<p>Hofstra's 4+4 med program is very new, so I don't really have any idea of what sort of essay they are looking for. If any one is familiar with the program or with medicine at Hofstra in general, I would just like to know if I am off to the right track with the essay. </p>
<p>1.Describe your interest in studying medicine and becoming a physician where it started, how you have pursued your interest thus far, and how you envision your future career in medicine.</p>
<p>My passion for medicine began in a deep childhood fascination with science. I was always struck by the great complexity and beauty of natural systems and by the great devastation and suffering which arise from the slightest defect in these. I marveled at the advancement of technology, particularly medical technology, and desired more than anything to become a part of this incredible world of progress. As I studied the science of medicine, I was inevitably drawn to the practice of medicine. Far from treating theses as two disparate interests, I learned that the approach of the scientist is inherent in the practice of a good physician. The scientist has a natural tendency to seek out the fundamental causes of phenomena, the why that so often gets lost in the routine of memorization and tests. So the physician wishes to understand, on a deeper level than is offered in textbooks, those physiological processes that constitute the human being. A physician does not simply apply diagnostic checklists from a book,. He requires a keen sensitivity to the subtleties of pathology. I began to develop an understanding of the physician as a kind of scientist, a scientist entrusted with the care, as well as the understanding, of disease. </p>
<p>When I worked in my grandfathers Brooklyn medical practice, my abstract interest in medicine was made concrete in work with real patients. I studied common procedures such as taking blood pressure and administering medication, assisted in various physical therapies, and developed an extensive medical vocabulary. But perhaps more importantly, I witnessed the power of medicine to lay bare something fundamental in the human condition. The patients we cared for spoke different languages and came from different socio-economic backgrounds, but they shared a common struggle for normalcy after the disruption of traumatic injury or illness. I talked with patients, aided in their treatment, and watched them progress through therapy. I remember the joy I felt when a patient in whose treatment I had assisted told us about her improved mornings, her return to work, her first time driving after an accident. I began to understand the medicine as a profession of both intellectual and human dimensions, a science and an art that engages its practitioners as complete human beings. I worked in the office for three years, and was constantly strengthened in my desire to become a physician. </p>
<p>I have studied the different aspects of medical practice through the years. I attended the SARAS program at Stony Brook University and had the opportunity to hear lectures from physicians in a variety of fields. I participated in workshops in emergency diagnosis and care. I was certified in CPR. All of these activities equipped me with some of the skills and understanding necessary to become a good doctor. But the most valuable lessons that I will carry with me through my education are those that I drew from the simple stories of healing that I witnessed during my time in the office. </p>
<p>The challenges of medical practice are very much the challenges we face as modern human beings: how to retain humanity in areas of increasing technology, how to expand moral vision and outreach in an ever more interconnected world, how to understand and engage both individuals and communities. I want to contribute to the resolution of these problems through medical practice, biomedical research, and thoughtful contribution to the social, ethical, and political discourse surrounding healthcare in the United States.</p>