Hey guys. As many of you are working on grad application essays, I'm doing the same. I welcome honest and constructive criticism for my essay for why I want to be a physician assistant. I personally don't feel like my essay is good enough and welcome suggestions. Thanks.
My first experience with a physician assistant occurred during the summer before my second year of college. I was playing basketball in the gym with a few friends and fell awkwardly after attempting to go jump up for a rebound. I kept playing even though there was a nagging pain in my ankle. Upon returning home I iced my ankle and took some Aleve and continued this routine for the next two days. When the pain did not subside I decided that I needed medical attention for my ankle. My dad took me to the medical office and I went through the usual routine with a nurse. After being placed in a waiting room for a few minutes a woman walked into the room and introduced herself as a physician assistant. I explained the pain I was having in my ankle and an x-ray was ordered. Through her assessments and further discussion on what I was doing to treat myself I was diagnosed with a muscle strain and was subsequently prescribed with pain medication.
In the middle of my dialogue with the physician assistant, I was wondering to myself, 'What is a physician assistant?' After my diagnosis and prescription was given I inquired about her job duties with the medical clinic. She explained to me that as a physician assistant she is able to work independently despite working under a physician. She also discussed her abilities to prescribe medication and to assess patients and their various conditions. I was impressed by her knowledge and witnessed her genuine concern to treat patients first hand, and I began to draw interest in the physician assistant career.
At this time of my life, I was still very indecisive about what I wanted to do, but knew, specifically, that I wanted to work with patients directly in a healthcare setting. Before my injury, I was a volunteer in the in-patient rehabilitation department at Long Beach Memorial Hospital. I had learned a great amount of information on rehabilitation techniques and general patient care. During my time in the rehabilitation, I would routinely see doctors and physician assistants visit during therapy sessions. I, distinctly, remember one day while I was shadowing an occupational therapist a physician assistant came into the rehabilitation gym to assess the patient the therapist was treating. This patient had one of her legs amputated and was complaining about the pain in her knee where the bandages were wrapped. The physician assistant took the patient's blood pressure and other vitals and wrote a medication order for the patient. Later, I had a discussion with the physician assistant as my interest in their job duties was further strengthened. I obtained more information and scheduled a meeting with her. We met in her office one week later from our initial encounter and I began to ask more information about the physician assistant career. During our conversation I remembered how she handled the patient receiving occupational therapy and how she was able to execute her duties while maintaining high patient satisfaction. At the conclusion of our conversation, I decided that the physician assistant career was for me. Through her advice I began to volunteer in the emergency room of Long Beach Memorial.
My experience in the emergency room allowed me to experience and understand working in a highly stressful environment. I learned to check patient vitals and was able to interact with patients and their families. My eyes were opened to vital role that physician assistants play in the emergency room. Their abilities in maintaining the utmost composure and professionalism during chaotic times was simply remarkable.
The physician assistant I met at Long Beach Memorial served as a mentor to me and allowed me to shadow her as she performed her duties. As she interacted with patients, I could ask questions regarding patient conditions, diagnoses and unfamiliar terminology.
Finding myself was very much a part of the process of me being enamored with the physician assistant career. As I reflect upon my experiences I have a greater appreciation for all healthcare professionals as I gained a snapshot of the vast duties and expectations required of them. I am, particularly, grateful to have met Ms. Hilda Koch, the physician assistant who eventually became my mentor. I was exposed to different environments while volunteering in the emergency room and through shadowing her. Each of the environments brought their unique challenges and circumstances. The expectations of these environments were uniform, however. These departments were dedicated in delivering excellent patient care and satisfaction. From my experiences as a patient of a physician assistant to my duties as a hospital volunteer, I'm ready to dedicate my life to delivering excellent patient care and satisfaction. With an education from a physician assistant program, I will me on my first step in delivering on these expectations.
Physician Assistant Career - Emergency Experience
My first experience with a physician assistant occurred during the summer before my second year of college. I was playing basketball in the gym with a few friends and fell awkwardly after attempting to go jump up for a rebound. I kept playing even though there was a nagging pain in my ankle. Upon returning home I iced my ankle and took some Aleve and continued this routine for the next two days. When the pain did not subside I decided that I needed medical attention for my ankle. My dad took me to the medical office and I went through the usual routine with a nurse. After being placed in a waiting room for a few minutes a woman walked into the room and introduced herself as a physician assistant. I explained the pain I was having in my ankle and an x-ray was ordered. Through her assessments and further discussion on what I was doing to treat myself I was diagnosed with a muscle strain and was subsequently prescribed with pain medication.
In the middle of my dialogue with the physician assistant, I was wondering to myself, 'What is a physician assistant?' After my diagnosis and prescription was given I inquired about her job duties with the medical clinic. She explained to me that as a physician assistant she is able to work independently despite working under a physician. She also discussed her abilities to prescribe medication and to assess patients and their various conditions. I was impressed by her knowledge and witnessed her genuine concern to treat patients first hand, and I began to draw interest in the physician assistant career.
At this time of my life, I was still very indecisive about what I wanted to do, but knew, specifically, that I wanted to work with patients directly in a healthcare setting. Before my injury, I was a volunteer in the in-patient rehabilitation department at Long Beach Memorial Hospital. I had learned a great amount of information on rehabilitation techniques and general patient care. During my time in the rehabilitation, I would routinely see doctors and physician assistants visit during therapy sessions. I, distinctly, remember one day while I was shadowing an occupational therapist a physician assistant came into the rehabilitation gym to assess the patient the therapist was treating. This patient had one of her legs amputated and was complaining about the pain in her knee where the bandages were wrapped. The physician assistant took the patient's blood pressure and other vitals and wrote a medication order for the patient. Later, I had a discussion with the physician assistant as my interest in their job duties was further strengthened. I obtained more information and scheduled a meeting with her. We met in her office one week later from our initial encounter and I began to ask more information about the physician assistant career. During our conversation I remembered how she handled the patient receiving occupational therapy and how she was able to execute her duties while maintaining high patient satisfaction. At the conclusion of our conversation, I decided that the physician assistant career was for me. Through her advice I began to volunteer in the emergency room of Long Beach Memorial.
My experience in the emergency room allowed me to experience and understand working in a highly stressful environment. I learned to check patient vitals and was able to interact with patients and their families. My eyes were opened to vital role that physician assistants play in the emergency room. Their abilities in maintaining the utmost composure and professionalism during chaotic times was simply remarkable.
The physician assistant I met at Long Beach Memorial served as a mentor to me and allowed me to shadow her as she performed her duties. As she interacted with patients, I could ask questions regarding patient conditions, diagnoses and unfamiliar terminology.
Finding myself was very much a part of the process of me being enamored with the physician assistant career. As I reflect upon my experiences I have a greater appreciation for all healthcare professionals as I gained a snapshot of the vast duties and expectations required of them. I am, particularly, grateful to have met Ms. Hilda Koch, the physician assistant who eventually became my mentor. I was exposed to different environments while volunteering in the emergency room and through shadowing her. Each of the environments brought their unique challenges and circumstances. The expectations of these environments were uniform, however. These departments were dedicated in delivering excellent patient care and satisfaction. From my experiences as a patient of a physician assistant to my duties as a hospital volunteer, I'm ready to dedicate my life to delivering excellent patient care and satisfaction. With an education from a physician assistant program, I will me on my first step in delivering on these expectations.