Ad Majorum Dei Gloriam -- the motto of the Jesuits.

It translates from Latin into: For the greater glory

of God. Its been years since Ive taken a Latin class, but this phrase is a profile of my attitude towards
life. As I began to mature from the jock I was in high school into the man I am today, this mantra has
been my compass. Any decision-making always is preceded by, Am I pleasing God? While a gut
answer is all I have to go by, I always stop and give it consideration. When I chose medicine as a
profession to pursue I did so because its larger than myself. Its dynamic, goal-oriented, and a
profession of service. I could bring a fire to medicine. Its the same fire I brought to wrestling, managing
a hamburger shop, my studies, and my volunteering job as an orderly. Im certain to push the
boundaries of medicine because I cant go a day without pushing myself. I have a contempt for
complacency; my biggest weakness is my inability to smell the roses.
When I began volunteering at my local hospital, I was stationed on the 7th floor nurses station
answering help calls. I was limited to interacting only with patients through a speakerphone. One day I
saw a pair of orderlies walking by, and I asked them if they needed help. They were way understaffed,
so I asked the nurse if I could help them. She oked it; I got up and started pushing the gurney. Ive
been an orderly the past year, and while its more taxing than taking help calls its immensely
rewarding. The physical parts easy; its the patient interaction that takes a lot out of me. Every patient
is different and being dynamic enough to keep all those different personalities as comfortable and
reassured as possible is a daunting but essential task. Ive seen patients lose their dignity, and I do my
best to help them regain it.
If I had to choose a profession besides medicine Id teach. The best memories I have of
undergrad is tutoring. I never became a TA or a formal tutor; however, I always seemed to pack a crowd
of open-eared peers. My routine was pay especially good attention in class, read the textbook, and then
teach my friends. In preparation for a population genetics test, I remember filling up a conference room
and teaching an entire group of peers. I may have been the greatest among equals, but they showed no
hesitation to get up and explain to the group when I asked one to take over. The atmosphere was
everything. I made them love learning as much as I did, and they thrived. Teachers have to humble
themselves and teach a lesson that to them is elementary. A good teacher can demystify even the
scariest of subjects like Organic Chemistry II. A disease seems more conquerable if the patient has a
semblance of whats going on instead of take this pill and stay in bed.
I wish I could start tomorrow, but I have so much to learn. This is why medicines the only
career for me. I can work all day learning some small piece of the complex puzzle that is the human
body, and even though I dont know too much more than I did that morning that minutiae adds up. Ive
come to appreciate baby steps. Im setting more realistic goals like getting through one more shift or
doing one more PCR. Not a day goes by I dont wish I could cure my grandfathers constant coughing or
get the blood that accumulates under his skin to go back into his damn capillaries, but I find balance in
simply getting him into a comfortable sleeping position. I can sleep well because he can sleep well.
Nothing offers this satisfaction besides medicine. Doctors are addressed as Doctor so-and-so as a
constant reminder of the profession they chose and the responsibilities that come with it. Doctor Leo
Seoane told me a doctor has to treat the spiritual, emotional, and physical side of the patient. I can do
this, or Ill spend the rest of my life trying to. A doctor has to be a confidant, a leader, and an expert. It
would be a great honor to receive the opportunity to fill the white coat so many great doctors have
worn before me and to hopefully make a large contribution to medicine one baby step at a time.