Michelle's Med School Essays

Monday, July 4, 2011

While I was getting lost in the rocklands, my little Michelle was working hard to complete her secondary applications for med schools.  These secondary essays are school specific, and this one is pretty interesting.  Just so you know, I am not a tiger-mom, never was and never will be.  However, I was a very devoted mama... and still am.

Please provide a narrative or timeline to describe any features of your educational history that you think may be of particular interest to us. (2000 character limit, approximately 400 words)

At the age of 7, my mother decided to have me start taking piano lessons and, at the same time, take up figure skating. At the time, these were just two time-consuming endeavors that left me with less time to have fun and play with friends. Obviously, I was not happy about this and, at the beginning, only begrudgingly participated in both activities. But looking back now, I realize that I owe most of my work ethic and discipline to this early training. With persistence and patience, my mother watched me playing the piano for an hour and a half every day of the week; similarly, she sat in the benches at the ice rink and coached me as I practiced figure skating for four hours every Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. She was adamant that I maintain a rigorous practice schedule, and even though I would cry and fight and resent it, I kept at it. 

I continued to play the piano for about seven years, performing in recitals and at competitions. I got first place at every competition I attended, which I attribute entirely to my discipline in practicing. The discipline that I had in practicing the piano has since carried over into my academic work: I set high standards and strict schedules for studying, and as with the piano, I achieve rewarding results from doing so.

I figure skated for over seven years, eventually was able to take on the axel jump. I skated in yearly performances, and also competed in a synchronized skating team. Through my experiences in the ice rink, I learned that time, effort and rigor make an unbelievable difference. I went from barely being able to stand on ice to comfortably doing spins and jumps. In the same way, I believe that time, effort and rigorousness in my academics will allow me to build a solid foundation to pursue a medical career that I couldn't even dream of at the age of 7.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

For many of you who have witnessed my “wild” little Michelle growing up, for her to write this essay and then to go on record to acknowledge of my parenting approach, wow, you would understand the question going through my head right now – will the sun rise from the west tomorrow??!!

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From: Michelle Zhang
To: Pei Tang tang_pei@yahoo.com
Sent: Tuesday, August 2, 2011 4:10 PM
Subject: Diversity Essay

"My mom understands the value of liberation coupled with principle; of freedom grounded in strong values. Consequently, she raised me to embody an interesting juxtaposition of Chinese, American, and independent ideas. My mother gave me homework before the American school system ever introduced me to it – she wrote pages of math problems for me so that I could get a head start on arithmetic and develop a solid work ethic early on. Figure skating and playing the piano took up much of my free time: my mom enforced a strict schedule of training and practice and spent hours watching me, making sure I always put in my best effort. She would often lecture me on the importance of a good education, building a successful life, and planning for long-term happiness. This was the foundation that my mother wanted me to have; beyond this, she gave me very few boundaries and never pushed me in any particular direction. In fact, she has always encouraged me to explore ideas with an independent mind and to form my own opinions, find my own passions, and make my own happiness. This freedom has allowed me to invest myself into things that I find genuinely interesting and worthwhile – medicine, philosophy, clinical volunteering, writing, physics, poi, etc. I have been encouraged to experience the world on my own terms and this has allowed me to meet some fascinating people at places like Children’s Hospital in Boston, Sunrise Senior Living in Illinois and music festivals in Tennessee. Thus, while I carry with me strong, traditional Chinese principles and values regarding how to live my life, I also carry with me a curiosity and an open mind that help me develop a balanced and diversified prospective on life."

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And mom, for the record, I am genuinely thankful that you raised me in this way. Even when times were tough and my worldview differed drastically from yours, you never placed constraints on my mind like many other parents would have. I think that has allowed me to build a solid character of my own, not for anyone else but truly for myself. And yes, this has also led me to get tattoos, etc. (which I know you are not fond of), but I think that on the whole, more positive has come out of your parenting method than negative. I hope that you continue to approach my life with an open mind - as stated in the essay, you have given me a solid foundation that I carry with me at all times, and you should trust that I can make good, quality decisions for myself. 

--
Michelle Zhang

Tufts University '12

Philosophy