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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 (26th April 2024): Accepting New Submissions
(Photo: Me circa 1987, just thinking about my future PA School Essay)
- Are you struggling to write your physician assistant personal statement?
- Are you out of ideas, or just need a second opinion?
- Do you want an essay that expresses who you truly are and grabs the reader's attention in the required 5,000-character limit?
We are here to help perfect your PA school essay
I have written countless times on this blog about the importance of your personal statement in the PA school application process. Beyond the well-established metrics (GPA, HCE/PCE hours, requisite coursework, etc.), the personal statement is the most crucial aspect of your application.
This is your time to express yourself, show your creativity, skills, and background, and make a memorable impression in seconds. This will be your only chance, so you must get it right the first time.
For some time, I had been dreaming about starting a physician assistant personal statement collaborative.
A place where PA school applicants like yourself can post their PA school essays and receive honest, constructive feedback followed by an acceptance letter to the PA school of your choice!
I have been reviewing a ton of essays recently, so many in fact that I can no longer do this on my own.
To solve this problem, I have assembled a team of professional writers, editors, and PA school admissions specialists who worked to revise and perfect my PA school application essay.
Beth Eakman has taught college writing and worked as a professional writer and editor since the late 1990s. Her projects have involved a wide range of disciplines and media, from editing technical reports to scriptwriting for the PBS Kids show Super Why! Her writing has appeared in publications including Brain, Child Magazine, New York Family Magazine, and Austin Family Magazine. Beth lives with her family just outside Austin, Texas. She is driven to help each client tell the best version of their story and achieve their dream of becoming a physician assistant.
Deanna Matzen is an author with articles featured in Earth Letter, Health Beats, Northwest Science & Technology, and the Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. With an early career in environmental science, she developed a solid foundation in technical writing. Her communication skills were further honed by producing and editing content for a non-profit website, blog, and quarterly journal. Inspired to extend her craft, she obtained a certificate in literary fiction, which she draws on to build vibrant scenes that bring stories to life. Deanna loves working with pre-PAs who are on the cusp of new beginnings to find their unique story and tell it confidently.
Carly Hallman is a professional writer and editor with a B.A. in English Writing and Rhetoric (summa cum laude) from St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas. She has worked as a curriculum developer, English teacher, and study abroad coordinator in Beijing, China, where she moved in 2011. In college, she was a Gilman Scholar and worked as a staff editor for her university's academic journal. Her first novel, Year of the Goose, was published in 2015, and her first memoir is forthcoming from Little A Books. Her essays and creative writing have appeared in The L.A. Review of Books, The Guardian, LitHub, and Identity Theory, among other publications.
Read more client testimonials or purchase a revision
We Work as a Team
Our team of professional editors is wonderful at cutting out the "fluff" that makes an essay lose focus and sets people over the 5,000-character limit. Their advice is always spot-on.
Sue, Sarah, and Carly are amazingly creative writers who will take your "ordinary" and turn it into entirely extraordinary.
I mean it when I say this service is one-of-a-kind! We have spent countless hours interviewing PA School admissions directors and faculty from across the country to find out exactly what it is they are looking for in your personal statement.
We even wrote a book about it.
To collaborate, we use Google Drive. Google Drive is free, has an intuitive interface with integrated live comments in the sidebar, the ability to have a real-time chat, to collaborate effortlessly, and to compare, revise, or restore revisions on the fly. Google Drive also has an excellent mobile app that will allow you to make edits on the go!
Our team has worked with hundreds of PA school applicants within the Google Drive environment, and we have had enormous success.
The Physician Assistant Essay and Personal Statement Collaborative
I have set up two options that I hope will offer everyone a chance to participate:
- One-of-a-kind, confidential, paid personal statement review service
- A collaborative, free one (in the comments section)
Private, One-On-One Personal Statement Review Service
If you are interested in the paid service, you may choose your plan below.
The Personal Statement Review Service is:
- Behind closed doors within a private, secure network using Google Drive.
- It is completely interactive, meaning we will be able to provide real-time comments and corrections using the Google Drive interface.
- Telephone consultations are included with all edits above the single edit level. It’s often hard to communicate exactly what you want hundreds of miles away; for this reason, we offer the option to edit right along with us over the telephone while sharing in real-time over Google Drive. This is an option available to all our paid clients who purchase above the single edit level.
- We provide both revision and editing of all essays. What’s the difference? See below
- We will provide feedback, advice, and help with brainstorming and topic creation if you would like.
- We will help with a “final touch-up” before the big day, just in case your essay needs a few minor changes.
Why Choose Our Service?
- It’s not our opinion that matters. We have gone the extra step and personally interviewed PA school administrators from across the US to find out exactly what they think makes a personal statement exceptional.
- We are a team of PAs and professional writers, having worked over ten years with PA school applicants like yourself, providing countless hours of one-on-one editing and revision.
- Our clients receive interviews, and many go on to receive acceptance into their PA School of choice.
Because we always give 100%, we will open the essay collaborative for a limited number of applicants each month and then close this depending on the amount of editing that needs to be done and the time that is available.
Our goal is not quantity but quality. We want only serious applicants who are serious about getting into PA school.
Writing is not a tool like a piece of software but more like how a photograph can capture your mood. It’s more like art. The process of developing a unique, memorable personal statement is time-intensive, and it takes hours to compose, edit, finalize, and personalize an essay.
As Antoinette Bosco once said:
And this is why I am charging for this service. We love helping people find stories that define their lives, and we love helping individuals who have the passion to achieve their dreams. It’s hard to describe the feeling I get when an applicant writes back to tell me they were accepted into PA school.
There is no price tag I can place on this; it’s the feeling we get when we help another human being. It’s just like providing health care. But this takes time.
Interested? Choose your plan below.
Read more client testimonials.
Free Personal Statement Review
Post your essay in the comments section for a free critique
We want to make this opportunity available to everyone who would like help with their essay, and that is why we are offering free, limited feedback on the blog.
You post your essay in the comments section, and you will get our critique. It is that easy. We will try to give feedback to every single person who posts their COMPLETE essay here on this blog post in the comments section.
Also, by posting your comment, we reserve the right to use your essay.
We will provide feedback on essays that are complete and fit the CASPA requirements (View CASPA requirements here). We will not provide feedback on partial essays or review opening or closing statements. Your essay will be on a public platform, which has both its benefits and some obvious drawbacks. The feedback is limited, but we will try to help in any way we can.
Note: Comment Rules: Remember what Fonzie was like? Cool. That’s how we’re gonna be — cool. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, I will delete your stuff. Otherwise, have fun, and thanks for adding to the conversation! And this should go without saying: if you feel the need to plagiarize someone else’s content, you do not deserve to go to PA school.
* Also, depending on the time of year, it may take me several weeks to reply!
We love working with PA school applicants, but don't just take our word for it!
How to submit your essay for the paid service
If you are serious and would like to have real, focused, and personalized help writing your personal statement, please choose your level of service and submit your payment below.
After you have submitted your payment, you will be redirected to the submissions page, where you can send us your essay as well as any special instructions. We will contact you immediately upon receipt of your payment and essay so we may begin work right away.
Pricing is as follows:
Choose your plan, then click "Buy Now" to submit your essay, and we will get started right away!
Every purchase includes a FREE digital copy of our new 100-page eBook, How to Write Your Physician Assistant Personal Statement, Our 101 PA School Admission Essays e-book, the expert panel audiobook, and companion workbook. This is a $65 value included for free with your purchase.
All credit card payments are processed via PayPal over a secure HTTPS server. Once your payment is processed, you will be immediately redirected back to the essay submission page. There, you will submit your essay along with some biographical info and all suggestions or comments you choose to provide. You will receive immediate confirmation that your essay has been securely transmitted as well as your personal copy of "How to Write Your Physician Assistant Personal Statement." Contact [email protected] if you have any questions, comments, or problems - I am available 24/7.
The hourly service includes your original edit and one-on-one time over Google Drive. It is simple to add more time if necessary, but you may be surprised at what a difference just a single edit can make. We find our four-hour service to be the most effective in terms of time for follow-up and full collaboration. We are open to reduced-rate add-ons to suit your individual needs.
Writing and Revision
All writing benefits from rewriting when done well.
When you are in the process of writing a draft of an essay, you should be thinking first about revision, not editing.
What’s the difference?
Revision refers to the substantial changing of text. For example, it may include re-organizing ideas and paragraphs, providing additional examples or information, and rewriting a conclusion for clarity.
Editing, on the other hand, refers to correcting mistakes in spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
On all submissions, we perform both revision and editing.
How to submit your PA school essay for the FREE editing service
Follow the rules above and get to work below in the comments section. I look forward to reading all your essay submissions.
- Stephen Pasquini PA-C
View all posts in this series
- How to Write the Perfect Physician Assistant School Application Essay
- The Physician Assistant Essay and Personal Statement Collaborative
- Do You Recognize These 7 Common Mistakes in Your Personal Statement?
- 7 Essays in 7 Days: PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 1, “A PA Changed My Life”
- PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 2, “I Want to Move Towards the Forefront of Patient Care”
- PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 3, “She Smiled, Said “Gracias!” and Gave me a Big Hug”
- PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 4, “I Have Gained so Much Experience by Working With Patients”
- PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 5, “Then Reach, my Son, and Lift Your People up With You”
- PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 6, “That First Day in Surgery was the First Day of the Rest of my Life”
- PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 7, “I Want to Take People From Dying to Living, I Want to Get Them Down From the Cliff.”
- Physician Assistant Personal Statement Workshop: “To say I was an accident-prone child is an understatement”
- 9 Simple Steps to Avoid Silly Spelling and Grammar Goofs in Your PA School Personel Statement
- 5 Tips to Get you Started on Your Personal Essay (and why you should do it now)
- How to Write Your Physician Assistant Personal Statement The Book!
- How to Write “Physician Assistant” The Definitive PA Grammar Guide
- 101 PA School Admissions Essays: The Book!
- 5 Things I’ve Learned Going Into My Fourth Physician Assistant Application Cycle
- 7 Tips for Addressing Shortcomings in Your PA School Personal Statement
- The #1 Mistake PRE-PAs Make on Their Personal Statement
- The Ultimate PA School Personal Statement Starter Kit
- The Ultimate Guide to CASPA Character and Space Limits
- 10 Questions Every PA School Personal Statement Must Answer
- 5 PA School Essays That Got These Pre-PAs Accepted Into PA School
- 7 Questions to Ask Yourself While Writing Your PA School Personal Statement
- 101 PA School Applicants Answer: What’s Your Greatest Strength?
- 12 Secrets to Writing an Irresistible PA School Personal Statement
- 7 Rules You Must Follow While Writing Your PA School Essay
- You Have 625 Words and 2.5 Minutes to Get Into PA School: Use Them Wisely
- What’s Your #1 Personal Statement Struggle?
- 31 (NEW) CASPA PA School Personal Statement Examples
- How to Prepare for Your PA School Interview Day Essay
- Should You Write Physician Associate or Physician Assistant on Your PA School Essay?
