receive the most state-of-the-art care and latest medical

Today I yearn to become a medical doctor primarily to dedicate a life of service to the most vulnerable members of our society.

Truthfully, as an undergraduate I knew very little about the osteopathic profession. In 2013, however, I began working as a medical scribe with Dr. Ghaffari-Greene, DO, in the Sibley ER and she opened my eyes to the beauty of osteopathic medicine. Thanks to Dr. Ghaffari-Greene, and a number of other osteopathic physicians in the ER, I have come to understand what osteopathic medicine is all about. Three years after my first exposure to the osteopathic profession, I continue to be motivated to become an osteopathic physician for many reasons. These include the following:

I have been given many opportunities to help others and make an impact in Johnson City through organizations like the Family Medicine Interest Group at ETSU, serving as the coordinator for student involvement in free clinics. I have also been able to make an impact through medicine in Cleveland, TN by way of the Good Samaritan Clinic. This is a free clinic in downtown Cleveland that I have been volunteering at for the past seven years. I have also been directly involved in the start-up of the Just Care clinic in Mountain City, TN, a medical student ran free clinic in rural Appalachia. I was also been able to spend time in rural Guatemala with a medical team from my undergraduate university helping diagnose, treat, and care for patients whom receive little to no regular healthcare. From my own first hand experiences in both Guatemala and my time spent in the Just Care and Good Samaritan Clinics, I have seen the impact that an inadequate health care system can have on a population. I hope to use my medical and public health training in areas that do not have adequate access to health

I hope to one day alter the lives of people around the world by pursuing an MD/MPH. However, that path was not always clear. My first exposure started in high school where I was a part of the Littleton Health Science Program which would equip me with

I first learned about osteopathic medicine through admissions workshop in graduate school. Osteopathic medicine’s emphasis on primary care and helping medically underserved communities truly appealed to me. As I delved further about its philosophy in the books, I am also interested by the fact that osteopathic physicians are trained to focus on health, not the disease. This will improve the overall well-being of a patient and prevent diseases. In Burma, I faced the challenges of substandard health care and education, without clean water, food or public sanitation. All these experiences, complicated by my bouts of tuberculosis and typhoid taught me at a young age to appreciate the value of a healthy life.

Not only do I have a good understanding of the patient population I want to work with, I want to help reshape healthcare. I particularly want to improve the access of primary care to medically underserved populations. Everyone deserves equal access to healthcare and there should be no disparity in the quality of care provided. Therefore, each additional encounter I had with a PA or a patient has elevated my passion for helping people in need.