In the Summer of 2005, I took off my helmet and body armor in the middle of a small Iraqi village and surveyed my patients lining up to be cared for by my medical team. Right then I realized that I am the luckiest person alive. I was part of a profession that reaches out to anyone, across politics, culture, history and time; which gets down on their knees to help the humble and the proud alike. Removing the armor and weapons that separated me from my patients was a natural gesture. With hand gestures and broken Arabic I played my small part in the noble history of the medical profession; healing, comforting, teaching; and even learning from each person, and I proudly did it as an Army Officer, at that point I knew I strongly desired to bring my experience and training to the Medical Corps of the Army Medical Department.
I have overcome many obstacles to reach that point. From a disadvantaged start in life with the early death of my father and poor financial resources, continuing with my time in the Army where I became a soldier and leader, an Airborne Ranger and an Army Aviator; and a commander of soldiers in two wars where I learned compassion, leadership and self-learning, I have struggled to learn, grow and develop as a person. Through my education as a physician assistant, where I received my introduction to the greatest profession an individual can aspire to and where I learned to lead and educate other clinicians and concluding with my recent service in combat where I was trusted with the leadership of physicians and medics in delivering care to tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians. I expect I am the only applicant this year that had to accept personal risk to take my MCAT's. As I traveled the dangerous roads and skies of Iraq to the medical school in Qatar, where I was the only American sitting in a room full of students from across the Middle East, I realized my commitment to fulfilling my dream of becoming a physician. With these experiences in my life, I have developed and grown intellectually and emotionally through this process and would not trade my path in life for any other, and that these are wonderful gifts that I could have obtained in the United States Army.
I have no illusions that the road ahead will be easy because of what I have overcome, or because of my clinical experience I have obtained in my Army. I know it will be harder for me than most students because of my background. All of my formal education has been accomplished while working and serving full time to support myself financially. However, I have shown the ability to master the basic and clinical medical sciences through my work as an outstanding clinician and prove the mastery of that knowledge both in clinical settings and formal evaluations. But the medical profession is more than just an intellectual exercise; it is a question of character and will. Becoming a physician is a natural extension of my proven leadership abilities and personal ethic of selfless service. I have the total support of a wide circle of friends and family who serve in the profession. I have a rich palette of skills and experience that I long to bring to the profession, and I know that I will make a lasting contribution not just to the health of the people that I will serve, but also to the profession itself.
Most importantly to me, I will do it as an United States Army Soldier.