Father was a Doctor

My mother often recounts a story about me following around my father, our small town’s internist, on a certain home visit. Upon finding a woman with a swollen, painful belly, he began palpating her abdomen -- when he noticed two tiny hands of a toddler, emulating his own. I cannot remember a time when I was not interested in health care. As I finished high school and entered college, however, I had my doubts. I grew up watching my father suffer the hardships of his career, from long hours and disappointments to the difficulty of providing adequate care under insurance regulations. Additionally, I wondered whether I was genuinely dedicated to medicine or whether I was simply infatuated with the idea of imitating the extraordinary individual that is my father. Indeed, with three members of my immediate family in medicine, I felt as though I was simply falling into the occupation. Today, however, I have come to realize that I did not merely fall into medicine -- I fell in love with the profession on my own accord.

One notable memory often reminds me that when I am providing any type of patient care, no matter how minor, I have the feeling that I am at home. As a lifeguard, I had the chance to provide first aid on several occasions, and I recall one such event very clearly. During the summer after a particularly difficult sophomore year in college, I was left with many questions, including whether medicine truly offered the best career path for me. Then, one afternoon I was watching the pool when a young girl, slipping from the waterslide, collided with another swimmer. She struggled out of the water in a panic, fearing a broken leg. Rushing over, as I calmed her and assessed her right leg, I suddenly had that familiar feeling: this was my calling. To date, nothing in my life has felt more natural than when I was caring for Marie by the pool that day. Consequently, in the past two years I have only sought to expand on my opportunities to participate in and provide medical care to others. Last year I completed my training and gained certification as an emergency medical technician, and only recently, I began volunteering with the Orange County Rescue Squad. Finally getting the chance to participate actively in patient care has proven tremendously fulfilling and has further solidified my commitment to the medical field.

Hoping to learn more about health care within hospitals, I volunteered at the University of North Carolina’s Resident OB/GYN Clinic in the Women’s Hospital. Here, the nurses and residents have taken extra time to explain their procedures and courses of treatment, while I have also actively taken part in the care of the patients. In the past year I have gained experience taking blood pressures, weights, and patient histories. I also spent a memorable night following Dr. Lois Aronson in the labor and delivery ward. During this period, I observed two deliveries and two surgeries, and I also learned to perform pelvic exams and find fetal heartbeats. My favorite part of the whole volunteering experience, however, must have been the chance to witness Dr. Aronson’s thoughtful and compassionate interaction with patients during normal prenatal checkups. While observing her careful communication skills, I developed my own approach to conversing honestly and caringly with patients.

To complement my hands-on experience preparing for my career as a physician, I have devoted my energy to preparing for the rigorous scientific education that must preface the training of any thoughtful and capable physician. When reflecting on my college career, one experience stands out as the most enjoyable learning experience of all: teaching an introductory biology lab at UNC for two semesters. This endeavor allowed me to assume the role of a mentor and an instructor. As I was responsible for the laboratory education of 25 students each semester, this undertaking taught me to become a communicative leader who can guide others in their educational development. Moreover, the sheer amount of pleasure I received from helping my students achieve their goals reflects my commitment to a career of service.

My mother always said, “Don’t be a doctor unless you have to.” I feel that I am truly beginning to understand what she means. I know that becoming a physician is a long, difficult path. I have witnessed the realities of medicine in my own home and have spoken with an exhausted medical student on the thirtieth hour of her shift. I also know that for me it is worth it. Nothing would make me happier than devoting my life to becoming a physician and delivering quality, compassionate health care. To achieve my goals, I look forward to medical school as the next necessary and welcome step.

分析：

通過兒時跟隨父親出診，自己模仿父親為病人檢查的動作漸漸引出自己對醫學的興趣。但隨后話鋒一轉，矛盾產生了：進入大學后，想想自己看到父親為事業而遭受的艱辛，自己思考是否是發自內心的想從事醫學這個職業。為后來的陳述打下很好的伏筆。接下來通過幾件事——也就是矛盾的激化最后得到一個答案：自己心甘情愿的愛上了這個職業。第二段，大二的一個暑假救助一個撞斷腿的小女孩給作者留下了非常深刻的印象，護理病人給了作者極大的滿足并且鞏固了他獻身醫療領域的想法。第三段，寫自己在婦女醫院的北卡羅來納大學常駐OB/GYN診所做了一名志愿者，學會了更多關于醫療保健的知識。但自己收獲更多的是當志愿者期間，跟隨Aronson博士學會了如何對病人更周道和體貼，如何更加真誠和體貼的與患者交談。也是自己對醫學熱愛的一個升華。第四段，寫了曾經在大學生物實驗室承擔兩個學期的教學工作，向對方評審委員會展現了自己的教學能力和領導能力，同時也緊扣主題，對事業的熱愛進一步升華。最后一段，與第一段呼應，表明作者通過以上的經歷，已經把醫學當作自己一生的職業。

