After completing my MBBS degree, I spent most of my time working in rural and remote communities of Punjab, India. My true love for rural and remote general practice began in 2006 when I got my first government rural doctor in a small rural village of around 1200 people. Since then, my attachment to rural general practice has intensified manifold. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original EssayAfter early 2006, I served in many rural and remote villages of Punjab, India as a rural family doctor. I served as a substitute doctor for a few months in the remote village known as Bambiha in Punjab, India. Here I realized how much healthcare work can be done by a rural family doctor with minimal financial support from the government. While serving in various rural health centers, I was fascinated by the innocence, ever-uplifting morale and humanitarian nature of the rural people, as well as the sheer beauty of the rural landscape and nature. From my first day in rural practice I have always felt the warmth of underserved rural communities. I still remember my first day at the rural health center in 2006, when the head of the village council came to my clinic to thank me for choosing to serve in that rural community. I have numerous similar experiences while posted at rural health centers in Dhurkot Kalan, Dhudike, Bambiha, Thathi Bhai, Sukhladhi, Bathinda, Sangat and Pakka Kalan etc. Which ignited my passion to serve as a GP in underserved communities. So I have no doubt that I want to continue my training in family medicine. I enjoyed enormous respect among my rural patients. Sometimes, when supplies of government-funded medicines were running low, rural communities came forward to purchase medicines for rural health centers by pooling common village resources. It really touched my conscience and inspired me to do more for rural communities beyond normal working hours. Sometimes, the elderly and debilitated patients could not come to the rural health center, and so I went to visit the patients in their homes. This voluntary gesture was greatly appreciated by the villagers. In Dhurkot Kalan village, my health center shared premises with the local church known as Gurdwara. The villagers felt proud to invite me to their monthly church gatherings. Many times, when villagers came to pay obeisance at the place of worship, they would visit my clinic for various ailments or even to discuss their children's career options or simply to say hello. It helped me integrate their physical, mental, social and spiritual health into a holistic approach. I treated not only specific disorders of organs or systems, but also individuals as a whole. In Dhurkot Kalan and other health centers, we worked very effectively in a team comprising rural family doctor, multipurpose health worker (MPHW), pharmacist and an assistant. This rural health team is coordinated and well engaged with the village council to address various barriers to better health. I lead rural health teams in implementing various national health programs and providing primary care, with the active guidance and assistance of senior health officials at the district level. During the polio campaigns, it was sometimes difficult to get children under 5 years old to the polio vaccination booth at the health center.