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You are here: Home / Physician Assistant Stories / If You Take the Red Pill: Reflections on the Future of Medicine

If You Take the Red Pill: Reflections on the Future of Medicine

October 6, 2014 By Stephen Pasquini PA-C 3 Comments

“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and the most inhumane.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

This blog post is an excerpt (and my PA friendly adaptation) from a speech by Dr. Paul Farmer given at Harvard Medical School, Class Day June 5, 2003. Featured in "To repair the world". 

Red pill Blue Pill Phizer

The Matrix...

It’s an action film starring that great thespian, Keanu Reeves.

The plot is murky but not uninteresting: his character is a cog in the great wheel of industry and finance, just another programmer working in front of his computer screen in a gray cubicle.

Lives in a big city, looks like Chicago or Toronto.

Mr. Anderson, as he is called, knows something is very wrong with the world but doesn’t know what it is.

It’s “like a splinter in his mind.” There’s got to be more to life than this, he’s certain. He feels most alive under a different alias, his hacker name, Neo.

To make a convoluted story short, Neo is contacted by a certain Morpheus, someone the company drones and police term a terrorist.

Morpheus is played in completely over-the-top fashion by Laurence Fishburne.

If Neo wants to find out what’s bugging him— all the mediocrity and meaninglessness of life in the machine— then he, the fellow named Morpheus, will be only too happy to show him.

Neo hooks up with Morpheus, of course. And Morpheus offers Neo a choice: he can choose to see the world as it really is, to extract that splinter from his mind. Or he can chicken out.

Morpheus outlines Neo’s choice with all the subtlety of a mediocre Shakespearean actor who’s had a few too many vodka tonics.

Morpheus pulls a pillbox out of his stylin’ leather coat. He proffers a red pill and a blue pill.

Morpheus says something like this:

“You take the blue pill, the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you remain in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes.”

Like any good action hero with a splinter in his mind, Neo goes for truth, which is all that Morpheus promises. And the truth is ugly.

It’s that Neo, and indeed everyone he’s ever known, is a slave.

The message is clear: Neo’s been duped, deluded by job security and certain material comforts like cool club music and hip garb. It’s all fake.

If You Take the Red Pill

The Agent and The Red Pill in Medicine

It’s my contention, of course, that a certain amount of red-pill popping is just what we need in medicine and public health. But how many of us want to see how deep the rabbit hole goes?

Do we dare take the red pill? A serious question from a guy who is gagging on the red pill and still falling down the rabbit hole.

As a character in the film says— he’s a bad guy, of course—“ Ignorance is bliss.” But ignorance is not bliss. Ignorance is just that— ignorance— and ignorance and medicine are simply not compatible. Our own red pill may well be more bitter than any other, because it’s easy to argue that, for doctors, as for scientists, the blue pill is an unacceptable option, even if it’s what most of us have swallowed.

If you take the red pill and you’re a medical provider, you see that there’s unnecessary sickness and suffering everywhere on this planet.

You see too that certain epidemics are completely out of control and that there are horrific health emergencies all over the third world.

You see that some people are denied access to the most basic fruits of science, to the tools developed over the past few decades as medicine itself earned its name as “the youngest science.”

You think diseases such as SARS is bad, and it is. But allow me to put this in perspective. As of today, although fewer than a thousand people have died of SARS, several Fortune 500 companies are scrambling to put together a global SARS fund; I’m told that hundreds of millions of dollars have been pledged.

During the 2003 scare, certain airports in Asia installed thermal scanners to identify febrile travelers. All this in the space of a couple months.

All good. But over 8,000 people die every day of AIDS, the leading infectious cause of death in the modern world. And many more die of tuberculosis and malaria: during the course of this year, six million people, most of them children and young adults, will die of these three diseases alone.

Six million deaths, almost all of them preventable with modern medicine, but the red pill reminds us that we have no plan in place to serve those most in need.

And even the newspapers, whose editors and publishers seem to subsist on a steady diet of blue pills, report that the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria will soon run out of money.

The plagues of the poor don’t seem to interest industry, the press, or even basic science. So it is everywhere.

  • Take the red pill and suddenly you see that 40 million Americans have no health insurance and as many more are poorly insured.
  • Take the red pill and you see that the bottom billion of this planet don’t have enough food or clean water while in other places, including this country, we are called to subsidize agribusiness and then destroy excess crops or dump them on faltering peasant economies, so delivering their coup de grâce.
  • Take the red pill and you wonder why it is that, in the global era of connectivity, millions die of hunger while others battle obesity.

You learn that some companies short-date perfectly good medications and equipment in a process known as “planned obsolescence” while tens of millions will die without ever having benefitted from the discoveries of Salk or Sabin or even Pasteur. This has been going on for some time in the desert of the real, and it’s getting worse.

Why dredge up this dreary stuff?

Because you can change all this

Stopping the Blue Pill

Indeed, we must. It’s urgent.

Sure, it’s utopian, but it’s also feasible. Here’s a glass half full for you: as PAs, you are granted special license to fight for a better world. You can carp about health insurance in a way that politicians cannot because you are merely fighting for your patients.

You can gripe about drug prices in a way that others cannot, for the same reasons. You can even deliver a red-pill speech like this one without being considered a pill yourself.

