Summer Undergraduate Research Program - Fred Hutchinson ...

MD/PhD Personal Statement Examples
MD/PhD Personal Statement #1
MD/PhD Example Personal Statement #1
Raised on ten acres of open land in XXX, XX, I spent much of my youth exploring the
woods and building forts in the ponderosa pines with my twin sister. I was healthy, energetic and
conscious of my body in relation to nature. Just as I learned to recognize the environmental
changes that are inherent with the cycle of seasons, I developed an intrinsic awareness of my
personal wellbeing.
This awareness may have saved my life. When I was eleven, I noticed my vision blurring
and I developed a constant feeling of fatigue, thirst, and hunger. I recalled learning about
diabetes in a science class and made a tentative connection between my symptoms and the
disease. I was eventually diagnosed with Type I diabetes. Two months later, I was diagnosed
with Celiac disease and began a strict gluten-free diet to prevent possible long-term
complications, including nutrient deficiencies and cancers. Before I had finished my first year of
middle school, I was responsible for monitoring my blood sugars, carbohydrate intake, exercise,
and insulin requirements in order to establish a sustainable quality of life.
After my diagnosis, I discovered almost immediately that there is no owner's manual for
the human body. Controlling my blood sugar requires experimentation, evaluation, and analysis,
all in real time, without the controls of a laboratory. In the absence of formal instruction, I have
to determine how to optimize the way my body feels and functions through an exhaustive
process of trial and error.
I started running recreationally the year after my diagnoses. What began as a way to
spend time with my family and enjoy the XX of XX became a mental and physical outlet. I do
not let my autoimmune disorders prevent me from being an athlete. I have competed in crosscountry,
swimming, track and field, mountain ascents, winter and summer triathlons, snowshoe
races, and cross-country ski races, including two ski marathons. Today, I am captain of the XX’s
XXX club team at XX University.
Like two creeks that merge into a river, the challenges of having diabetes and being an
athlete have run together to dominate my stream of consciousness. Every day I test my blood
sugar and every day I train. Both endeavors absorb every ounce of effort that I put in and offer
small rewards in return; these minuscule accomplishments can only be celebrated on the most
personal level. Setbacks are unavoidable, which require redirecting my analysis and focus in
order to get it right next time, tomorrow, next year. To be a diabetic athlete is a unique challenge;
consequently, I review research literature about diabetes, endocrinology, metabolism, exercise
science, and nutrition to better understand my body and optimize my athletic performance.
The maintenance that my body demands drew me to Professor XX XXX’s laboratory at
XX University. Dr. XXX’s research focuses on using techniques in inorganic chemistry and
biology to orally deliver proteins, such as insulin, as well as target tumors for the early detection
of cancer. The attributes that have helped me improve my diabetes control -- curiosity,
organization, and persistence -- have also proven beneficial in the lab. Measuring and evaluating
my blood sugars and adjusting my insulin have proven applicable to projects that require my
ability to critically analyze data, isolate variables, and identify meaningful patterns.
Over time, my zest for science grew beyond learning the laboratory techniques and into a
desire to apply those insights into tangible implications for human health. I realized that my
desire to interact at the human level would not be satisfied by a career rooted solely in the lab. I
satisfied this drive by immersing myself in a clinical setting where I could interact with patients.
In XX, I spend Sunday mornings on the recreational therapy floor at the XX Medical Center,
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