Humanism Anonymous

The Jesuit tradition at Creighton is one of my reasons for applying. My study of literature at a Jesuit high school cultivated my ability to interpret the meaning behind the experience of illness and nurtured my Catholic faith as a young man. Literature has exposed me to a variety of human experiences relevant to medicine, from battling misfortune and emotional turmoil to coping with loneliness and death. When literature comes to life through my personal experiences, I discover that I possess a shared humanity with those around me, especially those facing loneliness and affliction. I discovered though community service that caring for the sick is much like literature; its triumph and significance can only be understood through experience. My study of Human Biology in college introduced me to not only the mechanisms of disease but also trends in health, environment, and policy that influence society’s welfare. As these trends change, the demands of social justice will also change and require physician leadership. My experience at the Pacific Free Clinic introduced me to the problem of health care access. As a patient advocate and Vietnamese interpreter, I played a pivotal role in ensuring that patients of low income and low...