31 (NEW) CASPA PA School Personal Statement Examples

Personal Statement Example 1

By: Caroline

As a little girl in Florida, every weekend I would visit my grandmother’s house, I would sit on the counter swinging my legs as the warm humid air from the window would hit my face. “Which do you want, Mint Chocolate or Butter Pecan?” My grandmother would ask. “Butter Pecan!” I would yell, purposefully copying my grandmother- Butter Pecan had always been her favorite. I loved imitating her, I would go to her room and try on all her jewelry and shoes, wishing I was old enough to wear them. My grandmother would put them away after and promised me I would have all the ones I wanted when I was older. As I grew older my grandmother seemed to age faster and faster, becoming extremely forgetful, the more confused and the angrier she became. She was diagnosed with severe dementia and later Alzheimer’s disease. I started visiting less and less, and they sold their beautiful home to move to a facility. I visited rarely. When I did, my mother would get upset as her mother couldn’t remember her, and she couldn’t remember me. My grandmother passed away only five years after being diagnosed, but as she promised I inherited all her jewelry.

The journey of life is unpredictable, you never know what will happen or what you will be diagnosed with. My grandmother did not know that she would lose her memory, I did not know as a young girl what my future held. I realized I wanted to help people like my grandmother, and so I became a CNA. On my first day of the job at Namaste Alzheimer’s center, I cried in front of the chaplain. I cried because I remembered my grandmother and how she suffered at the end, but also because I knew she would be proud of me. I pulled myself together and was excited to help my residents. Working with Alzheimer’s residents, you must always be alert. You have patients that are almost fully independent, some dependent, and others on hospice. I supervise my entire shift as with dementia, our residents try to walk away and forget where they are going or try to go outside on to the street. I aid them in activities of daily living, such as toileting, feeding, bathing, transferring, and more. As a CNA we work as a team with our LPN’s, RN’s, psychiatrists, RT’s, and other CNA’s. Being a CNA, the residents trust us the most. They rely on us consistently, hence we are informed and notice their changes in health more often. Working as a team is critical as care plans must be updated for residents to be treated accurately and thoroughly. Whether it’s from trouble swallowing, to balance issues, to end of life care; residents should have their comfort and quality of life upheld.

In memory of my grandmother and all my residents that have touched my every day, I strive to be the best CNA possible. I would keep this philosophy as a physician assistant to endeavor to be the most compassionate, trustworthy, and hardworking healthcare provider. Every patient is someone’s loved one, and as a physician assistant, I will treat them as such. Working as a team and being able to counsel patients on preventative care, diagnose and treat illnesses and much more would just give me greater autonomy than I do now, to be an extraordinary contributor to assist in their overall health. I know that my grandmother would be proud of the person I have become and how I have had some bumps in my road, but continue to preserver and ultimately strive for my ultimate goal to become a physician assistant, and not one that is only interested in medicine but the person as a whole.

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Personal Statement Example 2

By: Twelde

When deciding to become a healthcare worker, an individual chooses to be a lifelong learner. Their education and training will get them certified and work-ready. However, that only gets them into the building. 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit has been a constant in medicine for centuries, but recent research has called into question whether that is still the average healthy temperature. As new treatments or protocols are developed for known illnesses, new diseases are always just around the corner. Nothing is constant except for change. Having an appetite for learning is necessary to excel in healthcare. By staying as current as possible, we all can continue to provide the best possible prognosis for our patients. I want to take a step forward in my life-long learning. When I become a PA, that will not be the end of my education. It will just be the beginning.

My introduction to healthcare was not a voluntary one. On a cool September early morning, my mother was attacked by dogs on the front doorstep of our family home. My father happened to be awake and was able to fight them off. Eventually, I heard the noise and darted out of bed to see my mother: bloodied, torn clothing, a large gash over her left bicep. I asked her how can I help. Her teeth were chattering so hard she could not get a clear word out. I go back inside and grab a blanket for her to keep her warm until the ambulance is able to get here. They rushed her to the local hospital.

After multiple IVs, grafts, and nights of rest, my mother was finally allowed to come back home but not before a final talk with the wound care management team. We were greeted by a PA who had been working with my mother. This was my first time ever hearing of a PA. He gave us a demonstration of how to keep the wound clean and dressed. My father worked 17-hour days and as the oldest of four children, I was chosen as the designated wound dresser. The PA reassured me that this is something that I could do and his words gave me confidence. Every follow-up appointment with the wound team my mother had I went along with to talk with the PA again to talk about how the wound was getting better and what technique I should be using to dress her wound. I was hooked into healthcare and I needed to get in somehow.

I went into the counseling center of Georgia Perimeter College and asked an advisor to show me all of the healthcare programs they had. Radiology appealed to me as working independently and being directly involved in patient care was what I was looking for, so I applied to the program. Two years later, I graduated as one of the top students academically in my class and started working.

One evening, Abigail, a young child, was brought into the ER by her mother for shortness of breath and an odd-sounding cough. An order came across for a chest x-ray on my worklist, so I prepared my exam room for her entry. A dark room with large, grey machines can turn an anxious child into a scared one. With this in mind, the lights were turned on and the equipment was lowered to about what her height was as listed in her chart. When I brought them into the room, I attempted to explain the exam but Abigail’s mother interrupted me.

“I am sorry but we have not even seen a doctor yet. Are you sure she needs to have this done?” Abigail began coughing. It sounded more like a bark than an ordinary cough. I recalled from a recent class I took within the hospital that the cough sounds like croup and a chest x-ray can support a diagnosis. I convinced the mother that if the exam was not done now it could lengthen their stay in the ER. She relented. I finished the exam and brought them back to their room. I looked up who had signed up to be Abigail’s provider. It was Joseph, one of the PAs that worked in the ER. “Abigail is back from x-ray. If you have not seen her yet, I believe she may have a case of croup.” I explained my reasoning and Joseph thanked me for the information.

That was the end of my time as a part of Abigail’s healthcare team. I couldn’t help any further. I became dissatisfied. If I was a PA, I would have left Abigail’s room knowing how she was going to get better rather than just wondering what happened to her.

In the last 10 years, I have learned many things. Being able to anticipate a person’s needs will always be a valuable skill to have. Wrapping an arm in gauze three times a day can be tiresome but pales in comparison to aches in my arm after washing pots and pans in a soup kitchen. Ulcerative colitis does not care if you are in the toughest semesters of your junior year. Retooling your studying methods for yourself can turn your senior year into a breeze. What I have gained from all of this is that I am going to keep learning and improving myself to become the best possible PA that I can. In doing so, my words will confer confidence to the next young adult whose mother needs help that they can do it too.

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Personal Statement Example 3

By: Taylor

In fifth grade, I was playing football with my classmates; I remember being so proud that I scored a touchdown as the only girl playing. After the game, I noticed that my finger was at an abnormal angle, so my mom took me to urgent care. I was scared, I had never enjoyed going to the doctor and the provider easily picked up on my discomfort. She asked how I hurt my finger and congratulated me with a high-five when I told her the story of my winning touchdown. She explained that my finger was broken, but she spoke to me in a way that was easy to understand and relate to. This sparked my interest in the healthcare field. I want the opportunity to ease my patients’ fear of seeking medical help by connecting with them on a personal level as this provider did for me.

I joined the medical academy in high school to get a head start on my medical education and experience. I was able to dip my toes into different aspects of the healthcare field. We earned multiple certifications and spent a lot of our time shadowing different providers in the hospital who were able to share their experiences with us. One of the first procedures I observed was a cardiologist performing a cardiac catheterization through the groin for a coronary angiogram. I was fascinated by this procedure and I couldn’t wait to see more. Being able to observe the providers with their patients and learn the foundation of medicine solidified my decision and interest in healthcare.

During college, I worked as a medical assistant which taught me how to be efficient in a fast-paced environment and remain calm in stressful situations. I remember having a young patient come into our dermatology office for a skin check. He had a family history of melanoma and the doctor had discovered a concerning mole. He was nervous and his mom was doing her best at consoling but to no avail. After setting up the biopsy, I asked him about basketball because I noticed he had a Miami Heat backpack and basketball shoes. I continued to talk with the boy about his team and favorite player. Before he knew it, the biopsy was over and he was ready to go home. This time I was able to be the one providing comfort to a scared patient and giving the high-five.

While exploring the medical field through shadowing, a vascular surgeon introduced me to the PA profession. After further research, I determined that I wanted to be a PA myself. This profession interests me because of lateral mobility, level of autonomy, and job satisfaction. The ability to change specialty or even work in two specialties at once is appealing, as I enjoy being challenged and learning new skills. I like the idea of treating my own patients and having a team to consult with if necessary. The PAs I’ve spoken with mentioned having high job satisfaction, which is reassuring.

I’ve come a long way from the determined little girl with a broken finger. I’ve also experienced a lot that has encouraged me to grow both as a person and in my desire to pursue medicine. Something that has profoundly impacted my life is cancer. My first encounter with it was when I was ten years old, as I experienced a close friend pass away at the age of eight. Since then, the disease has taken a number of my relatives. Most recently, four family members passed away during my second year of college which caused me to struggle with my grades. While these events were tremendously challenging, they made me a more well-rounded person and encouraged my passion for medicine. I want to be able to provide my patients with peace of mind and outstanding clinical care. Being on the other side of the hospital bed and seeing things from the point of view of a patient, family, and friend has provided deep roots for my motivation to be a compassionate PA.

I’m currently working in a busy urology office with a dozen doctors and a few PAs where we see upwards of 300 patients a day. We treat a diverse population, including the under-resourced communities, providing individuals with free annual prostate cancer screenings and low-cost treatment plans. I enjoy being able to connect with patients and help make their visits feel more personable. Patients have shared that my positivity and compassion improve their visit.

I’ve invested a lot of time into learning more about the PA profession and the medical field as a whole. The positions I’ve held over the past few years all provided a different view of the office and make me more appreciative of the entire medical staff. I’ve learned the importance of working collaboratively as a team, taking detailed notes, learning medical terminology, showing compassion to my patients, and communicating effectively to both the patients and my collaborating physicians/PAs. I strive to one day be a PA who provides exemplary care and has the privilege of treating someone else’s loved ones. While I’ll gladly forego being the one with broken bones, I will strive to continue to take the time to care and console, and of course, give high-fives.

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Personal Statement Example 4

By: Erin

“Confidence” and “No fear” are two phrases I tell myself prior to flipping into a swimming pool at 20 mph. At the age of 5, I was a daredevil and decided to try springboard diving. Fast-forward 17 years, and it was the best impromptu decision a 5-year old could make. I had a passion and a little talent, and I worked hard to hone my skills. I spent my final four years of my diving career competing at the NCAA Division 1 level. I left my home in Chicago, IL, and moved more than 1000 miles away to pursue my dream of a collegiate career. Reminding myself to be confident and fearless has not only allowed me to succeed in the pool but also in the lab and classroom. Diving opened the doors of the University of New Hampshire which in turn opened many opportunities leading me to the field of medicine.

Through the diving community, I was given an unforgettable opportunity at Lurie Children’s hospital in the summer following my sophomore year of college. I had known Dr. James Sith for years prior to diving, but I had only known her as a “dive-mom” who simply came to watch and support her daughters dive at the pool. However, outside of her “dive-mom” character, Dr. Smith is a neonatologist at Lurie Children’s, and I decided to give her a call during my sophomore year to talk about my budding interests in medicine. I explained that I had recently taken a course in Pathogenic Microbiology which was my first taste in clinical medicine, as each unit covered human pathogens and we were responsible for knowing and understanding symptoms and treatments. Dr. Smith listened to my interests and immediately suggested volunteering with her team’s project involving early-onset sepsis in the NICU. Throughout the summer I was given the task of retrieving data on hundreds of patients and learned quickly how to navigate the electronic medical records. While I was continuously learning different aspects of medicine through the data retrieval, my experience was highlighted by the opportunity to shadow many different healthcare professionals: Attendings, Fellows, Residents, Nurse Practitioners, and PAs.

The first case I saw an osteomyelitis case on a young boy. Once being told that these cases were often caused by S. aureus, I was able to recall from my pathogenic microbiology course that treatment included options such as B-lactams if susceptible and Vancomycin if resistant to B-lactams. It was incredibly rewarding to watch my countless hours of flashcards and textbook reading come to life within the wards of the hospitals. It was even more gratifying to observe patients for several days in the hospital and then to see them improve over the course of months in the outpatient clinic. The little boy that I remember at the beginning of the summer crying with osteomyelitis in his leg, was running down the hallway of the outpatient clinic in August with a smile on his face—the moment of relief in his parents, the moment of reward for the physicians, and the moment of motivation for myself.

My experience with clinical research led me to an opportunity at the National Institutes of Health where I was able to study the neurodegenerative characteristics of glaucoma. While I was very eager about the position, I was also very nervous as I had never done benchwork research before and the NIH is “big time” for biomedical research. Just as I tell myself during diving, on the first day of my internship I told myself to be confident and fearless. I faced my initial fears of working with lab rats and quickly became extraordinarily gracious. Within the first weeks, the fear was replaced with excitement as I learned many techniques that involved assisting in surgeries, suturing, injections, and dissection. It was rewarding to see improvement with the treatment groups of rats which furthered my motivation to work with humans over rats.

Divers repeat a skill over and over to continue to improve it to the best of our ability. In one of my favorite books, Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science by Atul Gawande, he wrote that “Surgeons, as a group, adhere to a curious egalitarianism. They believe in practice, not talent.” Just as in a skill-based sport such as diving, I realized that science has a similar aspect. While I was performing research at the NIH, I certainly did not perfect skills such as suturing or dissection on the first try. My mentor taught me step by step, and with the resilience, I learned from diving, I was able to learn and master the skills throughout the summer. I have spent the 17 years of my life training and perfecting a sport. Now I plan to use the same type of mental capacity and dedication to practicing and fine-tuning skills in medicine.

