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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 (18th 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 seven 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
Dayane says
Like many children of immigrants, from a very young age, I became the interpreter for my family. Whether it was at school, the doctor’s office, or the grocery store, I was always there to help translate for my parents. Gradually, as I grew older my role as language broker expanded to assist strangers and other members of my community with their translation needs. Although it was a challenge to take on this responsibility in my youth, these adversities made me resilient. I became the first person in my family to graduate from college and my minority-status background served as a catalyst for my success. My unique life experiences have positioned me to understand what many underserved families encounter in the health field and to share with them the knowledge I have gained over the years. These experiences, coupled with my upbringing and tenacity are what will allow me to become a phenomenal physician assistant (PA).
My bilingual background allowed me to continue to serve as a language broker for physicians and PAs with whom I worked with in the medical field. Their patients, part of the most vulnerable population in the U.S., lack basic English skills as well as the knowledge of our medical system and how a treatment works. I acted as a mediator, joyful that I could help someone while also gaining a basic understanding of medical injuries and morbidities myself. These experiences piqued my interest, but I knew it was not enough. I wanted to know how a diagnosis was made and what determined a treatment plan. I wanted to be the person directly treating and educating the patient instead of acting as a go-between. By becoming a PA, I will be able to do that. I have witnessed that when a patient is knowledgeable about their health condition, they are more receptive to following through with a treatment plan and taking ownership of their care, resulting in a better health outcome for them.
Limited English patients, however, are not the only vulnerable populations I have worked with. As a certified nursing assistant, I have worked with Alzheimer’s, dementia, and paralyzed residents. A segment of the population that is often forgotten, the elderly, especially those suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s are some of the most vulnerable individuals in the U.S. In my day to day responsibilities of previously working at two nursing homes, Goodwin House of Alexandria and Avante at Harrisonburg, I developed trusting relationships with the residents and their families. This is another crucial element to this care work since it is the families who must also trust me with assisting their loved ones to complete their activities of daily life. As a PA, I would strive to develop the same type of relationships with my patients. By gaining their trust, we will be able to work together to improve their overall health. When shadowing a PA, I saw first-hand the difference that trust made when treating and communicating with patients. By actively listening to the patients, addressing their questions and concerns, they felt respected and cared for. In my own personal experiences that my PA gained my trust while under her care was because she took the time to really listen to me. I believe the flexibility a PA has of spending more time with their patients is essential to treat them and what further solidified this was the profession for me.
Good bedside manner and listening skills are certainly strengths a PA needs but not the only ones a PA possess. A successful PA must be able to adapt to stressful situations and sudden changes. While working at Inova Fairfax Hospital as a clinical technician with patients who had congestive
heart failure, myocardial infarction, and coronary artery diseases, I learned to think quickly and adapt to change. Patients could deteriorate rapidly, and their care required us to stay calm, act quickly, and report to the nurses what was happening. Our open lines of communication allowed us to effectively display the highest quality of care to our patients. As a clinical technician, I had to feel comfortable with asking nurses about things I was unsure of and had to be receptive to the feedback they provided. As a PA, I will also need to have a good working relationship with the supervising physician to feel comfortable seeking clarification or asking questions before making a decision I am unsure about. I witnessed this interdependent relationship when shadowing a PA and I understand that you have to be open to being a lifelong learner, alongside professionals who are there to help you.
My childhood experiences exposed me to the medical field, a field I am now very passionate about. After working with various medical professionals, I am assured that I want to be a PA. A PAs role encompasses everything I love; taking care of patients, being an educator, and working with a team. But the greatest reward of this profession is making a difference in people’s lives, which is what I have always wanted to do.
Kira says
Responsibility. Determination. I have had to balance carefree youth with maturity from a young age. My father, who is a single parent, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease 15 years ago. As a young woman, I learned quickly, the logistical and emotional difficulty in helping someone manage a chronic illness, helping him dress, walk, and in the bathroom, especially on bad days. Despite this challenge, he has helped me find who I am and know the career I want to pursue: helping others manage chronic illness as a Physician Assistant.
Swiftness. Adaptability. To hone my ability to help others with chronic illness, I specifically sought out experiences with underprivileged populations. Through Global Brigades, a non-governmental organization I joined as a Freshman, I have had opportunities to work with patients in Honduras. I worked with Dr. Romeo Morales, M.D., as his assistant in general health, as well as local Honduran doctors in gynecology and dentistry rotations. Dr. Morales tasked me with determining various ailments after examination. Having him to look to for collaboration with knowledge yet being able to problem solve on my own, was an unforgettable opportunity. Because the patients I worked with had few health resources, many of their conditions became chronic. Patients sought help managing parasitic diseases, accessing antibiotics, dental treatment, implementing oral self-care routines, and the anxiety with receiving medical treatments. For example, I worked with a patient who needed treatment for dental caries. Through this experience, I continued to expand my ability to be a caregiver; I used my interpersonal skills to help the patient manage their anxiety during treatments, something I acquired through my experience with my father. I have returned to Honduras upon acceptance to Global Brigades’ annual Leadership Institute, where I gained essential skills that carried over as a Brigade Leader in the Spring and Summer of 2018. I continued to hone my skills to be a Physician Assistant, working, again, with underprivileged communities to provide care, leadership, and sustainability.
Empathy. Approach. I took on a role to help the expanding geriatric community in our country, working with dementia patients as a Resident Assistant to further my knowledge and care to those struggling with chronic illness. Dementia care encompasses a necessity for appropriately handling intense events such as a stroke, paired with mental breakdowns with confusion, hostility or sadness. I was able to use my acquired knowledge with my father to aid dementia patients also struggling from Parkinson’s disease with an empathetic view, understanding the sensitivities and encouragement that must be utilized.
This experience led me to obtain a Medical Assistant position in gastroenterology where I continue assisting those with chronic illness and further develop my clinical, administrative, and patient-care skills. Here I found the value of teamwork and communication, to ensure patients be seen efficiently, and self confidence, pushing me to shadow PAs that I formed relationships with and advance to be trained in phlebotomy shortly after starting my position. Understanding patients individually is essential in this field. How would my father or vulnerable citizens of Honduras want to be treated? Knowing what residents need in order to feel calm or safe and having a relationship with them made taking care of them, medically, less difficult. I value the compassion and insight that is added to practice of medicine as a Physician Assistant.
Taking into account the significance of any moment is a challenging thing to do. Life with my father, disadvantaged lives in Central America, and the fading memory of residents with Dementia have made me more aware of that. I am a lifetime learner and want to be able to take knowledge from a professional above me, but I also do my best work when pushed to excel when my compassion, dedication and hard work are on display. My desire to work alongside others to improve the health of individuals both globally and domestically has only grown. Increasing populations and shortages of primary care physicians is something we face all over. As a Physician Assistant I will thrive with the ability to bring access to care, with direct patient relationships and a plethora of clinical skills, as well as administrative capabilities.
Adrian says
Like most people in the world, I was never perfect. While some people wish they were a little taller, skinner, or did not need glasses to see; growing up I always wished I had healthy skin. For starters, I cannot be out in the sun for more than thirty minutes unless I apply sunblock on every inch of my body every hour. Do not believe me? I somehow even managed to get burnt while skiing on a 50°F day in February. For those blistering hot summer days, the pool is a great escape for most people, but not me. Being in the chlorine for more than a few hours causes my skin to flare up bright red and the next three days of treatment overshadows the few hours of fun in the sun. Fast forward fifteen years, and my eczema creams blessed me with a yeast overgrowth on my skin caused by the extra moisture. Not only do I still get rashes, but I am at a never-ending battle of applying two completely opposite creams to get my skin at a happy equilibrium. And how could I forget the awkward teenage years when I’d take “pimple pills” to control my acne and avoid humiliation in high school. Growing up, I was always frustrated, yet fascinated with what made my skin so delicate. At times, even my dermatologists did not know how to treat me so as I grew older, I knew I wanted to enter the medical field and use my experiences to connect with others who are in situations similar to me.
