The Physician Assistant Essay and Personal Statement Collaborative

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1. Bernadette says

   October 26, 2021 at 11:20 am

   Our whole lives we are constantly asked what we want to be when we grow up, 5th grade me said a veterinarian. Instead upon graduating high school I went in the US Army. I didn’t have a desire to go to college and honestly, I had no way to pay for it. I enlisted because I could have a career and an education all at once, I left for basic training on September 7, 2001. I then went in the Army Reserve as a radiology specialist. I instantly fell in love with seeing inside the body, it was like a scavenger hunt of bones and organs. For most of my career I loved the fact that I did not have any patient responsibility.

   I had a middle-aged female patient come in through the emergency room for a head injury from a golf cart roll-over accident to clear her c-collar. During the exam the patient stopped following verbal and visual instructions, which were to open her mouth. I immediately called the cat scan tech and said we need to get her on the table I think there is something wrong. While my coworkers transported her, I called the ER and the nurse was not very happy that an x-ray tech decided to move the patient but upon hearing how adamant I was in my experience, she had the doctor put an order for a STAT head CT. The patient had a massive brain bleed. This was the first time I ever wondered what happened to her next. I did end up seeing her again and she thanked me, and this is when I really acknowledged how much I love working as part of the care team.

   I had just gotten off active duty and was living at home with my parents. October 30, 2008, is a day I will never forget. I had come home after forgetting paperwork I needed and found my father a bit flustered and slightly disoriented. I asked for a rundown of what happened from start to finish. He had his routine visit to include blood pressure, lab work and EKG, they were going to do a stress test due to his family history of heart disease, but they had to schedule it a few days later. After hearing this I asked my dad if his arms felt funny, he said they felt heavy and tingly, my fears were true he’s having a heart attack is my thought. While driving to the hospital I called my mom and just told her my dad wasn’t looking so great and I was bringing him to the hospital, and she could meet us there or I could call and update her. Until this day she still comments on how calm I was that she didn’t think it was serious but just went to the hospital so I wouldn’t have to stay with him. I went in the triage room with him and at this point he’s having difficulty speaking, thankfully I had a perfect timeline. I’ve never seen so many people in one small ER room ever, one person is doing an IV, another is attaching EKG leads, they call out medications they are giving, it was like a well-oiled machine, everyone working independently yet together. The doctor and PA came in right as the EKG was printing, he was having a massive heart attack and the PA looked me right in the eye and told me I had very likely saved his life.

   My grown nephew had tripped and hit his shin on a rusty metal holder for a propane tank. I immediately grabbed paper towels and began to apply pressure. It ripped his skin clean open about 4 inches long and right down to bone. I applied a pressure dressing and got him in the car and drove him to the medical center 30 minutes away. After a long wait a PA came in and I explained what happened, the steps I had taken, and what it looked like to me. Upon uncovering the wound the PA looked up at me and complimented my dressing and went over the treatment plan. That PA was methodical in his sutures, they were perfect, and he was also quick and neat. I was extremely satisfied with how he treated my nephew and took the time to answer all my questions, I always like learning above my skill level if I can.

   Between the last two experiences I was a distinguished graduate with a Bachelor of Science in health administration and ended right back in radiology as a technologist. I have worked in many different types of settings including urgent care, imaging centers and by far my favorite orthopedics. While working at the urgent care and in orthopedics I was able to work beside doctors, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners. I spent downtime talking to the PAs about school and how they chose to become a PA. My now husband kept telling me that I could and should go back to school for nursing, I did enroll in nursing school and withdrew only days before classes started, I knew it was not what I wanted to do. Then PA school started coming up in conversations and I knew he would be relentless but at the time it was not what I wanted.

   I’m finally at a point where I know what I want and it’s to be a PA. I want to the person making diagnoses and treatment plans and working with ancillary teams. I feel my life experiences have led me here and I am ready to start a new path in my healthcare career with a larger role and a wide arrange of experiences to go with it.

