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My name is Jenna Stokes , and I grew up in the small, rural town of Coaldale, PA. Coaldale was a booming mining town in the early 1900’s, but unfortunately became quite depressed when coal was no longer king. Since that time, my home area has been underserved with few physicians, few resources, few jobs, and few young families moving in; but, it is also a town where everyone knows and cares about everyone. One is able to walk down the street and on the way is greeted by many familiar, smiling faces.I am an only child, and , for more than half of my life, I grew up in a single parent home. I lived with my dad after my mom passed away from breast cancer. My mom was my best friend, and it is because of her love and dedication that I became the person I am today. I am also very fortunate because my very loving and dedicated auntie, uncle, and nana lived only a few blocks away. They, along with my dad, have always been there for me, providing a very loving and nurturing environment.I first decided I wanted to become a physician at age 5. My mom bought me a playschool doctor’s kit as a young child , and, with this simple gift, a career goal had been generated. Sure there were times that I considered becoming a veterinarian, a teacher, and even a marine biologist, but after quickly tossing these ideas aside, I returned to goal of becoming a physician. This decision was greatly influenced by my being present through my mom’s struggle with cancer. During her year and a half of torture, I witnessed the good and bad sides of medicine. Through this experience I decided to become the most knowledgeable, supportive, and compassionate physician I could be, to help patients like my mother.My undergraduate years were spent at Gettysburg College. I can honestly say that these 4 years were the absolute best of my life. I was finally able to move out of my "bubble" and to meet individuals from various cultural backgrounds. I was a biochemistry and molecular biology major as well as an art history minor. In my spare time, I worked as a resident assistant and later as resident coordinator for substance free housing on campus. My greatest passion, however, was my participation in multiple service projects through my college’s center for public service. These included volunteering at Momentum AIDS in NYC, on the Apache Reservation in Arizona, at UMMC Hospital in MD, at a Civil Rights museum in Selma, Alabama, and twice to Leon, Nicaragua. For medical school, I chose PCOM, because I was interested in receiving an osteopathic education. I have always wanted to become a family physician; because, in my rural area there are few specialists. Therefore, the family docs do it all, and they do it well. In addition, as a physician I plan to serve in an underserved area, such as my hometown. I also want to participate in medical missions to developing countries , such as Nicaragua. For these reasons, I felt that learning additional OMT skills could only add to the tools at my disposal to better serve my patients. These are also the reasons I was so interested in joining the AFP family for residency.My interests outside of medicine include: spending time with family and friends, playing basketball , hiking, swimming, crafting, baking, volunteering , and playing with my adorable puppy (Brady).
See a local newspaper article about Jenna's graduation from medical school. |