Because this is what we’re called to do: to fight for the survival and the dignity of our patients, especially the sickest and most vulnerable.

You don’t have to travel far to meet people who receive substandard care.

Many students are astounded at how few of your patients have ever had a medical provider visit them in their homes.

But the red pill suggests that it’s after the patients leave the hospital that many of them have troubles:

  • Troubles understanding or following their provider's orders.
  • Troubles filling prescriptions.
  • Troubles getting to clinic appointments.
  • Troubles paying rent or utility bills.

You could address some of these troubles yourselves. Say you’re an orthopedic physician assistant and on the way from the gym to the hospital, you pop by and see the lady who fell and fractured her femoral neck. You helped to put in the hardware and all went splendidly, as you noted in your brief (very brief) op note. She lives on the fifth floor of a run-down public housing building not a mile from the medical mecca in which you train. The elevator’s out. If you’d taken the blue pill, you wouldn’t even know this fact, because she lives in the desert of the real, invisible, it would seem, to the majority of doctors.

Whether a Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner or internist or pediatrician or pathologist or cardiac surgeon, we are working for others.

It’s not about us, or our incomes, or our sense of personal efficacy. It’s about what happens to our patients.

After a few long workweeks, there may be moments when you want to take the blue pill. Don’t do it.

Wonderful things are happening in clinical medicine and the allied sciences, in large part because of medicine’s embrace of science.

The yield of this embrace has been nothing short of marvelous. No branch of medicine has been untouched.

From pathology to oncology to infectious disease, the revolution continues. But for those who take the red pill, we are obliged to see the dark side of progress.

More and better discoveries, every day, but an erosion in our ability to use them wisely and equitably.

More capacity to engineer new therapies but a lack of commitment to directing our efforts toward the world’s great killers.

In my field, there have been many victories, certainly. But there hasn’t been a new class of antituberculosis drug discovered in decades. As of October 2014, there are no effective vaccines for AIDS, TB, or malaria— the big three modern plagues. Visits to the lifeworlds of the sick help us see how terribly behind we are in the equity arena.

We’re failures in the equity department.

There are many reasons to visit patients in their homes:

  • They help us understand why excellent in-hospital care can come to naught if we lack an equity plan.
  • Visits help us understand why prescriptions go unfilled, why appointments are missed, why medications are taken incorrectly or not at all.
  • Visits connect us to people whose lives are very different from our own.

This failure, which you can see for yourselves, is emblematic of the even more shocking failures one can see when one leaves behind nationality, a blue -pill side effect, and takes on the globe’s medical problems.

If you’ve agreed with me so far, then you’ll see all the vast promise of modern medicine and also the dismal state of our global village.

More and more for fewer and fewer

It’s true in so many realms, but it’s excruciatingly so in medicine and public health.

Martin Luther King is credited with having said the following: “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and the most inhumane.”

Taking the red pill is a scary process.

There are those of you out there today who threw back the red pill but are now reaching for the ipecac.

And who wouldn’t be?

We live in a world of medical haves and have-nots, a world in which most of the bottom billion have no modern medical care at all, a world in which current trends promise that the situation will get worse during the early years of your medical practice.

What are the boundaries of your world?

Over time, they will shrink to a hospital or clinic, and all you’ll want to do when you leave work will be to watch an action film by yourself. Or listen to some music. Or do whatever it is that transports you out of the desert of the real.

But in your heart, and in your practice, you know that most of the boundaries are ones we create ourselves.

They’re boundaries we erect in order to lessen our pain, not the pain of others.

Where exactly do you fit in?

System Failure

Taking the red pill and seeing the world of the sick as it is today leads us to painful choices. I’m not seeking to be Manichaean: the choices before you are not between good and bad.

They’re between doing good and doing better.

To do better, don’t we have to take that red pill and fight? Your generation is going to have to answer this question. Because unfortunately, as Morpheus says, you and I have run out of time.

Of course, the clock isn’t really ticking on us. It’s ticking on others. Again— how many people have died of treatable diseases during the time it took you to read this blog post.

Allow me to leave you with two take-home messages.

First, apply the Golden Rule in your practice — especially during that last admission, in the wee hours of the morning or at the end of a long day in the clinic. Or to a particularly difficult or crabby patient. Could you ever care as much about her as you do about, say, your own mother? Could you ever love someone as much as you love yourself or your own child? The answer to these questions may well be “certainly not,” but at least the red pill pushes us to ask them.

Second, make home visits now and again. Don’t buy the received wisdom about “respecting boundaries.” What’s wrong with helping housebound patients wash their dishes? Or helping hut-bound patients transform dirt floors into cement floors? Break down boundaries. Think outside the box.

Do you want to wake up some day and discover that your life has become dim, without color? That you took the blue pill?

Even though your ectopic soul, stowed away, say, in your left axilla, forgotten, neglected, was exhorting you all along to make the leap, to take a chance?

You know the questions. The answer is out there, and you will find it if you want to.

Now you know. And knowing, as another action figure was fond of noting, is half the battle.

