Ever since I was young, I have been outgoing and compassionate toward others whenever they seemed to be in distress. Usually, my attention could not be diverted until I asked them what was wrong and did everything in my power to attend to their needs. The little acts, such as giving all the dollars and coins I had in my wallet to the homeless and volunteering at my local homeless shelter, laid the foundation for my career interest in helping others and soon blossomed into something bigger as I grew older. I vehemently believe that everyone deserves to have good well-being and that we should provide for others whenever they are struggling. Regardless of background, everyone is part of the same community. You never know what someone else might be struggling with, and chances are, giving them a bit of help could be life-changing. Seeing others smile and express relief at receiving life-saving aid is, to me, one of life's greatest joys, because I know that I have made a meaningful impact on their lives. ​ Some time ago, I remember reading an article about an artist who, after falling on a piece of ice, broke her arm and tore a forearm muscle responsible for controlling hand movement. She struggled with pain for many years, which left her unable to create art in any way. As a result, she later became depressed about the fact that she could not follow her passion. Despite trying various treatments, including physical therapy and receiving shots from an orthopedic surgeon, she was ultimately referred to an anesthesiologist. He devised a pain management plan for her and discovered a disc that bulged from her neck, which he concluded was the reason she experienced so much pain in her right arm. The moment he gave her a spinal epidural injection was when she began to experience true relief. The treatment not only alleviated her pain but also allowed her to regain the capacity for creating art that she thought was lost forever. This story resonated deeply with me, as it highlighted one of the powerful roles anesthesiologists can play in restoring a person's quality of life. The idea that I could make a significant difference in someone's life and be a part of their journey to recovery and happiness is what drives me to pursue a career in anesthesiology. I can hardly wait to help those in need.

Ever since I was young, I have been outgoing and compassionate towards others whenever they seemed to be in distress. Usually, my attention could not be diverted until I asked them what was wrong and did everything in my power to attend to their needs. The little acts, such as giving all the dollars and coins I had in my wallet to the homeless and volunteering at my local homeless shelter, served as the basis for my career interests in helping others and soon blossomed into something bigger when I grew older. I vehemently believe that everyone deserves to have good well-being and that we should provide for others whenever they are struggling because it helps to pay it forward. Seeing others smile and express relief at receiving life-saving aid is, to me, one of life's greatest joys because I know that I have made a meaningful impact on them. Some time ago, I remember reading this article where an artist, after falling on a piece of ice, broke her arm and tore a forearm muscle that is responsible for controlling hand movement. She struggled with pain for many years, which left her unable to make art in any way. She later became depressed about the fact that she could not follow her passion. Despite trying various treatments, it wasn't until she saw an anesthesiologist that she began to experience real relief. The treatment not only alleviated her pain but also allowed her to regain the strength and passion for her art that she thought was lost forever. This story resonated deeply with me, as it highlighted one of the powerful roles anesthesiologists can play in restoring a person’s quality of life. The idea that I could make such a significant difference in someone's life and be a part of their journey to recovery and happiness is what drives me to pursue a career in anesthesiology. As the son of immigrants, I have witnessed the dedication and sacrifice my parents made to build a life in the United States. My father came to America as an international student and was accepted to the University of Houston, where he studied geology and later pursued a PhD in order to help secure a stable future for our family. He went on to work as a researcher at CGG Veritas, but after being laid off due to downturns in the oil industry, he transitioned to working full-time as a post office clerk. Prior to my father’s layoff, my mother chose to pursue a career as a nurse practitioner after realizing she could no longer rely solely on my father’s income, and she spent several years studying to achieve this goal. At the same time, she took care of me the most when my father worked long hours. I love my parents dearly and wish to return their dedication, love, and hard work to them when I become a successful anesthesiologist.

As someone with generalized anxiety disorder, I am constantly anxious over many things and sometimes over nothing at all. My anxiety stems from the conviction that I'm inherently inferior or inept when I compare myself to others. However, my anxiety has persisted for many years, and it has convinced me of the importance of volition, empathy, and caring for others as a clinical psychologist. Growing up, I constantly dreaded being labeled incompetent by peers who excelled in something, which caused me to become anxious and fumble with my speech and behavior. This led me to strive for improvement in areas where I felt incompetent so I would not receive condescending or scornful remarks. One of my friends is exceptionally well-read, and so, feeling intimidated, I aspired to become a good writer, which meant I had to become a strong reader and thinker with a solid vocabulary. I first began and struggled to interpret “The Great Gatsby," confused by the first few pages, Daisy’s antipathy for “new money," and so on. Despite rereading several pages and going through the novel multiple times, I persisted in asking questions, consulted the internet for guidance, and took the time to delve into some aspects of the novel more deeply. As I gradually came to understand “The Great Gatsby," my critical thinking improved, and analyzing and writing about real-world situations and advanced texts became easier. Battling anxiety and self-devaluation, I refused to define myself as someone inherently inept, strengthening my confidence by working through my weaknesses. Working toward becoming a better writer played a key role in building my self-esteem. This allowed me to interact with my peers more smoothly by reducing my awkwardness. As a result, my peers went from feeling uncomfortable when interacting with me to respecting me as a person, making it easier to form friendships. Over time, I have realized that through self-determination, I do not have to let my anxiety mold me into someone deficient in some way. I learned that, while striving for self-improvement helped me gain confidence, true connection came from allowing myself to be seen without constantly fearing judgment. I believed I was inherently incompetent at whatever my peers were better at, which would cause them to belittle me and socially distance themselves from me. The takeaway here is that I stopped realizing my pessimism when I stopped victimizing myself. People are endowed with the ability to choose who they want to become based on what is ideal for them. Relationships do not have to be awkward unless we choose them to be. I then realized that this truth applies to everyone, causing me to be empathetic towards others about their insecurities and reassure them that there are other areas we can bond over. Driven by my own struggles with intense anxiety, I'm deeply motivated to become a clinical psychologist to help others navigate similar challenges. I'm particularly interested in integrative therapy, where I can tailor approaches to each patient's needs. For example, I hope to combine existential therapy, which emphasizes free will and self-actualization, with cognitive behavioral therapy to help patients challenge distorted thinking patterns and develop a healthier sense of self. Having experienced how isolating anxiety can feel, I want to create a space where patients feel understood and supported in their recovery. Looking back, my struggles with anxiety have transformed from a source of self-doubt into self-empowerment and have deepened my understanding of others. Experiencing this journey has driven my desire to build meaningful relationships and guide others toward confidence and self-acceptance as a clinical psychologist.