Scholarship Essay Entry – Amy P.
“Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul; the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.” – Napoleon Hill
Every change in the community or world starts off with a dream. A vision fuelled by ambition with an ultimate goal of becoming a reality. I have one of those dreams and I believe I can make my community a better place by becoming a neonatologist.
I have always had a vision of myself working in the medical field specifically dealing with children. With neonatology, I can help premature infants and newborns with critical illnesses. My brother was a premature baby so his lungs were not fully developed and he depended on a respirator in order to breathe. Being premature leads to a number of issues because the body’s major systems and organs are not developed completely. Some newborns will have immature immune systems causing them to be more susceptible to illnesses. In addition to helping those born prematurely, I want to be able to cure infants with genetic disorders, congenital heart defects, brain malformations, etc. These young children should be free from illness.
My aspirations for the future is to open a pediatric clinic in my community that will provide all kinds of services and pediatric subspecialists to children including social workers, pediatric surgeons, dentists, dermatologists, oncologists, physiotherapists, etc. all working towards a common goal of making these children healthier. The clinic will provide children with the highest standard of health and development enabling them to live to their full potential. Moreover, I would like to provide medical students with internships at my clinic so they can gain practical work experience. I also hope to raise awareness concerning the prevention and care of illness among newborns, infants, and children.
Dreams, ambitions, and visions are only a part of making the community and world a better place. Action, involvement, and philanthropy are an essential part as well. Some of my “action” has involved volunteering at local hospitals and annually at the Festival of Trees. This community event raises funds to support innovation and excellence at the University of Alberta Hospital and Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute. I have also participated in other charitable events such as the World Vision 30 Hour Famine. Furthermore, I hope to become more involved in my community by volunteering at local organizations.
Not only do I want to achieve a profession dedicated to children in my community but worldwide as well. One of my future goals is to participate in non-profit organizations such as Doctors Without Borders and the World Health Organization. [specifically the Departments of Child and Adolescent Health and Development (CAH) and Making Pregnancy Safer (MPS)] I want to utilize my education in global health matters, health research, and provide quality medical care to those suffering from epidemics, natural disasters, and exclusion from health care. These children are the future. They deserve a chance at life, a chance to dream big, and a chance to make the world a better place.
