Scholarship Essay Entry – Shiel P.

The human body has always fascinated me. Whether it was learning biology in school or hearing about medical advances in the news, I have been intrigued by developments in the field of medicine while acknowledging that we have just barley scratched the surface. I was fortunate to have an exposure to clinical medicine at a young age. Here I witnessed how physicians effortlessly engaged themselves in amiable conversations, ensuring that their patients felt comfortable. I came to appreciate the patient care relationship, and as a result, solidified my desire to pursue a career as a physician. I am optimistic it will provide me the opportunity to expand my knowledge in sciences, while allowing me to utilize my skills in order to help those in need.

Having completed a bachelor's degree in biological sciences at the University of Calgary, I learned the importance of medical research. To further hone my research skills, I enrolled in the Masters Program of Neuroscience and am currently conducting a study that evaluates the relevance of sleep apnea in stroke patients. My hope is that this study will shed more light on the importance of treating sleep apnea in stroke patients to minimize or prevent disabilities often encountered after a stroke. I am hopeful to revisit the issue later in my career with more time and resources. Furthermore, I also plan on applying to medical school next year after completing my research and Masters program.

Although passion for science and development is necessary in the study of medicine, one's ultimate duty as a physician is to care for one's patients and, by extension, one's greater community. Over the years, I have eagerly participated in numerous community activities, highlighted by my five-week trip to Thailand to build homes for tsunami victims and teach English at a local village. In addition, I currently volunteer at a brain-injury rehabilitation centre where I have the opportunity to work one-on-one with severely brain-injured patients. This experience has allowed me appreciate that physicians are not only medical caregivers, but also provide a means of emotional and social support for distressed or lonely patients.

After traveling to various parts of the world such as India and Thailand, I have discovered it is by chance that I have been born into a world of opportunity while others face daunting challenges or impoverishment. We are all aware these impediments, but realistically, feel like there is not much we can do. As such, I feel that it is our moral obligation to utilize each opportunity we are given in order to improve our community and ourselves. Thus far, I have been able to fulfill a small part of this responsibility. However, I hope that through further education, I will have gained the expertise to do more, to offer comfort and health to those lacking them. The chance to improve people's lives, combined with my passion for science, knowledge and human interaction is what ultimately drives me to a career in medicine.