The Physician Assistant Essay and Personal Statement Collaborative

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1. Vanessa Damiani says

   September 22, 2017 at 10:02 am

   In the midst of darkness, there will always be a light. The light will guide you to the end of the tunnel and help you to never lose sight of hope. Growing up, you could say things were easy and then they quickly became challenging when I entered high school. My father is sick; he has an addiction. He put us in a hole that was too deep to be filled and restored. We have jumped house to house, never had a clue how long we would be staying. I had a job at sixteen and began saving all the money I could to be able to support myself because I knew I could not depend on my parents. I was also an athlete, played soccer for a travel team and also my high school. With school full time, soccer, working part-time and the constant worry of financial struggle amongst my family, I was stressed. I was burdened. It has been difficult to watch a life that was once so easy, unravel and become destroyed. I pushed myself to keep doing what I loved while working hard and staying strong for my future’s sake. The worst came in waves. Most of the time I was able to rise above and overcome the difficulties faced, but sometimes money can dictate the outcome. I ended up not participating in college soccer so I could work more and focus on my academics. For a while things were well, I maintained a 4.0 throughout my first year. Then again I was pushed out of another home to somewhere new. Into my hardest, most important years of college I was lost. I lost focus. I regained it when I learned my mom was diagnosed with cutaneous T cell lymphoma. I always had interest in becoming a physician’s assistant, but at this moment I remembered that my purpose in life was much greater than what I had been working at. With school full time, always taking on eight classes or more, I did not have the time or finances to obtain a certification in phlebotomy or medical assisting as I would have liked to. My junior year I made it a priority to find a way to gain more knowledge and obtain experience in the medical field. I began shadowing at AI DuPont Hospital for Children. I was able to gain hands on experience in different departments throughout the hospital. I worked beside doctors, physician’s assistants, residents and other students. I met a variety of patients from in/out patient care, oncology/hematology, dermatology and primary care. Through my experience shadowing, I was able to put myself in the shoes of medical professionals, listen to case studies performed by the residents and participate in the diagnosis or the next step for each patient. Becoming a physician’s assistant became my drive, my drive to fight past my family situation and finish school. A particular PA student took interest in me and gave me the confidence that I was capable of achieving my goal despite my situation. There is always someone in your life, even if they may not know it, that gives you that piece of hope to never stop working towards the light.

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2. Katie says

   August 29, 2017 at 3:31 pm

   It was a cold January night and the sound of crunching metal, glass breaking and tires screeching filled the quiet street. I remember regaining consciousness, looking over and seeing blood covering my mom’s face. A woman stood next to my window and said “I’m a nurse, you’re going to be okay, help is on its way.” The next thing I remember, I was in the back of an ambulance crying, pleading with the EMT to not let my mom die, my dad was already dead. I was sixteen years old.

   For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be in the medical field. I wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps in some way. He was a general practice physician. As a little girl, I would follow him around his office, in and out of exam rooms seeing patient after patient. I’ll never forget the day a new mother brought her newborn baby in for a checkup. My father took his stethoscope out and listened to his chest. After a few quiet moments, my father stepped back and took a deep breath. He was about to deliver news that no mother wanted to hear: your baby has a hole in his heart.

   Fast forward to that horrific night in January. I’m in the emergency room, a young woman named Christine was sitting across from me asking me questions about my past health and relatives that she could call. I told her my father had died four years prior and I couldn’t remember anyone’s phone numbers due to the concussion I sustained in the accident. I began crying again. Christine sat next to me on the gurney, put her arms around me and told me everything would be okay. She stayed with me during X-rays, she stitched my face with the utmost care, explained my mother’s and my injuries to me until I understood and waited with me until my Aunt arrived. Christine was a physician assistant. To this day, I have not forgotten how kind and caring she was in my time of need. Ever since January 21, 2007, I knew what my path in life was; I wanted to be a PA.

   Throughout high school I excelled but when it came time for college applications, I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go. I made the tough decision to take a gap year and work to help pay bills at home. I signed up for classes at the local community college the following year while still working full time.

   After two years, I applied to Saint Joseph’s University. I had all intentions of becoming a undergraduate student that lived on campus and got involved in every way possible. When I was not approved for private loans without a cosigner, that dream quickly fizzled out. I made the decision to drive the 15-miles to campus each day. While I wanted to quit my job and put everything I had into my education, that just wouldn’t be a possibility. I could not and would not in good conscious leave my mom with a $2000.00 tuition bill each month. I continued to work 20-30 hours each week to help lessen my mother’s financial burden.

