lknighton
Oct 8, 2012
Undergraduate / 'Fears of hospitals' - motivation towards becoming a Physicians Assistant [2]
Hospitals conjure up fear for most people, but for me they have been like a second home. Throughout my childhood, my mother worked as an administrator assistant and physician recruiter for a small hospital in Mississippi. She worked long hours, which gave me ample time after school to explore the hospital while waiting to go home. During this time, I had the opportunity to meet many healthcare professionals and watch them in action. The time I spent and the encounters I had with these professionals helped me realize that the healthcare field is something I want to be a part of my daily life. I was fortunate to learn that the comfort I felt inside hospitals would help me overcome obstacles I would soon face.
Ryan was an amazing older brother and even better friend, but he had a few issues that put him in precarious situations. His love of alcohol and his insistence upon driving intoxicated naturally came with repercussions. His many wrecks due to drinking and driving caused me to play more of a caretaker role than a sister to him. I was always the one to stay with him in the hospital, per his request, and the only one to visit him every Sunday in rehab, and the only one he would call when he was in a sticky situation. Over the course of his life, through his many broken bones and stitches, I have seen my fair share of gruesome injuries, changed countless bandages and watched nurses do the same. The relationship that we had was unique. I would miss out on everyday teenage activities to tend to him, and never minded a bit. Somehow I managed to lead a semi-normal life throughout high school, which included being involved in extra curricular activities, until I reached my senior year.
I was preparing to commence my senior year of high school when my brother was involved in an accident that tragically ended his life. This tragedy turned my world upside down. On top of being a high school senior, I was planning my only brother's funeral and attempting to deal with the loss of my best friend, all at the same time. Losing a sibling at such a young age is not something anyone is prepared to deal with. For most high school students their senior year is the most exciting, stressful year of their teenage lives. For me it was one of the worst times. A feeling of hopelessness overwhelmed me.
I was unsure about my future until about half way through the year when I finally realized that the brother I loved and cared for so much would not want me to give up on my dreams. This epiphany got me back on the track towards college and fulfilling my dreams. It made me more determined to succeed, not for him, but for me, to prove that nothing can stop me. The death of my brother has influenced the person I have become and has made me more driven and more resilient than most people my age.
Reflecting on my past, I knew that I wanted to be in a profession that helped people, somewhere I would be needed. It was easy for me to see that I belonged in a hospital setting between the time I spent in hospitals when I was younger and throughout my brother's accidents. I feel that the time I have spent around many different types of professionals in healthcare has helped me realize that physician's assistants are the perfect balance between a doctor and a nurse; they are the best of both worlds in which I know I belong.
Hospitals conjure up fear for most people, but for me they have been like a second home. Throughout my childhood, my mother worked as an administrator assistant and physician recruiter for a small hospital in Mississippi. She worked long hours, which gave me ample time after school to explore the hospital while waiting to go home. During this time, I had the opportunity to meet many healthcare professionals and watch them in action. The time I spent and the encounters I had with these professionals helped me realize that the healthcare field is something I want to be a part of my daily life. I was fortunate to learn that the comfort I felt inside hospitals would help me overcome obstacles I would soon face.
Ryan was an amazing older brother and even better friend, but he had a few issues that put him in precarious situations. His love of alcohol and his insistence upon driving intoxicated naturally came with repercussions. His many wrecks due to drinking and driving caused me to play more of a caretaker role than a sister to him. I was always the one to stay with him in the hospital, per his request, and the only one to visit him every Sunday in rehab, and the only one he would call when he was in a sticky situation. Over the course of his life, through his many broken bones and stitches, I have seen my fair share of gruesome injuries, changed countless bandages and watched nurses do the same. The relationship that we had was unique. I would miss out on everyday teenage activities to tend to him, and never minded a bit. Somehow I managed to lead a semi-normal life throughout high school, which included being involved in extra curricular activities, until I reached my senior year.
I was preparing to commence my senior year of high school when my brother was involved in an accident that tragically ended his life. This tragedy turned my world upside down. On top of being a high school senior, I was planning my only brother's funeral and attempting to deal with the loss of my best friend, all at the same time. Losing a sibling at such a young age is not something anyone is prepared to deal with. For most high school students their senior year is the most exciting, stressful year of their teenage lives. For me it was one of the worst times. A feeling of hopelessness overwhelmed me.
I was unsure about my future until about half way through the year when I finally realized that the brother I loved and cared for so much would not want me to give up on my dreams. This epiphany got me back on the track towards college and fulfilling my dreams. It made me more determined to succeed, not for him, but for me, to prove that nothing can stop me. The death of my brother has influenced the person I have become and has made me more driven and more resilient than most people my age.
Reflecting on my past, I knew that I wanted to be in a profession that helped people, somewhere I would be needed. It was easy for me to see that I belonged in a hospital setting between the time I spent in hospitals when I was younger and throughout my brother's accidents. I feel that the time I have spent around many different types of professionals in healthcare has helped me realize that physician's assistants are the perfect balance between a doctor and a nurse; they are the best of both worlds in which I know I belong.