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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 (4th May 2024): Accepting New Submissions
(Photo: Me circa 1987, just thinking about my future PA School Essay)
- Are you struggling to write your physician assistant personal statement?
- Are you out of ideas, or just need a second opinion?
- Do you want an essay that expresses who you truly are and grabs the reader's attention in the required 5,000-character limit?
We are here to help perfect your PA school essay
I have written countless times on this blog about the importance of your personal statement in the PA school application process. Beyond the well-established metrics (GPA, HCE/PCE hours, requisite coursework, etc.), the personal statement is the most crucial aspect of your application.
This is your time to express yourself, show your creativity, skills, and background, and make a memorable impression in seconds. This will be your only chance, so you must get it right the first time.
For some time, I had been dreaming about starting a physician assistant personal statement collaborative.
A place where PA school applicants like yourself can post their PA school essays and receive honest, constructive feedback followed by an acceptance letter to the PA school of your choice!
I have been reviewing a ton of essays recently, so many in fact that I can no longer do this on my own.
To solve this problem, I have assembled a team of professional writers, editors, and PA school admissions specialists who worked to revise and perfect my PA school application essay.
Beth Eakman has taught college writing and worked as a professional writer and editor since the late 1990s. Her projects have involved a wide range of disciplines and media, from editing technical reports to scriptwriting for the PBS Kids show Super Why! Her writing has appeared in publications including Brain, Child Magazine, New York Family Magazine, and Austin Family Magazine. Beth lives with her family just outside Austin, Texas. She is driven to help each client tell the best version of their story and achieve their dream of becoming a physician assistant.
Deanna Matzen is an author with articles featured in Earth Letter, Health Beats, Northwest Science & Technology, and the Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. With an early career in environmental science, she developed a solid foundation in technical writing. Her communication skills were further honed by producing and editing content for a non-profit website, blog, and quarterly journal. Inspired to extend her craft, she obtained a certificate in literary fiction, which she draws on to build vibrant scenes that bring stories to life. Deanna loves working with pre-PAs who are on the cusp of new beginnings to find their unique story and tell it confidently.
Carly Hallman is a professional writer and editor with a B.A. in English Writing and Rhetoric (summa cum laude) from St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas. She has worked as a curriculum developer, English teacher, and study abroad coordinator in Beijing, China, where she moved in 2011. In college, she was a Gilman Scholar and worked as a staff editor for her university's academic journal. Her first novel, Year of the Goose, was published in 2015, and her first memoir is forthcoming from Little A Books. Her essays and creative writing have appeared in The L.A. Review of Books, The Guardian, LitHub, and Identity Theory, among other publications.
Read more client testimonials or purchase a revision
We Work as a Team
Our team of professional editors is wonderful at cutting out the "fluff" that makes an essay lose focus and sets people over the 5,000-character limit. Their advice is always spot-on.
Sue, Sarah, and Carly are amazingly creative writers who will take your "ordinary" and turn it into entirely extraordinary.
I mean it when I say this service is one-of-a-kind! We have spent countless hours interviewing PA School admissions directors and faculty from across the country to find out exactly what it is they are looking for in your personal statement.
We even wrote a book about it.
To collaborate, we use Google Drive. Google Drive is free, has an intuitive interface with integrated live comments in the sidebar, the ability to have a real-time chat, to collaborate effortlessly, and to compare, revise, or restore revisions on the fly. Google Drive also has an excellent mobile app that will allow you to make edits on the go!
Our team has worked with hundreds of PA school applicants within the Google Drive environment, and we have had enormous success.
The Physician Assistant Essay and Personal Statement Collaborative
I have set up two options that I hope will offer everyone a chance to participate:
- One-of-a-kind, confidential, paid personal statement review service
- A collaborative, free one (in the comments section)
Private, One-On-One Personal Statement Review Service
If you are interested in the paid service, you may choose your plan below.
The Personal Statement Review Service is:
- Behind closed doors within a private, secure network using Google Drive.
- It is completely interactive, meaning we will be able to provide real-time comments and corrections using the Google Drive interface.
- Telephone consultations are included with all edits above the single edit level. It’s often hard to communicate exactly what you want hundreds of miles away; for this reason, we offer the option to edit right along with us over the telephone while sharing in real-time over Google Drive. This is an option available to all our paid clients who purchase above the single edit level.
- We provide both revision and editing of all essays. What’s the difference? See below
- We will provide feedback, advice, and help with brainstorming and topic creation if you would like.
- We will help with a “final touch-up” before the big day, just in case your essay needs a few minor changes.
Why Choose Our Service?
- It’s not our opinion that matters. We have gone the extra step and personally interviewed PA school administrators from across the US to find out exactly what they think makes a personal statement exceptional.
- We are a team of PAs and professional writers, having worked over ten years with PA school applicants like yourself, providing countless hours of one-on-one editing and revision.
- Our clients receive interviews, and many go on to receive acceptance into their PA School of choice.
Because we always give 100%, we will open the essay collaborative for a limited number of applicants each month and then close this depending on the amount of editing that needs to be done and the time that is available.
Our goal is not quantity but quality. We want only serious applicants who are serious about getting into PA school.
Writing is not a tool like a piece of software but more like how a photograph can capture your mood. It’s more like art. The process of developing a unique, memorable personal statement is time-intensive, and it takes hours to compose, edit, finalize, and personalize an essay.
As Antoinette Bosco once said:
And this is why I am charging for this service. We love helping people find stories that define their lives, and we love helping individuals who have the passion to achieve their dreams. It’s hard to describe the feeling I get when an applicant writes back to tell me they were accepted into PA school.
There is no price tag I can place on this; it’s the feeling we get when we help another human being. It’s just like providing health care. But this takes time.
Interested? Choose your plan below.
Read more client testimonials.
Free Personal Statement Review
Post your essay in the comments section for a free critique
We want to make this opportunity available to everyone who would like help with their essay, and that is why we are offering free, limited feedback on the blog.
You post your essay in the comments section, and you will get our critique. It is that easy. We will try to give feedback to every single person who posts their COMPLETE essay here on this blog post in the comments section.
Also, by posting your comment, we reserve the right to use your essay.
We will provide feedback on essays that are complete and fit the CASPA requirements (View CASPA requirements here). We will not provide feedback on partial essays or review opening or closing statements. Your essay will be on a public platform, which has both its benefits and some obvious drawbacks. The feedback is limited, but we will try to help in any way we can.
Note: Comment Rules: Remember what Fonzie was like? Cool. That’s how we’re gonna be — cool. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, I will delete your stuff. Otherwise, have fun, and thanks for adding to the conversation! And this should go without saying: if you feel the need to plagiarize someone else’s content, you do not deserve to go to PA school.
* Also, depending on the time of year, it may take me several weeks to reply!
We love working with PA school applicants, but don't just take our word for it!
How to submit your essay for the paid service
If you are serious and would like to have real, focused, and personalized help writing your personal statement, please choose your level of service and submit your payment below.
After you have submitted your payment, you will be redirected to the submissions page, where you can send us your essay as well as any special instructions. We will contact you immediately upon receipt of your payment and essay so we may begin work right away.
Pricing is as follows:
Choose your plan, then click "Buy Now" to submit your essay, and we will get started right away!
Every purchase includes a FREE digital copy of our new 100-page eBook, How to Write Your Physician Assistant Personal Statement, Our 101 PA School Admission Essays e-book, the expert panel audiobook, and companion workbook. This is a $65 value included for free with your purchase.
All credit card payments are processed via PayPal over a secure HTTPS server. Once your payment is processed, you will be immediately redirected back to the essay submission page. There, you will submit your essay along with some biographical info and all suggestions or comments you choose to provide. You will receive immediate confirmation that your essay has been securely transmitted as well as your personal copy of "How to Write Your Physician Assistant Personal Statement." Contact [email protected] if you have any questions, comments, or problems - I am available 24/7.
The hourly service includes your original edit and one-on-one time over Google Drive. It is simple to add more time if necessary, but you may be surprised at what a difference just a single edit can make. We find our four-hour service to be the most effective in terms of time for follow-up and full collaboration. We are open to reduced-rate add-ons to suit your individual needs.
Writing and Revision
All writing benefits from rewriting when done well.
When you are in the process of writing a draft of an essay, you should be thinking first about revision, not editing.
What’s the difference?
Revision refers to the substantial changing of text. For example, it may include re-organizing ideas and paragraphs, providing additional examples or information, and rewriting a conclusion for clarity.
Editing, on the other hand, refers to correcting mistakes in spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
On all submissions, we perform both revision and editing.
How to submit your PA school essay for the FREE editing service
Follow the rules above and get to work below in the comments section. I look forward to reading all your essay submissions.
- Stephen Pasquini PA-C
View all posts in this series
- How to Write the Perfect Physician Assistant School Application Essay
- The Physician Assistant Essay and Personal Statement Collaborative
- Do You Recognize These 7 Common Mistakes in Your Personal Statement?
- 7 Essays in 7 Days: PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 1, “A PA Changed My Life”
- PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 2, “I Want to Move Towards the Forefront of Patient Care”
- PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 3, “She Smiled, Said “Gracias!” and Gave me a Big Hug”
- PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 4, “I Have Gained so Much Experience by Working With Patients”
- PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 5, “Then Reach, my Son, and Lift Your People up With You”
- PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 6, “That First Day in Surgery was the First Day of the Rest of my Life”
- PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 7, “I Want to Take People From Dying to Living, I Want to Get Them Down From the Cliff.”
- Physician Assistant Personal Statement Workshop: “To say I was an accident-prone child is an understatement”
- 9 Simple Steps to Avoid Silly Spelling and Grammar Goofs in Your PA School Personel Statement
- 5 Tips to Get you Started on Your Personal Essay (and why you should do it now)
- How to Write Your Physician Assistant Personal Statement The Book!
- How to Write “Physician Assistant” The Definitive PA Grammar Guide
- 101 PA School Admissions Essays: The Book!
- 5 Things I’ve Learned Going Into My Fourth Physician Assistant Application Cycle
- 7 Tips for Addressing Shortcomings in Your PA School Personal Statement
- The #1 Mistake PRE-PAs Make on Their Personal Statement
- The Ultimate PA School Personal Statement Starter Kit
- The Ultimate Guide to CASPA Character and Space Limits
- 10 Questions Every PA School Personal Statement Must Answer
- 5 PA School Essays That Got These Pre-PAs Accepted Into PA School
- 7 Questions to Ask Yourself While Writing Your PA School Personal Statement
- 101 PA School Applicants Answer: What’s Your Greatest Strength?
- 12 Secrets to Writing an Irresistible PA School Personal Statement
- 7 Rules You Must Follow While Writing Your PA School Essay
- You Have 625 Words and 2.5 Minutes to Get Into PA School: Use Them Wisely
- What’s Your #1 Personal Statement Struggle?
- 31 (NEW) CASPA PA School Personal Statement Examples
- How to Prepare for Your PA School Interview Day Essay
- Should You Write Physician Associate or Physician Assistant on Your PA School Essay?
- Meet the World’s Sexiest PA School Applicants
- PA School Reapplicants: How to Rewrite Your PA School Essay for Guaranteed Success
- How to Write a Personal Statement Intro that Readers Want to Read
- PA School Reapplicant Personal Statement Checklist
- How to Deal with Bad News in Your Personal Statement
- Inside Out: How to use Pixar’s Rules of Storytelling to Improve your PA Personal Statement
- Ratatouille: A Pixar Recipe for PA School Personal Statement Success
- Personal Statement Panel Review (Replay)
- Mind Mapping: A Tool for Personal Statements, Supplemental Essays, and Interviews
- Start at the End: Advice for your PA School Personal Statement
TEWELDE ARAYA says
This is my second rewrite but first time posting it on here. Thanks for any feedback!
When deciding to become a healthcare worker, an individual chooses to be a life-long learner. Their education and training will get them certified and work-ready. However, that only gets them into the building. 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit has been a constant in medicine for centuries, but recent research has called into question whether that is still the average healthy temperature. As new treatments or protocols are developed for known illnesses, new diseases are always just around the corner. Nothing is constant except for change. Having an appetite for learning is necessary to excel in healthcare. By staying as current as possible, we all can continue to provide the best possible prognosis for our patients. I want to take a step forward in my life-long learning. When I become a PA, that will not be the end of my education. It will just be the beginning.
My introduction into healthcare was not a voluntary one. On a cool September early morning, my mother was attacked by dogs on the front doorstep of our family home. My father happened to be awake and was able to fight them off. Eventually, I heard the noise and darted out of bed to see my mother: bloodied, torn clothing, a large gash over her left bicep. I asked her how can I help. Her teeth were chattering so hard she could not get a clear word out. I go back inside and grab a blanket for her to keep her warm until the ambulance is able to get here. They rushed her to the local hospital.
