Hey crmullins,

Thanks for taking the time to look at it. Im pretty new to reddit so I am not sure if I can attach the essay as an attachment, but I have posted it as part of the message below. The stuff in parenthesis is some personal information so I hope you do not mind that I have removed it. Let me know if you have any questions or need other info. I appreciate any help.

Stepping off the plane into the blistering heat, I felt an unfettered enthusiasm. The move to Miami from Australia was official. In the coming years, I would not know what to expect from this place but my parents told me to keep an open mind. Rather than having expectations, they said I should explore my personal interests and my path would eventually become evident. Essentially, I should not look for my passion; it would find me.

I kept this mindset even as I entered the (my university). I had an inkling to pursue biology and pre-med, but instead of immediately joining a biomedical research lab, I decided to keep my mind open to other opportunities. I was elated when I discovered that I was selected as a student researcher in a molecular anthropology lab under (research PI). I applied to this position because I had an interest in exploring themes of history, sociology, and anthropology in a biological context. I was also drawn to the study of other cultures.

My project was to analyze mutations in a noncoding region of mitochondrial DNA in Mexican indigenous groups; essentially this means that these mutations have no role on physiological function. Yet, they are still important to understand DNA sharing between indigenous groups and their migration patterns. However, after a year in the lab, I found myself asking medically related questions in conjunction with my anthropological research like: What happens with mutations in the functional region of the mitochondria? How is the mitochondria associated with disease?

I had read some research papers concerning the subject, but I wanted to take this interest a step further. I contacted an investigator at the National Institutes of Health, (research PI), who decided to give me a summer internship grant to study mitochondrially-related mutations in cell death. I soon became enthralled by these mutations and their role in diseases like cancer and myocardial infarction. I had not pushed myself to do this but this medical interest seemed to arise naturally.

I also became invested in extracurriculars outside of academics and research at (my university). Yet I chose not to jump right into groups like the pre-med club because I wanted to explore other interests. After seeing a flyer in the library, I decided to join the outdoors club. I had always been a fan of the wilderness since I was young. During my time with the organization, I went on many trips like backpacking, skiing, and whitewater kayaking. I even had the opportunity to lead some of these trips. It was just something that I wanted to pursue as a way to unwind from the stress of my academics.

Then one day a terrifying incident happened when a close friend hit a tree in a bad sledding accident. My other friends and I feared the worst as he could not move his legs. Since we were in the backcountry, we had to carry him almost five miles out of the woods. The entire time I was unsure if we were actually helping him or doing him more harm, but we could not contact anyone. He ended up being okay, but the thoughts still persisted if I would be prepared if something else serious happened in the future.

With no initial intention of joining the outdoors to further my medical interests, I still ended up pursuing a Wilderness EMT license through the National Outdoors Leadership School. It was an informative experience learning about medical techniques in the absence of sufficient resources, especially when I compared it to hospitals I volunteered in back at (my university). I found myself thinking critically and started having growing interests in rural medicine. Yet it was a natural curiosity about medicine that motivated me to pursue this interest.

In junior year, a non-profit I had partnered with previously, (said small, grassroots nonprofit), invited me to join a project in Kimana, Kenya to set up greenhouses in a small community. The central thrust of the project was to set up greenhouses for women to create jobs that would be supported by microfinance. I had always been fascinated by global issues and wanted to learn more about socioeconomic disparities in other countries so I accepted the offer to join. I applied to and won a (large national) grant to support my contribution.

When I arrived in Kimana, I met a doctor named Steve that asked me to visit the local hospital. I expected to shadow a few days, but when I toured the hospital I discovered that many patients were sick and dying due to malnutrition. Again, I felt that natural medical instinct rise up and begin to prod me. Although I had come to Kenya on a project in socioeconomic disparities, I found my mind turning its gears to solve this clinical issue. I set up conversations between Dr. Steve and women in the greenhouse co-op. We ended up deciding on a program to donate some of each harvest to the hospital. This event stirred a personal fascination with community health work, particularly in underserved populations.

I never had an innate calling since birth to be a doctor. It was the pursuit of other activities and their subsequent ties to medicine that made me conscious of my choice to become a physician. In short, it was a natural curiosity that seeped into my other interests. As I look to matriculate into medical school, I feel like my young self standing in the Miami airport, not knowing what to expect. However, I do not worry as I have my curiosity and open mind to guide me. They have not failed me yet.