I, who thrive on responsibility and friendship, have the qualities of an exceptional doctor. As a nearly straight-A student, I held several paid research internships and led a team to first place in a nationwide design competition. This semester I won an unprecedented three national awards. But my teachers and peers might be surprised to find that my greatest accomplishments come from outside the classroom. Four years ago I lay in a hospital bed, with serious head injuries. A freshman in high school, I was the only victim of a car accident. To this day, I don't know what happened, other than my head hitting the driver's side window. For all I know, I may have swerved to avoid a deer. Hospitalized for three months, I worked diligently with the rehabilitation staff to regain my memory, judgment, speech and other communication skills. Although my doctors were uncertain whether I would read or write again, I shocked them by asking for my school books soon after I was transferred to a rehabilitation hospital. "Fortunately, with many...