Hjoy3026
May 21, 2015
Graduate / Explaining what is my motivation for being a Physician Assistant. [6]
I rearranged the essay and feel it flows much smoother. I'm struggling with the transition sentence opening the newly arranged 4th paragraph and I need a replacement phrase for "deepened my desire," which is too cliche (in the same paragraph).
Here is the new arrangement. I may be reprimanded for posting it, considering this site's policy..
The noise from the ventilator was loud enough to drown out a siren, so it seemed. Tubes everywhere, his eyes bile yellow, body swollen, lower extremities oozing, abdomen protruding. An entanglement, of some sort; a string is overlapping an oversized tongue, traveling across the body and dangling off of the foot of the bed by a weight. What on earth is that contraption? A multitude of terminology thrown around by the swarm of residents and physician assistants: ascites, gastrointestinal bleeding, esophageal bleeding, Hepatitis-C, renal failure, cirrhosis, dialysis, unsuccessful intervention, hemorrhage, and so on. I'm starring in disbelief, still out of breath from running up and down stairwells. Then the news is presented to me. "Your father has only a few days left, if that. We are doing all that we can, I'm sorry." I'm watching him die, right down the hall from where I am training. No words. I should have been one of the practioners in that swarm. This was the spell-bounding event that solidified my motivation to pursue medicine, as a physician assistant. However, this was not the path I started on.
I worked full time during most of college, and continued my education at Notre Dame of Maryland University and Johns Hopkins, where I became enamored by what I was learning, but clearly unfulfilled. Though locked into a competitive program, I moved on feeling as if I'd merely settled for a career in nuclear medicine, rather than whole heartedly. It was as though I'd missed out on an opportunity to study a profession more fitting of me. I already possessed an unwavering commitment to patient care, professionalism, continual learning, interpersonal and communication skills, and demonstrated an investigatory and analytical-thinking approach to patient management.
Roughly two years into college and during employment with Midatlantic Cardiovascular Associates, I encountered a physician assistant. She was a kind, compassionate healthcare worker. She held a firm bond with the physicians, demonstrated professionalism, established strong relationships with patients, seemed full of knowledge, and appeared to be the perfect link between patient and physician. In a high volume cardiology practice, I noticed the PA followed up with patients in the office and consulted in the ER, while reporting back to the physician on the cases. She had the privilege of autonomy, yet the benefit of collaborating with a team. As an administrative assistant and in the early stages of my training to be a Nuclear Medicine Technologist, I found that intriguing. While working for the practice, I believed nuclear medicine would be an excellent career path, however, I did not feel it was my "dream job."
My current position as a CNMT, with Advanced Radiology, has exposed me to a wide array of conditions: hydronephrosis, thrombocytopenia, neuroblastoma, cholecystitis, pulmonary embolism, myocardial infarction, Paget's disease, and etc. I've been a shoulder to cry on, counselor, educator, and life coach. I have found myself taken aback by the reactions I've received from patients. Generally, the patient is presented with new disease findings by their physician, referred for diagnostics (where they meet me), and then that moment becomes their opportunity to "release" the overwhelming emotions they've bottled up. This job has taught me to remain alert, develop quick-thinking, be empathetic, and understand differences in communication between pediatric and adult patients. But most notably, it has deepened my desire to become a physician assistant. I want the ability to provide primary/specialty care to patients, and not be limited to performing diagnostics. I want to educate, consult, plan treatment, review test results, and follow up on patients. I want this for myself, but above all I want to give back to the world that has given me strength.
Since establishing close relationships with several Cardiologists, I had the benefit of shadowing outside of my specialty. I observed, and occasionally assisted with, transesophageal echocardiograms, neurology, lumbar punctures, cardiac catherizations, diagnostic sonography, CT with fluoroscopy, PET/CT animal research, and countless ED consultations. Comprehension of these tools is vital, as it ensures the ability of a PA to successfully improve patient health. A PA program would improve my understanding of pathophysiology, differential diagnosis, surgical procedures, health promotion and disease prevention; all of which, I hunger to comprehend. For me, the PA profession is truly a dream job.
Unlike some people, I do not attribute my motivation to one event, rather a series. I watched my grandfather lose his battle with colorectal cancer in our home, I lost my life-long friend at the age of twenty to a fatal motor vehicle accident, and most devastating of all...I watched my father live his final days in the ICU of the very institution where I was training. Instead of allowing these roadblocks to hinder my goals, I accepted them as open doors. I learned to use them as fuel to plow through the fight to becoming a physician assistant. Successful completion of a previous program in medicine, a solid background in healthcare, innate traits of empathy, motivation, and defining moments in life have prepared me for the challenges the physician assistant program has to offer.
