从伊朗到医学（From Iran to Medicine）

I lived in Iran for the first twelve years of my life, at a time of warfare and brutality. Every morning on my way to school, I saw "hejles, " traditional memorials honoring young men lost in battle. In the evening, the news and even children's programs were awash with images of warfare and death. I spent many nights huddled with my family and others in bomb shelters and basements, listening to the explosions outside. It was amidst this devastation that I developed a deep respect for life and those who work to preserve it. My fear for my own life and the lives of my family and friends motivated me to pursue a career saving them. Fortunately, my parents were able to leave Iran and provide me with the opportunity to pursue this goal.

In college, I did not hesitate to select a premedical curriculum. I took every opportunity to learn and practice science. After completing my first semester at UC Berkeley, I found a research position in a geography laboratory and later started working in a plant biology laboratory. Although I was not conducting clinical research, I gained valuable insight and practical scientific experience as part of a team discovering climate changes 500 years ago -- as well as contributing to the current climate by using plants and bacteria to remove metal toxins from the environment. I contributed to the publication of two research papers and assisted with a number of others. While my laboratory work developed my analytical reasoning and thinking skills, however, it lacked the level of human interaction that I found personally important.

Fortunately, through my participation in community service organizations, I was able to complement my science education with one-on-one human contact. I volunteered at a food shelter and tutored students at a local middle school. Though my duties were as simple as washing dishes or explaining long division, I felt empowered knowing that I had the ability to help.

After graduating from Berkeley, I decided to spend a few years exploring fields beyond my area of study, knowing that I would not have the opportunity to do so while in medical school. During this exploratory period, I acquired interpersonal and conflict resolution skills that will be invaluable in my medical career. My first job out of school was with an Internet company in San Francisco. Working in technical support, I was constantly interacting with company clients. The demography of the clients varied widely -- from CEOs to programmers to those who had trouble using a mouse. Regardless of their backgrounds, I discovered that patience and good manners go a long way in resolving client issues.

Though I found my work with the Internet company rewarding, I still felt drawn to the world of medicine and finally reconfirmed my commitment while visiting my relatives in Iran. My volunteer work at the local hospital there ranged from shadowing doctors to playing games with children in the children's ward. Working at the hospital, I quickly learned that there were numerous aspects of medicine that I simply had not considered.

On one particular occasion, a man was brought in with severe head trauma and neck injury from a motorcycle crash. Taken aback by the sight of his broken skull and the amount of blood that soaked his face and clothes, I realized the difficulty of separating myself from his pain. As I witnessed more trauma situations, however, I became better prepared to deal with them.

Upon my return to the States, I took advantage of an opportunity to work at a dental office. There I had a firsthand look at how a doctor runs his own practice and treats patients. I observed treatments for various dental diseases and found the independence of a personal practice very appealing.

From my tumultuous yet inspiring childhood to the humbling scenes of a hospital emergency room, each experience has prepared me for a career in medicine. I understand what lies before me and have a realistic view of the academic and personal demands of my chosen profession.

点评：

这是一篇医学类PS，面对不连贯的专业背景，作者用非常清晰的思路对原因进行了解释，理由很充分，也非常感人，是一篇很好的PS。

文章可以分为四部分：

一、令人同情的经历作为开头，阐述申请的原因
二、大学的专业经历及研究成果
三、毕业时去网络公司工作的原因及收获
四、重新确定投身医学的原因
五、总结全文，强调投身医学的坚定信念

文章开头通过描述童年在伊朗度过的令人同情的经历吸引读者的注意力。（这种赚取眼泪的写法使用上要慎重，因为这种写法已经被人用滥了）然后对大学时的专业经历和兼职经历进行描述，同时强调自己出色的专业能力和人际交往能力。在第四段开头呼应前面的内容，表述从事技术支持工作的原因及收获。然后笔锋一转，通过一个让其印象深刻的事例引出自己重新决定投身医学工作的原因，论述的非常有说服力。最后在结尾段对全文进行总结，与开头段相呼应，重申自己对未来的追求。

