Now that I am in, I'm ready to share =) Enjoy!
I have an assertive voice and ready hands. Where I come from, women are quiet and their hands are bound with chores. My family comes from Punjab, a state in northwest India, the homeland of the Sikhs. Punjab is blemished with the most skewed gender ratio of any state in the country, because girls there are stigmatized as black-hole investments who offer nothing to their parents. Many resort to sex-selective abortion or female infanticide to avoid raising daughters. Of the girls who make it, many suffer abuse, and only few receive equal access to health care and education. I am one of those few. I have become aware that I have opportunities, abilities, and aspirations that many others do not. Since that realization, I have resolved to speak for the silenced, and show by example that Punjabi women can make significant contributions to society.
As a young girl, I participated in national level speech competitions, and developed confidence and a deep knowledge of the Sikh religion and its history. I published two articles about significant people in Sikh history in India Today Magazine. My role then became instructional: I taught young children at a Sunday school in San Jose, counseled at youth camps, and designed and conducted workshops about community service and gender roles at conferences for young adults across the country. Such close interaction with children and young adults taught me patience, and improved my ability to relate to people of different ages. I raised awareness and sparked dialogue about the rampant domestic and sexual abuse, poor access to health care and education for females in the Punjabi Sikh community. As a result, at least one more girl can now pursue her dreams. Reena wanted to be a doctor, but her parents wanted her to get married and settle down. After we met, she adopted me as a mentor and role model. She then convinced her parents that she can pursue her career and still have a fulfilling family life. Now, as she prepares for the MCAT, she enjoys a deeper relationship with her family. I took this cause global when I reached out to the largest transport organization in India for its collaboration in a massive publicity campaign against misogynist practices. The All India Motor Transport Congress controls 4.5 million trucks and buses. Using the vehicles as billboards, I am heading a project to design posters portraying positive images of females to advocate gender equality.
My desire to serve extends beyond the Punjabi community. In 2005, I traveled to Biloxi, Mississippi with a group of volunteers to help lay the groundwork for rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina. With untrained hands and eager hearts, we gutted low-income houses strewn with broken glass, upside-down sofas, overturned refrigerators swarming with pests, water lines eight feet high, and black mold blanketing walls and ceilings. My heart churned as we disposed of torn photo albums, damaged Bibles, and homework assignments. Knowing that my hands helped rebuild the lives of real families fulfilled me in a way that is different from speaking to audiences. I am excited that with the proper training in medical school, my hands will work to heal people’s illnesses.
In line with my professional aspirations, I also volunteered at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) Medical Center emergency room (ER). I recognized the physical and emotional needs of the patients, and the compassion and skill that doctors bring to the table. I observed severe trauma patients and assisted doctors with procedures like applying splints and sutures. Between tasks, I talked to doctors, medical students, and patients about their experiences and various procedures. My most fulfilling experiences were with the patients. I remember an elderly woman: dried blood encrusted her face and hands, and a large laceration parted her scalp. As I washed her face and hands, she shared her troubles with me, released a sigh of relief, and smiled. I was privileged to feel, for a few moments a day, the special relationship that only doctors and patients share.
I have tried to make my life count for something, but I am just getting started. At UC Davis, my contact with medical professionals and patients motivated me to focus and improve my grades. Taking first-year courses alongside medical students in the Boston University Master of Arts in Medical Sciences program convinced me that I can succeed in medical school. While I will always fight for the status of women, I want a more immediate role in leaving this world a better place than I found it. As a physician, I will empower my patients with good health, and for some, give them another chance at life. Only a career in medicine offers relationships as meaningful as with the children at camps, participation as heartfelt as in Biloxi, the opportunity to ease pain as in the ER, and the credential to amplify my voice for human rights. I want to be an outstanding physician, and I have what it takes. If given the opportunity, I promise to bring honor, dedication, and integrity to the profession. You will be proud.
I have an assertive voice and ready hands. Where I come from, women are quiet and their hands are bound with chores. My family comes from Punjab, a state in northwest India, the homeland of the Sikhs. Punjab is blemished with the most skewed gender ratio of any state in the country, because girls there are stigmatized as black-hole investments who offer nothing to their parents. Many resort to sex-selective abortion or female infanticide to avoid raising daughters. Of the girls who make it, many suffer abuse, and only few receive equal access to health care and education. I am one of those few. I have become aware that I have opportunities, abilities, and aspirations that many others do not. Since that realization, I have resolved to speak for the silenced, and show by example that Punjabi women can make significant contributions to society.
As a young girl, I participated in national level speech competitions, and developed confidence and a deep knowledge of the Sikh religion and its history. I published two articles about significant people in Sikh history in India Today Magazine. My role then became instructional: I taught young children at a Sunday school in San Jose, counseled at youth camps, and designed and conducted workshops about community service and gender roles at conferences for young adults across the country. Such close interaction with children and young adults taught me patience, and improved my ability to relate to people of different ages. I raised awareness and sparked dialogue about the rampant domestic and sexual abuse, poor access to health care and education for females in the Punjabi Sikh community. As a result, at least one more girl can now pursue her dreams. Reena wanted to be a doctor, but her parents wanted her to get married and settle down. After we met, she adopted me as a mentor and role model. She then convinced her parents that she can pursue her career and still have a fulfilling family life. Now, as she prepares for the MCAT, she enjoys a deeper relationship with her family. I took this cause global when I reached out to the largest transport organization in India for its collaboration in a massive publicity campaign against misogynist practices. The All India Motor Transport Congress controls 4.5 million trucks and buses. Using the vehicles as billboards, I am heading a project to design posters portraying positive images of females to advocate gender equality.
My desire to serve extends beyond the Punjabi community. In 2005, I traveled to Biloxi, Mississippi with a group of volunteers to help lay the groundwork for rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina. With untrained hands and eager hearts, we gutted low-income houses strewn with broken glass, upside-down sofas, overturned refrigerators swarming with pests, water lines eight feet high, and black mold blanketing walls and ceilings. My heart churned as we disposed of torn photo albums, damaged Bibles, and homework assignments. Knowing that my hands helped rebuild the lives of real families fulfilled me in a way that is different from speaking to audiences. I am excited that with the proper training in medical school, my hands will work to heal people’s illnesses.
In line with my professional aspirations, I also volunteered at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) Medical Center emergency room (ER). I recognized the physical and emotional needs of the patients, and the compassion and skill that doctors bring to the table. I observed severe trauma patients and assisted doctors with procedures like applying splints and sutures. Between tasks, I talked to doctors, medical students, and patients about their experiences and various procedures. My most fulfilling experiences were with the patients. I remember an elderly woman: dried blood encrusted her face and hands, and a large laceration parted her scalp. As I washed her face and hands, she shared her troubles with me, released a sigh of relief, and smiled. I was privileged to feel, for a few moments a day, the special relationship that only doctors and patients share.
I have tried to make my life count for something, but I am just getting started. At UC Davis, my contact with medical professionals and patients motivated me to focus and improve my grades. Taking first-year courses alongside medical students in the Boston University Master of Arts in Medical Sciences program convinced me that I can succeed in medical school. While I will always fight for the status of women, I want a more immediate role in leaving this world a better place than I found it. As a physician, I will empower my patients with good health, and for some, give them another chance at life. Only a career in medicine offers relationships as meaningful as with the children at camps, participation as heartfelt as in Biloxi, the opportunity to ease pain as in the ER, and the credential to amplify my voice for human rights. I want to be an outstanding physician, and I have what it takes. If given the opportunity, I promise to bring honor, dedication, and integrity to the profession. You will be proud.
