The Physician Assistant Essay and Personal Statement Collaborative

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1. Morgan says

   September 15, 2022 at 8:14 am

   Hey guys!
   I would love some feedback on my essay. I’m honestly horrible at putting what I want to say into words. Thanks!

   Throughout my career as a paramedic, I have witnessed a multitude of medical and traumatic emergencies. While often repetitive, exhausting, and trying, the one thing I cannot say about the profession is that it is boring. There is always something new to learn or experience, even on the third UTI patient for the day. But even though I love the profession, there are some drawbacks. It is very rare that I get to know what happens to my patients after they leave my care, so I’m often left wondering what happened to them after. I have treated many patients and yet, despite knowing I did everything I could for them, I knew they needed more.

   One patient sticks out in my memory as the last push I needed to decide I wanted to become a PA. During one of my shifts just after Christmas, my unit was called for a fall victim. A man was on a ladder attempting to take his Christmas lights down and ice caused it to slip, knocking him off. When I arrived I knew it was grim. My patient was unresponsive and posturing, and the family was sitting on the ground next to him completely at a loss of what to do. My partner and I packaged him up, and just prior to leaving our medical director arrived on scene. He offered to ride with us to the trauma center, which I was incredibly grateful for. Throughout the half hour transport there was very little we were able to do for him, aside from supporting his airway and vitals. I was feeling horrible for his family, knowing that they likely lost their father and husband just a few days after christmas, but I was also incredibly intrigued. Throughout the transport I watched as my patient developed Cushing’s triad; I watched his heart rate drop, his pulse pressure widen, and his breathing yo-yo between tachypnea and near apnea. This was something I learned about in school and hadn’t heard mention of since, and despite the grimness of the situation I was excited I was able to witness the process first-hand. In the end we dropped him off at the trauma center and, unfortunately, I never found out if he made any kind of recovery.

   While certainly the most memorable, this wasn’t the first time I felt concerned for my patients and at the same time intrigued. Every time I get to experience a new disease process, a new treatment, or even a new perspective on an old case, I’m like a kid in a candy store. This is one of the things that finally made me choose to become a physician assistant; I like the flexibility it offers; that I would have the opportunity to experience all different fields. I also like that, unlike most of my patients, I would have the opportunity to be with my patients from beginning to end. I would be able to help them through the entire process and actually know how they are doing through it all. As a paramedic I’ve worked with medical professionals of all kinds, from doctors and PAs, to respiratory therapists and radiology techs. I’ve been a part of a team that, while we all have different training and backgrounds, can come together to save one person’s life. I’m excited to have the opportunity to step into the physician assistant role in that team to more greatly help my patients.

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   • Whitney Prosperi says

     September 19, 2022 at 5:06 pm

     Morgan,
     I can sense your passion to help patients woven throughout your essay. I would suggest adding in more details about some of the clinical skills and medical knowledge you have gained throughout your work experience. I would also include some of the details from your shadowing experience. If you shadowed PAs was there an interaction between PA/patient that solidified your decision? Also, in your conclusion I would tie back to your introduction in some way. I wish you good luck in the process, Morgan. Should you want more help, remember that we are taking submissions for our essay revision service.

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2. Whitney Prosperi says

   September 14, 2022 at 9:32 am

   Hannah,
   Your introduction does a great job of grabbing the reader’s attention and also showing your ability to connect with patients.
   I would suggest adding more details describing your work/clinical experience. Also, elaborate more on what about the PA profession appeals to you. (the ability to switch specialties, more time/contact with patients, opportunity to expand access to care)
   I wish you good luck in the process, Hannah.

