Life

When a pod of 55 pilot whales recently beached themselves on a stretch of Cape Cod, vacationers and beach-goers came to the rescue. By high tide, they managed to save 46 whales. In explaining his motivation for jumping in to help, one volunteer simply answered, “Life.” The same purpose inspires my ambition to become a physician.

Medicine appeals to my deep appreciation for human life, inculcated by studying man as both a human being and biological machine. The decision to practice stems from a perpetual fascination with science combined with this basic love for life. I grew up capturing insects and watching PBS, always questioning the complexities of how the body works. Through academics and medical research, I have begun to answer this question.

My passion for knowledge of the inner workings of the human body led to proactive involvement in medical research, enriching my view of medicine as well as nurturing the desire to continue research endeavors throughout my medical career. For the past two years, I have studied the relationship between structural damage and preserved clinical function in multiple sclerosis patients through functional MRI, under the tutelage of Drs. Cranston and Mahoney. Although unsure how these two factors correlate, we hypothesize that a critical period exists when the brain undergoes reorganization. In a concurrent study, I am investigating the role of the pelvic veins in cryptogenic stroke, funded through a grant awarded by the American Heart Association. The objective is to determine, via MRV, whether the pelvic veins are the source of thrombolytic emboli in cryptogenic stroke patients who also harbor a patent foramen ovale. The results of these studies not only will contribute to the advancement of medicine, but may also hold therapeutic benefits for those afflicted with such neurological damage.

The rewards of medical research lie in its practical application, and there is no better place to observe the miracle of life than in the NICU. Each day, newborns struggle to survive, illustrating the inherent advancements and limitations of medicine. I have witnessed preemies, from 24 weeks of gestation and on, live and die. Exposure to patients revealed that people are much more than collections of cells and organs -- we all share the special gift of life. My role in helping to care for them abounded with both challenge and joy.

My first patient, Baby S, arrived nine weeks prematurely and spent the first month of life in the NICU. Due to the presence of an extrachromosomal fragment, he suffered slight mental retardation. His mother, who had the same condition, visited infrequently during his hospital stay. When she did, her visits were brief and inattentive. I grew quite fond of Baby S, often watching him snuggle into the blankets like a small burrito. Although his sky blue eyes moved in a spastic manner, they gave life to his somewhat immobile body. He rarely showed signs of discomfort, whether hungry or needing a change. I tried to give him the extra attention he lacked. At times, he rewarded my efforts to interact with a smile; other times, he gave me a dirty diaper.

Reflecting on my experiences, I realize that the practice of medicine entails more than remembering and dispensing scientific facts. It requires exercising both mind and heart, along with a genuine respect for life. Baby S and my other NICU patients instilled in me a sense of how precious life is, and I am certain that my current EMT training and planned medical mission to southeast Asia will reaffirm my conviction to improve the lives of others.

The career of a physician will allow me to balance an intellectual curiosity with my desire to help those in need. By helping man at his best and his worst, combining a passion for life with the pursuit of scientific knowledge, I can help heal and comfort others. I eagerly anticipate a vocation in which my patients fuel my search for knowledge, and that search embodies reciprocal benefits to my patients. When asked why I have chosen a medical career, I can confidently respond, “Life.”

點評：

這是一篇臨床醫(yī)學生的Essay，從文章的內(nèi)容以及最后一段的宣言可以看出，作者想要申請的也是臨床醫(yī)學，并且立志當一名醫(yī)生。

1、主題思想：

對于一個醫(yī)生來說，什么是最重要的呢？當然是最生命的重視，并且是發(fā)自內(nèi)心的珍愛。因為作為一名好的醫(yī)生，最首要的是醫(yī)德，其次才是醫(yī)術(shù)。文章就是緊緊地抓住了這一點來寫的，動之以情，從一開始闡述自己當醫(yī)生的理由、到后來文章中所提到的在醫(yī)院的實習經(jīng)歷，都可以看出，作者想要強調(diào)的首先是自己對于醫(yī)學事業(yè)的一份熱忱和對于生命的高度尊重。試問，這樣一份對于醫(yī)學的赤誠之心，有那位教授不會為之感動呢？

2、開場：

應(yīng)該說，文章一開頭引用的一個實例是非常好的，因為對于那些被擱淺的鯨的拯救行動，完全是出于一種對于生命的尊重，并且每一個前去救助的人，都是出于自愿的。這樣的精神可以說是一名醫(yī)生的最高道德標準，也是對于立志向要做一名醫(yī)生的來說最難能可貴的精神。

3、中段：

文中的一段實習經(jīng)歷，對于一名智力低下的嬰兒的照顧，也很好地體現(xiàn)了這樣一種精神，那就是對于生命都有一種平等的尊重的態(tài)度。

總結(jié)：

從整篇文章來看，作者強調(diào)的并非是自己學術(shù)上的東西，而最主要的是對醫(yī)德、對于醫(yī)生這個職業(yè)的理解，這一層面上來重點來描述的，而這樣寫的好處也就是能打動人心。總的來說，由于醫(yī)學是一門比較特殊的學科，它結(jié)合了科學的謹慎態(tài)度與人文的關(guān)懷，還需要一份社會責任感，所以在臨床醫(yī)學的Essay總，除了冰冷的學術(shù)闡述和探討，也非常需要有人性的溫暖參與其中，這樣寫出來的效果會好很多。

