Sample SOP for MD in Internal Medicine for Residency Program in the USA

Statement of Purpose

(For MD in Internal Medicine – Residency Program for doctors in the United State of America)

There is nothing like the joy on a patient’s face when he knows he is being well cared for and is on the road to recovery. It gives immense satisfaction, worth all the years of toil.

I was always affected by the plight of people, especially people who had some sort of medical condition. I wanted to do something. This thought coalesced into a decision to pursue medicine when my mother, after a long illness, passed away. I could not but help think that if she had received proper care she might have survived. What I could not do for my mother I promised to do for others.

While working as a sub-intern at Larkin Hospital in Miami I had a chance to observe how doctors work. I noticed students aiming to becoming specialists strutting about and giving patients a cursory look. Then there was one Doctor who simply stood out and became my inspiration and role model. He was Dr Carlos Dominguez. Whereas others breezed through wards he would spend time at each patient’s bedside, give a thorough exam, engage in warm talk that gave strength and hope to patients and he was always patient. In particular there was this young patient with germ cell tumor undergoing chemotherapy. Dr Carlos Domonguez handled this patient’s anxiety and gave him comfort and strength to undergo therapy. For him, each patient was a human being, not a number. I promised to give patients this type of care.  We can and should do our best; the rest is in God’s hands.

I was a sub-intern in the Hematology-Oncology department in Miami. My mother did have cancer and naturally I wanted to work in this field to see what I could do for patients: those with hopes of recovery and those deemed terminal cases. Oncology also holds a lot of promise for research. Perhaps I will reach a stage where I will be able to research and come up with some way to overcome this devastating malady.

Do I have what it takes? I believe I do. Obtaining admission to a course in medicine is a hurdle since one must score in the top percentile. I studied hard and was able to pursue my life’s passion. MBBS degree is just a watershed moment. MD degree is where one can say one has attained some knowledge. I worked hard for my degree and then as an intern, even sacrificing a lot of joys. I thought of Mother Teresa and Florence Nightingale who worked ceaselessly, not knowing how time flies but with one thought: serve suffering humanity.

I draw inspiration from them. From another perspective, I have always been a good hockey player, good enough to make it to my college team and play at a State level. This ingrained in me the importance of team work and how we can, working together, succeed. My application for a Residency program rests on my commitment, a deep yearning to serve and zeal to work as a team to help patients and humanity.

Where do I see myself 20 years hence? It is difficult to say. Perhaps I will have a family. Maybe I will have a clinic of my own. Maybe I will work in a prestigious hospital. What I do see clearly is that I will be fully dedicated and committed to working as an oncologist and treating the vast ocean of suffering humanity. My contribution may be a drop but it will count. Maybe I will research and develop better treatment procedures coupled with a humane side to patient interactions instead of being coldly clinical.

There is something I have not stated in my resume but I would like to state it here. I am perhaps shy and reticent, a bit of an introvert. This is what years of studies and working with one goal in mind have made me. However, inside, I am warm, caring and sympathetic. I feel one must empathy if one is to become a doctor.

Apart from working through the day I do find some time for diversions on weekends. I like to play hockey whenever I get a chance. Failing that, I go hiking or exploring nature during the weekends. It does help restore balance and refresh me to face challenges with renewed vigor.

My most enlightening moment? The sheer despair of watching your mother die and knowing that you are not able to do anything about it. It is seared into my memory.

I looked at various branches of medicine such as neurology and cardiology. However, I was drawn to oncology. Cancer patients suffer. Some recover. For some, it is a painful journey from which there is no return. As a doctor it gives happiness to bring someone back from the brink. At other times, one provides comfort and does the best despite knowing that it is a tough case, but one never gives up helping patients. I wish I was an oncologist and had that capability to help my mother.

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