   My time at SJU was certainly not wasted. I joined the cheerleading team and volunteered as much as my time would allow. I cheered sideline at every men’s and women’s basketball game, competed in STUNT as well as at NCA Collegiate Nationals in Florida. I joined Make a Wish Foundation to grant less fortunate, ill children the dream of a lifetime, APEX to build homes and gardens for families in the Appalachian region, and Relay for Life to raise cancer awareness on campus, as well as to make a difference in my community. My grades, however, were not as good as I had wanted for myself. I had lost sight of the real reason I had started this journey: to be a PA.

   One job change, basketball games, cheer practices, competitions and endless volunteer opportunities later, I persevered and ultimately graduated from Saint Joseph’s University with a Bachelor’s degree.

   While sitting in a white fold up chair on the Maguire Campus lawn of SJU listening to the commencement speaker, I thought to myself “what am I going to do now?” My science grades were nowhere near as good as they should be to apply to PA school. At that moment, I made it my mission to register for classes, retake the necessary science classes, improve my grades and continue on with my dream of becoming a PA.

   Through my work in the healthcare field, I have learned what patient care really means. It means treating mind, body and soul. It means having dignity, respect, compassion and commitment for patients. It means giving everything you have plus some to giving your patients the care they need and deserve regardless of race, religion or sexual orientation.

   I’m at a place in my life where I am confident in myself as well as my abilities to succeed in your program and become an outstanding physician assistant. I want to be like Christine and make a difference in people’s lives during those scary, emotional times of need. Like my father and save a child’s life with the listen of a stethoscope. I want to be like those physicians and PA’s assistants that do not give up trying to find the root of the problem when everyone else does. I want to be a part in the future of healthcare.

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3. Rajan Raina says

   August 24, 2017 at 1:34 pm

   The idea of practicing medicine with autonomy and being able to collaborate with the physician to provide efficient health care is what has captivated me to become a physician assistant. I have always had a firm grasp of how the healthcare field operates since I have been surrounded by family and friends who are associated with providing healthcare; also having a full-time job in the emergency department, shadowing, and volunteering has also made the hospital ambiance a second home to me. I was introduced to the profession of a physician assistant when I discovered that my mother was diagnosed with a carcinoma. While my mother had a large and amazing team of healthcare professionals to take care of her, one professional stood out to me the most: the physician assistant.
   The physician assistant’s role captivated me: his ability to display superlative communication amongst the physician and as well as their outstanding teamwork ultimately, saved my mother’s life. It was not difficult to see the physician assistant and physician’s ability to trust one another was unquestionable. The interaction between the two professionals lured me in like a child walking past a candy store. I learned that these characteristics are essential to have in the healthcare field. The physician assistant’s genuine efforts to consult with my family on each decision and answer our numerous questions without hesitation was relieving and inspiring at the same time. The amount of compassion the physician assistant had for my family helped me understand and gain a holistic side to medicine and treatment; one that includes compassion, time, and emotion. The unfortunate case of my mother’s carcinoma helped me understand the functions of physicians, physician assistants, nurses as well as other various healthcare professionals and the importance of operating and behaving as a team.
   I have personally witnessed that physician assistants are the pinnacle of efficiency and collaboration in regards to the healthcare community and in the scope of medicine, physician assistants provide stability in patient care. Working in the Emergency Department at University Hospital, the physician assistants help expand the access to care and control the volume of patients which ease the burden of the physician who may be involved with a critical patient. Working as a medical scribe, I am confident in my ability to understand pertinent positives and negatives from physical examinations, interpreting physical exam findings, and developing adequate differential diagnoses. I am eagerly learning how specific treatment and medications can influence the patient in terms of blood pressure, heart rate, or pulse oximeter changes. I am also interpreting imaging studies which further evaluate my understanding of essential clinical findings such as a Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) or an intracranial hemorrhage.
   I am inspired by the dedication and commitment physician assistants must have and Scribing at University Hospital has opened my eyes to the fact that physicians and PAs must focus on the patient from many different perspectives in order to best treat the patient as a whole. For example, I was working with a physician assistant who was about to perform a facial reconstruction for a 14-year-old girl with Treacher-Collins syndrome. Although the physician assistant was convinced he could perform the surgery with marvelous results, he realized that the patient may not benefit from the surgery until her post-traumatic mental scarring was treated first. The PA and I spoke afterward about the importance of looking at the whole patient and not getting too consumed with the detail of one specific problem which has taught me to pay attention to detail, however, focus on the patient as a whole.