I rearranged the essay and feel it flows much smoother. I'm struggling with the transition sentence opening the newly arranged 4th paragraph and I need a replacement phrase for "deepened my desire," which is too cliche (in the same paragraph).
Here is the new arrangement. I may be reprimanded for posting it, considering this site's policy..
The noise from the ventilator was loud enough to drown out a siren, so it seemed. Tubes everywhere, his eyes bile yellow, body swollen, lower extremities oozing, abdomen protruding. An entanglement, of some sort; a string is overlapping an oversized tongue, traveling across the body and dangling off of the foot of the bed by a weight. What on earth is that contraption? A multitude of terminology thrown around by the swarm of residents and physician assistants: ascites, gastrointestinal bleeding, esophageal bleeding, Hepatitis-C, renal failure, cirrhosis, dialysis, unsuccessful intervention, hemorrhage, and so on. I'm starring in disbelief, still out of breath from running up and down stairwells. Then the news is presented to me. "Your father has only a few days left, if that. We are doing all that we can, I'm sorry." I'm watching him die, right down the hall from where I am training. No words. I should have been one of the practioners in that swarm. This was the spell-bounding event that solidified my motivation to pursue medicine, as a physician assistant. However, this was not the path I started on.
I worked full time during most of college, and continued my education at Notre Dame of Maryland University and Johns Hopkins, where I became enamored by what I was learning, but clearly unfulfilled. Though locked into a competitive program, I moved on feeling as if I'd merely settled for a career in nuclear medicine, rather than whole heartedly. It was as though I'd missed out on an opportunity to study a profession more fitting of me. I already possessed an unwavering commitment to patient care, professionalism, continual learning, interpersonal and communication skills, and demonstrated an investigatory and analytical-thinking approach to patient management.
Roughly two years into college and during employment with Midatlantic Cardiovascular Associates, I encountered a physician assistant. She was a kind, compassionate healthcare worker. She held a firm bond with the physicians, demonstrated professionalism, established strong relationships with patients, seemed full of knowledge, and appeared to be the perfect link between patient and physician. In a high volume cardiology practice, I noticed the PA followed up with patients in the office and consulted in the ER, while reporting back to the physician on the cases. She had the privilege of autonomy, yet the benefit of collaborating with a team. As an administrative assistant and in the early stages of my training to be a Nuclear Medicine Technologist, I found that intriguing. While working for the practice, I believed nuclear medicine would be an excellent career path, however, I did not feel it was my "dream job."
My current position as a CNMT, with Advanced Radiology, has exposed me to a wide array of conditions: hydronephrosis, thrombocytopenia, neuroblastoma, cholecystitis, pulmonary embolism, myocardial infarction, Paget's disease, and etc. I've been a shoulder to cry on, counselor, educator, and life coach. I have found myself taken aback by the reactions I've received from patients. Generally, the patient is presented with new disease findings by their physician, referred for diagnostics (where they meet me), and then that moment becomes their opportunity to "release" the overwhelming emotions they've bottled up. This job has taught me to remain alert, develop quick-thinking, be empathetic, and understand differences in communication between pediatric and adult patients. But most notably, it has deepened my desire to become a physician assistant. I want the ability to provide primary/specialty care to patients, and not be limited to performing diagnostics. I want to educate, consult, plan treatment, review test results, and follow up on patients. I want this for myself, but above all I want to give back to the world that has given me strength.
Since establishing close relationships with several Cardiologists, I had the benefit of shadowing outside of my specialty. I observed, and occasionally assisted with, transesophageal echocardiograms, neurology, lumbar punctures, cardiac catherizations, diagnostic sonography, CT with fluoroscopy, PET/CT animal research, and countless ED consultations. Comprehension of these tools is vital, as it ensures the ability of a PA to successfully improve patient health. A PA program would improve my understanding of pathophysiology, differential diagnosis, surgical procedures, health promotion and disease prevention; all of which, I hunger to comprehend. For me, the PA profession is truly a dream job.
Unlike some people, I do not attribute my motivation to one event, rather a series. I watched my grandfather lose his battle with colorectal cancer in our home, I lost my life-long friend at the age of twenty to a fatal motor vehicle accident, and most devastating of all...I watched my father live his final days in the ICU of the very institution where I was training. Instead of allowing these roadblocks to hinder my goals, I accepted them as open doors. I learned to use them as fuel to plow through the fight to becoming a physician assistant. Successful completion of a previous program in medicine, a solid background in healthcare, innate traits of empathy, motivation, and defining moments in life have prepared me for the challenges the physician assistant program has to offer.