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About Stephen Pasquini PA-C

Stephen has been a family practice PA since 2004 and is the creator of The PA Life and Smarty PANCE Board Review websites. A National Health Service Corps Scholar and a graduate of The University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ (Rutgers) PA Program and the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. Stephen's goal is to provide one-of-a-kind online resources for those interested in or practicing in the PA profession, to promote better access to healthcare for all, and foster universal recognition/awareness of the PA profession. Read more about Stephen.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Austin Page says

    October 27, 2014 at 6:38 pm

    Stephen, I really appreciate this article. I’ve recently just decided to take the perverbial “red pill” and this was a refreshing spin on things. We could easily look at this from a cynical and burnt out point of view, but as you said we have a special license to do something about this. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article. Much appreciated the dedication you have towards medicine.

    -Austin Page

    Reply
    • Austin Page says

      October 27, 2014 at 6:40 pm

      Proverbial* 🙂

      Reply
    • Stephen says

      October 28, 2014 at 5:27 pm

      Thank you Austin,

      If you haven’t yet read Tracy Kidder’s book “Mountains Beyond Mountains” based on Paul Farmer’s work in Haiti, I would really recommend it. I have read it once and listened to it twice and each time I am reminded why I went into medicine and the true challenges we are all facing.

      It is so easy and comfortable to swallow the blue pill and there are a million excuses I have had in my own life to justify a blue pill regimen. But, it is my belief, that once we swallow the red pill we are not only doing right by our patients but we too will live a much happier and fulfilling life.

      I believe we all wen’t into medicine to fulfill the same purpose and that is to help people. And although everyone needs help, and can benefit from compassionate healthcare at all socioeconomic levels, our success in medicine will be judged not on how we treat those who have the greatest access, but those who have the least. This is going to involve some changes in how we distribute care and how we pay for it. I am optimistic that in my lifetime I will see greater equality in healthcare and the evolution of a system that does not favor those who were born into the right class, but is equally available to everyone who needs it. The money is there, medical providers want the change, we just need to demand it, which is going to involve some pill swallowing, or maybe a lack there of 🙂

      Thanks so much for you comment!

      Stephen

      Reply

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I’m emailing you to let you know that I received an acceptance call yesterday! It’s my first cycle applying so I’m still in shock. This may sound weird to say, but you have been a part of my journey since the beginning when I was trying to figure out how to write my personal statement, to practicing for the interview that led to my acceptance. I genuinely believe that I would not have been accepted into the program if it weren’t for you.

Anthony, PA-S

My editor with The PA Life was amazing! I am so thankful for her attention to detail and wonderful editing skills. I am thrilled with how my personal statement turned out and can’t thank you enough for all of your help.

Olivia, Pre-PA

I loved this service!!

Madeleine Zeichner, Pre-PA

Sue Edmondson was VERY thorough in her editing of my essay, as well as the promptness of her responses to me. She not only took the time to edit the grammar of my essay but helped me remove a large portion of it to focus on the important aspects of it and draw in more details. Overall, a fantastic service!

Megan Hunstad, Pre-PA

The edits I received were extremely helpful and insightful. I think they really brought my essay to the next level, and I am thrilled with the outcome. Thank you!!

Kelsey, Pre-PA

I wanted to send you a quick life update and another BIG thank you! I received my acceptance at the University of Utah’s PA Program on Monday and couldn’t be happier. Thank you for all your help with my essay and interview prep. Both of these services that you provided were so helpful in my success. I will highly recommend you to any future PA student.

Lily, Pre-PA

Carly did a tremendous job of helping edit my personal statement. Her suggestions and hints have taken my personal statement to the next level!

Austin, Pre-PA

The edit that I received from Sue was exactly what I was hoping for. She was able to tighten up my draft beyond my personal skill level and made edits that I was would have never thought to make. She has definitely made my personal statement stronger. Thank you, Sue!

Ethan, Pre-PA

I am pleased to tell you that I have been accepted to PA school, starting in 2-weeks.? I appreciate everything you have done for me, from helping with my personal statement to preparing me for interviews. You have been with me since the beginning of the application process and I really wanted to thank you.

Shane, Pre-PA

Ms. Edmondson was incredible! She provided great feedback and answered all of my follow up questions. I will keep in touch as to my interview offers.

Ashley, Pre-PA

Very helpful. I needed help figuring out what to cut and Sue was great at showing me what could go without sacrificing what I was trying to convey.

Dave, Pre-PA

I wanted to give you an update and thank you. I just received my first acceptance and at the interview, they commented on how well written my personal statement was. I appreciate your hard work and working with me to create such an awesome piece! Hopefully, this won’t be the last time we talk- maybe our paths will cross again one day!

Janne Kim, Pre-PA

Just wanted to let you know I got into UC Davis! I can not thank you enough for all your help!

Rachael Thomas, PA-S

I want to say thank you, first off for providing such a service. It was difficult having to write a personal statement and then have others critique it, when there is not a clear rubric to follow. I think having to write a personal statement is such an emotional process, and then having others edit it, can be a very harsh pill to swallow. Thank you for your edits, I have no doubt that this process will make my personal statement more compelling and hopefully a more competitive applicant.

