CASPA Physician Assistant PS - "Describe your motivation for becoming a PA"
Hi everyone,
Please read my personal statement for the Physician Assistant programs and give me your constructive criticism. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. I'm new to this forum so please help. This is my second time applying to the PA programs and it's ever so stressful so any suggestions you can give me would be awesome. Thank you so much! Warning: It's kinda long. I'm trying to take out some stuff but I don't know what yet.
My motivation for becoming a physician assistant stems from witnessing my father's own personal struggles with his health, my rewarding experience in the healthcare field, and my passion to eliminate the inequalities in healthcare. My first career was in teaching. It ended shortly after one year of teaching when I got laid off. I tried to get another teaching position but it was very difficult. Nowhere was hiring. Then my father was diagnosed with colorectal cancer and my interest in the medical field began. I started taking a class called medical terminology to help my father read and interpret CT scan results. I conducted a lot of my own research on colorectal cancer. Then I took physiology to learn how the body works. One science class after another and I was hooked.
As a result of my father's cancer, I was given the opportunity to interact with many healthcare professionals, which made me even more intrigued in the healthcare field. I would help my father interpret test results, set up a dietary plan, accompany him on his chemotherapy and radiation sessions, and be a translator during his doctor visits. One of the people that I spoke to regularly is the physician assistant at the oncology office that my dad goes to. She answered all my questions and concerns, and she always try to get back to me as soon as possible. She calls me often to give me updates about my dad's health based on his test results. She also gives me suggestions on how to take better care of him regarding his diet and activity levels. I truly appreciated all her help and one day I wanted to be a PA just like her.
From personal experience, I feel that a PA is more involved in patient care on a personal level. I wasn't able to speak to the doctor directly on the phone whenever I have concerns about my dad but the PA was always there to pick up my call or call me back if she was busy with a patient. The PA was able to explain to me all of my father's prescription, lab results, procedures, and prognosis in detail. She is very comforting and compassionate to our family especially after the oncologist has delivered the bad news that my dad's colorectal cancer has metastasized to his lungs.
In order to confirm my passion on becoming a PA, I started shadowing a couple of PA's at the hospital in Telemetry and Medical Surgical. Their level of knowledge, expertise, and skills intrigued me very much. I observed the PAs' interactions with their patients and how they came up with a treatment plan. I also shadowed two registered nurses at my hospital. I like the registered nurses' role in direct patient care, but I didn't like how they did not get to partake in diagnosis and treatment plan. I like how physician assistants get to do physical exams, order labs, work with doctors to come up with a treatment plan, and diagnose patients. I wanted a more autonomous role in healthcare and physician assistants is a better fit.
Other health related experience that further pushed me toward this career included being a research assistant for a clinical diabetes prevention study for the UC Irvine Medical Center. As a clinical research assistant, I was able to interact with patients by measuring their height, weight, and blood pressure. I also comforted the patients, who are middle school students, as they get ready to have their blood drawn in order for us to measure their blood glucose level. I remember there was one girl who was so afraid of needles that she started crying before the phlebotomist was getting ready to take her blood. I held her hand and talked to her through the whole process. After it was done, she told me she didn't feel a thing because she was so engaged in the conversation with me. I also educated these middle school students in Long Beach Unified School District about the importance of eating right and exercising in order to prevent Type II Diabetes, which is increasing at an alarming rate in adolescents due to obesity.
Being involved in the healthcare field has taught me many lessons. I learned that many populations are medically disadvantaged due to language barriers, lack of health education, and lack of access to preventive health services. Senior citizens are especially disadvantaged because they are often unable to care for themselves and are more prone to infections and diseases due to their weakened immune system. In the hope of making healthcare services more accessible to them, I volunteered to help facilitate a free annual drive-through flu shot clinic for the community at Huntington Beach Hospital. For some of the senior citizens, a simple flu shot can be a matter of life and death.
My experience as my father's caregiver, a research assistant, and a volunteer at Huntington Beach Hospital were not only personally rewarding, they have also reinforced my desire to become a physician assistant. My father has always taught me to never give up and to dream big dreams. I find that I can do anything as long as I put my mind and heart to it. I've never given up on my pursuit of higher education and the right career.
I've begun to realize that I find joys in bringing happiness to people, and took the path of life that has lead me here. I don't know if this will be the right choice but there are no wrong choices in life, just another life experience that is taking me to where I want to be, in the service of helping others. I know that my compassion, motivation, knowledge, and dedication will ensure success in the Physician Assistant program.
