Sergio’s Personal Statement

The man grimaced as he clenched his chest and screamed “I’ve been stabbed!” These were the words that echoed from the stranger’s mouth as he entered the front lobby of the ER. It was at this point my fight or flight response kicked in. Realizing no apparent wound or blood was present, I began to think there was more to this story than what he let on. He was speaking aggressively and making other people feel uncomfortable. This was beyond my scope of expertise. Without even thinking, I engaged myself in conversation with the homeless man, asking him anything that could distract him until finally a security guard and nurse arrived to escort the man into a room. After some time elapsed, I checked to see how the man was doing, only to find him laughing and joking with one of the nurses. This was the first time I had ever seen bipolar disorder up close. As I was getting ready to leave, the man thanked me for taking the time to listen, engage in conversation, and making him feel validated. He told me that this was something he never encountered as a patient.  It was that riveting experience that reminded me about my own feelings as a patient when I was 17 and suffering from Crohn’s Disease.

As a former patient, I know what it is like to feel constant fatigue, agonizing pain, and feelings of uncertainty regarding how this disease would impact my quality of life. During my hospitalization, I acquired a dire need to be treated as a person, not just another medical case and I soon learned to appreciate the value of excellent medical care and bedside manner. In hindsight, it was no wonder that my experience with the homeless man that evening impacted my life so positively. I was finally able to give to someone else the hope and empathy that was given to me during my time of need. I may not have “cured” this man or taken away all his problems, but making just a little positive impact in his life was in itself emotionally rewarding. My experience as a volunteer helped me discover my passion for medicine and this would be the beginning of the path towards my goal an endeavor with a few failures and disappointments along the way.

 As some of us discover in life, true success is often the final reward for perseverance amidst adversity. This year, I was not accepted to medical school. My personal confidence and commitment to practice medicine was stifled and I subsequently decided to explore other professions in the healthcare field. After searching several nearby clinics, I chanced upon Dr. Steven Barag at Aureus Medical Group. He offered me a full time internship as a scribe and as a research assistant. It would be here, at his clinic, were my passion for medicine would be reawakened and my self-confidence restored.

No one was more instrumental in helping me overcome my fear and self-doubt than Lynnea Wilson, a talented third year medical student serving out her clerkship with Dr. Barag. Not only did she teach me the skills necessary to write a comprehensive SOAP note, or to perform a physical; she also showed me how to recognize my own talents and helped me believe in myself again. Like me, Lynnea did not get into a medical program on her first attempt and she too grappled with initial feelings of inadequacy. When she found out about my situation, she told me to think about why I wanted to practice medicine and not something else. My thoughts drew back to that homeless man and the personal satisfaction of helping him and the many patients after. Lynnea helped me realize that if I truly wanted to be a physician, then the only way to become one is if I reapply to a medical program. Seeing her own success and fulfillment after everything she went through changed my perspective and it encouraged me to not give up.

If life has taught me anything, it is that sometimes obstacles will be thrown our way. Whether those obstacles were brought on by our own actions or by that of another matters little. Either way everyone must choose between two options; we can either attempt to overcome the obstacle or we can give up, falling short of whatever goal we have set for ourselves.  Struggling with Crohn’s Disease would be the first real obstacle in my life, but failing to get into medical school last year would be one of the most difficult time in my life and, for a while, it shook my commitment to practice medicine. Yet, I would overcome both. After all, even in failure there is opportunity and with opportunity there is hope.

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