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Personal Statement Example 5

By: Anh

“(My name), can you please go to room one?” I had already taken Mrs. Nguyen’s vitals and vividly remembered her blood pressure being elevated. My colleague asked me to go talk to her because she didn’t speak English. “What am I doing wrong? Why won’t he talk to me? Why won’t he smile at me anymore?” She cried. Her husband was suffering from stage IV liver cancer. He had been in denial and estranging himself from her. It appeared that she had not told anyone in her family about her emotional distress. Later that afternoon, Mrs. Nguyen called me to express her gratitude for letting her confide in me and to tell me she was feeling better after our talk. It was the moment after we hung up that I knew I wanted to become a physician assistant to not only treat patients but to utilize the interpersonal skills I have gained through all my experiences of interacting with patients.

It was not until my sophomore year of college did my decision to become a PA was solidified. After realizing my desire to become a PA, I sought every opportunity to gain leadership, volunteering, shadowing, and patient care experiences to expand my knowledge in the profession. I was involved with Delta Omega Chi Medical Service Society during college and worked in a collaborative group to volunteer and host charities for the underprivileged communities. In 2017, after the catastrophic Hurricane Harvey, as Fundraising director, I hosted various fundraising and bake sale events that raised funds to provide services to families in our community.

I have had the opportunity to shadow in various specialties, allowing me to observe the PA, nurse practitioner, and physician unique encounters with patients. A particular experience I remember when entering a room with a PA, I witnessed a frightened, shirtless little boy wrapped around his mother’s arms, with stitches across his back. As the PA picked up the suture removal kit, the boy startled, but could not move since his mother was holding him tightly. His eyes widened reflecting fear, he let out a painful cry that forced me to hold back my own tears. I watched the PA gently calm him down, assuring that he will heal and be able to go back to school to see all of his friends. I held his hand for the remainder of the procedure. Not only did the PA meticulously apply her clinical skills, but I also witnessed her patience, sympathy, and desire to comfort the little boy while he was in a vulnerable state. Relating to these characteristics, I yearn that one day I will be able to contribute to my patients in similar ways.

Growing up in a family that does not speak fluent English, I have always been the messenger between my parents and the provider. I recognize the inconvenience of the language barrier which could hinder patients from reporting their symptoms. As a medical assistant at a diverse family clinic, I am attentive to patient’s comfortability and their primary spoken language. If it is not Vietnamese, prior to asking a colleague to translate, I try my best to communicate with patients using basic vocabulary and hand gestures so I could have an idea of their chief complaints. Likewise, I interpret when another medical assistant needs help with a Vietnamese speaking patient.

From childhood involvements to exposure in several healthcare facilities, my commitment to a life-long career of serving the underprivileged community has strengthened. My broad experiences have honed my interpersonal and teamwork skills, as well as my ability to work under high-stress environments. Hearing the optimism in Mrs. Nguyen’s voice over the phone gave me the validation that patient relationships are just as important as the clinical aspect of healthcare. Although I was able to give her medical advice, my job position restricted me from providing further clinical care and counseling. As a PA candidate, I offer my unrelenting willingness to learn and serve people, and my ability to relate to diversity at my fullest potential.

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Personal Statement Example 6

By: Michael

Two years ago, my brother suffered a single gunshot wound in his leg. He experienced a large amount of blood loss and underwent below the knee amputation. The timing was a factor in his story because it was nearly two hours before he arrived at the hospital that would ultimately provide his care. He had surpassed “the golden hour,” we often hear about in healthcare. Fortunately, the healthcare providers were able to save his life. Living in a medically underserved area, sometimes you encounter circumstances where adequate resources are not readily available, regardless of the crunch for time.

I grew up as the youngest of six children in a small rural town in Southern Virginia. This area was the prime example of life with limited resources and access to healthcare. There were no local emergency care facilities, and the closest hospitals were over thirty miles away. Due to provider and resource shortage, most patients with life-threatening injuries were transported to the next major city (over 100 miles away). Since time is so precious in healthcare, this created a problem with the quality of care people received.

Emergency medical services are also a crucial part of medical care. These services were provided by high school volunteers and near retirement adults. There was no push for further education beyond basic EMTs. When paramedics retired, this created a shortage of individuals qualified to perform advanced life support. Similarly, the limit on ambulances played a significant role in the distance the staff had to travel during an emergency. In fact, the night my brother required medical assistance, it was over twenty minutes before an ambulance arrived. There were only two family practice physicians that cared for the entire community. In a town where healthcare was needed the most, there was not a push for medical careers beyond nursing. In my family alone, there were four generations of nursing assistants. Preventative and routine care was also not promoted. Many patients that surmounted to illness were almost always diagnosed during the end stages of their disease. Although we were not the poorest city in the state, we were and still remain today, the medically underserved.

My motivation for becoming a physician assistant (PA) is rooted in improving the quality and access to healthcare in underprivileged areas. It is this quality we still lack today in Chase City. There are not many healthcare providers that venture back to underserved areas where they are needed. Therefore, access to hospitals and emergency medical services are limited. As a PA, I want to provide more of these resource centers to help improve the quality of healthcare received. Over the last two years, I had encountered a multitude of PAs who have given me valuable insight into this profession. Recently, I had the pleasure of shadowing an emergency medicine physician assistant. This was an invaluable experience because I saw how PAs worked interdependently within a team of other healthcare professionals. I was also able to see how they worked autonomously to diagnose and treat within their scope of medicine. During shadowing, I witnessed this PA serve as a leader. She was instrumental in multitasking and prioritizing work for the team. Also, she was a competent communicator and used her resources well. I observed her provide care to a couple that could not speak English. She used her care partner to interpret the conversation. The most rewarding aspect of this experience was the amount of time she was able to spend with her patients. It was enough that patients felt more comfortable and secure with their level of care, but not too much where the wait time for other patients was extended. These visits were different from anything I had seen; they were efficient and personable.

Preparation for physician assistant school has been a fantastic journey. I have acquired a large amount of knowledge about the medical field. My brother’s un-fortunate incident inspired me to want to change in the healthcare field. However, it was the growing and energetic medical career of a PA that helped me choose my pathway. Providers in the profession can accomplish this change. They have the knowledge and skills needed to become leaders in the process. I genuinely believe that PAs help maintain the integrity and quality of healthcare. As an effective PA, I will continue this trend and work to improve patients’ health throughout our community. If given the opportunity, I plan to use my degree to improve healthcare by providing adequate resources to the underserved. Also, I will serve as an advocate for my patients by promoting preventive and routine care. Finally, serving as a physician assistant in under-served areas would be both refreshing and liberating to me.

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Personal Statement Example 7

By: Sammy

The operating room is cold and bright, with soft music and light-hearted conversations setting a laid-back mood despite the seriousness of the occasion. Everyone here plays a unique and significant role, and each person knows that surgery is a big deal and a mistake could mean a terrible outcome for the patient. The medical professionals all understand the gravity of the situation, but they also know that they are capable of executing the operation flawlessly, and as a result, enhancing the patient’s life. I watch in awe as the orthopedic surgeon performs a reverse total shoulder arthroplasty. I am more focused, however, on the woman standing at his side. Even before the doctor appeared, she was hard at work, preparing the patient for the surgery and ensuring that everything was on-hand to guarantee that the operation would go smoothly. Now, she works alongside the physician, handing him the instruments he needs and seemingly anticipating his every move in order to assist him and ultimately guarantee that the patient receives the best treatment possible. Finally, she is given the task of stitching up the patient, and I watch as she perfectly and effortlessly sutures the open wound. Observing a physician assistant in action has been life-changing and course-altering in my eyes.

However, the path leading to where I am now has been neither easy nor straight. Flashback to when I was thirteen years old, visiting the doctor’s office to receive a tetanus shot. The nurse administered the shot, and everything was going well until my vision blurred and soon turned black altogether. The next thing I knew, I was lying on the ground surrounded by family and nurses, confused as to how I ended up in this situation. I immediately decided that I should not even consider a career in healthcare; it was clear that if I faint when receiving a shot, there is no way that I can survive in a profession that involves performing operations, diagnosing diseases, and constantly handling needles.

If I had only known how misguided my thirteen-year-old self was. Fast-forward five years and I was finally graduating from high school, eager to start the next chapter of my life but uncertain about what the future would hold for me. I tried to ignore the pull that I felt toward medicine, but it proved to be incontrovertible, and I finally allowed myself to indulge in the idea of becoming a healthcare provider. After much research and many conversations with family members, advisors, and professors, and especially those who work in the medical field, I decided that I wanted to become a physician assistant. As soon as I discovered the profession, I was drawn to the plethora of benefits that I saw. Being a physician assistant would allow me to collaborate with physicians, have the work-life balance that I desire, choose from a variety of options and opportunities, experience the excitement of a career in healthcare, and, above all, help patients in need.

I believe that my personality and unique qualities would greatly benefit me in my career as a physician assistant. For as long as I can remember, I have always been on the move. Being a biology/chemistry double major with two minors is a huge undertaking in itself, but my daily life also included hours of track practice (often twice a day) on top of attending classes, completing assignments, and studying, not to mention participating in extracurricular activities. While this seems overwhelming, a busy schedule is ironically what keeps me sane. I thrive when I am up against a mountain of work and must complete tasks quickly and efficiently. Regardless of the amount of work I am facing, I make it a priority to remain detail-oriented and patient so that I complete each undertaking to the best of my ability. Thanks to my perfectionist mindset, I never look for short-cuts or quick fixes at the expense of getting a job done the correct way. Furthermore, I adapt easily to new and challenging situations, a crucial trait for a worker in the field of healthcare, which is fast-paced and constantly evolving/improving.

Thanks to the busy, intense lifestyle that comes with being a Division 1 student-athlete, I learned how to manage my time wisely, maintain focus even when things were not going well, be disciplined and dedicated to my goals and my team, and communicate effectively with my coaches and teammates. Furthermore, in my role as a team captain, I was able to sharpen my leadership skills and resolve issues. I have a knack for solving problems, and I am always up for a challenge. I love the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment that accompany finally overcoming an obstacle after working hard and persevering. I believe that the physician assistant profession would allow me to capitalize on many of my personal strengths in a career that would be fulfilling for me and, more importantly, beneficial to those I am able to treat.

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Personal Statement Example 8

By: Haley

I do not really understand the joy of puzzles. My sister, my mom, and my grandmother love to sit for hours and work a puzzle. They say there is a real feeling of accomplishment when you complete one. By having all of the little pieces in front of you, knowing what the picture looks like, and taking the time to actually sit and complete the puzzle the right way, it is apparently really rewarding. I respect their hobby, but puzzles were never for me. I wanted to take a shortcut, to paint my own picture from the image in my brain, and finish it in 15 minutes. If it took longer, it was not worth the effort. I did not want to have someone lay pieces in front of me and say “figure it out, it will take time.” It was not until I went to get my master’s degree in public health that I realized that healthcare is actually a giant puzzle; but it is one that I feel like no one wants to take the time to figure out, even though we know what the picture should look like. Receiving my MPH showed me that in healthcare, instant gratification is rare. People are complex and should be treated in their entirety, and that can take more time and effort than what most people are willing to put in.

I have always pondered questions that surrounded science, health, and people. “Why can’t people just get jobs?” “Why can’t people just eat better?” “Why are some people more prone to this disease than others?” My desire to answer life’s questions led me to a degree in Biology, but my ignorance led me to believe that all of these questions were unrelated. Public health made me realize that this ignorance was reflective of a much larger issue in medicine, one of having all of the pieces but not understanding the clear, true picture. I was defeated thinking about all of the doctors, nurses, and physician assistants working tirelessly toward something when they didn’t have the whole picture. I was mad, thinking that medical schools, nursing schools, and PA schools were steering them in the wrong direction, until one day, all of that changed.

While working on my thesis, I was presented with a patient at a clinic named Katie. Katie was raised extremely religious and was now attending a religious university. Katie wanted to discuss birth control options due to an irregular menstrual cycle, and her weight had been fluctuating for months. She was exhibiting internal symptoms of acute stress in her work-up: elevated heart rate, reports of sleep problems, shaking, and gastrointestinal issues. Her stress was also physical; she came into the exam room and burst into tears, saying she was so afraid to take birth control. I felt for her. I thought for sure I knew what would happen next: the provider would come in, say that Katie seemed really sensitive, and think she was probably scared of taking medicine with possible side effects, like so many people can be. They will tell Katie not to worry, take some deep breaths, take the prescription, and they will move along to the next patient.

But I was looking at a distorted picture, one that I had carved out in my head because I thought I knew better. But the PA Katie was seeing actually went to find the pieces of the puzzle to create the true picture. It turns out that Katie was still on her parent’s insurance, and they did not believe in birth control for any reason, not even if it would help her with her symptoms. She could not go to the student clinic on campus, because due to the university’s religious affiliation, they did not offer any kind of birth control. Katie was stressed about her parents finding out via insurance claims, and equally as stressed about her symptoms, which is what led to her signs of acute stress. The PA assured her that birth control was still an option for her, and discussed out-of-pocket options for Katie that would allow Katie autonomy, as well as treat her symptoms. She even offered to talk to Katie’s parents about her needs, if Katie consented. Katie left that day with a prescription, and when she came back for a follow-up, she was doing much better.

Katie walked out that day with something that would help her move forward. I walked out of the clinic that same day knowing that I was about to move forward myself. I was inspired to be the kind of physician assistant that this PA was. This PA saw the entire picture because she let Katie create her own. I had never witnessed such intelligence, compassion, rapport, and true altruism from a provider before. That is how I knew physician assistants were special, and that is when I knew I wanted to be one. Physician assistants have been charged with needing to care for the whole patient, and not just blankly fill out a prescription. That is exactly what this PA did, and when I become a PA, it is exactly what I intend to do. Her patient’s life is better for it, my life is better for having witnessed it, and my goal is that my future patients’ lives will be better for it as well.

Having an MPH is all about finding the puzzle pieces, and being a PA is having the skills to complete the picture. It is about letting patients tell their stories and treating them as people, not as their symptoms. By having my MPH, I know I have the skills to find all of the pieces that will lead to a bigger picture, which will ultimately lead to giving the best care possible. I want to become a PA so I can feel that sense of accomplishment when I put the pieces together and can finally see the clear, true picture.