Stephanie, Pre-PA

I was extremely stressed out about writing my personal statement, and finally decided to search the internet for advice and assistance. I came across the personal statement editing service on the PA Life, and decided to give it a try. I received a response within a day, and my stress was instantly relieved. I worked personally with Duke to edit my statement, and he is a phenomenal writer. He didn’t change the content of my statement, but rather helped me tell my story in a way that is much more desirable! I cannot recommend this service enough to others seeking help on their personal statement. Duke was friendly, sincere, and definitely experienced! I felt 100% confident in his editing abilities, and we worked together the entire time so that we were both pleased with the results! Thanks again, Duke, for all of your help!

Chelsie W. Pre-PA

I felt our mock interview was an absolute necessity to prepare for the Academic and Personal interviews from Yale School of Medicine PA Program Online. I felt the calibre of questions you had asked me, in addition to the coaching and post-question feedback, really helped me understand what an ideal response looks like and gave me time to reflect and prepare my responses for the formal interview just two days later.

During my interviews I was asked plenty of questions I didn’t have a prepared response to (and I had combed through tons especially in the days following our mock interview!) I can say that I answered each question genuinely, authentically, and showed both interviewers the best version of myself. I didn’t stammer or lose my place, and I felt confident in my words and expressions. I don’t think I would have been as comfortable, calm, or confident without having accepted your guidance and feedback and learned from our time together.

Gratitude for your words, encouragement, and support is an understatement. Thank you, Sarah!

Best Regards,
Jacob

Jacob, PRE-PA

Susan did a fantastic job editing my essay! She guided me and gave me suggestions for strengthening certain sections and equally took out weak parts. After I followed her recommendations, I really felt like I had an essay where every sentence mattered and reflected who I was. Thank you so much Susan for your help. I feel that I have a stronger essay because of your honest feedback and your help!

Amanda Pre-PA

My editor with The PA Life was amazing! I will definitely suggest these services to anyone else applying to PA school. Thank you for everything!

Margarita, Pre-PA

Loved this service and working with Sarah. She was super helpful and easy to talk with. Will definitely recommend this service to others.

Diana, Pre-PA

The editor I was assigned, Ms. Matzen, was incredibly friendly, courteous, and professional. This was easily the best experience I’ve had with any guidance or essay editing program.

Andrew, Pre-PA

My editor was Beth, and she blew my expectations out of the water. She got back to me within 24 hours of submitting my request for edits and helped me so much with the edits she made. If I receive an interview, I am excited to use PA Life to help me with mock interviews.

Haley, Pre-PA

I worked closely with Duke and Sue for the revisions on my personal statement. They must have edited my original version half a dozen times before they felt it was good enough to send off and never made it seem like an inconvenience. They always responded to my e-mails within a 24-hour time frame but usually got back to me within a few hours. I am very pleased with how my personal statement turned out thanks to all of their time, ideas and direction. The service the PA Life provides is well worth the money spent!

Michelle Murphy, PA-S

Carly was excellent! Not only did she make my essay much more compelling, but she understood the deadlines I wanted to reach and helped me do that! 10/10!!

Jesse Cordova, Pre-PA

Duke made some important modifications to my essay and offered several helpful suggestions. I appreciated his insight and a keen eye.

Ilina K. Pre-PA

The ease, frequency, and promptness of communication were some of the best aspects of this service. I found the review and revisions to be very thoughtful and explained in a way where I knew exactly how to apply them to my essay. I would 100% recommend the PA Life PS review to any applicant, and especially enjoyed working with Carly. I am hopeful my personal statement will gain the attention of PA programs I am applying to.

Charlie, Pre-PA

I used your service for my personal statement and my top school secondary. I feel this is an amazing service and have recommended it to many of my friends who are currently applying to PA school.

Jeff, Pre-PA

Sarah did such a great job editing my personal statement! She was receptive to my concerns and had awesome ideas to make my essay stand out. I am very happy with how it turned out and I am excited to submit it. Thank you!!

Hannah, Pre-PA

Kelly M. provided an exceptional experience with detailed recommendations. I am upset that I did not find The PA Life editing service sooner! I will be referring anyone I know applying to pa school to this platform!

Manny, Pre-PA

Sue was great! She edited my essay in a short time frame and the comments and feedback were very informative. She helped link all of my main ideas and gave great advice regarding appropriate information for the essay. I highly recommend this service.

Michelle, Pre-PA

I just wanted to let you know that I was accepted in the UW MEDEX program at my home campus in Anchorage, AK. After the long journey I’ve had, I finally was accepted to my top choice! It still seems surreal and I couldn’t be more excited! Thank you so much for the help and insight you gave me. I truly believe it helped prepare me and not be as nervous. I will definitely recommend you to anyone I know who is applying in the future.

Melanie, PA-S

Hi, I am beyond words to express how I feel, I got accepted, contingent on background check which I think is a formality. I want to say boldly that I am going to be a PA, thanks to you. You will be always blessed for the wonderful service you provide.  You were very kind and worked beyond what I thought could be offered. Thanks again!

Pavithra, Pre-PA

Susan did a fantastic job of editing my essay! She guided me and gave me suggestions for strengthening certain sections and equally took out weak parts. After I followed her recommendations, I really felt like I had an essay where every sentence mattered and reflected who I was. Thank you so much Susan for your help. I feel that I have a stronger essay because of your honest feedback and your help!

