On the eve of graduation, Karla Draft sorts out the pieces of her medical education and life, and thanks those who have helped her along the way.
I have been fascinated by jigsaw puzzles since elementary school when my mom brought home a five-hundred-piece puzzle featuring E.T. hidden in a pile of stuffed animals. I soon developed a strategic approach to puzzles. I would begin by spreading out the puzzle pieces on the kitchen table and turning each one so the picture was face up. Next I would sort out the edge pieces to form the frame for the puzzle. Then the hard work would begin - scanning the field of remaining puzzle pieces to discern the pattern that would unite them. What a sense of accomplishment I always felt as I put that magical final piece into place and watched the picture come alive before my eyes!
My focus changed from jigsaw puzzles to people as I progressed through high school and college. Understanding people became the puzzle that captivated my attention. So I studied chemistry and biology to learn about the function of the human body and psychology to understand the operations of the human mind. My search for a way to merge chemistry and biology with psychology brought me to medicine. Medicine utilizes both the natural sciences and psychology in its struggle to comprehend how the body and mind work together in the complicated puzzle of health and disease.
During medical school, I have continued to explore the puzzle of human nature. It is present in the bright colors and varied shapes of cells underneath the microscope in pathology, in a person's symptoms and signs that form the presentation of an illness in internal medicine, and in the teamwork that unites health care professionals as we strive for excellent patient care.
One patient I met in dermatology clinic brought us an especially complicated puzzle. She had been experiencing fatigue, joint pain and shortness of breath for several months without a diagnosis. She then developed a scaly rash on her lower legs and came to the dermatology clinic. We biopsied the rash, and under the microscope saw the characteristic changes of a disease called sarcoidosis. This disease can have multiple manifestations, including all of the symptoms this patient had been experiencing. The skin biopsy was the final piece we needed to complete this patient's puzzle.
Now, nearing the end of medical school, I have found the field that combines my enjoyment of visual work and interacting with patients: dermatology. I recently interviewed for dermatology residencies and am thrilled to be staying here at Indiana University.
The scholarships I received from the alumni and friends of the Indiana University School of Medicine helped make my journey possible. Shortly after I was accepted to IUSM, I was chosen to receive the Martin J. O'Neill, Medical Assurance Company of Indiana Scholarship. The scholarship demonstrated to me that IUSM was dedicated to developing a strong and talented student body and that the School had the support of its alumni and friends. This knowledge was key in my decision to attend IUSM.
The August before my first year of medical school, I had the pleasure of meeting with Dr. MacDougall and Mr. Duncan from the Medical Assurance Company of Indiana, and the family of Dr. O'Neill. I learned about Dr. O'Neill's career as a general practitioner, then as an ER physician, his role in the formation of the Physicians Insurance Company (now merged with the Medical Assurance Company) and his tremendous legacy of involvement in the medical community. I started my first year of medical school with incredible motivation, determined to live up to the honor of my scholarship.
Since then, I have received an additional scholarship each year based on my academic performance: the E.B. Rinker Scholarship, the Robert L. Cannon Scholarship in honor of his parents and the John D. VanNuys Scholarship. These gracious gifts from IUSM and its alumni and friends have strengthened my dedication and motivation to become an excellent physician.
I feel extremely fortunate to have attended IUSM, a medical school that has such a strong network of alumni and friends. Its scholarships have supported me during one of the most emotionally, academically and financially challenging times of my life. When I graduate in May, I will join the family of IUSM alumni with great pride. I will begin the next step in my medical career with several goals in mind: to be a knowledgeable and caring physician, to be a life-long learner and to continue the tradition of support for IUSM by someday funding a scholarship for medical students.
I thank the School and my benefactors for their tremendous support.
Karla S. Draft, MD, '00
Indiana University School of Medicine