AA 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.
From age twelve, I participated in a STEMPREP program and developed skills to perform research at top institutes such as the Hospital for Sickkids, National Institute on Drug Abuse, and Temple University. It took a great deal of maturity and tenacity, at a young age, to live on a college campus and pursue research thousands of miles away from my small island community. When entering college, I continued the pursuit of science, but in my sophomore year, realized that I needed to find a definitive career path. A passion for science, caring nature, and a culmination of professional clinical experiences are why I chose the path of an Anesthesiologist Assistant.
When entering college in Florida, I joined the Clinical Explorers Program after realizing that I needed exposure to all facets of science, not just the research side. My university had clinics that provided subsidized services to the surrounding communities. This aspect of the program continued to appeal to me for many years, as I now serve as a volunteer nurse in a free clinic. The proficiency and professionalism demonstrated by the staff facilitated a great learning environment for me to continue shadowing in the dental, optometry, and family medicine clinics for the next three years.
Later, a career in healthcare became even more appealing after shadowing in Toronto at the Hospital for Sickkids. The first rotation took place in the pediatric gastrointestinal wing. To my surprise, we did not immediately start seeing patients. Instead we entered a small cramped room that sat a variety of allied health professionals ranging from dieticians, to physician assistants and social workers. There were twelve people cramped into a room for hours, going over six infant patients' care. This team was dedicated to holistically providing care for these patients and the impact of that moment solidified my interest in healthcare and working in a hospital setting.
After finishing college, I reflected on my past experiences and they were purely academic. The experiences inspired, but did not give insight on exactly what healthcare professional to become. In order to develop my professional profile, I relocated to the Virgin Islands and worked as a Pediatric Dental Assistant. As a clinical team, we sometimes faced grueling twelve-hour shifts, but strived to offer the best patient care and utmost professionalism. On these extended days, an anesthesiologist was brought in at six am for more extensive procedures. When the anesthesia was being administered , I secured the children then assisted the dentist with the procedure. I knew that being a technician was not enough of a challenge for me at this point, but I was not interested in the positions that other team members held.
Later that year, two hurricanes devastated my island and I relocated to Florida. I thought the most frustrating part of the storms were listening to the calls for medical assistance, but in the following months I would be proven wrong because a larger problem manifested. There was inadequate healthcare and a significant reduction in healthcare providers. Since then I have trained to become a medical assistant and work at a Biomat Plasma Donation Center. The company develops products for IV therapies. When learning about the company, I discovered different positions and in turn different types of graduate programs that suited my interests. My background now includes over ten years of diverse experiences in the science field and I choose to pursue Anesthesiology Assistant studies, due to the team aspect and the rising need in this country for personnel to deliver anesthesia. Ultimately, the team dynamic reinforces my newly found professional philosophy, "The day you think that you know every aspect of healthcare is the same day you fail in providing the best healthcare."Hi @present1079,
I found some grammar problems in your article.
Firstly, the word "Instead " have to add a comma after it.
eg. Instead, we ... from dieticians, to ...
Also, you don't add a comma before "but" which is in the middle of the sentence.
eg. ... inspired, but ...
Finally, this sentence has to use "are" because you wrote two things.
"There was were inadequate ..."
@present1079
With minor flaws and a few alterations, I think that your essay is good-to-go already. Regardless of this, I do have a few recommendations that you can take in if you wish to revise or edit your essay further.
I would opt that you tackle the story of your relocation (currently your last paragraph) earlier on in your essay. I have noticed that while your essay provides a substantial overview of your professional background, the last paragraph is a better hook. It almost will act as a testament to your devotion to the field as it tells the story of an issue that you have found yourself in - and how you can potentially contribute to its resolution in the future. The quotation that you have added in the end of the essay can be a great opening line for your essay. While I know that you have currently structured your essay to be in a chronological pattern that will explain things from the beginning of your career until the end, I also think that you are better off if you can structure it in a way that you hook the evaluators or readers from the very beginning.
You have focused immensely on showcasing your experiences in terms of professional relevance. I would like to see you incorporate more of your personal values and thoughts into the essay's overall structure. You should tackle what your principles are, how the profession aligns with your personal interests, and how you see yourself in the future when it comes to standing up for the values that you believe in. If you can connect these values to your experiences, you can provide a better overview of your background as an individual. This will give you the leverage that you need to capture the attention of the readers.
Best of luck.
