PS

Personal Statement Content:
Pablo Moreno Franco, MD
Personal Statement

   I have always loved Medicine, so much that I have devoted almost all my efforts in life to acquire all the knowledge I could get to understand the physiopathologic mechanism of disease and the appropriate reasoning for treatment. I have been fascinated by how much all the basic knowledge I have been gathering since the beginning of medical school has been a key to me in the development of great clinical skills and treatment plans.
   Looking ahead, I have decided to provide compassionate and up-to-date medical care to those in need, from all paths of life. I have chosen to pursue a career rich in academic and clinical medicine and that is why I want a program with the proper environment that will enhance my learning and practice of good medicine. Here I will be a resident full of energy and optimism, fulfilling the best interests of the program, developing special abilities and searching for integral medical care for all our patients. I am ready to be that resident who makes the difference.
   After completing my M.D. degree with honors, I have been doing two years of internship in my homeland Panama in order to get my license to practice.   I did my first year of internship in the biggest hospital of the country and the second year in an underserved and rural community hospital.
   During this time, I have been exposed to all types of patients and I am usually the first physician available to solve any medical problem that they might present. I have been involved in many working environments, all the way from primary care to the ICU.  My rotations have included surgical, medical and emergency room specialties. The medical categories have included Internal Medicine wards and all its subspecialties and the coronary care unit.  In the surgical area, my rotations were in general surgery and its subspecialties, both on the wards and in the operating rooms, as well as on gynecology and obstetrics wards and in the delivery room.
   Throughout my contact with patients since medical school and from all the roles I have played during my internship, I have felt the most motivation and excitement in the Internal Medicine field. I have come to realize how the combined power of a detailed clinical history with a methodical physical exam and its related clinical studies  can guide us amazingly toward the best diagnosis. I have worked with patients with a highly complex level of medical problems, but the most gratifying moments have come when our clinical capacity is pushed to its maximum. The beauty of knowing how to correlate the clinical picture, how to prioritize which problems should be handled first and how to organize feasible treatment plans specially tailored for this particular patient, is indeed what I love about Internal Medicine.
   I am looking forward to getting involved deeply in my Internal Medicine Residency and after its completion; I am planning to train in Critical Care Medicine. This is mostly due to the fact that during my practice of medicine in my home country, especially in my province, in my encounter with very interesting and complicated cases, even though specialized equipment was available, there was a lack of physicians trained in internal medicine with the capacity of managing a critical patient. This has become evident recently during a Hantavirus epidemic. The patient presenting the classical clinical picture would come to the hospital and even though the resources for cardiovascular and ventilatory support were available, the lack of trained physicians in critical care would expose these patients to an unnecessary lengthy and dangerous ambulance trip to be treated appropriately.
   Deep inside, I feel that I could really make a difference here, not only on Hantavirus cases but in so many critically ill patients that could use facilities such as ventilators, cardiovascular and homodynamic monitoring, as well as other critical care procedures in order to improve the quality of their attention.
   I have come to American Hospitals as a medical student and as a physician observer, and during this time I have come to comprehend how much the attention paid to details in patient management is an important factor for a successful treatment. This is why I hope to get the best training possible in order to return to my country and have a rewarding career as a medical doctor. My goal is to be able to offer my fellow citizens what they deserve, because as well as people from any other place in the world, they deserve the best treatment possible. I want to be a productive member of my society in many ways. That is why in my daily practice, along with activities regarding health issues, I will include clinical research, teaching and clinical activities. I strongly believe that through this profession, God gives us the opportunity to serve and help our neighbor, with love and humility.