The school provide this 5 topics.
- Tell us what characteristics of Loma Linda University are particularly attractive and meaningful to you
and why you have chosen to apply for advanced education. (4000 characters max) - Discuss how your spiritual origins, development, and experience have influenced and been integrated
into your daily life
- Tell us the desirable qualities that you see in yourself that you believe would aid us in considering your
application
- LLU believes deeply in integrating spiritual values into the educational experience. As a result, religion
courses and chapel attendance are part of the curriculum. Tell us why you believe such a faith-based
education would be of special benefit to you. (4000 characters max)
- As a Seventh-day Adventist institution, Loma Linda University has lifestyle expectations which include
abstinence from alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs/substances in all forms while enrolled. If you are
accepted to Loma Linda University, are you willing to abide by the lifestyle policies of the University
Personal Statement
- My previous experience with learning institutions has been intriguing. Whereas other
learning institutions endeavor in molding all-round students, some take up the opportunity to
instill the learners with limited values that are only useful in enabling short-term success of the
students. For instance, a school whose curriculum is majored on theoretic learning without
indulging the students in sporting, physical and spiritual activities is likely to nurture ‘half-
baked’, self-centered graduates whose main goal in life is personal success. Such institutions
have little consideration for spirituality, morality and ethics. In the end, they produce students
who can hardly fit in the dynamic and competitive work environment. It is from this personal
reflection that I have undertaken an intensive search aimed at finding a Christian-based
institution of higher learning that will facilitate my growth into an all-round person, who will
nurture my skills, personality and character towards being charitable and helpful to my
immediate society and the world at large.
In my own opinion, and subject to the information I collected regarding high caliber
learning institutions, Loma Linda University stands out as being a highly graded institution,
which can facilitate my achieving of these subtle life goals. In particular, Loma Linda University
is characterized by attractive attributes, which revolve around a healthy educational background
on medical training, a good reputation, and a Christian background where spirituality and
morality are given a ground to thrive. First, Loma Linda University has committed towards
encouraging its students to live lives that are focuses on spirituality and a wholesome lifestyle
that is consistent with Christian principles taught at Seventh-day Adventist churches across the
world. Their acceptance of students from other religion is an added characteristic that makes
LLU admirable since it is implicit of the commitment to change the worlds view on all round
learning. This is because the institution has helped thousands of students attain the elusive life
goal of merging spiritual values and academic excellence.
The second attractive characteristic is that LLU is a faith-based school, which is focused
on teaching its students on the value of faith. Loma Linda University admits a rich variety of
religions but still manages to pull them towards a common faith thus spiritual commitment
becomes the focal point, which holds all the students together regardless of their religion. This
means that the students will have an opportunity to interact with the different people from
society and this will result into a highly knowledgeable person whose personality meets the
medical needs of the 21 st century. LLU has even gone ahead to include chapel lessons into their
curriculum and this strengthens their commitment towards molding capable students. Personally,
I would like to be a part of the greater community of students at LLU.
My decision to apply for advanced education in physical therapy is motivated by my past
experiences. I developed the passion to undertake this course after I made a decision to become a
paid assistant to a physical therapist where I was particularly interested in manual hand therapy
and functional massages. Currently, I still work in the physical therapy clinic and have had a
great experience with patients. At times, some patients come for checkup and it makes me happy
to see that the patient’s condition has improved after I practice my raw techniques on physical
therapy. Nonetheless, there are times when I notice that the patients have not shown
improvement. I empathize with these patients and this has motivated me to enroll for physical
therapy workshops as well as an advanced physical therapy course at LLU so as to bring my
dream closer to reality.
- This question seeks to identify with the origin of my spirituality, personal development
and experiences and how they have been integrated into my life thus influencing my personality
and character. Whenever I undertake my day to day activities, I often find myself thinking about
my childhood and how it connects with the current person that I have become. It surely amazes
to realize that you have gone through spontaneous cycles of transformation and that the end
result has been positive. Altogether, it has been the power of God. Right now, the scars on my
face and the painful memories of the past influence most of my daily life. The fact that I was
born in Korea has affected the social part of me. Moving to the United States was also a very
different experience. Comparing these two countries, their levels of commitment to God and
spirituality in general is different. Koreans do not attach much value to Christianity as most
Americans do. This means that if I had spent the rest of my life in Korea then I would be living a
different life now.
On the part of my personal growth and development, which was transformed five years
after immigrating into USA, the thief who attacked me at the clothing store where I was
employed had a significant impact on my life. The ruthless thief swung an iron butt which struck
me in the lower jaw breaking them into pieces. The long period of suffering, medication,
therapies, headaches and indigestion made me realize that life was a gift and it was not to be
taken for granted. Even through the incidence took away my self-esteem, and broke my heart as I
plunged into a state of despair, I realize that each and every human being had a role to play. This
seconds Shakespeare’s remarks when he states that the world is like a stage where every human
being has a role to play. In fact, it is my encounters with medics at various levels of recovery that
I made a commitment in my heart that I will live every day of my life serving humanity. The
shortcut to being helpful to many people is participating in social works among other avenues
that promote interactions.
Specifically, the decision to undertake an advanced course in physical therapy emanates
from these experiences. It is an integration of desire that arises from spiritual origin and physical
growth and development. Whereas spirituality gives me hope, physical growth and development
gives me a reason to give back to society. The interplay of these three factors; spirituality,
development and experience has been motivated by curiosity, desire and other driving forces
which have influenced me into making certain decisions regarding my work-life balance. My
family and friends have also been influential in determining the choices that I make in my life.
