The main question they are asking me to explain is why I would like to be a PA. I am wondering if this is alright or if I'm even on the right track...I'm not sure what they really want to hear about.
Much like the atrioventricular node is embedded deep within the heart, so too is my passion for becoming a member of the medical community of Physician Assistants.
Perhaps my favorite memory of my childhood is sliding my mother's Anatomy and Physiology textbook from the bookshelf and sneaking both the textbook and my seven-year-old self into my bedroom to admire the figures and terms those musty pages held. I remember spending hours, on countless occasions, hunched over that textbook, my eyes feverishly absorbing all that I could from a seemingly endless supply of anatomical wisdom. Not only did I sequester all of the theoretical knowledge of anatomy and physiology that my juvenile brain could hold - I was shown its practicality in various doctor's offices.
My mother, who at that time was a medical assistant, would frequently bring me to her workplace. Even from a very early age I was delighted to be able to see the operations of medical offices ranging from urology, radiology, and primary care. It was during the visits to the primary care practice that I was first exposed to Physician Assistants. The first PA that I had encountered was Mr. Slater. As a child, I had viewed Mr. Slater as exceptionally knowledgeable, helpful and passionate about his career and considered him to be a medical professional that I aspired to emulate.
While I pursued my Bachelor's Degree in Biology at Fairfield University, I was given and enthusiastically seized the opportunity to shadow the team of doctors and PA's at the primary care office that I had spent so much time in as a child. During my time at the office, I was able to shadow Mr. Slater and two additional Physician Assistants - Mrs. Criscuolo and Mrs. Scofield. Mrs. Criscuolo explained to me that their medical team works together to provide an exceptional level of personalized care to each of their patients, promising to treat them as people and individuals rather than as a set of illnesses, symptoms or injuries. Each day that I shadowed at this office I was enthralled in watching the team of doctors and PA's work synergistically to better the health and well-being of each patient they treated. The teamwork that I observed appealed to me the most and I had the chance to discuss this aspect of the PA profession with the PA's I had shadowed. After our conversation I had only positive feelings about becoming a Physician Assistant when I realized that my passion of learning is an integral part of this profession because of the close affiliation required between PA's and doctors. I would love to be able to work as a Physician Assistant, a profession that would allow me to use and gain a deeper practical understanding of anatomy and physiology as a result of being both supervised and mentored by the doctors within my team. In addition to the appeal of belonging to a medical team, my own personal medical history has influenced me to become a Physician Assistant.
During my Sophomore year at Fairfield University, I struggled with and finally overcame a severe eating disorder. As my weight decreased, so did my ability to complete my heavy course load, thus explaining my lowered GPA during these semesters. Furthermore, not only did I damage my academic record but perhaps most importantly, my health. During recovery, both the physical and emotional pain that I endured made me realize that I wanted to use this experience in a positive way rather than victimizing myself. While I was in treatment, a very compassionate and empathetic Physician Assistant cared for me. Her ability to not only address my illness but also care for me as a person made me feel as if I really mattered and gave me the willpower to overcome this obstacle. I believe that I can use the strength I gained from recovering from this disease to help ease the suffering of others while working as a Physician Assistant, just as the PA who cared for me made my recovery more attainable.
My drive to become a Physician Assistant has been embedded in me since I was a child, and although I am not there yet, I will relentlessly persevere until I achieve this goal.
Much like the atrioventricular node is embedded deep within the heart, so too is my passion for becoming a member of the medical community of Physician Assistants.
Perhaps my favorite memory of my childhood is sliding my mother's Anatomy and Physiology textbook from the bookshelf and sneaking both the textbook and my seven-year-old self into my bedroom to admire the figures and terms those musty pages held. I remember spending hours, on countless occasions, hunched over that textbook, my eyes feverishly absorbing all that I could from a seemingly endless supply of anatomical wisdom. Not only did I sequester all of the theoretical knowledge of anatomy and physiology that my juvenile brain could hold - I was shown its practicality in various doctor's offices.
My mother, who at that time was a medical assistant, would frequently bring me to her workplace. Even from a very early age I was delighted to be able to see the operations of medical offices ranging from urology, radiology, and primary care. It was during the visits to the primary care practice that I was first exposed to Physician Assistants. The first PA that I had encountered was Mr. Slater. As a child, I had viewed Mr. Slater as exceptionally knowledgeable, helpful and passionate about his career and considered him to be a medical professional that I aspired to emulate.
While I pursued my Bachelor's Degree in Biology at Fairfield University, I was given and enthusiastically seized the opportunity to shadow the team of doctors and PA's at the primary care office that I had spent so much time in as a child. During my time at the office, I was able to shadow Mr. Slater and two additional Physician Assistants - Mrs. Criscuolo and Mrs. Scofield. Mrs. Criscuolo explained to me that their medical team works together to provide an exceptional level of personalized care to each of their patients, promising to treat them as people and individuals rather than as a set of illnesses, symptoms or injuries. Each day that I shadowed at this office I was enthralled in watching the team of doctors and PA's work synergistically to better the health and well-being of each patient they treated. The teamwork that I observed appealed to me the most and I had the chance to discuss this aspect of the PA profession with the PA's I had shadowed. After our conversation I had only positive feelings about becoming a Physician Assistant when I realized that my passion of learning is an integral part of this profession because of the close affiliation required between PA's and doctors. I would love to be able to work as a Physician Assistant, a profession that would allow me to use and gain a deeper practical understanding of anatomy and physiology as a result of being both supervised and mentored by the doctors within my team. In addition to the appeal of belonging to a medical team, my own personal medical history has influenced me to become a Physician Assistant.
During my Sophomore year at Fairfield University, I struggled with and finally overcame a severe eating disorder. As my weight decreased, so did my ability to complete my heavy course load, thus explaining my lowered GPA during these semesters. Furthermore, not only did I damage my academic record but perhaps most importantly, my health. During recovery, both the physical and emotional pain that I endured made me realize that I wanted to use this experience in a positive way rather than victimizing myself. While I was in treatment, a very compassionate and empathetic Physician Assistant cared for me. Her ability to not only address my illness but also care for me as a person made me feel as if I really mattered and gave me the willpower to overcome this obstacle. I believe that I can use the strength I gained from recovering from this disease to help ease the suffering of others while working as a Physician Assistant, just as the PA who cared for me made my recovery more attainable.
My drive to become a Physician Assistant has been embedded in me since I was a child, and although I am not there yet, I will relentlessly persevere until I achieve this goal.