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Single Edit One-on-one Service Supplemental Essays
Your success is our passion. (See just some of our 100's of testimonials and comments below). We are ready to help. Our current PA school essay editing service status (29th April 2024): Accepting New Submissions
(Photo: Me circa 1987, just thinking about my future PA School Essay)
- Are you struggling to write your physician assistant personal statement?
- Are you out of ideas, or just need a second opinion?
- Do you want an essay that expresses who you truly are and grabs the reader's attention in the required 5,000-character limit?
We are here to help perfect your PA school essay
I have written countless times on this blog about the importance of your personal statement in the PA school application process. Beyond the well-established metrics (GPA, HCE/PCE hours, requisite coursework, etc.), the personal statement is the most crucial aspect of your application.
This is your time to express yourself, show your creativity, skills, and background, and make a memorable impression in seconds. This will be your only chance, so you must get it right the first time.
For some time, I had been dreaming about starting a physician assistant personal statement collaborative.
A place where PA school applicants like yourself can post their PA school essays and receive honest, constructive feedback followed by an acceptance letter to the PA school of your choice!
I have been reviewing a ton of essays recently, so many in fact that I can no longer do this on my own.
To solve this problem, I have assembled a team of professional writers, editors, and PA school admissions specialists who worked to revise and perfect my PA school application essay.
Beth Eakman has taught college writing and worked as a professional writer and editor since the late 1990s. Her projects have involved a wide range of disciplines and media, from editing technical reports to scriptwriting for the PBS Kids show Super Why! Her writing has appeared in publications including Brain, Child Magazine, New York Family Magazine, and Austin Family Magazine. Beth lives with her family just outside Austin, Texas. She is driven to help each client tell the best version of their story and achieve their dream of becoming a physician assistant.
Deanna Matzen is an author with articles featured in Earth Letter, Health Beats, Northwest Science & Technology, and the Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. With an early career in environmental science, she developed a solid foundation in technical writing. Her communication skills were further honed by producing and editing content for a non-profit website, blog, and quarterly journal. Inspired to extend her craft, she obtained a certificate in literary fiction, which she draws on to build vibrant scenes that bring stories to life. Deanna loves working with pre-PAs who are on the cusp of new beginnings to find their unique story and tell it confidently.
Carly Hallman is a professional writer and editor with a B.A. in English Writing and Rhetoric (summa cum laude) from St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas. She has worked as a curriculum developer, English teacher, and study abroad coordinator in Beijing, China, where she moved in 2011. In college, she was a Gilman Scholar and worked as a staff editor for her university's academic journal. Her first novel, Year of the Goose, was published in 2015, and her first memoir is forthcoming from Little A Books. Her essays and creative writing have appeared in The L.A. Review of Books, The Guardian, LitHub, and Identity Theory, among other publications.
Read more client testimonials or purchase a revision
We Work as a Team
Our team of professional editors is wonderful at cutting out the "fluff" that makes an essay lose focus and sets people over the 5,000-character limit. Their advice is always spot-on.
Sue, Sarah, and Carly are amazingly creative writers who will take your "ordinary" and turn it into entirely extraordinary.
I mean it when I say this service is one-of-a-kind! We have spent countless hours interviewing PA School admissions directors and faculty from across the country to find out exactly what it is they are looking for in your personal statement.
We even wrote a book about it.
To collaborate, we use Google Drive. Google Drive is free, has an intuitive interface with integrated live comments in the sidebar, the ability to have a real-time chat, to collaborate effortlessly, and to compare, revise, or restore revisions on the fly. Google Drive also has an excellent mobile app that will allow you to make edits on the go!
Our team has worked with hundreds of PA school applicants within the Google Drive environment, and we have had enormous success.
The Physician Assistant Essay and Personal Statement Collaborative
I have set up two options that I hope will offer everyone a chance to participate:
- One-of-a-kind, confidential, paid personal statement review service
- A collaborative, free one (in the comments section)
Private, One-On-One Personal Statement Review Service
If you are interested in the paid service, you may choose your plan below.
The Personal Statement Review Service is:
- Behind closed doors within a private, secure network using Google Drive.
- It is completely interactive, meaning we will be able to provide real-time comments and corrections using the Google Drive interface.
- Telephone consultations are included with all edits above the single edit level. It’s often hard to communicate exactly what you want hundreds of miles away; for this reason, we offer the option to edit right along with us over the telephone while sharing in real-time over Google Drive. This is an option available to all our paid clients who purchase above the single edit level.
- We provide both revision and editing of all essays. What’s the difference? See below
- We will provide feedback, advice, and help with brainstorming and topic creation if you would like.
- We will help with a “final touch-up” before the big day, just in case your essay needs a few minor changes.
Why Choose Our Service?
- It’s not our opinion that matters. We have gone the extra step and personally interviewed PA school administrators from across the US to find out exactly what they think makes a personal statement exceptional.
- We are a team of PAs and professional writers, having worked over ten years with PA school applicants like yourself, providing countless hours of one-on-one editing and revision.
- Our clients receive interviews, and many go on to receive acceptance into their PA School of choice.
Because we always give 100%, we will open the essay collaborative for a limited number of applicants each month and then close this depending on the amount of editing that needs to be done and the time that is available.
Our goal is not quantity but quality. We want only serious applicants who are serious about getting into PA school.
Writing is not a tool like a piece of software but more like how a photograph can capture your mood. It’s more like art. The process of developing a unique, memorable personal statement is time-intensive, and it takes hours to compose, edit, finalize, and personalize an essay.
As Antoinette Bosco once said:
And this is why I am charging for this service. We love helping people find stories that define their lives, and we love helping individuals who have the passion to achieve their dreams. It’s hard to describe the feeling I get when an applicant writes back to tell me they were accepted into PA school.
There is no price tag I can place on this; it’s the feeling we get when we help another human being. It’s just like providing health care. But this takes time.
Interested? Choose your plan below.
Read more client testimonials.
Free Personal Statement Review
Post your essay in the comments section for a free critique
We want to make this opportunity available to everyone who would like help with their essay, and that is why we are offering free, limited feedback on the blog.
You post your essay in the comments section, and you will get our critique. It is that easy. We will try to give feedback to every single person who posts their COMPLETE essay here on this blog post in the comments section.
Also, by posting your comment, we reserve the right to use your essay.
We will provide feedback on essays that are complete and fit the CASPA requirements (View CASPA requirements here). We will not provide feedback on partial essays or review opening or closing statements. Your essay will be on a public platform, which has both its benefits and some obvious drawbacks. The feedback is limited, but we will try to help in any way we can.
Note: Comment Rules: Remember what Fonzie was like? Cool. That’s how we’re gonna be — cool. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, I will delete your stuff. Otherwise, have fun, and thanks for adding to the conversation! And this should go without saying: if you feel the need to plagiarize someone else’s content, you do not deserve to go to PA school.
* Also, depending on the time of year, it may take me several weeks to reply!
We love working with PA school applicants, but don't just take our word for it!
How to submit your essay for the paid service
If you are serious and would like to have real, focused, and personalized help writing your personal statement, please choose your level of service and submit your payment below.
After you have submitted your payment, you will be redirected to the submissions page, where you can send us your essay as well as any special instructions. We will contact you immediately upon receipt of your payment and essay so we may begin work right away.
Pricing is as follows:
Choose your plan, then click "Buy Now" to submit your essay, and we will get started right away!
Every purchase includes a FREE digital copy of our new 100-page eBook, How to Write Your Physician Assistant Personal Statement, Our 101 PA School Admission Essays e-book, the expert panel audiobook, and companion workbook. This is a $65 value included for free with your purchase.
All credit card payments are processed via PayPal over a secure HTTPS server. Once your payment is processed, you will be immediately redirected back to the essay submission page. There, you will submit your essay along with some biographical info and all suggestions or comments you choose to provide. You will receive immediate confirmation that your essay has been securely transmitted as well as your personal copy of "How to Write Your Physician Assistant Personal Statement." Contact [email protected] if you have any questions, comments, or problems - I am available 24/7.
The hourly service includes your original edit and one-on-one time over Google Drive. It is simple to add more time if necessary, but you may be surprised at what a difference just a single edit can make. We find our four-hour service to be the most effective in terms of time for follow-up and full collaboration. We are open to reduced-rate add-ons to suit your individual needs.
Writing and Revision
All writing benefits from rewriting when done well.
When you are in the process of writing a draft of an essay, you should be thinking first about revision, not editing.
What’s the difference?
Revision refers to the substantial changing of text. For example, it may include re-organizing ideas and paragraphs, providing additional examples or information, and rewriting a conclusion for clarity.
Editing, on the other hand, refers to correcting mistakes in spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
On all submissions, we perform both revision and editing.
How to submit your PA school essay for the FREE editing service
Follow the rules above and get to work below in the comments section. I look forward to reading all your essay submissions.
- Stephen Pasquini PA-C
View all posts in this series
- How to Write the Perfect Physician Assistant School Application Essay
- The Physician Assistant Essay and Personal Statement Collaborative
- Do You Recognize These 7 Common Mistakes in Your Personal Statement?
- 7 Essays in 7 Days: PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 1, “A PA Changed My Life”
- PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 2, “I Want to Move Towards the Forefront of Patient Care”
- PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 3, “She Smiled, Said “Gracias!” and Gave me a Big Hug”
- PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 4, “I Have Gained so Much Experience by Working With Patients”
- PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 5, “Then Reach, my Son, and Lift Your People up With You”
- PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 6, “That First Day in Surgery was the First Day of the Rest of my Life”
- PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 7, “I Want to Take People From Dying to Living, I Want to Get Them Down From the Cliff.”