“Where is my fucking breakfast!” This was my greeting almost every morning as I walked into work. I was a brand-new CNA at the time, barely two weeks in, when a new resident was admitted into our long-term care facility. Almost every day was the same ordeal: he would demand breakfast an hour early and staff members would have to come in every fifteen minutes to calm him down. When breakfast was finally served, if it was something he did not like he would simply flip the tray to the ground and roll back to sleep; not the ideal way to start one’s morning. But the afternoons didn’t get any better. After breakfast you could find him fast asleep but covered in urine and feces. But if you offered to get him washed up, he’d thank you by telling you to “fuck off” and to “leave him the fuck alone.”
Change is difficult. Studies have shown that 50% of Americans will live in the state they grew up in with 20% never leaving their hometown. This is especially difficult for the elderly because one day they are totally independent and the next they may need assistance simply standing up. Although Mr. Jones was a disrespectful, foul-mouthed person, that does not mean he does not deserve my care. As weeks passed, I learned more about his routine. Knowing he frequently missed his show and was always hungry, I started showing up to his room at 1:25 with his favorite cookies, set up the TV, and charged his phone on my way out. Although he constantly insulted me, I still came in each day to care for him and check up on him throughout the day. Once he realized I truly cared for his well-being, he slowly started trusting me and even let me provide increasing amounts of care. In the long run, those few minutes each day did not take away from my day but forming this connection made all the difference for him. Although I could not completely change his personality, I saw glimpses of an appreciative person and it was just the little things that made this impact.
My experiences as a CNA made me realize there is a huge difference between keeping someone alive and living a fulfilling life. Anyone can get a person out of bed and dressed, but not everyone can put a smile on their patient’s face while doing it. In reality, happiness is a basic need just as important as food, water, or shelter. Without it, every day is a drag with not much to live for. This experience opened my eyes to what being a PA will be like because knowing how to connect with patients is just as important as knowing how to treat them. As a PA, I want to form relationships akin to the one with Mr. Jones. Ten years from now, when a kid comes into my office with a rash on his arm, instead of saying “ouch that looks awful,” I will know exactly what to say:
Switch to Dove soap, it is better for sensitive skin
Have fun at the pool, but don’t forget to apply your cream after, even if it looks okay
Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!
And more importantly, “I have seen this before, I promise it will get better!” I want to mean it when I say that. My undergraduate experiences as a biochemistry major have prepared me for the rigor of the next two years, but it is my experiences as a CNA and my own skin woes that will allow me to flourish as a PA for the rest of my career. I can only imagine what it will feel like giving reassurance to a kid who is going through what I already went through, but I imagine it will be no different from the endless connections I have already made as a CNA. The idea of doing work above myself and putting patients on track to heal is why it is my dream to become a physician assistant in dermatology.
Anna says
I received the phone call from my aunt at around six o’clock in the morning, then I quickly dressed up and headed to the emergency room in the local hospital. My uncle, who had advanced lung cancer, sat on the chair and grimaced in pain. A Chinese young man dressed in a white coat pressed on my uncle’s swelling belly and checked carefully. After it, he talked to my aunt in fluent Chinese and took notes of my uncle’s symptoms. Then, my uncle got relieved and was able to lie on the bed after taking the medicine brought by him. I noticed the tag on his coat – physician assistant. The PA impressed and inspired me by not only giving good health care to my uncle but also carrying us who were new immigrants in the United States through a language barrier. I thought to myself, “Can I become a PA like him, who could max out the abilities in profession and language to help others?”
To prepare myself for pursuing in the medical field, I started from building up patience which is an essential personality needed to interact with patients. When I was in high school, I got a part-time job in a program called C.A.R.E.S that was to assist individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities. To be able to master this job, I attended a series of training to learn different kinds of diseases. Moreover, I was introduced problem-solving skills, communication skills, and data recording skills. After testing, I was assigned a job to give in-home respite service to a five-year-old-old Chinese boy with intellectual disabilities. He lacked the ability to talk and walking. Firstly, I tried to build trust. To do so, I learned how the child expressed himself when he intended to do something, and what he liked and disliked. After, I tried to teach him some simple life skills including holding a cup or using a spoon. At the end of each week, I summarized the progress of the child by filling out the form that signed by his families and submitted it to my supervisor. To giving more efficient teachings and providing better care, members of the program were gathered and trained every month. We talked and share the experience with each other. The worse case I experienced was the child banged his head on the ground due to his bad emotion. It was great to learn from the other members that I could solve it smoothly by keeping him away from the floor, then shifted his attention. That was a cherish personal experience in my life. I utilized my mother language, as well as the ability to give good care to people. I was eager to learn and experienced more.
As my love of pursuing medical field continued to grow, my hearts longed to explore deeper. I decided to look for a chance to directly interact with patients. After having an interview, I was accepted by NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital as a volunteer and was assigned to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. By shadowing a nurse, I had leaned crucial medical terms including hypertension, set up baby cribs, distributed supplies. Besides, working as a team member strengthen my communication and cooperation skill. For instance, I usually acted as a translator to help patients communicate with the professionals. Volunteering in hospital confirmed my desire of pursuing PA profession. There was once I brought the blanket to the mother who prepared for labor. She suddenly felt pain in her belly and started to cry. I pressed the emergency button, then a PA and a nurse came in. I still recalled how the PA calmed down the mother by letting her take deep breaths. At the same time, the PA checked the mother’s condition with masterful steps. More professionals came in to move the mother to the delivery room. I vividly recalled the moment that the unflappable PA explained in detailed to the doctor along the hallway. Two experiences with PA made me firmly believe pursuing PA career was my correct life choice.
“Knowledge is a basis of ability and practice is the basis to master knowledge.” I took honors and advanced placement classes and joined the Science Olympia Club in high school. By leading the team as a manager, I learned what responsibility, cooperation, and leadership were. With my own efforts, I became the valedictorian and graduated from high school as an honored student. In college society, the ability to allocate time reasonably was the key to make me succeed in academia. To better understand the medical terms I learned in class, I worked in a pharmacy that also provided health supplies. Through the working experience, I learned how to choose correct medical equipment such as back brace for the customers or taught the customers how to use blood pressure monitor. With my knowledge base, I could read the prescriptions and introduce the use of the drug to the patients. Moreover, my knowledge of diseases and certain drugs got strengthened.
My unceasing pursuit in the PA profession derived me to explore deeper and deeper no matter in the academic field or practical field. It has been set as a goal in my heart, in my life and in my future. I am looking forward to an opportunity to discover more as a PA student. I believe that I am able to overcome the obstacles on my pathway of pursuing the medical field and to help others overcome the obstacles on their pathway of pursuing health as a PA profession.
Heather E says
Growing up my dream job was any that required me to work in a cubicle in a New York City skyscraper. In high school I found a niche for advertising and co-opd at an assisted living facility my senior year. Growing from an office aide folding linens for two hours a day into an administrative assistant doing resident billing and employee training so too did my love of healthcare.
I can recall a particular resident, Mary, who I always engaged in conversation with as I walked through the facility. She could be found in her wheelchair by the window reading in the sunlight. After three years of knowing Mary and her wheelchair as a unit, I saw her walk past my office with the physical therapist. Tears welled up in my eyes and every switch in my soul turned on bright-neon lights directing to my purpose in life. It finally occurred to me that I found joy in interacting with my residents, not processing their bills. I immediately changed my major from business administration to health professions and began research on the numerous professions that encompassed my passion.
