Assignment #3

Renick Lee

4 Pandan Valley

#08-413

Singapore 597628

(+65) 9139 8339 (m)

U0903960@nus.edu.sg

16 September 2012

Dr Craig Stenberg, Associate Dean (Student Affairs & Admissions)
c/o Ms Tammie Zhu, Assistant Admissions Manager
Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore
Admissions Department
8 College Road
Singapore 169857

Dear Dr Craig Stenberg,

Application for Duke-NUS MD program 2013 intake

I am currently a Bioengineering undergraduate student at NUS and in writing this letter wish to express my interest in being considered for the Duke-NUS MD program.

Traits of mine that would be valuable to this opportunity are my passion for helping others and constant desire to learn. In being part of a team that educated and sourced jobs for unemployed such as ex-convicts and war veterans I learned to value the process of interacting with someone who is subjected to an unfortunate situation of which I am unfamiliar with and come out of the experience with added perceptions if not different.

Being trained in Bioengineering has equipped me with various skills in clinical settings while grappling with ethical issues. Interaction with various personnel ranging from patients to clinicians through projects has contributed to my versatility in effective communications in very differing situations and environments and most importantly how to react under various forms of pressures.

Having studied and worked overseas, I have developed skills in numerous leadership and teamwork settings that nurtured my independence and resilience to be more resourceful and confident. My experience in the contexts of foreign professional and academic settings would enable smooth transitions into leading team-based collaborations with your diverse and globalized multidisciplinary body. Also, being bilingual would further facilitate my communicating potential with representatives of different communities and generations.

It would be an honour to be accepted into such a prestigious program committed to developing future leaders in medicine with your innovative pedagogy and encouraging cooperative-learning culture.

Thank you for your time in considering my application and I look forward to meeting you if I have met the criteria. I am contactable via my Email and mobile number above.

Yours sincerely,

Renick Lee
Edited

Lack of EQ Factor in X Factor?

“The X Factor” is a broadcasted singing competition where viewers vote for their favorites and each week, a contestant gets eliminated.

A young contestant, Astro, fell in the bottom two based on votes and had to perform again to compete with another to stay in the competition. However, he refused to perform in a fit of anger. Witness the dispute between Astro and Simon Cowell (one of the judges) at 3:00 here: 
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYY4zyiRwq8&feature=related

Cowell reprimanded Astro for his poor attitude, but achieved little success of getting through to the boy. Astro's body language showed signs of blatant disregard, in turn generating huge waves of boos from the studio audience.  By the end, he was in tears.

Being flawed in managing emotions, Astro cracked under pressure and acted without reflection. His reactions to comments showed that he did not take criticism well. He also failed to consider the impression he would establish with everyone watching.

He might have been unwilling to accept that his performance could be improved and lost motivation to remain effective in a less than ideal situation. Perhaps he lacked self-confidence and needed affirmation through popularity or maybe he was so proud that elimination seemed unbearable leading to self-bred fear that prevented him from stepping up to a challenge.

Worth mentioning is Astro’s background of a rough childhood, suggesting a social aspect to the reason for his actions. Perhaps that was how society taught him to react when hurt, plagued by pessimism and oblivious to the choice to be in control. He failed to recognize that his actions impacted others that he was interacting with.

With the situation escalated as such, what do you think Astro should have done to resolve the conflict between himself and Cowell?

EDITED