I chose UNM specifically for its ability to combine the close-knit, unique experiences of a community program with the resources of a large, academic institution. My multiple clinical experiences in rural parts of southern New Mexico, including Roswell, Las Cruces, and Truth or Consequences, gave me the privilege of treating people with chronic diseases in a population that often suffered from a lack of access to preventative and integrated medical care, and I found myself drawn towards these patients and the unique issues and communication barriers they often faced. As a result, I hope to not only pursue a practice working with diverse cultures and underserved populations but also become actively involved in the politics that shape their healthcare disparities. For me, medicine is not just the science of treating an illness, but the art of treating a person, and, as a family physician, I truly believe I will have the opportunity, the gift, to have an impact on a person’s overall well-being, making sure people’s stories are not defined exclusively by their state of health, but by the way they are able to live their lives in spite of it.