Personal Statement

The fast-paced development of healthcare technology will lead to significant advancements in medicine in the next ten to twenty years.  Quantum supercomputing, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and robotics have the potential to revolutionize healthcare.  Robots will play an important role in next-generation medical facilities, nursing, and patient rehabilitation.  Deep learning artificial intelligence will improve diagnostics and enable a new era of Personalized Medicine. In the coming decades the enormous amount of healthcare data, along with the exponential rise in data-generating digital healthcare devices measuring various “biomarkers,” will provide valuable insights for researchers and medical professionals (Meskó, 2018).  Wearable technology such as smart watches and fitness-tracking wristbands will give us new insights into our health.  Physicians will utilize the latest advances in medicine to improve people’s lives and meet the challenges of providing better quality healthcare.

As information technology advancements improve access to electronic medical records, mobile devices and new forms of telemedicine will enhance the capabilities of physicians.  Advanced surgical and diagnostic equipment including augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) systems and interfaces will improve surgical procedures and training.  New forms of biotechnology may emerge from the field of Regenerative medicine.  Bioprinting and advancements in tissue engineering will enable custom organ transplants that are safer and more readily available (Gent, 2018).  Genomics is transforming our understanding of biology and physiologic processes and enabling new forms of Precision Medicine.  Global investment trends are expanding the “State of Digital Health” with $1.1B invested into both “Health IT” and “Telehealth” in the 3rd quarter of 2022 (CB Information Services, Inc., 2022).  We are at the forefront of a revolution in the digitization of biology.  Quantum computing will enable the simulation of chemical, molecular, and biological processes.  Genome sequencing is becoming more affordable and further genetic research is leading to new treatment methods and therapies.

My interest in neuroscience has led to the investigation of Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI) and I am enthusiastic about their potential.  Brain-machine Interfaces (BMI) will significantly impact the future of healthcare and humanity.  Neural interfaces have the ability to assist people with neurodegenerative disease or spinal cord injuries and are able to restore communications in people who are paralyzed (Fan, 2021).  Companies such as Neuralink and Kernel are just beginning to discover the possibilities and potential of BCI/BMI technology, and bridge the machine-human divide (Kurzweil, 2021).  Quantum computing will significantly advance the fields of computational neuroscience and neuroinformatics.  In the future we may be able to treat a range of illnesses with “neurotech” such as BMI and BCI, AR/VR head-mounted devices, and a combination of these technologies paired with physical therapy, which may enable us to heal degenerative neurological disorders, and significantly increase the human lifespan.

There are a range of neurological disorders that can severely affect humans including neuromuscular and movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, headaches, migraines, Sleep disorders, Alzheimer’s Disease, and dementia.  “Alzheimer’s costs the U.S. an estimated $277 billion a year, and early treatment will be crucial to slowing progression” (The Wall Street Journal, 2021).  There were 121,499 deaths from Alzheimer’s disease in 2019 (Alzheimer’s Association, 2021).  Globally (in 2019) it was estimated that there are more than 8.5 million people with Parkinson's disease (World Health Organization, 2022).  Early detection and proper diagnostics will be critical in the challenge of treating and preventing these disorders.

Epidemiology and Gerontology are important fields of interest.  I am interested in “Alternative” medicine, Traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, and their benefits and application to healthcare (for example, supplementation and alternatives to prescription pharmaceuticals in the United States).  As a doctor I would have the knowledge, skills, and ability to aid and assist my family and others.  I am interested in and have been researching the development of a software application that enables the tracking of nutrition/diet, fitness/exercise, and sleep, and provides personalized healthcare logging, monitoring, and statistics. In March 2021 I became a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine.  I am an Alliance Member of the American College of Sports Medicine.  By promoting and encouraging exercise, daily physical activity, and fitness, I hope to inspire aging adults who stand to benefit from increased mobility and greater well-being, and to help minimize the occurrence of age-related diseases so we may live longer and healthier lives.

