My Aspiration To Pursue A Life-Changing Career Of A Doctor
It felt as if everyone in the room was holding their breath. Every moment, every movement had serious significance and required faultless precision. In the centre of the operating theatre lay a small, three-week-old bundle with just her heart visible. It pumped desperately, as the surgeons skillfully cut and stitched together blood vessels during the three-hour-long coronary bypass surgery. I marvelled at the diligence and dedication displayed by the medical staff. They had devoted their life to moments like this, where they joined their love for science and passion for helping people. Standing there, I could only dream that this would one day be me.
The fact that there is no limit to what one can achieve in Medicine, whether through laparoscopic operations or genetic engineering, inspires me. Reading articles about cancer research and medical resolutions for overcoming challenges facing our communities excites me. I love learning about cellular processes and how the human body works. After dissecting a cow's heart the complexity of this vital organ amazed me. When working at an old age home and hospice in South Africa, I enjoyed chatting with the patients or simply holding their hand or sitting by their bed. This reminded me that a good doctor has sympathy and displays empathy towards a patient in addition to knowing the correct medical procedures.
Shadowing in the A&E of a Turkish government hospital for several months revealed that pain and death is a reality in Medicine. I witnessed countless people unloaded from ambulances and observed relatives sobbing at the suffering or loss of a loved one. At first, my heart struggled to view so much hurt and grieve the loss of life. Yet, seeing the medical staff work tirelessly, I realized the pain drove them to continue, the goal of saving a life kept them going. Therefore, by harnessing my compassion for people, I believe I can use it to fuel my studies and work in Medicine.
Whilst shadowing at the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, I saw the value of teamwork as the doctors helped each other during the operations. Being part of a Turkish high school basketball club taught me how to utilize each person's strengths to work better as a team. With this experience, I coached a basketball team in my community for several months, composed of kids from multiple nationalities. Having grown up in a foreign culture I could teach them, in addition to correct basketball technique, cross-cultural communication skills and how to cultivate a healthy team dynamic. Also, volunteering as a conversational English teacher for two Turkish middle-school classes illustrated the importance of patience in leadership. After a few weeks, most of the students could proudly engage in an English conversation, where they had only known a few English words before.
Medicine is challenging, but by working perseveringly and living a healthy lifestyle, I believe I can cope with the pressure. Completing my IGCSE, AS and A levels through online tutoring, I have learned to think independently and take responsibility for my studies. Furthermore, basketball, running and photography have provided me with creative outlets outside of my schooling. After taking two photography courses, I have enjoyed creating captivating portraits of families and children in my community as well as photographing a wedding. Studying Medicine would enable me to fuse my fascination of science with my yearning to aid those in pain. Also, studying in the UK would give me the opportunity to learn at the highest academic level and at the cutting edge of medical research. I realize it demands years of hard work, persistence and determination. However, being a doctor would allow me to make a difference, whether through cancer research or life-changing operations. For when that three-week-old baby girl comes out of the operating theatre, her coronary bypass surgery a success and gifted the opportunity to live, it will all be worth it.
