Helping others has always been my passion. I find it extremely fulfilling to serve people and help them meet their physical and emotional needs. It is for this reason that I want to go into medicine. As a doctor, I hope that I will be able to serve in an underprivileged area—either in the United States or abroad—where people cannot obtain medical attention unless someone is willing to give them the care they need for free.

An experience that has greatly impacted my decision to become a doctor in an underprivileged area was my internship with a local country physician named Dr. Abel, who has kept his practice going for over sixty years. When I interned with Dr. Abel, he showed me the value of seeing patients as people. It was extremely evident that the reason he was in medicine was not to earn a lot of money, but to change lives. In fact, he often treated patients who had been coming to him for years, even when he knew that they could not pay him. I want to be able to live a life of service to others just like Dr. Abel has.

One step I have taken to make sure that I am successful in accomplishing this goal is focusing on my grades in my undergraduate studies. Currently, I have made the dean’s list of honor students each semester of college and have a 4.0 GPA. Also, last year I was the youngest presenter at my school's research symposium, where I spoke on my research project in microbiology that I completed during the fall semester. I hope that by giving my education a high priority now it will enable me to later enter a rigorous medical school program so I can be better prepared for life as a physician.

Another step I am taking to ensure that I will be able to fulfill this goal is participating in various service opportunities. I am a member of my university's Habitat for Humanity chapter, and will be helping to build a house in Georgia over my spring break. Also, I am planning to live in Indianapolis this summer, volunteering in a shelter for women who have battled drug and alcohol addiction. I believe that working with underprivileged groups of people will make it easier to connect with my patients and will help me to have a more well-rounded understanding of their needs in my future practice. Additionally, I am planning to study abroad in rural Nicaragua in a medical practicum program next year. This program takes a group of students and physicians to a small clinic in a remote area and allows students to get hands-on experience in treating patients in an environment with extremely few resources. I believe that this experience will be the best possible opportunity to prepare for my future goals.

I will be able to succeed as a physician in an underprivileged area because I care about people as unique individuals of infinite worth. I do not give up, and I am determined to make a difference. I want to change the world for the better, one life at a time.