I view the Medical College of Virginia as a family type of setting wherein the students are taught about how to treat each of their patients on a personal basis. The hospital views each patient as a human being and not merely a case study. In my opinion, doctors must know how to have a certain degree of personal involvement in the treatment of a patient to help the patient recover from whatever ails him. I am particularly being drawn to the Foundation of Clinical Medicine course of VCU.
I often hear that doctors are graded by their patients in terms of their bedside manner. It was not until I came across the course description in the course syllabus that I finally understood what the patients meant by this. Having been wondering about when the bedside manner is taught to the medical students, it came as a surprise to me to find out that it is a 2-year hands-on, out-of-the-classroom experience for medical students. Needless to say, I look forward to learning all about what kind of professional level is expected of a doctor and how to properly gain the trust of my patient during the consultation process so that he will be open and receptive to me while I conduct his medical interview to analyze his health situation properly using a combination of investigative interviews and physical examination.
Since FCM is such a small class, I know that I will complete the course in 2 years with highly competent core skills necessary for me to master if I am to become a successful participant in third-year clerkships. All of which I hope to translate into highly sought-after skills that will make me a viable residency candidate in any hospital of my choice.
I realize that it sounds like I have an almost obsessive passion in regards to my Foundation of Clinical Medicine course. The reality is that I believe that this is the course that will set me on the path of becoming a highly competent and serviceable physician in the future. I believe that it will be next to impossible for a doctor to successfully treat a patient if he does not have the power to empathize with his patients. Empathy is an important trait in a doctor because this is the trait that dictates how involved and how hard a doctor will work on a particular case or patient of his with the ambition of fully healing him in the end. The course will also teach me to accept that which medical science cannot change while helping my patient to continue to live his life with respect and integrity.
I am looking forward to being able to work closely with my college-appointed mentor while I am studying at VCU. Unlike other schools, VCU wants to make sure that all their students understand what it is exactly they are getting into. This is why I am relieved that will be constantly guided by my school-appointed mentor. Hopefully, this mentor will help me learn to analyze what I will be experiencing in medical school and how I should deal with the events unfolding around me.
In the end, I know that graduating from the ranks of VCU trained medical students will help me to better understand and gain a working knowledge of what my actual task is as a doctor and healer. Hopefully, your good office will find it within reason to grant my request for acceptance to your university on the merit of my statement. I can assure you that you will not regret giving me the chance to become part of your student body.