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3. Anna says

   August 30, 2022 at 1:36 pm

   Just looking for any advice I can to make this a better essay! May need help with organization and anything I can add or cut. Thanks in advance

   4:30am read the clock when I arrived at my first job in healthcare. Unsure how the day would go, I headed into the clinic to get my day started. Dialysis was something I had heard of before but did not know much about. Never had I experienced it firsthand and never had I known anyone that was on dialysis, so the entirety of this job was new to me. From that day forward, I would see my patients three times a week for about of four or five hours each time. Each patient is unique in their own way. Some would watch TV during treatment, some would sleep, and some would work. The diversity among my patients while all being there for one common reason excited me the most.
   As we go through school and get older, a common question that tends to arise repeatedly is “what do you want to be when you grow up?” For many, they have an answer, even if it may be to be a princess. I, on the other hand, was never truly sure as to what I wanted to do when I got older. It was not until seventh grade, when my friend had told me that her father was a pediatric neurologist, that I had any idea of what I wanted to be when I grew up. From then on, I had always said that I would do something along those lines, but I had never pinpointed what exactly I wanted to pursue. Fast forward to sophomore year in college, I had been having back pain for many years, which in turn held me back when it came to my sport, softball. I had played since I was six, and was lucky enough to play in college, but it came to a point where even standing for periods of time would cause my back pain to increase, let alone run. I had decided to take myself to a see a doctor to simply get a diagnosis. When I arrived at my appointment, I expected to see the doctor, but I never did. The physician assistant was the one who provided all of my care. I had many appointments and saw the doctor three times, which were for procedures only. The physician assistant was the one I had a connection with. It was then, that I had decided what I wanted to be when I grew up.
   After this realization, I played softball one more year until my injury would not allow me to play my final year in college. On the other hand, it allowed me the time to start taking those steps forward to my future. I shadowed at a family practice, in which they saw patients who were uninsured or underinsured in a rural community. During this time, I was able to witness a broad spectrum of patient diagnoses and concerns. The broad spectrum ranged from a drug seeking adult male who accused the clinic of refusal of treatment to a sports physical for a young girl who was to start 5th grade and wanted to play basketball, volleyball, and softball. These experiences made me want to be the one who was directly serving the patients, which is how I ended up in my car at 4:30am at my first real job in healthcare as a dialysis patient care technician.
   Working in a dialysis clinic has become one of the most rewarding things I have done, and luckily, I get to do it multiple times a week. I say that it is rewarding in the sense that I am making them feel better sometimes instantly and seeing them feel relieved of their shortness of breath and other complaints, makes me feel good as well. Seeing the same patients three times a week for multiple hours at a time draws people together, ultimately making them an extension of family. Each patient comes from a different background, making them all different in various ways. For example, the ambulation and ability for each patient is different. Some patients would rather do everything on their own, but for others the technician would have to. Each patient bleeds for different lengths of time, so a technician may be holding one person’s sites for 20 minutes. In this time, what else is there to do but talk to them. One day, I was holding one of my nonambulatory patient’s sites at the end of treatment and we were just chatting away when she states, “I am so glad I met you.” I had only been in that clinic for 2 days, and she barely knew me. After she stated this, I knew that direct patient care was what I needed to be doing. From then on, I had many patients exclaim how happy they were that I was in the clinic working, which only made me want to be able to do more for them, and everyone. I want to be the one with the personal connection to each of my future patients.
   As a physician assistant, the focus on patient care is what drew me to this specific profession. Throughout my personal experiences, along with other family member’s experiences, the physician assistant was the primary provider. From my time as a dialysis technician, I have found that I enjoy the direct care. Along with this, the versatility that comes with being a physician assistant is appealing as well. The ability to switch specialties provides the opportunity to keep me on my toes mentally and physically to broaden my skill set for many years.

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   • Whitney Prosperi says

     September 14, 2022 at 10:35 am

     Anna,
     I can sense your desire to impact patients’ lives woven throughout your essay.
     I would suggest condensing where you can so that you have some room to add in more elements of your journey.
     You may want to elaborate some on your healthcare journey. Describe some of your clinical skills and work experience.
     Also, in your shadowing paragraph, describe an interaction between PA/patient or PA/supervising physician that solidified your decision to pursue this path.
     Lastly, I would write a more formal conclusion. Here, reiterate your desire to have greater responsibility for patient care and tie back to your introduction in some way.
     I wish you good luck on your journey, Anna.