- Physician Assistant Personal Statement Workshop: “To say I was an accident-prone child is an understatement”
- 9 Simple Steps to Avoid Silly Spelling and Grammar Goofs in Your PA School Personel Statement
- 5 Tips to Get you Started on Your Personal Essay (and why you should do it now)
- How to Write Your Physician Assistant Personal Statement The Book!
- How to Write “Physician Assistant” The Definitive PA Grammar Guide
- 101 PA School Admissions Essays: The Book!
- 5 Things I’ve Learned Going Into My Fourth Physician Assistant Application Cycle
- 7 Tips for Addressing Shortcomings in Your PA School Personal Statement
- The #1 Mistake PRE-PAs Make on Their Personal Statement
- The Ultimate PA School Personal Statement Starter Kit
- The Ultimate Guide to CASPA Character and Space Limits
- 10 Questions Every PA School Personal Statement Must Answer
- 5 PA School Essays That Got These Pre-PAs Accepted Into PA School
- 7 Questions to Ask Yourself While Writing Your PA School Personal Statement
- 101 PA School Applicants Answer: What’s Your Greatest Strength?
- 12 Secrets to Writing an Irresistible PA School Personal Statement
- 7 Rules You Must Follow While Writing Your PA School Essay
- You Have 625 Words and 2.5 Minutes to Get Into PA School: Use Them Wisely
- What’s Your #1 Personal Statement Struggle?
- 31 (NEW) CASPA PA School Personal Statement Examples
- How to Prepare for Your PA School Interview Day Essay
- Should You Write Physician Associate or Physician Assistant on Your PA School Essay?
- Meet the World’s Sexiest PA School Applicants
- PA School Reapplicants: How to Rewrite Your PA School Essay for Guaranteed Success
- How to Write a Personal Statement Intro that Readers Want to Read
- PA School Reapplicant Personal Statement Checklist
- How to Deal with Bad News in Your Personal Statement
- Inside Out: How to use Pixar’s Rules of Storytelling to Improve your PA Personal Statement
- Ratatouille: A Pixar Recipe for PA School Personal Statement Success
- Personal Statement Panel Review (Replay)
- Mind Mapping: A Tool for Personal Statements, Supplemental Essays, and Interviews
- Start at the End: Advice for your PA School Personal Statement
Jordan A. says
Are you still critiquing submitted essays? It looks like the last few haven’t been touched for several months.
Stephen says
Yes Jordan, I just opened comments again. I had to take a break because we were overwhelmed with paid submissions. Feel free to post your essay and one of our team will provide you with some constructive feedback…. Thanks for asking.
– Stephen
Jordan A. says
Awesome! Thanks so much for doing this. I will be posting my first draft sometime in the next few days.
Hannah says
I am passionate about my pursuit in becoming a physician assistant because there is little room for compassion towards suffering patients in the American health system and other health care systems around the world. There is something unfortunately ironic about a profession that’s basic purpose is to help others and yet many times, that is the opposite of what takes place within healthcare and medicine. When I become a physician assistant, my highest priorities will be to show compassion and to increase my patient’s role in their own healthcare by helping them understand their health conditions. The goal of the PA profession’s origin, to improve and expand healthcare, is a cause I am zealous about promoting. This is why I am pursuing a career as a physician assistant.
One of my earliest exposures to the downfalls of the American healthcare system was in middle school. I remember riding to the hospital with my grandmother for her medical appointment. When we arrived, the office staff was overwhelmed by the amount of ailing and scared patients. They were too overrun to answer questions or provide comfort to anyone checking in. Once we were brought back to a patient room, I made a trip to the restroom while we waited. Upon exiting the room, I heard the medical professional mention my grandmother’s name and saying “why is she here again?” followed by “I don’t have time to comfort people.” I vividly remember that floral-wallpapered room with my grandmother sitting on the paper-covered table and all I wanted to do was help her escape from the unsympathetic person that saw her as someone filling an appointment slot.
However, on my high school mission trip to the beautiful island of Cuba, my eyes were opened to the medical conditions in other countries less fortunate than ours. During the trip, our group met a woman named Elena who shared her story with us. She had previously been diagnosed with ovarian tumors. The medical team working on her case had tried a few available treatments but none of them seemed to improve her condition. Finally, the head medical professional on the team determined that a hysterectomy was the only viable solution to her problem. Elena described wearing her favorite worn, blue dress on the way to her procedure and was surrounded by several friends and family who were there to provide support. After hugs and kisses, her support system waved as Elena was wheeled off to the operating room. Elena explained that she had heard anesthesia had been in low supply around the hospital for a while but no medical professional on her team had actually mentioned this to her. However, she was successfully put under anesthesia to begin her surgery. As the surgery proceeded, she began to wake up and feel excruciating pain. She says that she began trying to motion to let someone know she was waking up and says that she was told by someone in the room that the anesthesiologist was gone and she remained awake for the rest of the surgery. Although that only was a couple of minutes, she said that felt like a lifetime. Elena told us that although that was several years ago, she vividly remembers what it felt like to not be shown any compassion while lying on the operating table. She ended her story emotionally by saying, “I thought I was supposed to trust them to care for me.” Elena and her story have stuck with me throughout the last few years as I have worked professionally, academically, and socially towards my pursuit of becoming a physician assistant.
While some key characteristics to being a physician assistant include intellect, observation, and communication, I would place a greater emphasis on exhibiting compassion, integrity, and concern for my patients. I want to increase the understanding that patients have about what is actually going on in their own bodies, instead of just handing them a prescription without explaining how it will affect them and their health. How can we gain a patient’s trust if we do not take measures to earn it? This is why I am passionate about becoming part of this profession that can make all the difference in a person’s healthcare experience.
Jerusha Lancaster says
Personal Essay-Thanks for all your help! Us applicants need all we can get!
As our plane touches down and grinds to a halt the cabin erupts into enthusiastic applause. Being a frequent flyer I wonder what the fuss is all about. A friend leans forward from the aisle behind me and says; “Now I’ll tell you. This airport is considered one of the most dangerous in the world because the runway is so short. After a deadly accident in 2008, it was lengthened a few hundred feet and the limited pilots flying here have to undergo specialized training.” At this revelation I was ready to join in on the praise for our pilots and safe landing.
We had arrived for a weeklong medical mission trip to treat the humble people of San Antonio de Flores, a small, mountain town in Honduras. It was my first trip and my thoughts were filled with wonder and anticipation. From our mission home base it would be a four-hour bus ride, traveling up and down tortuous dirt roads to where we would set up our clinic. I would serve as part of the triage team, measuring weights and taking blood pressures as we checked in patients. Fortunately—and for security reasons—triage was stationed near the only door. This gave us the opportunity to be the first faces of welcome and to also say goodbye to the thankful patients carrying bags full of much needed medications, shoes, eyeglasses, etc. It was incredibly rewarding to witness firsthand the impact we were having.
I have been contemplating my career choice as a physician assistant for many years now. As a teenager, our neighborhood clinic was mainly staffed with PAs so our family has long been comfortable turning to them for our healthcare. Relishing the hard sciences, I have always desired a career in medicine. I was able to determine early on however, that I did not want to be a medical doctor. Despite the tempting salary, I felt the lifestyle was not a good match for me. With my husband joining the military and plans to start a family, the typical workweek and student debt of an MD were demands I did not want to force myself to meet. More recently, I have taken a position as a patient care technician at The Nebraska Medical Center to broaden my understanding of the allied health professions. Understanding that nurses play a vital role in the well-being of a patient, I still feel compelled to learn medicine based on the medical-physician model. Thinking back to the first day of clinic in Honduras, one nurse commented, “It’s as if we’re functioning as doctors and PAs, even though we’re nurses; it’s a little overwhelming.” I understood her apprehensions and as the days passed, the nurses did become more relaxed. These concerns however, only further cemented my belief that I have chosen my true calling of service.
In opposition to my current maturity, my behavior as I started college was admittedly quite the display of irresponsibility. The actions I took in my freshman and sophomore years were definitely those of a selfish adolescent. I was not focused on my schoolwork and my disregard for the dormitory rules led to a one-year disciplinary dismissal from Texas A&M University. Initially, I was determined to return, but after attending my local community college and gaining steady employment in a restaurant—where I met my husband—I decided to complete my undergraduate degree at the University of North Texas. With great family support, galvanized focus, and a deeper respect for my studies I graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Biology.
Today, as a proud military wife and mother of two I am ready to advance my career and learn how to provide excellent healthcare. The collaborative relationship between the PAs and MDs greatly motivates me. So much can be accomplished with continuous feedback and open communication. As a primary healthcare provider, I want to dialogue and teach preventive medicine as well as help diagnose and treat illness. The broad spectrum of specialties open to a graduating PA holds great value for gaining experience and skills. I am faithfully eager for knowledge and want to pass along that knowledge to meaningfully help the underserved.
Yvonne Bruner says
In biology class in 2011, my teacher, Dr. Misayah, provided an answer to a lifelong quest I have had for wellness and healing compassionately, and effectively. She described how she was delivering a pregnant woman at home who did not have health insurance and didn’t want to go to the hospital. The woman was not expelling the placenta. Dr. Misayah used her fingers and gently separated the placenta to avoid hemorrhage from tearing the uterus. She saved the patient’s life. I saw in that moment how my mother, who died when I was 30, could have lived. She was a German immigrant who had survived the war and spoke only broken English. She was someone who simply needed extra compassion and caring before she could trust, and seek help. She had a stroke, refused to go to the hospital and died at home. I have gained an increasing perspective on that tragic loss for myself and my family as I have grown older and pursued different paths, and I now know that my passion is to work with medically underprivileged communities who need that extra kindness and understanding to help recover from illness and lead healthy lives. I had heard of the Physician Assistant (PA) profession from a friend, the role of the PA, and of the work that would be entailed, and now saw how it could all fit together. Dr. Misayah’s story galvanized me to become a PA.