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   • Whitney Prosperi says

     October 28, 2021 at 10:00 am

     Bernadette,
     Your desire to assist patients shines throughout your essay.
     I would tighten up each paragraph where you can so you can add in a few more elements that clarify your journey.
     You may want to expand on why specifically you chose the PA path. Is it so you can spend more time with patients? The ability to switch specialties? Collaboration with a healthcare team? Expanding access to underserved patients?
     If you have any shadowing experience, I would include a description of that, including how this confirmed your decision to become a PA. Describe an interaction between PA/supervising physician or PA/patient in this section.
     You may also want to expand on your military experience, describing leadership skills gained here. You could describe how your experience has equipped you with qualities that will make you a compassionate and effective PA.
     I wish you good luck, Bernadette.

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2. Manuela says

   October 14, 2021 at 10:01 am

   Out of my seventeen years on Earth, more than half of my life was spent existing in a world full of endless opportunities, and even though I was alive, I was merely living. Ever since I’ve been conscious, time seemed eternal and still – I was simply existing while everyone and everything around me was in flux. Sure, from a bird’s eye view my life seemed perfect, however, from the inside out my world was fragmenting into pieces. And just when you feel everything is pieced together in harmony, life takes an unexpected course. If you dwell on it, life seems like a snowglobe, at rest it’s calm, but once it’s shaken its contents change and if one is careless it can shatter.

   Near the end of my freshman year of high school, I received news that my mom had been diagnosed with the illness that deviously invades the body by deteriorating it from inside out, and the one that sweeps thousands off the face of the Earth, cancer. Looking back, I was paralyzed with fear because I had only ever seen cancer steal loved ones from me. Therefore my train of thought resulted in viewing life through a cruel spectrum. Why us? Why cancer? What did we do to deserve this? Yet again, I was one more petrified soul staring into death’s piercing eyes, drowning in grief. Over time, I built the habit of pouring my grief into words, into writing. As I write this essay, I have a word document begging me to switch tabs and continue the poem of my grandmother who recently was bestowed the entry to heaven. I find a safe space in writing. Nevertheless, after excruciating long nights plagued with uncertainty and a frightening code blue, my mom is the epitome of second chances. In retrospect, I managed to digest the relativity of second chances; to live not just exist, to enjoy life outside of its barriers, and value its beauty which only a handful of living souls perceive in between the chaos. Instead of searching for some type of remedy that could cure this nightmare, I started chasing second opportunities and left behind the fear of failure.

   Growing up all over the globe, second chances were always present in my environment, but I never fully understood their depth until I became an active character in my life by not letting external factors control the legend I was writing. By moving to Peru, Panama, the States, and Colombia, I have always been challenged to create new opportunities for myself. Out of all the times I experienced a new culture or language, I was able to start fresh. Given this, I opened my eyes to incorporating second chances everywhere I went from cultivating a new persona and leaving my comfort zone or trying new sports and hobbies.

   Five months ago, after days filled with exhausting online classes, I found myself admiring twenty third-grade students whose determination shined through a zoom screen. Even though an online barrier separated us, they were still motivated to learn English as a foreign language despite the adversities from the healthcare crisis. As a community service volunteer, it was my responsibility to elaborate a lesson on basic geometric shapes and colors. During the end of the period and given the material, I randomly asked a few students to answer some questions. A young boy I called on was unsure of the answer. I immediately saw the fear in his eyes and understood that he was sacred to answer incorrectly. I spoke up and reassured him that sometimes the first attempt won’t be perfect but you have to keep on trying until you get it correct – take advantage of all second opportunities even in the simplest contexts. And as my dad told me at the beginning of my senior year, “never be afraid of conquering the world, even if it takes multiple tries.”

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   • Whitney Prosperi says

     October 21, 2021 at 2:12 pm

     Manuela,
     I can sense your resilience and determination throughout your essay.
     I would suggest condensing where you can so you can include some more elements that describe your journey.
     Describe how you became interested in healthcare and specifically the PA profession.
     Also, what appeals to you about the PA field specifically? Is it the ability to switch specialties? The collaboration? Opportunity to connect with patients on a more personal level?
     If you have any shadowing experience, describe that. What about those interactions solidified your decision?
     You will also want to explain your path in healthcare. What medical experience and clinical knowledge have you gained?
     Lastly, for your conclusion I would recommend tying back to your introduction in some way.
     If we can be of further help, remember that we are currently taking submissions for our essay revision service.
     Good luck to you!

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3. Jasmyne says

   October 12, 2021 at 7:41 pm

   Hi! I am in desperate need of advice and editing for my essay! Thank you in advance for feedback!

