When I was growing up my grandfather was my hero. Around the age of ten I asked him why he chose to be an accountant - I had no idea that his response would begin my passion for the medical field. He explained to me that people are born with certain talents, like his skill with numbers, or my aptitude for science. He said to me, “It is the responsibility of every person to discover their talents and find a way to use them to help others.” A man of action, my grandfather had been an accountant for the Ministry of Finance of Costa Rica, and used his talents to stop corruption within the government, saving the citizens millions of dollars even though his actions ultimately cost him his job. He often advised me to never choose money over helping others; I would find true happiness in knowing that I made a difference in someone’s life. These moments with my grandfather began my career in medicine. I grew up wondering how I could use my talents to help others, just as my grandpa had done for so many years.

My medical journey was reinforced at age 14 when my great uncle became terribly sick with leukemia. I will never forget my feeling of helplessness as my family suffered during his decline and eventual death. After many days of frustration and tears, I decided that best way to remember his memory would be to act. This event invigorated my motivation in school and I began to explore the path to becoming a doctor. A critical experience for me was during my senior year of high school when I took part in a medical internship under my first physician mentor. Dr. Voswinkle is an excellent physician who is not only wildly intelligent but also empathetic and caring - a rare combination. He had many patients who had been coming to him for decades, and some that drove across states to see him over other doctors. This special physician-patient relationship cemented my motivation to continue the path to the medical field. I could feel the trust that his patients placed in him; I saw that as true testament to his ability to both comfort and heal those that came to him for treatment. The lessons of my grandfather resonated in this moment as I discovered the opportunities for fulfillment that were available for me in the healthcare field. I told myself that I was going to become a doctor because no matter the effort, no matter the sacrifice, it had become clear to me that medicine would be the way that I could reinvest my talents, just as my grandfather had taught me.

One of my best qualities is my ability to overcome challenges. I have no shame in saying I have failed in the past because I use each failure as a guide for how to improve the next time I am faced with an obstacle. The beginning of college is an excellent example of this: it was a challenging time for me, and my grades certainly reflect that. It was hard for me to adjust to the new rigor of Duke from high school. If you look at my grade trend you can see that my first two semesters where not truly my best work; this was a function of adjusting to the increased difficulty of college compared to high school and the disorientation of living on my own for the first time. I worked hard to overcome this challenge and by my sophomore year I had found my rhythm and have made the dean’s list every semester since. This attitude has been instrumental in my path to become a physician, because there are many times during the long journey that you might want to give up, but you must keep your goals in front of you and keep working even when things might not go how you intended. I know that this resilience that I have formed during these hardships will be instrumental in my journey through medical school and beyond. As important as academics are, I found that my most noteworthy experiences were had in the hospital through volunteering in many different departments. It was through those engagements that I discovered for the first time what it meant to truly make a difference in the lives of others. I discovered how spending time with a lonely patient or providing a meal to the caregiver of a child who is in the hospital is often just as rewarding for me as it is for them. I acknowledge that I have grown up with a great deal of opportunities that others have not been afforded. I think about this often, and how I can give back to those who were less fortunate than me. I feel the privilege that has been bestowed on me also comes with a great deal of responsibility, and I have every intention of making the most of the opportunities that have been bestowed upon me.

After much contemplation, I have realized that my decision to pursue medicine is not only because the human body fascinates me to no end, but also because I know that this career will allow me to make the best use of my talents. It will allow me to become a leader in the fight against health disparities, and improve the quality of life of those in the community I serve. I am not under the delusion that I will be able to rid the world of suffering or save every life that comes into my clinic, but I do vow to give my absolute best effort. I want to work to the best of my ability for as long as I have the strength so that maybe I can help a little boy have the same opportunity that I had to learn from his grandfather.