- Meet the World’s Sexiest PA School Applicants
- PA School Reapplicants: How to Rewrite Your PA School Essay for Guaranteed Success
- How to Write a Personal Statement Intro that Readers Want to Read
- PA School Reapplicant Personal Statement Checklist
- How to Deal with Bad News in Your Personal Statement
- Inside Out: How to use Pixar’s Rules of Storytelling to Improve your PA Personal Statement
- Ratatouille: A Pixar Recipe for PA School Personal Statement Success
- Personal Statement Panel Review (Replay)
- Mind Mapping: A Tool for Personal Statements, Supplemental Essays, and Interviews
- Start at the End: Advice for your PA School Personal Statement
Jordan Smith says
My brother, Jack, was three years old when he was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis. I was six years old at the time and I could barely pronounce meningitis, let alone begin to understand its significance. All I knew was that one moment Jack wasn’t feeling well, and the next he was comatose.
Two weeks into his coma, there was still no sign of Jack waking up. The doctors told my parents that the odds of him coming out of his coma at that point were slim and, if he were to wake up, there would almost certainly be severe cognitive and motor damage. That night, my family took turns saying goodbye to my brother, for what we thought may be the last time. Remarkably, the following morning, Jack opened his eyes. Today, despite his prognosis, he is now a strong, happy, and healthy 18-year-old young-man committed to playing Division I soccer at California Polytechnic University this fall.
The year following Jack’s recovery, my second grade class was asked what we wanted to do when we grew up. Our answers to the question were then displayed under our photos in the year book. Under my picture it reads, “I want to help kids in hospitals.” Although I now have a more clear understanding of how I wish to do so, my answer 14 year ago still holds true. From witnessing the care that my brother received, I developed an admiration for those who dedicate their lives to helping others. Through volunteering, that admiration grew into a passion to do the same.
Volunteering has always been an integral part of my life. Growing up, I would often accompany my papa to volunteer at children’s hospitals. He was a member of Shriners International, a philanthropic organization that helps children in need of medical attention. When we went to the hospitals, my papa took on the role of “T-bone” the clown. With his red nose and painted face, “T-bone” would make balloon animals and do face paintings for the children there. Each time I went with my papa to volunteer, I was reminded of the extraordinary treatment I had seen when my brother was ill. Without exception, the health care teams tended to their young patients, while providing unwavering support for their families. I continued to witness this commitment to care throughout high school and when it came time to decide what I wanted to study in college, I knew my calling was in medicine. However, it wasn’t until my papa became sick that I fully understood what position in health care I would best serve.
When my papa wasn’t volunteering at hospitals, he was painting. My papa was an avid artist, and most of his days were spent watching Bob Ross tutorials and bringing them to life on canvas. That was until he was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis, a neuromuscular disorder that would inhibit his ability to practice his passion. As the disease progressed, his arms became increasingly weaker, and it wasn’t long before he was no longer able to lift them. Since painting was something that had been a part of his identity for his entire life, I was sure that this would crush him. Instead, thanks to the care and encouragement of his physician assistant (PA), my papa began doing other activities that restored his quality of life. His PA made the most of what could have been a negative experience, compiling a list of alternative activities that he could do to supplement his former passion. She showed continuing support and compassion, and offered exceptional medical care throughout this difficult process. Now, my papa is still able to exercise his creativity and spends his time composing crossword puzzles, creating pebble sculptures, and putting together scrapbooks for his family.
During my life, I have been fortunate enough to experience first hand many of the different divisions of health care. From the experiences mentioned above, shadowing medical professionals in Honduras, and working as a medical office scribe for the past two years, I have gained a clear understanding of why I wish to become a PA. In Honduras, I was able to transition out of my role as an observer, and provide patient care directly to underserved communities. Although as a medical scribe I am not taking vitals like I did in Honduras, I have gotten to work alongside doctors and PA’s in various orthopedic specialties. Scribing has allowed me to expand my knowledge of anatomy while learning about how to truly care for patients as a provider. I aspire to assume this role because I want a career that not only focuses on helping others, but also one that challenges me to fully actualize my potential. I believe that every person is obliged to undertake a profession that allows them to focus on their personal happiness, while maximizing the impact they can make in their respective communities. This path will enable me to help individuals optimize the quality of their lives and live happily with their loved ones as I have been able to in my life, due to the amazing medical professionals that saved my brother and have helped my grandfather.
Whitney Prosperi says
Jordan,
You do a good job of showing how your passion for caring for patients has developed.
I would suggest condensing where you can so you can add more elements of your healthcare journey.
What specifically about the PA profession appeals to you? (more time with patients, ability to switch specialties, ability to increase access to underserved patients, collaboration with a healthcare team and supervising physician?)
Also, elaborate some more on your work experience and how this has prepared you for PA school.
Jordan, I wish you good luck in the process.
sofia says
It was my first time stepping foot into a hospital. My parents were frantically trying to get someone’s attention so that I could receive care. This seems like it would be an easy task, doesn’t it? But how does someone who had recently immigrated to the United States communicate with healthcare providers when no one understands their native language? It took our close family friends, who spoke English, coming to the hospital to help translate the emergency and close the gap of care. It was smooth sailing moving forward, but this experience will stick with me forever. With constant barriers created by language, income level, and other socioeconomic factors, the question remains: how does everyone receive equal care?
Feeling helpless and invisible in this situation pushed me to learn fluent English so I never faced an issue like this again. Unfortunately, these barriers continue every day for immigrants. Throughout the beginning of my college career, I noticed there was a divide in the healthcare sector, especially for minorities. As a public health major at The University of Maryland, I focused on science and social aspects of minority health to understand why the persistent struggle to thrive in America occurs. These classes reminded me of the horrible situation my family faced when we first moved here.
When I had the opportunity to volunteer on a clinical trip to Haiti through UMD, I knew my education and lived experiences were going to be put to the test, and I was up for it. Setting up free clinics in the village of Leogane, we offered medical assistance to all in need. We walked around with a translator, but also took an hour a day to learn basic Creole so we could better communicate on our own. One afternoon on our daily rounds a young woman named Babet asked us to look at her mother. I noticed her mother’s swollen leg and immediately knew she had Elephantiasis. She asked if we knew what was wrong and if her mother could be healed. Unfortunately, we had to tell her that it was caused by parasitic worms and was irreversible. But we were able to share tips on how to prevent it in the future and provided antibiotics to protect them for a few months from common parasites found in the area. While my education did prepare me for this diagnosis, it was my lived experiences that enabled me to give the best care possible. I loved knowing I was able to make her feel seen, heard and provided the family a sense of true primary care. This is when I knew I wanted to work in healthcare, the question was where.
Fast forward to sophomore year, I got a call that my dad was in the hospital. He suffered a heart attack and needed bypass surgery right away. I rushed to the hospital and could see the frustration on his face, “No one here is talking to me, no one can understand me, and they are all idiots,” he yelled from his hospital bed. At first, the nurses waved him off as a difficult patient simply because his broken English came off a bit aggressive. In reality, he was scared and just wanted answers. It was apparent that the doctor played a very minimal role in patient interaction, and we mostly spoke with the physician assistant. He explained that they usually had a translator, but unfortunately one was not available. A prime example of the lapse of care. Since I was able to stay at the hospital, I could personally translate for my family, and my father could get into surgery as soon as possible. I noticed and appreciated that the PA played a huge role in communicating procedures throughout his stay. When it was all said and done, my father wanted to speak to the surgeon to ask how the recovery would go, but getting ahold of the doctor was impossible. Luckily, the PA was much more available to answer all our questions. Having a familiar face throughout the process was comforting in this tough situation. Again, this was the moment I felt a calling to healthcare, but more specifically, a calling to be a PA — where I could give patients a clear diagnosis, along with the care and attention they not only deserve, but are entitled to. Even though I was not able to get shadowing experience due to the pandemic, I have a deep understanding of what a PA is responsible for and capable of through my own contact with the healthcare system.
From my experiences with healthcare, and those of my parents, I noticed a common theme in primary care where patients lacked a personal relationship with their healthcare provider. I believe that healthcare professionals should not simply communicate with the patient about a problem, but should build a personal relationship. Patients need to be able to have trust in their providers, and be able to communicate. I want to effectively communicate diagnosis to patients, whether in Spanish or English, and build relationships with trust. Minorities and underserved communities have a right to equal and adequate primary care, and I want to become a physician assistant to ensure that basic principle.
Whitney Prosperi says
Sofia,
You do a good job of showing how you want to alleviate disparities within the healthcare system. I would suggest being very careful to not appear that you are being critical of another provider. If possible, it is best to stay positive in a personal statement.
I would elaborate some more on what appeals to you about the PA profession.
Also, even though you have no shadowing experience to discuss, what have you witnessed from working with PAs?
I would also share a personal care story that shows you performing some kind of clinical care while connecting with a patient on a personal level. You want to show what you have to offer as a future PA and how you treat patients.
I wish you good luck throughout the process.
Hannah Schwichtenberg says
“We have our first resident COVID-19 case.” My supervisor released in our daily announcement. This was something that working at a long-term care facility, I knew was coming. There had been outbreaks of COVID-19 in nursing facilities around the whole country, but somehow it stayed out of our facility until November 2020. I knew as soon as it reached our facility it was going to be one of the biggest challenges I have faced yet. Watching all the healthcare workers on the frontlines fighting COVID since the beginning of the pandemic, I always felt inspired and that it was my desire to also help. Little did I know, my time would come, and it would be helping the residents that felt like family to me. Immediately, I jumped in, working overtime each week in our makeshift COVID unit. During this time, all I could do was provide comfort to my residents, assisting with activities of daily living and comfort cares like providing oxygen. However, I yearned that I could provide additional medical care to the residents impacted by the virus. The pandemic overall has deepened my desire to become a physician assistant (PA), as well as help on the front lines.
When one decides to become a healthcare professional, a person is choosing to become dedicated to learning. When I initially started my healthcare journey as a certified nursing assistant (CNA), I knew helping others was my passion. Working in long term care, there is less hustle and bustle than in a hospital or doctor’s office, but in turn, there is more of the ability to connect with each patient on a personal level. As a CNA, I am able to learn specific details of every resident including their likes, dislikes, hobbies, and passions. I believe becoming a CNA was one of the best decisions I could have made in my professional career. It has taught me so many valuable life lessons. I went from learning in a classroom about PPE, infection control, and diseases, to being out on the floor for 8+ hours a day facing these things head on. I was now working side by side with our nurses, following the care plan for each resident and following their plans of care.
With working with geriatrics, some have lost the ability to talk and walk due to strokes, or some suffer from dementia, which is why I focus so much on person-centered care. I look past their condition and focus on what their specific needs are. PA’s also do this; they look at the bigger picture focusing on how they can help the patient. As healthcare professionals, we can provide an essential service in people’s lives, a service that unfortunately not everyone has access to. This is what a PA did for me when I developed symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in my sophomore year of college. When I began to feel overwhelmed, my body would start to tingle from head to toe, my head would start to pound, all things that are very scary for someone who doesn’t know they have GAD. I chalked my symptoms up to more extreme diagnoses like a brain tumor, starting my catastrophic thinking. Through my tribulations, my PA was a refuge. She was attentive to my symptoms and taught me how to manage them, giving me so much more than a Band-Aid on an open wound, but a new perspective on how to navigate the triggers of my GAD. Today, with the help of my PA along with supplemental strategies, GAD no longer holds me back from success. As a patient, it taught me what qualities a provider should have and those are the qualities I will strive to attain.
