The bathroom was the perfect environment for my job. It was clean with access to many mysterious containers and a sink to wash down any failures. As a doctor, I quickly mixed up a random medicine to feed my sickly toys. I became fascinated by the different colors, smells, and textures produced by my experiments. Eventually, I was caught and punished for fiddling with bathroom products, but it marked a turning point in my passion for medicine. Neither of my Vietnamese parents attended college after immigrating to the United States. Almost every week, there was a period when both my parents were working after school, so I took responsibility for caring for the house and my brothers. As a result, I missed many after-school opportunities. Every day, I wondered if I could afford to become a doctor. It is a career that my family and I would need to invest in financially, emotionally, and physically for over a decade while also supporting my brothers’ education. As the eldest daughter and first-generation college student, I felt guilty deciding to follow my passion into medicine. Yet it was the only career I could imagine myself passionately pursuing. Refusing to let my dream remain a fantasy, I decided to connect my experience from supporting my family to my career in medicine. Delving into the various types of medicine and medical professions, I ultimately settled on becoming an anesthesiologist. Anesthesiology combines high-stakes responsibility with constant problem-solving, mirroring the curiosity and careful experimentation I practiced as a child in my bathroom lab. Knowing that I could ease a patient’s pain while keeping them safe during surgery resonates with the same sense of care I felt looking after my brothers, channeling my early curiosity into meaningful responsibility. Building upon my growing ambition, I enrolled in an EMT course to have the opportunity to work alongside EMS providers and patients. In the course, I learned to truly understand and appreciate the labor EMS providers put into helping the people in my community. From checking blood pressure to performing CPR, I felt overloaded by coursework and expectations. Every action I took could change the trajectory of a patient’s life. However, witnessing the EMS personnel’s perseverance in every situation, no matter how dire and thankless, solidified my ambition to contribute to their success by pursuing my medical career. Growing up as a Vietnamese American child in a household where language barriers and financial strain delayed access to medical care, I experienced firsthand how intimidating and disheartening inaccessible healthcare can be for immigrant families. I hope to lead the American Medical Women's Association at LSU to advocate for the voices of the underserved to be heard and understood. I will use my education to provide safe and attentive anesthesia while also creating an environment for clear communication, cultural awareness, and patient-physician relationships. I aim to extend it outside of the operating room by mentoring future first-generation students who also want to pursue a career in medicine and help create a healthcare system more compassionate and accessible to families like my own. Ultimately, my education and passion to be a doctor specializing in anesthesia will provide comfort to various patients in need and, simultaneously, become a physician my colleagues can trust. My efforts, combined with those of my family and friends, brought me where I am today, and I strive to give back to the community that raised me. From mixing pretend medicines on the bathroom floor to carefully monitoring a patient’s vitals, I hope to channel the same curiosity, responsibility, and care into every life I touch as an anesthesiologist.

The bathroom was the perfect environment for my job. It was clean with access to many mysterious containers and a sink to wash down any failures. As a doctor, I quickly mixed up a random medicine to feed my sickly toys. I became fascinated by the different colors, smells, and textures that resulted from my experiments. Eventually, I was caught and punished, but it sparked a monumental moment for my passion as a doctor and a realization that my curiosity had consequences. Neither of my parents attended college after immigrating to the United States. My father works night shifts forklifting, and my mother could not afford the time to learn English while working at a nail salon that left her hands calloused and blistered. Almost every week, there would be a period when both my parents were working after school, so I took on the responsibility of caring for the house and my brothers. As a result, I missed many after-school opportunities staying home to support my family. Every day, I wondered if I could afford to become a doctor. It is a career that my family and I would need to invest in financially, emotionally, and physically for over a decade while also supporting my brothers’ education. As the eldest daughter and first-generation college student, I felt guilty deciding to follow my dream into medicine. Yet, it was the only career I could passionately imagine myself doing. Refusing to let my dream remain a fantasy, I decided to connect my experience from supporting my family into my career in medicine. Delving into the various types of medicine and medical professions, I ultimately settled on becoming an anesthesiologist. Anesthesiology combines high-stakes responsibility with constant problem-solving, mirroring the curiosity and careful experimentation I practiced as a child in my bathroom lab. Knowing that I could ease a patient’s pain while keeping them safe during surgery resonates with the same sense of care I felt looking after my brothers, channeling my early curiosity into meaningful responsibility. Building upon my growing ambition, I enhanced my experience and knowledge by enrolling in an EMT course to have the opportunity to work alongside EMS providers and patients. In the course, I learned to truly understand and appreciate the labor EMS providers put into helping the people in my community. From checking blood pressure to performing CPR, I felt overloaded by coursework and expectations. Every action I took could change the trajectory of both a patient’s life. However, witnessing the EMS personnel’s perseverance in every situation, no matter how dire, solidified my ambition to contribute to their success by pursuing my medical career. After graduation, I will attend Louisiana State University to pursue my bachelor’s in Biological Science. I will participate in research programs to strengthen my education and medical school application. To help alleviate the financial burden for my parents, I plan to work part-time as an EMT to make money while simultaneously gaining clinical hours. When it seems that my dream is out of reach, I remember every risk and sacrifice taken to pave my path to becoming a doctor. My efforts, combined with my family and friends, brought me to where I am today. Even now, I am continuously taking steps to reach my dream in spite of hardships. From mixing pretend medicines on the bathroom floor to carefully monitoring a patient’s vitals, I hope to channel the same curiosity, responsibility, and care into every life I touch as an anesthesiologist.