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Personal Statement Example 9

By: Michaela

The worst 911 call to run is the one that happens during a midnight rainstorm in January. As I walked up the long driveway, huddled under my raincoat, I silently wished on a falling raindrop that the patient would reconsider requesting emergency services and ask the dispatcher to cancel her call before I reached her door—she had dialed 911 to explain that her home oxygen tank had stopped working and she was frightened. Instead, lights flickered on in the house as I drew nearer, and when I reached the porch I was greeted by a pair of sparkling green eyes which belied a frail, almost translucent frame. I have long forgotten her real name, but “Maxine” seems to fit her well.

Two small oxygen tanks, one with a regulator whose needle was in the red, leaned precariously against the piano bench. Maxine was still wearing her oxygen cannula, although she had disconnected the other end from her empty oxygen tank, and held the coiled yards of green tubing in a trembling hand. “I don’t know where to plug myself in,” she confessed, with a break in her voice that could have been half a laugh or half a sob, “and I’m afraid the oxygen in my blood will drop too low before my daughter can get here from across town.”

“Then I’m glad you called,” I said, “I work with oxygen systems a lot, and I’m sure I can help you with yours.” I removed the regulator from her empty tank and showed her how it keeps just the right amount of oxygen flowing.

“Regulator? I thought that was what my fiber pill was for!” Maxine quipped. Her brown eyes sparkled as they met mine, and we drowned fear and exhaustion and cold in laughter.

As we continued working to change the regulator, it became apparent that Maxine’s arthritic hands no longer had the strength to grasp the wrench, so after I finished connecting her full tank, I asked Maxine if I could stay with her until her daughter arrived. We had almost finished a cup of tea by the time the doorbell rang. I ran through the tank change procedure with Maxine’s daughter until she could accomplish it independently. As my two new friends hugged me goodbye, the daughter whispered “all Mom wants is to spend the time she has left at home. Thank you for helping her do that.”

Like most healthcare professionals, I have been fortunate to have hundreds of similar opportunities to make a small but significant impact on a patient’s life, but the day I met Maxine struck me in particular because of the shift it inspired in my goals as a provider. After meeting her, I became increasingly interested in community paramedicine and my department’s emerging mobile integrated healthcare (MIH) program. My focus began to shift from seeking out training and experience in critical care to making smaller but nonetheless meaningful differences to my patients.

As we started to build our MIH program, I reconnected with an emergency department physician assistant (PA) who continued to volunteer alongside us as a paramedic. The versatility of her training as a PA made her ideally suited to connect the clinical world with the EMS teams whose capabilities she had come to trust and integrate with during her public safety career, and I started to see my future goals in her work. Whenever I turned over care of a patient to her, I listened carefully to the questions she asked me about the patient’s living conditions and access to medical care, and frequently sought her advice on how to improve my ability to connect patients to primary care resources that could improve their quality of life. I am ready to do more than advocate for my patients while administering prehospital care; I want to become the provider who educates and empowers both patients and paramedics to become a stronger, healthier, more connected community. I believe that patient encounters like my evening with Maxine are the ones that help us maintain our humanity in a culture increasingly driven by data, timelines, and “measurables,” and I believe that the PA profession has become so successful and popular with patients because of its subtle shift of medical culture toward humanism.

My early years as a paramedic were driven by ambitions of caring for the sickest patients, utilizing the most specialized knowledge and avant-garde techniques. This resolve carried me to the skies as a flight medic, to join a disaster team, and almost to pursue medical school, before I realized that the science and the adrenaline weren’t what was fueling my passion for the medical field. The smile in Maxine’s eyes was what kept me working on days when all the critical care knowledge and flawless resuscitation techniques couldn’t save the child who ran into the street in front of a truck, or the father who never knew his angry coworker was coming to work with a gun. Becoming a PA will enable me to create these small but life-changing quality-of-life improvements for patients in my community every single day, and I hope that one day it may lead me to poke fun at oxygen regulators with Maxine again.

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Personal Statement Example 10

By: Ashley

Nausea. Constant nausea, dizziness, and fatigue accompanied any intake of food. This was my life for three straight months before finally deciding to bring myself into a doctor’s office. After relaying my many new-onset symptoms since graduating college, the provider sitting in front of me replied “You don’t look sick, your abdomen isn’t painful to touch, you are just experiencing heartburn.” Even with a history of diagnosed gastroparesis, she gave me a “GI cocktail” and sent me on my way. If I had chosen to listen to that specific doctor and ignored my symptoms with antacids I might have ended up with a colon cancer diagnosis at the age of 50. Making the decision to become my own advocate when my doctor failed to do so ended up saving my life. It only took one healthcare provider who had the commitment to actually believe how I was feeling to find a celiac diagnosis and to remove pre-cancerous cells in my colon.

This experience happened at age 22, a time in my life where I was able to appreciate the meaning behind it. What I originally saw as a barrier ended up becoming an avenue to reaffirm one of the biggest decisions of my life: the choice to pursue healthcare and the role of a physician assistant. My first introduction to the profession was with Mike Hollenback, a neurosurgical PA-C at Kaiser Permanente. After shadowing him daily for an entire month I realized he had the perfect balance of inpatient, outpatient, OR time, independence, and teamwork. He modeled insightful patient care in all domains and showed me just how impactful PAs are. Not everyone has the luxury of remembering the exact person who influenced their career choice, but I will always remember Mike as mine.

Because I was lucky enough to be a part of an internship with Mike so early in life, I was able to expose myself to many aspects of the healthcare field at a younger age than most. With each experience came a new perspective on patient care. Confidence. Becoming a CNA was a crucial stepping stone. It helped me gain confidence in working with patients and let me experience pain, resilience, and struggle alongside them. Instinct. Working as a caregiver for a 21-year-old diagnosed with Rett syndrome taught me how to listen and act on gut instincts. Emily was unable to communicate through words, so I quickly learned to trust my intuition in urgent situations, like grabbing her VNS magnet when I saw an oncoming seizure. Adaptability. Dirt scattered across my “sterile” tarp barrier as I attempted to perform wound care on the most infected leg I had ever seen. Even though our only resources were an abandoned church in the middle of Kenya, Africa we were able to adapt to our surroundings and transform it into a working hospital. Each of these characteristics works in unison to create a provider I want and will become.

My passion for becoming a physician assistant was reinforced when I took my first full-time job out of college as an EKG technician at Oregon Health Sciences University. Having the opportunity to work with PA’s daily whether it is discussing patients over the phone, responding to stat EKG calls, or collaborating care in our cardiology clinic has given me a clear understanding of the career path. Recently I was able to witness a cardiothoracic surgical PA, Lauren Azrabel, assist in a coronary artery bypass. I watched her independently extract the great saphenous vein from the patients’ leg and meticulously stitch back together a new vessel to replace the diseased coronary artery. Peering over the sterile drapes at the head of the patient, watching Lauren and the lead surgeon operate on a live, beating heart was without a doubt a day I will never forget. I left the operating room and couldn’t stop myself from smiling, because I knew right then I wanted to go into a career that would always give me this feeling.

The day I found out the polyps removed from my colon were pre-cancerous, reality set in and so did a million different emotions. But at that moment all I could think about was the original provider who assumed I was over exaggerating my symptoms and refused to run any tests. I thought about how many other patients she sent away with no further investigation and I told myself as a physician assistant I will never allow my patients to leave my office feeling unheard. I am extremely eager to begin this new journey and I do believe I have the experience and drive to become an outstanding provider. I hope one day I can make a difference in someone else’s life by having the commitment to see beyond the symptoms and look at the whole picture.

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Personal Statement Example 11

By: Kaylee

“10…9…8…” I counted backward and slowly drifted off to sleep as the surgeon began to operate on me. At the age of five, I was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF 1). As I can recall, my mother found a small lump on my chest and took me to the hospital to get it checked. The physician advised my mother that I should have surgery to remove my tumor in case it becomes malignant in the future. I remember crying and not wanting to do the surgery since my parents will not be there with me. However, the kindness from everyone in the operating room, and their reassurance that I was in good hands made the feeling of nervousness go away. At that moment, I knew I wanted to work in the medical field when I grow up so I could help kids like me. Unfortunately, for individuals with NF 1, this condition cannot be cured. So as more café-au-lait birthmarks appear on my skin, and more pain and tumors form throughout my body, my love for medicine grows deeper.

My medical condition was not the only thing that led me to medicine. Growing up, I have witnessed my epileptic brother collapse to the floor from seizures many times. Each time, I felt hopeless because I cannot do anything to help. Moreover, my older sister was diagnosed with a ventral septal defect and needed surgery. It was hard for me not to think of a career in medicine when everyone around me is diagnosed with health problems.

One day, while researching for a career in the medical field, I stumbled across a physician assistant (PA). It was my first time hearing about this profession, so I researched more about it. The more I learned about PA, the more I fell in love. I love the lateral mobility this profession offered, knowing that I can work in neurology to treat patients like my brother or myself and work in cardiology to treat patients like my sister without having to go through residency like a physician.

I began to enroll in a medical assistant (MA) program then worked as an MA. My MA job helped me to realize how wonderful it was that I can impact someone’s quality of life by helping them regain their health. There were days where I felt depleted. However, seeing the patients got better and hearing that it was because of my help made me feel overjoyed and regained my energy. The feeling I experienced when seeing the patients can walk better without having to rely on their cane and walker, or the smile on their face when they told me they do not have pain anymore was indescribable. I knew that I would not experience this feeling if I have worked at a career outside of medicine.

Working as an MA along with physicians and shadowing PAs have helped me to realize that a career as a PA is what I desired. Although I can help the patients as an MA, my scope of practice was very limited, and I felt I have not helped them enough. I wanted to do something more to help my patients. When I shadowed PAs, I have learned and observed how much they can do, from diagnose to treat and manage diseases, prescribe medications to perform medical procedures, and first assist in surgery. I cannot do these things that I want to do for my patients as an MA. Through shadowing PAs, even with a short amount of time, I have witnessed their compassionate, warm, and friendly attitudes toward their patients. These are some characteristics that I admire and can relate to. Moreover, the PAs got to spend more time with their patients; in addition to being able to communicate with their patients and their colleagues effectively. I have seen them work well independently and together with other healthcare members to provide the best care for the patients. These are some of the traits I have gained through my MA experience and strived to improve.

I’ve encountered difficulties on my road to becoming a PA; however, with my determination, I did not give up. During my first few semesters of college, I was lost in finding what I wanted to do and did not try at school. It was not until I found the PA profession and began to improve myself and my grades. My favorite quote is “difficult road often leads to beautiful destinations,” I have failed many times, but each time I learned to stand up and learned from my mistake. I believe the obstacles that I have overcome will make me a better healthcare provider.

I am the patient, the family member of the patient, and an MA. I know what it feels like to be hopeless when your medical condition cannot be cured or seeing a family member being sick, and how it feels to have to break the bad news to the patient. I hope to use my experience as an MA and the skills that I will gain in PA school to help my patients during their most vulnerable time. I want them not to feel scared of their health condition, like how the doctor had done for me when I was little. Even if I cannot help them with their condition, I want to help them to feel not as hopeless as I did when their disease cannot be cured. These are the reasons why I want to be a physician assistant.

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Personal Statement Example 12

By: Kelly

I remember sitting in the car seat and yelling out “hospital” as it runs by the window while my mom drags me along with her to work in downtown Houston. My mom was once apart of a program in the Philippines that helped citizens come to America and become registered nurses. As of now, my mom has been a postpartum nurse for close to 30 years in the same hospital. She serves as my biggest inspiration and image of what it means to be a hard worker and that nothing can stop me in my path, no matter how daunting.

I had never heard of a physician assistant until my freshman year of college at the University of Texas. I was crying to my brother on the phone about how hard my classes were and how I felt so lost I wasn’t sure what career I could see in my future. He mentioned being a physician assistant since he had a few friends who loved it, thus the research began. No matter what school I looked into, to a freshman in college, it seemed like a pipe dream to be accepted into a program. I felt discouraged and instead directed my focus on sociology and public health studies. As courses went on, I realized that I needed to be in a hands-on profession. I needed to be able to communicate with patients face to face in order to feel connected with my profession and those I was helping. At that moment, I decided that becoming a physician assistant was a mix of what drew me into public health and what I’ve always loved about medicine – helping people and noticing a difference I make in their lives.

It really clicked with me that I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives while volunteering at an HIV/AIDS hospice center. I realized how much we take for granted day-to-day. As a patient struggles to walk or pick up his glass of juice all due to severe gout, I helped to prepare them dinner and be that person they could talk to when trying to unwind after a rough day at physical therapy. As the hot summer weeks progressed, this patient slowly but surely transitioned from a wheelchair to a walker – something he confessed to me he never thought would be possible again. Seeing the perseverance of this man over the weeks made me realize that even though life can be bad sometimes, it could always be worse, and if I have the opportunity to help those experiencing the worst then why shouldn’t I? Helping a historically stigmatized group of people made me realize I could do this for a living. I could be a voice in people’s lives that makes them feel heard and worthy of the help they deserve.

After moving from my Texas home to pursue shadowing two Florida physician assistants for a month day in and day out truly confirmed to me that I want to and could accomplish being a physician assistant someday. The most heartwarming observation I made during my shadowing was strong ties to a patient’s life each physician assistant had. Their patients have been coming to them for years anytime they had a joint problem or a new spot pop up on their skin they had a concern about. They continuously come back to the provider they trust. Relationships are built around the quality of care they receive and continue for years.

As a medical assistant at a dermatology practice, within my first two weeks of working, you begin to realize that it’s the little things just like a patient remembering your name to recognize that even the smallest bit of quality care and attention can go a long way in someone’s life. A patient telling me I can tell my father he should be proud of me because of the attentive care I gave or a patient asking if I’d be in the office for his follow up the next week filled me with so much I know I can pursue a higher career and make an even bigger impact on a patient’s visit.

I want to become a physician assistant and become more selfless. My mother taught me hard work along with compassion and care for others will make not only you happier with yourself but can help make others happier along your way.