Over the last three years, I have taken every opportunity to learn from healthcare professionals and work with patients. While the pandemic has set me back in the shadowing department, I have been able to supplementally partake in virtual shadowing, seeing PA’s from family medicine to surgery. This just further validated my marvel for the PA profession. Even without being in person, I was able to still see how each PA prioritizes quality of care. However, besides the priority of care, I gained an interest in how there are a variety of PA specialties and how the PA profession can be so versatile. As a CNA, I always report to nurses, our nurse practioner, and my supervisor on any new developments with our residents. Each time, my superiors have treated our residents without judgement, just as the PA that diagnose me with GAD. Being a part of a healthcare team reiterates to me how inspiring and important medicine is.
Finding a career that you can be successful in is not about measuring the amount of good you can do but discovering where your passions and interests lie and how you can perform your best. Everyone has the capability to perform their best and do good in this world, but a PA has the potential to do more— they advocate for their patients, collaborate with physicians and nurses, and provide a sense of community to their patients and other healthcare workers. Finding purpose and serving as refuge to those in need, is what I look forward to most in the PA profession.
Whitney Prosperi says
Hannah,
You are off to a good start.
I would suggest adding a patient care story that reveals you in action performing clinical care of some kind. You want to show yourself connecting with a patient on a human level while also providing care.
I would also suggest spotlighting some of the clinical skills you have gained throughout your experience.
Lastly, for your conclusion, I would tie back to your introduction in some way.
I’m not saying you need this, but should you want more help remember we are taking submissions for our essay revision service.
Good luck to you!
Don Austin Caldwell says
“Jessica, are you doing okay? You seem more stressed than usual.” I ask as I hook her up to the ECG monitor prior to her pulmonary rehab appointment. “Honestly, no. I’m really worried because my boyfriend is acting strange.” She goes on to explain that she thinks he is going to kick her out because they are fighting again. She is terrified of this because if he does she has nowhere else to go, she and her two kids would be out on the street. As we continue talking it becomes clear the relationship is emotionally abusive, “Jessica, are you safe? Has he ever hurt you?” “Yeah, I’m safe, he’s not like that. I just don’t know what I’m going to do.” I excuse myself briefly and collect the contact details for the local women’s shelter. After we discuss her options a bit more she says, “I think I’m ready to exercise, maybe it will get my mind off of things. Thanks for listening, I must really trust you ’cause I don’t normally open up to people like this.”
I come from a family of healthcare providers; my grandfather was a pediatrician, my grandmother a nurse, my father a respiratory therapist, and the list goes on. As such, I have always been around the healthcare field and felt that I knew it fairly well. Despite this, I could never have known how rewarding a career in healthcare could be and how much I would love working with patients until becoming an exercise therapist 3 years ago.
Being an exercise therapist I get to fill many roles including personal trainer, nutrition advisor, ECG tech, and therapist. I love the challenge of using my clinical skills to keep patients safe, such as reading their ECG and catching potentially dangerous rhythms or recognizing the signs and symptoms of a medical emergency. I enjoy being able to be a calm presence as I help them through a near syncopal episode or transfer them to the ER for heart attack symptoms. My favorite part of working in healthcare, however, is experiences like that with Jessica. Making personal connections that allow me to recognize needs beyond that of cardiac and pulmonary health and treat the whole individual.
I first learned about the Physician Assistant (PA) profession as a teenager being seen for chest pain. The PA that saw me was calm and easy to talk to. He took an ECG and explained that there was a concern I might have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. He explained a little bit about the disease and then told me that I would need to get an echocardiogram. He took the time to explain the procedure and what the next steps would be then answered all of my questions.
While I haven’t been able to do any significant shadowing time, working at the hospital has afforded me the opportunity to work with many PAs. I want to be a PA because I want the education to answer questions and the scope of practice to treat patients with relative autonomy. The fact that PAs are a part of a team with physicians that can be deferred to when needed is very attractive. The lateral mobility to change specialties afforded to a PA is very comforting to me. More than anything, I love that PAs are usually able to spend enough time with patients to get to know them and treat them as an individual.
It is a typical morning in cardiac rehab as John walks in for his appointment, his wife Karma in tow. As always, I worry John will tell us this is going to be his last session considering his wife had to force him to come to his first session. I have worried less lately because the personal connections we have formed over the last couple weeks seem to have softened his attitude toward us. As my coworker takes John into the patient room Karma pulls me aside. “Thank you so much for all you are doing for him. Not just the exercise and education, but the jokes you tell him each day. He is so excited to come home and tell me what your joke was. Thank you for finding a way to make this special for him.” I just smile and say “It’s our pleasure,” but inside I’m beaming. This is why I got into healthcare. This is why I love working with patients. I love being able to make a legitimate difference in their lives. As a PA I look forward to being able to impact their lives even more.
Whitney Prosperi says
Don,
You do a good job of showing your ability to and capacity for connecting with patients.
You may want to mention your desire to collaborate with a supervising physician since this is such an integral part of the profession.
Also, I would elaborate some more on your work experience and clinical skills.
I wish you good luck in the process.
Kathryn O'Connell says
My mom was diagnosed with a brain tumor my sophomore year of high school, but my interest in medicine started much earlier than that. In my eighth grade science class, red and blue colored pencils scattered the table tops as my teacher taught us about the anatomy of the heart and how circulation works. I was enamored with anatomy and how everything functions so seamlessly. As my education continued I took more science classes and health science classes. The more I was exposed the deeper I fell in love with the idea of medicine and how the body works. I was not sure where I wanted to go, but I knew I wanted and needed to be in the field.
Medical school was seemingly the perfect compromise to my love of science and medicine, and I would get to help people. I was thrown into medicine unexpectedly and with hostility when we received my mom’s diagnosis. It affected my family in many ways, making sure we could drive her everywhere, change dressings, take care of her, and watch her be sick, all taking a large emotional toll. As difficult as the years of appointments and illness were, I learned so much about myself and my interest in the medical field. It confirmed my desire to be in medicine and motivated me to help those struggling the way my family was. But it showed me that medical school was not right for me. I observed the medical field from the patients point of view and was able to talk to providers and nurses. Being able to see how hospitals operate and speaking to staff allowed me to get insight into other careers that better match my personality, as well as what I want out of a career in medicine.
After putting up a strong fight, we had to place my mom in hospice. We spent a month with her before she passed, which encouraged me to get my CNA license. I would be responsible for aiding patients with activities of daily life, watching vitals signs, alerting nurses of changes, taking blood sugars, inserting catheters and maintaining drains. It was a way I could immediately make a difference and help those who needed help. More importantly, it gave me the opportunity to help people the way the staff helped my family when we needed it, and take care of those who needed help. It would also give me experience in the medical field so I could continue to learn where I wanted to take my career.
I got a job at Wake Forest Baptist on the trauma floor. As a level one trauma center, I get to see everything from broken bones, gunshot wounds, stabbings, brain injuries, as well as overflow patients from other floors. I have been fortunate to observe several procedures as well, such as chest tube insertion, NG tube placement and removal, WVAC placement and removal, trach decannulation and ostomy changes. Every shift I learn something new, gain valuable experiences, and continuously fall more in love with the path I am on. One of my biggest discoveries was that I enjoyed nursing, but my true love is medicine.
One of the most memorable cases I have is of an older woman, who had early onset dementia, fell, causing a subdural hemorrhage causing her to be on comfort care. Her husband was very distraught, but I was able to walk him through the process of calming her down as she got anxious and restless based on experiences with my mom. When the EMT’s arrived to transfer her to hospice, her husband hugged me and thanked me for everything I did. This was the moment I had been searching for, getting to impact someone the way the people who took care of my mom impacted us. These are the moments I will continue to search for in my career in health care.
One of the PA’s I work with interacts with patients in this way. He takes the time to listen to everything the patient has to say and is concerned about; he is patient; and he explains everything in a way that’s understandable. I had the opportunity to shadow him and I realized being a PA is the answer I had been looking for. I followed him both on the floor and clinic, observed every aspect of the job, talked about education, and the flexibility of being able to change specialties. I knew this is the path I wanted to take. I would get to treat patients, diagnose, educate, and use my love of medicine and sciences while helping people the way my family was helped. I soon shadowed an orthopedic surgeon PA, as well as a trauma surgery NP, which only confirmed that going to PA school is the next step for me. I would get to perform basic procedures, assist in surgery, and would have the flexibility to change and master different specialties.
I have known I want to be in medicine for a long time, but had struggled to decide where my place was. I know now I want to be a PA, based on my experiences in medicine, both from working and being on the patient’s side. I know this is the right decision for me. With my experience and education, along with valuable team skills such as communication, adaptability, and time management from my years of volleyball, I will excel in your program.
Whitney Prosperi says
Kathryn,
I am very sorry to hear about the loss of your mother and know you will honor her legacy in your care for others.
I think you do a good job of showing how your interest in medicine developed and how you landed on the PA profession. I would elaborate some more on how your work experience has prepared you for PA school by spotlighting some of the clinical skills you have gained.
I wish you good luck in the process.
Shana T says
My story is one marked by perseverance and determination, however, I cannot entirely attribute the quality of my experiences to my own passion without mentioning the individuals along the way who fostered my drive to become a physician assistant. One of the most memorable patient experiences I’ve had was with a man who was visiting from China. He had been taken to the hospital to be treated for COVID-19. As he was being rushed into the hospital room by the paramedics, I was holding back tears, trying to finish taking his vitals. This patient evoked such a reaction in me because he had resembled my dad. Seeing the patient unsettled, unfamiliar with his surroundings and completely vulnerable in a room with strangers who didn’t speak his language and made no effort to explain what they were doing to him had made me project my dad onto someone who I had never met before. It is the thought of having healthcare professionals neglect and trivialize your loved ones needs especially ones that experience a language barrier that push me to want to become a physician assistant. I want to be able to provide optimal care and keep a patient and their family absolutely informed about their care plan regardless of how many questions they ask and the language they speak. Serving patients proudly and unconditionally is how I would like to earn my recognition as a physician assistant.
My first encounter with a physician assistant was when I came into my routine dermatology appointment but instead of my usual medical doctor, I had scheduled for someone different. Because my doctor had long periods of unavailability due to her numerous patients, I chose to try a new healthcare provider, unaware she was a physician assistant. She made a great impression on me as a patient and her title intrigued me, prompting me to learn more. In addition, her treatments alleviated my acne and I appreciated the variety of options she suggested to me. Even now when I come in for appointments, I am fascinated how she is able to glance at my skin, know the name of every bump and have an idea what to prescribe to me. Our strong compatibility as patient and provider was the trigger for me to consider becoming a physician assistant.
Afterwards, I began to seek out healthcare positions and ended up working in long-term care facilities, pharmacy and eventually transitioning to the COVID unit in the hospital. The combination of my experiences have shown me the importance of personalized patient care and the team implementing those interactions. Whether my team and I have worked together to put residents to bed, deliver prescriptions in a timely manner or prone a patient, I’ve learned that patient care should be tailored to fit every single individual and such interactions are dependent on the coordination of the patient care team. The role of a physician assistant aligns with my ideals because I believe I work the best in a team setting. Not only is a patient under the direction of multiple patient care individuals, the coordination of a team ensures their safety, reduces error and increases efficiency. In this type of environment, I would feel the most confident in my work knowing that the responsibility of the patient is divided upon a team.