After multiple IVs, grafts, and nights of rest, my mother was finally allowed to come back home but not before a final talk with the wound care management team. We were greeted by a PA who had been working with my mother. This was my first time ever hearing of a PA. He gave us a demonstration of how to keep the wound clean and dressed. My father worked 17-hour days and as the oldest of four children, I was chosen as the designated wound dresser. The PA reassured me that this is something that I could do and his words gave me confidence. Every follow-up appointment with the wound team my mother had I went along with to talk with the PA again to talk about how the wound was getting better and what technique I should be using to dress her wound. I was hooked into healthcare and I needed to get in somehow.
I went into the counseling center of Georgia Perimeter College and asked an advisor to show me all of the healthcare programs they had. Radiology appealed to me as working independently and being directly involved in patient care was what I was looking for, so I applied to the program. Two years later, I graduated as one of the top students academically in my class and started working.
One evening, Abigail, a young child, was brought into the ER by her mother for shortness of breath and an odd-sounding cough. An order came across for a chest x-ray on my worklist, so I prepared my exam room for her entry. A dark room with large, grey machines can turn an anxious child into a scared one. With this in mind, the lights were turned on and the equipment was lowered to about what her height was as listed in her chart. When I brought them into the room, I attempted to explain the exam but Abigail’s mother interrupted me.
“I am sorry but we have not even seen a doctor yet. Are you sure she needs to have this done?” Abigail began coughing. It sounded more like a bark than an ordinary cough. I recalled from a recent class I took within the hospital that the cough sounded like croup and a chest x-ray can support a diagnosis. I convinced the mother that if the exam was not done now it could lengthen their stay in the ER. She relented. I finished the exam and brought them back to their room. I looked up who had signed up to be Abigail’s provider. It was Joseph, one of PAs that worked in the ER. “Abigail is back from x-ray. If you have not seen her yet, I believe she may have a case of croup.” I explained my reasoning and Joseph thanked me for the information.
That was the end of my time as a part of Abigail’s healthcare team. I couldn’t help any further. I became dissatisfied. If I was a PA, I would have left Abigail’s room knowing how she was going to get better rather than just wondering what happened to her.
In the last 10 years, I have learned many things. Being able to anticipate a person’s needs will always be a valuable skill to have. Wrapping an arm in gauze three times a day can be tiresome but pales in comparison to aches in my arm after washing pots and pans in a soup kitchen. Ulcerative colitis does not care if you are in the toughest semesters of your junior year. Retooling your studying methods for yourself can turn your senior year into a breeze. What I have gained from all of this is that I am going to keep learning and improving myself to become the best possible PA that I can. In doing so, my words will confer confidence to the next young adult whose mother needs help that they can do it too.
Whitney Prosperi says
Tewelde,
You are a great storyteller. The account of your mother’s injury and your care for her was compelling. I also liked how you tied it to your conclusion. You might consider sharing the name of the PA during this story.
I would condense each section to allow room for some addional important elements. Can you expand on your clinical skills some more? You might also want to add some details about your understanding of the PA profession. What are some of the aspects that interest you? Is it the collaboration or autonomy? You also may want to elaborate on your volunteerism.
Good luck to you!
Taylor says
In fifth grade, I was playing football with my classmates; I remember being so proud that I scored a touchdown as the only girl playing. After the game, I noticed that my finger was at an abnormal angle, so my mom took me to urgent care. I was scared, I had never enjoyed going to the doctor and the provider easily picked up on my discomfort. She asked how I hurt my finger and congratulated me with a high-five when I told her the story of my winning touchdown. She explained that my finger was broken, but she spoke to me in a way that was easy to understand and relate to. This sparked my interest in the healthcare field. I want the opportunity to ease my patients’ fear of seeking medical help by connecting with them on a personal level as this provider did for me.
I joined the medical academy in high school to get a head start on my medical education and experience. I was able to dip my toes into different aspects of the healthcare field. We earned multiple certifications and spent a lot of our time shadowing different providers in the hospital who were able to share their experiences with us. One of the first procedures I observed was a cardiologist performing a cardiac catheterization through the groin for a coronary angiogram. I was fascinated by this procedure and I couldn’t wait to see more. Being able to observe the providers with their patients and learn the foundation of medicine solidified my decision and interest in healthcare.
During college, I worked as a medical assistant which taught me how to be efficient in a fast-paced environment and remain calm in stressful situations. I remember having a young patient come into our dermatology office for a skin check. He had a family history of melanoma and the doctor had discovered a concerning mole. He was nervous and his mom was doing her best at consoling but to no avail. After setting up the biopsy, I asked him about basketball because I noticed he had a Miami Heat backpack and basketball shoes. I continued to talk with the boy about his team and favorite player. Before he knew it, the biopsy was over and he was ready to go home. This time I was able to be the one providing comfort to a scared patient and giving the high-five.
While exploring the medical field through shadowing, a vascular surgeon introduced me to the PA profession. After further research, I determined that I wanted to be a PA myself. This profession interests me because of lateral mobility, level of autonomy, and job satisfaction. The ability to change specialty or even work in two specialties at once is appealing, as I enjoy being challenged and learning new skills. I like the idea of treating my own patients and having a team to consult with if necessary. The PAs I’ve spoken with mentioned having high job satisfaction, which is reassuring.
I’ve come a long way from the determined little girl with a broken finger. I’ve also experienced a lot that has encouraged me to grow both as a person and in my desire to pursue medicine. Something that has profoundly impacted my life is cancer. My first encounter with it was when I was ten years old, as I experienced a close friend pass away at the age of eight. Since then, the disease has taken a number of my relatives. Most recently, four family members passed away during my second year of college which caused me to struggle with my grades. While these events were tremendously challenging, they made me a more well-rounded person and encouraged my passion for medicine. I want to be able to provide my patients with peace of mind and outstanding clinical care. Being on the other side of the hospital bed and seeing things from the point of view of a patient, family, and friend has provided deep roots for my motivation to be a compassionate PA.
I’m currently working in a busy urology office with a dozen doctors and a few PAs where we see upwards of 300 patients a day. We treat a diverse population, including the under-resourced communities, providing individuals with free annual prostate cancer screenings and low-cost treatment plans. I enjoy being able to connect with patients and help make their visits feel more personable. Patients have shared that my positivity and compassion improve their visit.
I’ve invested a lot of time into learning more about the PA profession and the medical field as a whole. The positions I’ve held over the past few years all provided a different view of the office and make me more appreciative of the entire medical staff. I’ve learned the importance of working collaboratively as a team, taking detailed notes, learning medical terminology, showing compassion to my patients, and communicating effectively to both the patients and my collaborating physicians/PAs. I strive to one day be a PA who provides exemplary care and has the privilege of treating someone else’s loved ones. While I’ll gladly forego being the one with broken bones, I will strive to continue to take the time to care and console, and of course, give high-fives.
Whitney Prosperi says
Taylor,
You have many strong elements in your essay. The story at the beginning shows your initial spark of interest in the medical field. I also like how you bring the “high-five moment” full circle.
You do a great job of showing your understanding of the PA profession.
It is advisable to mention a dip in grades, as you have done, but you also need to add a sentence or two showing what skills you’ve learned that will help prevent similar issues in the future.
You have strong structure and content in your essay.
Erin C says
“Confidence” and “No fear” are two phrases I tell myself prior to flipping into a swimming pool at 20 mph. At the age of 5, I was a daredevil and decided to try springboard diving. Fast-forward 17 years, and it was the best impromptu decision a 5-year old could make. I had a passion and a little talent, and I worked hard to hone my skills. I spent my final four years of my diving career competing at the NCAA Division 1 level. I left my home in Chicago, IL, and moved more than 1000 miles away to pursue my dream of a collegiate career. Reminding myself to be confident and fearless has not only allowed myself to succeed in the pool, but also in the lab and classroom. Diving opened the doors of the University of New Hampshire which in turn opened many opportunities leading me to the field of medicine.
Through the diving community, I was given an unforgettable opportunity at Lurie Children’s hospital in the summer following my sophomore year of college. I had known Dr. XXXXX XXXXXX for years prior from diving, but I had only known her as a “dive-mom” who simply came to watch and support her daughters dive at the pool. However, outside of her “dive-mom” character, Dr. XXXXX, is a neonatologist at Lurie Children’s, and I decided to give her a call during my sophomore year to talk about my budding interests in medicine. I explained that I had recently taken a course in Pathogenic Microbiology which was my first taste in clinical medicine, as each unit covered human pathogens and we were responsible for knowing and understanding symptoms and treatments. Dr. XXXXX listened to my interests and immediately suggested volunteering with her team’s project involving early onset sepsis in the NICU. Throughout the summer I was given the task of retrieving data on hundreds of patients and learned quickly how to navigate the electronic medical records. While I was continuously learning different aspects of medicine through the data retrieval, my experience was highlighted by the opportunity to shadow many different healthcare professionals: Attendings, Fellows, Residents, Nurse Practitioners, and PAs.
The first case I saw an osteomyelitis case on a young boy. Once being told that these cases were often caused by S. aureus, I was able to recall from my pathogenic microbiology course that treatment included options such as B-lactams if susceptible and Vancomycin if resistant to B-lactams. It was incredibly rewarding to watch my countless hours of flashcards and textbook reading come to life within the wards of the hospitals. It was even more gratifying to observe patients for several days in the hospital and then to see them improve over the course of months in the outpatient clinic. The little boy that I remember at the beginning of the summer crying with osteomyelitis in his leg, was running down the hallway of the outpatient clinic in August with a smile on his face—the moment of relief in his parents, the moment of reward for the physicians, and the moment of motivation for myself.
My experience with clinical research led me to an opportunity at the National Institutes of Health where I was able to study the neurodegenerative characteristics of glaucoma. While I was very eager about the position, I was also very nervous as I had never done benchwork research before and the NIH is “bigtime” for biomedical research. Just as I tell myself during diving, on the first day of my internship I told myself to be confident and fearless. I faced my initial fears of working with lab rats and quickly became extraordinary gracious. Within the first weeks the fear was replaced with excitement as I learned many techniques that involved assisting in surgeries, suturing, injections, and dissection. It was rewarding to see improvement with the treatment groups of rats which furthered my motivation to work with humans over rats.
Divers repeat a skill over and over to continue to improve it to the best of our ability. In one of my favorite books, Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science by Atul Gawande, he wrote that “Surgeons, as a group, adhere to a curious egalitarianism. They believe in practice, not talent.” Just as in a skill-based sport such as diving, I realized that science has a similar aspect. While I was performing research at the NIH, I certainly did not perfect skills such as suturing or dissection on the first try. My mentor taught me step by step, and with the resilience I learned from diving, I was able to learn and master the skills throughout the summer. I have spent the 17 years of my life training and perfecting a sport. Now I plan to use the same type of mental capacity and dedication to practicing and fine-tuning skills in medicine.
Whitney Prosperi says
Erin,
You do a good job of showing your developing interest in medicine.
You may want to add a few sentences that show your understanding of the PA profession and how you are suited for it. If you have any experience shadowing or working with PAs include that.
Also, if you have any volunteerism you can spotlight, describe that.
Good luck!
Ashley B says
I left a comment a few weeks ago. Do we receive emails when we get a response? Or have I missed it and need to keep digging through past posts?
Whitney Prosperi says
Ashley,
Did you post your essay?
Whitney Prosperi says
We do our best to respond to each email. Look through them and see if you can find yours.
Whitney Prosperi says
Why don’t you post it again and we’ll take a look at it.
Anh Tran says
“(My name), can you please go to room one?” I had already taken Mrs. Nguyen’s vitals and vividly remembered her blood pressure being elevated. My colleague asked me to go talk to her because she didn’t speak English. “What am I doing wrong? Why won’t he talk to me? Why won’t he smile at me anymore?” She cried. Her husband was suffering from stage IV liver cancer. He had been in denial and estranging himself from her. It appeared that she had not told anyone in her family about her emotional distress. Later that afternoon, Mrs. Nguyen called me to express her gratitude for letting her confide in me and to tell me she was feeling better after our talk. It was the moment after we hung up that I knew I wanted to become a physician assistant to not only treat patients but to utilize the interpersonal skills I have gained through all my experiences of interacting with patients.
It was not until my sophomore year of college did my decision to become a PA was solidified. After realizing my desire to become a PA, I sought every opportunity to gain leadership, volunteering, shadowing and patient care experiences to expand my knowledge in the profession. I was involved with Delta Omega Chi Medical Service Society during college and worked in a collaborative group to volunteer and host charities for the underprivileged communities. In 2017, after the catastrophic hurricane Harvey, as Fundraising director, I hosted various fundraising and bake sale events that raised funds to provide services to families in our community.
