Cani Greg Garsuta ’23

My decision to pursue a career in medicine didn’t arise from a single awe-inspiring event. Instead, it’s a corollary to my passion for both science and humanity. Growing up in a small community in the Philippines, I have always looked forward to living life with a purpose and knew that I wanted to be in a profession that involves serving other people. Since medicine is the amalgamation of sciences and humanities, I knew that this is the path I needed to pursue. I then took B.S. in Biology before migrating to the U.S.

Dreamt by many because of the promise of a greener pasture, being an immigrant in this country is not easy. Like most immigrants, I’ve experienced cultural and language barriers, prejudice, and had to start again from scratch. However, I’ve also seen great opportunities that this country can offer — great enough to fuel me to strive harder. For a few years, I’ve worked on several minimum wage jobs. I have also worked as a senior caregiver. I was humbled by those insightful experiences. I then decided to enlist in the U.S. Army to serve this country that I’ve come to love and with the hope of fulfilling my dream through the opportunities that it offers. Truly, it was a transformative experience that made me redefine my own strengths, ways, and perspectives. Moving forward, being accepted as a first-year medical student in UNE COM has been worthwhile. In UNE COM, I have learned that building a good doctor-patient relationship creates a major impact when it comes to clinical decision-making. To treat the patient holistically and not singly according to labs or imaging, has been UNE COM’s core goal of education. As an aspiring osteopathic physician at UNE COM, I am confident that I will be ready to provide service to those in dire need of medical help, especially with the underserved populations in rural areas. I see myself as a primary care physician willing to choose the path less traveled in the service of other people.