Frequent Mover

My dolls used to fall ill quite frequently, and it was my job to take care of them. At four years old, at my grandparents’ house in Holguin, I played doctor. Back then, I knew that I liked syringes and medical utensils. I liked the feeling of responsibility when I used them and the care that had to be used when prescribing “medicine.” Even then, I felt that it was my duty to care for the health of others, and today that spirit has not changed -- but it has evolved.

Having lived in four countries with cultures as different as the seasons of the year, I have come to see that the poverty-stricken of the world need physicians more than ever. Today, I hope to build on my scientific education and my experiences in medicine to become one such physician.
At age five I moved with my parents to the Russian city of Dubna, where I lived for ten years. Growing up in Russia allowed me to develop both a great sensitivity towards people and an everlasting interest in science. The Russian people in my neighborhood held a great respect for their past and their culture. My interaction with these individuals encouraged me to develop a sense of gratefulness for what I had been given and to resolve to give back to society somehow. At the time, however, I had not realized that medicine could be a career of service. When I returned with my parents to Cuba at age fifteen, however, the poverty there showed me precisely how hard physicians work and how much they give. In horrendous conditions, these professionals gave themselves completely to curing the sick, with the only reward being the satisfaction of fulfilling their duty. Such images impressed upon me the intense yet fulfilling nature of work in medical care.

Three years later, I returned to Russia and found that I would be unable to continue with my studies due to lack of funding. I had no choice but to enter the workforce. With my fluency in multiple languages, I was able to find a job in the Czech Republic with Condor East. Still just twenty years old, I moved yet again. The years I spent in Prague's business world were filled with a variety of characters from different cultures, and my work allowed me to develop necessary communication skills. Nevertheless, I yearned for a career that would also give me the chance to help the underprivileged. Shortly thereafter, the most important event of my time in Prague took place, one that would change my perspective forever.

On Christmas night my grandmother suffered a heart attack. She was taken to Staromestka Hospital, a Catholic hospital where nuns of a nearby convent provided free care for elderly people. If I have ever felt the presence of God, it was at that hospital, for I had never seen care given with so much devotion. My appreciation for those doctors and nurses and for the environment they created at that hospital remains immense to this day. As my grandmother's condition stabilized, I came to realize the nobility of medical professionals. From that point forward, I could only aspire to join that special community of people myself. Although I ultimately lost my grandmother, I still feel fortunate -- I had the unique chance to observe medicine from a highly humanitarian perspective, an experience that has shaped my values since.

Finally, in 1997 Condor invited me to work for them in Miami. I welcomed the opportunity and saw it as a chance to move to a country with new possibilities, where I could perhaps finally acquire my education in biological science. I had lived in Miami for several months when I figured out how to begin college. During two years at Miami-Dade, I developed my goals for the years to come, and my energetic studies enabled me to transfer to Yale. The transfer process proved challenging, as I had to complete all of the requirements for my molecular biology major in half the usual time. Indeed, the first semester did prove difficult, but I experienced continuous progress with every term. Eventually, I became comfortable enough with the course work that I moved past my classroom education and performed laboratory research on the immunohistochemical characterization of the new gene SSDP. My interaction with a wonderful biologist in the lab proved rewarding, and I found the scientific part of the job extremely interesting.

Today, I hope to redouble my efforts to provide patient care to the ill by building on my diverse past. Having grown up amidst the backdrop of communism, both in Russia and in Cuba, I have a broad perspective on humanitarianism. Indeed, I have remained persistent to learn, no matter what my surroundings. Moving a number of times from one country to another, facing new circumstances and challenges, only confirmed my aspiration to become a physician. At this point in my life, I have a clear understanding of where I will be most useful and happy.

點評：

文章嘗試塑造一個從小就有志于關懷他人健康，富人道主義精神，對于醫療事業不懈追求的形象。通過看似零碎的片斷，我們可以隱約感受到這個形象。然而這個形象并不非常突出，原因在于文章涉及了太多的素材，從而導致每一素材都不能深入描寫。

作者企圖通過輾轉于多國的經歷表達“在四個國度感受了如四季般迥異的文化后，我最終發現，被貧窮所折磨的人們比以往任何時候更需要醫生的關懷”這樣一個觀點，然而，由于對細節表現不足，以致此觀點略顯牽強。