My drive to pursue being a physician assistant has been solidified by the people I’ve met through my healthcare jobs over the years. The Chinese patient who was confused and alone had taught me the significance of direct communication and patience. Without those skills, a patient can be easily frustrated, uninformed and dismissed in regards to their needs. My dermatology physician assistant had shown me the importance of medical accessibility to patients and compatibility between patient and provider. These elements are crucial to the satisfaction and quality of care that a patient receives. Ultimately, the people I’ve worked alongside during my healthcare jobs have shown me the importance of collaboration between all patient care members in order to reduce any mistakes and address patient concerns at many different levels. As a physician assistant, I want to be able to implement those qualities and care for underserved communities. It gives me great fulfillment to know a patient fully trusts, is comfortable and is confident in my abilities as a physician assistant. I would like to create lasting, memorable relationships with my patients and peers just as the individuals that have inspired me along the way have done so to me.
Whitney Prosperi says
Shana,
I can sense your desire to connect with and care for patients throughout your essay. I suggest being careful to not appear that you are being critical of another provider. You just want to watch your tone and stay as positive as possible in a personal statement.
I think you are wise to mention your desire to collaborate with a healthcare team since this is such an integral part of the PA role.
I would include a story that shows you in action providing clinical care of some kind while connecting on a human level. You want to show yourself in action and reveal some of the characteristics you possess that will make you an effective PA.
Also, describe some of your shadowing experience. If you don’t have any experience shadowing PAs, describe what you noticed when working with them. What interactions (with patients or supervising physicians) confirmed your decision?
I wish you good luck in the process.
Hannah Hillard says
Roaming the halls of the hospital my freshman year of college, my heart was racing. I was there for my first volunteer shift with a program that provided visitors to patients ages 65 and older. A nurse greeted me and went over my instructions, one rule being do not go into rooms with “purple butterflies,” as these were patients receiving end of life care. My heart went out to these patients as I thought to myself, “these are the patients that need companionship the most.” A feeling of insufficiency came over me as I could not provide comfort to this category of patients. Over the next 5 years, I would come to encounter many “purple butterflies,” obstacles that stand between me and the patient care I strive to offer. Limited medical knowledge, restricted scope of practice as a medical assistant, and belittling comments from peers and outsiders, to name a few. However, these only strengthened my drive to pursue medicine. Inspired me to put in tireless hours towards patient care, to study harder, and to adamantly achieve the necessary requirements to get into a competitive physician assistant (PA) program.
I am fascinated by the human anatomy and the careful thought that goes into locating the source of a patient’s issue. Yet, I am not only intrigued by the medical impact, but the emotional connection you can make with patients. One patient, in particular, opened up to me about her mother being in the nursing home; she had recently fallen, enduring a brain bleed. When she said this, my jaw dropped and goosebumps ran down my arms, as I had received a text at work that day with an almost identical story about my great grandmother. We opened up to each other about our fears and what started as a simple urgent care visit turned into a deeper connection. During my time as a medical assistant (MA), I have recorded thousands of medical histories, which has opened the door to profound conversations. People open up about losses in their life and struggles they are currently enduring. In these situations, I can be an empathetic listener, however, the medical knowledge and advice I can provide to bring ease to the patient from a scientific point of view is very limited. PA school would allow me to bring these interactions to a more meaningful level.
In addition, the limited scope of practice as a MA has impacted the care that I can provide patients. These include questions the patient has that I cannot answer, the incapacity to overcome provider complacency and ultimately the inability to direct the course of treatment. I explicitly remember a time I put in an order for ear drops and a warning came up for a possible allergic reaction. Upon approaching the PA on shift that day, he barely looked up from his phone and stated “oh, I am sure it is fine.” The dismissive tone and the outwardly lack of care, frustrated me as I was in a position with a limited range of medical abilities. Working as a full-time MA, I have been deeply touched by the patients and providers I have met. I have seen qualities I hope to embody as a provider but I have also witnessed the poison that can infiltrate the medical system when complacency takes over. PA school will grant me the ability to have a direct impact on the plan of care for my patients and instill in me a higher-level standard of care.
Another challenge I had to overcome and can foresee encountering in the future are condescending remarks. One comment that I received numerous times was “so, you just want to be an assistant your whole life?” I remember a specific instance when this was said to me amongst a group of peers by a superior at a volunteer event. My eyes were brimming with tears and uncertainty ran through me. However, nearly four years later, after extensive research into the career of a PA through shadowing and personal experience in the medical field, I do want to be an assistant my whole life. Assist those I encounter to continue learning and reach their ultimate potential. Assist in balancing to fulfill both the doctor’s and the patient’s expectations. Assist in making someone’s day a little easier.
Ultimately, PA was the route I chose due to my multitude of backgrounds. Working alongside a variety of doctors, nurse practitioners and PAs in orthopedic, urgent care, primary care and dermatology offices, has emphasized that there are multiple facets of medicine I want to explore. I always want to continue learning. To further my knowledge and the range of people I can help. While I do not expect to always be an expert as the medical field is ever changing and always introducing new chances to learn, I do expect to hold myself accountable to providing excellent medical care. I know in my future endeavors in the medical field I will encounter other “purple butterflies,” however, I am seeking a PA program that will equip me with the skills to adapt to changes and to set a high standard for the acceptable quality of medical care we extend to our patients.
Whitney Prosperi says
Hannah,
I can sense your passion for patient care throughout your essay.
I would suggest including more detail regarding what draws you to the PA profession. (more time/contact with patients? ability to switch specialties?)
Also, include a paragraph that describes your shadowing experience. If you don’t have any shadowing experience, explain what has inspired you in your work with PAs. Was there an interaction that has confirmed your decision?
Lastly, I would suggest avoiding negative comments in a personal statement because you don’t want it to appear that you are being critical of another provider. (Also, you want to use every character you can to talk about why you are a good fit for the PA profession.)
I’m not saying you need this, but should you want more help remember we are taking submissions for our essay revision service.
Good luck to you!
Jenny says
I had just arrived home from a long day of work, I saw my aunt rushed to the door to meet me, and exclaimed, “we have to take your uncle to the hospital!” I asked, “what’s the matter?” I’ve never seen her like this before. “Your uncle has been feeling numbness in his arms for the whole day. He didn’t tell me until I noticed he couldn’t grasp things that well. He doesn’t want us to be worried, but I’m afraid it’s something worse than we can imagine…” As she explains anxiously, I nod my head in agreement, then told her and my uncle to get ready to leave for the hospital. My aunt and I rushed him to the local emergency department where we waited to be seen. When we were seen, there were no providers that spoke Mandarin Chinese. I translated for us, but the medical terminology I could not translate significantly hindered my aunt and uncle’s abilities to understand the condition. My uncle was then evaluated overnight, and subsequently transported to a regional hospital with my aunt, unsure of the cause of his symptoms. After diagnostic tests were conducted, they discovered a pinched nerve in the cervical spine that was severe enough to require surgery later on. We were shocked by the results because he could have sustained detrimental nerve damage if left untreated. This situation taught me how important it is to have the patients and their family understand their conditions, as it is extremely distressing to endure the process of the unknown. This experience led me to become more interested in healthcare because not only did I love the sciences, I also wanted to become a healthcare professional who left their patients and families well-informed of their conditions and hopefully easing their worries.
From a young age, I was always interested in the sciences – every element of the sciences has been intriguing to me. How these elements connect to form a functional body was more thought-provoking than anything that I could imagine. After all, the human body is a fascinating network that interweaves all of the natural sciences together, such as biology, chemistry, physics and so on. I knew I wanted to work in healthcare because these professionals interact with a variety of people as well as incorporating the sciences.
As time went on, I did not know what career to pursue in healthcare since there are countless opportunities that are both interactive and exciting. I was drawn to professions that involved challenging aspects and innovative ideas, without mundane, repetitive tasks. When I began college, I researched many professions that could fulfill these ideals. I thought about career paths in pharmacy, medicine, clinical research, and many more. After working in a research setting for a couple years in college, I realized I craved interactions with different people. I love hearing people’s stories and building a unique relationship with them. Around that same time, I learned about the physician assistant profession. I was drawn to the lateral mobility, direct patient contact, and diverse patient cases that I would be able to see in this profession. The physician assistant role seemed much more patient-oriented and comprehensive than other healthcare careers that I had learned about.
Most importantly, I like listening to others’ stories, and being a physician assistant would definitely fulfill this wish. During my shadowing experience with a women’s care physician assistant, I greatly admired how she had a close relationship with all of her returning patients. She remembered all of their past medical and social history once she read their names off her schedule. Her appointments with the patients were reassuring and never rushed. I could tell all of her patients truly trusted in her care and herself as a person; they would share all of their concerns, which were not limited to medical problems. In my opinion, a foundation of trust and good relations between the patient and the provider is ultimately what will contribute largely to the patient’s recovery. I aspire to become a physician assistant that will build this foundation of trust with my patients as well.
Whitney Prosperi says
Jenny,
You are off to a good start.
I think your introduction immediately grabs the reader’s attention and shows some of your motivation for becoming a PA.
I would suggest condensing where you can so that you can add some more parts of your journey.
Also, I would include a story that shows you in action providing clinical care of some kind while connecting with a patient on a human level. You want to show what you have to offer patients as a future PA.
I would also include more details about your healthcare experience and describe some of the clinical skills you have developed.
Lastly, I would write a concluding paragraph that ties back to your introduction in some way and reiterates your desire to possess expanded responsibility for patient care with a personal touch.
Good luck!
Kyle says
Dacryocystitis. A child presents to the emergency room with a fever and noticeable swelling under his right eye. The mother was distressed due to another local hospital not giving her child any additional care beyond “he’ll be fine”. The PA entered the room and said, “I know exactly what this is, and I can help you.” The relief the mother felt was palpable. As a CT technologist and radiation therapist, this is not the typical patient that I would see in those fields. This gave a glimpse into the “other” side of medicine and the patient comfort and care a PA can provide. As tame and “unexciting” as this story seems, it shows that not every big moment in a patient’s care is lifesaving in the literal sense but could be everything to that patient.
Working as a CT technologist and as a radiation therapist allows for the opportunity to see patient care in various settings and acuities. This provides the benefit of not only a wider range of skillsets and knowledge base, but a greater understanding of how every patient must be treated independently of others and not every case can be considered routine. Examples can range from properly explaining and performing procedures, getting a patient a warm blanket, or even rubbing the elderly patient’s shoulder while he or she is in pain. Although working in therapy and CT is enjoyable, it does not offer the expansive and advanced care that I desire to give. After multiple years in both modalities, the additional learning opportunity in those fields is limited, and a career as a PA will offer both that advanced level of care and the ability to continue my education.
Mainly working in the emergency department, I was able to witness the PA profession in a first hand setting. Working largely independently in our ER, the PA who I worked with and shadowed was able to provide individualized patient care and utilize her knowledge to improve her patients’ outcomes. The PA profession’s ability to work in a team-centered environment offers that extra level of confidence that if additional care is needed, the physician is available for consultation while simultaneously allowing him or her to have a larger patient clientele. The PA profession is appealing because of the wide range of specialties without a need for additional certifications or testing like what would be needed as a physician. Although nurse practitioner school is similar in length to an education as a PA, it would include additional schooling in the nursing field beforehand.