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Personal Statement Example 13

By: Amel

Born in a country riddled with religious persecution and poverty of the highest degree, my parent’s decision to flee Bosnia and Herzegovina was one that I will never stop being thankful for. As a refugee of war, many things changed when we came to the United States. Coming to a new country can present a culture shock on its own, but when you couple that with the life that we had been so accustomed to back home, it truly felt as if our world had been turned upside down. My parents worked endlessly in order to keep food on the table, and my siblings and I worked day in and day out in an effort to try to fit in with our peers. I had grown up seeing close family members fall victim to easily treatable diseases and I have seen doctors put themselves before the well-being of their patients. Doctors were rich and untouchable, and people got sick and they died. Growing up, this is just what I had known to be true.

As the years passed, my family and I assimilated to life in the US. We had learned the language and, off the back of my parent’s relentless work ethic, we had prospered. It would have been easy to say that our lives were set and we would never experience the turmoil that we faced back home, but this simply was not the case. My father, who I viewed as invincible, suffered a heart attack that shook our family to its very core. He was the breadwinner of the family and without him, we would not be able to survive. Shortly after this, my mom had fallen ill and wound up in the same hospital. Her appendix had burst and she had become septic. Her team of doctors had acted quickly, saving her life as well as the rest of ours. During her post-operative care, she was frequented by a gastroenterology physician assistant who displayed such interest and care for her well-being that to this day I still aspire to match.

Upon graduating from high school, I was involved in a vehicular accident that had left me with a herniated disk in my back, a sprained groin, crushed dreams of playing soccer in college, and a crippling depression that soon began to overtake my entire life. I went into college for the sole purpose of being the first in my family to do so. With my mental state being where it was, I found it impossible to devote time and energy to my studies, and it is directly reflected by my transcript. I spent nearly two years dreading getting out of bed and interacting with society, until one day I had an epiphany. My family risked everything to get to where we were. We escaped a genocide that took the lives of over 10,000 people. We overcame all obstacles presented to us as immigrants. Why was I letting this one event dictate my entire life? I began to attend class on a regular basis. I began to work out and gained 50 pounds of muscle, not only improving my mental health but also my physical. I had forgotten all about the pain and discomfort and I focused on my future and the future of my family. My grades started to improve, my social life flourished, and my desire to pursue my dream of working in medicine took off.

Working as a behavioral therapist and physical therapy technician introduced me to very different aspects of healthcare, and while I appreciate both, I wanted more. I began taking classes not necessary for my degree, such as human physiology, organic chemistry, biochemistry, and microbiology. Each of these dove into different aspects of medicine and my thirst for knowledge was being quenched. I achieved outstanding grades in each course, all while working nearly full time. I began shadowing doctors, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners in an effort to discern the differences between each field and find the one that is right for me. Very quickly I realized just how perfect the physician assistant field was for me. It provided an opportunity to work alongside and learn from physicians that devoted their lives to a certain field, all while allowing the flexibility to experience other fields and settings. Apart from flexibility, physician assistants are often on the front line of patient care. They are able to build rapport with patients and establish trusting relationships with those that come to them in their time of need, which is truly the greatest privilege of all.

My story is filled with many twists and turns, and it is impossible to convey them all within the confines of text. I have felt pain. I have felt helpless. I have seen the dark side of humanity that I hope nobody has to witness themselves. Despite all of this, I have held true to my dreams and, given the chance, I know that I can be the physician assistant that I would entrust to take care of my very own parents. My GPA may not be the most impressive, but I have spent the past several years not only bettering my grades and science background but also spending my free time experiencing all that I can, so that one day when someone comes to me in their time of need, I can be the person that they can count on.

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Personal Statement Example 14

By: Erin

Sirens filled the night air, getting louder and louder as the ambulance approached. In moments, paramedics crash through the doors of the emergency room rushing to get the patient to a room. The paramedics are performing CPR as they go. Nurses and technicians are on standby with a crash cart prepared to take over. A doctor stands at the bedside ready to give orders. The patient is transferred to the ER bed while the paramedics tell the doctor the patient’s story. A whirlwind of activity commences as medications are given, vitals are obtained, and CPR proceeds. Sometime later, the doctor leaves the room and asks for the patient’s family. The family has been in an isolated room, anxiously awaiting to hear news from the doctor. The doctor enters the room, closes the door, and begins to speak. Moments later, wails can be heard throughout the ER as the family grieves for the loss of their loved one.

One such scene was one of my first experiences in a hospital. I found myself empathizing with the family and wishing I could have done something, anything to alleviate their grief. Unfortunately, I could do nothing for them. I sat on the sidelines and observed, but I could do nothing to help the patient or the family. Frustration swelled within me at my incapability. I quickly realized that if I wanted to be able to heal patients and their families then I would need to be in a position to do so. After much research into the field of healthcare, I knew that I wanted a career similar to a medical doctor that would afford me the ability to heal patients. Then, I stumbled upon the career of a physician assistant and knew that I had found my answer.

I knew for certain that physician assistant was my path when I became a member of Clinic Vols during my undergraduate years. Clinic Vols gave me an opportunity to provide first aid to children in after-school programs. I brightened at the thought that I was actively helping these children overcome their bouts with nausea, overheating, and scraped knees. I found the greatest reward of being a Clinic Vol was seeing a child smile and say, “Thank you.”

For the past two years, I worked as a medical scribe in an ER. As a scribe, my job is to document and create the chart from the initial examination to the patient’s disposition. The ER allows me the luxury of observing how the doctors and PAs diagnose and treat a number of patients in one shift. Furthermore, I had the opportunity to ask questions to both doctors and PAs and to act as a shadow to a doctor. Through these opportunities, I have a better understanding of what needs to be ordered for each complaint, which medicines are appropriate for each condition, and how differential diagnoses become a diagnosis. My time as a scribe is truly invaluable in teaching me how to be a health professional and provide patient care.

From my observations as a scribe, medical doctors and PAs operate in similar mannerisms in the ER, but the PAs have the opportunity to have more interactions with patients. Many times, I have witnessed PAs keeping the patient and family calm and receptive to care by answering their questions and keeping them updated. These observations show me that the simple act of speaking with a patient allows the healing process to begin mentally and emotionally. My observations have led me to believe that interacting with the patient is the most important aspect of patient care.

Theodore Roosevelt once said, “No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.” My time in the ER has proved that this statement could never be more true than in the healthcare system. I want to be a health care provider who can be a shoulder to cry on when a loved one is lost. I want to be a healthcare provider who can make a patient and their family smile and say, “Thank you.” I want to be a healthcare provider who can treat patients, while still being someone patients can talk to, rely on, and trust to care for them. I cannot think of a better way to do that than by being a physician assistant.

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Personal Statement Example 15

By: Katelyn

Sirens are wailing, my adrenaline is pumping as we are approaching the scene. As we get closer I see two potential patients lying on the ground, both in obvious distress. My partner and I grab the appropriate gear and rush to our patient as the crew behind us rushes to theirs. As I was an intern at the time, I was given the less critical injures to manage. As my partner attempted to stop the bleeding of the detached lower extremity, I tended to the head of the very alive and very conscious motorcycle crash survivor. My job was simple. Keep her awake and stable. As our team worked on getting her into the ambulance, I maintained c-spine and talked her through what was more than likely the scariest moment of her life. She was incredible. Although I’m sure she felt it, there were no signs of fear. We talked about her life, her kids, her dreams, and goals all the way to the hospital. I kept her calm and awake as she refused to let go of my hand until we finally reached the ER. My job was done. As incredible of a feeling it was to assist in saving someone’s life and to be there to help someone in their time of need, I craved more. I wanted to stay with my patient, be there during her future procedures; to know how she turns out and to help in the process of healing and recovery. Unfortunately, as an EMT, we aren’t so lucky as to know what happens once the ER bay doors close. I’m ready for more. I’m ready to be a PA.

Being an EMT for the past year or so I have encountered numerous patients that I had a strong connection with. Each one was hard to let go and trust the receiving medical team, but my first trauma is the one I will remember most. She was the first patient that gave me the secure and strong feeling that I know medicine is my calling. Specifically, becoming a PA.

I have also had the incredible opportunity to work in a peri-clinical position as a patient access tech for a CHKD urgent care. I have learned more from this job than I ever thought was possible. Luckily, the clinical team I work with are incredible people. I have talked to physicians, DOs, NPs, PAs, and nurses to find out why they chose their careers and if they could do something different, would they? The only group of providers that all said they loved their jobs and wouldn’t change a thing, were the PAs.

I have created a bond with my future colleagues that will last a lifetime. They help me in so many ways from letting me shadow, letting me ask clinical questions, helping me with my application, etc. This bond really started when one night when I was working as an EMT, I was called to our urgent care. When I came in everyone’s face was shocked. I guess they knew I was an EMT part-time but didn’t quite understand it until I was ready to receive their patient and continue medical support. The following day when I came to work at the urgent care I could see the respect and willingness to discuss clinically with me was much higher. They saw me as one of their own and was willing to help me get to the place where we can practice medicine side by side.

During my shadowing hours, I chose to follow a PA who works at my urgent care. I chose her because of her kindness and patients. Before every room we went into, she would walk me through the steps to prepare based on the chief complaint in the nursing chart. After each room we went in she let me ask as many questions as I could possibly think of. I even stumped her a few times and she had to ask our attending physician that day. This experience changed my view of the medical field. I was used to seeing trauma and emergency medicine. Although it was at an urgent care, it felt more like family practice or general medicine. Not only that but in the pediatric field as well. It was nice to know that my passion and drive and excitement to help understand, treat, and reassure patients don’t change from emergent adults to stable kids.

My most recent day of shadowing, as we were sitting in the provider’s offices, I had a big smile on my face. The attending physicians asked sarcastically if I was happy to be there as if he couldn’t already tell from my expression. I replied with a resounding “absolutely.” He responded, “If you’re this excited to be sitting in an office chair waiting for the urgent care doors to open to work an eight-hour night shift; you’re in the right field.” I laughed and smiled. He was right. I knew that this is exactly what I am supposed to be doing. Helping, solving medical puzzles, treating, but most importantly, wear the responsibility of the title PA with pride, respect, and kindness.

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Personal Statement Example 16

By: Megan

She watched the same movie every single night for 4 years straight, but she never knew. The hospital knew her, our neighbors loved her, I lived with her, but she never knew.
I kept her head tilted so she would not choke on her saliva as her body shakes uncontrollably, but she never knew. The sirens were so loud I could not hear, the blue and red lights were so bright I could not see, I was in control and yet, she never knew.

It was at a private hospital when I met with a physician assistant in the neurology ICU. While the doctors were rounding, and the nurses were at the desk, the PA and I were examining each patient. During my experience, I saw patients that had intracranial hemorrhages and subarachnoid hemorrhages. I was able to see up close on the monitor a patient’s brain activity during constant seizures. She continued to teach me how to look over MRI scans, and learn the difference between a stoke patient and a non-stroke patient. Towards the end of our day, the PA asked if I wanted to look through the scope to see the patient’s optic disc while his eyes were still dilated from his surgery. Intrigued and excited for what was about to happen, I watched the PA as she demonstrated what to do. I grabbed the scope, ready to see my first optic disc. To my surprise, being at the right distance, put just the perfect amount of pressure, open the eyelid just enough to see all while knowing you are shining a bright light into their eye, was not easy. Through trial and error, the PA remained calm and patient with me. Patience is what I learned, but she never knew.

It was at a short term/rehab care facility where I met Robin, the physician assistant. We walked around the facility and examined the patients that were on her list of that day. However, one patient, in particular, stood out. Olive already had one stroke months ago, and now she was having another one right in front of Robin and I. We walked into the room, her eyes were not moving, the left side of her mouth was dropping and her speech was slurred all in the matter of seconds. I ran to grabbed the nearest vitals kit and began vitals while Robin examined her eyes with a flashlight and told the LPN to call 911. Robin told me to keep watching her vitals, and I made sure Olive’s head remained upright so she would not choke. The patient’s turnout was not just because of us getting there at the right moment, but also because of the teamwork that surrounded Robin. Teamwork is what I learned, but she never knew.

I have had the opportunity to volunteer in Panama serving the underprivileged alongside many healthcare professionals, including a physician assistant. During my time there, I saw things I never would have imagined. People coming in with: missing teeth, infected teeth, open cuts on their hands/feet, high blood pressure, overweight, severely underweight, infections all over their bodies. One of our medical clinic days, I sat next to the PA as she asked questions to a very angry 16-year-old mother and her 3 children. One of which was so sick from flu season and the other with a nail in his foot. The PA proceeded to bandage up the child’s open wound from the nail and give Gripe Water to all 3 children. Yet, what amazed me the most was the resilient physician assistant. She was calm and compassionate, despite the displeased the mother and her screaming children. Our next patient was a 54-year-old man who had knee pain from working in the fields and walking 5 plus miles every day to get water for him and his family. The physician assistant told me that knee pain is the most common because of all the walking and working in the field that they do. I saw a lot of patients during my time in Panama, and during that time I was with many healthcare professionals as well. Including a doctor, nurse, dentist, and pharmacist. However, the physician assistant was the one who was with the patients the whole time. Creating a safe and caring environment for them, something I hope to fabricate when I am a physician assistant.

I came to Panama to help, to serve, to be a part of something much bigger than myself. More so, my passion for helping others, for the love of medicine and all that it has to offer, it grew; but she never knew.

She fell and broke her neck during her seizure and little did I know that I would be following the same kind of PAs that once took care of her. She, my grandma, had Alzheimer’s. Caring for my grandma brought many challenges; but it also taught me patience, teamwork, and a strong passion helping others, qualities my patients would benefit from. More importantly, it gave me the skills I need to become an excellent physician assistant, something she always knew.