I have had the opportunity to shadow in various specialties, allowing me to observe the PA, nurse practitioner and physician unique encounters with patients. A particular experience I remember when entering a room with a PA, I witnessed a frightened, shirtless little boy wrapped around his mother’s arms, with stitches across his back. As the PA picked up the suture removal kit, the boy startled, but could not move since his mother was holding him tightly. His eyes widened reflecting fear, he let out a painful cry that forced me to hold back my own tears. I watched the PA gently calm him down, assuring that he will heal and be able to go back to school to see all of his friends. I held his hand for the remaining of the procedure. Not only did the PA meticulously apply her clinical skills, I witnessed her patience, sympathy and desire to comfort the little boy while he was in a vulnerable state. Relating to these characteristics, I yearn that one day I will be able to contribute to my patients in similar ways.
Growing up in a family that does not speak fluent English, I have always been the messenger between my parents and the provider. I recognize the inconvenience of language barrier which could hinder patients from reporting their symptoms. As a medical assistant at a diverse family clinic, I am attentive to patient’s comfortability and their primary spoken language. If it is not Vietnamese, prior to asking a colleague to translate, I try my best to communicate with patients using basic vocabulary and hand gestures so I could have an idea of their chief complaints. Likewise, I interpret when another medical assistant needs help with a Vietnamese speaking patient.
From childhood involvements to exposure in several healthcare facilities, my commitment to a life-long career of serving the underprivileged community has strengthened. My broad experiences have honed my interpersonal and teamwork skills, as well as my ability to work under high-stress environments. Hearing the optimism in Mrs. Nguyen’s voice over the phone gave me the validation that patient relationships are just as important as the clinical aspect of healthcare. Although I was able to give her medical advice, my job position restricted me from providing further clinical care and counseling. As a PA candidate, I offer my unrelenting willingness to learn and serve people, and my ability to relate to diversity at my fullest potential.
Whitney Prosperi says
Anh,
You do a good job of showing your desire to connect with patients. I like how your introduction shows you providing compassionate and personal care.
Showing your volunteerism and history of helping the underserved also strengthens your essay. Your paragraph about observing and assisting the PA is also strong.
I would add a section that highlights your clinical skills and medical experience.
You are off to a good start. Good luck!
Isabelle P says
Close your eyes and think back. Try to reminisce that moment in time when you were just a blossoming youth, and somebody asked you, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Admittedly, I can recall that I did not convey that I wanted to be a physician assistant. Instead, I have always envisioned myself as a dynamic, working physician. I daydreamed about owning Dr. Presser’s Cosmetic Surgery Center, where I could practice in Hollywood one week and the next, fly to Bangladesh to reconstruct the faces of those inflicted with acid burns.
Alas, one semester into my undergraduate pilgrimage, and I realized my aspirations for being a physician were mere fantasy. I was already taking out thousands of dollars in student loans, and I quickly realized that I would never be able to afford medical school. Rather than let my funds dictate my future, I began researching careers with analogous salaries to a physician, and one that would combine a shorter duration of school with the team-based healthcare environment I craved to appertain.
I didn’t have to seek far before soon discovering letters that spelled out “physician assistant” in the little white search bar. I assessed endless articles written by practicing PAs and deliberated with physician assistants I would encounter in everyday life. I generated a chart analyzing the pros and cons of being a physician assistant, and the advantages were overwhelming.
I determined that becoming a physician assistant would allow me to render my desire to give back to my community without allocating a vast amount of my time or money. As a PA, I would have job security and the ability to work in any state and any specialized field I covet. Physician assistants work more flexible schedules than physicians; this would allow me to better balance my work life with personal life.
I am interested in becoming a physician assistant because I contain the genuine devotion to helping people, and I prioritize health and wellness above all. I believe the future of healthcare relies on individuals like me who can incorporate an analytical perspective with a humanitarian approach, and those who possess the dedication to make a difference, no matter how microscopic or massive scale.
I dignify myself on my ambition, my compassion for others, my meticulousness to detail, and my active listening skills. I treat every individual that I meet with equal respect and fairness. I flourish in a team-based ambiance and am admired by friends and colleagues for my work ethic. I do not rest until I feel I have completed a task assiduously and to the very best of my ability.
I aspire to become a physician assistant because I will not be content with my life in any other field than medicine. The versatility of this career, combined with the opportunity to develop personal relationships with patients, influences me to work hard so I may actualize this goal. I was born to play my role in innovating healthcare, and I implore you to allow me to demonstrate this. The dawn of a new age of healthcare is coming, and I want to be a part of it.
Whitney Prosperi says
Isabelle,
I would steer away from anything that alludes to the fact that a PA career was second choice. Instead of explaining the whole process of your decision, I would focus on the moment you saw a PA in action that confirmed your path.
Also, include details about your initial decision to pursue medicine in your introduction.
Next, add details about your clinical skills and medical knowledge. If you have a story you can relay that shows you in action with a special patient, include that.
Additionally, do you have any volunteerism you can include?
Best of luck to you.
Sammy Brainard says
The operating room is cold and bright, with soft music and light-hearted conversations setting a laid-back mood despite the seriousness of the occasion. Everyone here plays a unique and significant role, and each person knows that surgery is a big deal and a mistake could mean a terrible outcome for the patient. The medical professionals all understand the gravity of the situation, but they also know that they are capable of executing the operation flawlessly, and as a result, enhancing the patient’s life. I watch in awe as the orthopedic surgeon performs a reverse total shoulder arthroplasty. I am more focused, however, on the woman standing at his side. Even before the doctor appeared, she was hard at work, preparing the patient for the surgery and ensuring that everything was on-hand to guarantee that the operation would go smoothly. Now, she works alongside the physician, handing him the instruments he needs and seemingly anticipating his every move in order to assist him and ultimately guarantee that the patient receives the best treatment possible. Finally, she is given the task of stitching up the patient, and I watch as she perfectly and effortlessly sutures the open wound. Observing a physician assistant in action has been life-changing and course-altering in my eyes.
However, the path leading to where I am now has been neither easy nor straight. Flashback to when I was thirteen years old, visiting the doctor’s office to receive a tetanus shot. The nurse administered the shot, and everything was going well until my vision blurred and soon turned black altogether. The next thing I knew, I was lying on the ground surrounded by family and nurses, confused as to how I ended up in this situation. I immediately decided that I should not even consider a career in healthcare; it was clear that if I faint when receiving a shot, there is no way that I can survive in a profession that involves performing operations, diagnosing diseases, and constantly handling needles.
If I had only known how misguided my thirteen-year-old self was. Fast-forward five years and I was finally graduating from high school, eager to start the next chapter of my life but uncertain about what the future would hold for me. I tried to ignore the pull that I felt toward medicine, but it proved to be incontrovertible, and I finally allowed myself to indulge the idea of becoming a healthcare provider. After much research and many conversations with family members, advisors and professors, and especially those who work in the medical field, I decided that I wanted to become a physician assistant. As soon as I discovered the profession, I was drawn to the plethora of benefits that I saw. Being a physician assistant would allow me to collaborate with physicians, have the work-life balance that I desire, choose from a variety of options and opportunities, experience the excitement of a career in healthcare, and, above all, help patients in need.
I believe that my personality and unique qualities would greatly benefit me in my career as a physician assistant. For as long as I can remember, I have always been on the move. Being a biology/chemistry double major with two minors is a huge undertaking in itself, but my daily life also included hours of track practice (often twice a day) on top of attending classes, completing assignments, and studying, not to mention participating in extracurricular activities. While this seems overwhelming, a busy schedule is ironically what keeps me sane. I thrive when I am up against a mountain of work and must complete tasks quickly and efficiently. Regardless of the amount of work I am facing, I make it a priority to remain detail-oriented and patient so that I complete each undertaking to the best of my ability. Thanks to my perfectionist mindset, I never look for short-cuts or quick fixes at the expense of getting a job done the correct way. Furthermore, I adapt easily to new and challenging situations, a crucial trait for a worker in the field of healthcare, which is fast-paced and constantly evolving/improving.
Thanks to the busy, intense lifestyle that comes with being a Division 1 student-athlete, I learned how to manage my time wisely, maintain focus even when things were not going well, be disciplined and dedicated to my goals and my team, and communicate effectively with my coaches and teammates. Furthermore, in my role as a team captain, I was able to sharpen my leadership skills and resolve issues. I have a knack for solving problems, and I am always up for a challenge. I love the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment that accompany finally overcoming an obstacle after working hard and persevering. I believe that the physician assistant profession would allow me to capitalize on many of my personal strengths in a career that would be fulfilling for me and, more importantly, beneficial to those I am able to treat.
Whitney says
Sammy,
You show that you understand the PA role and how you are suited for it. Also, you do a good job of showing your progression to choosing this field.
You will likely need to condense the essay to allow room to add some of the following important elements.
Elaborate on your work experience, including more detail about shadowing/observing a PA in action. Also, reveal your clinical skills. If you have a story about your interaction with a special patient, share that. What experience can you recount that shows you “in action?” Lastly, if you have any volunteerism you can mention, include that.
Good luck, Sammy!
Haley C says
I do not really understand the joy of puzzles. My sister, my mom and my grandmother love to sit for hours and work a puzzle. They say there is a real feeling of accomplishment when you complete one. By having all of the little pieces in front of you, knowing what the picture looks like, and taking the time to actually sit and complete the puzzle the right way, it is apparently really rewarding. I respect their hobby, but puzzles were never for me. I wanted to take a shortcut, to paint my own picture from the image in my brain, and finish it in 15 minutes. If it took longer, it was not worth the effort. I did not want to have someone lay pieces in front of me and say “figure it out, it will take time.” It was not until I went to get my master’s degree in public health that I realized that healthcare is actually a giant puzzle; but it is one that I feel like no one wants to take the time to figure out, even though we know what the picture should look like. Receiving my MPH showed me that in healthcare, instant gratification is rare. People are complex and should be treated in their entirety, and that can take more time and effort than what most people are willing to put in.
I have always pondered questions that surrounded science, health, and people. “Why can’t people just get jobs?” “Why can’t people just eat better?” “Why are some people more prone to this disease than others?” My desire to answer life’s questions led me to a degree in Biology, but my ignorance led me to believe that all of these questions were unrelated. Public health made me realize that this ignorance was reflective of a much larger issue in medicine, one of having all of the pieces but not understanding the clear, true picture. I was defeated thinking about all of the doctors, nurses, and physician assistants working tirelessly toward something when they didn’t have the whole picture. I was mad, thinking that medical schools, nursing schools and PA schools were steering them in the wrong direction, until one day, all of that changed.
While working on my thesis, I was presented with a patient at a clinic named Katie. Katie was raised extremely religious, and was now attending a religious university. Katie wanted to discuss birth control options due to an irregular menstrual cycle, and her weight had been fluctuating for months. She was exhibiting internal symptoms of acute stress in her work-up: elevated heart rate, reports of sleep problems, shaking, and gastrointestinal issues. Her stress was also physical; she came into the exam room and burst into tears, saying she was so afraid to take birth control. I felt for her. I thought for sure I knew what would happen next: the provider would come in, say that Katie seemed really sensitive, and think she was probably scared of taking medicine with possible side effects, like so many people can be. They will tell Katie not to worry, take some deep breaths, take the prescription, and they will move along to the next patient.
But I was looking at a distorted picture, one that I had carved out in my head because I thought I knew better. But the PA Katie was seeing actually went to find the pieces of the puzzle to create the true picture. It turns out that Katie was still on her parents insurance, and they did not believe in birth control for any reason, not even if it would help her with her symptoms. She could not go to the student clinic on campus, because due to the university’s religious affiliation, they did not offer any kind of birth control. Katie was stressed about her parents finding out via insurance claims, and equally as stressed about her symptoms, which is what led to her signs of acute stress. The PA assured her that birth control was still an option for her, and discussed out-of-pocket options for Katie that would allow Katie autonomy, as well as treat her symptoms. She even offered to talk to Katie’s parents about her needs, if Katie consented. Katie left that day with a prescription, and when she came back for a follow up, she was doing much better.
Katie walked out that day with something that would help her move forward. I walked out of the clinic that same day knowing that I was about to move forward myself. I was inspired to be the kind of physician assistant that this PA was. This PA saw the entire picture because she let Katie create her own. I had never witnessed such intelligence, compassion, rapport and true altruism from a provider before. That is how I knew physician assistants were special, and that is when I knew I wanted to be one. Physician assistants have been charged with needing to care for the whole patient, and not just blankly fill out a prescription. That is exactly what this PA did, and when I become a PA, it is exactly what I intend to do. Her patient’s life is better for it, my life is better for having witnessed it, and my goal is that my future patients’ lives will be better for it as well.