Since that moment of realization, I have been preparing for this profession with a focus and drive that exemplifies who I am. From a young age, I have thrived on challenges. When my dad retired from the Air Force and we settled in New Mexico, I decided at the age of 12 that I wanted to be a gymnast. We didn’t have money for me to go to college, and although I knew I was starting late, (most people who are successful at gymnastics start by age 6), I applied myself with a tenaciousness that allowed me to get a full scholarship at age 17. I maintained that scholarship for five years of my undergraduate studies. While in college, I was exposed to music, which led to my becoming a professional singer/songwriter. I applied the same principle of determination, and as happened in gymnastics, I was successful. I became the lead singer for a nationally recognized band, toured extensively, and am currently awaiting the release of my 8th CD.I have connected to people through my music specifically for the purpose of mental and emotional healing, and that satisfied a very deep need I had, but there was still something important missing. While I have explored other areas to apply myself as an adult, including teaching, becoming an accomplished practitioner and yoga teacher, and a talented chef, I now know that I want to be involved with people at a more critical level, contributing to their health and wellness. The height of service for me is being the kind of healthcare practitioner my mother would have come to for help. I want to care for people by being part of a healthcare team devoted to helping save lives and improve the health of those people who are reluctant to ask for help for reasons such as poverty or immigration status.
I have taken my preliminary studies seriously, with the same approach to challenge as before, and although I am far from finished, I have begun to apply the many acquired skills and abilities that I have. One of the most rewarding experiences I have had so far came from using previous knowledge of movement and anatomy from my yoga training. I detected a slight abnormality in the gait of one of my current home health care clients that indicated a potentially serious problem. I was able to see that although it wasn’t a stroke or blood sugar issue, it required more than rest, and necessitated a visit to the hospital. It was discovered he had a blood clot in his leg, and my concern and attention to detail averted what could have been a tragedy.
Through my nontraditional background, I bring a wealth of knowledge in a number of fields, and a personal and professional maturity, to the work of being a PA. My previous life experiences as a gymnast and musician have taught me the value of communication and teamwork. The same concern for the health, well-being, and compassion for others, that has informed all I have done, will inform my work as a PA. I believe this variety of experience forms the basis from which I can make a distinctive contribution to the PA healthcare field.
My long-term goals as a PA are twofold. First, I hope to work in medically underprivileged communities, contributing on teams of medical professionals who are also moved by compassion and empathic understanding of others’ life situations to serve their patients. And second, I aspire to use what I learn as a PA to help educate future generations of PAs. I have the commitment and motivation necessary to succeed, as well as the desire and compassion that drives me to want to make a difference in the lives of others.
Duke says
Yvonne, please refer to my blog on the 7 mistakes PA essay writer’s make. Here’s the link.
https://www.thepalife.com/mistakes/
amena khan says
I ran down the steps with two baby pictures in my hand. One of these pictures resembled me, the other did not. I was only seven at the time so I asked my mother who the other baby was. It was then that she said three simple words that would change my life. “You were adopted”. Hurt and confused I ran and hid away from my adoptive parents because in that split second they had become strangers. The other baby girl was their second adoption option at the orphanage. I should have felt lucky at that moment, but the revelation created a void full of feelings of isolation and uncertainty that caused me to question who I was. Luckily, I grew up in a close knit community and this helped to mend my feelings of isolation; however I still felt something was missing. I knew where I belonged, but did not know my purpose. My community was not only close knit but also encouraged giving back by donating volunteer time and money to implement change and help build friendships. It was through the volunteer work and my job at a local bank, that I was able to rebuild my sense of identity and claim my purpose. I was blessed with a second chance at a better life and I want to now share that with the world. I want to be a physician assistant so I can give back to, and build healthier communities with acts of kindness.
My desire to give back to my community was vital in guiding me towards my volunteer, education and job choices. In my youth I volunteered for human rights associations like CAIR (The Council on American Islamic Relations) and Salaam Cleveland. CAIR has been essential in bridging connections between people of different faiths in our community and defending the rights of those who were violated. At an event held by Salaam Cleveland, I was able to help sick children by preparing meals at Ronald McDonald House Charities while they received medical treatment at the Cleveland Clinic. I also volunteered at Health Fairs for the underserved and refugee communities of Cleveland. The fairs gave me a glimpse into the affects poverty can have on a person’s health. At these fairs I helped by promoting the events, and registering the participants. These experiences further validated my desire to help my community. Influenced by my volunteer choices, I chose to pursue a degree in political science. Both my education and my job choice were influenced by my volunteering experiences. I worked at a bank as a teller which helped me pay for my education. The job was not glamorous, but it taught me how to foster relationships with my customers and improve on my soft skills. At this point I was considering law school and I continued to work hard to get good grades. After graduating magna cum laude, I realized that I desired a more personal interaction with people and was not partial to spending copious amounts of time immersed in paperwork which lawyers often do. Promoting community, diversity, and justice are not limited to the political arena; they also play a major role in medicine.
On this expedition towards becoming a physician assistant, my shadowing experiences have been the final decision maker. I noticed that doctors hardly spend any time getting to know the patient and in some cases do not see the patient at all. With all the advances in healthcare, I know that positive human interaction makes the biggest impact. One of the most touching events I witnessed during my shadowing experience was that of a five year old girl’s J-tube reinsertion. As she held tightly to her father’s hands, her tears and small cries affected all of us in the emergency room. I was in awe of the compassion shown to her by the physician assistant who aided the doctor. In that moment, I realized that this is my calling.
I used to shy away from telling people that I was adopted, however that act of kindness done by my parents was one of the best examples of giving back to the community. They opened their hearts and home to someone who they owed no dues. One day when they are old and frail, I hope to be able to repay them for everything they have done for me. Taking care of my parents has taught me essential life lessons that will be beneficial when it comes time to take care of my patients. Becoming a physician assistant would provide me with the opportunity to create healthy communities by building relationships with my patients and providing them with individualized care all while maintaining their autonomy. It would also reiterate my own sense of purpose. I am no longer that hurt little girl with feelings of isolation and uncertainty. No longer does doubt plague my thoughts. I had to find myself before I could define myself and it was through my educational, volunteering and job experiences that I attained certainty. I know I possess the qualities required to be a successful physician assistant, not only academically, but also humanistically.
Adam says
The streets were filled with garbage and the stench from it was overwhelming. Children were roaming the streets by themselves, while traffic on the roads was creating their own sort of noise. I began to wonder why we even came here in the first place. It was in the summer of 2003; through young, innocent eyes, those were just some of the images that were front and center as we drove from the airport through the poverty stricken area of Hyderabad, India. Although I was only eleven at the time, witnessing extreme poverty for the first time was a surreal moment. To make matters more interesting, it was also the place of my birth. Several homes were clustered together; others were more like shacks held intact with cardboard and plywood. As my family drove further along with the intended destination being my aunt’s house, my bewilderment grew upon each street we entered. Prior to arriving in India, I had known only a life filled with relative ease; this was in stark contrast to the lives of the children in Hyderabad, many of whom lived in those clustered houses. Several of these children had no parents, little food to eat; yet it was awe inspiring to see them smile through all of their transgressions. During the course of our two-month stay in Hyderabad, my aunt would often host these underprivileged children at her house; she would provide them food and clothing from donations she collected within the neighborhood. Without hesitation, my aunt had allowed me to assist her with the children. It was during this time where I learned the true meaning of giving what little you have to others. My family continued to return to Hyderabad several times throughout my childhood. With each visit, I was increasingly perplexed and troubled as to how such disparities in lifestyles can exist and at the same time, I was continuously inspired by the compassion shown by my aunt in continuing to serve the disenfranchised. It was through these experiences early in my life that planted my desire to spend my life serving others.
By the time I had reached college, I wanted to pursue a profession that was catered around helping others. It was not until when I got my first job as a pharmacy technician that I began to develop an interest in the field of medicine and health development. It was also at this time that I enrolled in Rollins College majoring in International Relations and International Business. Obtaining a liberal arts degree allowed me to become a better-rounded individual capable of trying to address the most pressing issues we face in the world today, particularly that of international health development. In order to translate my desires into an actual profession where I could pursue my dreams, I began to conduct research on careers in health care that would fit this exact criterion. Soon enough, I came across the description of the role of a physician assistant and I was immediately drawn to it. It would allow me to interact with patients one on one and get to know their story, which is something I highly value. It would require academically challenging science and health related coursework, which I enjoy. Even when out in the workforce, it seemed a physician assistant would never stop learning and had ample flexibility in the settings they could work. All of this was appealing, but what truly drew me to the career was how essential physician assistants are in offering primary care to underserved and rural populations. I was instantly reminded me of my aunt, who selflessly serves everyone in her community, and now I can have the opportunity to one day to the same. Growing up in a tightknit community, I have seen a strong need for accessible primary care. I had a family friend who passed away from a cancer that could have been caught with routine screening, a friend with severe type II diabetes that was diagnosed after months of neglected symptoms, and the list goes on and on. Having seen the negative outcomes of health care disparities, I am excited and honored to one day serve my community by working to provide accessible health care.