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Personal Statement Example 17

By: Christopher

“Hold your head back for me, Mr. Jenkins.” I gently cupped Mr. Jenkins’s forehead with my right hand and pulled his head back so that he did not slouch forward. I hurriedly paged the floor nurse who had oversight of him that shift, “Tiffany, Mr. Jenkins is losing consciousness in the shower room.” I ran through possible plans of action in my mind while I waited for the nurses to arrive. Mr. Jenkins gave out two forced, dry gasps before he completely lost consciousness, and I did not observe any further respirations during the several seconds of my message to Tiffany. The only appropriate procedure I could perform would be cardiopulmonary resuscitation, as the last resort. The nurses showed up after what seemed to be an eternity in a moment but was probably no more than eight seconds. I heard a call for a rapid response to my floor as the shower room door opened. Tiffany hastened to Mr. Jenkins and began checking pupil response. No response. I was ordered to push Mr. Jenkins back to his room and helped load him onto a stretcher so the nurses could begin CPR. I suspected a stroke to be the culprit for this ordeal, but Mr. Jenkins’ blood pressure had only bottomed out in the shower, likely due to the high temperature of the water. Nurses commented on how well I handled the situation, and I replied that situations like that are why I chose the field healthcare. There is a sobering excitement to facing dynamic scenarios in healthcare. It is not the excitement that stops you in your tracks and produces sweaty palms; it is a feeling of reassurance and readiness in knowing that you are doing something that you are meant to do. It is a feeling I have encountered throughout my career in the healthcare field, and it is the reason why the most memorable shower of my life is the one I shared with Mr. Jenkins.

I have always known what I wanted to be when I grew up. As a child, I once made a vow to my uncle who lost one of his legs in a vehicle crash that I would become a physician and reattach his leg, proving that I was equally as cognizant as other five-year-olds about medical prosthesis and nerve regeneration. My vow is undoubtedly a tall order to carry out, but I have dedicated my whole academic and professional career to fulfilling half of that promise. My foray into the arena of healthcare first began when I was 16 years old. I drove to the Johnson City Medical Center and spoke with the volunteer department about the opportunities open to me. I volunteered at the Patient Rehabilitation Center and watched physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists perform their daily duties. I was eager to learn and soon appreciated the multi-faceted nature of healthcare. I went on to volunteer in the Emergency Department three years later, while I simultaneously worked as a Designated Hitter doing the work of a pharmacy technician at my local retail pharmacy. I constantly made connections between the separate aspects of healthcare to which I was exposed. I saw how grueling a process recovery is for some patients. Patients who were victims of a car crash would enter the trauma rooms of the ED, and I would formulate mock paths of recovery for them. I had an idea of how their physical therapy would go and how eagerly they would be to carry it out. I also had a dreadful idea of how difficult it would be for some patients to receive the medications needed to make recovery as smooth as possible. These experiences engendered in me a good baseline education on the realities of what it means to work in medicine.

I met and observed a physician assistant during my time volunteering and became interested in his position. He was always heavily engaged in assessing the trauma patients who would be wheeled into the trauma rooms, gauging cognition, and helping choreograph everyone’s duties during the process. He always had an answer for patients and their families when they were confused about their case, and he would command the room without escalating tensions whenever he was confronted with difficult patient behavior. He told me about the career mobility that PAs have due to their being trained in every realm of healthcare. I was intrigued to find out that one could switch fields if they chose, and I admired the idea of having a depth of knowledge and experience in multiple fields over a long career in medicine. Witnessing his expansive knowledge of treatment and observing his masterful method of communicating with patients inspired me to become more knowledgeable about what it means to be a PA, and it certainly played an essential role in my decision to pursue this career.

My education and experience while studying at East Tennessee State University cemented my path to becoming a physician assistant. I studied a myriad of scientific subjects that sparked an even deeper interest in the science behind my future practice: biology, cellular biology, ecology, human anatomy, human physiology, microbiology, virology, organic chemistry, biochemistry, and neurology. Medical conditions were no longer defined only by their effects on the patient in my head; I could then explain the mechanics behind the ailments as well. I learned how the medications I regularly handed out bind to specific proteins in the body and elicit a cellular response, hormonal or otherwise, that would aid in the healing process. I understood why patients with traumatic brain injuries were impulsive and temperamental. My newfound knowledge gave me the ability to think innovatively about solutions to patients’ problems. I saw this ability performed regularly by physician assistants when I began my work as a certified nursing assistant on the trauma and med-surg floors of Johnson City Medical Center.

Working as a CNA was the best decision I made to prepare myself for real-world healthcare. I was no longer reading procedural literature in a cushioned room; I was on my feet for twelve hours a day carrying out medical duties alongside other medical professionals. I got to see PAs explain the plan of care to their patients, and counsel their family members. I talked to physician assistants about how they carry out plans of care, and I was excited to learn about the surgeries in which they took part. I wore my curiosity on my sleeve and learned about procedures that were so counterintuitive as to seem comically crude, such as kyphoplasty (which involves pumping a vertebra with cement). I learned that being a medical professional comes with responsibility beyond only carrying out the mechanics of medical procedures; one must also function as a counselor and educator of a sort. I implemented what I learned into my practice as a CNA. This paid off because hospital surveyors later congratulated me on my patients’ testimony about my care and the fact that all my patients knew me by name. These PAs with whom I worked took the time to educate patients about prevention and recovery instead of just prescribing medication to them and leaving summarily. I think educating patients is essential to the recovery process. I have seen what damage simple ignorance can wreak on vulnerable patients. My father passed when I was eight years old due to poor lifestyle habits and lack of education on medication. I feel that if I were older at the time of his passing, I could have stepped in and encouraged lifestyle changes and monitoring of his own health. I do not take these things lightly because I have seen what change even a little bit of education can make to a patient’s well-being. These PAs diligently kept the nurses informed of any changes in the plans of care, and they always had a closed loop of communication between them and their colleagues. I consider myself blessed to have had such a fulfilling tenure as a CNA. It taught me how every level of care is meaningful, and it allowed me a detailed look at the everyday practice of PAs.

My time shadowing, studying, and working has taught me many things – many things about the value and transiency of health, the practice of medicine, and human nature. However, what I hold dearest in my mind are the lessons I learned about myself. I learned that I want to be a part of the recovery and healing process for patients in need. I learned that being a physician assistant is in my mind a lifestyle choice, not only a career choice. I have learned that becoming an effectual healthcare practitioner is my lifelong goal, and I am bringing that goal to life by constantly expanding my skills and experiences in healthcare at every opportunity.

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Personal Statement Example 18

By: Katie

My mom often reminds me of her favorite quote from Sheryl Sandberg: “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”. When contemplating what this means to me, and how I can act as a fearless leader within my own life, I know pursuing my dream of becoming a physician assistant (PA) embodies her message. As a clinical dietitian, I’ve become comfortable in my way of life: a job I can rely on, patients who know me, and a foundation of knowledge I am confident in. Although the work I do every day is impactful, I aspire to have more direct involvement in patient care as a PA.

When I first entered the world of nutrition about 7 years ago, I envisioned myself working in preventative care exclusively through a dietary lens. Being in the intensive care unit (ICU) during my dietetic internship gave me a whole new perspective on the impact I can have on a patient’s life. Every morning I had the privilege of rounding with the interdisciplinary team to design life-saving treatment plans for patients. I listened as the practitioners spoke in what seemed to be a foreign language, and realized my interest in medicine overshadowed that of nutrition. I wanted to know every detail, and went out of my way to seek out further medical education by seeing intubations, endoscopies, and learning to interpret imaging. These encounters solidified my desire to be directly responsible for the outcomes of those in my care.

After my internship, I began working at a level 1 trauma hospital, and subsequently met a cardiac ICU PA named John, who inspired me to pursue this profession for myself. He believed in the importance of nutrition for his patients and depicted the type of practitioner I hope to become. I will never forget one patient, Brian, who was on multiple vasopressors after an extensive triple coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Due to this, he was unable to receive enteral nutrition for over two weeks. John and I collaborated daily to ensure Brian was put on the proper parenteral nutrition regimen to fit his medical needs and hypermetabolic state. I believe he survived because of the flawless care plan John executed. He advocated for all members of the care team, including myself, to do what was best for his patient. This is the exact work I strive to replicate as a healthcare provider, and now a future PA.

Since committing to the path of becoming a PA, I sought out a position that would better reflect these roles and responsibilities. In my current job at a dialysis clinic, the staff rely on me for many aspects of patient care, including reviewing labs and making appropriate medication changes. This is something dietitians rarely assist with, and this small taste of expanded practice has confirmed my desire to become a PA. That being said, I still find moments throughout the day where I am not able to make the impact I desire. Patients confide in me about conditions I cannot treat, such as chronic pain or substance abuse. As a PA, I would be able to address these confounding issues directly.

Becoming a PA will allow me to hold on to the part of being a dietitian that I love most: providing direct patient care, while also broadening my scope of practice. No matter my role, I will always consider my patients and their families to be my number one priority. While my job is to focus solely on nutrition, my duty is to support my patients in their overall well-being and goals of care. For example, I actively seek resources for my patients that are food insecure and am starting a food pantry to increase community access to good nutrition. As a PA, I would have further qualifications to support patients in even more monumental ways.

While I enjoy working individually with patients, being a part of my clinic team has brought out the best in me as a provider. This is the main reason I aspire to be a PA over another practitioner. Working under multiple physicians throughout my career, I have developed a balance of autonomy and teamwork that is vital to the PA role. I communicate with my attending physician daily to relay important patient updates but am also confident adjusting treatment plans on my own. Becoming a PA would give me the capabilities to more readily accommodate the needs of my patients.

My unique experience as a dietitian is parallel in many ways to that of a PA and has prepared me to be successful in this profession. I have cultivated skills in managing treatment plans, communicating with teams, and developing a patient-centered mindset that cannot be derived from a classroom. Simply put, I aspire to be a PA because when I imagine the provider I hope to become, I think of the PAs that have inspired me. For now, I will continue to serve my patients however I can as a dietitian, and wait for this dream to take shape.

What would I do if I wasn’t afraid? This is the first step.

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Personal Statement Example 19

By: Alison

It was my first trip to a hospital and at 12-years old, I had no idea what to expect. The air in the car grew thick with anxiety as it cruised ever closer to downtown Boston along with the winding turns of Storrow Drive. The goal of the day was to figure out why a 12-year-old was consistently outputting systolic blood pressures in the 150 range. I nodded along to the explanations of each test that was planned, though I had no idea what each one entailed. As I underwent the various tests my nerves started to transform into curiosity. My thoughts faded away as I watched in amazement when the outlines of my renal blood vessels appeared on the monitor during an ultrasound. I had dozens of questions about how the IV contrast dye I was injected with for a CT scan was going to allow the doctors to see abnormalities in my body’s vasculature. Perhaps the most thrilling part of the day was when I got to see a 3D projection of my heart and kidneys on a computer screen. It turned out that all it took to lower my blood pressure was to focus on the science and not the scary needles. From that day on, I was hooked. The seed harboring dreams of a future in medicine was firmly planted.

My studies and experiences at the University of New Hampshire nurtured the seedling planted that day, but my first job after college as a medical assistant really started to pave the path towards becoming a physician assistant. It felt like a breath of fresh air compared to the various undirected positions I held in my youth. My role in the office was exciting and engaging, but having the opportunity to observe a cohesive, talented team of providers was perhaps the most valuable aspect of the experience. The foundation of kindness, trust, and confidence that the doctors and nurse practitioners all worked to build with each other, and with their patients was inspiring. I can remember one instance with a nervous patient who arrived for a knee joint aspiration. I watched as the nurse practitioner skillfully put the patient at ease while assisting the doctor to remove a copious amount of yellow-colored fluid from the inflamed joint. When the patient had arrived she could barely walk, but she left taking strong, pain-free strides.

Following my time at the practice, I spent time exploring the field of scientific research in cardiothoracic transplantation where I learned from amazing surgeons using science to try and improve patient outcomes after graft placement. I worked as an EMT where I developed the confidence required to administer patient care in a unique healthcare environment. I returned to my roots as a medical assistant in a hospital setting with dedicated nurses who helped me improve in all aspects of my patient care skills. By involving myself in this wide array of interests and environments I developed a versatility similar to that of physician assistants who have the opportunity to transfer their knowledge and skills between specialties.

It wasn’t until I started shadowing a PA that I realized truly how influential their role can be as part of a medical team. I had the opportunity to shadow PAs in cardiac surgery, and having never seen surgery first-hand before made the experience all the more exhilarating. I watched in awe during a triple coronary artery bypass while the PA located, isolated, and removed the radial artery from the patient’s left arm. He moved with such precision and confidence, all while taking the time to explain to me his every move. I observed as he worked with the surgeon to attach the radial artery to the heart and bypass a blockage that could be deadly to the patient. Each aspect of surgery I had the opportunity to witness relied on the skills and expertise of the PA to be successful. I aspire to be valued as part of a team where each member’s skill set is appreciated and utilized to help a patient have the best outcome, and I have seen this dominating in the PA role.

Every opportunity I have pursued since I was that anxious 12-year-old girl experiencing the world of medicine for the first time has brought me towards my decision to become a PA. I found an outlet in medicine for my strengths as an empathetic listener, a curious mind, and a compassionate caregiver. My experience in diverse environments such as primary care, scientific research, and emergency medicine will undoubtedly make me a more skilled and confident healthcare provider. The ultimate goal is to work hard every day to provide exceptional care to patients as part of a collaborative team, and I am excited about the possibility of reaching this goal as a physician assistant.

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Personal Statement Example 20

By: Faith

“What did you do to my posterior?” my patient drawled. Our 51-50 ambulance transport had been a routine call, but once inside the receiving facility, everything went wrong. The patient yelled, among other things, “I’m an American, Donald Trump cannot hold me here!” and struggled so much against his restraints that he almost flipped our gurney. While the facility was gathering sedation supplies, I distinctly remember holding the gurney steady, trying to decide whether to laugh or cry. The situation was so utterly heartbreaking. The man was mentally ill and no amount of explanation or reason would help him. It was easy to feel hopeless and discouraged in the face of my own inadequacy. Yet, when I came back to the present and the nurse gave the patient a shot of sedatives, he looked up at us and inquired, “What did you do to my posterior?” with such precision of pronunciation that I had to fight back the smile that came to my face. He slumped over, asleep, and at peace.

