Personal Statement:Physiology 1

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

It was a very hot day, most of the people were walking with shorts and carrying a bottle of water. I was with Mr. Adel (family friend) who took me from the school at the end of the day. He has been asked to drop me at my uncle's clinic. He was the only Obstetrics & Gynecology doctor in our town. I remember there was a long line in front of his small clinic. It wasn't something normal especially in a community that women don't dare to show themselves to other men except their husband.

I wasn't paying attention to that issue, however I was wondering what could be wrong with all these pregnant women, and why every woman comes from his office with a smile on her face. "You cannot catch up or what doc?" Mr. Adel said with a smile. My uncle told him that there were many women having miscarriages, and others losing their babies because of following old traditional methods of delivery. Therefore, many diseases were spreading faster and even killing both the mother and kid. I asked him about the secret behind those smiles on his patients.

He told me that this is what doctors do, remove their patient's pain and put a smile on their face. Since that time, I never stopped dreaming to become a physician. Even though I had very hard teenage experiences, I never gave up my dream.

During our escape from the civil war, there were many people dying from malaria. There was no way that those people could have avoided this disease, because neither could they go back to the capital where first aid at least could have been provided at some hospitals nor were the International health agencies able to reach them because of the war. I will never forget those memorable images in my life. I promised myself to do something helpful by studying medicine.

As a potential medical student, I will strive to be a tremendous asset to the AUC School of Medicine devoting all my time and life to becoming an excellent physician. I believe that I am obligated to use my talents in a constructive manner, in a manner that benefits society. The medical career gives me the unique opportunity to express my many talents while benefiting human life.

How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

I didn't have any problem in getting to University, but I had some difficulty in my freshman year. I was working a full-time job at night, and going to school in the morning to take care of my family. Our father was not with us for the first year, since the civil war split us. After one year, the whole family was able to reunite again in the USA.

Therefore, I began to focus on my study, and work for several humanitarian organizations such as the International Institute of Erie, and volunteer in some of the hospitals in my area as a part-time.

Being a minority student, I understand the importance of diversity. My ability to speak different languages has allowed me to become an active member of the International Student Association, African Student Association, and other clubs in the science department such as BBB at [EUP]. I helped to promote ethnic uniformity and cultural awareness on our campus. Our group featured not only traditional African food but also an African fashion show.

What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

I was about 12 years old when the war started in Somalia in 1990. I remember that my father couldn't even get enough aspirins for my younger sister who had very bad fever. People were crashing each other at the pharmacy as they were in food stores to get some supplies for their escaping journey. The hospitals were filled with dead and injured people. However, there were not enough doctors to take care of them. I also remember that one of my uncles had died from gasoline burn injuries. He was lying down on a small blanket on the floor of the hospital, waiting for a doctor to show up for three days.

Unfortunately, he could not hold on longer than that and died.

There has been a massive migration of trained health personnel both from other countries, and within Somalia, to the more secure areas.

Therefore, the situation has worsened considerably in many areas; though parts of the country continue to have roughly the same (poor) access to health care as before the war. Where health care is provided, it continues to be financed almost entirely by external sources.

Our lives have been changed for better when we came to the USA as immigrants. We were six brothers and sisters including our mother, and I was the oldest in my family, and the only person who speaks English.

Furthermore, our association participated in several volunteering trips to serve food to the homeless at local shelters in Erie.

Universities applied to:

• AUC School of Medicine

How personal statements have changed?

The current personal statement format, with three 'scaffolding' questions, was introduced by Ucas in September 2025. This personal statement was submitted before then, using the old essay-style format. It has been carefully edited into the three-question format, with all of the original wording kept.

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