I first shadowed a physical therapist who offered me a job as a rehabilitation aide. When four of the therapist told me that they wished they had gone the PA route, I got a little curious as to what a PA was and why. My manager helped me get into contact with a PA in the emergency department and I absolutely fell in love. I was scheduled to shadow after my evening shifts for about 3 hours and found that I would easily end up staying the entirety of the PAs shift into the morning. I was in awe of the PAs autonomy but physician collaboration at the same time. I was fortunate in that this PA seemed to have a second passion for teaching. He was so personable and took great time in making sure he understood the patient’s complaints, got a correct and complete history, and incorporated me in reading test results to be sure he wasn’t missing anything. This exemplified all that I had gathered of a PA’s professionalism and their ability to engage in a strong patient relationship which is exactly where my passion was embodied.
Holding two different jobs within the hospital, I discovered that there is no aspect or speciality in healthcare that I don’t find interesting. My dream of becoming a healthcare professional was solidified when I learned of the PAs ability to switch specialties. I am consistently in complete awe of the knowledge held by PAs and that it is ever growing. It’s become my deepest desire to gain and contribute that knowledge not only to a team of healthcare professionals as we care for patients, but to the patients themselves so that they are incorporated in their own wellbeing. And so it is this passion for the human body, health, and all aspects of wellness that has became a snowball that is advancing in size and gaining momentum as I continue traveling the path of life.
Now that I’ve I learned of the PA profession there absolutely no doubt that PA-C is destined to be a permanent attachment to my name.
Elizabeth says
I’m thousands of miles away from home standing in a small, cramped room with sweat rolling down my face. It’s so muggy and we only have one fan circulating air around the room. As the physician uncovers the dressing from a woman’s foot I see the muscle, bone and skin tissues. She has necrotizing fasciitis and it’s so infected to the point that amputation is a consideration. I start to realize there are a lot of cases like this in underserved populations due to the lack of resources and supplies available to care for this type of case.
I spent one month in Jamaica volunteering in a healthcare center admitting patients as well as educating them about their health. Occasionally I observed wound care and sat in on appointments. My experience was very eye-opening and the first exposure I had in a healthcare setting. Ultimately, this trip was the reason I became interested in working with underserved populations.
To gain further experience and knowledge in the field, I worked at a nursing home as a home care/medication aid. My role as a medication aid required me to work alongside a nurse and distribute the residents’ medications. In doing so I learned about some medications that residents were typically prescribed: gabapentin for nerve pain, atenolol or metoprolol to reduce hypertension and lorazepam for anxiety/sleep. Although I didn’t diagnose and treat the residents as a physician assistant (PA) would, I obtained first-hand experience providing direct patient care by helping residents with their activities of daily living, developing my interpersonal skills and showing compassion. These are characteristics that as a physician assistant I would exercise when interacting with patients and their families.
Although working at a nursing home was a valuable experience, I wanted a change in pace. I applied at Harborview Medical Center, a level 1 trauma and burn center that serves 5 different states. I currently work here as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) in the float pool. Working in the float pool requires me to be adaptable since I work in a variety of areas throughout the hospital. I work with a diverse group of individuals which allows me to grow as an individual and healthcare professional. There have been many experiences with patients that have deepened my desire to become a PA. One patient in particular had a huge impact on me. He’s in his early 30’s and he and his friend were on a run one morning when they both got hit by a car. His friend died and he survived, however now he’s a quadriplegic. Whenever I helped him he was always upbeat and making jokes. His outlook on life, even after his accident, was truly inspiring. Seeing the progress he was making made me realize I want to be more involved and be the one helping make decisions regarding patient care.
While I’m committed to my schoolwork as I am caring for patients, this wasn’t apparent my freshman year of college. It was a big adjustment period and I had a lot to learn. I went to school on a track scholarship and athletics at a collegiate level was new to me. We had practice almost 6 days a week and traveled for meets during the season. I was focusing more on track than on my schoolwork which was unusual for me. Due to lack of time management my grades were low and my GPA suffered. However, I got the help I needed by getting tutors for the classes I had difficulty with and managing my time better which resulted in an upward trend in my grades. The way I finished college best represents the type of student I am and that I’m more than capable of achieving my goal to become a PA.
Subsequent to graduating college I had the opportunity to shadow a PA, Jordan, and learn more about the role a PA plays in patient care. Jordan works under an orthopedic surgeon so I observed him in a clinical setting and in the operating room (OR). At the clinic I saw how well he interacted with patients and how he took the time to go over x-rays or explain medications, etc. In the OR I got to see him assist in multiple surgeries. The first surgery I observed was a total knee arthroplasty; it was memorable because I got to hold the timer and call out time intervals while the new joint was being cemented into place so the surgeon knew how much time he had. After observing Jordan I grasped a better understanding of the profession and knew it would be the right fit for me.
I want to be a PA because I would have the flexibility of working under physicians in different specialties and be able to evolve and learn from them. PA’s also get to see and spend more time with patients compared to a physician which is an aspect of the job that I like. Lastly, as a PA I would enjoy collaborating with a physician as well as working independently. Through my work/volunteer experiences and academics I’m prepared to take on the challenges of PA school. I’ve been told by coworkers that I would make a great PA and I have no doubt in my mind I will.
Harriet Wilson says
Patient continuity is defined by The Kings Fund Inquiry into patient care as “A continuous therapeutic relationship with a clinician”. This phrase is intrinsic to the unique success of the physician associate since the roles inception, and the reason for my interest in the course. My research into this concept and Brighton Sussex Medical School has reinforced my desire to build a career as a physician associate at one of the UK’s leading medical schools.
A few years ago I was fortunate enough to attend a lecture at The Royal Society of Physicians on plant based medicine, I was fascinated by the idea that a holistic approach to health care could be incorporated into a medical model. My experiences volunteering for St Johns Ambulance have solidified my caring instinct into a real desire to improve the quality of life of patients. Being a first aider has taught me the importance of keeping a calm demeanour in high pressure situations in order to uphold the first principle of both medicine and first aid: “do no harm”. I have learnt various transferable skills such as taking a basic history and treating both minor and life threatening conditions. It has also emphasised the importance of good communication in building a rapport with the casualty and their family in order to establish trust in both you and your ability.
I found the BSc Chemistry syllabus fascinating, and it was my experience of medicinal chemistry at university that supported my resolution to study medicine at a postgraduate level. I enjoyed learning about the process of drug development, specifically how understanding the disease mechanism, for example bacterial involvement in peptic ulcers, was key to building a successful treatment regimen, using both antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors. Studying biological optional modules helped me to integrate knowledge of a disease mechanism within the processes in the body.
At university I was elected to become the course representative, which was a great honour that gave me the opportunity to make changes to the course on behalf of my peers. Additionally, being a windsurf and sailing instructor at Lagoon Watersports for the past decade has massively improved my confidence and taught me the value of hard work. I really enjoy teaching as it involves teamwork, communication skills and has enabled me to become a better student.
Volunteering for the Southampton branch of Nightline listening service has been an incredible opportunity for me and I have gained invaluable problem solving skills. Nightline volunteers are often the first point of contact for students with problems ranging from homesickness to mental health concerns and are trusted with signposting them toward a course of action to help them overcome their difficulties.
These experiences have bolstered my decision to study medicine at a higher level as the challenge and discipline involved greatly appeals to me. I look forward to expanding my knowledge of medicine over the next two years with the hope that one day, I might be able to use my skills to make a real difference to people’s lives.
DAngel says
The mountains. Full of ups and downs, cracks and crevices, smooth and rocky terrains, a landscape that continues to rise and fall. In many ways, life can be compared to these mountains. On one hand, life is filled with plenty downs and constant trials and tribulations. On the other hand, there are plenty of ups and great opportunities that can improve anyone’s life.