   As a little girl in Mississippi, every weekend, I would visit my grandmother’s house. My grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer before I was born, but at the time, I did not know what cancer was. I would sit on her hospital bed that she had bought for her house, and I would constantly play with the remote control bringing the bed up and down. “What is this, grandma?” I would always ask, bothering her with a million questions about all of her medical equipment. “That’s my oxygen tank, don’t mess with that!” She would yell. As a curious little girl, I did not know what any of this medical equipment was or what it was for. All I know is that I loved her, and I wanted some part of it. I loved being with her, I would go to her room and play with all of what I thought were toys, such as her seven days of the week pill organizers, her oxygen facemasks, and even her fake breasts that were hidden in her drawer, she always thought that was hilarious. My grandmother would put all of her things away and promised me I would not have to worry about her having any of these things when I got older. As I grew older, my grandmother seemed to age faster and faster, becoming extremely weak, but she never let cancer get in the way of her funny, upbeat personality. Every time we thought she beat cancer, it would creep back. She was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer by the time I was sixteen years old. I still visited as she got sicker, but it hurt to see my grandma in that much pain. Instead of visiting her at her house, my family and I started visiting her at the hospital. I knew her death was coming soon, but I always hoped that she would just beat cancer again. Unfortunately, my best friend passed away shortly after being diagnosed at 1:00 a.m on April 6, 2015.
   Life’s journey is unpredictable. You never know what will happen or what you will be diagnosed with. My grandmother did not know that she would lose this battle. I did not understand as a young girl what my future held. I realized I wanted to help people like my grandmother, so I strived to make good grades throughout high school to get into a good college and make it to PA school. On my first day of class at Mississippi State University, I cried in front of the chaplain. I wept because I remembered my grandmother and how she suffered at the end and because I knew she would be so proud of me. I pulled myself together and was excited to start class. It was a hard and long road, but I am finally here. It took countless all-nighters, a ton of caffeine, and more than enough tutors.
   After gaining all of the knowledge I have now, I decided to work at a chiropractor clinic to get some experience. While working there, I learned that there are a variety of patients. Some patients are almost entirely independent, some dependent, and others depend entirely on you. I supervise my entire shift with the elderly. Our patients are usually in such severe pain that they cannot walk and sometimes cry when trying to get them to the next station. I put them on the advised therapies by the doctor, take them to get their treatment, give them exercises to do at home that assist with daily living, and more. As a rehab facility, we work as a team with our assistants and doctors to provide the best patient care outcome. Being an assistant, I feel as if the patients trust us the most. They rely on us consistently and sometimes tell us what not to say to the doctor (but of course, we cannot do that). Working as a team is critical as care plans must be updated for patients to be treated accurately and thoroughly. Whether it’s from trouble walking to balance issues to holding a spoon, residents should have their comfort and quality of life upheld.
   In memory of my grandma and all of my patients who have affected my life daily, I endeavor to deliver the best care possible. As a physician assistant, I would strive to be the most caring, trustworthy, and hardworking healthcare professional likely. Every patient is someone loved one, and as a physician assistant, I will treat them as such. Working as part of a team and counsel patients on preventative care, diagnose and treat illnesses. Much more would provide me with much greater autonomy than I now have, allowing me to be an exceptional addition to their overall health. I know that my grandma would be so proud and happy of the person I’ve become and how, despite some setbacks, I’ve persevered and will work nonstop to meet my ultimate goal of being a physician assistant interested in the person as a whole, not just medicine.

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   • Whitney Prosperi says

     October 21, 2021 at 2:04 pm

     Jasmyne,
     I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your grandmother. I know you will honor her legacy through each kind gesture you share with your patients.
     The story about your grandmother is powerful as it shares your motivation to care for patients. I would recommend condensing where you can throughout your essay to leave room to add in some other elements.
     Add a paragraph about what appeals to you about the PA profession specifically. (why this and not NP, chiropractor, or MD) Are you attracted to the potential for more time/contact with patients? The ability to expand access to care? The collaborating nature of the profession?
     You will also want to include any shadowing experience you have. What about interactions between the PA/patient or PA/supervising physician solidified your decision?
     I’m not saying you need this, but should you want more help we are taking submissions for our essay revision service.
     Good luck, Jasmyne.

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