This is the personal statement that helped get Cari into medical school.  As we were preparing her application we spent time searching for samples of medical school application personal statements, and we were always grateful for people who were willing to share theirs.

So now we are paying it forward.


I am the oldest of eleven children.

At an early age I became more than a big sister.  I was also a teacher, a caregiver, a comforter, and all too often, a make-shift nurse.  As a child I could not have known, but my sibling’s health struggles laid the foundations of my desire to become a physician.

When I was twelve, my brother Gregg fell off his bunk bed, broke his neck, and went into convulsions.  I watched the paramedics save his life by giving him a tracheotomy. He was in a coma for days.  Three months later my sister Amy was diagnosed with medulloblastoma. I spent countless hours at her side trying to keep her comfortable as her body deteriorated.  We knew the inevitable, and for a year we took turns being strong for each other until she passed away.  Jordan joined us after I was married.  When he was diagnosed with Cornelia de Lange syndrome I left a promising career in business to become his full-time PCA.

I do not regret or begrudge any of it.  Just the opposite.  The trials of my siblings fostered in me an intense curiosity to understand the human body.  What is cancer and why did it grow in my sister’s brain?  How was Gregg able to recover and relearn fundamental skills?  What caused Jordan’s syndrome?

My desire for knowledge led me to enroll at St. Cloud State University.  My undergraduate experience as a wife and mother of two was an adventure for our whole family.   My husband was supportive while working full time.  In addition to my studies and the normal duties of running a home, I also helped kids with homework, volunteered at their school, and encouraged their growth through music lessons, sports, and extracurricular activities.

These years contained many highlights, three of which I feel compelled to share as they played a key role in furthering my desire to become a physician.

First, it was my privilege to work closely with Dr. Mark Mechelke, PhD,  as his research assistant.  Together we explored syntheses of goniothalamin analogues and their potential as chemotherapy agents against cancers.  During this research I learned that not all reactions have a textbook outcome, yet through problem solving and stubborn determination we developed a compound that is currently being tested by Hormel for the Mayo Clinic.

Second, through my research I became involved with the chemistry club.  Before my involvement I saw an organization with great ability to promote chemistry both on campus and in the community, but which lacked leadership.   I served one year as an officer and one as president.  Club membership doubled and we began outreach programs which continue in the community today.  At the same time I was also preparing for the MCAT and was pregnant with our third child.  My big pregnant tummy was even featured in the newspaper during a presentation to Jr. High students!

Third, one of my absolute thrills was being accepted into a competitive internship at St. Cloud hospital.  Shadowing twenty-five specialists in both clinical and surgical settings was a powerfully eye opening experience.  I flew in the life-flight helicopter with an autistic girl who was split open in a boating accident. I watched in awe as a surgeon used the Da Vinci robot to remove a woman’s uterus.  Every day I came home and shared with enthusiasm what I had witnessed, and the overall experience greatly advanced my eagerness to become the physician and not just the observer.

Embracing this eagerness has been a journey.  I began college as a nursing student but realized this would not sufficiently quench my desire for knowledge.  In addition to a passion for lifelong learning, I believe a doctor must posses exceptional listening skills, humility,  honesty, and empathy.   Friends who are physicians, my husband and children, my siblings and parents, even my professors saw these characteristics in me and unanimously encouraged me to become a physician.  When I made the decision to embrace this path, the rush of exhilaration confirmed that this is where I belong.

When I think back to the scared little girl who stayed by her dying sister, I am in awe at where my journey has taken me. I have the highest feelings of gratitude for the events which have shaped my life. They have given me increased measures of determination, optimism and empathy. I drew upon these traits during my undergraduate years. I will rely on them during medical school, and I look forward to exercising them when I am a physician.

Written on November 29th, 2011 , Everything Else

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COMMENTS
    Julie Dahlberg commented

    Cari this is worded so eloquently. I am happy to hear you are on your way to becoming a doctor. I think you would be a wonderful doctor. Good luck in your endeavors. Enjoy the ocean!

    Reply
    November 30, 2011 at 12:44 am
      ccrookston commented

      Julie… this is Casey. Thanks for your kind words 🙂 You are right, she will make a fantastic doctor!

      Reply
      December 12, 2011 at 5:14 pm
    Diane DworshaK commented

    omg i literally have goosebumps all over reading your blog. You are right where you are suppose to be on your journey. Never doubt ever. For what it’s worth, I’m aboslutely impressed that you have followed your journey. Many others would have turned their cheek and not believed. Your demenonstrated faith is just the beginning for you. The world needs you. I salute you. May God Bless.

    Blessings!
    DIane

    Reply
    January 14, 2012 at 3:01 am
      ccrookston commented

      Thank you Diane! I appreciate your feedback… it helps more than you know. Thank you for keeping in touch.

      Reply
      January 14, 2012 at 12:43 pm

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