語言的描寫非常形象生動，讓讀者能夠更容易接受，更容易產生共鳴。對整篇文章進行總結，表現出自己對內科醫生這項事業的工作信心。本篇文章，作者將興趣和對內科醫生的熱愛作為自己展現的重點。文章所采用的邏輯主線是以時間為順序，將自己對所申請領域的認識和理解的變化過程一步一步地展現了出來，對醫學的熱愛也一層層升華。通篇沒有華麗的辭藻，但很樸實準確的表達了意思。字里行間把自己對于專業的熱愛非常強烈非常明確呈現在文章中。邏輯思路清晰，第一段提出論點，接下來三段進行論證，最后一段首尾呼應，作者整篇文章都將自己對于專業的熱愛作為描述的重點，更為成功的是這種感情的表述非常具體和形象，通過具體的事例具體的經歷引申出自己的感受。因此給讀者的感覺是非常真實，非常具體。將自己在每個階段的認識逐個描寫，清晰的將自己認識的加深過程展現給錄取委員會，整篇文章因此條理性非常好。文章除了著力刻畫作者對專業的熱愛，對專業的認識，同時還較好的呈現了作者的實習經歷和教學經歷。作為醫學專業，對專業的熱愛，對病人的關心是成為一名合格內科醫生的基礎，因此把這個作為文章寫作重點是非常好的。

譯文：

當醫生的父親

父親是我們小鎮的內科醫生，我的母親經常向我詳述關于我跟隨父親到病人家里出診的往事。在發現一名婦女腹部腫脹疼痛后，他開始為她的腹部做檢查 – 這時他發現有兩支小手在模仿自己。我對醫療保健非常感興趣。然而，因為我完成了高中并且進入大學后，我對這一點產生了疑義。我的成長見證了我父親為了他的事業而遭受的艱辛，根據保險規則為病人提供充分的醫療保障長時間困擾著他。另外，我想知道我是否真正地想要致力于醫學事業，或者是否我只是簡單情癡地仿效我的父親。的確，我有三個直系親屬在醫學，我感到我很自然的沉迷于這個職業。然而今天，我逐漸意識到我不僅僅沉迷于醫學 -- 我很情愿的愛上了這個行業。

有一個深刻的記憶經常浮現在我的腦海，當我為病人提供護理時，無論多細微的，我都感覺我是在家。作為救生員，我有機會幾次提供急救，并且我非常清楚的記得這么一次經歷。在特別艱苦的二年級結束的夏天，老師留給我許多問題去思考，包括醫學是否真的是我最佳的職業。后來的一個下午，當我在監視一個游泳池的時候，看到一個女孩從滑水道滑下的時候與另一位游泳者撞到了一起，她帶著驚恐和害怕掙扎著出了水面。我趕忙沖了過去，我讓她保持了鎮定并且仔細檢查了她的右腿，我突然有那么一個熟悉的感受：這就是我的職業。迄今，生活中沒有什么比我那天為Marie在水池邊提供救助來的自然。此后，在過去二年中，我一直在尋找機會為其他人提供護理。去年，我完成了我的訓練并且獲得了緊急救護師證書，只在最近，我開始跟隨Orange County Rescue Squad做了一名志愿者。有機會積極地參與住院病人護理給了我極大的滿足并且進一步鞏固了我獻身醫療領域的想法。

為了能在醫院學會更多關于醫療保健的知識，我在婦女醫院的北卡羅來納大學常駐OB/GYN診所做了一名志愿者。在這里，護士和醫生拿出了業余時間來向我講述他們的規程和治療過程，而我也積極的參與到了在護理患者的行列中。我在去年有了測血壓、體重和病史的經驗。我也跟隨Lois Aronson博士在產房度過了難忘的一個晚上。在這期間，我觀察了二次分娩和二次外科手術，并且我也學會如何檢查骨盆和胎兒心跳。然而，整體當志愿者期間，我最大的收獲就是有機會見證Aronson博士在正常產前檢查時對病人的周道和體貼。當留意了她出眾的交流能力后，我也學會了更加真誠和體貼的與患者交談。

為了提高我的實踐能力，同時也是為我今后作醫師做準備，我把精力都投入到了嚴格的學習準備當中，因為我認為那是勝任一個出色醫師的基礎。回顧我的大學時代，一段最令人愉快的經歷浮現在我的腦海： 在UNC一個初級生物實驗室承擔兩個學期的教學工作。 作為講師，我毎學期負責25名學生的實驗室指導，這段經歷教我成為一個于易于溝通的領導者。而且，我從幫助我的學生達到他們的目標的過程中感受到了快樂，更反映出我對服務事業的熱愛。

我的母親總經常說，“除非你別無選擇，否則不要當醫生”。 我認為我真正開始懂得了她的意思。 我知道成為醫師需要經過一個艱苦而漫長的過程。我曾經在我自己的家見證了醫學的實質，也曾經和一個值班30個小時，疲憊不堪的醫學院學生交流過。 我也知道我值得為它做些事。沒有什么能比成為一個醫生來為我的病人提供高質量的醫療服務而讓我感到快樂。我把醫學院看作我實現人生目標的一級不可獲缺的石階。