What do you think will be your greatest personal challenge as a doctor, and how will you address this? (350 words)
During my shadowing experience three years ago, one particular aspect of my physician’s daily engagements with her patients stood out to me. Despite her enthusiasm, reliability, and strong knowledge of medicine, many individuals did not respond (whether intentionally or unintentionally) or expressed difficulty in following her adamant suggestions. Whether this resulted from language difficulties or general stubbornness, this challenging problem inspired me to consider how I would respond to such situations. As a physician, how could I exercise my role so that patients will gain a greater awareness of their own health?
A significant aspect of my job as a physician is to help patients understand their own bodies and overcome their personal health challenges. Stressing the need to implement a strict regimen can become difficult, especially when the patient feels strongly about the issue or does not believe the plan will be effective. Aside from the language barrier, attitude and cultural differences can lessen the impact of the advice I provide. The limited span of time I have to address these patient issues presents another challenge, as the necessity of efficiently making a diagnosis and allotting only a certain amount of time for each patient carries high priority.
By being flexible and sharing the decision making process, I can establish a stronger relationship with my patients during the limited time we spend together. Gaining a deeper understanding of a person’s beliefs, perspective, and mentality toward their health allows me to provide suggestions that are more conducive to their emotional needs. By asking about a patient’s needs and concerns first, rather than immediately providing my opinion, I can better compromise the wishes of both individuals.
In developing this mutual participation, I seek to work proactively, rather than reactively. My experiences in teaching Chinese schoolchildren and mentoring inner city youths have helped me quickly discover our similarities and differences and build upon them to collaborate on projects. I have always tried to put myself in other individuals’ shoes in order to see the advantages of their perspective. I hope to carry this same mentality when I work with patients in the future.
Right now I hvae 350 words so I can't write anymore, but how is it so far? What parts can I change to make my meaning clearer and sound more active?
During my shadowing experience three years ago, one particular aspect of my physician’s daily engagements with her patients stood out to me. Despite her enthusiasm, reliability, and strong knowledge of medicine, many individuals did not respond (whether intentionally or unintentionally) or expressed difficulty in following her adamant suggestions. Whether this resulted from language difficulties or general stubbornness, this challenging problem inspired me to consider how I would respond to such situations. As a physician, how could I exercise my role so that patients will gain a greater awareness of their own health?
A significant aspect of my job as a physician is to help patients understand their own bodies and overcome their personal health challenges. Stressing the need to implement a strict regimen can become difficult, especially when the patient feels strongly about the issue or does not believe the plan will be effective. Aside from the language barrier, attitude and cultural differences can lessen the impact of the advice I provide. The limited span of time I have to address these patient issues presents another challenge, as the necessity of efficiently making a diagnosis and allotting only a certain amount of time for each patient carries high priority.
By being flexible and sharing the decision making process, I can establish a stronger relationship with my patients during the limited time we spend together. Gaining a deeper understanding of a person’s beliefs, perspective, and mentality toward their health allows me to provide suggestions that are more conducive to their emotional needs. By asking about a patient’s needs and concerns first, rather than immediately providing my opinion, I can better compromise the wishes of both individuals.
In developing this mutual participation, I seek to work proactively, rather than reactively. My experiences in teaching Chinese schoolchildren and mentoring inner city youths have helped me quickly discover our similarities and differences and build upon them to collaborate on projects. I have always tried to put myself in other individuals’ shoes in order to see the advantages of their perspective. I hope to carry this same mentality when I work with patients in the future.
Right now I hvae 350 words so I can't write anymore, but how is it so far? What parts can I change to make my meaning clearer and sound more active?