Immediately after deciding to pursue a career as a physician assistant, I began to shadow a Physician Assistant and a Medical Doctor at a local urgent care clinic. At the clinic, I was able to perform urinalysis, electrocardiogram, physical exams, take vital signs, and even write prescriptions all under the supervision of the PA and the MD. The knowledge that I have gained through the hands-on experience at the clinic was priceless, as I was able to interact with patients from all backgrounds. Working at the clinic was done in simultaneous fashion with working at the pharmacy; this allowed me to become current with the latest drugs in the pharmaceutical industry. With these experiences and several other shadowing and clinical experiences, my choice to pursue a career as a physician assistant has only been confirmed.
I have chosen to become a physician assistant because I feel its role and purpose resonates with who I am and what I value. I desire to help people lead healthy, productive lives and have seen how crucial the role of primary care plays in that. I have seen such a need for accessible health care in my rural community and desire to help in meeting that need. This is the need I am passionate about; this is where my service makes me feel alive.
Ryan says
Acute Lymphatic Leukemia, and a look of terror on my mother’s face. Out of everything the doctor said, and all the events that transpired when I was in the hospital that day, that phrase and my mother’s face are all that I vividly remember. That’s when I knew that something was really wrong. Sure, before that I knew that I was sicker than my older brother had ever been, but at 6 that still doesn’t seem too bad. I soon found out how bad it actually was.
After three major surgeries, probably thousands of pills, seemingly endless blood work, and almost ten years I know how bad it was. I know that I am lucky to be here. Throughout my sickness there were many events that molded me into the person I am today and helped me decide that I want to pursue a career as a Physician’s Assistant (PA). I had amazing Doctors and nurses that oversaw my treatment and I can attribute much of my desire to pursue this invaluable field to these amazing men and women. Ironically, one of the most significant and influential events in my recovery was orchestrated by a nameless face in the crowd of health care providers that oversaw my recovery.
At the tender age of seven I found myself sitting half naked on an operators table waiting for the surgeon to implant a Port-A-Cath next to my heart. As I sat there in my terrified and vulnerable state, a lady came up to me with an unknown object in her hand. “Are you ready for today’s flight captain?” I had no idea what she meant. “I have your flight mask right here and whenever you’re ready we can get the preflight checkup underway.” She then proceeded to tell me that we were going on a beautiful flight over the mountains and that I just needed to put on my mask and we would take off. I relented and allowed her to put the “captain’s flight mask” on me. She then sat behind me in the copilot’s seat and we took off. As we soared with outstretched arms she described the beauty of the scenery we passed and I transformed from a frightened little boy to a confident pilot conducting my aircraft across a beautiful vista. Shortly after our flight lifted off the anesthesia flowing through cotton candy scented mask took effect and I faded into the horizon. I never knew that lady’s title or even her name, but her actions as a copilot that day have molded me into what I am today. My decision to pursue a career in healthcare wasn’t immediate, but when I did decide that I wanted to work in the medical field, she helped me understand why. I want to bring hope to the downtrodden and help heal the sick and afflicted.
As I grew older and matured, I came to realize the significance of the events that transpired through my youth and decided to pursue a career in healthcare. The problem I came to was simple: what area of healthcare would best suit me and enable me to achieve my desires to bring hope and healing to those in need. The possibilities were nearly endless, and I didn’t really reach a decision until halfway through my undergraduate career. I was tutoring a well respected cardiologist’s son in chemistry and calculus. Various circumstances made it to where the only place we could work was in the break room of the cardiologist’s private practice, which happened to be right next door to the cardiologist’s office. This particular tutoring job was invaluable because it enabled me to observe how a physician and a PA interact on a daily basis. As we delved into subjects such as Le Chatelier’s Principle and integrals I was able to listen to how patients were dealt with and which healthcare provider gave which service. I was astounded to discover that the majority of patient-healthcare provider contact was through the Physician’s Assistant. After gleaning this information I decided to research what a PA was, and the more I learned, the more I knew that if I wanted to fulfill my goals of bringing hope and health to those in need, then becoming a Physician’s Assistant was the best path for me.
I will be a great Physician’s Assistant because I will do for my patients what the unnamed lady did for me in my time of weakness. I will take them in their most vulnerable and scared state and help them become confident and ready to fly their own plane through their ailments. I will be able to do this because I will be able to have true compassion for them. Compassion is one thing that a book cannot teach. It only comes from being able to relate to others situation. I can help my patients because I know what it is like to have little hope. I know what it’s like to spend weeks in the hospital. I know what it’s like to suffer from severe sickness. I also know what it’s like to overcome against all odds and to turn from an innocent frightened kid on an operating table to a confident, healthy person. My compassion will enable me to relate to my patients and bring hope to the downtrodden, and the wealth of knowledge I gain through your Physician’s Assistant program will enable me to heal the sick and afflicted.
This is my rough draft, so I know there are some typos and probably some grammatical errors that need to be polished. Any input on content and flow would be much appreciated!
Thanks
Umair says
I hope no one minds my own suggestions:
I see that you use the word ” I ” very often in the last paragraph. Also I was thinking why not leave out the illness from the beginning of the your first sentence, this way the reader is interested in reading more. Perhaps either state at the end of your last body paragraph that you were diagnosed and were being treated for Acute Lymphatic Leukemia or the end of the second paragraph.
Ryan says
I agree witht he last paragraph. That was the first version of my essay, and I have since rewritten the last paragraph and eliminated most of the “I” in it. I never considered taking ALL from the first paragraph but it might make it more intriguing. I’ll consider it. Thanks for the comment!
CMCC says
Room 345 is the room that changed me forever. It was just like any other day, and I had already ventured in there multiple times throughout my shift. During each visit, I took the time to talk with her, the patient, and her husband and got to know about their life — about their children, their marriage, their friendship, and their love for each other. We laughed and shared jokes, and I bid them farewell, until next time. I felt unbelievably at ease with them and I appreciated their kindness and the simple relationship we quickly formed.
At around 9:30 p.m. it was time for her last troponin to be drawn and was close to the end of my shift. I remember walking to her room, thankful that I knew what I would be walking in to — a pleasant, happy person who didn’t mind that I was coming in there to perform what others find extremely uncomfortable and invasive: drawing her blood.
I walked into the room and headed over to the far bed. Something didn’t feel right, didn’t look right. She was uncomfortable and having difficulty breathing. I wanted to do something for her, whatever I could. In the blink of an eye, with her husband standing next to me, she was gone. I called for help immediately. As doctors and nurses ran into the room, I walked her husband into the hallway. A code blue was called overhead, which meant more people would soon be running into the room, causing her husband’s panic and fear to run wild. I tried to relax and assure him that the staff was doing all that they could. She was not the first person I had watched take their last and final breath, but it was the first time I had watched a person take their last breath with their life-long partner standing next to me. This pained me.
It was then, in that hallway that a rush of anger and desire took over me. I felt angry because I knew that there was nothing that I could’ve done, other than what I had done, at that moment of her distress. I am not trained nor qualified to run a code or assist in a code to revive a patient; nor am I trained to do anything more for the woman who I had grown fond of. However, it was also in that moment that a feeling of desire took over my anger, a desire to step out of the hallway and into the shoes of someone trained to handle and assist in situations such as these.
As her husband and I stood outside Room 345, a man, with whom I was familiar, came running down the long, cream-colored hallway toward us. It was Dr. Frazier, one of the head oncologists at McLaren Macomb. I remembered the woman told me earlier that day that she was having trouble with her heart and a blood clot. Seeing Dr. Frazier, I then realized she also had cancer.
I have always been heavily interested in both cardiology and oncology, but when I look back at my years in the health care field, I know this was the day and moment that solidified my desire to not only become a Physician assistant but to excel and train vigorously in one of these specialties. I do not dismiss what I provided for her husband that evening. I believe my presence, as someone to stand next to instead of standing alone was my purpose at that moment. The memory of this evening, every time I walk into room 345, and every other patient who has touched my life over the past 7 years is what motivates me to be exactly who I aspire to be.
Chris says
I used to run. Not jog or sprint, but run. For 50 miles or more, I would run on streets, logging roads, and mountain trails. I rarely felt more peace and freedom than on a trail, sweat dripping and muscles fatigued, watching the sunrise. I found that there were few places in the world where a person could learn more about themselves than alone, pushing their body, surrounded by nature. Then, rather suddenly, running was no longer an option. One strong pull on a length of fire hose, and I was reduced to tears, forced to be held up by my crew because I could not walk on my own. My once strong body that I had pushed so often, that had taken me to the most beautiful places that nature had to offer, had betrayed me. Unfortunate genetics and years of punishment in the fire service had dealt me three herniated discs and a drastic change in my life plan.
My orthopedic surgeon told me that I can still be healthy, but a long career in the fire service would be out of the question. As I reflected on my future, I considered an experience I had a couple of years ago on an EMS call. We were treating a mother with an eye tumor in her small apartment. She needed to be transported to the hospital for treatment, but she was too ill to take her two small children with her. As a crew, we decided to stay with the children until their grandfather could come to the home. After helping the mother to the ambulance, we surveyed the apartment. It was small and sparsely furnished, but well kept. The mother had vomited on the carpet several times and we knew no one would be there to clean up for at least an hour, so we went to work. We scoured the house for cleaning supplies and toys to entertain the children. While we cleaned up, we played trains and hide and seek with the kids. Eventually, the grandfather arrived and thanked us for our help. After ten years in the fire service, I was reminded that day of why I had started a career in public service, to serve the public.
