“I have three personal ideals. One, to do the day’s work well and not to bother about tomorrow… The second…to act the Golden Rule, as far as in me lay, toward my professional brethren and toward the patients committed to my care… the third has been to cultivate such a measure of equanimity as would enable me to bear success with humility, the affection of my friends without pride, and to be ready when the day of sorrow and grief came to meet it with the courage befitting a man.
” –Sir William Osler A hopeful medical student can hardly find a more fitting role model than Sir William Osler, someone many consider as the father of modern medicine. His personal ideals are ones that I humbly hope to apply in my own career as a physician. They are also ideals that I think work well with my greatest strength and greatest weakness—for they are one and the same: being a perfectionist. Medicine is both an art and a science—the science aspect is fairly obvious.
I believe my attention to detail and insistence on getting things done correctly will be important with regard to that part. Distinction in medicine is not dependent merely on high grades in examinations nor impressive presentations during rounds; one has to really apply oneself to learning in order to be able to make the best decisions for a patient’s care. Not only that, the learning does not stop once one has graduated from medical school.
One has to keep oneself continually updated on the latest developments in an ever-changing field. In order to be a good physician, one has to make a lifelong commitment to the pursuit of excellence—a commitment that I am certainly willing to make. However, the practice of medicine does not stop with learning facts and applying them in the clinical setting; doctors have to deal with people. That, to me, is the art of medicine—more than just bedside manner, but playing a part in educating people about health and allaying their fears.
It might be that in my zeal to do what is best for the patient, I may run the risk of becoming too emotionally involved. That is the shortcoming I foresee in myself as a physician. However, I believe that my own future experience in medical school, as well as learning from the experiences of my professors, attendings, and residents, will keep me from falling into this trap. This ties in neatly with why I feel Rosalind Franklin University fits with my personality.
It is an institution committed to excellence and with a strong emphasis on research. The university’s mission, vision, and programs clearly show that it values community involvement, not just classroom learning. There is great importance given to being a well-rounded person, educated in all aspects of life, not just the health sciences. In addition, its faculty are truly role models for the physician I wish to become—a healer, an educator, a motivator, and a real servant of the community.