Having an MPH is all about finding the puzzle pieces, and being a PA is having the skills to complete the picture. It is about letting patients tell their stories, and treating them as people, not as their symptoms. By having my MPH, I know I have the skills to find all of the pieces that will lead to a bigger picture, which will ultimately lead to giving the best care possible. I want to become a PA so I can feel that sense of accomplishment when I put the pieces together and can finally see the clear, true picture.
Whitney says
Haley,
This is a good start to your essay. The puzzle analogy in the introduction as well as the conclusion is effective. I also like how you explain your progression for deciding on the PA path. You show that you desire to take a thorough approach to treating the whole person.
With that said, the introduction could be shortened, as well as the story about Katie. I do like how you show the PA’s compassion with her but this will need to be condensed to leave room for other elements to be added into your essay.
Elaborate more on your work and clinical experience. If you can show yourself “in action” that would also strengthen your paper. Show more of your patient care experience and also any volunteer opportunities.
Overall, this is a good start.
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
Hi Haley, I was going through some of the essays again here in the comments section and came across yours. I very much enjoyed your story and your perspectives on public health as it relates to the PA school application. I am curious if you have gotten into PA school?
Stephen Pasquini PA-C
Michaela Harris says
The worst 911 call to run is the one that happens during a midnight rainstorm in January. As I walked up the long driveway, huddled under my raincoat, I silently wished on a falling raindrop that the patient would reconsider requesting emergency services and ask the dispatcher to cancel her call before I reached her door—she had dialed 911 to explain that her home oxygen tank had stopped working and she was frightened. Instead, lights flickered on in the house as I drew nearer, and when I reached the porch I was greeted by a pair of sparkling green eyes which belied a frail, almost translucent frame. I have long forgotten her real name, but “Maxine” seems to fit her well.
Two small oxygen tanks, one with a regulator whose needle was in the red, leaned precariously against the piano bench. Maxine was still wearing her oxygen cannula, although she had disconnected the other end from her empty oxygen tank, and held the coiled yards of green tubing in a trembling hand. “I don’t know where to plug myself in,” she confessed, with a break in her voice that could have been half a laugh or half a sob, “and I’m afraid the oxygen in my blood will drop too low before my daughter can get here from across town.”
“Then I’m glad you called,” I said, “I work with oxygen systems a lot, and I’m sure I can help you with yours.” I removed the regulator from her empty tank and showed her how it keeps just the right amount of oxygen flowing.
“Regulator? I thought that was what my fiber pill was for!” Maxine quipped. Her brown eyes sparkled as they met mine, and we drowned fear and exhaustion and cold in laughter.
As we continued working to change the regulator, it became apparent that Maxine’s arthritic hands no longer had the strength to grasp the wrench, so after I finished connecting her full tank, I asked Maxine if I could stay with her until her daughter arrived. We had almost finished a cup of tea by the time the doorbell rang. I ran through the tank change procedure with Maxine’s daughter until she could accomplish it independently. As my two new friends hugged me goodbye, the daughter whispered “all Mom wants is to spend the time she has left at home. Thank you for helping her do that.”
Like most healthcare professionals, I have been fortunate to have hundreds of similar opportunities to make a small but significant impact on a patient’s life, but the day I met Maxine struck me in particular because of the shift it inspired in my goals as a provider. After meeting her, I became increasingly interested in community paramedicine and my department’s emerging mobile integrated healthcare (MIH) program. My focus began to shift from seeking out training and experience in critical care to making smaller but nonetheless meaningful differences to my patients.
As we started to build our MIH program, I reconnected with an emergency department physician assistant (PA) who continued to volunteer alongside us as a paramedic. The versatility of her training as a PA made her ideally suited to connect the clinical world with the EMS teams whose capabilities she had come to trust and integrate with during her public safety career, and I started to see my future goals in her work. Whenever I turned over care of a patient to her, I listened carefully to the questions she asked me about the patient’s living conditions and access to medical care, and frequently sought her advice on how to improve my ability to connect patients to primary care resources that could improve their quality of life. I am ready to do more than advocate for my patients while administering prehospital care; I want to become the provider who educates and empowers both patients and paramedics to become a stronger, healthier, more connected community. I believe that patient encounters like my evening with Maxine are the ones that help us maintain our humanity in a culture increasingly driven by data, timelines, and “measurables,” and I believe that the PA profession has become so successful and popular with patients because of its subtle shift of medical culture toward humanism.
My early years as a paramedic were driven by ambitions of caring for the sickest patients, utilizing the most specialized knowledge and avant-garde techniques. This resolve carried me to the skies as a flight medic, to join a disaster team, and almost to pursue medical school, before I realized that the science and the adrenaline weren’t what was fueling my passion for the medical field. The smile in Maxine’s eyes was what kept me working on days when all the critical care knowledge and flawless resuscitation techniques couldn’t save the child who ran into the street in front of a truck, or the father who never knew his angry coworker was coming to work with a gun. Becoming a PA will enable me to create these small but life-changing quality-of-life improvements for patients in my community every single day, and I hope that one day it may lead me to poke fun at oxygen regulators with Maxine again.
Whitney says
You are a great storyteller. The account about meeting and helping “Maxine” showed your desire to connect with and help patients on a personal level.
While this is an incredible story, it needs to be condensed to allow more room for other important elements. Tighten it up while leaving that same tone in your writing.
You do a good job of showing the progression of your journey to pursuing the PA profession.
The part about observing the role of the PA was also strong.
You may want to add more information regarding your work experience/clinical skills.
Your conclusion does a great job of tying back to the beginning and reiterating your passion for patient care.
Ashley Filler says
This is my first rough draft, I know there is still some editing to do! Please comment any advice 🙂 Thanks!
Nausea. Constant nausea, dizziness, and fatigue accompanied any intake of food. This was my life for three straight months before finally deciding to bring myself into a doctors office. After relaying my many new onset symptoms since graduating college, the provider sitting in front of me replied “You don’t look sick, your abdomen isn’t painful to touch, you are just experiencing heartburn.” Even with a history of diagnosed gastroparesis, she gave me a “GI cocktail” and sent me on my way. If I had chosen to listen to that specific doctor and ignored my symptoms with antacids I might have ended up with a colon cancer diagnosis at the age of 50. Making the decision to become my own advocate when my doctor failed to do so ended up saving my life. It only took one healthcare provider who had the commitment to actually believe how I was feeling to find a celiac diagnosis and to remove pre-cancerous cells in my colon.
This experience happened at age 22, a time in my life where I was able to appreciate the meaning behind it. What I originally saw as a barrier ended up becoming an avenue to reaffirm one of the biggest decisions of my life: the choice to pursue healthcare and the role of a physician assistant. My first introduction to the profession was with Mike Hollenback, a neuro surgical PA-C at Kaiser Permanente. After shadowing him daily for an entire month I realized he had the perfect balance of inpatient, outpatient, OR time, independence, and teamwork. He modeled insightful patient care in all domains and showed me just how impactful PA’s are. Not everyone has the luxury of remembering the exact person who influenced their career choice, but I will always remember Mike as mine.
Because I was lucky enough to be a part of an internship with Mike so early in life, I was able to expose myself to many aspects of the healthcare field at a younger age than most. With each experience came a new perspective on patient care. Confidence. Becoming a CNA was a crucial stepping stone. It helped me gain confidence working with patients and let me experience pain, resilience, and struggle alongside them. Instinct. Working as a caregiver for a 21-year-old diagnosed with Rett syndrome taught me how to listen and act on gut instincts. Emily was unable to communicate through words, so I quickly learned to trust my intuition in urgent situations, like grabbing her VNS magnet when I saw an oncoming seizure. Adaptability. Dirt scattered across my “sterile” tarp barrier as I attempted to perform wound care on the most infected leg I had ever seen. Even though our only resources were an abandoned church in the middle of Kenya, Africa we were able to adapt to our surroundings and transform it into a working hospital. Each of these characteristics work in unison to create a provider I want and will become.
My passion for becoming a physician assistant was reinforced when I took my first full time job out of college as an EKG technician at Oregon Health Sciences University. Having the opportunity to work with PA’s daily whether it is discussing patients over the phone, responding to stat EKG calls, or collaborating care in our cardiology clinic has given me a clear understanding of the career path. Recently I was able to witness a cardiothoracic surgical PA, Lauren Azrabel, assist in a coronary artery bypass. I watched her independently extract the great saphenous vein from the patients’ leg and meticulously stitch back together a new vessel to replace the diseased coronary artery. Peering over the sterile drapes at the head of the patient, watching Lauren and the lead surgeon operate on a live, beating heart was without a doubt a day I will never forget. I left the operating room and couldn’t stop myself from smiling, because I knew right then I wanted to go into a career that would always give me this feeling.
The day I found out the polyps removed from my colon were pre-cancerous, reality set in and so did a million different emotions. But at that moment all I could think about was the original provider who assumed I was over exaggerating my symptoms and refused to run any tests. I thought about how many other patients she sent away with no further investigation and I told myself as a physician assistant I will never allow my patients to leave my office feeling unheard. I am extremely eager to begin this new journey and I do believe I have the experience and drive to become an outstanding provider. I hope one day I can make a difference in someone else’s life by having the commitment to see beyond the symptoms and look at the whole picture.
Whitney says
Ashley,
Your essay contains many strong elements!
First of all, the story you tell in your introduction is very compelling. It shows how you began on your journey to help others through medicine. It could benefit from some condensing, but this is a great start.
Also, the experience you relay regarding your first encounter with a PA is good. I’d separate that section about Mike into a new paragraph.
You do a nice job of showing your clinical skills and heart for patient care. The little pictures of you in action were very strong. I could see your passion for medicine and helping others.
Your conclusion ties into your introduction very well. It reveals your desire to advocate for patients.
I’d go through and condense each sentence, checking for any errors, but this is a great start. Good luck!
Ashley Burton says
My first draft.
The EMS workers, police officers, and firefighters rushed into the front door. The group of men assured the seven-year-old girl that everything would be fine and approached the kitchen where a woman was lying unconscious on the ground. The woman had ingested the entirety of numerous medication bottles and was unresponsive with low respirations. The child had woken up in the middle of the night, to hear her mother fall to the ground. Her mother stayed in the hospital for a few days. This young girl was forced to learn about suicide at a young age and was awakened by the concept of mental and physical health, medication affects, and the ever-growing curiosity about the human mind and body. She began to wonder why certain humans are born with chemical imbalance in their brains, why some are predisposed to enjoy life more than others, and how our bodies lead to a vast amount of disorders and disease.
This young girl is me. Until I turned sixteen, I lived a life with a mother struggling with mental health, addiction, and frequent suicide attempts. I spent a lot of time in the hospital with my mother and grew familiar with health care providers in a variety of settings. My life with my mother isn’t the direct reason I’ve chosen healthcare, but a major factor in how I discovered my curiosity and passion in the human brain and body. My mother took her life when I was a sophomore in high school. She had spent two days in a comatose state after a car accident had cut off oxygen to her brain, resulting in cerebral hypoxia and the shutdown of multiple organ systems. Losing a loved one in this way strengthened my passion to help people enjoy their lives and provide better life outcomes. There are so many questions that are unanswered in health care, and I strive to be a part of the discovery of answers and provide as much help as I can to give people a positive well-being.
My father didn’t graduate high school, and my mother was unsuccessful in college. I come from a blended family background, and I’m the first of my family to graduate college. Figuring out the world of higher education was difficult. Growing up I maintained a 4.0 GPA in school, while juggling my home struggles, moving out in high school, and playing sports. I’ve always felt I shine in a world of chaos and stress, and I’ve always loved being busy. It felt college classes were taught in a different language, and I needed to find an entire new approach to achieve good grades, manage my mental health, and be financially stable. I received grades that did not meet my expectations, and I broke down in tears on numerous occasions. It took me awhile to realize grades don’t define me, and that learning the information and learning the class objective was my way to a better education. I began receiving better grades as I went through school and learned how to better myself in other ways outside of exams. I spent my college career working in the industry of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). We work specifically with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and those with behavioral disorders. It’s helped me develop patience and an understanding for behavior with an importance of data. Spending time in this field in addition to working as a psychiatric technician has helped me see healthcare in a rounded setting; an understanding of how the mind and body work together and affect one another. To broaden my understanding of being a PA and different specialties, I’ve shadowed PA’s working in psychiatry, hepatology, emergency medicine, and primary care. These experiences have only broadened my love for the profession.
