To save lives being a doctor – the best career for me

“ Please help! Help my son” cried a man as he carried his son in his arms; his son was simply wrapped in a torn cloth as he made his way to the nurse’s station. I was rather surprised by the reaction of the nurses. They seemed too relaxed, almost unconcerned. The man had to literally go on his knees to plead before one nurse reluctantly but abusively demanded what the situation could be. In a matter of minutes, death crawled upon this little boy and he was declared dead just when the man was shown where to lay him down for examination. Experiencing life leaving a human has been one of the hardest things I have had to deal with even up to this day; I can picture the situation as though it occurred yesterday. The worst part I have had to deal with was that I could not help merely because I was a secondary school student simply on an internship and up to this day, it dawns on me what could have happened if I have done something. What I experienced that day was a mixture of pain and desire. Right there and then my future ambition was signed and sealed – to be a doctor with a difference, a doctor with the ultimate preoccupation to save lives no matter the cost, hence my desire to study medicine.

There is a great difference in knowing one did their very best to save a life but unfortunately, they were unable to survive and knowing someone passed away due to lack of resources or adequate medical facilities. I would have wished just one of the two scenarios was the case of Ghana but sadly both situations are contributing to high mortality rate in my country – unavailability of truly selfless and dedicated medical professionals who wholeheartedly love and take care of sick folks and the lack of resources.

As if by divine manipulation, my schooling days up to this point reflects my intense love and appreciation for biology and chemistry. Knowing how pertinent these subjects are to the medical profession, I have for the past four years been studying these two subjects passionately and in-depth and I can attest that I have never regretted studying these two because I feel as though I am able to connect best with them.

During my internship, I witnessed how effectively the nurses and the doctors worked together. This highlighted the importance of not only communication but also respect for one another in times of stressful situations. Daily, I try to develop such skills, l. Fortunately, finding myself doing the IBDP program has helped me develop these skills because there are umpteenth situations which require teamwork and communication skills such as the TOK presentation and the Further Oral activity. In addition, being a very dedicated Red Cross member of my institution, I have had firsthand experience in dealing with the casualty, from reassuring patients to healing their injuries. Such experiences have increased my confidence and knowledge in the field of medicine.

Through my observations and experiences, I have realized that medicine involves much more than knowing and understanding anatomy. Being involved in clubs such as Peer Tutoring and Peer Buddies, I have learned that helping people requires more than simply possessing the knowledge to do so but rather understanding people’s feeling and fear so that you will be able to understand from their perspective. Only through this was I able to yield to the best capability of aiding others. Similarly, in medicine, it is essential to understand the patients in order to be of great help to them.

My natural inclination towards medicine, my deep appreciation for the two most important subjects areas in the field of medicine and my personal traits are essential ingredients to making one a great doctor. An opportunity for me to study medicine in the UK where I will have access to the best faculty facilities and resources, will be an opportunity for me to provide expert care, sacrificial service and for more lives in my village, city and my country at large to be saved.