Hi everyone,
Please read my personal statement for the Physician Assistant programs and give me your constructive criticism. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. I'm new to this forum so please help. This is my second time applying to the PA programs and it's ever so stressful so any suggestions you can give me would be awesome. Thank you so much! Warning: It's kinda long. I'm trying to take out some stuff but I don't know what yet.
My motivation for becoming a physician assistant stems from witnessing my father's own personal struggles with his health, my rewarding experience in the healthcare field, and my passion to eliminate the inequalities in healthcare. My first career was in teaching. It ended shortly after one year of teaching when I got laid off. I tried to get another teaching position but it was very difficult. Nowhere was hiring. Then my father was diagnosed with colorectal cancer and my interest in the medical field began. I started taking a class called medical terminology to help my father read and interpret CT scan results. I conducted a lot of my own research on colorectal cancer. Then I took physiology to learn how the body works. One science class after another and I was hooked.
As a result of my father's cancer, I was given the opportunity to interact with many healthcare professionals, which made me even more intrigued in the healthcare field. I would help my father interpret test results, set up a dietary plan, accompany him on his chemotherapy and radiation sessions, and be a translator during his doctor visits. One of the people that I spoke to regularly is the physician assistant at the oncology office that my dad goes to. She answered all my questions and concerns, and she always try to get back to me as soon as possible. She calls me often to give me updates about my dad's health based on his test results. She also gives me suggestions on how to take better care of him regarding his diet and activity levels. I truly appreciated all her help and one day I wanted to be a PA just like her.
From personal experience, I feel that a PA is more involved in patient care on a personal level. I wasn't able to speak to the doctor directly on the phone whenever I have concerns about my dad but the PA was always there to pick up my call or call me back if she was busy with a patient. The PA was able to explain to me all of my father's prescription, lab results, procedures, and prognosis in detail. She is very comforting and compassionate to our family especially after the oncologist has delivered the bad news that my dad's colorectal cancer has metastasized to his lungs.
In order to confirm my passion on becoming a PA, I started shadowing a couple of PA's at the hospital in Telemetry and Medical Surgical. Their level of knowledge, expertise, and skills intrigued me very much. I observed the PAs' interactions with their patients and how they came up with a treatment plan. I also shadowed two registered nurses at my hospital. I like the registered nurses' role in direct patient care, but I didn't like how they did not get to partake in diagnosis and treatment plan. I like how physician assistants get to do physical exams, order labs, work with doctors to come up with a treatment plan, and diagnose patients. I wanted a more autonomous role in healthcare and physician assistants is a better fit.
Other health related experience that further pushed me toward this career included being a research assistant for a clinical diabetes prevention study for the UC Irvine Medical Center. As a clinical research assistant, I was able to interact with patients by measuring their height, weight, and blood pressure. I also comforted the patients, who are middle school students, as they get ready to have their blood drawn in order for us to measure their blood glucose level. I remember there was one girl who was so afraid of needles that she started crying before the phlebotomist was getting ready to take her blood. I held her hand and talked to her through the whole process. After it was done, she told me she didn't feel a thing because she was so engaged in the conversation with me. I also educated these middle school students in Long Beach Unified School District about the importance of eating right and exercising in order to prevent Type II Diabetes, which is increasing at an alarming rate in adolescents due to obesity.
Being involved in the healthcare field has taught me many lessons. I learned that many populations are medically disadvantaged due to language barriers, lack of health education, and lack of access to preventive health services. Senior citizens are especially disadvantaged because they are often unable to care for themselves and are more prone to infections and diseases due to their weakened immune system. In the hope of making healthcare services more accessible to them, I volunteered to help facilitate a free annual drive-through flu shot clinic for the community at Huntington Beach Hospital. For some of the senior citizens, a simple flu shot can be a matter of life and death.
My experience as my father's caregiver, a research assistant, and a volunteer at Huntington Beach Hospital were not only personally rewarding, they have also reinforced my desire to become a physician assistant. My father has always taught me to never give up and to dream big dreams. I find that I can do anything as long as I put my mind and heart to it. I've never given up on my pursuit of higher education and the right career.
I've begun to realize that I find joys in bringing happiness to people, and took the path of life that has lead me here. I don't know if this will be the right choice but there are no wrong choices in life, just another life experience that is taking me to where I want to be, in the service of helping others. I know that my compassion, motivation, knowledge, and dedication will ensure success in the Physician Assistant program.