Jagrut Patel

At the age of fifteen, when most of my peers were talking about new shows on MTV, or trading baseball cards, I was eagerly helping my parents build their new business in New York City. I gradually became more involved with an additional business they had started and eventually managed it solo. While working as an entrepreneur, I continued to attend college as part time student, more for my curiosity in science than to become a doctor. As the economy continued on its downturn, I recognized this as an opportunity to reevaluate myself and reshape my future. During this same time as a volunteer at temple I worked with an influential physician and mentor. He was not only a healer, but also a responsible leader who became my role model. Realization of my career goal came later in college, but I was determined to enter a medical school, even a reputable offshore program. Therefore I was delighted to receive acceptance at the American University of Antigua. During the four semesters at AUA I grew tremendously, intellectually as well as socially. Since it was a clinically integrated basic science program, we had many opportunities to visit local hospitals and clinics in Antigua. It was a humbling experience to see physicians practicing medicine with minimal resources and poor sanitary conditions. Our pathology professor taught us that goal of medicine is not to only cure diseases, but also to prevent them. We organized many cultural events such as Tasters Day, where entire student body would gather to for different events and performances. Profits from these events were used to help financially distressed Antiguans. One of the most important achievements of our group was hosting the Women's Health Clinic at our school campus, where faculty and students collaborated to give proper education and support for women. My thorough knowledge of physiology and neuroscience gave me an opportunity to teach my fellow students for two semesters. My responsibility as teacher's assistant not only helped me gain depth understanding of human physiology, but also made me a more effective communicator. The clinical experience that I acquired in various clerkships has increased my confidence, and as well reinforced my passion for Internal Medicine. I learned from one of my attending physicians that medicine is logical and does not need extensive memorization, but more consideration, management and correction of pathophysiology. The challenging element I like most about Internal Med