     Reply

4. Parker says

   August 30, 2022 at 11:24 am

   Hey all! I would appreciate some feedback.

   Aloha, I’m Parker and I want to be a Physician’s Assistant. Years ago, I would never have believed that I would aspire to a career as challenging and as great as this. There have been so many moments leading to this point and I’m excited express my desire to be a PA and show why I would be a great fit for a program.
   When I was younger, I lacked confidence and school wasn’t my focus. I spent years working at Sonic learning to work hard, but I felt like I needed more. I decided to serve a mission for my church. After saving the necessary $10,000 to participate, I left my family for 2 years with minimal contact. I moved to San Jose, California where I focused on learning the Chinese language and volunteering with Chinese Americans in many capacities. It was here where I realized that serving other people gave life meaning and I started building more confidence in myself.
   When I returned from my mission, I decided to continue my education and was accepted and enrolled in brigham young university. Still unsure what to study I went ahead with my general classes needed for a degree. With more maturity and experience I found school came a lot easier to me. This was another boost in my confidence that I needed to seek out the right career. I had heard of the PA profession from a friend who was in the field and was intrigued. He encouraged me to work in healthcare before I fully committed to the path to ensure that it was right for me. My wife was graduating at the time and we decided to move to Texas with a job offer she had received. While there, I worked as a medical scribe and started a program to be trained as a medical assistant.
   After graduating I found a job at a small family practice. Working as a medical assistant taught me so much. I learned I’m not squeamish, and that I love the body. I learned I have a passion for general health and helping others be aware of healthy choices. I learned how much people’s health effects their life and wellbeing. I loved developing a relationship with the patients, co-workers, and the heathcare providers. I realized that I have a calm temperament and can diffuse tension and bad moods both in my office and with patients.
   Around this time, I started shadowing PA’s and I loved what I saw. I liked that the PA’s got to spend more time with their patients and I was surprised at how independently they were allowed to work. They seemed less stressed than the doctors I was working with. Every PA I have shadowed has been able to take time with me to answer my questions. They all loved their jobs and further convinced me that this was the right choice.
   My wife found out she was pregnant early in 2020, while we were in lockdown for Covid. When we began testing for covid I was required to suit up in full PPE to go out to the parking lot to swab. I was scared of bringing the virus home to my wife, but also excited to be able to do something for people and be at the front lines.
   When my wife hit 25 weeks with her pregnancy, she had to be hospitalized for a month to avoid pre-term delivery. I spent the month in the hospital supporting my wife as well as working when I could. We were surrounded by so many health-care workers and were really taken care of. It was interesting being on the other side of healthcare and how personal it was for me that we were getting the care we needed. I want to be a PA and help take care of people and their family members when they are in a time of need.
   I got a in a discussion with one healthcare providers about why they go into healthcare and they mentioned a program called international medical aid. I kept this in the back on my mind and after the baby was born and life was back to normal I decided to attend this program.

   I had already decided to be a physician assistant before the program but my time in on this internship really solidified my choice. It was such a shocking difference in care that my wife had received in Texas verse what was provided in Kenya. I will never forget that feeling being surrounded by people who were in desperate need of care and me not being able to do anything substantial to help them. I never want to feel like that again. I have to get more medical training so I can help others.
   I think that’s what intrigues me so much about PA’s. They were created as a solution to the healthcare system shortage of doctors. Is that they were created to fill a need. I love that and I really want to be a part of it.
   Since returning from my internship in Kenya I decided to continue working on my degree and pre-reqs. I transferred to BYU-H and have loved the science pre-req classes that I have taken. They have flown by, being much easier than I anticipated and I cannot get enough. I’ve enjoyed the long hours of studying and knowledge I’ve gained in the different biology, and chemistry classes. I only have a couple more semesters left in my degree and its very clear to me that I’m not ready for school to end.
   With every step towards PA school, I feel more and more passionate about becoming a PA. I want to challenge myself. I want a job that has a combination of mental challenge but also has real effects on peoples’ daily life.
   I hope to one day be able to say, Aloha, I am Parker a Physicians Assistant.