When COVID-19 arrived, the opportunity for shadowing or volunteering was greatly diminished as many of my phone calls, during and post-quarantine, were met with, “maybe when this is over”. Also, working more than full time hours weekly as a CT tech/radiation therapist, I had more exposure to COVID patients than most, and decided it would be wise to limit person-to-person contact when outside of the hospital.
A patient’s care can range from simple reassurance of their good health all the way to saving their life, whether it’s a swollen eye and fever, ruptured appendix, or cerebral hemorrhage. With many years of patient care experience in countless scenarios, I can maintain a level head and do the job that needs to be done. With ample hospital experience, multimodality radiology interpretation skills, and a strong medical knowledge base, I am confident in my abilities and that I can be a successful and resourceful physician assistant.
Whitney Prosperi says
Kyle,
Your introduction grabs the reader’s attention and also reveals your inspiration for pursuing the PA profession.
I suggest limiting your discussion on NP or MD and instead focusing on what specifically appeals to you about the PA profession.
I would also add more detail about what you admired as you have worked with PAs. What interactions have confirmed your decision?
Also, if you have a patient care example that you can share, include that. You want to show yourself in action connecting with a patient on a personal level while providing clinical care of some kind. Also, describe some of the clinical skills you have gained throughout your experience.
Good luck to you.
Jasmine says
The voice from the intercom system in the operating room frantically announced “incoming trauma, 18 year old male, gunshot wound to the lower abdomen area.” It was my very first day volunteering in the operating room and the adrenaline in my system kicked in. At first, I was nervous and uneasy about what to expect, but as soon as I was in the room with everyone I was calm and engaged. The patient laid on the table and was losing a lot of blood. The surgeon in the room was trying to stop the bleeding, while nurses ran around, hanging more units of blood. Luckily, the surgeon was able to localize the bleeding, remove the bullet, and make the necessary repairs. This event pushed me to further my knowledge in medicine and get more hands-on patient care.
After graduating from college, I received an opportunity to work as an ophthalmic technician for Dr. Ottman. This experience allowed me to interact with several patients by documenting their concerns and complaints and relaying that information to the provider. The knowledge I have gained by working with Dr. Ottman has not only given me a better understanding of the clinical side of ophthalmology, but also has stressed the importance of patient care. I have learned to perform several diagnostic testing procedures, interpret the results, and relay that information to the patient. After observing how he shows immense compassion towards his patients, I realized how important it was for patients to have a provider like him. His patients value his opinion greatly and are always open to hearing his recommendations and suggestions.. Patients rely heavily on providers to make correct diagnoses, guide them towards the best possible treatment, and have an approachable personality in order to communicate clearly.
Before working as an ophthalmic technician, it wasn’t clear to me what the role of a physician assistant (PA) was. After spending more time interacting with patients, I would hear how much they enjoyed and valued their care from their PA that they saw for their primary care. I became more intrigued in their role in the healthcare system and looked further into the profession. I then had the opportunity to shadow Jessica Vue PA-C, working in a busy urgent care clinic and was able to see first-hand her role in treating patients independently while also consulting the supervising physician when needed. I was able to observe her suture a patient with a hand laceration, perform a physical exam and also treat a patient for a UTI. Watching her be compassionate and kind with each patient exemplified the PA that I want to be in the future.
I believe that this profession best suits me because I am very adaptable and am always eager to learn new things. I have a very strong passion for patient care, which is also an important aspect of being a physician assistant. Through my experience as an ophthalmic technician, I have been able to form special connections with patients. There was an elderly patient who lived by himself and needed to have cataract surgery, but did not have anyone to help him at home afterwards and was nervous about the process. I helped him to understand his post-op instructions and went over the eye drops he would be using following his surgery. He started to open up and told me stories about his childhood and what brought him to settle down in the area. At the end of his follow up care after his cataract surgery, he thanked me for being so kind and patient with him and helping him along the way to become more confident about the whole process. I am fortunate to have an impact on the patients that walk through the office.
Interacting directly with the patients in the clinic has allowed me to continue to fuel my desire in my studies in medicine as well as continuing my journey to become a great physician assistant. After three years of working as an ophthalmic technician for Dr. Ottman, I received the opportunity to work for a different ophthalmologist, Dr. Perlman. I have been able to assist him during surgical procedures and spend more one-on-one time with patients. This has taught me to be adaptable to the unique circumstances and also be attentive to the patient’s needs. I feel compelled to learn as much as I can, in order to do my best at helping these patients.
I believe that my experiences as an ophthalmic technician and shadowing have shaped me well for the PA profession. They have taught me how to be a team player, problem-solve, and take the lead when needed. I believe that my passion to educate others and strong focus on excellent patient care would make me a good PA. I strive to have patients be well educated on their condition and diagnosis. I think it is very important for them to have a good understanding of the issues that they are dealing with and have a plan going forward
Whitney Prosperi says
Jasmine,
You are off to a good start.
I think you should add some comments about your desire to collaborate with a healthcare team and particularly, a supervising physician.
Also, you may want to mention some of the clinical skills you have gained in your current role.
Lastly, in your conclusion you might think of a way to tie back to your introduction in some way.
I wish you good luck in the process, Jasmine.
Tyler Nice says
Power
I try to save my breath as I wait to be called onto the stage. My time arrives and I walk out confidently, as if I wasn’t exhausted and weak. “The mind drives the body”, I tell myself. With my chosen music blasting in the background, I strike my first pose; a front double bicep seems fitting to begin. The timing of my bodybuilding routine I had poured so many hours into already seems off as I transition from one pose to the next. My efforts to smile are in vain as my muscles tire and I run out of breath almost instantaneously. The blinding lights, impairing my vision of the hundreds watching, assists me in keeping my stage fright almost nonexistent. My 45 seconds of “glory” ends, I walk off stage left, and my 16 weeks of rigorous dieting and training has come to it’s conclusion. Tonight, we feast!
It doesn’t seem to surprise people when I tell them I am a natural competitive bodybuilder. After all, I would like to think I look the part. What does seem to surprise them, however, is when I tell them I had childhood leukemia. That’s probably why I don’t bring it up often. When I do, people look at me as if I am some sort of victim; something to be pitied. Perhaps we’ve been conditioned to respond this way, or we feel that’s what the person is looking for. But that’s not how I see myself and it’s especially not how I want to be seen by others. I want to be seen as someone who is powerful – someone who doesn’t let their circumstances define who they are or what they become.
Being diagnosed for the first time when I was 4 years old, I was in and out of hospitals for most of my adolescence, making it almost feel like home. I don’t remember much of the first time. Even so, it’s as if I have been a part of the medical field my entire life. Perhaps I felt invincible after going into remission when I was 8 years old, because I don’t remember being afraid of dying when I relapsed at age 9. Being my rock, my strength, and absolute favorite person in the world, one might think my father’s sudden passing only a few short months before my relapse would have given me quite the reality shock in terms of death. On the way to the hospital, I remember asking my mom what the chances of me dying was. “About 30%”, she replied. But it still wasn’t enough to make me worry. To this day, I have no idea where she got that number, but I remember thinking those were pretty good odds. I hadn’t played many dice games yet, obviously. The competence of the medical team is what I believe allowed me to be so at ease. The physicians radiated with confidence and intelligence. The medical staff took the job of worrying from me (not so much my mom), and so I trusted them with blind faith. I wasn’t just healed, but my burden was lifted. I felt safe; never comfortable, but safe. My only job was to do what I was told, which I was pretty bad at.
When I was 9, I remember being visited by a physician while in the hospital. This man seemed different, however; younger and stronger, even. He sat beside me, then looked down and asked, “Do you know who else had childhood leukemia?” I scrunched my face, obviously confused, and replied, “Me?” I’d like to blame it on the drugs, but the truth is, I was never the brightest child (nor adult, for that matter). He laughed and said, “No… me.” I do not remember another word of the conversation, nor do I remember the actual purpose of his visit. But for the first 20 years of my life, that’s exactly who I wanted to be.
After veering away from my path into the medical field, I’ve somehow found my way back. It only feels fitting. I have been blessed with both fortune and hardships at a young age. My fortunes brought about opportunity, while the hardships taught be valuable lessons. What was it all for if not to help others? To be there in some of the darkest times of a person’s life is truly a great responsibility, but an even greater opportunity. They too, should feel powerful.
~4,000 characters
Whitney Prosperi says
Tyler,
Wow. Your story of overcoming is powerful, Tyler. I can sense your passion to help others woven throughout your essay.
I would suggest adding some more details about your path in healthcare. How did you gain experience and what clinical skills have you learned along the way? How did you decide on the PA path specifically? What appeals to you about PA in particular? (is it more time/contact with patients? the ability to switch specialties? your desire to collaborate with a healthcare team and supervising MD?)
You will likely need to condense parts of your story, but I would suggest doing that so you can add in some more of your path toward the PA role.
Also, if you have any shadowing experience, I would describe that. What about this experience confirmed your decision?
Lastly, if you have a story about a patient that motivated you to do more for patients, include that. Show yourself in action providing clinical care of some kind while caring for an anxious patient, for example. You want to show some of the characteristics you possess that will make you a great PA and what you have to offer patients.
I’m not saying you need this, but should you want more help, we are taking submissions for our essay revision service. I wish you good luck in the process, Tyler.
Madison says
A sick patient sitting in an inevitable cold room, anxious but patiently waiting on the healthcare provider to deliver our prognosis. I have experienced this on several occasions but one clinic visit in particular changed the trajectory of my life.
“Take these antibiotics and pain medication, your urinary tract infection should clear up in a day or two.” I was relieved to hear this information. By this time, I had been in severe pain for 3 days. The simple instructions to rid myself of my discomfort caused me to release an audible sigh of relief. I promptly filled the prescription for the antibiotic and followed all instructions. To my dismay, the pain lingered. On day five of continuous and drastically increasing pain in my back, a trip to the ER was in order.
To back this story up a bit, this experience took place during my senior year of college. I was living alone and it was after midnight when the pain got so bad that I decided to go to the hospital. I was concerned and quite frankly scared to know why I was still in so much pain. After vitals, lab drawls and being placed on an IV, the doctor entered in the room and said, “You have a very severe kidney infection. The medications you received at the minute clinic were not strong enough. You will need new medications to clear up the infection.” Noticing the disconnect in information from the Minute Clinic to the hospital opened my eyes to how much of a difference there can be between healthcare options. Places like urgent care centers should be as dependable as hospitals. This experience lead me to see the demand for well-rounded providers. I want help change the way the medical system operates to give others a better life.
As a minority, understanding accessible healthcare and systematic discrimination within the healthcare system is of importance and interest to me. I was raised in a medically underserved area and I would be remised to think that my situation hasn’t happened to many others. As a part of a medically underserved population, I realize that there are many people are unable to receive appropriate medical attention due to their economic, cultural or linguistic barriers surrounding the medical profession. I have vowed that I will find innovative ways to help as many people as possible through my pursuit of becoming a Physician’s Assistant.
When I was a third year undergraduate student, I heard about a medical professional called a Physician Assistant (PA) through volunteering in an emergency medical service organization. I was intrigued and shocked. A medical profession that is able to support, diagnose, and treat patients that I had never heard of? My mind was blown. This type of professional is a direct correlation to my undergraduate educations and lifelong passion. Volunteering for an organization out of my sheer love for serving the community and learning about patient/healthcare led me to finding my dream career as well as further my pursuit in healthcare.