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4. Jessica says

   August 23, 2017 at 4:42 pm

   “Are you still going to become a PA?” my grandma asked with a hint of doubt in her voice. It was blunt, but having just graduated, it was a question I was prepared for. So without hesitation, I looked her straight in the eyes and replied, “Yes, grandma.” She smiled approvingly, but what was ironic to me was that I do not think she even realized that this whole journey for me started because of her.
   Over the course of my lifetime, I have seen my grandma beat cancer four times and survive a massive stroke. This translated into a lot of doctors’ appointments, surgeries, and recovery time. I took care of her a lot during these times and when I did, I was always given a strict set of post care instructions to follow from her doctors. I was in charge of tasks such as making sure she took her medications, changing her bandages, keeping her surgical sites clean, assisting her through her physical rehabilitation exercises, helping her increase her lung strength after her lobectomy and clearing out her drainage tube from her mastectomy. This was a lot of responsibility for a teenager to handle, and something that many people would find overwhelming, but not me. These experiences, coupled with my strong interest in the sciences, sparked my interest in medicine and solidified my belief that it was the right path for me.
   I grappled for a long time with the idea of becoming either a nurse or a physician as most students in the pursuit of medicine would. Each offered the opportunity to be directly involved in the care of patients; however, each also had its limitations. Nursing lacked in terms of not being able to examine, diagnose and treat patients autonomously whereas, the career of a physician lacked in flexibility with regards to scheduling, the time allotted for each patient and specialty mobility. I first learned about the PA profession during my sophomore year at the University of Connecticut in a class titled the Sociology of Health. My professor discussed the history of the profession as well as the role of a PA. As she was speaking, each word resonated within me because a PA was the middle ground between a nurse and a doctor that I had been searching for.
   Once I knew what I wanted to do, it became a question of how I was going to get there. Academically speaking, my grades were stellar, but I needed to take what I was learning in the classroom and apply it. Volunteering as an EMT for ** was my first leap into healthcare and it was the first time I was able to interact with actual patients. My training and experience as an EMT has provided me with a solid foundation of knowledge and skills that I could build upon as a PA. However, the hardest part of being an EMT was that I never knew what happened to a patient once the call was over. One of the biggest appeals of the PA is profession is that he/she is the one who is examining the patient, ordering and interpreting the test results, making the diagnosis, formulating the treatment plan and tracking the patient’s progress along the way. As a PA, I would no longer have to wonder what happened to a patient because I would be there through it all.
   After graduating from college, I started working as a physical therapy aide which exposed me to an area of healthcare that was different from that which I was used to as an EMT. As an aide, I developed a relationship with the physical therapist I worked with that was in many ways similar to the dynamic that develops between a PA and their supervising physician such that the PT instills in me a level of trust to carry out my responsibilities efficiently and with the best interests of the patients in mind. Another attraction of the PA profession is that it allows me to have the autonomy I want, but with the added benefit of having the supervising physician there as an additional resource if needed. As an aide, I have also been able to get to know patients on a more personal level, allowing me to see them as a whole rather than just a set of physical symptoms or test results. I strongly believe that the more you know about a patient, the more you can render care that is individualized for that patient and make it a more positive experience for them.
   I remember one day while I was working as an aide, I had already finished assisting an elderly woman named Theresa through her exercises but the PT was still working with another patient. Instead of walking away and letting her wait alone, I pulled up a chair beside her and started talking to her. She told me all about her life and I could tell by the ways her eyes lit up that she loved having someone to tell all her stories to. When the PT came over, Theresa told the PT how wonderful and kind I was for listening. These are the moments that motivate me to give the best care that I can and makes it that much more rewarding to see patients like Theresa progress and be able to do things like chase around her energetic grandkids again. Whether I am in the role of an EMT, a PT aide, or even a future PA, moments like this are what makes answering questions like the one my grandma asked so easy to answer.

