Christina Batario

Philosophy

Altruism. It is a term that is defined as “unselfishly concerned for or devoted to the welfare of
others.” This term is the common reason as to why many people become doctors, nurses, and
even health educators. The desire to help others has always been a significant value of mine. Not
only would I like to help others, but specifically, I would like to help the youth within the
community. An essential component for each individual is their overall health and wellbeing. To
help improve society, I aspire to become a pediatric doctor. This specialty will enable me to care
for the people that will shape our future. The children we care for could be the future president, a
lawyer, a police officer, or even an astronaut. The outcome is endless, but in the end, it was
because of their doctor they were healthy and strong enough to be the person they became. My
passion for pediatrics came from my love for children. Although I am an only child, I’ve been
surrounded by kids ever since I was younger. From being a volunteer karate instructor during
summer camp to playing with kids on inflatables during my most recent job. With age, I have
grown to love how children act, think, care, and imagine. 

When someone asks you to close your eyes and think about a job that helps people, is your
first thought nurses and doctors? I always thought that if I wanted to help people I had to become
a doctor and major in biology. While the plan is still to become a doctor, I never realized how
important public health is. It is an important aspect that is crucial for the health of the community
and the individual. Doctors, unfortunately, get the bad reputation of just treating the symptoms
rather than the cause. But as I gained knowledge about what goes into public health, I learned
that patients are more than just their symptoms. But their health and behaviors are influenced by
the Five Determinants of Health. The Five Determinants of Health can affect a person's health
through economic stability, education, social and community context, health and health care, and
neighborhood and built environment. All these determinants can impact an individual's health by
determining if they have has access to healthcare services, social support, public safety, and a
clean environment. It was through these factors, did I learn that a patient is more than just their
symptoms but rather an example of their environment. 

Making a change in the world is never a simple process. The road to pursuing my goals will
take a lot of dedication and determination. Within two years, I plan on graduating with a major in
public health and a minor in health education. After graduation, I intend to take prerequisite
courses for medical school at Florida State College at Jacksonville. From there, I will be
applying to medical schools where I can receive my Doctor of Medicine with a specialty in
pediatrics. Five years from now I would like to be living in Washington D.C. where I will be
practicing as a pediatric doctor. Based on our current pandemic, we have learned that you can
never have enough public health advocators. By pursuing the goal I wish to achieve, I am
another person that is willing to self-sacrifice for their community. Society would benefit from
me doing this because I am another person who practices altruism.