My passion for health and wellness, professional disposition, and my drive to become a physician will make me an asset to the School of Medicine.  With a focus on Neurology, I plan to pursue a medical degree and study the treatment and prevention of disease, illness, and other physical and mental impairments in human beings.  The recent pandemic has introduced several new challenges for physicians and society, and soon physicians will be able to deliver more personalized care to patients in need.  As a Certified Nutrition Coach, I will emphasize the importance of nutrition and study naturopathic and holistic approaches to health.  As humanity evolves and medicine advances, we will rely on the skills of educated doctors and healthcare professionals.

Sources:

Diamandis, Peter.  Three Huge Ways Tech Is Overhauling Healthcare.  From:  https://singularityhub.com/2018/07/06/three-huge-ways-tech-is-overhauling-healthcare/  SingularityHub, July 06, 2018.

Meskó, Bertalan.  What Do Digital Biomarkers Mean?  From:  https://medicalfuturist.com/what-do-digital-biomarkers-mean  The Medical Futurist, July 17, 2018.

Gent, Edd.  Successfully Transplanted Lab-Grown Pig Lungs Take Us Closer to Custom Organs.  From:  https://singularityhub.com/2018/08/06/successfully-transplanted-lab-grown-pig-lungs-take-us-closer-to-custom-organs/ SingularityHub, August 06, 2018.

SENS Research Foundation.  The Path to a New Medicine.  From:  http://www.sens.org/research/aging-as-weve-known-it/the-path-to-a-new-medicine  SENS Research Foundation, 2018.

Fan, Shelly.  Have We Reached the Limit of Human Longevity?  New Study Says No.  From:  https://singularityhub.com/2018/07/03/have-we-reached-the-limit-of-human-longevity-new-study-says-no/  SingularityHub, July 03, 2018.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  The State of Aging and Health in America 2013.  Atlanta, GA:  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Dept of Health and Human Services; 2013.

Pontin, Jason.  Greedy, Brittle, Opaque, and Shallow:  The Downsides to Deep Learning.  Wired:  Ideas.  Condé Nast, 2018.  Source:  https://www.wired.com/story/greedy-brittle-opaque-and-shallow-the-downsides-to-deep-learning/

Denny, Joshua C. and Collins, Francis S.  Precision Medicine in 2030 – Seven Ways to Transform Healthcare.  CellPress.  Elsevier, Inc., March 18, 2021.

Fan, Shelly.  A New Brain Implant Turns Thoughts Into Text With 90 Percent Accuracy.  SingularityHub:  May 18, 2021.

Kurzweil, Ray.  Transcending Biology:  Reverse Engineering the Brain.  Retrieved June 3, 2021.  Source:  https://www.kurzweilai.net/transcending-biology-reverse-engineering-the-brain

Wikipedia.  Neurology.  From:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurology  Accessed On:  August 10, 2022.

Wikipedia.  Neuromuscular Medicine.  From:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuromuscular_medicine  Accessed On:  August 10, 2022.

Wikipedia.  Neuroinformatics.  From:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroinformatics  Accessed On:  August 10, 2022.

Wikipedia.  Alternative Medicine.  From:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_medicine  Accessed On:  October 17, 2022

Wikipedia.  Orthomolecular Medicine.  From:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthomolecular_medicine  Accessed On:  October 17, 2022

CB Information Services, Inc.  CB Insights:  State of Digital Health, Global Q3 2022.  Source: CB-Insights_Digital-Health-Report-Q3-2022.pdf.  From:  https://www.cbinsights.com/research/report/digital-health-trends-q3-2022/ Accessed on October 21, 2022.

The Wall Street Journal.  An Alzheimer’s Breakthrough, At Last.  The Editorial Board (June 7, 2021). Source:  https://www.wsj.com/articles/an-alzheimers-breakthrough-at-last-11623104815 Accessed On:  October 21, 2022

Alzheimer’s Association.  ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION REPORT:  2021 Alzheimer's disease facts and figures.  John Wiley & Sons, Inc.  From:  https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/alz.12328  Accessed on October 21, 2022.

World Health Organization.  Parkinson disease.  From: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/parkinson-disease  Accessed On:  October 21, 2022.