This is all I could think about as I watched my patients irregular heart beat on the ECG monitor. As I rushed to call a code, my adrenalin pumping all throughout my body and holding my breath as I watched in awe, I wondered if her heartbeat would ever return to normal or suddenly fade out. Watching numerous people dashing in and out of the room, I could finally breath again knowing that she was in great hands.
One of those pair of hands made me understand how important a physician assistant really is and how they are incorporated into a team needed to save a life.
Throughout the past couple of years, it became clear to me that I wanted to work in medicine. As I thought about my future I asked myself many different questions.
My passion for playing basketball and my love for sports made me wonder, “Would I be a physical therapist or become involved in sports medicine?”.
My love for medicine made me question, “Would I be a physician?”.
My desire to teach others and have a close relationship with whomever I work with made me ponder, “Would I be a biology teacher?”
None of those felt quite right for me and my personality and how I wanted to live my adult life.
Not knowing exactly what path I wanted to take, my physician advised me to look into becoming a physician assistant early on in my college career. I knew that I wanted to be involved in treating and diagnosing patients as I love solving complicated problems all while working and collaborating with others as a team. Because I never heard about this profession, I began to do more and more research about the physician assistant. As I did so, it became clear to me that this may be the path that I wanted to take even though I knew to expect many ups and downs.
With my Certified Nursing Assistant license and working full-time as a patient care technician, it has aided in helping me to realize that everyone has to go through those ups and downs at some point in their lives. As I work throughout numerous floors of the hospital, I am able to see the various parts of medicine, such as intensive care units, behavioral units, pediatrics, and orthopedics, I experience my own battles while working at night and going to school full time but that would never amount to the battles that these people experienced while there. Something about watching these families lose their loved ones or patients who don’t have any hope for themselves as well as the ones who have all the hope and faith in the world has opened my eyes and showed me that I want to make a difference in their lives no matter what it takes. I know that patient care is something that I am passionate about and is something that I want to be involved in in the future. If in any way possible that I can help with those downs or even make those ups even better, I am willing to do it.
To further enhance my understanding of the responsibilities and roles that PAs fill, I was able to shadow different PAs in various fields. This is where I observed their independence and how much of an impact that these medical professionals have in healthcare.
I also participated in a medical mission trip with Global Brigades to Nicaragua. Observing various medical professionals and volunteers working together to ensure that the “Nicas”, a term used for the people of Nicaragua, were taken care of in a great manner had a great impact on me. To see beautiful smiles and gratefulness from people who received our care was a great experience especially because these individuals don’t have the luxury of making an appointment to see a medical professional whenever they to or have access to basic medications to help with their illnesses. While there, I saw a great need for medical care in underserved communities around the world which is something that I knew I would eventually want to be a part of again when I become a PA.
My volunteering, shadowing, and officer efforts only reinforced and solidified that this was the best path for me. Multiple PAs continuously praised the position, highlighting that they were able to discipline in numerous fields while transitioning laterally between those fields. This only made me love the thought of becoming a PA even more as I am a person who loves the broad spectrum of medicine and want to continue learning about the different aspects of medicine. Knowing that I could work in essentially all of the different specialties gave me great happiness.
Although I have endured many different barriers that could have hindered me from my dreams and caused me to give up on many different things in life, I aim to keep my ambition and dedication towards becoming a physician assistant. All of the volunteering, working as a patient care technician and the use of teamwork while being an officer has shown me that all of the skills that I have been taught and continue to work on so far is what will make me that excellent physician assistant that I strive to be. I want to be able to continue building close relationships with patients on a much deeper level all while working with others along the way.
So where would I be without those ups and downs throughout my life?
As I look back at that one patient who had the irregular heartbeat, rising and falling, I know that all of the ups and downs that I’ve gone through will be all worth the while when I’m a part of that team with my pair of hands doing any and everything possible to keep my patient healthy and safe.
Rachel says
My journey towards becoming a physician assistant began my junior year of high school. Many people share the experience of having family members in and out of the hospital. My junior year was the start of a very long, and continuing road to try and keep both of my grandparents in decent health. My grandparents fit the typical southern farmer couple description. Fried food was their staple meal, and after years of it, they became obese and their health problems became apparent. High blood pressure and cholesterol, Type II Diabetes, and chronic heart failure all started to take their toll. There has been a lot of routine visits with teams of doctors and physician assistants, as well as many emergency hospital stays and surgeries. What made them all bearable were the teams of capable healthcare professionals. My grandparents always took a liking to the physician assistants due to their availability. They always seemed like they were able to spend more time with my grandparents explaining things and answering their questions, which in turn made my grandparents more trustworthy and less stressed. My goal is to make people feel like I am there to help them personally, and not make them feel like patient number 47 that I’ve seen today. I think that physician assistants have this capability more so than M.D.s which is why I’ve chosen this route.
Not only do I think physician assistants have more available time for their patients, but they have more options to jump ships and change specialties, if they choose to do so. I’ve always challenged myself to be versatile and well-rounded. I grew up being a multi-sport athlete, and versatility was always the main goal. A versatile player has more options and therefore a greater chance at success. I played softball for Young Harris College as a utility player. My freshman year, I was a relief pitcher. My sophomore year, I played second base. My junior year, I was a pinch hitter and played third base when needed. My versatility made me more valuable than if I had just been able to play solely one position. My vision for being a physician assistant is to grow as a medical professional and to become capable treating the body as a whole, through the many different stages of life.
Going hand in hand with my last point, I have always seen physician assistants as team players. They might not be team lead, but their role is important and leaves a lasting impression on the patient. I was never the All-American stud, but I was always the player who did whatever was best for the team, and I got more satisfaction out of being dependable and respected from doing so, than receiving any award. I want to be the type of physician assistant that rounds out a medical team and helps keep that team cohesive and efficient to give a patient the best quality of care.
Lastly, family is the most important thing to me. I want to be a medical professional and help others, but I also want to be a wife and mother. I want to be able to provide financially for my future family, but still have time available to spend making memories with them. The physician assistant occupation allows me to not worry about the responsibilities of running my own practice and gives me the freedom to have a separate work life from my personal life. At the end of the day, I want to be able to treat my patients like they were my own family, and my family as my most important job.
In conclusion, I have seen first-hand the impact that physician assistants have. Up until this point, I have been molded into a versatile, team-player and I believe that I could be an asset to medical teams as a PA. I think I would truly love this profession and wake up excited to go to work every day, and still be able to be a proactive and present wife and mother someday.
Matthew Milton says
As a twenty three year old fee clinic volunteer, I sat on the coast of Saint Elizabeth Parish in Jamaica overlooking the Caribbean Sea. As I reflected on the day, one question that was fastened to the front of my mind was “why?” Why was I so lucky? I grew up in an environment that nurtured me and supported any dream I had. I have access to medical care. I have food on the table and a roof over my head. I have parents that provided for me and made sure that I wanted for nothing. After assisting in the treatment of patients who were limited by their economic status, I felt undeserving of everything that was handed to me. I knew there had to be a reason why I was so fortunate and why my blessings had yet to cease.
As a young child bubble baths were my exam room and my patient was a small rubber duck that accompanied me every night as I administered his medicine, warm water from an empty soap bottle. From that point I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in healthcare but I did not know which profession was right for me. I went into my first year of college at Xavier University of Louisiana pursuing a premed focused biology degree. I had no knowledge of any other health professionals besides doctors and nurses and naively decided on a career as a physician. After a year away from home, I decided that Xavier was not the right school for me. I was challenged academically but the distance from my family affected my personal happiness and eventually my grades. I left and continued my degree at Kennesaw State University. I thought that a larger school would be a great for me but I was mistaken. The massive class sizes made learning almost impossible and the huge student population came with many distractions. My grade point average suffered and I knew that if I stayed, my chances as a health care professional would diminish. I transferred to Armstrong State University where I fell in love with the small class sizes and personal relationships with processors. With the abundant resources I was able to hunker down and improve my grade point average.
