"In the space provided write a brief statement expressing your motivation or desire to become a physician assistant."
Henry David Thoreau once wrote, "Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake." Thoreau played a role in one of the reasons it took me three years after graduation to start my application process for Physician Assistant school, and alas, this quote perfectly exemplifies why I am applying now. You see, I always wanted to have a career in the medical field. It was in my last two years of college that I started to question my commitment to this profession. I read Walden to help me write a paper in my ecology class, and there was just something about reading Thoreau's thoughts while living off the land and being separate from society that really struck a chord with me. That is when I decided my life needed to have a little more adventure: I spent a summer soul-searching in Montana, went on a few mission trips and I took some of the greatest courses in my undergraduate education: herpetology being my favorite. Did I want to be a physician assistant because society, my family, my academic advisor and my friends told me I should be? Or was I doing this because this is something that I was going to love doing for the rest of my life?
I chose not to apply to graduate school right away. I moved to Georgia and taught for two years all levels of science, a subject that I am very passionate about. I knew fairly quickly, however, that teaching was not my "calling". In hind sight, all of my "adventures" appeared to be more of a preparation for a life of being a physician assistant. My life experiences have shaped my values and beliefs and have motivated me to become not just a physician assistant but an influential and successful one that provides quality care to the community.
In Montana, I spent two weeks living with a physician who often made late-night house calls and was spread thin because he was a hard worker in an area of the country that was underserved. This helped me to determine what I think being a physician assistant really entails: to provide patients with the personalized care that they expect and deserve, while allowing the physician to focus on the more complex issues that require the experience and education of a physician. Doing work in the mission field, I realized that not all hospitals are created equal, and I found myself wanting to pursue a career in medicine that would eventually lead to medical missions to undeveloped parts of the world. In my most recent endeavor as a teacher I have learned to communicate to many different kinds of people, to be independent, to make quick decisions, to be personable, how to communicate negative things in a positive way, and how to effectively work with a team of individuals with a similar goal
When I dream about my perfect job, I can literally see myself being a physician assistant. There is no longer any question of what I "want to be when I grow up", there is only being, and I am so excited about the possibility to be in school again to prepare myself to truly live a life that will challenge me and put my creativity and knowledge to use. When I see myself ten years from now, I see myself as an invaluable and influential member of a team of medical professionals who are trying to improve the world around them. I see myself making connections with patients in the office and making house calls to the little couple that is incapable of driving to the clinic that day. Specifically, physician assistant is the perfect healthcare profession for me because I have a passion for medicine and healing people and the skills to effectively communicate to a team of healthcare members all while being motivated and self-driven.
It is my prayer that as you select the future students of your Physical Assistant program, my application does not become overlooked. It would be a travesty to be disqualified from something I am so adamant about pursuing.
Henry David Thoreau once wrote, "Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake." Thoreau played a role in one of the reasons it took me three years after graduation to start my application process for Physician Assistant school, and alas, this quote perfectly exemplifies why I am applying now. You see, I always wanted to have a career in the medical field. It was in my last two years of college that I started to question my commitment to this profession. I read Walden to help me write a paper in my ecology class, and there was just something about reading Thoreau's thoughts while living off the land and being separate from society that really struck a chord with me. That is when I decided my life needed to have a little more adventure: I spent a summer soul-searching in Montana, went on a few mission trips and I took some of the greatest courses in my undergraduate education: herpetology being my favorite. Did I want to be a physician assistant because society, my family, my academic advisor and my friends told me I should be? Or was I doing this because this is something that I was going to love doing for the rest of my life?
I chose not to apply to graduate school right away. I moved to Georgia and taught for two years all levels of science, a subject that I am very passionate about. I knew fairly quickly, however, that teaching was not my "calling". In hind sight, all of my "adventures" appeared to be more of a preparation for a life of being a physician assistant. My life experiences have shaped my values and beliefs and have motivated me to become not just a physician assistant but an influential and successful one that provides quality care to the community.
In Montana, I spent two weeks living with a physician who often made late-night house calls and was spread thin because he was a hard worker in an area of the country that was underserved. This helped me to determine what I think being a physician assistant really entails: to provide patients with the personalized care that they expect and deserve, while allowing the physician to focus on the more complex issues that require the experience and education of a physician. Doing work in the mission field, I realized that not all hospitals are created equal, and I found myself wanting to pursue a career in medicine that would eventually lead to medical missions to undeveloped parts of the world. In my most recent endeavor as a teacher I have learned to communicate to many different kinds of people, to be independent, to make quick decisions, to be personable, how to communicate negative things in a positive way, and how to effectively work with a team of individuals with a similar goal
When I dream about my perfect job, I can literally see myself being a physician assistant. There is no longer any question of what I "want to be when I grow up", there is only being, and I am so excited about the possibility to be in school again to prepare myself to truly live a life that will challenge me and put my creativity and knowledge to use. When I see myself ten years from now, I see myself as an invaluable and influential member of a team of medical professionals who are trying to improve the world around them. I see myself making connections with patients in the office and making house calls to the little couple that is incapable of driving to the clinic that day. Specifically, physician assistant is the perfect healthcare profession for me because I have a passion for medicine and healing people and the skills to effectively communicate to a team of healthcare members all while being motivated and self-driven.
It is my prayer that as you select the future students of your Physical Assistant program, my application does not become overlooked. It would be a travesty to be disqualified from something I am so adamant about pursuing.
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