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Q: Alright, Ms. Lo.
Ms. Jasmine Lo is it?
J: Yes
sir.
Q: Um... Yes.
Yes indeed. Yesterday, I went on with someone I believed to be Guy Randall
only to discover after 45 minutes I was actually talking to Randall Guy.
Different person. Very disturbing. But now, anyway, where was I?
J:
Jasmine Lo, sir.
Q: Yes of course.
Jasmine. Lo. Welcome to our esteemed institution of higher learning, Jasmine
Lo. How are you making out?
J:
Quite
well, thank you. The campus is beautiful. Everyone's been real
friendly. This seems like a wonderful place. I can really picture
myself here.
Q: Yes, of course.
I'm sure you can. Ms. ... um... [begins leafing through sheets]
J: Jasmine
Lo.
Q: Right.
Jasmine. Terribly sorry. I must tell you, Ms. Lo, most people do tend to find their first experience here a bit intimidating.
J:
Intimidating? Really? I don't see that.
Q: See what?
J:
Intimidating. I don't find myself feeling that way at all here.
Q: Yes, of course.
Very well. Very well, indeed. Well then, let's get on with it, shall
we? I've a bunch of questions prepared on these, uh, sheets. Let's just
sort of plunge right in...
J:
Absolutely.
Q: Brilliant.
Here we are then. Right. Where would you say the Hippocratic oath fits
in a society where health care has so severely redefined, perhaps even limited
the role that a Primary Care Physician can play within the context of the
Doctor/Patient relationship?
J:
Excuse me?
Q: One sec.
Oh dear. Terribly sorry. Wrong sheets. Been dreadfully busy today.
Please bear with me. Ah, yes, here we are. Let's see. Mmm hmmm...
Yes.... Yes indeed. Yes, these are the ones. Right. Question
number one. Tell me about yourself, Ms. uh...
J: Lo
sir. Jasmine. Lo. [pointing] See? It says so right
at the top of this page. Um, I
guess you could say in many ways I'm your basic High School Senior - learning about life while
living it.
I was born in Hartford, Connecticut, but my family moved to San Francisco when I
was two years old. I guess I had a pretty normal life
there -- you know, your basic healthy, happy family. I have a younger brother
and a younger sister. We do the usual sibling rivalry
thing, but on the whole, we all get along pretty well. My sister's a
Sophomore in High School and has the best GPA in her class. And my brother is
finishing 9th grade. He just placed first in the Western Sectionals of the
National Science Fair -- my parents are so proud. Anyway, my goal has always been to move back east for college.
Back to my roots you know? The schools are among the best in the country,
and I can barely remember the feeling of living through seasons. The colors of Fall,
the smell of snow
in the Winter. Anyway, big picture, my ultimate goal would be to go to med school to
become a doctor.
Q: Well put, Ms. Lo,
well put. One thing we certainly have to offer here is seasons. I
keep reminding myself that as I'm in my car, careening sideways down ice-laden
Boylston Street in January just how much I enjoy the winter. Dreadful
experience, simply dreadful. I must remember to change to snow tires next
year. Not that they're much help on ice I guess. Granted that.
But certainly... [focusing] Terribly sorry - where were we?
[back to the sheets] Right. Medical school. Yes, indeed.
Interesting. Most of our incoming freshman tend to be a bit, uh, shall we
say, on the undecided side when it comes to career choices. What makes you
so sure you want to be a doctor?
J:
It's what I've always wanted. Since I was a little girl.
My parents both worked, and I was responsible for taking care of my brother and
sister. And they were constantly finding ways of getting themselves into
mischief. Or getting sick. So I guess there's something amazingly
wonderful about being able to help people when they need it the most.
Q: Yes, indeed. But
being a doctor can also about being unable to help people, despite your best
efforts. How would you deal with that?
J: By
never being in a position where I am unable to help someone.
Q: Really Ms. Lo.
Aren't you being a bit naive and unrealistic, if not perhaps a bit arrogant?
Surely, you must grant...