Through my shadowing of a geriatric nurse practitioner I noticed that there was a difference in they type of care given by a nurse practitioner verses a physicians assistant. The nurse practitioner seemed to focus on the emotional and mental needs of the patient where as physicians I shadowed seemed to focus more on anatomy and physiological systems, which better matched my interest. During my time on the mission trip I shadowed a physician assistant and several physicians. I noticed how the physician assistant treated a wide variety of patients, outside of her specialty. I watched as she thoroughly examined every patient and explained in detail the diagnosis and how to treat the illnesses with the limited resources. One patient interaction stood out to me more than the others. As the physician assistant and I walked into the room we were greeted by a woman and her young daughters. . As we examined her the young girl, we noticed that every one of her teeth were black and rotting. I knew that they had no access to dentist in the area but there was access to tooth paste and tooth brushes. The mother informed us that the daughter falls asleep every night with a bottle of juice in her mouth. They sugar from the juice and the lack of proper cleaning caused every single one of her teeth to have several cavities. The physician assistant proceeded to tell the mother there isn’t much to be done since they were all temporary teeth and would fall out within the next year. We informed the mother about the importance of brushing daily, especially after sugary drinks. After the clinic was closed that day, I asked her why she chose to be a physician assistant. She proceeded to explain to me that she searched for a medical career that gave her variety and a work-life balance. She explained that she has the ability to switch between specialties if desired which impacted my career decision.
My journey to become a medical professional has been extensive and is far from over but I am glad that I was able to answer the question as to why all my opportunities were presented in a beneficial fashion. My patients would benefit from my compassion, attention to detail, and my situation awareness gained from my shadowing of a variety of healthcare professionals. In the future, my goal is to bring health care to places where it is not readily available. Those who have access to health care take for granted the importance of modern medicine within a society. It took me years to find my path and I am ready for any challenge I encounter in the future. I am prepared to become a physician assistant.
Caio says
La Clinica del Niño is a pediatric clinic in Atlanta that serves mostly low income latino children. As a medical assistant at this clinic, I have the privilege of conducting nearly all of my patient encounters in either Spanish or Portuguese. It brings me great joy to provide quality, compassionate healthcare while communicating effectively with patients who do not speak English. Throughout my time at the clinic, I have learned valuable technical skills such as injections and catheterizations, as well as how to implement care plans for patients by performing nutritional and asthma action plan visits. Although I find my job tremendously rewarding, the satisfaction it brings me always leaves me wanting to do more to serve my patients. This desire confirms the decision I made years ago to pursue a career as a physician assistant.
My journey to becoming a physician assistant began in my senior year of high school when I took an anatomy and physiology class. My unexpected fascination in the subject led me to achieve an outstanding grade. I began to spend countless hours researching different healthcare careers. Although I would go back and forth between different careers, I was intrigued by the high job satisfaction rate, increasing job market and great debt-to-income ratio that a physician assistant career offers. As I began college, I continued to inform myself about this career path as I dove into a medicine-related degree.
Although I am proud of having been the first in my family to graduate from a university in the United States, my college experience was not like that of many of my American colleagues. When I was young, my parents moved our family from Brazil to the United States in an effort to provide a better future for my sister and me. They took on low paying jobs which made it necessary for me to work throughout college in order to pay for tuition and help with bills. This hindered me from graduating in four years and achieving A’s in all of my classes. However, over the course of this experience, I learned to value my education and dedicated myself increasingly more to my studies which resulted in a substantial upward trend in my grades during my last few years of college.
Much of my work experience has been as a server in restaurants where I worked alongside many hispanic people. Thanks to my insistence in communicating with my coworkers, I was able to quickly pick up the Spanish language. In addition to Spanish, the restaurant industry taught me many skills that are extremely valuable in the medical field. Communication, time management, multitasking, teamwork and attention to detail are just a few of these transferable assets.
In addition to serving, my work experience also includes a variety of healthcare positions. As a sophomore in college. I obtained a certification in phlebotomy, and soon after, a volunteer position at a latino-focused gynecology clinic where I performed many blood draws each day. It became evident that I was on the right track as I realized how much I enjoyed interacting with the patients and that I had a knack for performing procedures such as venipunctures. Throughout my college career, I continued to volunteer with several other organizations, including an international medical outreach program with which I found myself in the slums of the Dominican Republic working closely with local physicians to provide free healthcare to people living in poverty. I have also volunteered to aid physical therapists in reteaching disabled patients to walk at Shepherd Center, one of the top rehabilitation centers in the United States, and shadowed an orthopedic physician assistant as he performed procedures that relieved many people’s pain. After graduating college, I began volunteering at La Clinica del Niño. Approximately a month later, the clinic sponsored me in obtaining my medical assistant certification and I was hired as a full-time employee.
Since starting at the clinic, I have worked closely with physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Although I have learned so much from them all, I am most compelled by the way the physician assistant works in a team with her supervising physician and how much the physician trusts and depends on her. I am also moved by the compassion that the physician assistant shows her patients. Whether they are there for a runny nose or an emergency room follow-up, her ability to treat and develop relationships with her patients is inspirational.
I am fortunate to have had the experiences that have led me to where I am. I learned to integrate the qualities and characteristics that I developed while balancing college and restaurant work into different fields of healthcare. My journey has shaped me into an amazing healthcare professional with a love for what I do and a will to achieve more in my career. I truly believe that I am prepared to take the next step in order to fulfill my desire to do more to serve my patients and my community.
Sonitha Louissaint says
I grew up in Haiti, and I have seen what a lack of doctors and nurses can do to a person’s life. Once, my grandmother burned herself badly on the back of a motorcycle. She had to go to the hospital because she was diabetic and could not heal easily; her blood could not coagulate in the same way as the blood of others. The staff did not do much for her when she went to the hospital since they were both understaff and underequipped. Her foot became infected and then gangrenous. At last, an emergency surgery was required to amputate the whole foot. Unfortunately, it was too late for her; she had already become septic. She died in November 2011, one day after the surgery and one year after I came to the United States. Since then, I have been set on following my dream and staying in the health field.
The physician assistant program offers me the greatest opportunity to expand my education in my field of interest. I have always wanted to work in a healthcare profession that helps improve the life quality of individuals, especially those in need. I feel that the physician assistant program is the best choice to help me attain this main goal. Becoming a physician assistant will be an expeditious way to join the healthcare field at a higher level while continuing to support my immediate family.
I have worked as a caregiver/home health aide for about three years at multiple companies, such as Northwest Human Services, Child and Family Focus, Home Helpers, and Integrity Home Health. As a result, I have had the opportunity to experience and enjoy working with different types of individuals, from senior citizens to people with intellectual developmental disorders. When I worked with seniors, I kept them company, took them grocery shopping for the week, and assisted them with taking their medication. At the end of the day, I would also sometimes document blood pressure levels. With my experience working with people, I have developed a sense of compassion that aids me in approaching and committing to assisting others.
I graduated in December 2017 with my bachelor’s degree in life science and look forward to continuing my education. After I completed my undergraduate degree, I decided to go to a program to become an EMT, which I recently completed. I have been volunteering since then at Warrington Ambulance Services, which has been a great experience for me and has allowed me to get some of my direct patient care hours. I have already taken most of my requirements for this program, and by the time the program starts, I will have completed them.
I look forward to speaking with you soon. Thank you for your consideration.
Madisen says
My journey to Physician Assistant School is unlike many others. I initially set out to become a physician and spent years researching and completing requirements. I spent many hours shadowing physicians and reading articles. After exposure to many different careers in the healthcare field, I became very interested in the physician assistant (PA) profession. I have seen many PA’s when it comes to my own healthcare and I have also had exposure to them as a volunteer.
