Personal Statement/Narrative.
Please describe your motivation towards becoming a PA
5000 characters limit = approx. 625 words. Characters include spaces, carriage returns, numbers, letters, etc.
A case of cystic acne sparked my initial interest in medicine. Acne is painful physically and emotionally. The large scabs, hyperpigmentation and scars on my face caused embarrassment and helplessness. I sought change. Searching online led to medical journals discussing the physiology of the body, the causes of acne as well as treatment. The articles however were well beyond my level of comprehension. Intrigued by what I read, yet frustrated with my lack of knowledge, I decided to seek an education in science. By taking relevant science courses I was equipped to revisit the prior literature and better grasp the material. The pursuit of knowledge led to my fascination of the realm of health and science.
Reattempting to read the articles discussing acne, I realized I was in need of medical attention. I scheduled an appointment to see a dermatologist.
During the appointment, the Physician Assistant saw me. As she began her assessment, I explained to her how my personal experience sparked motivation of seeking a career in medicine. She suggested I look up "Physician Assistant". I had had no prior knowledge of the career. I did, however, admire how the PA treated me.
After the appointment I performed an online search for Physician Assistant. As I read about the PA profession, I no longer felt helpless. As a PA I will have the capacity to understand a patients condition, I may also perform a large scope of tasks to improve a patients condition such as the one I suffer from. The discovery of this profession influenced my future short-term and long-term goals.
My short-term goals included completing an education to compliment my future role as a PA, volunteering, taking prerequisites courses and shadowing established PAs in the community, all in an effort to become a PA.
As I set to complete my list of goals, my mother, unfortunately diagnosed with Menieres', was often bed ridden and could not function when her dizzy spells kicked in. My family and I wished to find a remedy, cure, or some sort of ailment to her condition. Assertively, I contacted the diagnosing Ears Nose and Throat clinic seeking permission to shadow the Physician Assistant. With permission granted, I was able to shadow the PA.
As I shadowed, I rendered my Spanish interpreting services to all the health care associates of the clinic. The PA, nurses, medical assistants, physicians and receptionist quickly utilized me when a language barrier presented itself. This resulted in more time with the patients as well as further exposure to other conditions, diseases and forms of treatment. With practice I became able to communicate with my mother about her condition in our native language. She is currently doing well, and is managing her symptoms.
My aspiration and motivation to become a PA increased as I saw firsthand how the PA I shadowed cared and treated his patients. The sincerity, excellence in care and knowledge of the PA are all attributes I aspire to gain.
I continued forth in reaching my other goals and diverged myself in research as a volunteer. The research grant I volunteered under was a fatigue study funded by the military. We volunteered for endless hours, however, our work was tedious yet rewarding. Our research led to the development of a patent. A math model created to measure physiological signals for heart rate variability. The patent may be used to prevent or predict overt fatigue levels associated with compromised cognitive performance for individuals in the military. My belief is that the patent has potential to save the lives of our troops.
My long-term goals consist of delivering outstanding medical services to the populations of Texas, as a PA. A second long-term goal is to further evolve through continuing education to better serve patients. Many of our Texan populations are in need of Spanish speaking healthcare providers. My gleaned personal experiences, my ability to relate, and my fluency in Spanish, combined with my dedication are qualities that will make me a great candidate as a PA student; ultimately leading to the production of an outstanding Physician Assistant.
Please describe your motivation towards becoming a PA
5000 characters limit = approx. 625 words. Characters include spaces, carriage returns, numbers, letters, etc.
A case of cystic acne sparked my initial interest in medicine. Acne is painful physically and emotionally. The large scabs, hyperpigmentation and scars on my face caused embarrassment and helplessness. I sought change. Searching online led to medical journals discussing the physiology of the body, the causes of acne as well as treatment. The articles however were well beyond my level of comprehension. Intrigued by what I read, yet frustrated with my lack of knowledge, I decided to seek an education in science. By taking relevant science courses I was equipped to revisit the prior literature and better grasp the material. The pursuit of knowledge led to my fascination of the realm of health and science.
Reattempting to read the articles discussing acne, I realized I was in need of medical attention. I scheduled an appointment to see a dermatologist.
During the appointment, the Physician Assistant saw me. As she began her assessment, I explained to her how my personal experience sparked motivation of seeking a career in medicine. She suggested I look up "Physician Assistant". I had had no prior knowledge of the career. I did, however, admire how the PA treated me.
After the appointment I performed an online search for Physician Assistant. As I read about the PA profession, I no longer felt helpless. As a PA I will have the capacity to understand a patients condition, I may also perform a large scope of tasks to improve a patients condition such as the one I suffer from. The discovery of this profession influenced my future short-term and long-term goals.
My short-term goals included completing an education to compliment my future role as a PA, volunteering, taking prerequisites courses and shadowing established PAs in the community, all in an effort to become a PA.
As I set to complete my list of goals, my mother, unfortunately diagnosed with Menieres', was often bed ridden and could not function when her dizzy spells kicked in. My family and I wished to find a remedy, cure, or some sort of ailment to her condition. Assertively, I contacted the diagnosing Ears Nose and Throat clinic seeking permission to shadow the Physician Assistant. With permission granted, I was able to shadow the PA.
As I shadowed, I rendered my Spanish interpreting services to all the health care associates of the clinic. The PA, nurses, medical assistants, physicians and receptionist quickly utilized me when a language barrier presented itself. This resulted in more time with the patients as well as further exposure to other conditions, diseases and forms of treatment. With practice I became able to communicate with my mother about her condition in our native language. She is currently doing well, and is managing her symptoms.
My aspiration and motivation to become a PA increased as I saw firsthand how the PA I shadowed cared and treated his patients. The sincerity, excellence in care and knowledge of the PA are all attributes I aspire to gain.
I continued forth in reaching my other goals and diverged myself in research as a volunteer. The research grant I volunteered under was a fatigue study funded by the military. We volunteered for endless hours, however, our work was tedious yet rewarding. Our research led to the development of a patent. A math model created to measure physiological signals for heart rate variability. The patent may be used to prevent or predict overt fatigue levels associated with compromised cognitive performance for individuals in the military. My belief is that the patent has potential to save the lives of our troops.
My long-term goals consist of delivering outstanding medical services to the populations of Texas, as a PA. A second long-term goal is to further evolve through continuing education to better serve patients. Many of our Texan populations are in need of Spanish speaking healthcare providers. My gleaned personal experiences, my ability to relate, and my fluency in Spanish, combined with my dedication are qualities that will make me a great candidate as a PA student; ultimately leading to the production of an outstanding Physician Assistant.