Help Of His Doctors example essay topic

869 words
As I watched my mother rush to get the pot to boil some water with tears in her eyes, I found myself at the mercy of one of the many asthma attacks that presided over most of my childhood. Most of the houses around our neighborhood in Juarez, Mexico were composed of one large room with a stove, bed, something to sit on and no restroom, so getting to the steaming pot was only a few feet away. Desperately trying to grasp for air as I lay on the couch, I wanted relief not only for myself, but also for my loving mother. Understanding of what was causing the onset of my respiratory problems became a quest.

I did not understand why I had a high temperature, why I had to breathe the mist of the vaporized water, or why I had to use an inhaler. However, I did understand that those things made me feel better, and without them I could not breathe properly. As I grew older, biology became my fascination because it helped me understand my illness and not feel quite so helpless in regards to my asthma. Ignorance was a part of my life, but not by choice. I grew up in an area where education was limited. My role models relied on tradition and rumors instead of facts in order to solve problems.

When I was seven, one of the neighbor's children picked up a used, dried-out condom from the park in front of my house. He then proceeded to throw it at me while laughing hysterically as it landed only shirt, and said, 'You have AIDS!' I thought I was going to die. I asked my grandfather if a person could acquire AIDS from a condom landing on their shirt. He simply replied, 'Yes. ' A month went by before I realized I was not dying. The stress and fear that haunted me was a result of ignorance.

In effect, I was motivated to go down the path of knowledge, not ignorance. While sixteen and in college, there were times when neither my parents nor Could afford my textbooks, and I had to study for my classes solely from lecture notes. Working two jobs was the solution to my financial problems. Was recommended and hired for a position as an attendant to Gregory, a 22-year-old male with cerebral palsy. After my experience with Gregory I realized that, too, had a disability by thinking of cerebral palsy as depressing and socially segregating.

It takes a while to figure out that Greg is incapacitated because he is so vivid and full of energy contagious to everyone around him. He has had multiple operations to make his limbs stronger and his joints more flexible. Because of great desire to live and with the help of his doctors, Greg has now his own paper shredding business, rides a tricycle, maneuvers himself around with a walker, won first and second places for horseback riding, and is big flirt with girls. This experience helped me develop better communication skills not only with Greg, but with other people because I had to convey to them what Greg would try to say, but could not. His positive attitude toward life motivated me to get through college with consistency in my classes and perseverance over my financial problems. Living across the border from my native city has allowed me to help the people I once used to live with.

In conjunction with a group of students from the Universidad Autonoma de Ciudad Juarez, we provided the impoverished people of Juarez with nutritional information, vaccination, and clinical checkups. I worked in the triage by filling out evaluation forms, checking blood pressure, temperature, and sugar levels. I also assisted different doctors with the patients. I saw the face of desperation of the mothers with their sick children being turned into relief, the same face that my mother bore when I was sick. Seeing those faces confirmed that medicine is the career for me. Through great effort, my parents and I gradually adapted to the United States as we learned the new foreign language.

We now live in a house with three bedrooms, three restrooms, a kitchen separate from the living room, and aloft. Acquiring a degree in microbiology has been an achievement but insufficient to quench the thirst for knowledge and my desire to treat and diagnose those in need of medical attention. I would like to pursue a career in the medical field because it would be fulfilling and challenging. I want to return to my community as a part of a team that alleviates pain from asthmatic children, makes the health of patients their first concern, and helps people unable to walk or lacking medical attention to take steps toward a better lifestyle. I have conquered numerous obstacles in my life, and my experiences made me stronger. Because of this, I am confident I will succeed in medical school and become a great doctor.