The first in my family to go to medical school, my passion for medicine seemed to come naturally to me, the focus or path I have long admired and seen as an incredibly noble profession. I entered medical school utterly open to possibilities and dedicated to absorbing everything, as much as possible, about all areas of medicine. During my rotations in Internal Medicine at the University of Puerto Rico, the finest on the island, I gravitated toward the heart disease patients I had the opportunity to get to know and help care for. Thus, early on, I recognized a growing affinity with the human heart and the medical specialty of Cardiology. For this reason, I have dedicated my professional life to researching and practicing cardiology. Thus, I hope to complete a fellowship program in General Cardiology at your distinguished institution.
I first told my friends that I wanted to develop a specialization in Sports Medicine primarily because I was an athlete. There were doctors in this area who I looked up to as especially outstanding role models. It was a special honor to be able to shadow several of them, admiring their skill at physical examination and vast medical knowledge. Soon, however, the more I learned about medicine, the more critically ill patients rather than sports injuries became the center of my world. Initially, I looked forward to doing trauma surgery, but my hopes and dreams for the future found a new critical mass in Critical Care Medicine. Once I experienced cardiology as an internal medicine resident, for me, the cardiologist performed the most special procedures and interventions. I very much admire their finesse.
During my internal medicine training, I was thrilled to gain exposure to various heart disease patients, each facing their unique challenges. There are numerous reasons why I especially love cardiology, and I am delighted to have chosen this field for my lifetime focus on the practice of medicine. From my experience, one of the most enticing aspects of general cardiology is the clinical reach of the specialty. Despite the remarkable technological advancements, it preserves a clinical ‘old-school’ feel. As a cardiologist, you maintain intimate and long-standing interactions with patients. You must interview patients carefully and thoroughly about their issues and challenges, do a thorough physical exam, and design customized patient care approaches. I have taken great care and invested tremendous energy in developing the cognitive and technical skills that are the foundation of outstanding performance, especially concerning imaging modalities and interventional procedures, to enhance patient care.
I have also enjoyed elective rotations in Emergency Medicine, where I became adept at the bedside use of ultrasound as an expansion of the physical exam. I also completed an elective course in interventional radiology, in which I learned a great deal about vascular access procedures, indications, careful planning for complex systems, and patient safety. I am eager to learn as much as possible about general cardiology care. I look forward to getting board certified in echocardiography, vascular ultrasound, and nuclear imaging and learning a great deal about general cardiology due to extensive training and intensive exposure. I look forward to lifetime education in interventional cardiology, involving cardiac and vascular interventions, resolving structural heart interventions, and resolving problematic diagnostic dilemmas that arise when answers are not apparent through clinical examination and noninvasive testing. I have read incredibly widely in Cardiology, especially hemodynamics cases and the Cath lab with many insightful discussions with attending cardiologists.
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Now thirty-one, I am a competitive triathlon athlete, and a devoted doctor focused on discipline, hard work, organization, and balance. I had to work through college to get to medical school, which was quite a challenge, but the hardships I endured have fortified me each turn to renew my vow to give my all to Cardiology. In med school, I learned the value of vocation, the importance of loving what you do professionally, and how this impacts your patients. During my coronary critical care unit rotations, I oversaw many acutely ill patients - as an internal medicine resident, often requiring prompt interventions for infarcts, infections, shock, etc. I became skilled at catheters and hemodynamic monitoring, in particular. I keenly look forward to having an opportunity to demonstrate my prowess in various areas closely related to Cardiology. I could not feel more called to the prospect of advanced training in multiple imaging modalities such as echocardiography, vascular ultrasound, and cardiac CT and MRI.
Thank you for considering my application.
Fellowship Cardiology Personal Statement