Graduate /
"versatile and flexible" - PA school personal statement help [2]
I have worked on this statement for a very long time. And I am still not satisfied. I feel like this could be said in a better way. Any kind of suggestion would be greatly appreciated.
Growing up in a financially unstable family brings a lot of stress and obstacles in every step. I moved to United States with my family of nine when I was eight years old. We hoped to start our life once again for the better, while; my father possessed only hundred dollars in his pocket and no job. With the help of my uncle, my father and older brother found jobs. However, my father worked double shifts to provide us with food and shelter. My elder brother gave up on education to help my dad financially. Moreover, language barrier and cultural differences made our journey even more difficult.
My father tried to provide us with all the leisure of life but they were only limited to food, shelter and clothing. As all the other kids in the neighborhood used to play with toys, my siblings and I used to play games that didn't involve toys. We never ate dinners at the restaurants like other families, let alone going on family vacations.
My grandmother who was physically disabled moved to the United States from Pakistan during my freshman year in high school. As she was handicapped, her entire responsibility came upon me and my mother. She was disabled to the point where she couldn't eat, drink, walk, lay down and even get up on her own. Being so young and due to lack of knowledge I couldn't provide the best care.
Therefore, I decided to pursue higher education in order to achieve my goal of helping those who cannot return the favor. My desire to pursue a career in health care stems primarily from a deep interest in biology and willingness to help others. I initially realized that I wanted to become a physician during my freshman year of college.
I entered the biology class without any idea of what to expect. I found the class very intellectually stimulating. After the first couple of weeks, I considered dropping this class because the material was so challenging. However, before I made a final decision, I paused, and thought of my father. While I was growing up, my father has always expressed his philosophy on success. He repeatedly reminded me to "work hard and never give up". Therefore, I was equipped to face the challenges. I realized I could not drop this difficult class. I decided that I would strive to adhere to my father's beliefs and perform to the best of my ability. My father also says that, "Life is not a pleasure unless you live it with dignity, pride, and hard work". This made me determined not only to pass the course but also to excel in it. My hard work and dedication began to pay off, and the class soon became one of my favorites.
After higher levels of biology courses in my college career, I sensed that understanding the medical world is similar to climbing a mountain of challenge. Although the first few steps of the trail of biology world did not offer fantastic views, the vision became stunning once I climbed above the mountain of Physiology and Neurobiology. To reach my goal of total comprehension of medical phenomena, I realized that I must begin with knowledge that may be uninteresting by itself.
I started working at the CVS/Pharmacy as a Pharmacy Team Member, to gain some real life experience of healthcare. I saw the pharmacist reaching out and touching others' hearts by counseling and in turn making their lives healthier. During my first few days at work I knew that the field of medicine was where I belonged. However, due to my medical surgery, I had to leave CVS for at least three months to gain my health back.
Due to my family's financial crisis, even after ten years of our migration, I could not afford a car which was very important because the state I am from has bad public transportation. Therefore, my elder brother used to drop me off and pick me up from college and I had to stay in school until my brother got off from work. For which, I could not volunteer in my early years of college. In my junior year, I applied at many hospitals to volunteer. Fortunately, I heard back from the Hartford Hospital and started volunteering in the emergency department. I also volunteered for the Bed Safety/Fall Prevention Program. This program gave me an opportunity to directly interact with the physician assistants and counsel the patients regarding their high fall risks.
An essential part of choosing a career for me is whether or not the field will bring me fulfillment in terms of happiness. After stepping in the real world, I am certain that Physician Assistant is the only profession for me. The PA profession is very versatile and flexible because I can practice in almost any setting. The field immediately appealed to me because I can learn much of the same information as a medical doctor, but in a shorter period of time. I want a career to do what I love and yet still have time for family, who has done so much for me.