J: No,
not at all. Quite the opposite. The ways to help people are
limitless, especially from the standpoint of being a doctor. Now,
obviously I can't cure every disease known to man. I get that. But I
can always try my best to provide help, on whatever level, to my patients.
Whether it be counseling, referrals to the proper specialists, or whatever.
The key being to never stop trying, to never give up, and to always do your best
to help the people who put their trust, make that their lives, in your hands.
Q: Yes. Yes,
indeed. [A long pause while he writes something].
Q: Right. Let's
talk about High School, then. Looking back over the past 3 years, how
would you describe your High School experience?
J:
Looking back... It's totally weird to think of High School like that.
In the past
tense. I mean, OK, I'll be in college in like 6 months, but I still feel
like a High School senior, you know? I still have classes to finish,
finals to pass. Student Council meetings...
Still...
Q: Of course, that's
only natural...
J: ...
in terms of my "high school experience", it's been awesome, in so many
ways.
I've made a lot of friends. From my neighborhood. From my classes.
Through school organizations. And I've totally enjoyed the
learning experience that is school - I think my grades reflect that. My
parents have always, um, encouraged me to do well, and I've taken great pride in
living up to their expectations. And as I
said, it's far from over -- there's still Comp. Night, Senior Prom, and of course
Graduation itself.
Q: You mentioned school organizations.
Can you elaborate?
J: Sure.
I was involved with theater, school choir, the interact club, student government.
I did the cheerleader thing during my Sophomore and Junior years, but I had to
give it up this year as things just got way hectic. Being the Homecoming
Queen was really neat. Lately, I've been very active in Student Council as class president. I actually get to have a say in what goes on
with the school, which is really cool. Outside of school, I'm involved
with a youth group that does community service, helping out with underprivileged
children.
Q: My goodness. A
veritable plethora of extracurricular activities. Do you ever have quality
"me" time?
J: Of course I
do. But being part of the community is
something I really enjoy. It's that idea of giving back.
Sort of speaks to that "Hippocratic Oath" thing you mentioned a while back.
Q: I did? [Shuffles
papers] Yes, yes of course, I did, didn't I. Touché. Well
now, as I look at your
application, I must say, between your grades and your extracurriculars, you do
appear to be a most impressive candidate. Most impressive, indeed.
But tell me, how do you manage to balance such an extraordinary schedule without
completely, uh how do you kids call it, "stressing over"?
J: "Stressing
over". Interesting. Well, mostly, without oversimplifying, I am just who I am.
Sure
I've felt the pressure to get things done well, to achieve, but I rarely find myself having a problem with
handling my workload. I think that as long as you work hard and do your
absolute best, things have a way of taking care of themselves..
Q: Well, we shall see about that.
Now tell me Ms. Lo, what is it that YOU are hoping to gain from
coming here?
J: As I said
earlier, I've always wanted to go to school on the east coast. I want to go somewhere where
I know I will receive a good education, but somewhere I can grow as well.
Sure, there are some great schools in California, or the West Coast, but I feel that, for me, it is
important to explore and venture out into unknown territory, even if that does
bring me back home, to where it all started.
Q: And why, if I may be so bold,
should we accept you?
J: Because I'm
me! Ok, seriously, because my academic credentials are significantly above
the average for incoming Freshman. I know that I am as capable and intelligent
as any other applicant you have. And I can say with 100% certainty that I
will work as hard as I can to make my college experience as rewarding as
possible, both from an academic and personal standpoint as well. And I
will do everything within my power to give back to the community that I go to
school in.
Q: Well put, Ms. Lo. Once
again, quite well put. I must say, it's been quite refreshing to interview such an
impressive candidate. Now while you understand I can't guarantee anything, I would say
given your background and achievements you would fit in well here.
Quite well indeed. It was certainly a pleasure to meet you.
J: Thank you. It was
nice meeting you as well.
Q: And, Ms. Lo...
J: Yes?
Q: Do enjoy the rest of your Senior
Year. September will be here before you know it. And you're only a
High School Senior but once in your life.
J: Thank you.
Thank you very much. I sure will. Now can you direct me to the
library, please?
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