|
Sample Medical School Application Essay 2
(Nursing)
My grandmother always used to say to me “nothing in life is easy if it’s worth having”, and I am just so sad that she can’t see me now, turning away from the easy (by comparison) path towards one I know will bring a lifetime of challenges and fulfillment. I always respected her and have tried to make my entire family proud of me. I am the first person from my working class family to go to college, and while I am proud of accomplishing this goal, which was by no means easy financially or emotionally, my career path after graduation has not been as fulfilling as I was hoping it would be. I took a solid job with good benefits right out of school, the kind of position that would have made either one of my parents feel more secure during my youth, but I realized soon that sitting stagnant in an office for the rest of my life wasn’t going to bring me any real satisfaction even if it did come with a certain level of stability and comfort.
I took my first leap of faith and quit that job to take a much more risky, but also more exciting, contracting job after that. This was the right choice for me in many ways because it showed me that as long as you believe in your abilities, you will always land on your feet. I have been successful in this job and am grateful I took the risk, but I know that it is not my calling. I began to feel like my work days were not accomplishing anything truly good and lasting, so, in an effort to give my days more meaning, I started volunteering at my local hospital. My duties were not profound (running blood work and records to different floors, assisting patients with check out, and so on) but the energy of the hospital and the difference I could make in someone’s experience there with just a smile of welcome gave me a glimpse of the potential in a career in nursing. My years in the work force have taught me responsibility, compassion and gratitude for every learning opportunity that comes my way. I am now ready to embark on a new learning path, one that will lead me to becoming a Nurse Practitioner.
I know that the career I have chosen is physically and emotionally draining, and often does not get the credit it is due, but I have witnessed first hand the tremendous impact the nurses have on the lives of the individuals who come into the hospital I volunteer in, and I want nothing more than to join their ranks in offering excellent care. I see nurses not just as care givers, but also as role models for their patients and for the community. As a nurse I would continue in my efforts to live a healthy lifestyle myself, exercising and consistently seek opportunities to become better at my job through professional development courses. After graduation I plan to gain experience working in a larger hospital for a few years, and then hopefully move to an underrepresented rural area where people have limited or no opportunity to get to large hospitals. It is all the more essential for people in these areas to have someone there to teach them the importance of preventative medicine, staying healthy, and of course to offer them excellent health care as needed. |