Volunteering at Cincinnati Children’s has completely changed my life. I began volunteering about a year and a half ago and am so thankful I did. I began volunteering in the same day surgery department and had the privilege to interact with and occupy children before they headed back for surgery. I was in college at the time and due to a change in my school schedule I needed to switched departments. I transferred to a department that cared for cancer patients, tracheotomy patients, as well as extended-stay general medicine patients.
The cancer and tracheotomy patients had the biggest impact on my life and my clinical views. Due to their conditions, many of the patients were in the hospital for weeks, sometimes months, at a time. Many of these patients did not have good family lives and rarely received any sort of family visit. As a volunteer, my job was to spend time with the children and comfort them. I was able to play with them, hold them, watch movies, take them on walks, and many other things. It was absolutely heartbreaking to watch a child cry as your visit with them ended, knowing the only company they had was hospital staff. I have had countless patient interactions with that same outcome and it sent a big message to me: medical staff, of any level, is so important to the life of the patient. In many cases the only people a patient interacts with are nurses, therapists, physicians, PA’s, and other medical staff. I admire the difference these medical professionals make in the patients’ lives each and every day and after being exposed to that, I would love to be able to make the same impact. As a volunteer in the hospital, I found that I love patient care and interaction. I love having the ability to make a positive difference in a patient’s life.
My most memorable experience at the hospital was when I helped volunteer at a Christmas event. The hospital put on a Christmas shopping event that allowed the guardians of patients on my floor to go pick out gifts for their child free of charge. My responsibility was to assist them in picking out gifts and wrap them up to give to the child. I was assisting one lady that I had never seen before and she asked if I knew her grandson. I knew her grandson very well and knew that the family was not able to visit him very often. When she discovered I did know him and frequently spent a lot of time with him, she almost burst out in tears as she hugged me. She thanked me for spending time with her grandson and shared that her family would not know what to do without people like me. It was at this moment that I truly felt I was making a difference in both the patient and the guardian’s lives.
I want to be a physician assistant for several reasons. I like that as a physician assistant I would be able to begin direct patient care in just 2-3 short years, which means I would be able to make a positive impact on more people. I also like the idea of being able to switch specialties relatively easily if I find I do not enjoy one I have chosen. I like that being a PA gives you the option to work in a variety of different environments as well. A major reason I want to be a physician assistant is because it allows you a greater opportunity to have a flexible work schedule and spend more time doing things you enjoy. From my personal experience with PA’s, they seem to spend more time with their patients and they explain things more in depth to their patients. Being a physician assistant will allow me to enjoy working with patients, but also allow me to spend time with my family. I desire a career in the medical field because it would allow me to make a difference in someone’s life every single day, the field is always changing and improving, there will always be a need for healthcare, and it is something that I will always have an interest in.
Medicine is such a rewarding field because you have the privilege to positively impact others’ lives. There are very few careers where you get to use your skills to help others every single day. Being a physician assistant would provide me the opportunity to use my skills and interests to benefit others. A career as a PA would allow me to use something I really enjoy to continue to make a difference. I would love to be a physician assistant because it would allow me to live the lifestyle I envision as a parent as well as fulfill the career I desire to have in healthcare.
Diana Wu says
My parents fled mainland China in fear of persecution. My mother became pregnant premaritally and in the eyes of the government, the pregnancy was deemed illegal. My parents were faced with the options of either a forced abortion or fleeing their home country. They were given refuge in America and gave birth to my oldest brother. This story has profoundly impacted me because there was a possibility where I wouldn’t be alive. I was raised in a low-income, underserved, minority community. Living in a community of mostly African Americans and Hispanic immigrants, it has taught me how to see life differently. To be faced with discrimination and mental abuse for being a poor immigrant have deeply impacted me to the point where I wanted to make a difference in this world. However, I never thought that I had the ability to pursue a career in health care. Being the only Chinese family in the entire community allowed me to experience first hand what it is like to be looked over and discriminated against.
At the age of 16, my mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. In the following month, she had her ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus removed. During her treatment, Robin, a PA explain the whole operation in detail as I translated everything back to my mother. It was at this moment, I knew that becoming a PA was something I wanted to do. The field of medicine has always intrigued me and how innovative it has become in saving lives fascinated me. The appreciation and gratitude that I felt Robin for taking her time to go over every medication and follow up after the operation showed that she truly cared about her patient. This is something that is often rare in healthcare.
My relationship with school has always been tough. From a young age, I viewed having a strong work ethic as the most important thing, especially seeing how hard my parents worked. There was a time my mother left my brothers and I for 5 months to see her passing mother and we were left to support ourselves and pay the bills. I worked more hours than I had attended classes and because of this, I placed on academic probation. All the stress from home and the fear of being inadequate developed into anxiety and depression. I was faced with the fact of getting kicked out of school, I had to make a selfish decision and began to work harder in school knowing that this was the only way to make a difference. I eventually worked hard enough to be placed on the Dean’s List for the next two subsequent semesters.
My first job in healthcare was as a medical receptionist and assistant in a physical therapy clinic. I enjoyed working at this clinic because on the weekends, it provided treatment to people did not have insurance. Once a young Mexican child aged 7 had a dislocated shoulder and couldn’t afford treatment was so scared to talk but was so appreciative of the service, he started crying. This was amazing to me because this shows that health care providers can care more about people than paychecks. Outside of work I volunteer with the American Red Cross as a Disaster Control Relief, helping people going through traumatic experiences such as losing their homes due to natural disasters. I was able to help people during difficult times in their lives get back on their feet and start over. I also volunteer at Best Friend Animal Society, as a dog trainer and cat caretaker, helping retrain animals to get adopted into new homes and opening shelter space for more animals in need. I currently work at a cardiology office as a CCMA, where the majority of the patients are very old and have many chronic conditions. Explaining what medication is used to treat which chronic condition they have is so satisfying because when they ask for refills they exactly which medication they are asking for. I have learned that education is a powerful resource. Educating patients on their blood results and explaining to them how they can improve and then a few months later, seeing that improvement indicates that by spending a little extra time can go a long way.
What appeals to me about the PA role is the fact that it is a team-based system. It focuses on patient interactions and the communication between the physician and its team of healthcare members. Having a team of medical professionals with different background can truly beneficial. With the growing population and expansion of medicine allowing people to live longer, there is going to be a growing demand for healthcare professionals. To treat each patient with respect and dignity during a low time in their lives is extremely important. Being able to show that there is a diverse team with different roles to help care for them can be appreciative. From my upbringing, I know how easy it is to be overlooked and discriminated based on social economic status and race, and I want to make sure that this kind of interaction has no place within the healthcare community. This is the reason why I want to become a physician assistant.
Z says
Quietness never bothered me. I would welcome it in as it gently eased my worries, wrapping its supportive arms around me. I savored the silence of libraries where written words told impactful stories and students gathered to study. I took pleasure in the faint whispers of summer wind rolling over a northern lake, softly ruffling leaves as it came. However, what I did not realize was how loud quietness could be.
Tuesday evening, 21:46. IU Arnett Hospital, emergency department. Nurses rush, room to room. An alarm clamors – sepsis alert. The hospitalist is consulted. There is hurried chatter. Radiology calls back to the physician assistant (PA).
I hear the bustling between providers, the comments from the social worker, the explanations from the pharmacist. I hear the communication, see the dependent connections of healthcare providers, and observe the outcomes of quality patient care. Quickly I am clicking, updating, time stamping, typing, populating charts with completed labs and radiology reports. A nurse peaks into the providers’ computer bay. “Martti is down,” she reports in passing about the hospital’s translation monitor, “and this patient is deaf.” What I heard is stored in my memory. I open a new chart for a young female patient, Elle, who is here for evaluation of a seizure with a history of strokes.