Practicing as a PA attracts me in many ways, with a large reason being the flexibility of practice. Having the ability to specialize in a given field offers opportunities to expand knowledge in a specific direction, and the chance to become a professional in a field one loves. However, with the education of a PA, one can switch specialties and acquire knowledge in other acute systems, or practice in a variety of diagnoses, and remain agile on current medicine. Having the freedom to learn as much as I can over the course of my career fuels my passion to become a PA. Healthcare professionals are needed all over the country, and being in this field allows one to migrate to any area that is in demand. As I shadowed PAs in each specialty, I learned how important the role of a physician assistant truly is, and valued the knowledge each individual had acquired not only in their current field, but in past experiences they gained with patient exposure and other areas of medicine. In order to best serve patients, it’s key to know beyond one’s specialty, and continue to remain current on new information that may affect our patients. As a technician, I came to realize many providers knew a great amount about psychiatry, but lacked the education on Autism specifics, or other comorbid physical disorders our patients were experiencing. We can relate better to our patients and recommend better care if we are well versed in various areas. As I volunteered in the emergency department, I learned more about patient care, and how to assist patients in high stress situations, which helped me improve as a psychiatric technician. It’s difficult to use a range of knowledge if one is limited to one field during their career.
Through the course of my life, I have learned the importance of plasticity. I’ve learned to overcome personal obstacles of becoming a first-generation college student, I’ve been forced to face my resilience, and I’ve gained experiences to help me relate to patients. Due to losing my mother at an early age, I was forced to unlock the ways of the world, and independently gain success. I’ve learned to prosper in unfortunate situations and use my experiences to better myself in my professional and personal life. I’ve interacted with patients in a variety of settings, whether it be the emergency department, calming an escalated patient in psychiatry, or expressing empathy with an individual who’s just received tough news. My background in my work as well as personal life have helped me to work with sensitive populations and remain calm during chaotic experiences. My mind is eager to earn an education and shape itself to continue helping individuals achieve positive life outcomes, and a desirable well-being.
Kaylee N says
“10…9…8…” I counted backward and slowly drifted off to sleep as the surgeon began to operate on me. At the age of five, I was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF 1). As I can recall, my mother found a small lump on my chest and took me to the hospital to get it checked. The physician advised my mother that I should have a surgery to remove my tumor in case it becomes malignant in the future. I remember crying and not wanting to do the surgery since my parents will not be there with me. However, the kindness from everyone in the operating room, and their reassurance that I was in good hands made the feeling of nervousness go away. At that moment, I knew I wanted to work in the medical field when I grow up so I could help kids like me. Unfortunately, for individuals with NF 1, this condition cannot be cured. So as more café-au-lait birthmarks appear on my skin, and more pain and tumors form throughout my body, my love for medicine grows deeper.
My medical condition was not the only thing that led me to medicine. Growing up, I have witnessed my epileptic brother collapse to the floor from seizures many times. Each time, I felt hopeless because I cannot do anything to help. Moreover, my older sister was diagnosed with ventral septal defect and needed surgery. It was hard for me not to think of a career in medicine when everyone around me is diagnosed with health problems.
One day, while researching for a career in the medical field, I stumbled across physician assistant (PA). It was my first time hearing about this profession, so I researched more about it. The more I learned about PA, the more I fell in love. I love the lateral mobility this profession offered, knowing that I can work in neurology to treat patients like my brother or myself, and work in cardiology to treat patients like my sister without having to go through residency like a physician.
I began to enroll in a medical assistant (MA) program then worked as an MA. My MA job helped me to realize how wonderful it was that I can impact someone’s quality of life by helping them regain their health. There were days where I felt depleted. However, seeing the patients got better and hearing that it was because of my help made me feel overjoyed and regained my energy. The feeling I experienced when seeing the patients can walk better without having to rely on their cane and walker, or the smile on their face when they told me they do not have pain anymore was indescribable. I knew that I would not experience this feeling if I have worked at a career outside of medicine.
Working as an MA along with physicians and shadowing PAs have helped me to realize that a career as a PA is what I desired. Although I can help the patients as an MA, my scope of practice was very limited, and I felt I have not helped them enough. I wanted to do something more to help my patients. When I shadowed PAs, I have learned and observed how much they can do, from diagnose to treat and manage diseases, prescribe medications to perform medical procedures and first assist in surgery. I cannot do these things that I want to do for my patients as an MA. Through shadowing PAs, even with a short amount of time, I have witnessed their compassionate, warm and friendly attitudes toward their patients. These are some characteristics that I admire and can relate to. Moreover, the PAs got to spend more time with their patients; in addition to being able to communicate with their patients and their colleagues effectively. I have seen them work well independently and together with other healthcare members to provide the best care for the patients. These are some of the traits I have gained through my MA experience and strived to improve.
I’ve encountered difficulties on my road to becoming a PA; however, with my determination, I did not give up. During my first few semesters of college, I was lost in finding what I wanted to do, and did not try at school. It was not until I found the PA profession and began to improve myself and my grades. My favorite quote is “difficult road often leads to beautiful destinations,” I have failed many times, but each time I learned to stand up and learned from my mistake. I believe the obstacles that I have overcome will make me a better healthcare provider.
I am the patient, the family member of the patient, and an MA. I know what it feels like to be hopeless when your medical condition cannot be cured, or seeing a family member being sick, and how it feels to have to break the bad news to the patient. I hope to use my experience as an MA and the skills that I will gain in PA school to help my patients during their most vulnerable time. I want them not to feel scared of their health condition, like how the doctor had done for me when I was little. Even if I cannot help them with their condition, I want to help them to feel not as hopeless as I did when their disease cannot be cured.These are the reasons why I want to be a physician assistant.
Whitney Prosperi says
Kaylee,
I can see your passion for helping people woven throughout your essay. You also show that you understand the collaboration and personal connection afforded to a PA.
I would tighten your language throughout your essay, eliminating phrases such as “As I can recall” etc. This will help allow your passion for patient care to shine through even brighter. Also, make sure your verb tense stays consistent.
In speaking about your own health challenges, I would shorten this while focusing on the good that has come as a result- your increasing desire to help others.
You may want to condense the section about your MA work while spotlighting your specific roles, responsibilities. I would also eliminate your comment about avoiding residency.
You are right to address grade issues but I would avoid saying you “didn’t try at school.” Also, include what skills you have gained that will help you avoid similar issues in a rigorous PA program.
Good luck to you, Kaylee.
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
Hi Kylee, it’s Stephen Pasquini PA-C from the PA Life website. I was reviewing your essay and realizing how much I liked it and your story. How has the PA School application process been going. Have you submitted through CASPA this year? Did you make any revisions to your essay?
kelly sommers says
Very first and very rough draft of my personal essay. please leave a comment if you can:)
I remember sitting in car seat and yelling out “hostipal” as it runs by the window while my mom drags me along with her to work in downtown Houston. My mom was once apart of a program in the Philippines that helped citizens come to America and become registered nurses. As of now, my mom has been a post partum nurse for close to 30 years in the same hospital. She serves as my biggest inspiration and image of what it means to be a hard worker and that nothing can stop me in my path, no matter how daunting.
I had never heard of a physician assistant until my freshman year of college at the University of Texas. I was crying to my brother on the phone about how hard my classes were and how I felt so lost I wasn’t sure what career I could see in my future. He mentioned being a physician assistant since he had a few friends who loved it, thus the research began. No matter what school I looked into, to a freshman in college, it seemed like a pipe dream to be accepted into a program. I felt discouraged and instead directed my focus towards sociology and public health studies. As courses went on, I realized that I needed to be in a hands-on profession. I needed to be able to communicate with patients face to face in order to feel connected with my profession and those I was helping. At that moment, I decided that becoming a physician assistant was a mix of what drew me into public health and what I’ve always loved about medicine – helping people and noticing a difference I make in their lives.
It really clicked with me that I wanted to make a difference in peoples lives while volunteering at an HIV/AIDS hospice center. I realized how much we take for granted day to day. As a patient struggles to walk or pick up his glass of juice all due to severe gout, I helped to prepare them dinner and be that person they could talk to when trying to unwind after a rough day at physical therapy. As the hot summer weeks progressed, this patient slowly but surely transitioned from a wheelchair to a walker – something he confessed to me he never thought would be possible again. Seeing the perseverance of this man over the weeks made me realize that even though life can be bad sometimes, it could always be worse and if I have the opportunity to help those experiencing the worst then why shouldn’t I? Helping a historically stigmatized group of people made me realize I could do this for a living. I could be a voice in people’s lives that makes them feel heard and worthy of the help they deserve.
After moving from my Texas home to pursue shadowing two Florida physician assistants for a month day in and day out truly confirmed to me that I want to and could accomplish being a physician assistant someday. The most heartwarming observation I made during my shadowing was strong ties to a patient’s life each physician assistant had. Their patients have been coming to them for years anytime they had a joint problem or a new spot pop up on their skin they had concern about. They continuously come back to the provider they trust. Relationships are built around the quality of care they receive and continue for years.
As a medical assistant at a dermatology practice, within my first two weeks of working you begin to realize that it’s the little things just like a patient remembering your name to recognize that even the smallest bit of quality care and attention can go a long way in someone’s life. A patient telling me I can tell my father he should be proud of me because of the attentive care I gave or a patient asking if I’d be in the office for his follow up the next week filled me with so much I know I can pursue a higher career and make an even bigger impact on a patient’s visit.
I want to become a physician assistant and become more selfless. My mother taught me hard work along with compassion and care for others will make not only you happier with yourself but can help make others happier along your way.
Whitney Prosperi says
Kelly,
The story about your mom and brother’s influence on your PA pursuit is inspiring. You may want to tighten up that section a bit and even put it all in one paragraph.
You do a good job of communicating your compassion and desire to help others.
You may want to add in more of your clinical skills, roles and responsibilities.
The section about what you observed during shadowing is strong, showing that you understand the role of the PA. You may want to also spotlight other details about the PA profession that are a good match for you.
I would spend some time condensing each sentence and paragraph and eliminating extra verbiage.
I would be interested to read this again after you spend some time tightening it up.
Good luck!
kelly sommers says
thank you so much! i appreciate the note greatly and here is my edited version! let me know what you think:)
I remember sitting in car seat and yelling out “hostipal” as it runs by the window while my mom drags me along with her to work. My mom was once apart of a program in the Philippines that helped citizens come to America and become registered nurses. As of now, my mom has been a post partum nurse for close to 30 years in the same hospital. She serves as my biggest inspiration and image of what it means to be a hard worker and that nothing can stop me in my path, no matter how daunting.
I had never heard of a physician assistant until my freshman year of college at the University of Texas – I felt so lost I wasn’t sure what career I could see in my future and when I had heard of a physician assistant it seemed like a pipe dream to be accepted into a program. As my college courses went on, I realized that I needed to be in a hands-on profession. I needed to be able to communicate with patients face to face in order to feel connected with those I was helping, my idea of what a physician assistant was checked all of those boxes. I decided that becoming a physician assistant was a mix of what I’ve always thought I’d be doing with my life– helping people and noticing the difference I make in their lives.
It really clicked with me that I wanted to make a difference in peoples lives while volunteering at an HIV/AIDS hospice center. I realized how much we take for granted day to day. As a patient struggles to walk or pick up his glass of juice all due to severe gout, I helped to prepare them dinner and be that person they could talk to when trying to unwind after a rough day at physical therapy. As the hot summer weeks progressed, this patient slowly but surely transitioned from a wheelchair to a walker – something he confessed to me he never thought would be possible again. Seeing the perseverance of this man over the weeks made me realize that even though life can be bad sometimes, it could always be worse and if I have the opportunity to help those experiencing the worst then why shouldn’t I? Helping a historically stigmatized group of people made me realize I could do this for a living. I could be a voice in people’s lives that makes them feel heard and worthy of the help they deserve.
After moving from my lifelong Texas home to pursue shadowing two Florida physician assistants for a month day in and day out truly confirmed to me that I want to and could accomplish being a physician assistant someday. I quickly realized while shadowing a dermatology physician assistant and orthopedic physician assistant was how procedural and hands-on each day was. In their practice, they were able to give the patient relief with a steroid shot in arthritic knees, freeze a precancerous lesion or help stitch up an incision after their skin cancer was removed. The physician assistants in these practices made it even more appealing because I’ve always been one to want to be close to the action.