All of my schemas for maturity in the face of adversity were inconsequential in that instant. The choice was no longer humor or pain, but a huge, confusing mixture of both. I knew I wanted to be a competent, optimistic physician assistant (PA) who had high regard for her patient’s dignity. I had always excelled in my studies and the technical aspects of patient care. But, this experience highlighted the necessity of more than this. It required the ability to navigate the uncomfortable mixture of optimism and realism that finds a unique flavor in the medical field.

My path to PA has been a gradual, multi-year process. Growing up, my mom was a nurse who took care of my quadriplegic uncle and autistic brother. Through my family and other volunteer opportunities in the disability community, I became passionate about caring for the disabled. Seeing how my mother used her medical knowledge to serve this community inspired me to pursue a career in medicine. When I learned about PA, it initially appealed to me because of the balance of authoritative medical knowledge and collaborative relationships with physicians. I knew that I wanted to be challenged, both technically and intellectually, in my future career, but I also knew that I wanted to be able to interface with my coworkers and learn from clinicians more experienced than myself. As I progressed through my college coursework and juggled three jobs, upper-level science classes, and the honors program, I grew more passionate about science in general and wished to see what being a PA in particular truly entailed.

When I had the opportunity to shadow PAs in a local ER, it was the final confirmation that I was on the correct path. I saw PAs in action, performing exams, and assessments autonomously while dynamically collaborating with the MDs. I had the opportunity to watch procedures, including wound suturing, pelvic exams, and abscess drainages, and absolutely loved it. It was amazing to see mature clinicians exemplify the type of PA I want to be in the future. They were professional and competent but navigated the harder realities of working in healthcare with grace. One of the hardest things I witnessed was a PA telling a 30-year-old woman that a lump on her breast was likely cancer. The woman came that day with the assumption that the lump was some kind of abscess, but left with life-shattering news and an oncology appointment. This experience underscored the way clinicians must precariously navigate optimism and realism. I left that day feeling soberer about what becoming a PA entailed, but excited about what the future would hold.

After working at an interfacility ambulance company as an EMT, I transitioned into being an ophthalmic technician at a practice with seven MDs, which has given me experience in a medical subspecialty while solidifying and further expanding my clinical skills. While working-up a 55-year old woman one day, I recognized the symptoms of a macula-intact retinal detachment, which causes permanent loss of vision. I immediately took action by performing the required diagnostic scans and alerting an MD, and the patient was able to get emergency surgery, which saved her vision. Though PAs do not normally operate within ophthalmology, the experience has been invaluable because it has honed my decision-making skills, introduced me to the inner workings of a medical clinic, and placed me in close proximity to a collaborative team of providers.

My journey towards PA has cultivated my natural optimism and competence while teaching me the realities of the difficult aspects of healthcare. I believe that the PA profession’s distinct mix of authoritative medical knowledge, collaboration with physicians, and focus on patient care is the best fit for my unique blend of skills and my desire for a rewarding, challenging career. I am certain that I have the academic, interpersonal, and technical excellence to succeed in PA school, but more importantly, to become a competent, compassionate PA.

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Personal Statement Example 21

By: MacKenzie

When I became a certified nursing assistant (CNA), I knew I wanted to help people. Working at Denver Health Hospital has made me realize that I want to be a PA, but it also made me realize that some people need my care more than others. Denver Health is located in the heart of the Denver metro area and is a safety-net institution, meaning that it accepts patients regardless of their ability to pay. While our patient population is quite varied, our location and financial policy means that we have many patients who are afflicted with substance abuse problems, untreated mental health disease, are not well-educated, live below the poverty line, or are homeless. Some people find it very challenging to work with this population because of their low compliance and attitude toward health can be frustrating. But, it fulfills me in a way that I can hardly express to help these people who need a little extra time and care.

While I have not had to struggle with the horrible situations that many of my current patients face, I am no stranger to inadequate access to health care. I am from a small, rural town, and growing up I was ignorant of what our health care was lacking. The day I became aware of the problem, my friend was playing in a soccer game where he suffered a compound fracture. An ambulance transported him to the local hospital where the medical staff informed his parents that he needed emergency surgery to place metal rods, a procedure the hospital was not prepared to undertake. In order to get the surgery he needed, he would have to travel two hours away to the next nearest hospital. While I was shocked by this news, I was also reminded that my grandma had to do the same weekly trip to receive cancer treatments. That was when I recognized that this small town I loved so much did not provide us with access to adequate healthcare. This was one of many things that inspired me to pursue a career in the medical field. Early in my college career I actually wanted to become a medical doctor (MD) but after some hard introspection, I realized that it was no longer inspiring to me. At the time, I was working full time and going to school, so time had become very valuable to me. I wanted a career that would allow me to spend more of that time with my family and with patients, yet still, allow me to leave a long-lasting impact on their health. After taking time off from college to become a CNA, I found what I wanted in the physician assistant (PA) career.

Last spring after graduating I sat in the same position I am in now, applying to PA programs. When I did not get in anywhere, of course, I was sad, but mostly in the face of that adversity, I felt an even greater sense of determination and confidence that I would continue on this path. I used that to fuel my journey into becoming a more well-rounded and prepared candidate. In the past six months, I have bolstered my emotional and financial support, undertaken more direct patient care, and increased my knowledge of the medical field and the PA profession in particular by following and interviewing PAs from many different backgrounds in a variety of fields. All of that hard work has left me feeling excited and reinvigorated, but shadowing has been the most motivating experience yet. Being able to experience both the rewarding and difficult parts of the job has only increased my drive to follow the PA career path.

From being a part of a population that was medically under-served to caring for a population that is medically underserved, I have learned a lot about myself and what my purpose is. While I am passionate about helping people, I hold a special place for those who are underserved. Right now, I can do small things to help people such as making them comfortable, listening to their problems, and translating medical jargon into layman’s terms. But as a PA I could do all of that and more. Fulfilling this dream would allow me to leave a larger, longer-lasting impact on their health. Since the last application process, I have put many hours into becoming a stronger candidate and along the way, I fell even more in love with becoming a PA.

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Personal Statement Example 22

By: Zulhumar

“Click, Click, Click…” I could almost hear the clock clicking from across the room. It was so peaceful that it seemed to me, that I could pretend nothing was happening here. But between the clock and myself, was my destiny that was being determined by this Custom and Border officer that I never planned to meet in my life. “Sir, I’m Uyghur, a Muslim born in China, and Sir, I can’t go back…” I told him with my broken English. I started shivering as I thought about being deported from the U.S. and going back to a place where Uyghurs are subjected to ill-treatment and seen as criminals for having a religion. After three long hours, the officer’s determined look started to disappear from his face; despite the rough conversations and refusals, he offered me a chance to step into freedom and opportunities.

As a first-generation immigrant, I struggled. I endured rejections from enrolling in high school in my first year, tolerated extreme homesickness, and bared language difficulties. I never gave up in the face of a challenge, in fact, I found free English classes to attend to stay busy and productive. I held my optimism through hardships, believing that everything I endure builds upon my future, a future that would pave my way into medicine.

With a slightly intimated but determined dream to pursue, I started my journey by shadowing a primary care physician during my senior year in high school. In my narrow and foreign view, the formula for becoming a medical professional was through hard work and persistence, so I transferred the studying efforts that I obtained from the Chinese school system and applied that here. While it reflected on my grades, it got challenged when I had to interact with the patients: I noticed I was lacking the interpersonal skills as I believed curing is the core of the job. Dr. Brady exposed me to various patients, took me to house visits, and taught me that connecting with the patients and their family members is the key. The joy I received talking with the patients while checking their vital signs showed me the value of intercommunication while observing the special bond between the patient and the doctor made me realize that the humanistic aspect of medicine is what I wanted to go after.

With this foundation in mind, I started exploring a profession that sacrifices their time and effort to bring humanistic care for a patient and physician assistant caught my eye. I wanted to be part of a profession that holds the dignity and safety of patients the top priority and being not so tight in time as physicians, are able to deliver comprehensive care and be leaders in providing community service.

As I started college, I felt more confident that being a physician assistant is the right profession for me. While my love for science was satisfied with the biology courses that strengthened my understanding of the human body, I got to closely examine what it means to serve as a medical professional. As a front desk receptionist at the Center for Healthy Hearts Clinic, I got rewarded by the proximity to our patients by actively interacting and helping them. Besides making or canceling appointments, I offered to help in many ways, which include assisting the patients in applying for the Medicaid Expansion program. For most of our patients, our clinic is their only connection to medical care and with the assistance applying for the M.E. program, many got approved for the benefits they thought they could never get. My dedication to helping was further reinforced when many patients left with teary eyes and expressed how impactful this clinic has been in their lives.
I gained more insight into being a physician assistant when I started working as a patient care technician at Henrico Doctor’s Hospital. My duties went beyond keeping the patient’s hygiene and extended to being an emotional support to many patients and their families. As a PCT, I was a team-player, a reliable helper, and “a girl with long hair and a smile”. Patients I encountered taught me that a warm and personable approach can touch lives. Even though I couldn’t deliver medication to relieve their pain, I elevated their sorrow with a non-fading smile and with things like fixing their pillow, finding their TV shows on TV or just taking my time to talk to them and keep them accompanied.

My compassion and responsibility as a clinical staff were further enhanced during these unprecedented times and I didn’t even hesitate when asked to work on the COVID-Positive floor. The hot air I was breathing with a tight Gerson on my face which left a deep red mark didn’t bother me when I went to a patient room to give her a bath. What bothered me was the disappointment and helplessness when bagging a positive patient who lost her life to COVID. But I saw hope. The hope was penetrating from the patient’s eyes when Drew, a PA-C gowned up and went over the discharge instructions and care plans with a recovering patient himself. The hope was in the shape of humanistic care that I was striving to achieve as a physician assistant.

My motivation came from sincere appreciations and my determination fueled by many challenges which include being estranged from my parents during the establishment of “re-education” camps which imprisoned millions of Uyghurs who have relatives abroad. I went from an inferior first-generation immigrant to a volunteer, a caregiver, and a leader. In the future, I hope to transform the aptitudes I gained from my experience and touch lives just like the real-life heroes do in hospital settings.

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Personal Statement Example 23

By: Morgan

Paul Shane Spear said that ” as one person I cannot change the world, but I can change the world of one person.” This quote has had such a profound effect on me knowing this is one of the main reasons I love being a nurse. Being a nurse doesn’t always mean saving the day for every person you meet, sometimes it is just that one person that does one little thing that changes your whole day. Having that when you are sick and vulnerable is worth more than all the jewels in the world.

As I look back through my life going over the decisions I have made that have brought me to this one decision; I find myself finally at rest. Ever since I was old enough to answer the question ” what do you want to be when you grow up”, my answer has been a nurse. I don’t remember a specific moment in time that radically changed me or altered my course to this decision, but I know in my heart it was the right one because I feel it every day. Now how did I get from being a nurse to wanting to be a physician assistant?

My desire to care for people combined with my drive to challenge and better myself has brought me to apply for the physician assistant program. I grew up impoverished and am the first person in my family to attend college; moreover, even graduate with multiple degrees. Living that life made me certain, even as a child, that if I had anything to say about it the rest of my life would be different. Not only would my life be different, but I would be able to give my own family (god willing) everything I was not able to have.

In 2012 everything was on course for me; part-time job, full-time student, independence, the works. I had just gotten accepted into the nursing program the summer I found out I was pregnant. I was slated to begin the rest of my life that fall and was not going to let anything stop me. Boy was I unprepared for the amount of dedication that first semester of nursing would require. I had my son three days before my final exam and I failed it. I was immediately removed from the nursing program and given my list of options. I had planned to take come elective courses I would need later while appealing to the nursing committee to apply to the next cohort of the nursing program. When they say God laughs when he hears your plans, they aren’t lying. At the time I was in, what I now identify, as a narcissistic abusive relationship and was forced to put my dreams on hold for the good of my family, or so I thought.

After six grueling, traumatizing months I escaped with my life, my car, and my son and I never looked back. Upon returning home I immediately reapplied to the nursing program as well as a full-time job and was determined to not only make my life better but my son’s life; all the while fulfilling my everlasting passion to care for those in need.

Fast forward I am happily married and happily employed as a nurse with 3+ years under my belt and I am ready to expand my knowledge in the hopes that I can reach more people that someone may not have previously taken the time to care for properly. I know a physician assistant degree will give me the tools I need to make a difference for at least one person, but hopefully many.

As Marian Wright Edelman said,” you really can change the world if you care enough.” That motto and this drive for change and challenge is more than enough for me to make this decision to become a physician assistant.

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Personal Statement Example 24

By: Sydney

My first experience in the medical realm was accidental: a volunteer position at the Children’s Cancer Center. Not because I thought I would enjoy spending time in medicine, but because I knew I would love being around the kids. I was completely unprepared for the effect this position would have on my future. I learned more about myself from these small children, within the four walls of a hospital room, than I did in 18 years of classroom learning. These children were gifted with a sense of optimism and hope despite the obstacles they were facing. They spoke of the hospital as a playground and of their doctors as their best friends. At the time, I could not understand how their trust in an untenable future could be so powerful, but with more exposure and experience I soon learned that hope was indispensable in their fight for wellness. I yearned to be a part of the medical field, yet found myself timid towards the long path to becoming a physician.

That fear quickly dissipated when my mother presented me with the path of the physician assistant. She had recently become familiar with the career through a client and believed it would be the perfect way for me to enter the medical realm. I began researching the role of a physician assistant and was amazed by their active role in patient contact, in line with the responsibilities of a doctor. I am excited to take an active role in health care, instilling hope in others just as I witnessed in my first medical volunteer position. What ignites that excitement to an even greater extent is that I am able to envision this future in just a few short years as a physician assistant.

Throughout my undergraduate years, I have been fortunate to have experiences that allowed me to learn how to implement patient care through physical examinations as well as personal connections. Through my volunteer positions, I have learned just how necessary holistic attention to patients’ physical and personal ailments are in healthcare provision.

The true importance of this balance was brought to light for me during my first few weeks working and volunteering at Helping Hands Clinic. My initial interest in the clinic was sparked by my ability to both immerse myself in the medical field and serve the homeless, low-income, and systemically disadvantaged members of my community, many of whom had been denied access to quality care for the bulk of their lives.