Outside of a patient’s closed door is noisy whirlwind of ordered commotion. Inside the room is the familiar quietness – a patient waiting to explain their troubles and depend on their provider’s commitment to find answers. In Elle’s room though, I have never experienced such resounding quietness.
Distress sheets her face as worry fills her eyes. She points to her ears, shaking her head side-to-side. Sam, the PA I was working with this day, glances to me, then repeats her question louder, “What brought you to the ER today?” My mind rushes back. I remember what the nurse said about a deaf patient – it is Elle. “Sam, she is deaf, she cannot hear you… And Martti is down.” We both look to Elle to guide us.
My mind races on ways to form a line of communication. Through hand motions Elle relays that she is nonverbal, but that she can write. My laptop crashes onto the supply cabinet as I burst from the room. Running to the providers’ bay and back, I return with paper and my blue pen. Sam and I worked together to compile written questions for Elle. We gave the questionnaire to her, but her writing was nearly illegible and her answers incoherent. Is this due to her history of strokes and seizures? I kept a reassuring smile on my face, even though both Sam and I were still puzzled.
Hushed tears began to fall from Elle’s already worried eyes as the quietness grew louder. Looking up to Elle’s eyes, my heart ached as I yearned to alleviate her pain and bring her a sense of peace. She reached out, grasping my one hand in between hers.
Since that Tuesday evening with Elle, my desire to become a physician assistant has never been more tangible. I have worked with hospitalists managing patients in critical care, providers in the emergency department, and have gained a tremendous amount of healthcare knowledge throughout my scribe experience. Through this my desire to be a PA has solidified as my ideals draw closer to their versatility, compassion, and ability to continue learning. I have now found my grit and drive for education, I had spent my first two years of college struggling to apply myself. I did not know how to manage my time nor did I understand the weight of importance that my studies had, resulting in my inadequate grades. However, after rededicating myself to my education at Purdue University, my grades dramatically improved during my last two years (even with a full-time job). These years are more representative of the student I am today and I my commitment to becoming a PA.
Quietness never used to bother me because it is something that I found support in. Now though, is my turn to be those supportive arms for Elle, and all of the other patients, who need someone to be their voice — to provide them with the best patient care.
Stacey says
I was seven years old when I first encountered an emergency. My mother took my younger brother and I to our pediatrician’s office for a routine check-up. That evening, I began to have severe abdominal pain. We had family in town for the summer and my grandmother suggested I drink a home remedy of garlic and lemon juice; at the time, she thought I might have ingested a parasite. No relief came and the pain intensified. By the third day, I was bed-bound, febrile, weak, and in excruciating pain. My parents made the decision to run me up to the local children’s hospital. The triage nurse noticed how unwell I looked and rushed me into an examination room. At such a young age, I did not understand what was going on. The ER nurse pressed on my lower stomach and I screamed. She took my vitals and left the room. An ultrasound was performed shortly after for confirmation. By then, an ER doctor came in to the examination room and explained what was going on to my parents. My appendix had burst and I was septic at that point. The doctor stressed to my parents that I needed emergency surgery or I could potentially die from infection.
That time of my life influenced the direction I took with my academia. I was fortunate to be a part of a rigorous, biology program at the University of Tampa. I attended classes, immersed myself into school activities, and enjoyed those four years of my life. However, too much enjoyment took a toll on some of my classes. I did not apply myself as much as I should have the first year of my undergraduate program, which affected my GPA. I spent the rest of my college years working hard to correct the damage I did. All that hard work came to a screeching halt when I began taking Organic Chemistry. I struggled with the subject and, unfortunately, had to retake the classes. Senior year came around and my peers were getting ready to apply to graduate school. I felt I was not ready due to my lower GPA and lack of work experience. I decided that I wanted to take a step further and seek patient-care experience through EMS.
I attended EMT school, learned as much as I could during clinical hours, and earned my certificate for advanced-emergency medical technician. It was not until I started my first EMT job that I got a taste of the world of medicine. I worked for a private service doing non-emergency medical transport. I was exposed to so much, but I felt that it was not enough. I am continuously striving for more and I knew I had to take the next step. I had amazing coworkers who happened to be firefighters/paramedics/EMTs for DeKalb County and with their guidance they helped me get to where I am now.
I currently work for American Medical Response in DeKalb County as an advanced EMT. I am part of one of the highest-call volume, 911-agencies in the nation. It was not until I worked in a high-stress, emergency environment where I finally understood what I wanted to do with my life. All the sweat, tears, and blood I spilled with my public safety family helped shape the EMT and person that I am today. To successfully work in an emergency setting, you must work as a team. Teamwork is everything in a medical profession. Patient care requires all hands on board. That is the most important lesson I have learned in my four years of EMS. Rushing a critical patient into a trauma/examination room helped me understand the dynamics of a hospital. Watching doctors, physician assistants, nurses, ER techs, and x-ray techs work as a team solidified my decision to be a physician assistant.
I have done my share of shadowing in an ER. I learned the day-to-day activities a physician assistant or a nurse practitioner accomplishes within a 12-hour shift. They start their day walking around the ER, greeting their colleagues/co-workers, asking if anyone needs helps with anything, and checking e-mails. From the get-go, you think to yourself, “what a low-stressful job they have.” However, that is just the beginning. The ER gets slammed with patients by noon, some more critical than others. The most important thing I learned from shadowing was to treat each patient you encounter with respect and professionalism. It does not matter if they are complaining of a toothache or chest pain; each patient deserves the medical provider’s undivided attention. EMS was a stepping-stone for me. It taught me teamwork, mastery of my skills, and how to work under duress. I feel it is time to put away my trauma shears and tactical boots and take the next step in my career. Becoming a physician assistant would not only challenge me mentally and physically, but it would also allow me to become the medical provider I have always aspired to be.
Louise Osborn says
When I was a child, I told anyone I could that I was going to be a doctor when I grew up. I think now, that statement is often met with encouragement and excitement regardless of a person’s gender, but 40 years ago in rural Florida this was not the case. I was gently told that maybe I could be a nurse…. but my mother was a nurse, and although I respected what she did greatly, that wasn’t what I wanted to do.
Fast forward from the five-year-old me to sixteen-year-old me and I was starting to put that thinking behind me. I was ahead in school by almost two years and set to graduate early. My interest in science and medicine was opening doors no one anticipated a girl from such a small town having opened, and suddenly this dream of becoming a doctor wasn’t so crazy. My life went wildly off track however when human traffickers from Texas took me from another small town that neighbored ours when I answered an ad in the local newspaper for a temporary job over spring break. Even though the police rescued me after only 36 hours when the couple attempted to cash a bad check near the airport, my confidence and faith in myself and everything I thought I knew was so shaken, that it took me many years to get back to a semblance of normal.
At Cornell, I was able to be exposed to different types of research and science and really begin to understand the difference access to medicine makes in people’s lives. I was given the opportunity to work with the underserved and impoverished and see how grateful they are for the medical help they receive and my confidence returned as did my love for medicine and the fulfillment that comes from being part of something bigger than myself.
Unfortunately, the return back to my hometown resurrected demons that I thought were long buried and when I should have been applying to medical or physical assistant school in 1994 which was the plan, I was instead entering into an abusive marriage which took me ten long years to break away from.
During the years of my marriage, school and work, for the most part was highly discouraged. But as soon as I found my freedom, with the help of a great therapist, I found myself and immediately began working on rejoining the world of medicine. I began working in the pharmaceutical industry which, although I wasn’t able to directly help patients, did allow me to learn. My love of learning about the disease states the medications I represented treated, moved me up quickly in the company and earned the respect of the doctors I worked with. When the company sold to a company more focused on sales, I decided to go back to school instead of compromising my values.
