Graduate / 'The profession of a Physician's Assistant meets my goals' - Personal Narrative Essay [2]

My name is Justin Duffy, I'm 22 years old, and I live in Orlando Florida. I am happy to tell you of the events that lead to my decision to become a Physician's Assistant. As a former athlete and current bodybuilding enthusiast, I saw the need to educate myself in sports nutrition and supplements. During the process of my taking in this knowledge, I discovered that I have a profound interest in the human body and its related physiology. Chemistry, Nutrition, Microbiology, subjects I scoffed at as a youngster, were now viewed with much enthusiasm. I came to the realization that my career path would certainly have to be in the Medical Science field.

As I explored my options, I wanted to find an occupation that offered a broad range of specialties to choose from as well as the potential for advancement in research and technology. The profession of a Physician's Assistant seemed to meet my career goals, but I wasn't sure so I decided to examine it further to see if this was something I really wanted to pursue. I simply could not rely on hearsay or median salary so I embarked on a mission to shadow PAs in a variety of specializations and I've had some amazing experiences.

I must tell about the experience when I traveled to Manhatten, N.Y. and stayed there for a week in order to shadow the PA's who worked in the Medical Examiners office where my dad retired as a Detective Investigator of Missing Persons. Yes, I had the unique experience of shadowing in one of the busiest Autopsy Labs in the U.S. In this setting the PA's work closely with Forensic Pathologists performing autopsies, crime scene investigations, and assessing the cause of death. I was able to ride in the Coroners vehicle with the PA and Medical Examiner as they covered all five boroughs and I observed them in action from the moment they arrived on the scene. I saw the PA thoroughly photograph the body, search for trauma wounds and other abnormalities, then write a report based on the findings. I recall once we were going to a location where a person was dead for a number of days and the body was decomposed. I was warned in a humorous way to go outside if I had to throw up. I thought to myself, "how bad could the smell of a decomposed body actually be?" I did not know what to expect but I told myself that I would be cool and not make any facial expressions or gestures that would reflect my thinking. When the smell hit me, I remember my chest thrusting forward as if someone delivered a tough blow to my abdomen. I struggled to keep my composure hoping the nausea would not over-rule. The smell of decomposition is absolutely horrific!

Perhaps the most intriguing portion of this shadowing experience was having the opportunity to view autopsies up close and in person. To see the anatomy of the human body in a textbook is one thing, but to view and observe it at the gross level is a totally different learning experience. I remember staring in disbelief as I viewed a heart, liver, and brain for the first time! To see these organs in three-dimensions and being able to hold and feel them really heightened my appreciation and passion for anatomy and physiology!

I couldn't wait to share my unique experience with the undergraduate students in my histology class. Many of them were pursuing goals to become Medical Doctors or dentists. As the lone one who was aspiring to become a PA, I had the opportunity to offer them an interesting presentation on my unique experience and they were fascinated. The reception that I received demonstrated to me how my role as a PA would be filled with many interesting events to look forward to.

Of course I shadowed PA's and surgeons in other specialties including orthopedics, dermatology, cardiology as well as family practice. I've come to understand that PA's must be adept in their knowledge of a variety of concepts ranging from pharmacodynamics to pathophysiology and anatomy both at the gross and microscopic levels. Skill and understanding patient ethics are equally important.

I firmly believe that the education and training I've received as an undergraduate student will prove helpful in laying a solid foundation for me to build upon as I navigate my way through PA school. I expect there will be challenges, I expect to have some stress, and those can be good things if they are viewed in a positive light. I view the challenges as learning experiences and opportunities to improve and I view the stress as motivation. I frequently browse through the course curriculum and descriptions that I will encounter during the PA didactic portion. I can almost taste the satisfaction that I know awaits when this portion is completed and the depth and wide array of knowledge I will have obtained. I'm not just ready to start; I actually cannot wait to start!

Graduate / 'To gain experience in a hospital setting' - Personal Narrative [NEW]

I restructured my essay in order to make it more personable and focus more on how I became motivated to pursue a career as a PA. Any feedback would be great.

It felt as if my whole world came to a complete stop. Instead of ending my high school varsity baseball career on the pitcher's mound in a closing district game, my senior year would be spent watching from the dugout as I recovered from a tear of my glenoid labrum. Physical therapy would consume me for 8 weeks while the rest of my teammates would sometimes bombard me with stories of yesterday's game the following day at school. After 8 weeks of not improving, I would consent to having arthroscopic surgery. Following the surgery, I completed my rehab with athletic trainers at a community college in Daytona Beach, FL and was prepared to start playing for their baseball team after my rehab was completed. Much credit to my work ethic and consistency, I returned a more improved player than before surgery and my career was once again looking promising. One would expect that after such hard work and dedication I would continue on the path of pursuing a career as an athlete, but this was not quite so.

Along the time that I was rehabbing and conditioning, I began taking a fond interest in the way the human body works and I learned methods through steady personal study on how to train my body. I became extra interested in body sculpting and nutrition supplements through my own search for better physical results. I gained great satisfaction in understanding and discovering new things I didn't know about performance and nutrition. Up to this point in my life, I had no clue how to do anything else but throw a baseball, and now it was as if a whole new universe was introduced to me! After long weeks of prayerful consideration, I decided to terminate my career and dreams in baseball in order to turn seriously towards academics. This was one of the biggest life-changing decisions I have ever made. Growing up, I struggled in academics and I abhorred math tests and chemistry class. As I embarked on this new mission, it was now time to face my fears.

Being so consumed with health and nutrition, I became unequivocally fascinated with how the body fights disease and proactive prevention measures one can take to assure optimum health. As I explored my options, I wanted to find an occupation that offered a broad range of specialties to choose from as well as the potential for advancement in research and technology. In this regard, the profession of a Physician's Assistant seemed to meet my career goals.

My dermatologist, who I mistook as a physician, first introduced me to the PA profession. I was very impressed with his depth of knowledge and the time he took to explain important details pertaining to medication and treatment. This compelled me to further look into the job description of a PA. I chose to shadow as many PAs as my time would allow in order to gain a full sense of what they do. And a full sense is what I gained! Amongst my most outstanding shadowing experiences was a visit to the Chief Office of Medical Examiners in Manhatten N.Y. I experienced more during this one week than I probably ever will my entire life! I worked closely with PAs performing autopsies and going to crime scenes to carry out investigations and I was even able to sit in during meetings between the PAs and forensic pathologists! Nothing compared though to getting to ride in the Coroners vehicle with the PAs and medical examiners through the busy streets of Manhattan. I still too will never forget the feeling of disbelief I had while I stared at a cadaver and felt organs for the first time in my life! These and the many other experiences I've had shadowing PA's instilled in me a deep passion for the PA profession and the vast amount of subspecialty options it offers. Overall, I was so thrilled to have found a profession that allowed me to enjoy working in a similar capacity that a physician does while having the opportunity to explore various fields of medicine including research.

Last year, I decided to get my license as a CNA in order to gain experience in a hospital setting and to develop skills in working with patients. Working with nurses and physicians and interacting with patients came very naturally for me and was met with genuine joy and satisfaction. In doing so, my motivation towards becoming a PA has grown yet even more. I realize now how much I enjoy working with patients but as a CNA there's a significant limit I can have towards the outcome of the patient's health. I want to be involved. I want to make critical decisions and work with the physician to meet the desired goal. The foundation for my career as a PA has been laid through all of my experiences and important completed coursework during my undergraduate years. I now eagerly await the next step towards my newly desired goal of becoming a Physician Assistant!