I have had many professional ups and downs during my short career, at times leaving me feeling jaded, overworked, and abused by the public. At other times, I have felt like a hero who was given the key to the city. My time running trails helped me develop positive characteristics, the greatest being perseverance. I cannot continue to work as a firefighter/paramedic, but I will continue to serve. I may not be able run those same trails, but I will continue to hike them. I will do my best to be a positive influence in my patients’ lives everyday. That is how I will continue to run.
Umair says
A heartbeat is what bring moments of our life to come together, my fascination of a heartbeat did much more than that. During my elementary school years my father had a suffered heart attack, he required a triple bypass operation. The unfamiliarity and skepticism led me to seek more knowledge about the heart. Which led me to creating this heart model, made from plastic tubes, pumps and paint in my school science fair in elementary school.
After acquiring my phlebotomy certification I had decided to go volunteer at North Shore Long Island Jewish Hospital. I decided to walk in to the volunteer department and sign up but had forgotten that I had my scrubs on after coming from my EKG class. As I was leaving the hospital grounds I bumped into a man, he had this smile of relief on his face as soon as he saw me. He then came up to me and said “Thank You So Much Doctor my wife is recovering so much better after the splenectomy”. My confused faced turned around in hopes to see a surgeon standing behind me, instead there was no one but myself. After a while the man had realized that he had mistaken me as a Surgeon. For that very brief moment of his realization I felt this overwhelmed feeling of appreciation even for something that I didn’t do. That sense of accomplishment and saving a life had given me that understanding as to what a surgeon must feel after performing surgery in an operating room for hours. This patient’s husband had made me reassure myself that I needed to continue on my path towards becoming a physician.
I had decided on becoming a doctor in my undergraduate years. After completion of my Bachelors I decided to take up a position as a phlebotomist/laboratory technician to further my clinical skills. At Bellevue hospital my job was not only to interact with the patients in drawing blood but also being able to see the specimen sample afterwards as it would undergo the necessary tests needed. This allowed me to observe the doctors as well as to what tests were ordered and when doctors would monitor patients with certain illnesses. My interaction with the patients allowed me to practice my bedside manner and I had the opportunity to meet with some of the Physician Assistants. I was able to observe how they interacted with a patient and became more intrigued by the role of a Physician Assistant as I had seen in the case with my father, the physician assistants’ were the one to spend the majority of the time with the patient as well as decide on the treatment and discharge the patients at the North Shore Long Island Jewish Hospital. I saw how the physicians held the physician assistants’ decisions in high respect and rarely change the orders.
The constant thought in my mind raised the question, what truly is the limit of a Physician assistant as opposed to a nurse practitioner or a physician. My respect grew more for when I was shadowing a Physician Assistant. This experience has clarified my image of a physician assistants’ role in health care, as well as given me a better understanding of where I hope to be in this field. A physician assistant is able to adapt to a different specialty with less restrictions as opposed to a physician whom requires years of practice within that specialty.
The rhythmic patterns of a heartbeat show the very challenges of life with its ups and downs. Facing various challenges when it came to my father’s condition and supporting my family in their time of need. I have grown through my clinical experiences and have chosen the correct path that proves to be challenging and rewarding at the same time. I know that becoming a PA is a demanding road and I plan on overcoming those obstacles I will face.
Alex says
“Stop screen cheating,” was a common phrase in my basement, usually followed by choice words. In between two a day football practices my friends and I would play Call of Duty. We were focused on playing sports and having fun, but we were full of youthful ignorance and self-absorption. I tried my best to fit in with the stereotypical jock crowd, but my curiosity, passion for learning, and association with different groups of people, sometimes made me feel like an outsider. My effort was not focused solely on sports, like many of my peers, but on finding a meaningful career choice and excelling as a student athlete. Fortunately, I was able to interact and learn from many different people in my life. These experiences have taught me how to embrace challenges, using them to mold myself into an empathetic caregiver, educator, and communicator, all of which will serve me well in the collaborative role of a Physician Assistant.
Perhaps my biggest fan, and the person who provided me the most pivotal life experience, was my grandpa. He went to all of my sporting events, even when he couldn’t remember which number I wore. My grandfather was influential in building a sense of community in my town of 7,000. Having owned a shoe store on Main Street for 30 years he was something of a celebrity in my town. I always respected how he treated people, oftentimes cutting deals for families so their children could have new shoes for school. He always preached to, “Kill them with kindness.” At my games people would come up to shake his hand, but he wouldn’t recognize them. He was degrading in his struggle with Alzheimer’s, which would lead him into our home, as he needed full time care. My first foray into caregiving was a joint effort between my mother, a RN, and me. Taking care of my grandpa caused me to reevaluate my priorities, and work toward doing something to add value to the community. He taught me the value of compassion. When I look at a patient today I don’t try to “kill them with kindness,” but I do treat them as if they were my grandpa.
Much like a team working in unison, the body relies on many moving parts to maintain homeostasis, if one of these parts doesn’t do its job, the entire system breaks down. While coursework taught me how to explain the inner workings of the body, nothing was as influential in giving me an understanding of how a small change can affect the entire person, quite like my Uncle Brad. During college I witnessed my Uncle losing his battle with Bipolar disorder. He would call to talk about my games, but his calls were filled with manic delusions. The tragedy of my Uncle’s life helped me to connect the breakdown of the body with the overall human experience. His inability to function as a father and a member of society showed to me the importance of early detection and proper care. If we are able to educate our patients on how to maintain their wellbeing it will positively impact not only them and their families, but society in general. My Uncle showed me that we are all part of this team, and healthcare provides the means to repair and maintain the physical and mental health of each piece.
Unfortunately, each patient one deals with is not a relative or an adoring fan. Working as a Patient Care Assistant at Mayo Clinic I have witnessed the frustrations of providing care for confused or uncooperative patients. My times with these patients have shown me the importance of communication and establishing trust between patient and provider. For instance, while caring for an elderly destitute Cambodian woman, my job was to familiarize her to her surroundings, a difficult task with her inability to understand English. Despite the efforts of a translator, she refused to cooperate with the medical team. Over the course of the day I showed her around the hospital, where she marveled at all of the commotion. Later on I could tell by her body language that she was in distress, something that I pick up on due to my mild hearing loss forcing me to directly focus on the patient. She broke down weeping. I took her hand to let her know not everyone had abandoned her. At the end of the day she gave me a big bear hug, a hilarious sight according to my coworkers as I towered over her. Being able to impact her and get her to cooperate with the medical team solely through nonverbal communication helped solidify my decision to pursue the PA profession.
In truth I am very much a jock. I still miss the camaraderie of teammates, the grueling five a.m. lifting sessions, and the thrill of victory. Perhaps the greatest part of a team is working as a unified group toward a common goal. I don’t think the jump from a sports goal to the goal of patient wellness is that far. Each situation is challenging, each victory relies on cooperation, and every goal is only obtained when one goes beyond the call of duty because of how much they care. Being a care provider isn’t always easy, but as I have learned achieving a difficult goal makes it all the more special.
Sara Marie says
Strip a person of all worldly belongings. What remains is the body and mind. These are the things manipulated by healthcare providers. It is an incredibly intimate honor to be so trusted with that responsibility. Some providers take this for granted while some patients offer their trust thoughtlessly. I do not claim to understand it completely but I remain cognizant that what I do affects people, sometimes in a very profound way. I take this lesson with me in all aspects of my life because integrity is one of my most coveted virtues. My motivation to become a physician assistant (PA) blossoms from embracing this trust and responsibility to ameliorate suffering and vivify the lives of the patients I encounter.
Working with animals in the animal hospital was the first time I became interested in healthcare. The hours I spent every week leaning over the shoulder of the veterinarians and technicians inspired me to enroll in an emergency medical technician (EMT) class. I practiced as EMT throughout my years studying illustration. As time and experience changed my priorities, I began considering health care as a career instead of a job.
Although illustration is a far cry from medicine, art has taught me the balance between the details and the whole composition. Just as you cannot create a successful painting concentrating on one subject, you cannot heal the whole body without considering all its systems. Spending three hours a day critiquing student work has taught me the value of criticism, the wisdom of experience, and the innovation of outside perspective. Most pragmatically it gave me a solid foundation of anatomy. Being in an open studio community taught me to learn from and teach my peers which I continue to do today as a CPR and lab instructor for EMT students. Teaching to me is almost the equivalent of learning because it demands mastery of the material and managing people. Each class is different and as always in medicine, the science and technology changes daily.
My greatest influence has been my work in the city as an EMT. Mostly, EMTs treat symptoms but one of our greatest skills is our assessments to find underlying pathology. Sometimes finding the pathology is readily evident but more times than not, the pathology becomes challenging to diagnose and treat for many reasons. Information collected can only be gained on scene, from bystanders, and from the patient. Diagnostic equipment is limited. Treatments are exclusively impermanent, albeit life saving interventions. Working within these constraints has refined my resourcefulness and ability to think and react under pressure. As a PA I could amend many of these restrictions by being apart of a team, with collective knowledge and experience, without completely sacrificing autonomy.
One of the things that is thoroughly taught in EMS is patient advocacy for their social, mental, and medical health. As an EMT this means working with the family, bystanders, fire department, police, and health care providers to effectively treat and transfer a patient to definitive care. Even if that only means notifying the correct authorities and passing along information. Above all it means conferring understanding to the patient about their health, educating them, and giving them tools to improve their own life as well. As a PA I can do infinitely more through healing, education, and advocacy than I ever could as a nurse or paramedic.