譯文：

生命的意義

前不久，55頭巨頭鯨在位于科德角的一段海灘上擱淺了，周圍正在度假的人們以和行人都紛紛前去解救。 在漲潮的幫助下，他們得以解救了46頭巨頭鯨。別人問起，究竟出于什么動機使得你們?nèi)ソ饩冗@些鯨時，其中一個志愿者簡單的回答道：“因為生命”。是的，同樣是因為這個原因，使我想要成為一個醫(yī)生。

對于生命的感激讓我對醫(yī)學產(chǎn)生了興趣，也促使我不僅學習人類的醫(yī)學也包括生物醫(yī)學。而這一切都是源于我對于生命的熱愛。過去我捕捉昆蟲并且觀察PBS，總是對于它們復雜的身體構(gòu)造以及工作方式充滿了疑問，通過醫(yī)學的研究，我開始尋找答案。

對于人體內(nèi)部結(jié)構(gòu)運作方式的熱忱，使我全身心地投入了醫(yī)學研究中，在這期間豐富了我對于醫(yī)學的眼界，同時也更堅定了想要投身醫(yī)學從而不斷的作相關(guān)研究的決心。在過去的兩年中，我通過運用MRI，對大量肝硬化病人做了研究，學習了結(jié)構(gòu)損傷以及臨床性防御機構(gòu)，在Cranston 教授以及 Mahoney 教授的指導下，盡管對于這兩個因素是如何關(guān)聯(lián)的還不清楚，但目前的猜測是大腦在危急時刻所進行的信息重組。在最近的研究中，我研究了在遭受不明原因的撞擊后骨盆腔靜脈會有所變化，研究所用的基金是來自美國心臟協(xié)會的資助。目的是用來研究，對于遭受過不明撞擊并且是卵圓孔未閉的患者來說，是否骨盆腔靜脈是造成溶血栓栓賽物的原因。這些研究的結(jié)果不僅對于醫(yī)學進步做出了貢獻，并且很大程度上使遭受此類神經(jīng)性損傷的患者造福。

對醫(yī)學研究最好的回報就是能運用于實踐，再也沒有比在NICU更好的地方了，因而在這里總能發(fā)現(xiàn)生命的奇跡。每一天，都有不少的新生嬰兒必須努力掙扎著才得以生存下去，醫(yī)學既有其進步的一面也有其局限性。我曾經(jīng)親眼看到孕育了24周的早產(chǎn)兒，出生然后死亡。也曾經(jīng)向患者解釋道，其實人類只不過是細胞和器官的累積——生命是上天賜與我們的一份特別的禮物。作為我來說，在幫助和照顧這些患者的過程中，既充滿了挑戰(zhàn)也得到一種滿足感。
 
我的第一個病人，是個早產(chǎn)9個星期來到人間的嬰兒，叫S。他在出生的第一個月里是在NICU度過的。由于存在染色體的多余片段，他有一些輕微的智力低下。他的母親，和他有同樣的病癥因此很少在S住院期間來看望他。每次母親到來都很短暫和匆忙。而我漸漸開始喜歡上了S，經(jīng)常去看望他，看他在小小的籃子里努力掙扎著。盡管他天藍色眼睛的轉(zhuǎn)動和一般人不同，上天賜與他生命卻給于他不太靈活的身體。他很少表現(xiàn)出任何的不舒適，比如饑餓或者需要換姿勢。有時我會給于他更多的照顧，而他會給我一個微笑作為回報；當然，更多的時候，他給我的是一片臟尿布。

回顧我所經(jīng)歷的一切，我意識到醫(yī)藥的實際應(yīng)用不僅僅對科學原理的熟識以及運用，還有對精神上以及內(nèi)心的歷練，以及對生命發(fā)自內(nèi)心的尊重。嬰兒S以及我在NICU的其他病人，讓我漸漸明白了生命是多么的珍貴，而我現(xiàn)在也正在進行急診醫(yī)師的實習，并且，我打算去東南亞的決定也可以證明我想要救助更多人的這份決心。

職業(yè)醫(yī)師的職業(yè)讓我在對于知識的好奇以及對幫助別人的渴望之間找到一種平衡。在別人最好或最壞的狀態(tài)下幫助他們，并且抱著對于科學知識探索之情以及對生命的熱情，我想我能幫助極撫慰別人的能力。我渴望在與患者的相處的過程中，尋找真理，而在這探索的過程中，同時也反過來造?；颊摺Ｃ慨攧e人問我為什么選擇醫(yī)學作為一生的職業(yè)時，我會自信得回答：“因為生命”。