yousebars
Aug 13, 2012
Graduate / 'roles and responsibilities of a PA' statement about my motivation to becoming a PA [4]
My path to becoming a PA
Can someone offer some suggestions please? Thank you!
Prompt: What is your motivation in becoming a PA?
I became motivated to pursue a career in the medical profession during the time my grandparents passed as a result of terminal illnesses. As I was visiting the hospital, I watched the medical staff do the best they could, despite the language barrier, to aid my grandparents. After seeing the medical staffs provide treatment, give physical exams, and diagnose patients, I became interested in becoming a health care provider. I wanted to directly treat patients and provide explanations to their illnesses. It was a career I imagined myself performing well in.
As my first step towards pursuing a career in medicine, I volunteered in the Emergency Room at the _____ Medical Center, where I observed head-to-toe physical exams and IV insertions. The medical staff position that attracted my attention was the role of the physician assistant (PA). The PAs did not only provide extensive care for the patients; they were also there to comfort patients and give explanations about the medical procedures being done, such as performing a urine test to check for adequate renal functions or getting an x-ray to confirm a positive PPD test. These responsibilities were exactly what I hoped to take on in the future. This path towards becoming a PA seemed right for me.
I did not immediately follow this path after obtaining my undergraduate degree because my parents insisted that I pursue a career in research. As a result, after graduating with a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, I pursued a M.S. in Comparative Pathology. My research project involved finding biomarkers for polycystic kidney disease (PKD), so that this disease may be detected at an early stage. I learned that an early diagnosis to PKD is vital if one were to rid of this disease. My research experience has taught me the various ways different diseases are caused and the treatments used for a particular disease. For example, I learned that a mutation in the p53 tumor suppressor protein is the cause of most cancers and that a way to stop tumors from proliferating could be to halt angiogenesis. Although I came to truly value the role of research, this was not the route I envisioned myself following for my career. I wanted to directly care for patients and be a part of the medical staff team to come up with treatment plans for patients.
To expand my knowledge about the roles and responsibilities of a PA, I shadowed a PA at a clinic serving low-income and uninsured populations. Among all the patients who were seen, about 75% of them were diagnosed with hypertension and diabetes. I learned how to treat and detect these diseases, such as taking lisinopril to help with hypertension or doing an A1C hemoglobin test to see whether a patient is pre-diabetic. The PA always emphasized the value of prevention of these diseases, which was an invaluable lesson I learned. The experience that I have gained from shadowing, such as looking for signs of diabetes or how to perform a regular physical exam, has broadened my knowledge of medical care and influenced me to seek work assisting underserved populations.
Finally, to gain hands on experience with patient care, I worked as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). I learned to work well under pressure, learning tasks such as assessing an unconscious patient, while a crowd of people was watching me. I also came to realize the different aspects of dealing with a patient who came into the clinic because he was experiencing migraines, or dealing with a patient who needed immediate care because he had just had the tip of his finger bitten off. Working as an EMT, I needed to make quick and smart decisions, which were imperative to the job. For example, we were on a scene with a patient who sustained a head injury from a long fall. Although the patient said he was fine and had no intentions in going to the hospital, we still wisely assessed him for hidden injuries. In less than a minute, we discovered he was exhibiting unequal pupils, which was a sign of possible brain injury. Immediately, we made the call to have him transported to the hospital for further care. That incident will always remind me how crucial it is to stay calm and follow protocol, especially in emergency situations.
I always feel great admiration for the medical health profession because the work that is put in by medical personnel truly makes a difference in an individual's life. As a PA, in the future, I would like to enlighten culturally diverse populations about issues such as hypertension, obesity, and diabetes. It pains me to see many individuals suffering from problems that are easily preventable. I believe my passion, self-motivation, experience, and independent thinking will guide me to one day become an exceptional PA and contribute to the world of medicine.
My path to becoming a PA
Can someone offer some suggestions please? Thank you!
Prompt: What is your motivation in becoming a PA?
I became motivated to pursue a career in the medical profession during the time my grandparents passed as a result of terminal illnesses. As I was visiting the hospital, I watched the medical staff do the best they could, despite the language barrier, to aid my grandparents. After seeing the medical staffs provide treatment, give physical exams, and diagnose patients, I became interested in becoming a health care provider. I wanted to directly treat patients and provide explanations to their illnesses. It was a career I imagined myself performing well in.
As my first step towards pursuing a career in medicine, I volunteered in the Emergency Room at the _____ Medical Center, where I observed head-to-toe physical exams and IV insertions. The medical staff position that attracted my attention was the role of the physician assistant (PA). The PAs did not only provide extensive care for the patients; they were also there to comfort patients and give explanations about the medical procedures being done, such as performing a urine test to check for adequate renal functions or getting an x-ray to confirm a positive PPD test. These responsibilities were exactly what I hoped to take on in the future. This path towards becoming a PA seemed right for me.
I did not immediately follow this path after obtaining my undergraduate degree because my parents insisted that I pursue a career in research. As a result, after graduating with a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, I pursued a M.S. in Comparative Pathology. My research project involved finding biomarkers for polycystic kidney disease (PKD), so that this disease may be detected at an early stage. I learned that an early diagnosis to PKD is vital if one were to rid of this disease. My research experience has taught me the various ways different diseases are caused and the treatments used for a particular disease. For example, I learned that a mutation in the p53 tumor suppressor protein is the cause of most cancers and that a way to stop tumors from proliferating could be to halt angiogenesis. Although I came to truly value the role of research, this was not the route I envisioned myself following for my career. I wanted to directly care for patients and be a part of the medical staff team to come up with treatment plans for patients.
To expand my knowledge about the roles and responsibilities of a PA, I shadowed a PA at a clinic serving low-income and uninsured populations. Among all the patients who were seen, about 75% of them were diagnosed with hypertension and diabetes. I learned how to treat and detect these diseases, such as taking lisinopril to help with hypertension or doing an A1C hemoglobin test to see whether a patient is pre-diabetic. The PA always emphasized the value of prevention of these diseases, which was an invaluable lesson I learned. The experience that I have gained from shadowing, such as looking for signs of diabetes or how to perform a regular physical exam, has broadened my knowledge of medical care and influenced me to seek work assisting underserved populations.
Finally, to gain hands on experience with patient care, I worked as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). I learned to work well under pressure, learning tasks such as assessing an unconscious patient, while a crowd of people was watching me. I also came to realize the different aspects of dealing with a patient who came into the clinic because he was experiencing migraines, or dealing with a patient who needed immediate care because he had just had the tip of his finger bitten off. Working as an EMT, I needed to make quick and smart decisions, which were imperative to the job. For example, we were on a scene with a patient who sustained a head injury from a long fall. Although the patient said he was fine and had no intentions in going to the hospital, we still wisely assessed him for hidden injuries. In less than a minute, we discovered he was exhibiting unequal pupils, which was a sign of possible brain injury. Immediately, we made the call to have him transported to the hospital for further care. That incident will always remind me how crucial it is to stay calm and follow protocol, especially in emergency situations.
I always feel great admiration for the medical health profession because the work that is put in by medical personnel truly makes a difference in an individual's life. As a PA, in the future, I would like to enlighten culturally diverse populations about issues such as hypertension, obesity, and diabetes. It pains me to see many individuals suffering from problems that are easily preventable. I believe my passion, self-motivation, experience, and independent thinking will guide me to one day become an exceptional PA and contribute to the world of medicine.