On scene, the middle age woman was slurring her words, combative with the police, and ataxic, though notably lacking the smell of alcohol. “I was just drinking water, they wouldn’t let me watch the game!,” she said after exiting the bar with a police escort. It was not until I took her medical history that I discerned the real problem, hypoglycemia. The police assumed she was lying. We talked about where she lived and how often she monitored her diabetes. Because she had been staying with various friends, her glucometer and strips were lost. She hadn’t checked it in a couple weeks. I gave her oral glucose en route to the hospital and quickly expressed my concern to a nurse once we arrived at the hospital. The nurse seemed distracted at first but my persistence was rewarded. Her blood glucose was 20 g/dL. It was busy that night. Patients were doubled up in rooms while beds and chairs lined the halls. What if she had been put in a chair and left alone to fall asleep? Before leaving, I notified social services and walked by her bed which now featured empty cups of orange juice. When her eyes found me she thanked me, words muffled by a turkey sandwich.
When I see how trusted PAs are with patients and physicians it strengthens my resolve to pursue this career. Either working or shadowing I have seen how PAs have made the difference in someone’s life in not just a diagnosis and treatment but in compassion and understanding. A multitude of experiences have prepared me for this path. I want to be profoundly part of people’s lives.
Stephen says
You could consider opening your essay with this:
On scene, the middle age woman was slurring her words, combative with the police, and ataxic, though notably lacking the smell of alcohol. “I was just drinking water, they wouldn’t let me watch the game!,” she said after exiting the bar with a police escort. It was not until I took her medical history that I discerned the real problem, hypoglycemia.
Each paragraph then needs a point, a personal quality or experience you are aiming to depict. You have good ideas here but the current opening is too wordy and didn’t draw me in as a reader. You need to streamline your writing and cut a lot, again it is about showing and not telling. Have the opening tie into your conclusion and drive your message home. You have some work ahead of you on this essay but it is a good start.
– Stephen
Mic says
I believe the people you encounter and the experiences you have shape who you will become. I believe I was born to be a healer, and throughout my life special relationships and experiences have led me to where I am today.
I was fifteen, lying on the cold floor of a hospital awaiting my friend to wake up from surgery after a terrible car wreck when I became absolutely positive I wanted to be on the other side of that situation. I was confident in that moment that I wanted to do everything in my power to make sure I would be the one helping others through the field of medicine. Unbeknownst to her, my friend’s physician assistant that day helped me decide my life’s future direction. I wanted to be her, a member of the medical team, someone who could alleviate the pain and heal the hurting; that’s what I want to do for the rest of my life.
Throughout my undergraduate career, I was able to do just that after being given the opportunity to work alongside health professionals on a number of medical service trips. Of all trips, my most memorable trip was with Global Brigades to Ghana, Africa. The experience changed my life forever for the better. The knowledge I gained in medicine and the sweet smiles received from those who were helped in the clinics and even those who I simply encountered will be eternally imprinted onto my brain and my heart.
When we first arrived, my brigade team and I pulled up in a rickety old bus to an old dusty road and were greeted by dozens of welcoming faces from the community of Abor. As we stopped, the crowd ran over to us. Enthusiastically waving their arms as if they needed to get our attention. I hopped off the bus and immediately was grabbed by two small girls, one on each hand. I can still feel their small dirt creased fingers intermingled with mine. Honored, I looked down at them as they tried to conceal a smile and hide the great joy they had inside them.
Soon, our brigade group paired with translators and spread throughout the community going door to door to each residence to meet the members and hear their stories. The connections we made through the exchanges of smiles and laughter superseded what mere words could ever have conveyed. The language difference was not a barrier, but allowed actions and expressions to trump words, making the relationships between us stronger.
Two American doctors and two Ghanaian doctors coached us in identifying the cause of each patient’s pain or problem based on not only their symptoms but also taking into account their living situations. After reassessing their vitals and symptoms, I asked the patient more questions to better understand what was going on. It took practice, but after awhile I correctly identified the disorder and treated each patient with help from the brigade team and the doctors. I felt an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment and a rush of adrenaline run through me after each medical mystery (or so I liked to think) was solved. I thought of each symptom as a puzzle piece that fit into a big puzzle. The symptoms and living conditions (puzzle pieces) all correctly fit together to form the problem as a whole (the whole puzzle)
Some diagnoses were untreatable by our triage and those patients were referred to the hospital. I found myself frustrated when I could not do anything to help the patient, when the case was unable to be treated in triage. As a physician assistant I will do everything in my power to help in the treatment of every patient. As a physician assistant I hope to be there for my patients and to be involved with them through every step of the process until healed.
Leaving Africa was hard but I was comforted that the efforts of Global Brigades would continue and that my time working in healthcare was only just beginning. My trip to Africa opened up my eyes to what medicine can do. The people of Africa reinforced my desire to always demonstrate commitment to community and dedication to family. The optimism and cheerfulness found within even the sickest of the sick in Abor was moving. I want to carry on their tradition of community, dedication and joy through service to others in medicine. I want to become a physician assistant not only to help alleviate the pain in others but also to inspire as those in Africa inspired me.
As a physician assistant, I would be able to help those in need of health care. The unbearable pain faced by many could be treated with my help. As a Physician Assistant, I could help change the world and stop the suffering; that is my prime motivation. As for now, I plan to continue my medical work as a certified nursing assistant, serving others while living and traveling throughout Australia. I look forward to the time that I can gain more knowledge and training as a physician assistant to help those all over the world in need of medical care.
duke says
You are providing too much information. It’s a good idea to keep it simple. Tell one short story from experience that will move the reader. Leave other material for your interview and resume. Your essay should make the reader want to read on because every sentence grabs their attention.
Duke
Lupe says
I have been raised from a young age to seek out knowledge. One of the first things I attained was a thirst for facts about the human body. My love for cars brings out this analogy for the human body. I describe it as akin to a car with the heart being the engine, the oil being the blood, and the gasoline as the nutrients. All of these components (with many more added) are essential to the survival and function of the machine/organism. From a functional standpoint, both the car and human body are incredibly complex and share a similar design. They both use energy to perform work. When a component fails in either the human body or a car, it can be difficult to diagnose and repair the problem. There is a deep seated fascination within me to understand and diagnose any problems that might occur with the human body. I have studied many different books and have taken several classes underlying the anatomy and physiology of the human body. All the learning I have done over the course of my childhood delves into the didactic aspects of medicine.
When I was a junior in high school, I took the PLAN test that was a part of the ACT. The results of that test were that I would be best suited to working with people. In order to find out if a career in medicine is right for me, I searched for a position that would allow me to delve into the clinical aspect of medicine. Recently, I started volunteering as a Spanish medical interpreter at Community Health clinic. My primary job is to allow for the both the patient and doctor to communicate with each other. I am voice of the patient to the doctor. I am the patient’s advocate and their conduit for receiving medical care. Working alongside the medical professionals, have helped me realize that medicine is my true calling. The experience of working in this clinic has assured me that the underserved and underprivileged can receive medical care and should receive medical care. The clinic provides me with the opportunity to give back to the community, and also to learn the skills and demeanor of a medical professional. It is truly the best of both worlds volunteering at this clinic. I am blessed to be associated with such an organization.
As a first generation college student, there was always the yearning to become a doctor. I was going to be the first in my family to not only graduate from college, but also earn a medical degree. This was before I even knew about the career choice to become a Physician’s Assistant. A career as a Physician’s Assistant will allow me to work autonomously, but yet have a guiding hand in moments of need. I want a career that will stimulate me and allow me to have a family while also having time to see to their needs. A career as a PA strikes a balance of time and commitment that I desire out of a career in medicine. This career also allows me to continue to explore and diagnose the anatomy and physiology of the human body. It will give me the ability to freely choose a specialty and move around different specialties in order to enhance my knowledge in the field of medicine. I am also hopeful, that being a PA will give me a chance to serve my community and underserved populations. A Physician’s Assistant program will prepare me for a rewarding and lifelong career track.
duke says
The essay should tells us about you in a subtle way. When you find yourself using the word I a lot, you know you’re not being subtle. Tell a story that influenced you to become a PA. Move your reader. Try to make them laugh and cry rather than tell them the things you believe and have done.
Becky says
Thank you very much for this service! I appreciate any comments and critiques that you have.
In his book Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC, Frederick Buechner exhorts his readers to search for “the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” He says that this is the place to which we are called, our vocation. I have found my vocational calling in the multi-faceted role of the Physician Assistant.
As a relational person, I thrive on meeting new people, conversing with them, sharing in their life stories, and encouraging them to seek wellbeing. I enjoy getting to know others on a deeper level, seeking growth and meaningful relationships with those I meet. I had the pleasure of pursuing strong and lasting relationships as a Resident Assistant at Calvin College. During this experience I was the leader and role model for younger students and learned many lessons in how to interact and encourage others. Similar to Resident Assistants, PAs are given the opportunity to enter into deep relationships with people—experiencing their hurts, fears, and addictions, but also their joys, healing, and families. My favorite experiences while shadowing PAs was watching them interact with patients. Each PA I observed treated their patients with the highest care and respect. They actively listened to the patients’ concerns, thoughtfully answered questions, and anticipated patients’ needs. It was clear that these PAs loved people and worked in a profession that allowed them to give physical and emotional care to their patients. As a PA I would cherish the opportunity to enter into my patients’ lives and work hard to understand them, recognize their values, and strive with them toward healthy living.