Even though most of the decisions that I make are triggered by the urge to achieve my own goals
and objectives, there are instances when I have sought for mentorship from my parents, mentors,
friends and relatives. Their advice has been important in my attainment of a holistic growth.
Looking back, I realize that the encounter with a thief who maimed me had been a
blessing in disguise. The pain that I went through during the therapies and the operations
amounted to a painful lesson that has been significant in the way I approach humanity and my
whole view on people. May be if I had not gone through the traumatizing experience, the pain
and the desperate moments of tiring treatments, I would not be here today. My major focus is not
pegged on the desire to become a physical therapist for the sole purpose of treating patients, but a
physical therapist who will give patients hope and encouragement while overcoming their
physical pain through exercises and treatments that will restore the injured parts of their body
back into their best functional state. I want to do my best to become a professional physical
therapist versed with different methods and techniques that optimize on the attainment of healthy
movement as well as being a motivation to humanity. These experiences, if narrated to a patient
could be life assuring thus encouraging them to be strong in their spirituality. Courtesy of my
own experience, I wish to inspire patients while instilling them with the hopes that they will also
pass on the torch of positivity and, thus, ultimately improve the human medical experience and
transform society as a whole.
- Over the past two years since I started working as an assistant therapist, I noted that I had
I had a personality that is attractive. Probably, my search for answers on humanity has shaped
my personality into possessing some personal attributes that are rare to most people in the
medical field. The attractive personality has been marked with a high level of competence and
aptitude in the health profession. The attractive personality has become a strength since I have
used my polite nature to influence patients into seeking spirituality. This personality has made
me to be warm, caring and considerate towards the feelings of the patients. Secondly, I am
talented. I believe that I am a gifted and talented physical therapist who has been blessed with a
golden heart full of care and patience. These skills are evident from my previous experiences
with patients where I accord them a lot of respect, care while simultaneously being adept in my
selection of appropriate exercises for the patients. This talent has also been exhibited in my
ability to give therapies where I displayed an understanding of the muscles and how they
function with the joints. The other attributes that I have noticed in myself and developed on
during my previous work exercise at the clinic is the need to remain charming in spite of the
situation. Sometimes, a patient only needs a comforting smile or a reassuring look and this
makes them confident that they can see another day. All the attributes mentioned have been
crowned with respect for life and other people.
- Christianity is the core upon which humanity is built. It is said that Christianity is an inert
believe in the existence of a sovereign being. I support theological doctrines that emphasize on
holiness and spirituality because in embracing Christianity, the human body is made whole
again. Education without Christianity is vanity and so is immersing a lot of wealth in unethical
ways. The need to integrate spiritual values into the educational experience helps in defining
major factors related to morality and ethics. This is supported by the fact that the medical field
has some of the most deceptive practices ranging from deceitful pricing of drugs to the sale of
non-effective medicines to undoubting patients. There are many other vices that can only be
controlled through following spiritual values. Personally, I have had numerous experiences
where some could have been prevented if the medics had a proper religious background. Again,
it reflects back on the introduction, where I noted the existence of learning institutions that bring
up students whose major aim is to maximize on their returns without giving a second thought to
humanity. Such an instance that is rife is overpricing of medicine because of demand.
As an upcoming professional physical therapist, I would advocate for anything
that induces normalcy to the education system and the work environment. As such, I believe in
the need to integrate spiritual values into the educational experience. The inclusion of religious
courses as well as compulsory chapel attendance into the curriculum strengthens the emphasis on
these values thus enforcing the need for commitment. In my opinion, such a curriculum enforces
personal devotion to God and this provides a healthy environment upon which students can
nourish their spirituality because they are constantly in fellowship and meditation. Reflecting
back on my life and more so after the accident, which transformed a major part of my belief
system, I realized the need to appreciate God and with that I find it really wise to integrate
religion with Christianity. Additionally, religion sets foundation for good mannerisms among
students. Even through good character is embraced by the fact that the LLU is religious based, it
is generally encouraged that people live a healthy lifestyle by avoiding indulging in drugs of
abuse. The aspect of religion dictates that the students have to agree that they will not partake in
the use of tobacco, alcohol or any other illegal drug. On the same note, the need to personal
grooming adds up to the admirable characteristics since professional appearance is a must for
medical students. This is because the careers in this field are professional in nature and dressing
or personal grooming is important in enhancing the professional image. The administration is
sensitive to the specific needs of the healthcare fields and thus the university prides in the
creation of a professional standard of appearance. The fact that the bible forbids alcoholism,
tattooing, or piercing, if enforced among the laws in a religious school, it creates a conducive
atmosphere for learning. This adds to the fact that students have to be dressed in professional
attires which do not expose their body parts. - The lifestyle expectations set by the Loma Linda University, by virtue of its being a
Seventh-day Adventist institution sets pace for my footsteps in personal and professional growth.
For the reasons stated in the previous chapters, I will be devoted towards practicing the religious
teachings as they are stipulated in the bible. All my life, I have wished that I can be accepted into
a society that abides by strict morality stands so as to shape me into what God wants of me. By
so doing, I will enhance my service to humanity.
