THis is my PS for PA schools I am applying this year. Let me know how you guys think~
Everything happens for a reason. I've always believed in this saying. As my life continues to unfold--from kindergarten when I told my parents that I wanted to be a scientist, to the time I moved to the United States from Korea in high school, until the moment I began this journey toward becoming a physician assistant--I knew in my heart that my life experiences have led me to pursue this career path.
The wonder of human creation is what ignited my ebullient passion for science. Raised in a Catholic family, my curiosity to understand where humans came from was too often left unresolved. I wanted to find a way to reconcile my internal conflicts between my religious beliefs based on faith and my scientific pursuits, based on reasoning. During my undergraduate studies, I selected from a wide spectrum of science courses in order to achieve a deeper understanding of the human body. Consequently, the connections among the many disciplines of science led me to dig deeper into the field of medicine, which I believe to be one of the most important ways of practicing science for mankind. In attempts to determine a specific field of study for myself, I came across medical technology. I felt that my academic aspirations were well suited to this undergraduate degree. Not only did I thrive and enjoy my laboratory experience, I looked forward to exploring this clinical field of medicine.
Although my undergraduate degree provided me with immense knowledge and experience in the laboratory, I realized that this did not satisfy my hunger to contribute to the practice of medicine. With medical technology as my background, I aimed to further my studies into medical school to fill the void I felt. As means of validating my career decision, I became actively involved in an organization called the Korean American Health Professional Association (KAHPA). This group represents a community of Korean-American healthcare professionals that meet for networking, provide mentorship programs, and deliver community service in the Seattle area. Through KAHPA, I was given the opportunity to work with many accomplished physicians willing to let me observe and experience the careers of medical doctors in the real world.
Shadowing medical doctors at several family medicine clinics helped me discover the missing piece of the puzzle--patient interaction. Seeing patients and providing for their medical needs changed my perspective on patient care in a way I could not have appreciated through the field of medical technology alone. By the same token, I had never been more uncertain about becoming a doctor. I didn't know if it was my desire to have time for my family in a way I had envisioned that clashed with the idea of my career as a physician, or the number of years I would have to dedicate to medical school before being licensed to practice medicine, but for the first time I was not convinced that being a medical doctor was my destiny.
The answer to my uncertainty came to me unexpectedly. During the winter of 2010, I helped host a young adult social event for my church at Robinhood Bowling Alley. It was through a conversation with an old friend that I discovered the physician assistant program through his personal journey in pursuit of that profession. To my amazement, this profession provides everything that I aspire for in a career. I would be able to practice medicine in a way that is challenging and fulfilling, balance a professional career with family priorities, and have mobility in choosing different fields of medicine. After researching the field and shadowing physician assistants, I've never felt more confident that pursuing a career as a physician assistant was the right decision for me.
If someone were to ask me if I believed that God has planned out our destinies, I would have to disagree. I do not believe that God has predetermined paths for us merely to follow. What I do believe is that God guides us to become the person we want and choose to be, if we're willing to work for it. God presents opportunities that lead us to the destiny we desire for ourselves. Sometimes I wonder who I would have become if I had not moved to the U.S., if I had not had an interest in science, if I had not wanted to become a medical provider, and most importantly, if I had not gone to the bowling alley that evening; I may still have been searching for my purpose. Through all of my successes and disappointments, I have finally found the reason why everything has happened the way it has in my life. I understand that studying medicine is a lifetime commitment and an ongoing learning process. That being said, I have prepared myself mentally, emotionally, and physically to be engaged in the multiple challenges that lie ahead of me in medical education and as a physician assistant.
Everything happens for a reason. I've always believed in this saying. As my life continues to unfold--from kindergarten when I told my parents that I wanted to be a scientist, to the time I moved to the United States from Korea in high school, until the moment I began this journey toward becoming a physician assistant--I knew in my heart that my life experiences have led me to pursue this career path.
The wonder of human creation is what ignited my ebullient passion for science. Raised in a Catholic family, my curiosity to understand where humans came from was too often left unresolved. I wanted to find a way to reconcile my internal conflicts between my religious beliefs based on faith and my scientific pursuits, based on reasoning. During my undergraduate studies, I selected from a wide spectrum of science courses in order to achieve a deeper understanding of the human body. Consequently, the connections among the many disciplines of science led me to dig deeper into the field of medicine, which I believe to be one of the most important ways of practicing science for mankind. In attempts to determine a specific field of study for myself, I came across medical technology. I felt that my academic aspirations were well suited to this undergraduate degree. Not only did I thrive and enjoy my laboratory experience, I looked forward to exploring this clinical field of medicine.
Although my undergraduate degree provided me with immense knowledge and experience in the laboratory, I realized that this did not satisfy my hunger to contribute to the practice of medicine. With medical technology as my background, I aimed to further my studies into medical school to fill the void I felt. As means of validating my career decision, I became actively involved in an organization called the Korean American Health Professional Association (KAHPA). This group represents a community of Korean-American healthcare professionals that meet for networking, provide mentorship programs, and deliver community service in the Seattle area. Through KAHPA, I was given the opportunity to work with many accomplished physicians willing to let me observe and experience the careers of medical doctors in the real world.
Shadowing medical doctors at several family medicine clinics helped me discover the missing piece of the puzzle--patient interaction. Seeing patients and providing for their medical needs changed my perspective on patient care in a way I could not have appreciated through the field of medical technology alone. By the same token, I had never been more uncertain about becoming a doctor. I didn't know if it was my desire to have time for my family in a way I had envisioned that clashed with the idea of my career as a physician, or the number of years I would have to dedicate to medical school before being licensed to practice medicine, but for the first time I was not convinced that being a medical doctor was my destiny.
The answer to my uncertainty came to me unexpectedly. During the winter of 2010, I helped host a young adult social event for my church at Robinhood Bowling Alley. It was through a conversation with an old friend that I discovered the physician assistant program through his personal journey in pursuit of that profession. To my amazement, this profession provides everything that I aspire for in a career. I would be able to practice medicine in a way that is challenging and fulfilling, balance a professional career with family priorities, and have mobility in choosing different fields of medicine. After researching the field and shadowing physician assistants, I've never felt more confident that pursuing a career as a physician assistant was the right decision for me.
If someone were to ask me if I believed that God has planned out our destinies, I would have to disagree. I do not believe that God has predetermined paths for us merely to follow. What I do believe is that God guides us to become the person we want and choose to be, if we're willing to work for it. God presents opportunities that lead us to the destiny we desire for ourselves. Sometimes I wonder who I would have become if I had not moved to the U.S., if I had not had an interest in science, if I had not wanted to become a medical provider, and most importantly, if I had not gone to the bowling alley that evening; I may still have been searching for my purpose. Through all of my successes and disappointments, I have finally found the reason why everything has happened the way it has in my life. I understand that studying medicine is a lifetime commitment and an ongoing learning process. That being said, I have prepared myself mentally, emotionally, and physically to be engaged in the multiple challenges that lie ahead of me in medical education and as a physician assistant.