It was so fascinating to me that the physician could answer any and all questions that their patients would ask. Their ability to provide reassurance and explanation as to why a patient needs a procedure or what a condition they have could visibly ease the concern riddled over a patient’s face. After days of shadowing, it was easy for me to realize I could be the one who listens to the patient’s problems and makes them feel heard. I could also be the person who provides them with the correct knowledge and explanation on how they should best proceed to make their problems get resolved. I could be the physician assistant who makes a difference in a patient’s life.
The most heartwarming observation I made during my shadowing was strong ties to a patient’s life each physician assistant had. Their patients have been coming to them for years anytime they had a joint problem or a new spot pop up on their skin they had concern about. They continuously come back to the provider they trust. These provider-patient relationships are built around the quality of care patients receive and the increasing trust they have in the provider upon each visit. As a medical assistant at a dermatology practice, within my first two weeks of working you begin to realize that it’s the little things just like a patient remembering your name to recognize that even the smallest bit of quality care and attention can go a long way in someone’s life. A patient telling me I can tell my father he should be proud of me because of the attentive care I gave or a patient asking if I’d be in the office for his follow up the next week filled me with so much I know I can pursue a higher career and make an even bigger impact on a patient’s visit.
I was able to gain so much experience and knowledge at this dermatology practice that, I feel, has laid a great foundation for a physician assistant program. Within my first week of training, I was taught how to inject biologic medicine or a steroid shot needed to help a patient with psoriasis or a full body rash, I was taught how to numb patient’s skin to prep for surgery and removal of their cancer and was also taught how to remove that same surgery patient’s sutures – and this is just to name a few. Most importantly, I was taught how to greet every patient with a smile and make sure his or her problems are heard before the physician enters the room.
I want to become a physician assistant and become more selfless. My mom taught me that hard work along with compassion and care for others will make not only you happier with yourself but can help make others happier along the way. As a recent graduate I can now look back at how lost I was as a college freshman and confidently say that my experiences have prepared me and reassured me greatly that I want to be and have what it takes to be a physician assistant.
Whitney says
Kelly,
Your personal statement has some strong elements.
I liked seeing you “in action” where you discussed your clinical skills.
The section about what you learned from shadowing in FL was effective.
I still think your personal statement would benefit from proofing word by word for typos and eliminating extra words.
You could also divide up and condense the longer paragraphs for a better flow.
If you know someone who could help you with this, I would ask them. We also offer an editing service if this is something that interests you.
If not, after you work through it some more, I am happy to offer you feedback again.
Kelly Sommers says
thank you very much for your input! i have edited and made some cuts and additions 🙂 thank you so much and im looking forward to hearing from you again
I remember sitting in car seat and yelling out “hostipal” as it runs by the window while my mom drags me along with her to work. My mom was once apart of a program in the Philippines that helped citizens come to America and become registered nurses. As of now, my mom has been a post partum nurse for close to 30 years in the same hospital. She serves as my biggest inspiration and image of what it means to be a hard worker and that nothing can stop me in my path, no matter how daunting.
I had never heard of a physician assistant until my freshman year of college at the University of Texas – I felt so lost I wasn’t sure what career I could see in my future and when I had heard of a physician assistant it seemed like a pipe dream to be accepted into a program. As my college courses went on, I realized that I needed to be in a hands-on profession. I needed to be able to communicate with patients face to face in order to feel connected with those I was helping, my idea of what a physician assistant was checked all of those boxes. I decided that becoming a physician assistant was a mix of what I’ve always thought I’d be doing with my life– helping people and noticing the difference I make in their lives.
It really clicked with me that I wanted to make a difference in peoples lives while volunteering at an HIV/AIDS hospice center. I realized how much we take for granted day to day. As a patient struggles to walk or pick up his glass of juice all due to severe gout, I helped to prepare them dinner and be that person they could talk to when trying to unwind after a rough day at physical therapy. As the hot summer weeks progressed, this patient slowly but surely transitioned from a wheelchair to a walker – something he confessed to me he never thought would be possible again. Seeing the perseverance of this man over the weeks made me realize that even though life can be bad sometimes, it could always be worse and if I have the opportunity to help those experiencing the worst then why shouldn’t I? Helping a historically stigmatized group of people made me realize I could do this for a living. I could be a voice in people’s lives that makes them feel heard and worthy of the help they deserve.
After moving from my lifelong Texas home to pursue shadowing two Florida physician assistants for a month day in and day out truly confirmed to me that I want to and could accomplish being a physician assistant someday. I quickly realized while shadowing a dermatology physician assistant and orthopedic physician assistant was how procedural and hands-on each day was. In their practice, they were able to give the patient relief with a steroid shot in arthritic knees, freeze a precancerous lesion or help stitch up an incision after their skin cancer was removed. The physician assistants in these practices made it even more appealing because I’ve always been one to want to be close to the action.
It was so fascinating to me that the physician could answer any and all questions that their patients would ask. Their ability to provide reassurance and explanation as to why a patient needs a procedure or what a condition they have could visibly ease the concern riddled over a patient’s face. After days of shadowing, it was easy for me to realize I could be the one who listens to the patient’s problems and makes them feel heard. I could also be the person who provides them with the correct knowledge and explanation on how they should best proceed to make their problems get resolved. I could be the physician assistant who makes a difference in a patient’s life.
The most heartwarming observation I made during my shadowing was strong ties to a patient’s life each physician assistant had. Their patients have been coming to them for years anytime they had a joint problem or a new spot pop up on their skin they had concern about. They continuously come back to the provider they trust. These provider-patient relationships are built around the quality of care patients receive and the increasing trust they have in the provider upon each visit. As a medical assistant at a dermatology practice, within my first two weeks of working you begin to realize that it’s the little things just like a patient remembering your name to recognize that even the smallest bit of quality care and attention can go a long way in someone’s life. A patient telling me I can tell my father he should be proud of me because of the attentive care I gave or a patient asking if I’d be in the office for his follow up the next week filled me with so much I know I can pursue a higher career and make an even bigger impact on a patient’s visit.
I was able to gain so much experience and knowledge at this dermatology practice that, I feel, has laid a great foundation for a physician assistant program. Within my first week of training, I was taught how to inject biologic medicine or a steroid shot needed to help a patient with psoriasis or a full body rash, I was taught how to numb patient’s skin to prep for surgery and removal of their cancer and was also taught how to remove that same surgery patient’s sutures – and this is just to name a few. Most importantly, I was taught how to greet every patient with a smile and make sure his or her problems are heard before the physician enters the room.
I want to become a physician assistant and become more selfless. My mom taught me that hard work along with compassion and care for others will make not only you happier with yourself but can help make others happier along the way. As a recent graduate I can now look back at how lost I was as a college freshman and confidently say that my experiences have prepared me and reassured me greatly that I want to be and have what it takes to be a physician assistant.
Whitney says
Kelly,
I would add “my” in front of car seat in your first sentence.
The part about shadowing is very effective. I would make that it’s own paragraph and condense it.
There is a spot where you refer to “physician” but I assume you mean PA. You may want to clarify that. (The sentence begins with, “It was fascinating…”)
It looks better but I would keep working through it to remove any run-on sentences and typos.
Good luck!
Amel Catic says
Born in a country riddled with religious persecution and poverty of the highest degree, my parents decision to flee Bosnia and Herzegovina was one that I will never stop being thankful for. As a refugee of war, many things changed when we came to the United States. Coming to a new country can present a culture shock in its own, but when you couple that with the life that we had been so accustomed to back home, it truly felt as if our world had been turned upside down. My parents worked endlessly in order to keep food on the table, and my siblings and I worked day in and day out in an effort to try to fit in with our peers. I had grown up seeing close family members fall victim to easily treatable diseases and I have seen doctors put themselves before the well-being of their patients. Doctors were rich and untouchable, and people got sick and they died. Growing up, this is just what I had known to be true.
As the years passed, my family and I assimilated to life in the US. We had learned the language and, off the back of my parents relentless work ethic, we had prospered. It would have been easy to say that our lives were set and we would never experience the turmoil that we faced back home, but this simply was not the case. My father, who I viewed as invincible, suffered a heart attack that shook our family to its very core. He was the breadwinner of the family and without him, we would not be able to survive. Shortly after this, my mom had fallen ill and wound up in the same hospital. Her appendix had burst and she had become septic. Her team of doctors had acted quickly, saving her life as well as the rest of ours. During her post-operative care, she was frequented by a gastroenterology physician assistant who displayed such interest and care for her well-being that to this day I still aspire to match.
Upon graduating from high school, I was involved in a vehicular accident that had left me with a herniated disk in my back, a sprained groin, crushed dreams of playing soccer in college, and a crippling depression that soon began to overtake my entire life. I went into college for the sole purpose of being the first in my family to do so. With my mental state being where it was, I found it impossible to devote time and energy to my studies, and it is directly reflected by my transcript. I spent nearly two years dreading getting out of bed and interacting with society, until one day I had an epiphany. My family risked everything to get to where we were. We escaped a genocide that took the lives of over 10,000 people. We overcame all obstacles presented to us as immigrants. Why was I letting this one event dictate my entire life? I began to attend class on a regular basis. I began to work out and gained 50 pounds of muscle, not only improving my mental health, but also my physical. I had forgotten all about the pain and discomfort and I focused on my future and the future of my family. My grades started to improve, my social life flourished, and my desire to pursue my dream of working in medicine took off.
Working as a behavioral therapist and physical therapy technician introduced me to very different aspects of healthcare, and while I appreciate both, I wanted more. I began taking classes not necessary for my degree, such as human physiology, organic chemistry, biochemistry, and microbiology. Each of these dove into different aspects of medicine, and my thirst for knowledge was being quenched. I achieved outstanding grades in each course, all while working nearly full time. I began shadowing doctors, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners in an effort to discern the differences between each field and find the one that is right for me. Very quickly I realized just how perfect the physician assistant field was for me. It provided an opportunity to work alongside and learn from physicians that devoted their lives to a certain field, all while allowing the flexibility to experience other fields and settings. Apart from flexibility, physician assistants are often on the front line of patient care. They are able to build rapport with patients and establish trusting relationships with those that come to them in their time of need, which is truly the greatest privilege of all.
My story is one filled with many twists and turns, and it is impossible to convey them all within the confines of text. I have felt pain. I have felt helplessness. I have seen the dark side of humanity that I hope nobody has to witness themselves. Despite all of this, I have held true to my dreams and, given the chance, I know that I can be the physician assistant that I would entrust to take care of my very own parents. My GPA may not be the most impressive, but I have spent the past several years not only bettering my grades and science background, but also spending my free time experiencing all that I can, so that one day when someone comes to me in their time of need, I can be the person that they can count on.
Whitney Prosperi says
Amel,
Your essay has many strong components, beginning with the compelling story of your family’s resilience. This is definitely a strong opening. I would keep as many details as you can while condensing word-by-word. This will allow more room for you to highlight some of your strengths and experience.
The section describing the gastroenterologist’s personal care for your mother is particularly powerful. You could expand on this with some more details.
You show a good understanding of the PA profession and a strong awareness of why this is a good fit for you.
I would add more details about your clinical skills and medical knowledge. What have you learned through shadowing or volunteering? How do you relate to patients? Show your specific skills and commitment to teamwork.
You have explained the early issues with your grades so I would delete the phrase mentioning your GPA.
Good luck to you.
Erin Podgorski says
This is a first draft of my personal statement
Sirens filled the night air, getting louder and louder as the ambulance approached. In moments, paramedics crash through the doors of the emergency room rushing to get the patient to a room. The paramedics are performing CPR as they go. Nurses and technicians are on standby with a crash cart prepared to take over. A doctor stands at the bedside ready to give orders. The patient is transferred to the ER bed while the paramedics tell the doctor the patient’s story. A whirlwind of activity commences as medications are given, vitals are obtained, and CPR proceeds. Some time later, the doctor leaves the room and asks for the patient’s family. The family has been in an isolated room, anxiously awaiting to hear news from the doctor. The doctor enters the room, closes the door, and begins to speak. Moments later, wails can be heard throughout the ER as the family grieves for the loss of their loved one.
One such scene was one of my first experiences in a hospital. I found myself empathizing with the family and wishing I could have done something, anything to alleviate their grief. Unfortunately, I could do nothing for them. I sat on the sidelines and observed, but I could do nothing to help the patient or the family. Frustration swelled within me at my incapability. I quickly realized that if I wanted to be able to heal patients and their families then I would need to be in a position to do so. After much research into the field of healthcare, I knew that I wanted a career similar to a medical doctor that would afford me the ability to heal patients. Then, I stumbled upon the career of physician assistant and knew that I had found my answer.
I knew for certain that physician assistant was my path when I became a member of Clinic Vols during my undergraduate years. Clinic Vols gave me an opportunity to provide first aid to children in after-school programs. I brightened at the thought that I was actively helping these children overcome their bouts with nausea, overheating, and scraped knees. I found the greatest reward of being a Clinic Vol was seeing a child smile and say, “Thank you.”
