Georgetown University School of Medicine will prepare me for the rigors of becoming a physician because my aspirations for a

medical school coincides with the plethora of opportunities that Georgetown can provide. Georgetown’s mission statement of cura personalis,
or care of the whole person, really spoke to me. It helps recognize that patients are humans too and should be respected each in an individualized
way for their unique circumstances in a holistic point of view, taking into account details that could have a profound effect. Seeing the
prevalence of discrimination and treatment of others, I believe that sometimes humans may lose sight of the idea that no matter the
circumstances, cultures, or backgrounds; we are all human and should support each other in a respectful manner. Additionally, Georgetown’s
location in Washington DC, student centered curriculum, and diverse student groups made me want to apply to Georgetown University School
of Medicine.
Being in an urban area with a diverse patient population in the capital of the nation puts Georgetown in a unique location of being
able to influence health care policies and give voice to doctors to represent their patients’ best interests. The influence of being in an urban area
results in a diverse array of illnesses and unique inflictions that may not be exposed to medical school students in more rural areas; thus,
allowing me to gain an indispensable amount of knowledge as a physician for the future. The large health disparities in the local community
will help me achieve my goal of being a physician to help others while promoting community health and improving policies. My experience
growing up in Corpus Christi introduced me to the diverse and colorful Mexican culture and further yet, exposed me to public health issues in
my local community. Because diabetes and obesity are prevailing health risks in South Texas, a group of students and I co-organized non-profit
organization to promote healthier habits in the local community. We started a non-profit organization that promoted public awareness of health
risks within the local community and to promote healthy lifestyle habits as a form of prevention through an annual 5k race and other events.
We also reached out to elementary schools in underserved communities to encourage awareness and education. Our team implemented
educational programs within the schools to teach students about healthy habits and created exercise programs to promote lifelong prevention
of future chronic diseases. Working with both local governments and hospitals, we were able to gain a mayoral proclamation to promote healthy
habits in our local community. My interest in improving population health and making a difference for the next generation in the community
coincides with Georgetown’s Population Health Scholar Track. Learning about population health concepts and data will help give me the
knowledge and inspiration to make a difference in the local area beyond the hospital. Addressing the big issues that are determinants of health,
will not only help, but prevent multiple inflictions and make the population as a whole healthier. Through starting a non-profit organization, I
learned the huge difference that a team of students can make on the community and the future generation.
Additionally, Georgetown’s curriculum that focus on policy, community, and clinical programs of small groups will allow me to
thrive. For me, going to a university of over 50,000 students can be disorienting and detrimental to learning. It felt so easy to be lost in the
crowd and just be another number to both faculty and university staff. The struggle to compete to be at the top and fight to even sign up for
courses caused unnecessary stress and anxiety. Through this struggle, I have learned that I perform better with smaller groups in more
personalized attention. On my journey in becoming a physician, I feel that it is important to ensure that there are no gaps in my education and
a more one-on-one curriculum will help me become the best physician that I can be.
Georgetown’s diverse number of student organizations and programs that are involved outside of the university factored into my
application, more specifically Iron-Med Triathlon and the Office of International programs really caught my eye. As a triathlon representing
the University of Texas, I would love to continue my athletic career throughout medical school despite the hectic scheduling. Even better is the
fact that the IronMed goes toward supporting the clinic to care for underserved and uninsured populations in Washington DC. Through my
experience in non-profits, I have the skills and the knowledge in helping set up racing logistics and planning details in advance. I would love
to be a part of a tradition of supporting underserved areas because my mission trip in the Dominican Republic of serving underserved
communities inspired me to pursue a career as a physician. Ideally, my vision would be to bring medical care to underdeveloped and
underserved communities both in the United States and abroad, specifically in places where there is a dire shortage of physicians. During my
travels and medical mission trip to the Dominican Republic and Sri Lanka, I recognized the urgent need for healthcare professionals and the
impact that a competent physician can have on a patient’s life. Simply having the opportunity to make an impact on patients’ lives as a physician
is ultimately my objective and what I would consider to be a great privilege and honor. I also believe Georgetown’s International Elective
programs will contribute to my more well-rounded educations. I love that Georgetown offers opportunities to serve and learn from over 20
countries and cultures around the world to gain a first hand experience of differing healthcare in a complete cultural immersion program. The
Office of International Program's mission is to enable Georgetown medical students to live the Jesuit ideals of academic excellence and service
to others. This is accomplished through the establishment and maintenance of international elective programs aimed at providing students with
the opportunity to serve underdeveloped communities around the globe. Through discipline and hard work, I was able to independently
subsidize funding to travel and living in a multitude of countries, for medical missionary work, study abroad, medical internships, and to
experience other cultures. My first independent excursion outside of the country was to the Dominican Republic for a medical missionary trip
to set up free clinics in the underserved parts of the country. The ease of access to both healthcare providers and medication in the US was a
sharp contrast to the lack of availability and difficulty of securing medication in the Dominican Republic. Yet, despite their struggle, most of
our patients seemed relatively optimistic and happy. This experience inspired me to pursue a career in medicine and made me become more
appreciative of the simple aspects of life. I later had the experience of backpacking in Belize with a couple friends where I gained a deeper
appreciation for the human spirit. This cultural immersion introduced me to the resourcefulness and creativity of the people. The following
summer, I was fortunate enough to study abroad in Spain for over six weeks to be immersed in the Spanish culture, language and way of life
in a residencia, living among the locals. I later visited a friend in Sri Lanka to attend a three-day wedding festivities. Unfortunately, I experienced
a minor biking injury that left my wound infected and had to visit a local hospital. Experiencing healthcare from a patient’s perspective help
me realize that I take quality medical care for granted and empathize with patient’s suffering. Through this humbling experience, I am
committed to bring my compassionate, quality care to my patients domestically or abroad. Currently, I am living in Germany for three months
for a medical internship at the University of Heidelberg Hospital to gain a better understanding of laparoscopic surgery and to improve the
teachings of medical school students. From Belize to Spain, I have been fortunate enough to travel and live around the world in a plethora of
cultures of over 15 differing countries and I would like to continue with this cultural immersion from a medical perspective.