However, being a high quality PA goes far beyond a listening ear and caring heart. It requires medical knowledge and the ability to aid patients in understanding their own medical conditions. My fascination with the intricate mechanisms of the human body stimulates me to study diligently and to seek a deeper understanding of how the body works. In short, studying the body, its structure and functions, excites me. In turn, this knowledge allows me to educate my patients, explaining to them how their bodies function and how various treatments and lifestyle choices will affect their specific conditions. Through my experiences at hospitals and health clinics, I have seen that when patients have a clear understanding of their own situations they feel empowered to make informed decisions and are more likely to take ownership of their health. My interest in medicine and my skill in teaching at each person’s level of understanding further reinforces my desire to take up the PA’s role, a profession which leans heavily on patient education and empowerment.
Medical education and high quality care are particularly important to vulnerable patients, which often includes those living in medically underserved areas. People living without adequate access to medical providers, those living in poverty, immigrants, and patients who suffer from long-term disabilities may experience unnecessary illness due to irregular care, lack of financial resources for treatments, or inadequate understanding of preventable conditions. A PA’s extensive medical knowledge combined with clinical experience and relational skills makes the PA’s role well suited to serve these populations. As an added benefit, PAs can lean on the extensive knowledge of the team of medical professionals with whom they work, promising better overall care for their patients. My experiences living abroad, working with urban, impoverished patients and the chronically disabled, as well as my undergraduate studies in development have both fueled and led to my desire to work more closely with underserved populations. I care deeply for these populations of people and fully desire to see them reach places of joy and satisfaction in their lives. I believe that the PA profession will best allow me to serve the underserved, and I am deeply committed to providing excellent health care and expertise.
My desire for long-term relationships, enjoyment of medicine and patient education, and commitment to the vulnerable and underserved leads me to pursue the PA profession. I am convinced that I will excel in this profession due to my personal character, professional experience, and willingness to apply myself diligently to the tasks of continual learning and patient care. I truly believe that the PA profession is where my “deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”
Becky says
The formatting on my previous submission was changed from the original, making it difficult to see where each paragraph begins and ends. So I am resubmitting the same essay with spaces in between the paragraphs. Hopefully this makes it easier to read.
Thanks again!
In his book Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC, Frederick Buechner exhorts his readers to search for “the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” He says that this is the place to which we are called, our vocation. I have found my vocational calling in the multi-faceted role of the Physician Assistant.
As a relational person, I thrive on meeting new people, conversing with them, sharing in their life stories, and encouraging them to seek wellbeing. I enjoy getting to know others on a deeper level, seeking growth and meaningful relationships with those I meet. I had the pleasure of pursuing strong and lasting relationships as a Resident Assistant at Calvin College. During this experience I was the leader and role model for younger students and learned many lessons in how to interact and encourage others. Similar to Resident Assistants, PAs are given the opportunity to enter into deep relationships with people—experiencing their hurts, fears, and addictions, but also their joys, healing, and families. My favorite experiences while shadowing PAs was watching them interact with patients. Each PA I observed treated their patients with the highest care and respect. They actively listened to the patients’ concerns, thoughtfully answered questions, and anticipated patients’ needs. It was clear that these PAs loved people and worked in a profession that allowed them to give physical and emotional care to their patients. As a PA I would cherish the opportunity to enter into my patients’ lives and work hard to understand them, recognize their values, and strive with them toward healthy living.
However, being a high quality PA goes far beyond a listening ear and caring heart. It requires medical knowledge and the ability to aid patients in understanding their own medical conditions. My fascination with the intricate mechanisms of the human body stimulates me to study diligently and to seek a deeper understanding of how the body works. In short, studying the body, its structure and functions, excites me. In turn, this knowledge allows me to educate my patients, explaining to them how their bodies function and how various treatments and lifestyle choices will affect their specific conditions. Through my experiences at hospitals and health clinics, I have seen that when patients have a clear understanding of their own situations they feel empowered to make informed decisions and are more likely to take ownership of their health. My interest in medicine and my skill in teaching at each person’s level of understanding further reinforces my desire to take up the PA’s role, a profession which leans heavily on patient education and empowerment.
Medical education and high quality care are particularly important to vulnerable patients, which often includes those living in medically underserved areas. People living without adequate access to medical providers, those living in poverty, immigrants, and patients who suffer from long-term disabilities may experience unnecessary illness due to irregular care, lack of financial resources for treatments, or inadequate understanding of preventable conditions. A PA’s extensive medical knowledge combined with clinical experience and relational skills makes the PA’s role well suited to serve these populations. As an added benefit, PAs can lean on the extensive knowledge of the team of medical professionals with whom they work, promising better overall care for their patients. My experiences living abroad, working with urban, impoverished patients and the chronically disabled, as well as my undergraduate studies in development have both fueled and led to my desire to work more closely with underserved populations. I care deeply for these populations of people and fully desire to see them reach places of joy and satisfaction in their lives. I believe that the PA profession will best allow me to serve the underserved, and I am deeply committed to providing excellent health care and expertise.
My desire for long-term relationships, enjoyment of medicine and patient education, and commitment to the vulnerable and underserved leads me to pursue the PA profession. I am convinced that I will excel in this profession due to my personal character, professional experience, and willingness to apply myself diligently to the tasks of continual learning and patient care. I truly believe that the PA profession is where my “deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”
Becky says
please see the re-formatted version of this essay below. It’s much easier to read! 🙂
Maria says
Hi, Looking for some feedback. Thanks for your help.
As the daughter of an operating room (OR) nurse and certified nurse practitioner (CRNP), I am fortunate to have my mother as such a strong role model. She showed me how hard work and serving others results in a rewarding career. She works on weekends and takes call in the OR in addition to her full time job as CRNP. On the other hand, I am the daughter of my father, a paranoid schizophrenic. In first grade, I can recall asking him repeatedly to take his medication, but he always refused, due side effects from the medication. I remember him telling me over and over about satellites in the sky and the dangers of the radio and the church. I spent a majority of my life trying to understand my father’s condition to explain his behavior to my friends. Not having a “normal” dad was hard to accept. At the time I was not aware, but looking back this experience first drew me towards medicine. I was constantly observing, evaluating, and explaining my father’s disease.
Only after college did I really understand the biological cause of my father’s disease. I wanted him to take medication, as I continued to witness his auditory hallucinations. However, he denies any affliction of disease. I’ve learned to accept him, listen to him with patience and respect, and spend quality with him. He spends a lot of time in the garden, plotting plants and herbs into particular geometric shapes into the entirety of the back yard. He is happy and content. I’ve learned that my fathers’ best interest is the most important, not mine. I’ve also learned that not only the patient’s life is affected, but also the family members. I now try to remind myself to empathize with and treat each patient I interact with as if that person were my mother, father, or any other family member.
I continued my involvement in medicine with a 2-year fellowship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Nursing Research. Here, I was exposed to many different health professions- nurses, doctors, researchers, rehabilitation, and physicians’ assistants. Attending the prostate multidisciplinary clinic weekly at NIH really led me towards the physician assistant (PA) career. Each patient was discussed among a team of doctors and the PA to determine the best plan of treatment based diagnostic tests. I was intrigued by the complexities of each case, and how the “best” plan could easily change, depending on disease progression and the patient’s decision. New research affecting treatments revealed to me that medicine is not an exact science and requires a lifetime of learning. From here, I succeeded in acing the remaining PA prerequisites on top of my full time job. I became a certified nursing/geriatric assistant and joined Georgetown Orthopaedics as a medical assistant (MA).
As a MA, I have found fulfillment in my work, as well as a natural propensity for fixing and finding solutions to mechanical complications, regarding to splinting and casting. I have also found that I am very limited. After listening to patient’s frustrations, problems, and fears, I would like to also diagnose and treat patients. I take every opportunity I have to ask the doctors about certain treatments. For example, why immobilization is better then surgery, or how a certain injury would have implications down the road, and why certain medications are prescribed. I want the knowledge to read images and review reports to correlate clinically. The PA in our office also serves as the first assist in surgery, which I would love to get my hands on. PAs are devoted to their patients, which motivates me to become one of them. The need for PAs in our society is increasing and our population is continuing to get older. Working with patients has given me the desire, willingness, and determination to further my education in order to provide the best and appropriate care.
Thank you for your consideration and allowing me the opportunity to follow my dream.
Shivani Thaker says
I would greatly appreciate some feedback on my personal statement. Thank you for your help!
Patient X, a 69 year old male admitted to the emergency room due to alcohol intoxication. I presented the case to the physician assistant I shadow as we hurried over to see the patient. “The patient presents tachycardia with other vitals normal.” I said as we walked by the patient’s bedside. As the PA took his history we found out he was going through rehab to stop his alcohol addiction. Suddenly, the patient broke down into tears, “It’s just too hard.” He kept saying. He then began to yell, saying they needed to get him something to calm him down. As soon as we left his bedside, the PA asked me what I thought was wrong with him. Automatically I thought, he’s an alcoholic, he is probably here for some drugs. The PA corrected me saying that many healthcare professionals do make the same assumption, but we have to think about the effects alcohol withdrawal on a person. This patient could have been a threat to himself, go through depression or more severely, start having seizures and other significant brain damage. As a healthcare professional, the main goal is to improve the well being of the patient. This incident had truly solidified my decision to become a physician assistant.
Motivation is an essential characteristic to ensure success. As a volunteer firefighter, my father has impacted the lives of many people. He constantly put himself in dangerous situations and never earned a dime for his work, but he gained respect from his community. My father taught me that there is no greater satisfaction than being able to help others and see the impact you have made on someone’s life. My father’s actions motivated me to grow up and greatly impact the lives of others. I first became interested in the field of medicine when I began to volunteer at JFK Hospital during my junior year in high school. The comfort I witnessed as I brought patients water and adjusted them on their bed was enlightening and it influenced my decision to become a healthcare professional. Through research I discovered the career of a physician assistant; I believed this was the career for me because it allowed me to spend quality time with patients and build a trusting relationship with them. I am passionate and curious about learning about the wonders of the human body. Due to the constant advances in science, physician assistants have to be lifelong learners to keep up with such advances. Physician assistants are trained to handle routine medical problems which allow doctors to focus on specialized medicine, ultimately re-establishing the relationship between a patient and medical professional.