Being given the opportunity to broaden my healthcare knowledge and further my education in the healthcare environment during a pandemic is a blessing. Currently, I am a patient care technician (PCT) and I have the opportunity to not only work alongside nurses, PAs and doctors, but to also submerge myself further into patient care at the surgical level. I not only witness extreme, challenging, and life changing cases, I also witness how important skills, such as interpersonal, awareness of cultural issues and professionalism is in saving lives and in providing the best experience and care for patients.
Through being a PCT, my skills of intuition, creative problem solving as well intellectual curiosity have thrived. Working on the surgical floor has led my interest for pursuing the PA career to flourish, due to wanting to help my patients more than what I am able to do in my current position. Watching the PAs show their vast knowledge of multiple specialties has been the biggest ability of the PA career that I am impressed with, along with their ability to directly impact a person’s life. Learning different medical protocols and the ins and outs of medicine challenges me, and that is something I want to continue to do throughout my career, learn and be challenged, as medicine will always change and evolve for the better.
Assisting patients through a scary and difficult time in their life to assure they are comfortable, healing and overall feeling better is why I love working in the medical field. Supporting and improving communities, like my own, with easily accessible, highly trained medical professionals would greatly improve and save many lives in underserved communities. I would be greatly honored if you would support my passion and dream of becoming a PA. Not only would this decision support my dream, this decision would also help this country gain a medical professional who has the drive and desire to serve their community by improving and saving lives.
Whitney Prosperi says
Madison,
You are off to a good start here.
I am sorry that you had this experience and am so glad you got the help you needed. I would suggest being cautious to not appear critical of another provider in your opening statement. It is always best to stay as positive as possible in your essay. I realize that this situation must have been terrible, so do the best you can with your messaging here. Part of your story is wanting to address the inequities in the system, though, so your experience is a big part of your motivation.
I would also add some more detail about your work history and clinical experience. What clinical skills have you gained in these roles.
If you have any formal shadowing experiences I would also include those.
Lastly, I would include a patient care story. You want to show yourself in action caring for a patient in time of need. You want to show some of those personal traits that will make you a compassionate and skilled PA.
Good luck to you in the process.
Elle Q says
~ Any feedback is appreciated 🙂 Wanting to strengthen my conclusion
As a woman in her late twenties, I can feel an instinctual pull towards what I want out of my life. I know that I want to have a meaningful career that truly helps members of my community every day. Two years ago, when I was on my first clinical rotation for my current job as a surgical technologist, I learned about the physician assistant (PA) profession. I knew then, and today I am writing that essay to apply to the program. This is my end goal, and I am ready to start the journey.
My first experience with a PA outside of a patient-provider relationship was in the operating room. I was a surgical technologist student; I was intrigued by how the PAs were able to be involved in their patients’ healthcare journey from the beginning to end. Their clinical knowledge and hands-on skills seamlessly blended together, showcasing a provider and a leader that was able to truly make a positive impact on their patient’s lives. I want to be that person for other people, as well. I am passionate about helping others; I have been taking Spanish for healthcare professionals for the last two semesters while pursuing my bachelors, and plan on continuing my Spanish to help communicate with patients and help them be more comfortable in the OR. It has already been helpful when we had a Spanish speaking patient coming in for a hysterectomy. I was able to help her with words of comfort, and helped direct her from her cart to the operating room table.
I am specifically interested in a career as a PA. Becoming a surgical technologist was not only my first look inside an operating room, but also my first experience in the healthcare field. Being a part of a team in the operating room is something that I love about being a surgical technologist, and that PAs are a part of a team, too. Prior to working in healthcare, I was a bartender. I enjoyed the team-player aspect of working in a restaurant, and I also enjoy it in my current job, too. Additionally, by becoming a PA, I can further my education to have a more well-rounded knowledge of patient care. Sometimes when I am working, I feel limited with my knowledge as a surgical technologist regarding a patient’s medications, or when they are discussing their injuries. Additionally, I want to be able to get to know the patients that come through the OR, much like a PA will when they meet them in a clinic, are there for them before and after their surgery, and during post-operation appointments. As a surgical technologist, there is no better feeling than being able to help comfort a patient that is nervous when they come into the OR. It’s cold, they’re anxious, and they don’t want to be there. Grabbing them a warm blanket, making small talk about where they’re from, and holding their hand as they go to sleep helps them, but I feel as soon as they go to sleep seconds later, that’s it. I usually have no idea how their life changes after the surgery– if their breast cancer goes into remission, if their quality of life goes up, or anything about their diagnosis afterwards.
Another aspect of being a PA that appeals to me is that they work all throughout the healthcare profession. When I’m sick, oftentimes I’m seen by the PA, rather than the doctor. Prior to being a surgical technologist, I was a bartender. It was a great job, but I knew it wasn’t a career for me. When I joined healthcare, I fell in love with the field, and when I found out about the PA profession, I instantly knew I would eventually take the steps to become one. Being a bartender taught me many important lessons that I believe will take me far as a both a student and a certified PA. Bartenders work with the public like PAs do, and I think those customer service skills are an important part of being a well-rounded professional. There have been so many Saturday nights where we were busy and it taught me how to handle high stress situations, and how to maintain a calm composure during it.
When I was shadowing Dr. Angie Connors, PA-C, it was a great opportunity to take a look into what PAs do outside of the operating room. While in the clinic, she was able to see several patients, one of which stood out to me specifically. This patient came in upset that she had missed her weight goal of half a pound to be down to 100 pounds lost. She was near tears, and the way Angie was able to comfort and remind her of all the milestones that she had already accomplished significantly helped lift her spirits by the end of the appointment. This is the type of experience that makes me want to become more involved in patient care in a more full circle way.
[conclusion] Healthcare is an amazing field to work in. I am hoping that by becoming a PA, I will be able to further help members of my community, and better the lives of others every day. My compassion for people, ability to work well with others, and experience as a surgical technologist will all be qualities that help me be a good PA for my patients and co-workers. Becoming a PA is something that I am passionate about, and I am willing to do whatever it takes to become a successful PA.
Whitney Prosperi says
Elle,
I saw your essay come through for our 1:1 service so will reserve comments here.
Good luck to you!
Lauren Frank says
Oh no. Not again. The lights around me flashed in bright, green-colored spots before everything went black. My face would likely be flushed with shame if it was not drained of blood as I fainted in the phlebotomy chair again. I once again affirmed that the medical field would never be a career option for me as I recovered with a juice box and granola bar in hand. Years later, I am actively pursuing the career of my dreams as a physician’s assistant. This shift from disgust and fear towards the medical field to love and excitement has been a long journey. I regularly am asked why I chose to be a physician’s assistant instead of a doctor and told that I do not need to take the easy route by becoming a PA. This is a completely false assumption, as when faced with any professional or academic decision, I have never chosen the easy or more comfortable route. I always choose the route that pushes me to increase my skills and prepares me best for a fulfilling career in medicine. Through my extensive clinical experience and my own personal health challenges, I have found that being a PA would be the best career to allow me to invest in patient/provider relationships where I can provide quality care in my community.
This is first demonstrated when I shifted my entire life course towards a medical career. In high school, I was sure I wanted to be a teacher. It was then that I became chronically ill with what I later learned to be systemic lupus. My symptoms led me to see a variety of medical professionals in various branches of medicine. At this time, my primary care provider was a PA and the provider that was most available to me and most invested in my health, allowing me to see the effect a primary care provider can have on how a patient handles the day to day of living with chronic illness. This was when I realized that I wanted to have that same positive impact on the people I interact with through my career in the future.
After graduating high school with my associates degree in humanities from our local community college simultaneously, I threw myself into getting clinical experience while getting my PA prerequisites as a biology major. I was offered opportunities to be a medical scribe, but I wanted a job where I could serve people more closely with direct patient contact. I obtained my CNA certification, and began working in a nursing facility as soon as I turned eighteen. I worked nights for two years, studying during my shift down time, and learning as much as I could about common illnesses in the elderly community and how those illnesses impacted the lives of the residents. Here, I seized to opportunity to learn to connect with those I cared for. I learned their medical needs, and how I could best serve those needs, while helping them maintain their best quality of life.
With my experience as a CNA, I decided there was more I needed to learn before becoming a PA, so I obtained my phlebotomy certificate. This, I knew would be difficult for me, given my intense fear of needles. But it was in this training that I learned how common this fear is, and that helping patients overcome this fear, or any fear of medical professionals, is imperative to creating a good patient/provider relationship. Once I began work as a phlebotomist, I made it my personal goal to help those on whom I performed draws to be comfortable, relaxed, and imprinted with the best possible perspective on the procedure. I learned through this job the dire need for bilingual medical providers in my community. I began to study Spanish in my free time, until I was able to complete an appointment entirely in my patient’s own language. I continue to study Spanish to help any patient I work with understand that I care and want to provide them with the best service possible. Through this work, I have demonstrated how determined I am to provide excellent patient care, while helping those I work with express their concerns as I complete medical service with empathy and professionalism.
I constantly get the question of, “Why don’t you just become a doctor?”, and I have never once answered that becoming a physician’s assistant is easier. Through my personal health experience, I have been treated by doctors and physician’s assistants, and I have worked with them both in my clinical experience. I have found that my skill set of attention to detail, quick learning, empathy, and a desire to help those in my community have access to the best medical care possible, make me an ideal fit to be a physician’s assistant. When I become a physician’s assistant, I will make a difference in my underserved community by creating patient/provider relationships where the patient feels comfortable and understood, so that they can receive quality care. I want to make a positive impact in my community as a physician’s assistant, because my heart is in direct patient care and creating connections that better the lives of those with whom I work.
Whitney Prosperi says
Lauren,
I can relate to the story in your introduction. I don’t like needles either.
I would suggest avoiding the “why not MD” discussion simply because you don’t want to use the characters here. Instead, focus some more on the reasons that compel you to become a PA.
I would also mentioning what you witnessed in any shadowing experiences that confirmed your decision.
Also, I suggest sharing a patient care story. Show yourself in action, calming an anxious patient, for example. (I’m sure you have some great stories from your drawing blood.) You want to reveal more of what will make you an effective and compassionate PA here. Lastly, I would spotlight any clinical skills that you have gained through your clinical experiences.
I’m not saying you need this, but should you want more assistance, we are currently taking essay submissions for our revision service. Good luck to you!
Theresa says
Looking ahead at the hospital hallway on the oncology floor may not spark the interest of many visitors. However, as a rehab tech at the University of Kansas Medical Center, one quickly learns that each square on the floor represents a monumental journey for the patient attempting to make their way to the other end. Each step can feel like a mile for someone that is medically and physically healing. Being given the opportunity to stand right by their side as they take these first shaky steps has played a vital role in my decision to pursue medicine. But working alongside many Physician Assistants (PA) has contributed to my decision to become a PA.
My PA journey is not the traditional one. My fascination with the human body and its function led me to apply to a Physical Therapy (PT) dual degree university. I took the first opportunity to work as a patient transporter at Research Medical Center. This allowed me to provide considerate care to vulnerable patients, observe the importance of communication between members of a medical team and acknowledge that collaboration was the key to obtain the best patient outcomes. I recall the first conversation I had with the medical PA. I watched as she patiently listened to me present my case, shared words of sympathy with our mutual patient, conducted a thorough physical examination and continued to construct an organized treatment plan. It was the level of compassionate care that sparked my drive to provide the same level of care for my patients one day. From that first interaction with the PA, I struggled to keep my passion for PT.