For the past two years, I worked as a medical scribe in an ER. As a scribe, my job is to document and create the chart from the initial examination to the patient’s disposition. The ER allows me the luxury of observing how the doctors and PAs diagnose and treat a number of patients in one shift. Furthermore, I had the opportunity to ask questions to both doctors and PAs and to act as a shadow to a doctor. Through these opportunities, I have a better understanding of what needs to be ordered for each complaint, which medicines are appropriate for each condition, and how differential diagnoses become a diagnosis. My time as a scribe is truly invaluable in teaching me how to be a health professional and provide patient care.
From my observations as a scribe, medical doctors and PAs operate in similar mannerisms in the ER, but the PAs have the opportunity to have more interactions with patients. Many times, I have witnessed PAs keeping the patient and family calm and receptive to care by answering their questions and keeping them updated. These observations show me that the simple act of speaking with a patient allows the healing process to begin mentally and emotionally. My observations have led me to believe that interacting with the patient is the most important aspect of patient care.
Theodore Roosevelt once said, “No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.” My time in the ER has proved that this statement could never be more true than in the healthcare system. I want to be a health care provider who can be a shoulder to cry on when a loved one is lost. I want to be a healthcare provider who can make a patient and their family smile and say, “Thank you.” I want to be a healthcare provider who can treat patients, while still being someone patients can talk to, rely on, and trust to care for them. I cannot think of a better way to do that than by being a physician assistant.
Whitney Prosperi says
Erin,
This is a good start to your personal statement.
You show that you have an understanding of the profession and why this is the right fit for you.
The paragraph describing your volunteer work is effective. You may even want to add a story about helping a specific child. This will show you in action rather than just telling about your serving.
I would condense each section to allow for more explanation of why you will be a great PA. Describe any patient care experience and clinical skills you have. Describe your work experience and medical knowledge. Explain how you interact with patients and teammates. Reiterate your commitment to partnering with a healthcare team.
Good luck to you.
Katelyn says
Sirens are wailing, my adrenaline is pumping as we are approaching the scene. As we get closer I see two potential patients lying on the ground, both in obvious distress. My partner and I grab appropriate gear and rush to our patient as the crew behind us rushes to theirs. As I was an intern at the time, I was given the less critical injures to manage. As my partner attempted to stop the bleeding of the detached lower extremity, I tended to the head of the very alive and very conscious motor cycle crash survivor. My job was simple. Keep her awake and stable. As our team worked on getting her into the ambulance, I maintained c-spine and talked her though what was more than likely the scariest moment of her life. She was incredible. Although I’m sure she felt it, there were no signs of fear. We talked about her life, her kids, her dreams and goals all the way to the hospital. I kept her calm and awake as she refused to let go of my hand until we finally reached the ER. My job was done. As incredible of a feeling it was to assist in saving someone’s life and to be there to help someone in their time of need, I craved more. I wanted to stay with my patient, be there during her future procedures; to know how she turns out and to help in the process of healing and recovery. Unfortunately, as an EMT, we aren’t so lucky as to know what happens once the ER bay doors close. I’m ready for more. I’m ready to be a PA.
Being an EMT for the past year or so I have encountered numerous patients that I had a strong connection with. Each one was hard to let go and trust the receiving medical team, but my first trauma is the one I will remember most. She was my first patient that gave me the secure and strong feeling that I know medicine is my calling. Specifically, becoming a PA.
I have also had the incredible opportunity to work in a peri-clinical position as a patient access tech for a CHKD urgent care. I have learned more from this job than I ever thought was possible. Luckily, the clinical team I work with are incredible people. I have talked to physicians, DOs, NPs, PAs, and nurses to find out why they chose their career and if they could do something different, would they? The only group of providers that all said they loved their jobs and wouldn’t change a thing, were the PAs.
I have created a bond with my future colleagues that will last a life time. They help me in so many ways from letting me shadow, letting me ask clinical questions, helping me with my application, etc. This bond really started when one night when I was working as an EMT, I was called to our urgent care. When I came in everyone’s face was shocked. I guess they knew I was an EMT part time but didn’t quite understand it until I was ready to receive their patient and continue medical support. The following day when I came to work at the urgent care I could see the respect and willingness to discuss clinically with me was much higher. They saw me as one of their own and was willing to help me get to the place where we can practice medicine side by side.
During my shadowing hours, I chose to follow a PA who works at my urgent care. I chose her because of her kindness and patients. Before every room we went into, she would walk me through the steps to prepare based on the chief complaint in the nursing chart. After each room we went in she let me ask as many questions as I could possibly think of. I even stumped her a few times and she had to ask our attending physician that day. This experience changed my view on the medical field. I was used to seeing trauma and emergency medicine. Although it was at an urgent care, it felt more like family practice or general medicine. Not only that, but in the pediatric field as well. It was nice to know that my passion and drive and excitement to help understand, treat, and reassure patients doesn’t change from emergent adults to stable kids.
My most recent day of shadowing, as we were sitting in the provider’s offices, I had a big smile on my face. The attending physicians asked sarcastically if I was happy to be there, as if he couldn’t already tell from my expression. I replied with a resounding “absolutely.” He responded, “If you’re this excited to be sitting in an office chair waiting for the urgent care doors to open to work an eight-hour night shift; you’re in the right field.” I laughed and smiled. He was right. I knew that this is exactly what I am supposed to be doing. Helping, solving medical puzzles, treating, but most importantly, wear the responsibility of the title PA with pride, respect, and kindness.
Whitney Prosperi says
Katelyn,
Your opening catches the reader’s attention right away. I found myself reading quickly to find out how the story ended. I did see some typos throughout your essay (“injures” in the first paragraph) so you’ll want to spend some time proofing each word. You could also condense by cutting word by word throughout. This takes time but will help your writing have maximum impact.
I like how you show your excitement and willingness to work with a team. You also reveal your passion for patient care and learning.
In order to show how you’re suited to pursue the PA path, spotlight some of your clinical skills and medical experience. Do you have any volunteer work you could describe as well?
With some polishing, I think you’re well on your way to a strong personal statement.
Megan says
She watched the same movie every single night for 4 years straight, but she never knew. The hospital knew her, our neighbors loved her, I lived with her, but she never knew.
I kept her head tilted so she would not choke on her saliva as her body shakes uncontrollably, but she never knew. The sirens were so loud I could not hear, the blue and red lights were so bright I could not see, I was in control and yet, she never knew.
It was at a private hospital, when I met with a physician assistant in the neurology ICU. While the doctors were rounding, and the nurses were at the desk, the PA and I were examining each patient. During my experience I saw patients that had intracranial hemorrhages and subarachnoid hemorrhages. I was able to see up close on the monitor a patients brain activity during constant seizures. She continued to teach me how to look over MRI scans, and learn the difference between a stoke patient and a non stroke patient. Towards the end of our day, the PA asked if I wanted to look through the scope to see the patients optic disc while his eyes were still dilated from his surgery. Intrigued and excited for what was about to happen, I watched the PA as she demonstrated what to do. I grabbed the scope, ready to see my first optic disc. To my surprise, being at the right distance, put just the perfect amount of pressure, open the eye lid just enough to see all while knowing you are shining a bright light into their eye, was not easy. Through trail and error, the PA remained calm and patient with me. Patience is what I learned, but she never knew.
It was at a short term/rehab care facility where I met Robin, the physician assistant. We walked around the facility and examined the patients that were on her list of that day. However, one patient in particular stood out. Olive already had one stroke months ago, and now she was having another one right in front of Robin and I. We walked into the room, her eyes were not moving, the left side of her mouth was dropping and her speech was slurred all in the matter of seconds. I ran to grabbed the nearest vitals kit and began vitals while Robin examined her eyes with a flashlight and told the LPN to call 911. Robin told me to keep watching her vitals, and I made sure Olive’s head remained upright so she would not choke. The patients turnout was not just because of us getting there at the right moment, but also because of the teamwork that surrounded Robin. Teamwork is what I learned, but she never knew.
I have had the opportunity to volunteer in Panama serving the underprivileged alongside many healthcare professionals, including a physician assistant. During my time there, I saw things I never would have imagined. People coming in with: missing teeth, infected teeth, open cuts on their hands/feet, high blood pressure, over weight, severely underweight, infections all over their bodies. One of our medical clinic days, I sat next to the PA as she asked questions to a very angry 16 year old mother and her 3 children. One of which was so sick from flu season and the other with a nail in his foot. The PA proceeded to bandage up the child’s open wound from the nail and give Gripe Water to all 3 children. Yet, what amazed me the most was the resilient physician assistant. She was calm and compassionate, despite the displeased the mother and her screaming children. Our next patient, was a 54 year old man who had knee pain from working in the fields and walking 5 plus miles everyday to get water for him and his family. The physician assistant told me that knee pain is the most common because of all the walking and working in the field that they do. I saw a lot of patients during my time in Panama, and during that time i was with many healthcare professionals as well. Including: a doctor, nurse, dentist, and a pharmacist. However, the physician assistant was the one who was with the patients the whole time. Creating a safe and caring environment for them, something I hope to fabricate when I am a physician assistant.
I came to Panama to help, to serve, to be a part of something much bigger than myself. More so, my passion for helping others, for the love of medicine and all that it has to offer, it grew; but she never knew.
She fell and broke her neck during her seizer and little did I know that I would be following the same kind of PA’s that once took care of her. She, my grandma, had Alzheimer’s. Caring for my grandma brought many challenges; but it also taught me patience, team work and a strong passion helping others, qualities my patients would benefit from. More importantly, it gave me the skills I need to become an excellent physician assistant, something she always knew.
Megan says
For some reason when posting this, my paragraphs got messed up. So, now it looks like one giant essay, but i assure you there were paragraphs in it.
Whitney Prosperi says
Megan,
You are very good at painting word pictures. The section describing the patients in Panama is especially compelling.
I think your essay could use some careful proofing. There are typos that can be easily corrected after going through it a few times.
I would also condense each section to allow space for you to highlight what will make you a good PA. What clinical skills and work experience have prepared you for this next step?
I will be happy to give it another look after you polish it up.
Megan says
Where do you suggest i put that? As in, adding on to some paragraphs or starting a new one? I was also going to talk about my experience of being a student athlete.
Christopher Adams says
“Hold your head back for me, Mr. Jenkins.” I gently cupped Mr. Jenkins forehead with my right hand and pulled his head back so that he did not slouch forward. I hurriedly paged the paged the floor nurse who oversight of him that shift, “Tiffany, Mr. Jenkins is losing consciousness in the shower room.” I ran through possible plans of action in my mind while I waited for the nurses to arrive. Mr. Jenkins gave out two forced, dry gasps before he completely lost consciousness, and I did not observe any further respirations during the several seconds of my message to Tiffany. The only appropriate procedure I could perform would be cardiopulmonary resuscitation, as a last resort. The nurses showed up after what seemed to me an eternity in a moment but was probably no more than eight seconds. I heard a call for a rapid response to my floor as the shower room door opened. Tiffany hastened to Mr. Jenkins and began checking pupil response. No response. I was ordered to push Mr. Jenkins back to his room and helped load him onto a stretcher so the nurses could begin CPR. I suspected a stroke to be the culprit for this ordeal, but Mr. Jenkins’ blood pressure had only bottomed out in the shower, likely due to the high temperature of the water. Nurses commented on how well I handled the situation, and I replied that situations like that are why I chose the field healthcare. There is a sobering excitement to facing dynamic scenarios in healthcare. It is not the excitement that stops you in your tracks and produces sweaty palms; it is a feeling of reassurance and readiness in knowing that you are doing something that you are meant to do. It is a feeling I have encountered throughout my career in the healthcare field, and it is the reason why the most memorable shower of my life is the one I shared with Mr. Jenkins.
I have always known what I wanted to be when I grew up. As a child, I once made a vow to my uncle who lost one of his legs in a vehicle crash that I would become a physician and reattach his leg, proving that I was equally as cognizant as other five-year-olds about medical prosthesis and nerve regeneration. My vow is undoubtedly a tall order to carry out, but I have dedicated my whole academic and professional career to fulfilling half of that promise. My foray into the arena of healthcare first began when I was 16 years old. I drove to the Johnson City Medical Center and spoke with the volunteer department about the opportunities open to me. I volunteered at the Patient Rehabilitation Center and watched physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists perform their daily duties. I was eager to learn and soon appreciated the multi-faceted nature of healthcare. I went on to volunteer in the Emergency Department three years later, while I simultaneously worked as a Designated Hitter doing the work of a pharmacy technician at my local retail pharmacy. I constantly made connections between the separate aspects of healthcare to which I was exposed. I saw how a grueling a process recovery is for some patients. Patients who were victims of a car crash would enter the trauma rooms of the ED, and I would formulate mock paths of recovery for them. I had an idea of how their physical therapy would go and how eagerly they would be to carry it out. I also had a dreadful idea of how difficult it would be for some patients to receive the medications needed to make recovery as smooth as possible. These experiences engendered in me a good baseline education on the realities of what it means to work in medicine.