文章段落之间的衔接紧密，思路清晰，把曾经中断的不连贯的经历很好的进行了解释。而且作者在叙述自己转方向的经历中，紧扣经历中背后所体现出的自己本质上的收获，把弱势变成了优点，处理的非常好。

除此之外，作者在文章中很善于通过描写非常琐碎的小事从而提炼出个人性格和本质上的特点。例如第三段中刷盘子和解答除法算式，第五段中伊拉克医院义工经历等。

当然，如果能够在第二、五、六、七段中描写中加入一些专业性的语言从侧面体现出自己的专业能力将会更加完美。因为仅仅凭借兴趣是不一定能让教授非常信服。

译文：

从伊朗到医学

我生命中的前12年在伊拉克度过，在那个充满战争和野蛮的年代。每个清晨上学途中，我都能看见"hejles"这个纪念在战争中牺牲青年的纪念碑。晚上，所有的新闻和儿童节目都充斥着残酷的战争和死亡画面。我在防空洞和地下室里度过了无数个夜晚，与家人或其他人蜷缩着躲在一起，听着外面的爆炸声。就是在这样的毁灭中，我学会了尊重生命和那些为了保护它而工作的人们。对自己、家人和朋友生命的担忧激励我从事保护它们的事业。很幸运，我父母能够离开伊拉克了，并给了我追求这个梦想的机会。

在大学，我毫不犹豫地选择了医学预科课程。我利用每次机会学习并实践自然科学。在UC Berkeley读完第一个学期后，我在一家地理实验室找到一份研究工作，后来又在一家植物生物学实验室工作。虽然我没有做过临床研究，但是我所在的团队发现500年前气候变化——以及利用植物和细菌消除环境中的金属毒素对当前气候的影响，作为小组的一份子，我增长了很多颇有价值的见识和实用的科学经验。我和其他组员合作发表了两篇论文。然而，当我的研究工作提高了我分析推理和思考能力的同时，却削弱了我认为很重要的人际交往能力的锻炼。

很幸运，通过参加社团服务组织，我使自己的人际交往能力得到补充。我在一个食品摊做过义工，并且在当地一家中学做过教员。虽然我做的不过是刷刷盘子或者解答长长的除法算式，但是这让我感到了自己有能力帮助别人的强大。

从Berkeley毕业之后，我决定花一些时间探索我所学范围之外的领域，因为进了医学院之后我就没有机会接触这些了。那段时间里，我学到了人与人之间如何相处和解决冲突的技巧，那将对我的医学生涯起到不可估量的作用。我离校的第一份工作是在San Francisco的一家网络公司就职。从事技术支持工作的同时，我不断与客户打交道。他们中各种各样的人都有——从项目执行总裁到连鼠标都用不好的人都有。不论他们的背景如何，我发现耐心和礼貌在处理客户问题时总是很有效。

虽然在网络公司工作收益很大，但我依然沉浸在医学的世界里，并且最终在去伊拉克探望亲戚时再次坚定了自己的信念。我在当地医院做义工，工作内容从映射师到陪儿童病房的孩子做游戏都有。在医院工作时，我很快意识到有一些关于医学的东西是我根本没有想到的。

一次很特别的场合，一个男人发生摩托车车祸被送进医院，他脑部和颈部都受到了严重的外伤。冷不丁地看见他折断的骨头和流满脸庞浸透衣服的血，我深深地感受到了他的痛苦。然而，当我亲眼见到更多外伤事件的时候，我已经为解决它们做了越来越好的准备。

刚来到美国，我就抓住了一次机会到一家牙医诊所工作。在那里我亲眼见到了医生是如何经营自己的业务，如何为病人就诊的。我留心了不同牙疾的治疗方法，并体会到独自行医的那种独立的魅力。

从动荡不安却让人激动奋发的童年，到充斥严肃场景的医院急诊室，每种经历都让我做好了投身医学事业的准备。我明白摆在我面前的是什么，也很清晰地知道我选择的职业对自己的学术和自身的要求是什么。