Career Essay Example: Thoracic Rotation

When I started my thoracic rotation, I went about the experience as many residents would: try to do a good job for the patients and attending and learn as much as I can. I did not think of thoracic surgery as a possible career choice initially, but I found myself more and more drawn to the specialty. I enjoyed the anatomy and elegant procedures. Nothing has excited me as much as performing my first thoracotomy. But what surprised me about thoracic surgery was the gratitude of the patients postoperatively, in the hospital and the clinic. After rotating on many services where the patient did not appreciate the surgeons efforts, it was quite refreshing to see the opposite.

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I ultimately envision myself in an academic setting working with fellows, residents, and medical students. My familys values in education and my own experiences as a teacher have solidified my resolve to stay in academics. I fondly recall the times when I taught, and my students would have an Aha! moment; I have been fortunate to work with students during residency and see them have Aha! and Oh my gosh, youre letting me do this! moments as well. Working with fellows and residents in the future will allow me to continue having those precious interactions while also forcing me to keep reading and continuing my education so I can stay ahead of my trainees.

During my residency, I have been fortunate to participate in our hospitals Medical Education Committee and newly formed Surgical Site Infection committee. I have been able to see the influence the committees have had on the direction of education for the residents, nurses, and other professionals and have had passionate discourse on ways to improve our hospitals infection rate. I was fortunate to be selected as the administrative chief for this year and have implemented many visions I had when I started as an intern. We have been able to make strides in providing a better Trauma and Intensive Care Unit experience while also expanding the surgical education by the addition of a dedicated endoscopy and Robotics months. As a fellow and future attending, I hope to continue a close relationship with hospital administration and my community.

During fellowship, I want to be able to continue working with trainees and partake in more meaningful research. Research allows us to advance medicine, and I hope to be involved in projects that will allow me to advance further the specialty. I attempted to take a year off from dedicated research, but I was unable to secure funding. Instead, I have been able to participate in various case reports and simple projects with my internal medicine colleagues.

As a thoracic surgeon, I can see myself teaching students, helping patients and serving my community. I believe that this balanced approach will allow me to be a good surgeon and human being. My personal experiences and interactions have allowed me to mature into a successful surgical resident. I believe my desire to provide the highest level of care to my patients and my past experiences make me a unique candidate. I appreciate your consideration, and I hope to interview for your program.