I met and observed a physician assistant during my time volunteering and became interested about his position. He was always heavily engaged in assessing the trauma patients who would be wheeled into the trauma rooms, gauging cognition and helping choreograph everyone’s duties during the process. He always had an answer for patients and their families when they were confused about their case, and he would command the room without escalating tensions whenever he was confronted with difficult patient behavior. He told me about the career mobility that PAs have due to their being trained in every realm of healthcare. I was intrigued to find out that one could switch fields if they chose, and I admired the idea of having a depth of knowledge and experience in multiple fields over a long career in medicine. Witnessing his expansive knowledge of treatment and observing his masterful method of communicating with patients inspired me to become more knowledgeable about what it means to be a PA, and it certainly played an essential role in my decision to pursue this career.
My education and experience while studying at East Tennessee State University cemented my path to becoming a physician assistant. I studied a myriad of scientific subjects that sparked an even deeper interest in the science behind my future practice: biology, cellular biology, ecology, human anatomy, human physiology, microbiology, virology, organic chemistry, biochemistry, and neurology. Medical conditions were no longer defined only by their effects on the patient in my head; I could then explain the mechanics behind the ailments as well. I learned how the medications I regularly handed out bind to specific proteins in the body and elicit a cellular response, hormonal or otherwise, that would aid in the healing process. I understood why the patients with traumatic brain injuries were impulsive and temperamental. My newfound knowledge gave me the ability to think innovatively about solutions to patients’ problems. I saw this ability performed regularly by physician assistants when I began my work as a certified nursing assistant on the trauma and med-surg floors of Johnson City Medical Center.
Working as a CNA was the best decision I made to prepare myself for real-world healthcare. I was no longer reading procedural literature in a cushioned room; I was on my feet for twelve hours a day carrying out medical duties alongside other medical professionals. I got to see PAs explain the plan of care to their patients, and counsel their family members. I talked to physician assistants about how they carry out plans of care, and I was excited to learn about the surgeries in which they took part. I wore my curiosity on my sleeve and learned about procedures that were so counterintuitive as to seem comically crude, such as kyphoplasty (which involves pumping a vertebra with cement). I learned that being a medical professional comes with responsibility beyond only carrying out the mechanics of medical procedures; one must also function as a counselor and educator of a sort. I implemented what I learned into my practice as a CNA. This payed off because hospital surveyors later congratulated me on my patients’ testimony about my care and the fact that all my patients knew me by name. These PAs with whom I worked took the time to educate patients about prevention and recovery instead of just prescribing medication to them and leaving summarily. I think educating patients is essential to the recovery process. I have seen what damage simple ignorance can wreak on vulnerable patients. My father passed when I was eight years old due to poor lifestyle habits and lack of education on medication. I feel that if I were older at the time of his passing, I could have stepped in and encouraged lifestyle changes and monitoring of his own health. I do not take these things lightly because I have seen what change even a little bit of education can make to a patient’s well-being. These PAs diligently kept the nurses informed of any changes in the plans of care, and they always had a closed loop of communication between them and their colleagues. I consider myself blessed to have had such a fulfilling tenure as a CNA. It taught me how every level of care is meaningful, and it allowed me a detailed look at the everyday practice of PAs.
My time shadowing, studying, and working has taught me many things – many things about the value and transiency of health, the practice of medicine, and human nature. However, what I hold dearest in my mind are the lessons I learned about myself. I learned that I want to be a part of the recovery and healing process for patients in need. I learned that being a physician assistant is in my mind a lifestyle choice, not only a career choice. I have learned that becoming an effectual healthcare practitioner is my lifelong goal, and I am bringing that goal to life by constantly expanding my skills and experiences in healthcare at every opportunity.
Whitney Prosperi says
Christopher,
Your opening was strong. It captures the reader’s attention and shows your ability to stay calm during a crisis.
You also did a great job of explaining your journey to the PA path. You show a solid understanding of the role and how you are suited for it.
I would recommend you take some time to slowly read through your essay, eliminating typos and condensing where you can. This will leave you some space to add more details regarding your clinical skills and patient care experience. You also may want to mention your commitment to teamwork and collaboration.
You are well on your way to a strong personal statement and I wish you the best of luck.
Katie says
My mom often reminds me of her favorite quote from Sheryl Sandberg: “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”. When contemplating what this means to me, and how I can act as a fearless leader within my own life, I know pursuing my dream of becoming a physician assistant (PA) embodies her message. As a clinical dietitian, I’ve become comfortable in my way of life: a job I can rely on, patients who know me, and a foundation of knowledge I am confident in. Although the work I do everyday is impactful, I aspire to have more direct involvement in patient care as a PA.
When I first entered the world of nutrition about 7 years ago, I envisioned myself working in preventative care exclusively through a dietary lens. Being in the intensive care unit (ICU) during my dietetic internship gave me a whole new perspective on the impact I can have on a patient’s life. Every morning I had the privilege of rounding with the interdisciplinary team to design life-saving treatment plans for patients. I listened as the practitioners spoke in what seemed to be a foreign language, and realized my interest in medicine overshadowed that of nutrition. I wanted to know every detail, and went out of my way to seek out further medical education by seeing intubations, endoscopies, and learning to interpret imaging. These encounters solidified my desire to be directly responsible for the outcomes of those in my care.
After my internship, I began working at a level 1 trauma hospital, and subsequently met a cardiac ICU PA named John, who inspired me to pursue this profession for myself. He believed in the importance of nutrition for his patients, and depicted the type of practitioner I hope to become. I will never forget one patient, Brian, who was on multiple vasopressors after an extensive triple coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Due to this, he was unable to receive enteral nutrition for over two weeks. John and I collaborated daily to ensure Brian was put on the proper parenteral nutrition regimen to fit his medical needs and hypermetabolic state. I believe he survived because of the flawless care plan John executed. He advocated for all members of the care team, including myself, to do what was best for his patient. This is the exact work I strive to replicate as a healthcare provider, and now a future PA.
Since committing to the path of becoming a PA, I sought out a position that would better reflect these roles and responsibilities. In my current job at a dialysis clinic, the staff rely on me for many aspects of patient care, including reviewing labs and making appropriate medication changes. This is something dietitians rarely assist with, and this small taste of expanded practice has confirmed my desire to become a PA. That being said, I still find moments throughout the day where I am not able to make the impact I desire. Patients confide in me about conditions I cannot treat, such as chronic pain or substance abuse. As a PA, I would be able to address these confounding issues directly.
Becoming a PA will allow me to hold on to the part of being a dietitian that I love most: providing direct patient care, while also broadening my scope of practice. No matter my role, I will always consider my patients and their families to be my number one priority. While my job is to focus solely on nutrition, my duty is to support my patients in their overall well-being and goals of care. For example, I actively seek resources for my patients that are food insecure, and am starting a food pantry to increase community access to good nutrition. As a PA, I would have further qualifications to support patients in even more monumental ways.
While I enjoy working individually with patients, being a part of my clinic team has brought out the best in me as a provider. This is the main reason I aspire to be a PA over another practitioner. Working under multiple physicians throughout my career, I have developed a balance of autonomy and teamwork that is vital to the PA role. I communicate with my attending physician daily to relay important patient updates, but am also confident adjusting treatment plans on my own. Becoming a PA would give me the capabilities to more readily accommodate the needs of my patients.
My unique experience as a dietitian is parallel in many ways to that of a PA, and has prepared me to be successful in this profession. I have cultivated skills in managing treatment plans, communicating with teams, and developing a patient-centered mindset that cannot be derived from a classroom. Simply put, I aspire to be a PA because when I imagine the provider I hope to become, I think of the PAs that have inspired me. For now, I will continue to serve my patients however I can as a dietitian, and wait for this dream to take shape.
What would I do if I wasn’t afraid? This is the first step.
Whitney Prosperi says
Katie,
There are many strong elements to this personal statement.
You displayed your passion for patient care and your understanding of the PA profession. You showed how you are equipped to pursue this path through your experience and abilities.
Additionally, you conveyed your ability to collaborate with a healthcare team and your commitment to teamwork. You also spotlighted your clinical skills and your work with underserved populations.
I would proof again as there are a few easily corrected typos. (The period at the end of first sentence should be deleted.)
Overall, this personal statement is very effective, showcasing your qualifications to become a successful PA.
Alison Bean says
Here is a first draft of my personal statement:
It was my first trip to a hospital and at 12-years old, I had no idea what to expect. The air in the car grew thick with anxiety as it cruised ever closer to downtown Boston along the winding turns of Storrow Drive. The goal of the day was to figure out why a 12-year-old was consistently outputting systolic blood pressures in the 150 range. I nodded along to the explanations of each test that was planned, though I had no idea what each one entailed. As I underwent the various tests my nerves started to transform into curiosity. My thoughts faded away as I watched in amazement when the outlines of my renal blood vessels appeared on the monitor during an ultrasound. I had dozens of questions about how the IV contrast dye I was injected with for a CT scan was going to allow the doctors to see abnormalities in my body’s vasculature. Perhaps the most thrilling part of the day was when I got to see a 3D projection of my heart and kidneys on a computer screen. It turned out that all it took to lower my blood pressure was to focus on the science and not the scary needles. From that day on, I was hooked. The seed harboring dreams of a future in medicine was firmly planted.
My studies and experiences at the University of New Hampshire nurtured the seedling planted that day, but my first job after college as a medical assistant really started to pave the path towards becoming a physician assistant. It felt like a breath of fresh air compared to the various undirected positions I held in my youth. My role in the office was exciting and engaging, but having the opportunity to observe a cohesive, talented team of providers was perhaps the most valuable aspect of the experience. The foundation of kindness, trust, and confidence that the doctors and nurse practitioners all worked to build with each other and with their patients was inspiring. I can remember one instance with a nervous patient who arrived for a knee joint aspiration. I watched as the nurse practitioner skillfully put the patient at ease while assisting the doctor to remove a copious amount of yellow colored fluid from the inflamed joint. When the patient had arrived she could barely walk, but she left taking strong, pain-free strides.
Following my time at the practice I spent time exploring the field of scientific research in cardiothoracic transplantation where I learned from amazing surgeons using science to try and improve patient outcomes after graft placement. I worked as an EMT where I developed the confidence required to administer patient care in a unique healthcare environment. I returned to my roots as a medical assistant in a hospital setting with dedicated nurses who helped me improve in all aspects of my patient care skills. By involving myself in this wide array of interests and environments I developed a versatility similar to that of physician assistants who have the opportunity to transfer their knowledge and skills between specialties.
It wasn’t until I started shadowing a PA that I realized truly how influential their role can be as part of a medical team. I had the opportunity to shadow PAs in cardiac surgery, and having never seen surgery first-hand before made the experience all the more exhilarating. I watched in awe during a triple coronary artery bypass while the PA located, isolated, and removed the radial artery from the patient’s left arm. He moved with such precision and confidence, all while taking the time to explain to me his every move. I observed as he worked with the surgeon to attach the radial artery to the heart and bypass a blockage that could be deadly to the patient. Each aspect of surgery I had the opportunity to witness relied on the skills and expertise of the PA to be successful. I aspire to be valued as part of a team where each member’s skill set is appreciated and utilized to help a patient have the best outcome, and I have seen this dominating in the PA role.
Every opportunity I have pursued since I was that anxious 12-year-old girl experiencing the world of medicine for the first time has brought me towards my decision to become a PA. I found an outlet in medicine for my strengths as an empathetic listener, a curious mind, and compassionate caregiver. My experience in diverse environments such as primary care, scientific research, and emergency medicine will undoubtedly make me a more skilled and confident healthcare provider. The ultimate goal is to work hard every day to provide exceptional care to patients as part of a collaborative team, and I am excited about the possibility of reaching this goal as a physician assistant.
Whitney Prosperi says
Alison,
Your opening is very effective.
You also do a great job of showing your understanding of the PA role through describing the shadowing opportunities and interactions you’ve had with PAs. Additionally, you highlight how you are suited for the PA path and committed to teamwork.
You could add a story that shows you how you interact with patients.
Also, add a section that spotlights your clinical skills and medical knowledge.
Good luck to you.