While working regularly with patients as a rehab tech the last two years, I have witnessed the PAs interact with patients and have been reminded of my desire to pursue this career. Being able to assist patients with regaining their independence and the progress they make with small steps has been gratifying. It has further ignited the craving to be involved in their overall well-being like they were. My years in the hospital have helped me strengthen my communication abilities with patients of all ages and different healthcare providers, understand the significance of empathy and the process of healing in medicine. A patient I am often reminded of was a teacher and father of three named Greg who had lost all hope of his mobility. I took this on as a challenge and worked with Greg for weeks to maintain his diminished muscle strength. There were days where his progress seemed inevitable while others were filled with disappointment at his inability to get out of wheelchair. It was the latter days that the interventions from the PAs were much appreciated. Despite Gregs terminal illness diagnoses, I was able to contribute to his first steps. This was the result of hard work, dedication and perseverance, qualities I have instilled within me with the help of Greg.
To solidify my decision to pursue PA studies, I shadowed multiple PAs in different medical settings like neurosurgery, emergency medicine, cardiology and primary care. In each of these health care experiences, I was able to find that missing passion, it was the privilege to provide medical care to patients to ensure overall health. I enthusiastically watched the PAs care for patients of various ages and races, perform physical exams, diagnose and treat, perform bedside procedures and use different medical equipment all while having the ability to review complex cases with their attendings. The ability to practice in multiple specialties after training was incredible. Each of these PAs had vast medical knowledge but their eagerness to learn was remarkable. With every shadowing opportunity I was able to recognize my own capabilities to become a skilled PA.
Switching from PT to PA was academically and financially challenging. I remained focused and motivated to avoid falling behind on my intentions to provide education and clinical skills to the well-being of others on their journey to recovery. While working two jobs tirelessly, I learned how to effectively manage my time and discovered habits to help me avoid burnout which I will strive to contribute to your program. I am certain that my dedication will allow me to succeed in your program and further as a licensed physician assistant.
Whitney Prosperi says
Theresa,
You are off to a good start. Your story about Greg shows your compassion and ability to connect with patients. You may even want to add one more sentence here that shows you in action.
I would highlight any clinical skills you have gained in your experience.
You may even want to mention your commitment to collaboration since this is such a vital part of the PA’s role.
I am not saying you need this, but should you want more help remember that we are taking essay submissions for our revision service.
I wish you good luck in the process.
Kelly S says
“This is the only thing that keeps me going,” expressed Donald, gifting me the drawing he completed as I sat beside him in the dialysis clinic. It was our initial nutrition counseling session after he restarted hemodialysis following the rejection of his kidney transplant. His labs revealed hyperphosphatemia, and as the dietetic intern, I prepared for a discussion of high phosphorus foods and proper phosphate-binder use. Unexpectedly, as our session progressed, more pressing issues were revealed. Donald became emotional, detailing the recent passing of his mother and the lack of independence he experienced living alone in his nursing home. All of this left him feeling depressed and isolated. When Donald’s session came to an end, he expressed his gratitude for me listening to his story. After finishing our conversation, I went to inform the team of my concern for Donald’s wellbeing, but I was filled with an overwhelming impulse to provide him with more care than my scope of practice as a future dietitian permitted. It was my experience with Donald that solidified my decision to become a physician assistant. He made me realize that I desired a more central role for the patients in my care.
Although I was interested in the sciences and healthcare as an undergraduate, I was uncertain as to where those interests would lead me. Believing dietetics would be the gateway to fulfilling my passions, I declared it as my major. My earliest patient care experiences started as an undergraduate working as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit at the Orthopeadic Hospital of Wisconsin. It was in this position I developed an understanding of the vulnerability individuals experience as patients. Here, I first worked with physician assistants. Inspired by them and the other professionals I worked alongside, my decision to embrace a career in healthcare was solidified. I quickly developed a passion for maintaining the dignity of my patients. When taking vitals, removing IVs, and attaching cardiogram leads, I made a conscious effort to do so with empathy and communication so that my patients felt comfortable and confident with the care they were receiving.
As a student studying dietetics, it was my ambition to experience patient care with an emphasis on nutrition. I did this by obtaining a position at the University of Wisconsin Waisman Center’s Biochemical Genetics Clinic as a nutrition assistant. In this role, I was responsible for collaborating with a team to care for patients with rare metabolic disorders, such as phenylketonuria, for which nutrition is the main treatment. I played an integral part in communicating with the patients to ensure they had adequate access to their medical formulas, medical foods, and other resources that were essential for optimal adherence to their strict diet prescriptions. Since I was serving a rare patient population, resources were not widely available. One of the most rewarding challenges of this position was assisting in designing and running a summer camp for the patients. This provided them with educational opportunities, as well as to connect them with others who share their disorder. At this camp, a teenager named Katie confided in me the hardships she faced at school where she felt misunderstood by her peers who did not understand the strict diet she followed, a diet which was critical to maintaining her quality of life. As a PA, I will make it a priority to use my skills and training to make patients like Katie feel valued and understood.
Now, while functioning in the role of a clinical dietitian as a dietetic intern at Tufts Medical Center, my passion for becoming a PA grows daily. Although I enjoy managing enteral and parental feeding regimens and providing nutritional counseling, I continually find myself yearning to be more centrally involved in the patients’ care. Instead of assessing a patient and providing recommendations for feeding regimens to the medical team, I want to make broader decisions and be a more integral part of patient’s care.
The day I met Donald I left the conversation inspired to do more than my scope of practice as a registered dietitian would allow. From my experiences working alongside PAs, as both a CNA and a dietetic intern, I learned that becoming a PA is the quintessential way to fulfill this revelation. Physician assistants have the ideal balance of hand-on patient care, teamwork, and independence I desire. As a PA, I will be a patient-centered provider, using my education and abilities to advocate for all those under my care. The drawing Donald gifted me – which is now proudly displayed in my apartment – is a constant reminder of why I want to become a part of a healthcare team as a PA and have a central role in encouraging my patients to ‘keep going’.
Whitney Prosperi says
Kelly,
You do a good job of showing some of your character qualities that will make you an empathetic provider. The story about Donald was effective. I also like how you tie back to the story in your conclusion.
You show what appeals to you about the PA profession, and I can sense your desire to do more for patients throughout your essay.
I would elaborate some on your shadowing experience. What did you admire about the interactions you witnessed? (between PA/supervising physician or PA/provider)
Good luck to you in the process.
Rachel says
DRAFT 2: I am a little but over on character limit
To knit a blanket the proper supplies are needed: knitting needles, yarn, and a game plan of how to make the blanket. There needs to be a level of meticulousness to guarantee no mistakes are made. Each loop is intentionally cast on to the needle, each with its own purpose. Respectively, every experience is cast on one’s journey piece by piece, all contributing to the finished work. The intricacy of the blanket is added by utilizing diverse techniques and patterns to the yarn, all working together and changing its role throughout the process. Moving down the yarn and making each knot, everything slowly comes together and becomes further intertwined as the final product gradually unites. Now, just start. As the yarn is cast onto the needle, the parallelism between knitting and a PA is slowly unmasked.
Watching Arnold, an orthopedic PA, in surgery, immediately took me back to when my arm was sutured after being bitten by a dog and reminded me of the fascination I had as my skin was reunited by a single piece of string. The recollection of images of my blood streaming down my arm, my parents frantically trying to communicate with what little knowledge of the English language they had, and nobody giving a bit of reassurance that everything would be alright. The event, so deeply rooted within me, was what sparked my curiosity of how I, not as a patient but a medical professional, would act to alleviate the pain of a family so desperate for help. My passion to partake in the team to help and comfort those in medical need was gained from that moment. I wanted to be part of this body that provides both sides of healing: physical and emotional.
Whether it’s because I’ve directly encountered underserved communities from a young age or experienced emotional healing myself, I understand how emotional comfort is all one may need to heal their wounds. Their pain isn’t a wound that can be mended by hands, but from sincerity. I will never forget the moment when the silent and distant five-year-old girl I spent weeks with in Ensenada shock and hug me as she sat in my lap smiling. She had been broken by the very people who were supposed to keep her safe and I was determined to piece her back by offering her something she never received: warmth and reassurance that she was safe. We were separated by an entirely different language and culture, but healing a person with sincerity, proved it had no boundaries.
Working with Dr. Sohn, I understand why our patients depend on him and our team. Dr. Sohn offers both physical and emotional healing. The very thing I want to provide my patients. I’ve not only refined my clinical skills, but my engagement in the interpersonal and interprofessional relationships as my role in this team continues to grow. Dr. Sohn takes his time to listen to each patient and their concerns, patiently explaining everything to them and confirming they understood what he said as well. He goes the extra mile to get to know them, joke with them, and comfort them during their consultation. I aim to practice these traits by actively communicating and interacting with my patients as I triage and draw their blood, listening to their concerns and providing support during their moments of uncertainty. As I see each patient, my relationship with other professionals grows as I gain more experience assisting in organizing treatment plans and communicating with other providers and team members. The relationships that are continuously cultivated are regularly added into a blanket of knots and stitches, all interconnected and significant to each other.
As a PA, I cultivate a closer bond with my patients while having an active role in their care utilizing my strengths to offer the best treatment for them. I’m in a position to bridge the gap that may exist between the patient and doctor by communicating their concerns and doubts to the doctor from the relationship I develop with my patients by listening and empathizing with their stories. I participate in an interprofessional collaboration with other providers cooperating to build a curated treatment plan for each patient. Further, lateral mobility allows me to continuously learn and build myself to be a skilled provider and stronger asset in the team I’m in. I can apply the knowledge I’ve gained from the specialties I’ve been in to help strategize a care plan while acting like a chameleon adapting to the changing environments and settings I’m in.
A completed blanket is meticulously made and is an object that brings warmth and comfort. The knots and loops create a unique pattern throughout the blanket that emulates an interconnected web of relationships that I further construct as a future PA. It’s a relationship I can build with other providers and my team, furthermore, a relationship I’m able to harvest with my patients. I’m able to provide quality care where I can build relationships with my patients as I provide care for them. I’m in a position to be part of the team that not only heals them physically but emotionally as well during one of their most vulnerable and weakest moments.
Whitney Prosperi says
Rachel,
Time only allows me to offer comments on this platform one time.
If you need more help you may want to consider our essay revision service as we are taking submissions.
I wish you good luck!
Elisa says
At the age of 13, I remember being in the hospital holding my mother’s hand while reassuring her that my brother was doing great. Her hand was ice cold, which was uncommon for her. I looked up at her and noticed her face was rather pale, then suddenly she was gone. I tried waking her up by squeezing her hand and forcefully pushing my hand against her chest, but there was no response. The alarms on the monitors started going off, and all of the personnel, including nurses and physicians, ran in to assist my mom. I moved out of the way and observed how the medical personnel worked together in a very organized manner to save my mother’s life. After performing CPR and multiple blood transfusions, they were able to stabilize my mom. The gratitude I felt for those nurses and doctors that acted promptly to save her life made me realize that the medical field is what I was born to do.