總體來說，文章花了絕大部分的篇幅在敘述個人價值觀，而幾乎沒有涉及學術方面的思考。這種寫法并不適用于每一個申請人。

譯文：

匆忙的“行者”

過去，我的洋娃娃總是生病，因此照料她們就成了我的工作。四歲大的時候，在祖父母Holguin的家里，我扮演“醫生”。自此,我發現自己喜歡針筒及醫療器具，因為我喜歡使用它們時的責任感以及開處方時必備的關切之心。也是從那時開始，我感到照料他人的健康是我的職責，而且直到今天，這種信念也沒有改變—反而越發堅定。在四個國度感受了如四季般迥異的文化后，我最終發現，被貧窮所折磨的人們比以往任何時候更需要醫生的關懷。今天，我希望憑借我的科學知識與醫護經驗去努力成為一名這樣的醫生。

五歲那年，我跟隨父母移居到俄羅斯的DUBNA市。一呆，就是十年。在俄羅斯成長的經歷，使我培養了與人交流的敏銳觸覺，以及對于科學的持久熱情。我的俄羅斯鄰居們對他們的歷史和文化都非常引以為榮。與他們的接觸中，我建立起了對我所擁有的一切的感激之情，以及去回饋社會的決心。可惜，當時我并未意識到醫務工作會是一份為人民服務的職業。然而，當我十五歲那年和父母重新回到古巴時，當地的貧窮狀況，清楚地告訴我，醫務工作者們工作的艱辛以及巨大的付出——在那種可怕的環境中，他們全身心地投入到了治療病患的工作中，唯一的回報就是徹實履行工作職責所帶來的滿足感。這番景象，讓我對高度緊張卻又能帶來巨大成就感的醫務工作銘記于心。

三年后，我回到俄羅斯，由于缺錢，我不得不中斷學業。別無選擇之下，我開始找工作。憑借我流利的多國語言，我在Czech Republic with Condor East找到了一份工作。才20歲，我又再一次遷居。在布拉格商業世界里度過的那些年，我接觸各種各樣的人，他們有著不同的文化背景，這樣的工作使我磨練了必要的溝通技巧。可是，我渴望著獲得一份職業，使我有機會幫助社會底層的人民。打那以后不久，對我有著最重要的意義的事件在布拉格發生了，它永遠地改變了我的看法。

在圣誕夜，我的祖母心臟病發。她被送到了Staromestka醫院——一個天主教醫院，附近修道院的修女們在這里為年老體弱者提供免費的醫療服務。如果說我曾經感覺到上帝的存在，那么就是在那個醫院內，因為我從未看到過有如此盡心盡力地照料病患的人們。我非常感激那些醫生護士們以及他們在醫院內所營造的環境，時至今日這種感覺依然強烈。隨著祖母的病情逐漸穩定，我意識到醫護工作的崇高。在那之前，我只是非常單純地想加入這一特殊團體而已。盡管我最終失去了祖母，我仍然感到幸運——我得到了一個獨特的機會，使我從人道主義的高度，審視了醫學，這次經歷促使我往后的價值觀的形成。

最后，在1997年，Condor邀請我到Miami工作。我欣然接受這個機會并期待在這個新國度有新的發展。在這里，我或許可以最終獲得在生物科學方面的教育。當我了解到如何開始大學的學習時，我已經在Miami生活了幾個月了。在Miami-Dade的兩年里，我找到了接下來幾年的發展目標。積極的學習使我轉學到了YALE。轉學的過程是富挑戰性的，因為我要完成所有分子生物學的必修課程，而卻只有正常學習過程的一半時間。事實上，第一學期相當艱難，但我在往后的每個學期都獲得了持續的進步。最終，我適應了學習上的壓力。我不再局限于課堂內的學習，而參與到SSDP新基因的免疫組織化實驗室的研究當中。我與實驗室內一流的生物學家的接觸使我獲益良多，我發現這些工作中的有關科學的部分非常有趣。

今天，我希望借助我的豐富的經歷，加倍努力為病患們提供耐心的照料。在俄羅斯及古巴的共產主義的環境中長大，我對于人道主義有一個清晰的了解。事實上，無論環境如何，我一直在堅持學習。多次在國家間遷移往返，多個新環境和新挑戰，這一切的經歷只是堅定了我要成為一個醫生的決心。而在此刻，我清楚知道將在哪里找到我的價值與快樂！