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5. Heather says

   August 22, 2017 at 12:33 pm

   About five of his closest friends, his girlfriend, and mother were gathered around, nervous smiles glimmering on their faces. The moment seemed an odd combination of private and public, with the hospital room door opened halfway. As the last clump of hair fell to the ground, everyone in the room provided their approving (and thankfully sincere) remarks. He glanced through the door to me in the
   hallway, and I offered an exuberant thumbs up. The group smiled and giggled in reply, and I felt a sense of camaraderie that almost made me forget why I was there. A pre-chemotherapy haircut was a surprisingly joyous occasion for a twenty-something leukemia patient when they’re equipped with a healthy dose of optimism. This simple moment stayed with me, ingrained as a flashbulb memory. Unfortunately, the patient would die within a year.

   The human aspect of medicine was not what initially drew me in. Like many, my love of biology began early, in high school. I chose to attend a university that would challenge me academically, and figured I would find my path along the way. When I graduated, still feeling somewhat aimless, I moved to Dallas for a change of pace. It was here that I began working in clinical research at Baylor Scott and White
   Research Institute. My experience in clinical research more than prepared me for being a clinician myself. Due to the particularly strong team working environment in the oncology department, I was able to collaborate with colleagues on many different projects. I feel this is particularly applicable to the role
   of a physician assistant. I feel comfortable deferring to someone more knowledgeable than myself, and do not mind taking the lead when appropriate. Through this teamwork I was able to learn a great deal about a variety of cancers, including breast, colon, pancreatic, leukemia, multiple myeloma, melanoma,
   and lymphomas. This only sparked my curiosity further. I learned all I could, attending grand rounds, learning the basics of phlebotomy, and observing as many bone marrow biopsies as possible. This passion was mirrored in my academic life. I began taking classes in the evenings to complete the prerequisites I had not in undergrad.

   Being a part of clinical trials that have the ability put cancer patients into remission was incredibly fulfilling, but I still felt separated from the true work that was being done. I wanted to be more closely involved in the decision making processes, and have more in depth knowledge of the science behind them. As a physician assistant I would be able to directly impact and help the lives of those in need. Characteristics of the best physician assistants are those that I also see in myself. Professionalism can been observed in the way they interact with both physicians and patients. Working in two well respected academic institutions more than prepared me for this. The attention to detail I paid in my work in clinical research will directly translate to that of a physician assistant’s. Whether auditing a study, answering queries in electronic data capture systems, or recording fluctuations in lab results;
   everything was went through with a fine tooth comb. This will assist me and taking an accurate history and picking up small pieces of information that are key to a patient’s diagnosis.

   Any interaction I have had with a physician assistant has been overwhelmingly positive. Those that I have personally been seen by have been extraordinary. The nature of the career is perfect in attracting people who truly value their patients and take the time to make them feel heard. They can provide a more holistic approach to healthcare, understanding that bedside manner and the patient’s emotions are vital components to healing. Never have I felt rushed or unwelcome. This warmth is an incredible ability, and it is something I feel that I bring to the table. My background in medical anthropology uniquely prepares me to care for a variety of patients in a culturally competent way. As someone who has seen patients in two distinctive regions of the United States- the South and Midwest- I am acutely
   aware of small cultural differences. Reacting appropriately to these can make a large impact on therapport going forward. In addition, my experience with a wide range of age groups will make me aninformed clinician. I have seen patients ranging from 18-90 years of age, and can swiftly adjust my
   demeanor appropriately.

   It wasn’t one moment that made me want to become a physician assistant. It was countless little moments like the one above. Every patient’s wife who tells me I’m good at what I do, every story about a patient’s grandchild, and even a hug from a patient dealing with difficult news validated the fact that I was on the right path. Working with these incredible patients showed me compassion I didn’t know I
   had, which led to a calling I cannot ignore. For me, the perfect fit wasn’t something I always knew, it was something I happened into. The amazing health care professionals I met along the way helped mold my decision at every turn. I took my time and listened to each person who could give me guidance:
   physicians, nurses, medical assistants, nurse practitioners, ophthalmic technicians, certified clinical research coordinators, pathologists, phlebotomists, and radiologists each provided me with a unique perspective. With this knowledge I feel confident that the physician assistant’s role is best suited for me.I am ready for my next challenge, and am excited to face it head on. Most of all, I am excited to impact
   the lives of patients as much as they have impacted mine.

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