Anesthesiologist Assistant Personal Statement
Please explain your motivation for selecting a career in healthcare and specifically why you are interested in becoming an anesthesiologist assistant. Describe how your personal and professional background will help you achieve your career goals and eminently suit you for this profession.
I need help trimming it to 4,500 characters, any feedback and editing is greatly appreciated. I would like to have my application submitted by June 30, 2023.
When my grandmother had a massive stroke, the medical team did everything they could to alleviate her discomfort and would often check on her. They would also address any concerns my family members had, which greatly reduced their worries. Since childhood, I had always been inclined to go into the healthcare field one day, but witnessing family members falling ill and receiving exceptional care by medical professionals significantly reinforced my decision. Overtime, I became interested in the career path of surgical healthcare professionals. My shadowing, scribing, and medical assistant experiences gave me the opportunities to understand and develop necessary skills and qualities to one day become an anesthesiology assistant, a vital part of the healthcare team.
Since I was young, biology was always my strongest suit, but my love for the subject started to translate into an interest in medicine when I took upper-level biology courses as an undergraduate. Immunology, endocrinology, genetics, and anatomy and physiology courses not only piqued my interest, but also gave me an understanding of underlying body functions. It was really something to think about; every day we use our eyes, ears, brain, muscles, and countless other structures to carry out daily activities, but do we actually stop to think about their actual mechanisms? Learning about the human body in depth opened a whole new world to me that I'd never really thought about or seen before. That was my spark to pursue a career in healthcare, but I wasn't sure about which path to follow. I decided to explore different areas of the field through shadowing physicians, dentists, and physician assistants. These experiences allowed me to
After shadowing, I decided to integrate myself into the medical field and began working as a scribe. I found each patient had a detailed history with a unique combination of factors requiring individualized treatment. I organized patient histories to help the physician and streamline her workflow. In turn, the physician was able to allocate more time and attention to the patient. This position allowed me to make connections between symptoms, diseases, and treatments, while gaining valuable clinical skills and forming a connection with the physician during each patient encounter. I began to see the impact that efficient collaboration in a healthcare team had on the quality of care that was provided to the patient.
Being a scribe allowed me to see a variety of patients in a short amount of time. However, since I couldn't directly interact with them, I knew that was what I wanted to focus on next. As a medical assistant, I was finally able to interact with patients, take histories, present cases to the doctor, and perform diagnostic procedures. I dove in wholeheartedly and enjoyed the experience, as it allowed me to learn how to balance multiple responsibilities in a clinical setting while dealing with different people and situations. This experience was extremely rewarding because it allowed me to connect with and comfort patients. I realized I wanted to pursue a role that would allow me to both work productively within a team and build relationships with patients to provide the best care possible.
About a year ago, I heard about the anesthesiologist assistant program, and it instantly piqued my interest. I realized this profession encompassed all of the aspects of healthcare that I wanted to focus on. Earlier this year, my dad underwent a quintuple bypass surgery. This was extremely hard on him and he almost did not make it. During the weeks spent in the hospital, we got to know the surgeon and an anesthesiologist assistant (AA). Before he went into the surgery, I remember the AA comforting my family and making sure we were aware of the risks as well as confirming pre-operative information. She could sense how worried my family was and reassured us, telling us he was in good hands and he would be okay, a positive attitude that greatly encouraged my dad. The interaction was small but meaningful, and the kind and uplifting words she offered in that tense moment made a very positive impact on my family. I realized what a major impact the AA had and how their role eased the stressful surgical process patients experienced.
All of my cumulative experiences have gradually helped me clarify why I had chosen to pursue a path in anesthesiology. I understood what an essential member of the team an AA was and my experiences allowed me to develop the skills needed to treat patients and team members with compassion and respect.
I realized how imperative the role of an AA was; they worked alongside other members of the medical team with a common goal of patient health and comfort. My goal as an AA would be to bring positivity to the patient's life by treating them with empathy, attention, and high-quality patient care. I want to be able to connect to and make a difference in patients' lives, and I've found that an AA is a perfect combination of the teamwork, empathy, and connection to patients that I have been searching for.