Many people have asked why I became a mental health therapist instead of a physician assistant at that time. There are two reasons really, at the time I felt it was more important to be a mother to my children who at the time were very young. But in retrospect I am glad I made the choice because I have developed a level of understanding and empathy that I didn’t possess before. The demons of my past have served to truly make me a stronger person now, and I can understand why I had to go through every trial that I endured. The years that I have worked as a therapist have been in a family practice clinic and I have been able to work with a great variety of patients as well as shadow our physician assistants, assist with minor procedures such as stitches or biopsies and fill in as a medical assistant when we are short staffed.
A year ago, when the Zika virus became a concern, I volunteered to take the certification course and serve as the office “expert” meeting with patients who were concerned that they had the virus in our office and acting as liaison between our office and the health department. I am also the one who steps in when a life changing diagnosis is being delivered, staying with the patient and providing the resources they need to move forward, and understand their diagnosis.
Now, after counseling patients and helping in the clinic for the past six years what has become clear to me is the best way for me to help people is as a physician assistant. This path combines my passion for medicine, helping others, teamwork and acting as a resource for patients.
Carlie says
“It’s all in your head,” she said, “there’s nothing wrong with you.” I could feel my heart sink, and confusion set in, but as questions began to fill my mind I could feel the anger well up inside. I had been experiencing pain, unbearable pain, in my lower pelvis and all I was meet with was a haphazard diagnosis of vaginismus. No tests, no ultrasounds, no explorative procedures, just a poorly constructed diagnosis that matched few of the presented symptoms. My faith in the healthcare system was lessening, and I was left feeling discouraged and defeated. Hoping to find the true problem, I went to another clinic where I was seen by new practitioner named Michael, who quietly and patiently listened as I rambled off my problems. He explained that I needed to have an explorative laparoscopy and did not hesitate to answer my questions. It was discovered that I have with endometriosis. In retrospect, this practitioner unknowingly had given me a new hope and drove me toward the P.A. profession.
My gaze shifted as I heard hurried footsteps coming from the hall. Her blue scrubs indicated to me that she was cardiac monitor technician, and her frantic manner brought me to my feet. “One, go check one,” the urgency in her voice propelled my feet forward. I rushed myself into room one, my fingers automatically reaching for the woman’s carotid. No pulse. My mind went into overdrive, as I reached for the code button. Fluidly, my hands slide into place as I began to push against the lady’s chest. I could hear as the room began to fill with people, just before switching out compressions with another. Silently, I watch as a man in a white coat called out what to do until hearing the beeping of the vital monitors signaling that she had made it through. He inspired me, and my want to work in the healthcare field intensified.
After these moments, I did not immediately gravitate toward becoming a physician assistant; however, I did know that I wanted to partake in some type of health-related occupation. After thorough research, I believe that working as a P.A. is the perfect fit for me. I love the commodore of working as a team. In my experience, working alongside others of diverse academic backgrounds is refreshing. It offers a deeper insight to how to give both patient-based and scientific-based care. In addition to this, it also gives a different perspective of how to give the best care possible. I also enjoy working with patients. Growing up, I was always approachable to others when they needed assistance or advice. I enjoy this role, and the prospect of being able to have that as part of my career is appealing to me. I entertained the thought of nursing, but I have always been an analytical thinker and enjoy diagnostics; so, I know I want to be the one to diagnose and create a plan of action for my patients. Although there are nurse practitioners who are able to diagnose and treat, but unlike P.A.s nurse practitioners tend to specialize in a field. The same is true for medical doctors, such as M.D.s and D.O.s. As a P.A., I would be able to move from one specialty to another. I have many different interests and a passion for learning. So, the ability to work in many different fields and to continue my education as part of my occupation is an enticing prospect.
During my life, I have seen healthcare from both the patient perspective and the provider perspective. For me, both have something in common. They have inspired and propelled me toward a career as a P.A. In both situations, I wished I could have known and done more. I want to be able to give my patients the best care possible, so that none feel disheartened like I have. I want to be able to be an active part of the healing process, and I want to be able to reassure my patients just as Michael reassured me. As a physician assistant, I would be able to fulfill these wishes. I would be able to help my patients overcome their illnesses and go on to better tomorrow.
paola says
First time applicant, any help is welcome!
My love for science didn’t point me to a career in the medical field until the day my sisters were born. My mom’s pregnancy became chaotic when she felt sharp pains long before her due date. The hospital was a blur of scrubs and people frantically moving. It all happened so fast and I just sat there on the verge of tears, afraid for both my mom and sisters. They rushed my mom and dad out of the room and down the hall, all the while no one said anything to me. All I could do was hope the people in the white coats would take care of my mom. After a while, a lady in a white coat came up to me and told me my mom was okay and that she would be back very soon. I was instantly relieved and thought these white coat people were heroes. When my mom came back safely with my two sisters, I decided I needed to do for others what these heroes had just done for me. I wanted to someday give someone as much reassurance as they had just given me.
With my sisters being a part of the family, things were different at home. Like any immigrant family, my parents always instilled in me that I was to set an example. As I got older, I had to babysit them after school which meant that homework and studying were pushed off until they were put in bed. I remember powering through these nights with the image of one day wearing my own white coat and being a role model for my sisters. These long days also taught me about responsibility and empathy.
Eventually this motivation to set an example led me to be the first in my family to go to college & chase after my dream of being a physician assistant. I began my college career at Virginia Commonwealth University. The courses prompted me to think in ways I never had before by exploring topics such as the importance of the directional rotation of molecules in organic chemistry. Some things stayed the same, like my love for science classes and the processes involved. I had always loved science because the processes made sense and the findings could be used for the greater good. In college, my appreciation only grew by taking more in-depth classes such as cell biology. Later I would find that this appreciation for processes and its similarity to the medical model is what interested me about physician assistants.
I began volunteering at my first free clinic, the Fan Free Clinic, which was also my first exposure to working in a medical setting. Here I learned to be flexible by going above my front desk duties and helping with interpreting and rooming patients as well. I joined Be the Match, which is an organization dedicated to encouraging people to join the bone marrow registry to aid those with blood cancers. Then due to monetary issues, I transferred to the University of South Carolina. This change pushed me to really consider where I fit in this vast college environment and thus where I could fit in the medical field. I showed consistency by sticking with causes I was passionate about like advocating for Be the Match and volunteering, eventually finding a more precise career goal at a free clinic.
Amigos del Buen Samaritano is a clinic where I met my first PA, Lily. I interpreted her advisement from English to Spanish, so the patients could understand her. I did this for other doctors and nurse practitioners as well. While doing so I found Lily focused and spent more time on the patient than doctors did. The nurse practitioners seemed to do this as well, however their focus seemed geared completely toward the patient and not so much the pathology. I admired the balance Lily kept between spending time on the patient but still putting an emphasis on pathology. As I have always been enthralled by the processes and progressions of disease in the human body. It became clear to me that this path was best for me.
After graduating, I worked as a medical assistant at an internal medicine and pediatric office. I loved getting to know patients and putting faces and names with tangible struggles and symptoms to diseases. To my surprise, one of my favorite things about my position was interacting with individuals of all ages and walks of life because of the variety it brought. This realization only fueled my desire to continue my education as a physician assistant, because of the freedom physician assistants have to service different age groups in their career. While I loved the work, I found that the more I was immersed into the medical field, the more my ardor to continue my education grew. There were questions that patients asked me which I couldn’t answer, I felt restrained by my knowledge. It made me feel helpless to not be able to help them further. While I have the utmost respect and admiration for the doctor/ owner of the office, I witnessed firsthand the toll it took on her personal life and I knew I needed more of a balance in mine. This desire to not feel helpless, to have balance and to give others reassurance is why I want to be a physician assistant.