Amanda, Pre-PA

Awesome service. Duke did a great job editing my personal statement – his feedback was top-notch. For the 2014-2015 cycle, I applied to one school. I was selected for an interview and yesterday I received an offer of admission … which I quickly accepted. I know my Personal Statement played a huge role in my success. I highly recommend this service.

Nikki, Pre-PA

It was wonderful to work with The PA Life once again. I appreciated all of my editors’ feedback and creative writing style which was needed to keep the essay within the allowable character limit. I also appreciated how my editor, Sarah, took the time to discover more about me and worked to show those parts which I was unable to reflect myself. With Sarah’s help, the essay really came to life and was a true reflection of my work, personality, and aspiring goals. I’m grateful for all the work she put into helping me with this project!

Jacob, Pre-PA

Well worth the money. I consider myself a decent writer but found I was stuck on a few key points of my personal statement. After a few edits on my own and with a few people I trust, I decided to submit my essay for editing through ThePALife to make sure I was really on the right track. I am supremely satisfied. The essay I wrote turned out to be a solid base, but Sarah went to work, and every change and suggestion had a logical place. She polished it up and made it shine. Thank you so much!

Conor K. Pre-PA

I was at a point where I kept reading my essay over and over again and not knowing what to change. After Sue looked over and thoroughly edited the essay, I had a completely new focus! I knew exactly what to tweak and her service really cleared up any uncertainty I had with my essay. I’m now much more confident as I finish up my CASPA applications!

Julia Spalding, Pre-PA

Deanna was so amazing! She was really thorough and strengthened my essay in one edit! I feel so confident submitting my essay and I have high hopes for interviews! Thank you for providing these services to those of us with stories that need help being told. I would definitely recommend this service to everyone who wants to apply to PA school!

Valeria, Pre-PA

I’ve been telling everybody that I come into contact with about the incredible value of your service and that I directly attribute your editing as a reason I got into two schools this academic cycle and received 8 invitations to interview. All the best! Read more at http://www.thepaessay.com

Jeremy Cohen Pre-PA

Thank you so much for your help with my personal statement. The process was everything I could have wanted and more. You were wonderful to work with and I appreciate very much how you were able to connect to my personal experiences and combine that with the traits that you know make a statement successful. I have applied to my first two PA schools and I owe a big part of that to you! Once again, Thank you very much!

Louis T. Pre-PA

It was an absolute pleasure working with Sarah. She was prompt to respond, professional, and kind. Sarah is an excellent writer. I was consistently impressed with her edits and suggestions for my personal statement. After working with Sarah I feel confident that my final essay will be well-received schools and help me stand out as a candidate.

Leah, Pre-PA

Duke helped me write a great personal statement. I won’t know if I’ve been accepted to the program until Christmas/New Year’s, but I feel that it was worth every penny!

Alicia C. Pre-PA

I just wanted to share that I got into USC! Woohoo!!! They just called me to share the good news. I’m feeling pretty shocked since that interview did not go as well in my head. I can’t believe I got into school during my first round of applications. This would not have been possible without you, and I really appreciate all the support you gave me throughout this process. ?

Tiffany, PA-S

My reviewer was Deanna Matzen who was incredible. I reached out to The PA Life’s editing service after being disappointed by myparesource, whom I was referred to initially. Deanna composed two alternate ways to structure my journey and allowed me to find a novel way to present my personal statement. After revision, I was able to flip my lens, utilize my introduction as my conclusion, and the rest of the paper began to fall into place. Very satisfied with the quality of her work, thank you so much, Deanna!

Steven, Pre-PA

Great feedback and turn around time. Utilizing this feature gave me even more confidence that I was trying my best to be the top candidate.

Kristopher, Pre-PA

Sue was a huge help with my essay. Her edits made my essay sound much better grammatically and she pointed out some content problems I completely missed. She prompted me to write a few more paragraphs before her edit and added the information into my essay. That made a big difference. She was very knowledgable about what PA programs were looking for. I am really happy with your service. Worth every penny, THANKS!

Megan Stephenson, Pre-PA

The comments and edits made by Sue are exceptional! They’ve helped a lot in terms of helping me express my thoughts more clearly and effectively. It felt as if she was there with me, reading my thoughts and helping me with the entire process in person!

Amy, Pre-PA

Thank you so much for editing my essay and for your kind words. Your edits have definitely made it a stronger PS and I am proud to have it as a part of my application. Thank you for alleviating my stress on arguably the most nerve-wracking part of the CASPA app. You are incredibly talented and well-spoken, and any person that has you edit their essays is incredibly lucky! I will let you know if I have any questions, but I think each one of your edits are meaningful and super clear. I appreciate you shortening it and making it flow better. Thank you again!!!

Karina Kapani, Pre-PA

I have used The PA Life services throughout my application process this year and I am 100% satisfied! Sarah helped me with my personal statement and mock interviewing. As a second time applicant, she really helped me strengthen my statement to convey my story of why I wanted to be a PA. I felt very confident in submitting my statement thanks to her review and was later invited for my first interview! The mock interview service was EXTREMELY helpful. Sarah provided excellent feedback during our session on how I could better rephrase my responses to make them stronger, but still, sound natural and true to myself. The session eased a lot of the interview nerves I had that come interview day I felt pretty confident. I’m proud to say that after my first interview, I was accepted! Thank you, Sarah, for all of your help throughout my PA journey!

