After talking with her for a few minutes she exclaims, “You’re going to be a doctor, right? You should be! We need more doctors like you”, which left me speechless. No one has ever guessed what I plan on doing in the future. In that moment I felt an incredible moment of reassurance and excitement while speaking with a patient’s family member in the Emergency Room during my volunteer work. A similar occurrence took place at my work when I was speaking with a patient who told me that I communicate well with patients. Not only have I been hoping that I would make a good doctor, but now it seems that patients might like me as a doctor as well. More than ever before I feel that I am on the path to where I am meant to be.

The experience which has had the most profound impact on me has certainly been working as a scribe and medical assistant for Internist, Dr. Krystyna. From the very beginning she has emphasized listening to the patient carefully and caring for them in a holistic method, mentally, physically, and much more. There have been times when I gladly went out of my way to help, such as accompanying a patient to a specialist visit because the patient did not speak English well or translating forms for patients.

Healthcare is arguably the single most important aspect of a society, for it involves keeping everyone happy and healthy. A doctor has the most humbling position in this network of providers of being a leader, a helping hand, and an educator to many individuals who seek health. There is no other profession quite like it. A unique aspect of it is having the intimate and personal relationships with patients, which lasts a lifetime. After my experience working alongside a doctor in the office, I feel that it internal medicine or possibly pediatrics is the kind of field that I am drawn to. Pediatrics due to the fact that I am a 20 year old with 3 younger brothers, who are 9, 7, and 3, and the more time I spend with my adorable, fun, energy-filled, curious about life brothers the more I have grown to realize how much I love being with children.

While growing up I was not always set on becoming a doctor, but the desire to do so was a gradual process. The more I learned about the field, the more I was drawn to it. As most other future medical students, I have always had a strong passion for science which I can certainly attest to my mother. In elementary school we were learning some basic algebra and science, but at home she pushed me to learn even more. As a result I even skipped the 3rd grade because she helped to be ahead. It must be mentioned what an exceptional role model she is for me. She came here with my father from Poland, with no money and not knowing any English whatsoever, however she worked and most importantly, she studied. She had a 4.0 GPA throughout college and went on to earn a PhD in chemistry. Her strong spirit and desire to excel are what lit the spark in me to want to be the best student I could be. And not only that, but I want to be the best person I can be and I wholeheartedly believe that as a doctor, taking part in the fascinating and rewarding field of medicine, there could be no other way for me.

It surprises most people to learn that despite being the strongly science oriented person that I am, I also adore studying languages. At home we of course speak Polish and English, but at school I began learning French, which has continued now for over 8 years. Once I happened to come across Korean television shows and I enjoyed watching them so much due to the very different culture and style of show, that I learned some Korean as well. While traveling to Austria to visit friends, I learned about the culture and picked up a few German words. Always while traveling abroad, I look for anyone who may be struggling due to the language barrier and I try to help as much as I can, usually with translating menus, ordering for them, or telling them which bus to take. It is such an incredibly rewarding feeling knowing that I can help someone who may be lost or struggling, simply with my knowledge and compassion. Similarly in medicine, I would feel the same way as a doctor, who strives to learn and understand about the human body and illness as much as possible to be the best for the patient.

One of the most incredible feelings is learning something, having that knowledge, and being able to help others through the sharing of one’s knowledge and talents. At my work I do this on a daily basis, helping Polish patients understand ailments, medications, tests, insurance things, and much more. I plan on being able to use my passion for languages in conjunction with that of medicine to reach out to as many people as possible and to make their lives healthier and easier. As a doctor I will always strive to above all listen to the patient, understand their culture, their way of thinking, and try to communicate in a way that will be most beneficial for them. Medicine is a fast paced, ever growing field, requiring a great deal of dedication and I cannot wait to begin my studies and career as a physician.