I consider myself fortunate to have received a CNA position at this clinic. Similar to my experience working in the children’s cancer center, my good fortune is rooted in the insight I gained, not only from healthcare professionals but from the community Helping Hands Clinic fostered. At this clinic, I am stripped away from my small bubble of the University of Florida and given the opportunity to interact and make an impact on people who have suffered under systems of inequality that we as healthcare survivors must strive every day to right. Given the current medical climate of COVID-19, our clinic has changed substantially in the last several weeks. Many of our providers have been recruited to work on the front lines to combat the virus, leaving our patients with little to no healthcare resources. I have continued my volunteer efforts with the clinic, providing them with health care resources as well as comforting them during this time of crisis. The experiences I have had over the last few weeks within the clinic, as well as living daily life, have made me aware of the harsh reality of the strain on our health care resources. It is now more important than ever to join the health care realm and provide relief to our primary care practices.

This virus is characterized by ambiguity, in which we are unable to predict its future effect on the medical realm. As providers on the front lines are contracting the virus themselves, there has never been a greater need for primary care providers. Although we hope the virus will be one of the past when I enter PA school, I am aware of the long-lasting effects it will have on our healthcare system. The shorter program of PA school will allow me to be able to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 as soon as possible.

I am excited to learn the intricacies of the human body, to understand the multitudes of complex systems that constitute our physical beings. I am eager for a future involved in our next greatest medical advancements, providing cures a decade ago we never thought possible. Yet what drives my interest in the physician assistant field the most is the ability to take an active role in creating the conditions for hope in someone’s life. Hope that provides healing beyond physical ailments and encourages the power of resilience[

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Personal Statement Example 25

By: Hannah

“Go ahead and take your shoes off for me, I want to get an accurate weight on you.” My request has become so routine that I do not think twice about asking. We walk to the scale and instinctively, I look down and guide the person onto the small platform. A person’s socks are always the first thing I notice. I see a mother’s socks, crisp white, and obviously clean but I know that she is nervous to see the doctor. I see a little boy’s socks that look like he played outside in them, and all he knows is that he doesn’t feel well. I see a grandfather’s compression socks that he wears to aid in his other conditions, as he is a compliant patient and takes care of himself. I cannot help these people the way they need it in the position I am in. To the people and patients that I have become attached to, I am of no use. I can help them onto a scale and take their blood pressure, but I cannot help them in the ways they need.

I have seen the distressed tube socks of a man coming as a direct admission into the intensive care unit with stroke symptoms, associating the holes with his laboring job, the stress probably causing his stroke. I have been the one washing the feet and putting hospital socks on the young woman who would later become a donor and be remembered with a walk of honor through the hospital. I cannot help these people the way they need it in the position I am in, so I feel helpless.

I know that it should be me that sees your family member, that helps your dad and visits with your grandfather. It is me that should be in the room, but not in the role that I am currently playing. I am no longer comfortable in the background of care and have outgrown my entry-level duties. With this being said, I am ready to advance my knowledge and responsibilities in medicine. My experiences have left me longing to be at the forefront of healthcare, which is where I found my interest in becoming a physician assistant. I have not yet been introduced to a profession that encourages lateral mobility across different specialties while upholding such a strong academic background. Shadowing PAs has heightened my attention to detail and given me the chance to draw connections between what I see and what I know. They have demonstrated what it means to be both competent and compassionate, both qualities I am able to relate to.

I am now a third-time applicant that has been given the opportunity to reflect on why I am so determined to pursue this career path. I have worked tirelessly to find new experiences and opportunities not only in healthcare but in my community as well. Throughout my undergraduate degree, I was at the head of campus community involvement, as well as working to impact the community that my school was based in. I worked hard in my academics, athletics, and involvement in campus activities because I wanted to be a rounded individual, not just a stellar academic. I spent my summers working hard in the Flint area, finding time to work multiple jobs because I was determined to be a strong applicant. I worked full-time hours in a night shift position while I studied for the graduate record exam because I couldn’t forfeit the funds, but spending night shifts studying was not productive, and needless to say my GRE score suffered. Reaching my final two years of college I realized how hard I needed to work to prove myself, and I did just that. I worked endlessly on my academics and pushed myself to be the student I needed to be for myself and for my future. Looking back, I have needed the time I have taken to grow not only as a student but as a person.

Since my first application, I have grown academically, increasing my grade point average as well and diving into more intense coursework and succeeding in that. I have made job changes, increasing my levels of responsibility by moving from a telemetry unit to the intensive care unit. I have taken on another position and am currently working as a medical assistant full time in a clinic designed for the underserved and underrepresented community, increasing my workload and patient care experience immensely. With increases in responsibility came an increase in my maturity levels, and I feel confident that my experiences have prepared me to be a high-quality PA student and colleague.

If someone were to see my socks, they might be mismatched as I am in a hurry to get to one of my jobs, but I want them to see the time and commitment that I have put into the family clinic and the hospital. I want them to see my determination and commitment to my education. It has become obvious that struggling in my first years of college has given me the opportunity to demonstrate my adaptability. When difficult situations present, I am able to succeed under pressure. I have seen my own qualities in the PA’s that I have shadowed and I feel confident that I will develop as a competent and compassionate healthcare provider. To all of the people I cannot help yet, I just haven’t seen your socks.

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Personal Statement Example 26

By: Cassidy

“Could I get some help in here?” These are words I spoke one day, that would eventually serve as an important reminder for me, every day forward. I was scared, it was only my second day as a medical assistant and I was not prepared for this. I immediately popped my head out of the room to grab the attention of my mentor, Linda. “My patient is currently suicidal, can you please come to help me”. The day before, the patient had been sitting in his car, with a gun to his chest. He recalled this situation to me as I sat, still processing his answer after asking the same depression screening question required of me to ask every patient. It was my first-day rooming patients on my own and I was becoming proud of my efficiency, my speediness. However, as I faced this situation my stomach dropped and my heartbeat rose to fill my throat.

We had him admitted for evaluation that day. He had left a baseball cap behind and we kept it in case he ever came back to claim it. I think most people forgot about it, but I looked at it every day and was reminded of the duty we have. It was not about being fast at all; it was about intentional presence, building trust with the patient. It became my goal to be approachable, unassuming, and entirely present in every patient interaction. If we can build that relationship, we can offer a haven where people can be honest and vulnerable. We can fill an essential role in people’s lives, one which is left vacant for too many.

This is what my pediatrician, a PA, did for me when I developed generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in my junior year of college. It was hard for me to understand the uncontrollable energy pent up in my chest, often unexplainable and seemingly unjustifiable. Not only did I find it impossible to understand myself, but furthermore share these feelings with even my loved ones and biggest supporters. Through this adversity, however, my PA acted not only as my ally but also as my liberator. She filled that role for me, the one I could confide in, and she taught me how to manage my GAD, while also helping me forge a new perspective to help navigate my future obstacles. Today, GAD does not define me or hold me back from any achievement. Furthermore, my experience as a patient made me aware of the qualities that define great providers. Her focus on compassion and humility fueled my desire to serve this role and to uphold those great qualities that made such a difference in my own life.

My admiration for the profession was further validated when I began my work with Amy Johnson, PA. Although I was inexperienced, Amy helped cultivate a learning environment, always challenging my critical thinking skills by asking me questions about her patients. She served as a role model for me to be a diligent worker, often working through her lunches to spend more time with patients. Amy was the epitome of someone who was a warrior for her patients. Her actions inspired me to always be over-prepared, inquisitive, and most importantly patient-centered. Her dedication to her work and patients revolutionized what I knew as the “road” to working in medicine. As a single mother of two young girls at home, she provided an incredible example of a woman who sacrificed neither her career goals to provide quality care nor quality time with her family. I was drawn to this avenue that could accommodate all of my aspirations without negotiation. As a PA, she was able to bypass bureaucracies and regulations to give more time to both her patients and her family without sacrificing quality of care. The ability to provide patient-centered care without sacrificing any of my personal goals was an option that greatly appealed to me, especially knowing that I would be working in a role which prioritized collaboration.

Over the next four years, I would take advantage of any opportunity to see patients, working during every vacation home from school. I became a “floater” and was able to work at multiple practices with a variety of healthcare providers and patient populations. I had the ability to shadow PAs in different specialties at my hospital, gaining a love for the versatility and lateral mobility of the PA profession. By working in low-income areas in my hometown, I was able to witness some of the challenges families face. For example, when a barefoot toddler was brought in for splinter removal but was really in need of a pair of shoes and a good cleaning. I then moved into pediatrics, where I learned to advocate for patients who were either unable to for themselves or didn’t have the means to. Now, working in Boston alongside globally renowned providers at Brigham and Women’s, I am privileged to have the most brilliant thinkers provide guidance to both myself and their patients. Through my multifaceted experiences, working hand in hand with physician assistants in an array of areas and within diverse populations, I can feel comforted and confident in my strengths and in my ability to serve this vocation.

The tricky part about being successful in a career is not discovering how much you love doing “good” but finding where your interests and passions will allow you to do your best “good”. While everyone can do good, working as a PA is more than that–it’s about the sense of community, advocating for patients, and collaborating with physicians. Being able to act as an ally to those in need, those similar to myself, the boy with the dirty feet, or the boy wearing the baseball hat, is the most rewarding aspect of the PA profession.

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Personal Statement Example 27

By: Natalie

Hot and humid, as the sun beat down on an early summer day in rural Honduras, a family of 4 including a grandmother, mother, and two young children started their walk to a neighboring village about eight miles from their home where they heard a clinic would be set up for 4 days. In the rural Honduran community of Manzaragua, a group of twenty college students from Boston University, three college-aged translators, Honduran doctors from the capital city of Tegucigalpa, police, and local community volunteers turned a small school made of adobe with bright colors of yellow, red, and blue into a fully functional medical clinic complete with dental, pharmacy, optometry, gynecology, and child and adult public health education stations. Along with my team from the Global Medical Brigades, we successfully treated 474 patients from Manzaragua and neighboring villages including families, elderly patients, and day laborers. Reflecting upon our trip in Honduras, my peers and I realized we got to be a part of 474 strangers lives, sharing in the impact communication and compassion can have on both sides of health care, and appreciating the accessibility we have, hoping that someday everyone will have the same and even more access to health care.

Although I grew up shy and quiet, I always loved learning about people’s lives and each of our similarities and differences. My parents encouraged my brother and I to volunteer in homeless shelters to learn about the effects of helping others. Volunteering in homeless shelters of different sizes and communities throughout high school and college, I interacted with diverse populations and learned an incredible amount about compassion and the importance of listening to what people have to say. Although every shelter was different and offered a multitude of different services, the one service I found stood out the most was the medical clinics that would provide health care to those in need, free of charge. Seeing the teamwork and collaboration of the physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and nurses who volunteer their time at homeless shelters continue to inspire me to study the human body and to pursue a future in medicine where I can contribute as much as I can and give back to my community as they have.

The United States health care system, like anything, has flaws making it complicated and difficult to access quality health care especially negatively affecting underserved communities as I saw in my experiences. As an EMT, working in the bustling city of Boston, I interacted with and treated many homeless and economically disadvantaged patients who, like a lot of the U.S. population, had to wait until their health problems were at the worse to seek care. I saw the sheer number of patients in need of regular medical care who just could not afford it and the efforts medical providers like those at the Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program made to provide as much care possible to underserved people in Boston.

As an EMT, I honed the skill of reporting to nurses and PAs. Without a doubt, the PAs were always professional, respectful, and understanding with the diverse patients we brought in to hospitals. I always trusted that my patient was cared for in the hands of the PAs as they always treated them as another human being without disregard, simply assessing and treating without judgment. Like playing in a symphony orchestra, I found being a part of an organized healthcare team inspiring, discovering how important each part of the team is to providing the best possible care. Shadowing PAs in the emergency department at Massachusetts General Hospital and observing the process of treating patients after the prehospital care I was used to allowed me to see the effect a PA has on the health care team. I appreciated being able to observe the responsibilities and versatility PAs have in assessing, diagnosing, and creating a treatment plan alone and in collaboration with physicians.

In every opportunity in health care, I am involved in, I have always wished I could help and do more for the patient. Especially in my experiences in Honduras where I was only a volunteer and could not really do much for patients alone, but the value of teamwork, compassion, and communication was apparent. Like an American healthcare team, we had our own team of volunteers, translators, dentists, and doctors who all had unique responsibilities to do our part and keep the small clinic we set up functional. Although I could not do much more than talk to patients and assist the doctors present, I valued being a part of a team and helping make patients more comfortable and happy as they waited their turn to be seen.

Healthcare is not a right in our country and even less of a right in developing countries like Honduras. Although my family has not experienced the hardships many do in accessing medical care, I believe that care should not be reserved for certain parts of a population, but to all. I have seen how barriers to care can ruin a day, family, and lives. People should not have to walk miles or wait for weeks to get basic medical care. As a PA, I want to be a part of the solution to contribute as much as I can in providing quality care to those in need without judgment or discrimination in an environment where patient care, teamwork, and empathy are the priority.

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Personal Statement Example 28

By: Sarah

As a seven-year-old girl who was born in Pakistan but was living in California, I remembered looking out the window from my room to see the sunrise and set behind the snowy mountains every day. I would look out the window for several minutes until the sky became dark blue. As the sun rose (or set) while I was looking at the pink and purple hues of the skies and the majestic mountains, I felt hopeful that each tomorrow would be better than today.

My family and I eventually moved to different cities as my father, who is a physician, wanted to establish his own practice. Here in Lake Charles, Louisiana, swamps, and flatlands, rather than mountains, are the norm. My new view from my window was just homes and flowers, nothing to see from afar. But my memories of the mountains were all that I have left which reminded me that those mountains were the products of endurance and perseverance during good and tough times of life.