Amanda B, Pre-PA

I just wanted to share some amazing news with you! I have been accepted into the MEDEX PA program in Seattle!!! I can’t thank you enough for all your help!! I am beyond excited and still can’t believe it is actually happening! Thank you again from the bottom of my heart!!!!! 😀

Pavitra, PA-S

This service was very helpful. My essay was edited and returned to me within a few days of me submitting it. The feedback was thorough and detailed. I am already planning on sending my essay for a second edit!

Sabrina, Pre-PA

I got into my first choice program University of Southern California (USC)!!!!  Thank you so much for your help this cycle. I’m forever grateful.

Lanisha Cole, PA-S

Deanna has helped me so much with my essay. I will definitely be reaching out for additional editing help and am so thankful this service is available. My editor was impeccably prompt, communicated her role, suggestions, and time frame which was great.

Morgan, Pre-PA

Deanna was an absolute joy to work with. Not only was she a wonderful writer and editor, but she helped me develop my thoughts and produce a personal statement I was proud to submit. She helped me refine my ideas, and concise my writing to illustrate my reasons for wanting this career. She was also very prompt in responding to my emails and questions. I am very happy with my personal statement and would recommend this service to anyone who is considering this service or feels stuck in their writing process.

Maddie, Pre-PA

I just want to follow up and let you know that I have been so fortunate enough to have conducted 3 interviews and received 3 acceptances, and I have decided to continue my educational journey at the OHSU PA program. I can’t thank you enough for all the help you’ve provided me, from helping me with my personal statement to mock interviews. I couldn’t have done this without your help, thank you.

Yomiyu Gafesu, PA-S

I wanted to let you know I got accepted into the PA program at Mercy College and have another interview at Pace University PA program next week. Thank you so much for guiding me through this process. I just want you to know I really appreciate the time you put into working with me.

Alex (Future PA)

I came into this with a half written personal statement and not a lot of time left. I am beyond pleased with the work Sarah and I were able to accomplish together, and I’m so grateful to have gotten the chance to work with her. She has helped me so much with getting my writing to where I wanted it to be, and has instilled in me a great sense of confidence in myself and my abilities. I highly recommend this service to anyone going through the stress of applying! Keeping my fingers crossed as I submit my applications!

Celine, PRE-PA

I have been accepted to my first-choice program!! UC Denver, I don’t have to move! I have also received three other interviews so far. Thank you so much for your help with my personal statement. You eloquently helped me state my desires and strengths for the career. I am beyond thrilled and thankful.

Nika (Future PA)

I can’t begin to explain how thrilled I am to have stumbled on this service. Like many other PA applicants, I was unsure of whether I was on the right track with my personal narrative. Reading Stephen’s two different PA school application essays showed me how to come up with something unique and creative, but the private personal statement review really made my essay shine.

Duke was so kind and helpful in helping me understand what admissions committees look for in a strong essay. Our phone conversations were so thorough, as we read through and discussed every word in my essay. Sue’s guidance helped me cut out the fluff to reach the character limit.

Melissa T. Pre-PA

I really felt the person who edited my essay, Sue Edmondson, took the time to get to know me as a person because she wanted my essay to reflect exactly who I am. I couldn’t have been more impressed with the edits and revisions she has given me along with the reasoning behind each revision.

Nicala, Pre-PA

I submitted my application this morning so I am not able to answer if I received an interview yet but I am THRILLED that I found this service. Sarah has been such a blessing working on my personal statement with me. She took my ideas and mediocre paper and turned it into a beautifully written story about my life. She helped me write exactly what I wanted to say and guided me with how to say it. I would recommend, without reservation, this service to anyone who is applying to PA school. I am one hundred times more confident about applying knowing my personal statement is exactly where it needs to be. Instead of feeling stressed and overwhelmed when I submitted my application this morning, I had complete peace. Thank you, for being a shining light full of kindness to applicants like myself.

Savannah, Pre-PA

Having my essay edited proved extremely helpful. I was having trouble connecting my thoughts, and the edit helped so much. I haven’t found out about acceptance yet. I’m just now about to submit my application!

Amber, Pre-PA

Thanks to the PA life and Deanna I was accepted to ECU PA program this cycle. I’m starting my program next fall. I have been part of the PA life community and a member of the leadership team at the virtual pre-PA club with Deanna and others. I’m preparing a video presentation about how to become a PA for IMG. I’m a nontraditional app and abnormally normal applicant 😆. The video will be posted on the IMG space of the community. I’m so happy to share my experience and help pre-PA like me.

Shynar Johnson, PA-S

Very detail-oriented and took the time to explain the process, so our expectations were on the same page. Excellent editing and feedback on the content. Helpful comments on how I could maximize limited character count to make the most impact on the reader. I very much would recommend this service!

Esmeralda, Pre-PA

Sue was very quick to edit my essay and give feedback. Any questions were answered very promptly. I am very pleased with the service provided.

Brandon, Pre-PA

Carly did more than help revise my grammatical errors and flow. She was able to show me the strengths and weaknesses of the concepts of my essay. She was able to tell me what it was missing as well as praise me for what I did correctly. It gave me confidence in my writing, and I truly believe it will make an impact on the way PA programs view me.

