Riley's Health Blog

As some of you may know, I have begun the journey of becoming a doctor. Though I was raised around medicine (the child of two physicians), I still must contemplate the question posed in every medical school application – “Why do I want to be a doctor?” My Personal Statement…

How can I put my passion for health into a short 700 word essay? Do I talk about the importance of patient empowerment? Or, do I mention the dearth of primary care physicians and our country’s need for health care reform? Or, do I point the millions of Americans stuck in hospital beds everywhere for preventable illnesses they still fail to understand?

But my decision to become a doctor simply cannot be summed up in mere facts, figures, or statistics. Just last week, a dear friend went into surgery to repair a problem her primary care physician never approved. The surgeon promised an easy, one-day procedure with few complications. Unfortunately, surgery did not go well and two weeks later this 59  year old woman remains in the hospital – fighting for her life against a raging infection.

She never should have had surgery, and yet the specialist proceeded anyway. Her primary care physician did not even known his patient was in the hospital and there was no communication between the surgeon and the family when complications arose.  Now, the family is struggling to understand her condition and feels utterly helpless.

So, who’s fault is this? Was it my friend’s fault because she never fully investigated her surgeon or sought a second opinion from her PCP? Was it the surgeon’s fault for proceeding in a high-risk surgery that was not appropriate or necessary? Or, is the family’s fault for failing to get involved in their loved one’s health decisions?

Unfortunately, the blame lies with all of us. Our system is simply not designed to help patients be empowered consumers of health care. Her story is only one among many. There were mistakes from the very beginning – each of which, if addressed appropriately, could have changed the course of her downward health spiral (and saved hundreds of thousands of dollars).

So, when I think of my personal statement for medicine, every fact and figure on the state of health in our nation can be summed up in this one story. Health reform must not only address the payment of health care but also the delivery of health care and the patient’s approach to medicine. No one can throw up their hands and relinquish responsibility. We all must be more empowered to improve health outcomes, cut costs, and change the health of our nation.  As I seek to become a primary care physician – serving on the front lines of health – I hope to empower patients to take charge of their lives. I hope to be an empowered physician, actively involved in my patient’s health. And I hope to become part of changing the culture of medicine.  Perhaps then we can make my friend’s story a rarity rather than a far-to-common occurrence in the most powerful nation in the world.

In my quest to become a physician, it doesn’t get more personal than that.