As I had mentioned earlier, it was my experiences through shadowing that reassured my desire to become a physician assistant. My PA, Lara West, is constantly challenging me to think about potential diagnoses of the various patients we see in the emergency room. Our patient earlier was suffering through alcohol withdrawal and was highly intoxicated while trying to talk to him, making it difficult to understand anything he was saying. The PA stayed calm and collaborated with her supervising physician to come up with the best possible treatment plan for this patient. Shadowing allowed me to witness how PAs work with doctors and nurses and how they play a vital role in the healthcare system. There are many nights in the emergency department that are so busy that there are not enough beds for patients to sit. Physicians get backed up with patients, and nurses are under a lot of pressure to get blood work or lab work and aiding the patient at their bedside. At times like these, PAs step in and relieve their burden. This career provides the challenge and autonomy I want in a future career. I believe I have grown through my clinical experiences and have chosen the correct path that proves to be challenging and rewarding at the same time. My determination and dedication will lead me to become a successful physician assistant.
Stephen says
Hi Shivani,
You are “telling” facts here in your essay. We talk a lot about showing and not telling when we work with students on their essays it is difficult to make this transition but I feel it is where your essay is lacking.
The opening with “Patient X” doesn’t grab the readers attention, you will want to change this. You can still use this story of an alcoholic patient as your main theme (the ideal of providing highly “patient-centric” compassionate medicine) you can use your dad’s example of selflessness as inspiration, but you will want to modify your topic sentences that introduce your paragraphs and make them more specific and try to word them in a way that grabs the readers attention while maintaining focus on your experience. There is a lot of work to be done here on your personal statement, but I feel you have a good start. You may want to break this into a 5 paragraph essay. Identify 3 paragraphs in the middle of your essay and for each paragraph identify the point you want to get across and focus each paragraph on that point. You have done that a bit here:
1. Shadowing with a PA and meeting a patient that “solidified your decision to become a PA”
2. My father taught me that there is no greater satisfaction than being able to help others and see the impact you have made on someone’s life. My father’s actions motivated me to grow up and greatly impact the lives of others
3. Through research I discovered the career of a physician assistant: I first became interested in the field of medicine when I began to volunteer at JFK Hospital during my junior year in high school. The comfort I witnessed as I brought patients water and adjusted them on their bed was enlightening and it influenced my decision to become a healthcare professional.
You then need to create an interesting and commanding introduction that can open and then a conclusion that can bring this all together.
There is a lot of work to be done here but I am sure you can make this into something wonderful.
– Stephen
Olga says
Hello Stephen,
I would also like to use your paid service. However, the link does not work for some reason. Please let me know how we can work it out. Thanks.
“Your baby’s blood sugar levels are below normal on the third day of life. We need to take him to the NICU for further evaluation” said a pediatrician. It has been a year since I had heard those words, but it still feels like it has happened recently. The day I was going to take my newborn son home, his pediatrician was convinced that he needs to stay until his blood sugar levels stabilize. It was devastating to see my son that seemed perfectly healthy to me with wires all over his body that were attached to the monitor. It is hard to explain how you feel to someone who has never been through the similar situation. My son was in NICU for four weeks and that experience have changed my life and my perspective. Devastation, helplessness, guilt, blame, sadness, and hope were the first emotions I experienced. Uncertainty about his diagnosis and his treatment plan for the first two weeks and unknown length of time he would stay there made it more difficult.
However, at this point of my life I am thankful for this personal experience. It was traumatic at the time, but it has helped me in many ways that were unclear earlier. I have learned the difference between poor care and an outstanding care for the patient. I was inspired to follow my dreams to become a PA by a great doctor and a wonderful caring Physician Assistant. It would be unfair to say that only a PA made a difference. I am sincerely thankful to a group of nurses, endocrinology specialist, and a primary care doctor that were taking care of my son. It was a PA though who took the time to explain and teach us about my child’s diagnosis, his treatment plan, and the best management of his condition. It was a PA who would ask me what I could suggest or consider, who would notice that I was hesitant about some decisions made by the doctor. He would go out of his way to discuss any possibilities with the doctors and consult other specialists regarding our case. I received an invaluable experience about the importance of patients’ feelings, sincere care, and an ability to accept that there are always ways to expand and research on any condition or treatment plans. Commitment to Volunteering at Ronald Mc Donald House will be an opportunity for me to thank those who saved my child’s life through helping others.
A further experience with shadowing a PA in pediatric orthopedic surgery was another great way to learn a difference between an outstanding health care and a poor health care. I do not believe in average care because one cannot help just fifty percent out of a hundred. If a person makes a decision to help saving people’s lives, to treat their health problems, then he/she takes a responsibility to provide the best possible care that will most likely change someone’s life. It has to be an exceptional service and less than “best” is simply unacceptable. The PA I am still shadowing have taught me that compassion towards patients, non-judgmental approach, and consideration of their personal choices can be well balanced with a knowledgeable and professional treatment. Since she has to communicate with children and their parents she takes the time to explain the details of the treatment and answer the questions in a manner that would be satisfactory and clear to both. Her humble attitude, her desire to learn more from her colleagues and attending doctors, her ability to be a team player and initiate willingness to help in a variety of hospital settings show a great example of a PA I want to be. I have learned plenty of technical terms and treatment plans from her. But the paramount knowledge that I obtained consists of a devotion to the selfless service to others.
I admit that working as a medical assistant, as an acupuncturist, and a medical office manager helped me to understand a healthcare, a role of different medical providers, hands-on patient experience, and identify a path that I want to take. However, those experiences that made me fall and get up again, unexpected life threat to my child, and the patients that had no hope for recovery gave me the strength and true understanding of the profession I chose. I believe that my healed bruises are the most valuable steps in becoming an exceptional healthcare provider and the best PA I can be.
Todd says
I would really appreciate some feedback! Thank you so much!
I was riding along in the back of an overcrowded van, seemingly lost in the prairies of western Ukraine. The pothole-littered road made for a painfully unpleasant journey. Heat from the summer air caused beads of sweat to roll down each passenger’s face. Most of these people had never been within 500 miles of an American, let alone sat next to one on a rutted ride to the village of Ostroh. As we traveled, I couldn’t help but notice that nearly every passenger had an ailment of some kind. Two deaf passengers were animatedly speaking sign language to each other. An elderly woman had a dirty glass eye and an open wound on her face that desperately needed medical attention. Another passenger was sitting with crutches made from tree branches and a cleverly-crafted cast wrapped around his leg using sticks and cardboard.
At age nineteen, I was asked to serve a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was asked to serve in Ukraine; a country to which I had never previously given any serious thought. I did not anticipate that my journey in Eastern Europe would open my eyes to the needs of people living in isolated areas of the world. Riding along in that overcrowded van, my mind began to wander, thinking of how differently these people’s lives would be if they had appropriate medical care available to them—especially with many of them still suffering health complications from the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
It wouldn’t be perfectly honest to say that this was the point in my life when I decided to be a Physician Assistant. In fact, I had no idea what a Physician Assistant was! However, upon returning home from Ukraine, I knew I had a passion for interacting with and helping people. My experience in that part of the world opened my eyes to what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I knew that I needed to be in a field of study where I would give of myself to help others around me.
One year after returning home from Ukraine, my brother-in-law told me that he was considering pursuing a career as a Physician Assistant. As we talked, my interest was piqued, and I decided to look into it further. I had not previously considered a career in the medical field, and I felt as though a new door had been opened to me. I quickly found myself researching everything I could find about the profession and its history. It struck a chord deep inside of me. I frequently reflected on my experiences with the wonderful people in Ukraine who would have benefited from having Physician Assistants in rural areas. I had a newly-kindled desire to reach out to people in medically underserved areas here in the United States, and to serve them to the best of my ability.
It was at this time that I changed my path in college. After enrolling in an EMT course, my eyes were opened to the world of medicine, and I fell in love with it. As I progressed through the EMT course, I wanted to expand my knowledge, skills, and scope of practice. The university I attended offered a program in Paramedicine, for which I applied and was accepted. Throughout the paramedic program, my vision of medicine was expanded, and my desires to help people through the practice of medicine were solidified.
I recall an experience I had on the ambulance late one night. We were called to an elderly woman who was having a significant gastrointestinal bleed. We quickly loaded her into the ambulance, administered fluids, and then had a lengthy ride to the hospital. During the ride, I had the opportunity to talk with this woman about her life. As we discussed her medical history, she shared how much she loved her Physician Assistant that she frequently visited at her local clinic. She spoke of his kindness, his generosity to take her calls after hours, and how he always took the time to educate and answer her questions. I was thrilled to hear that she had such a good relationship with her Physician Assistant and told her that I also had aspirations to enter the same profession. As we arrived at the hospital and said goodbye, the patient warmly smiled at me and said, “You are going to make an excellent PA.” Those words have resonated within me and have given me motivation in times of difficulty.
From the time I spent in the villages of Ukraine, to the time I now spend as a paramedic, I’ve realized that my eyes have been opened for a reason. I believe that I am meant to be a Physician Assistant. I believe in making connections with patients. I believe in supporting, educating, and working collaboratively in this spectacular niche of medicine. I believe in making a difference.