Sherry, Pre-PA

Sarah was beyond excellent. Her timelines and efficiency provided me with enough time to revise and meet with her again before our final draft. Her comments and edits were extremely effective. I hope to be receiving an interview and will be using this service (requesting Sarah) for a mock interview if that happens!

Kaitlyn, Pre-PA

This is my second time using this editing service and I am highly satisfied with the results! Sarah Schultz worked with me on both my personal statement and a supplemental essay, both times providing excellent advice and editing on my papers. It was a pleasure working with her, and I look forward to hearing back from programs soon to see if I receive an invitation for an interview.

Sarah, Pre-PA

So far, I’ve received 3 interview invites from Chapman, Drexel, and Tufts!!! I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to Sarah for polishing my PS, supplemental essays and giving me lots of awesome tips for my upcoming interviews!!!

Audrey, Pre-PA

Duke and I worked really well together. Seeing my first draft in comparison to my final draft was like night and day. I really appreciate all the help!

Kenzi H. Pre-PA

Sarah was amazing from beginning to end. Her listening skills are just superb. She edits in a manner that captures your story in a raw format and complete format. I loved my experience.

Vivian, Pre-PA

I owe you a lot! Thank you so much for helping me in this important process. God bless you.

Catalina, Pre-PA

I love Deanna! She was incredibly helpful and encouraging. I liked the way she constructively gave me feedback and I liked her ability to really strengthen my own ideas instead of dismissing them like other services. She is amazing at seeing things from different angles and that way rearrange and enhance my narrative. I did get an interview from the top choice and an offer a week later. Thank you so much and I will definitely recommend ThePALife to future prePAs.

Klam, Pre-PA

Sarah was amazing to work with. I love that she is able to take what I am trying to say and form concise sentences that flow together so effortlessly. Every time I read a paragraph that she ‘cleans’ up for me, my immediate response is “WOAH!”. Simply put, she was a pleasure to work with and I would recommend The PA Life personal statement editing service with her to anyone!

Jamee, Pre-PA

Sarah was a pleasure to work with the entire time. I felt very overwhelmed when I was working on my personal statement on my own, but once I started working with Sarah, she made me feel at ease while getting my personal statement to look its best. Sarah is very knowledgeable, understanding, and professional. One of the things I loved the most about working with her is that no matter the time of the day she was always available and got back to you in a timely manner. The whole time we worked on my personal statement she made sure I felt comfortable with changes that had to be made and I appreciated this as well. Sarah is excellent at what she does and I would recommend her and this one on one service to anyone that needs it.

Odilia, Pre-PA

I just wanted to update you that I got waitlisted for Drexel but accept to Dominican University of California. I still have other interviews coming up. Thank you for your help!

Karmen Wu, Pre-PA

Sarah Schultz was a great editor and was easy to communicate with. She answered my emails very promptly and made great suggestions while also helping me cut down and condense my essay to be in the character limit. She made me feel more confident in my work and helped me develop an essay that I am proud of. I would definitely use this service again!

Katie, Pre-PA

This is just a great service overall, because not only is it an editing service, it is specific to the PA personal statement. Sue did a wonderful job editing my essay, and pointed out important flaws in it that I otherwise might not have noticed. Her edits highlighted the main points that I was trying to get across in a much better way than I had originally written. Overall, very satisfied with the results, and will have to keep you updated about the interviews. Thanks so much!

Sabrina L. Pre-PA

Susan did a fantastic job of editing my essay! She guided me and gave me suggestions for strengthening certain sections and equally took out weak parts. After I followed her recommendations, I really felt like I had an essay where every sentence mattered and reflected who I was. Thank you so much Susan for your help. I feel that I have a stronger essay because of your honest feedback and your help!

Patrick, Pre-PA

Carly was extremely prompt and helpful! She helped edit my personal statement into something that I am extremely confident applying with!

Danielle, Pre-PA

Sarah was amazing and so helpful with thoroughly explaining her edits! I was so impressed with the first edit. She really took my theme to the next level and really helped tighten the flow of my essay. During our first phone call, I was amazed by how quickly she incorporated my new ideas/suggestions. Sarah is extremely clever with re-wording and cutting down unnecessary words, allowing you to elaborate more on important things. I can’t say enough good things about Sarah! I am so thrilled with my result!

Khanhi, Pre-PA

Holy cow! I wanted to let you know I have been accepted to PA school.  I will be attending the Franklin Pierce Physician Assistant Program, Class of 2019 in West Lebanon, NH. I cannot thank you enough for being part of my journey.

If you are reading this you might have been like me skeptical and trying to find a way to write a stellar essay for your PA application.  I want to share with you my exceptional experience using this service.  First, do yourself a favor and BUY the eBook, “How to Write Your Physician Assistant Personal Statement.”  I read it twice. Once before I started my essay draft and then again during.  I cannot stress how helpful the book was in clearly stating what the Admissions Directors are looking for in an application essay.  Next, the book reviews how to formulate a proper essay with clear instructions, easy reminders of the writing process, and excellent examples of good and bad writing choices.  After several drafts of my essay, I made an appointment to work with Duke Pasquini, one of the authors of the guide, through the internet and via phone to help with editing and my length issue.  Duke’s professional experience and kind and straight forward demeanor allowed me to create a winning essay that was an authentic representation of me.  Not only did I receive an interview from my top choice of PA school I was accepted a week later into their Physician Assistant Program, Class of 2019.  Thank you, “PA Life” for being a part of my journey.

