Personal Narrative: My Clinical Experiences

It is hard for me to toot my own horn but I believe I am exceptional because, in addition to the usual applicant assets of intelligence, aptitude, drive, and experience, I seek and embody diversity, I am highly empathetic and sensitive to the needs of others, I am an Eagle Scout who embodies Scouting’s values, I have significant clinical experience, and I speak fluent Japanese. On the above, I do not just talk the talk, I walk the walk.

I will be a great doctor because of the above and because I deeply want to serve. It is a calling and not just an occupation for me.

SKMC embraces a richly diverse student body. Many schools do not—though most give lip service. I believe I can contribute to the diversity of the SKMC community in a number of valuable ways: I have been nicknamed “Panda” for being African American, Jewish, and Japanese, and I grew up celebrating Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and Christmas, while also acquiring Japanese language and cultural fluency. I can speak from multiple minority perspectives and the uniqueness of being transcultural. Because of my background, I know the pain of being treated like an outsider and I am profoundly committed to inclusion and compassion. Additionally, I attended a “minority-majority” high school as well as a university where members of my class spoke over a dozen different languages. I have attended to and befriended underserved patients in Vietnam and in Boston’s Sikh community, worked in homeless shelters and food banks in California, I have traveled to four

As I explained in my Personal Statement, my initial interest in medicine came about through my own medical travails. Those allowed me continuous exposure to medicine for years, and I later interned with three physicians in different specialties and currently work full-time as Medical Assistant in an orthopedic