I am the type of person who when they see a discarded item or a piece of garbage on the sidewalk they feel compelled to pick it up and find a garbage bin to throw it into. I do not wait for someone else to come along and do it. I do it myself. My chosen career, medicine, rewards me for this type of industry and sense of responsibility for the world around me. When a patient arrives in my office in pain, they want me to take responsibility for helping them feel better, they do not want me to wait for someone else to come along to take care of the problem. My sense of being part of and responsible for improving my world extends to other aspects of my life including how I interface with the political, social and even spiritual environments that surround me. My work with: patients; the recruitment, retention and graduation of students from underserved and disadvantaged populations; community/university partnerships that address health care issues; and programs to eliminate disparities in health status in our nation all stem from that sense of responsibility to improve the world around me.

I am willing to have my picture taken and am impressed with the past work performed. I wish you success even if I am not selected to be a part of this effort.