Michele Williams, PA-S

I was very pleased working with Duke on my personal statement. I’m currently in the middle of applying to PA school, so I haven’t heard back from the programs. I’m looking forward to the experience though.

John R. Pre-PA

Sue did an exemplary job at editing my personal statement. Her service was particularly useful once my essay was ready for fine polishing and trimming down – she really pulled the fat off leaving the meat of my personal statement remaining. I would recommend this service to others.

Sarah, Pre-PA

Carly did a great job helping my personal statement flow from paragraph to paragraph. She truly helped me show throughout the essay why I wanted to become a PA. What I really appreciated was she explained why each change was made; comments and reasons which not only helped with this one time essay but for all my future essays as well. Definitely was worth it!

Kathleen, Pre-PA

I wanted to reach out and thank you for all of your help throughout my entire application process — your words, advice, and support made a world of a difference to me, and I’m sure everyone who has had the pleasure of working with you feels the exact same way. I thought I’d let you know that after my Stanford and Duke interviews over the past couple of weeks, I received acceptance to both programs! I’m still on cloud 9 and I don’t believe I’ll be coming down anytime soon. And as of early this week, I officially committed to Stanford University’s PA program and I begin in August!!! Thank you again for everything you’ve done to help!

Celine, PRE-PA

I am very pleased with the services provided! I received an email almost immediately upon submitting my essay for review, and within 24 hours my essay review was completed. I would definitely recommend this service to any PA school applicant before they submit their essay to CASPA! Thank you for your help!

Hannah Watson, Pre-PA

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Testimonials

Deanna was professional, prompt, and easy to talk to. I truly enjoyed working with her one-on-one for my personal statement. Her suggestions elevated my writing, and I appreciate all the work she put in my essay.
Jamie, Pre-PA
Deanna’s edits and feedback were stunningly thorough and exact, and her revision was more than I could have hoped for! I am very grateful for her patience and encouragement. I cannot recommend her service highly enough in return for her help and support.
Angela, Pre-PA
After receiving two edits from Carly I feel extremely confident in my personal statement. She not only fixed grammatical error and syntax, but helped me better organize my thoughts into a competitive essay. To other Pre-PAs looking to submit their essays: I know it’s a bit of an investment but the peace of mind, comfortability, and confidentiality is so worth it! Thank you The PA Life!
Elizabeth, Pre-PA
Thanks for creating the PA life. It has been a great resource for me as I review for my PANRE.  I am recommending the website to my PA staff.
Cheriee Slobodsky, MPH, PA-C
Carly took the time to listen to my concerns about my personal statement and apply them to what I had already written. I was so appreciative as I wasn’t sure where my personal statement stood before submitting it. I now feel more confident in my statement!
Chelsea, Pre-PA
I am pleased to tell you that I have been accepted to PA school, starting in 2-weeks.? I appreciate everything you have done for me, from helping with my personal statement to preparing me for interviews. You have been with me since the beginning of the application process and I really wanted to thank you.
Shane, Pre-PA
About a year ago you helped edit my personal statement to get into PA school! I just wanted to let you know that I got interviews and was accepted to all the schools I applied to! I have decided to attend UAB in the fall! Thank you again for all your help!
Lauren Smith, PA-S
Sarah Schultz is such a gifted and talented writer. She is super sweet and is a joy to work with. I could not have asked for a better editor. She was able to articulate all of my ideas and thoughts seamlessly and effortlessly. Although challenging at times, her suggestions and edits were very insightful and necessary into creating a spectacular essay. I am extremely pleased with the outcome. It is now a true work of art. I am so grateful to Sarah for offering her time to helping individuals like myself to write the best possible personal statement. I would not have been able to write such a cohesive and smooth flowing essay without her help. Thank you so much!! I would unhesitatingly recommend The PA Life Essay Collaborative and Sarah Schultz.
Patrick, PRE-PA
I have received three interview offers and was nervous about being prepared for them. Talking through questions with Sarah and practicing my answers was so beneficial! It will absolutely help me relax on my interview days and know that I am prepared. I really was happy with The PA Life Mock Interview Service and would recommend it to anyone.
Allison, Pre-PA
I enjoyed this mock interview process. Sarah was super helpful and provided honest and constructive feedback which is exactly what I was looking for. She helped me prepare for my MMI interview coming up in 2 weeks and the questions helped me know what to expect when it comes to interview day. Also, I appreciate the affordability of the mock interview. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is trying to practice and prepare for their physician assistant school interview.
Cydni M. Pre-PA

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101 PA School Admission Essays

Admissions Directors Know What They Want. Shouldn't You? You’re slaving away at your personal statement, but can’t help wondering if anyone will read past the first line. A troubling thought, isn’t…

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How to Write Your Physician Assistant Personal Statement

What Makes This Book Unique? We have worked with 1000’s of applicants through our Personal Statement and Essay Collaborative and have interviewed PA school faculty and Admissions Directors from 12…

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