A year later, due to the legal status of my family, we were forced to move to Mexico. I enrolled in a high school that offered a dual program, meaning I would receive my high school diploma and a bachelor’s in nursing after graduation. My non-fluent Spanish made it extremely challenging for me to grasp all the new information thrown at me throughout high school. However, I never let that hold me back from being one of the tops of my generation. A critical part of my nursing program included volunteering for annual vaccination campaigns, shadowing nurses and sometimes doctors in acute hospital settings. We would travel to rural parts of the city to provide vaccines to those that would otherwise not have access to such preventative care. Although I loved working in the acute hospital setting, I found my work in those rural communities more rewarding and impactful. On one occasion, we went to an elder’s home who was diabetic and needed a sore he had developed on his lower leg cleaned. I will never forget how grateful this older man was that we came to his home to check on his wound since he had no means of transportation to make it to the hospital.
A couple of months after graduating high school, I came back to America. I was eager to begin working in the medical field, so I became a Certified Nursing Assistant and started working in a long-term care facility. As a CNA, I assisted mainly older adults in their daily activities while making sure they felt appreciated. Providing the best care for residents and seeing how appreciative they are has been one of the most rewarding experiences of working in the healthcare field. I learned the importance of working as a team with the physical therapist, nurses, dietitians, and doctors to improve the residents’ overall quality of life. After about a year, I transferred to another CNA position in the recovery room. I helped get patients prepped for surgery and then assisted the nurses with the patients right after surgery. I worked primarily in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), where I would help nurses by bringing them anything the patient might need and always staying close by the unit in case any complications occur.
After two years of working as a CNA in both long-term and acute settings, I was offered an opportunity to assist doctors in diagnosing and treating patients in the endoscopy suite. As an endoscopy technician, I directly assist doctors in gastroenterology (GI) procedures, including gastroscopies, colonoscopies, and endoscopic ultrasound procedures. During these cases, my priority is to ensure the patient is safe by providing clean endoscopes and making sure we have the proper equipment for each procedure. The fact that I can work directly with doctors to diagnose and treat patients with GI diseases is fascinating to me.
The accumulation of all of the events described above, doing my research on various medical fields, and shadowing a PA undoubtedly brought me to the conclusion of pursuing my dream to become a PA. The level of patient interaction, the ability to work in diverse specialties, the autonomy, and ultimately the length and cost of schooling made me realize there is no other profession I will love more than being a PA. Helping underserved communities, forming meaningful connections with patients, and ultimately not only treating patients but providing the resources needed to prevent disease is the driving force that motivates me to become a PA. I am confident I will succeed in your program since I always accomplish what I set my mind to, and becoming a PA is my biggest dream.
Thank you in advance any advice on perfecting my statement is highly appreciated.
Whitney Prosperi says
Elisa,
You’re quite welcome.
I think you are off to a good start. That story about your mother had me on the edge of my seat. (I’m so thankful she was okay.) You do a good job here of capturing the reader’s attention and showing what sparked your interest in medicine.
You also are effective in showing your work experience and clinical skills.
I would elaborate some on the patient story about the elder and the wound. You may want to give him a name and add some dialog and more details. You want to show some of your traits in action that will make you a good PA.
I would also elaborate some on your shadowing experience. What did you admire about the PAs interaction with the supervising physician or with a patient?
Lastly, for your conclusion I would tie back to that powerful introduction in some way.
Good luck to you, Elisa!
Marin Phillips says
A woman raced through the entrance of the hospital and looked around frantically. She rushed up to me, a volunteer, and pleaded for a wheelchair. She explained that her son was unconscious in the car outside. My heart racing, I grabbed a wheelchair and accompanied her to the car, followed by several nurses. They lifted the boy into the chair as I stepped back, watching from the sidelines, feeling completely helpless.
This was not a heroic moment where I saved the day. I provided a wheelchair and a few encouraging words to a hysterical mother, as this was where my scope of practice as a volunteer ended. But I longed to one day take part in a more essential role. That moment transformed my curiosity in medicine into a desire to step into a role where I can offer vital care and support to people in some of their most fearful times.
I went on to earn my degree in physiology at UCLA, while I sought to learn more about the medical field. I interned at UCLA’s hospital, worked in pulmonary clinical research, led a team in exercise physiology clinical research, and shadowed healthcare providers in multiple specialties. I did not know much about the physician assistant (PA) profession, and many of my experiences and the desire to diagnose and treat patients led me to the path for medical school instead. It wasn’t until I met Eliza that everything changed.
Eliza is a general surgery PA who opened my eyes to the profession when she treated my sister. I was drawn to her autonomy and her intentionality with her patients. She explained her preference for collaborating with a physician and they share opinions and learn from one another. The ability of a PA to work in multiple specialties appealed to me as well as my husband is a submarine officer in the Navy and as we may move frequently, this lateral mobility will allow me to best serve the community we are in. I found that being a PA aligned far greater with my career aspirations than being a physician did. Additionally, the PA’s goal of improving access to healthcare and reaching the underserved is so necessary and I am eager to become a part of that mission. Eliza has continued to mentor me over the past two years; from pre-COVID lunch visits at the hospital, to now frequent FaceTime calls, we talk about current events in the PA world, her work in educating others in culturally competent care, and her passion for empowering those joining this profession. Her dedication has given me the ambition to be a PA whose work extends beyond their clinical duty and invests in the profession and their community as well.
In addition to Eliza’s mentorship, I’ve been privileged to work alongside several PAs who have further affirmed my career choice. At my first job as a medical assistant, I worked with a PA named Andy. I took notice of his ability to dive deeper into individual patient cases while the doctor managed a broader range of care. He taught me as we worked, asking me questions about intriguing cases, and he even quizzed me to see if I could identify a systolic murmur after auscultating a patient (I couldn’t, but that’s what PA school is for, right?). At my current job, I work with a PA named Doug and have the unique opportunity of joining him to manage a clinical research trial, in addition to seeing patients in the clinic. These PAs have shown me how dynamic the PA profession is, from working in different specialties, being involved in research, educating others about the profession, and more.
On my journey to become a PA, I discovered a motivation that supersedes my attraction to the intellectual challenge, autonomy, and clinical leadership. I’ll never forget one of my patients, an elderly woman who was new to our clinic. As I took her medical history, she calmly stated that she was very depressed. She carried on with the conversation, but I noticed that her eyes were filled with tears. I paused my questions, handed her a tissue, and held her hand. I encouraged her that she was in the right place to seek help and that we were on her team. From that day on, she insisted I was always with her at our clinic. She often told me more information than she shared with the doctor, even though she knew I had to inform him of what she disclosed, simply because she felt safe with me. This woman showed me the absolute importance of establishing trust with our patients. It was my greatest privilege to help her through her healing and I hope to always be that safe place for my patients. It is my driving ambition for this career to be a person my patients trust and allow them to feel support and safety through their struggles.
Reflecting on that pivotal moment as a volunteer, I look forward to stepping up from the sidelines and becoming more equipped in my ability to provide care. I am eager to become a PA, applying the skills I have and will learn to care and advocate for my patients. After all, healthcare is so much more than following a protocol to treat diseases, it is connecting with the person beneath the problem and being their champion for healing.
Whitney Prosperi says
Marin,
I think you do a great job of showing why the PA profession appeals to you.
Also, I can sense your ability to connect with patients on a human level.
I would spotlight any clinical skills you have picked up while describing some of your work experience. You want to show what you have experienced that has prepared you for PA school.
I am not saying you need this, but should you want further help, we are currently taking submissions for our essay revision service.
I wish you good luck on your journey!
Marisa says
I pulled my stuffed animal in tighter as I entered the hospital room and tried to gather what was going on. Beeps from monitor screens showing funny-looking squiggles and a whiteboard with long complex words that were beyond my fifth-grade vocabulary left me anxious. My aunt had just received a kidney after waiting years on a transplant list. Her surgeon used my stuffed animal as a model to teach me about the location and function of the healthy kidney that she now had. This began my interest in medicine. From that time, I knew I wanted to treat people and help them understand what is going on in their bodies.
It was not until high school that I heard of the physician assistant (PA) profession and decided that was the path for me. To gain diverse healthcare experience, I began volunteering at SPGH in the ED and various other floor units. I could not have imagined the impact that spending time with patients from all walks of life would have on me. It was a unique experience to interact with patients during their intake in the ED and later comfort them when admitted to a unit. There was one patient, in particular, that stood out to me. Mr. Ray had no loved ones to care for him and was frequently admitted to the hospital for medical and social needs. He never failed to put a smile on my face while we talked and did activities during his stays. As a volunteer, I also translated for Spanish-speaking patients that only had their stories partially understood. I can educate them on the care they receive and quell their anxieties that no one will be able to help them. Providing comfort to vulnerable patients is important to me and a large factor in my decision to become a PA. I hope to carry on my experience and one-day work with similar underserved populations in my community.
To expand my patient care experience, I began working as a medical scribe in the ED at MMH. As a scribe, I get to follow the treatment of patients from their initial story to their disposition. By observing physicians, nurse practitioners, and PAs, I have seen how to perform a physical exam, come up with differential diagnoses, and know what tests and medications to order for a plethora of medical conditions. My time as a scribe has been an invaluable experience in how to be an informed practitioner and provide preeminent patient care. I have accrued hands-on skills from assisting in the Epley maneuver to helping reduce a shoulder. Each day brings exposure to everything from a sore throat to pediatric trauma code. I look forward to transitioning from listening to patients as a scribe to taking action in carrying out a treatment plan as a PA. I am grateful for the wide scope of exposure I received as a scribe and I am excited to further my education and hands-on clinical skills as a PA student.
Working in the ED with PAs solidified my decision and made me all the more determined to be a PA. I am fortunate to work alongside PAs and see firsthand the role they play within a healthcare team. They consistently impress me as I observe them work autonomously with patients of all levels of acuity. An appealing aspect of the job is the ability to consult with a physician and work together as a team to provide the best care possible to patients. I have the pleasure to work closely with two PAs who have become my mentors. Mike and Melissa have taught me about the PA profession through their work ethic and clinical empathy.I am inspired by them to not solely treat a patient’s physical symptoms, but offering compassion and support to them and their families.
My time as a scribe provided context to information I learned as a student. Through my time in school, I took pertinent courses such as anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology, and can apply information from textbooks into everyday clinical experiences. For example, I read about common symptoms of nephrolithiasis in school, and I now see the association of positive CVA tenderness on a physical exam. Through my education, I recognized I could strengthen my study habits, including working harder independently and organizing group study sessions. My shift in study techniques resulted in an up-trending GPA and has prepared me to take on the rigorous nature of PA school and a career as a lifelong learner as a PA.
Through my experiences, I am prepared and excited to move from the background to the forefront of direct patient care. Volunteering with patients in a hospital has provided me with skills in clinical empathy and a desire to serve my community. Working as a scribe has afforded me invaluable clinical education and experience that will be effective in excelling as a PA student. I feel confident in my ability to work hard and execute my goals while attending PA school and start my journey to better my community in the future, one patient at a time. I am ready to become the provider that takes the time to make their patients and their loved ones feel safe and heard.
Whitney Prosperi says
Marisa,
You do a good job of showing how your interest in medicine developed. I also like your explanation of what appeals to you about the PA profession. You also do a good job of showing what you have observed through working with PAs. If you have any formal shadowing experience I would mention what you learned through that as well.
Good luck to you in the journey, Marisa.