Traveling annually to my second home in Karachi, Pakistan, to visit my family was typical for me until I decided to shadow a physician at Dow University, in Karachi, to see what life in a medical field is like in a developing country. On the first day I attended, I was unsure of what to expect. Despite my prior volunteer experience at Christus St. Patrick Hospital in Louisiana, I had so many questions: How will I know if this is the right career for me? Will I be able to fully absorb what it is like to be a physician? Several days later, these questions were answered as I not only shadowed but also sat through lectures with medical students and interacted with them. When the first lecture was over, I asked the students about the physiology of the urinary system. Few students tried to explain it. I still asked more questions until there was only one student left who was able to explain it well enough for me to understand it clearly. At the end of the day, I realized that the qualities of curiosity and enthusiasm are necessary in the medical field.

Experiences like my observation at the Pakistani teaching hospital demonstrated the decisive role that travel has played in my life. In Karachi, despite the many restrictions I had to follow such as not entering the “after surgery” patient area, I enjoyed my time at the hospital. I felt I was able to contribute in helping the students and the physician by getting tasks done through communication, such as informing a nurse about updating a patient’s medicine and informing a patient’s family about the timing of the surgery. The personal satisfaction of being able to be understood through proper communication and of being rewarded after working hard to improve patients’ quality of life: these traits attract me to medicine.

Several months after my Pakistan trip, I returned to shadowing and volunteering at Christus St. Patrick Hospital, and Lake Area Hospital. During this time, a man named Mr. Gerard smiled and approached me one day at Lake Area Hospital. Mr. Gerard is a physician whose smile would light up everyone’s moods, including nurses, doctors, and other medical staff members. Almost every Friday, I would see Mr. Gerard running from finishing his charts from his computer to seeing his patients in the pre-operational surgery room. One day, Mr. Gerard was with a 69-year-old patient named Sam (real name and age are withheld) who had low blood pressure. Mr. Gerard and the medical staff rushed to the emergency room. I followed into the room quickly to see if any of the medical staff needed a hand. One of the nurses calmly told me to hand them several items and to check his blood pressure constantly. Within 10 minutes of the emergency moment, the patient passed away from anaphylaxis. While a case like this is rare to hear and to witness, this moment made me realize that the effort of clear communication results in great teamwork, which makes it an obligatory characteristic to have. However, having resilience after encountering a tough case is a crucial asset in not just difficult times, but also in simple, everyday challenges. Mr. Gerard informed the patient’s family and one of them commented “This is the new normal.” Empathy struck me. It made me realize the importance of research for a cure, which is needed now more than ever, not just for anaphylaxis but also for cancers and other diseases.

To Mr. Gerard, the people in Karachi, the staff members, and every patient who has touched my heart remind me of the mountains that I used to see when I was a child. The hard work and motivation to bring optimism into people’s lives and improve their health simultaneously are what brought me to be involved in the medical field. Every day makes me realize that perseverance, maturity, and stamina are what build hard work into creating an impact on a person’s life. To be able to sincerely help others is a blessing. But, for me, to make a big, positive impact on one’s life is something far greater. Just like the strong, majestic mountains, these give me hope and perseverance, which are more essential than one can imagine.

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Personal Statement Example 29

By: Meg

I was one year old when I first met my father. He moved to America before I was born to start a life here. My parents sacrificed a comfortable life in India to pursue a bright future for my sister and me. They had strong aspirations for us. My parents wanted us to grow up to be independent and successful, but most importantly – the best. I may have grown up in America, but everything about the way I was raised reflected my Indian heritage. This meant that we were part of a small Indian community, where everyone knew everything about each other and competition between families was rampant. My friends were not just my friends- they were also my competition. I grew up in a culture where there only exited two acceptable professions- doctor or engineer. Nothing outside of the lines, and nothing in between.

I grew up knowing I wanted to play an integral role in healthcare. I never had an ‘aha moment’ when I realized I wanted to pursue a career in healthcare; I simply knew. As a child, I played doctor with stuffed animals and mixed soda medicines. The human body was my board game and illnesses were puzzles ready to be solved. Growing up, I took great pride in being a team player. I was a part of my school’s orchestra, tennis team, and various volunteer organizations such as Key Club. Team spirit was something I absorbed heavily and made part of who I am. So when I learned about the physician assistant profession, I was hooked. The aspect of managing patients in a team-based environment across a multitude of specialties appealed to me.

Once I realized I wanted to become a PA, telling my parents of that decision was one of the hardest things I had to do. There was very little traction regarding the physician assistant profession within my community and it was looked down upon because it had the word ‘assistant’ in its title. I hoped to convince my parents that a career as a PA is just as honorable as that of a doctor, but I couldn’t. From being called lazy and called out for taking the ‘easy road’, I was disgraced, discouraged, and put down by my family. For a short period of time, losing their support drove me into burying my career aspirations and I attempted to stick to my parents’ plans for my future. I spent the early parts of my undergraduate career drowning in self-doubt, fear, and disappointment. It was after my freshman year of college that I decided to stop pitying myself. My words were not enough, so I decided to show them with my actions.

The summer after my sophomore year, I scribed at an Internal Medicine private practice. The opportunity to sit with patients one-on-one was my first time exploring healthcare on my own. It was through this experience that I learned that collaboration, teamwork, and compassion were vital in streamlining the care of patients. This was only the start of my healthcare journey; desiring more exposure in healthcare, specifically at an in-patient facility, I joined the Burn Unit at the Wexner Medical Center as a Patient Care Associate. From obtaining vitals, EKGs, and drawing blood, to assisting in wound care and dressing takedowns, my position as a PCA allowed me the privilege to support my patients both physically and emotionally.

Working at the burn unit showed me that healthcare is not glamorous. I witnessed codes, listened to the horrifying stories that brought patients to my unit, and watched them diminish right before my eyes. I struggled to balance being a full-time student, full-time employee, and trying to regain my family’s respect. But it was within the journeys of my patients that I found strength. With every step taken, every tube removed, and every milestone reached, I was encouraged to carry on my fight. Through the exhaustion, sweat, and tears that accompanied this job, I learned how to be accountable, flexible, and assertive- skills that I know will help me thrive as a PA and further prepare me for a career in healthcare.

My time as a Scribe and PCA showed me just how much of a privilege it is to work in healthcare. Seeing professionals work together to support patients and being a part of that team showed me that there is no other profession I desire and am willing to fight for more. From the sacrifices I made with my family and myself to get this far, I know that there is no barrier in the world that stands a chance against me fiercely providing and caring for my patients. If perseverance, determination, and tenacity are required of individuals pursuing a career in the medical field, then I know my career as a physician assistant is attainable.

I cannot speak for my community, but I do know that over the years I earned the respect of my bosses, coworkers, and most importantly- myself. I am proud to say that I want to be a physician assistant because providing comfort and care to a patient and their family is the greatest gift anyone can give, and I would forever be honored to lend a healing hand to those in need.

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Personal Statement Example 30

By: Anna

“He’s a flight attendant.” My manager alerted me as I was preparing to triage the next patient. There was a lack of supply on proper PPE, so I put on two masks and two pairs of gloves. Mr. Stowell was a flight attendant who came in as a COVID-19 suspect. His vitals were within the normal range, however, he was constantly coughing and having shortness of breath. The physician assistant (PA) gave me an order to swab him for COVID-19. I was aware of the risks I was taking to care for the patient; however, his well-being came before my own. Throughout the visit, I witnessed the PA’s professionalism, sympathy, and desire to help Mr. Stowell while he was in a vulnerable state. Relating to these characteristics, I yearn that I could provide further medical care for the impacted patients. This pandemic has reinforced my decision to become a PA, as well as emphasizing my desire to help fight on the front lines.

Medical sciences and clinical medicine have always been a major point of interest. Since high school, I volunteered at hospitals and nursing homes and was involved with pre-health organizations. Exploring opportunities to shadow multiple disciplines in the healthcare community including PAs, NPs and MDs solidified my career decision. As someone who enjoys functioning in a collaborative environment and has goals of working for the underprivileged community in various specialties, I concluded that the PA profession was the perfect match for me.

I sought every opportunity to expand my knowledge in the PA profession by volunteering, shadowing, gaining leadership, and patient care experiences. I was involved with the Delta Omega Chi Medical Service Society during my undergraduate years. As president of the organization, I collaborated with student leaders to host charity and volunteering events for the underserved. In 2017, after the catastrophic hurricane Harvey, I hosted fundraisers to provide services to families who lost their homes and distributed donations at rescue shelters. It was an eye-opening experience witnessing a diverse and underprivileged group of individuals seeking medical care. Although I was able to contribute my physical and emotional support, I aspire to provide further clinical care in situations such as these.

Healthcare is more than just medicine; as our country is increasingly becoming more diverse, it is imperative that healthcare providers understand each patient’s background to ensure they provide adequate medical care. Growing up in a family that does not speak fluent English, my parents have always depended on me to communicate with the provider. This first-hand experience is a quality that I take advantage of as a medical assistant at a diverse medical clinic. I recognize the inconvenience of the language barrier which could engender misdiagnoses, often leading to distrust of patients. Understanding the disparity among our community has allowed me to connect with patients on a personal level, which will enhance my ability to treat patients in the future.

In a particular experience, my colleague asked me to talk to a patient because she did not speak English. I took Mrs. Nguyen’s vitals and vividly remember her blood pressure being elevated. Her husband was suffering from stage IV liver cancer. Since finding the illness, he had been in denial and estranging himself, however, it appeared to me that no one else was aware of Mrs. Nguyen’s emotional distress. I received a phone call from her later that afternoon. She expressed her gratitude for allowing her the opportunity to confide in me and asked if she could call again in the future. Hearing the optimism in Mrs. Nguyen’s voice emphasized my desire to become a PA to not only treat patients but to utilize the interpersonal skills I have gained through all my experiences.

Teamwork, time management, and communication are the essential skills I have acquired to allow me to effectively work in a medical setting. Medical assisting for a PA who treats patients simultaneously has sharpened my ability to work under pressure; especially having to perform clinical procedures such as, EKGs, respiratory swabs, injections, ANS tests, and sudomotor tests. Continuing to practice these clinical skills and medical care will give me the opportunity to excel and serve the underprivileged as a PA.

From high school involvements to exposure in multiple healthcare facilities, my commitment to a life-long career of serving the underprivileged community has strengthened. My broad experiences have honed my interpersonal, teamwork, and clinical skills, as well as my ability to work under high-stress environments. When I make an oath to serve and provide care for the people, I am willing to put myself in front of others knowing that I could make a positive impact. As a PA candidate, I offer my unrelenting eagerness to learn and serve the underprivileged, and my ability to relate to a diverse people group at my fullest potential.

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Personal Statement Example 31

By: Joe

Just as he finished shaking hands with his opponents at the end of his football game, a seemingly healthy high school player collapsed. In a state of confusion and vomiting profusely, the athlete kept repeating, “My head! My head!” As the school’s athletic trainer (AT), I sprinted to him along with the team physician and paramedics. I took the lead at the head and determined that we needed to a spine board and transfer the athlete to the local hospital. He was airlifted later that night to a regional medical center where he underwent several procedures to relieve pressure on his brain caused by a subdural hematoma. This challenging experience left me wishing I could have done even more. After careful deliberation and research, I became determined to pursue a career as a physician assistant.

Throughout my nine-year career as an AT, I have had the opportunity to work in a variety of settings in diverse locations. The first was at a group of high schools providing care for underserved populations in Texas. Here, I expanded my knowledge of general medical conditions while honing my patient services skills. Being able to work with athletes through all four years allowed me to form strong relationships with them. Building those bonds proved integral to diagnosing and treating them as I quickly realized that my patients were more likely to share their symptoms and concerns when they felt they could trust me. Taking the time to get to know them and letting them know I cared about them personally planted essential seeds of trust. This led to one of my athletes approaching me to talk about symptoms of an illness unrelated to athletics. As a result, I was able to determine that she likely had mononucleosis and referred her to health services where she was treated accordingly.

Next, I served as a rehab assistant and AT for patients in a physical therapy clinic in a small town in Wisconsin. I also worked as a front desk coordinator for the visiting orthopedic physicians and helped a newly hired nurse practitioner become familiar with orthopedic exams and special tests. While working closely with two different PAs, I noticed that some of our skills overlapped, like orthopedic exams. However, my focus was on completing the initial examinations and referring patients to the PAs who had more training and access to ordering diagnostic tools. Close collaboration enabled us to give our patients the best treatment possible. I look forward to collaborating and sharing the new diagnostic and treatment options I learn at school with future colleagues as a PA.

Currently, I have the privilege of being an AT at the college level in Indiana. In this position, I am able to work autonomously with my assigned sport while still being able to collaborate with my team of ATs, physicians, physical therapists, and coaches. I have encountered several injuries with unique presentations. In one case, an athlete with sickle cell trait was complaining of chest pain during a hard practice in hot, humid conditions. When cooling did not resolve the issue, I asked a series of open-ended questions in order to dig deeper to get to the issue beyond the symptoms. I concluded that the athlete needed to go to the hospital where he was diagnosed with an acute pneumopericardium. This event further reinforced the importance of insightful qualifying questions, being able to process information quickly, and thinking outside the box. Working at the college level also enabled me to share my passion for medicine as a professor of athletic training and exercise science. Teaching this course allowed me to work on communicating the complexity of the medical field in a way my students would understand, a skill that will be essential when communicating with patients as a PA.

While I have built a strong orthopedic background via a diverse range of experiences and professional growth opportunities, I have a strong desire to expand and diversify my skill set as a PA. My passion and discipline were first demonstrated when I passed a national certification exam on the first attempt for my athletic training credential. These traits were later displayed while taking a full class load of prerequisite classes for PA school while working 50-70 hours a week as an AT. My desire to become a PA, willingness to ask for help, work ethic and strong time management skills permitted me to overcome challenges while improving on my master’s GPA.

As an Eagle Scout, I promised in our oath, “I will help other people at all times.” This mentality has stuck with me through my work as a Boy Scout, member of my church, initiator of an annual shoe drive at Parkview Health, and AT. As I think back to that moment my football player trusted me during his time of need, I am thankful he has made a full recovery and feel blessed to have been there to help him. I look forward to being able to provide even more help and care to those in need in my future career as a physician assistant.

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