The combination of the sciences, the latest technologies and social interaction make medicine such an appealing subject area to me. I am inspired to develop, improve and use my skills in science to overcome the challenges and complexities associated with a medical career, and in doing so, potentially enhance the lives of those in need.
My interest in medicine has been supported by my volunteer work and my work experience. I arranged a week in a department in a university hospital in Istanbul where I was able to obverse under a resident, inpatient, outpatient and various surgeries ranging from different parts of the human body. I was particularly surprised under this resident surgeons how much he affected all the patients he did surgery on. Especially during rotations where he would do surgery and also help in the polyclinic, where I was able to understand how the surgeon himself can re-assure a prospective patient and help them get through hard times. During my time volunteer I mainly focused on people who had dementia, I was able to visit an elderly care home for six months where I helped with activities that the elderly did daily, including games and just only talking. It was exciting to see how much a young student like me could create such an impact on a person with dementia by just conversing and talking about their past life. During this dementia volunteering, I was also able in my nearby community centre under a program was able to create a technology-based device which I called “Karta Mind Game” this was a simple card matching game which worked electronically which helped patients with dementia once it was donated to the nearby elderly care home.
I also very much enjoy reading books about medicine. I have read Paul Kalanithi’s book When breath becomes air, where I learned lots about how and although he is dying he can create a profound relationship with his not only his colleagues but also his patients. I also read Adam Kay’s novel This is going to hurt where I learned lots of different medical terminology in the viewpoint of a diary he wrote during his years as a junior doctor in the NHS.
I enjoy swimming a lot and have been competitively swimming for the past five years which allowed me to relax and recharge after a long day at school. It allowed me to socialise with my peers and able to create a long-lasting bond with not only my cohort but others as well. I maintain a right balance of my time to include volunteering, social life and academic commitments. This time management shows my determination to succeed and that I can learn to handle the time pressures associated with a medical career. My academics, direct experience and extracurricular activities such as reading and sports demonstrate that I am self-motivated, keen and ready for a career in medicine.