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   • Whitney Prosperi says

     September 14, 2022 at 9:42 am

     Parker,
     I can sense your desire to help others woven throughout your essay.
     You may want to start your introduction with the story about your time in California helping Chinese Americans.
     I would also elaborate on some of the clinical skills you have gained throughout your different roles.
     Another important element would be a patient care story. You want to show yourself in action providing clinical care of some kind while connecting with a patient on a personal level.
     To add these elements, you may need to condense throughout your essay.
     I’m not saying you need this, but should you want more help, remember that we are taking submissions for our essay revision service.
     I wish you good luck, Parker!

     Reply

5. Hannah says

   August 29, 2022 at 12:21 pm

   I could not help but move towards the soft whimpering. It was as if someone was trying to hold back tears by smothering their face into a pillow. It was only my second week at the long-term care facility, so I was still getting used to the various noises of people, alarms, and machines that filled each room. As I walked in, one of the newer residents quickly pulled the sheets over her head, yelling at me to leave. The last thing I wanted was to make her uncomfortable and invade her privacy, so I communicated, “My name is Hannah. I’m a nursing assistant, and I want to help you if you’d let me.” After weighing her options, she allowed me to grab a basin and some washcloths to clean up her bowel incontinence. I then left to find fresh linens, but my coworker stopped me and questioned who they were for. Apparently, this particular resident has not let anyone assist her with anything since she was placed at the facility a week ago. It was then that I realized healthcare is more than just knowledge; it is about developing relationships with patients to build trust.

   My observation of a physician assistant (PA) named Joshua at a walk-in clinic solidified the importance of a patient-caregiver connection. Being in a rural area, most of his patients did not have a primary care physician, so he diagnosed and treated distinct problems. One of the patients we observed came in frequently due to his back pain. He insisted that this PA was the only one he would see because, in his words, he is “the only one I trust.” The PA recommended that he should get a CT scan in an attempt to find the underlying cause of his pain. Although the patient was reluctant, he eventually was willing to do it. In an unforeseen occurrence, the CT scan unveiled that the patient had lung cancer that had metastasized to his spine. Fortunately, the patient is now being treated, but if he did not trust the PA the way that he did, he most likely would never have been diagnosed.

   Establishing a person’s trust in a healthcare setting is something I hastily grew confident in, and I know it will greatly benefit me in my future career. Although school limited my time at the long-term care facility, I enjoyed my small role in improving my residents’ days. This position built my passion for healthcare. I often listened to my residents about their diagnoses and treatment plans while my head spun its gears to form my care plan for them. My role as a nursing assistant was rewarding, but I aspired to further my education and play a greater role in the medical aspect of patient care.

   Collaboration is a skill that is often forgotten in medical professions, and it is something that proved difficult for me at the start of my undergraduate education. Throughout my first year at The Pennsylvania State University, I was content with sitting by myself in lectures and doing my work without the insight of my peers. However, I realized that my grades poorly reflected the time and effort I put into studying for my classes. As my classes narrowed the following year, I met people in my major with similar plans for their future which evolved into study groups. We worked on explaining the material to each other and making connections between different topics, allowing for a much deeper understanding of the information.

   Although my grades improved, it wasn’t until I sought a position that would more closely mimic the role of a professional degree that I realized the importance of collaboration. I found myself as a nursing assistant in the medical-surgical unit of a hospital. I observed nurses, doctors, PAs, and therapists discussing and exchanging viewpoints about the patient’s needs and wishes to provide the most successful patient-centered care. Although I struggled with collaboration amongst peers, I quickly grew out of that mindset and learned from my mistakes. I am confident that this evolution in my abilities will benefit me as a future PA.

   All my interactions with patients and other healthcare providers have shaped me into the PA I aspire to be. I am excited to use the skills of communication with patients and collaboration amongst peers that I have developed and will continue to enhance until one day I can meet a patient and say, “My name is Hannah. I’m a physician assistant, and I’d love to help you if you’d let me.”

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