I spent my childhood in the walls of hospitals. I would navigate (and get lost) through the hall and meet doctors, nurses, patients and families. While I don’t remember going to college (studying medicine) before the age of 8, it is safe to say i didn’t diagnose or treat any patients. When I wasn’t making my rounds and getting smiles out of ppl, I observed my mother and other patients get treated. I recall the meticulous, yet compassionate care that went into treating her and others. Eventually my mom succumbed to breast cancer and while it was the saddest day of my life, it inspired my choice to become a physician Assistant. A seed was planted in me after her passing; that seed with the help of has grown into my desire to serve others. My life has been full of hard lessons and experiences.
I have stumbled and hit roadblocks along the way, but in hindsight, I can see that there was a reason for everything. My failures and my experiences have lead to my desire of becoming a Physician Assistant. At a young age, I ventured into the world of helping others by volunteering at a summer-long camp for adults with varying types of developmental disabilities. On the first day, I had to assist an older male camper wipe himself in a restroom. I was initially reluctant, but I overcame the situation and did my job. That moment, while just a blip in my life definitely shape my future. Undeterred, I continued assist to the needs of different campers for the next 9 years. While there I acquired some medical experience from monitoring meds and viewing medical charts to observing catheter changes. The feeling of wholly devoting my attention, energy, and care to those that needed it was more rewarding than anything I had ever felt and it solidified my desire to enter into the medical field. Prior to entering college, with the experience of helping those with developmental disabilities under my belt, I considered becoming a physician.
However, due to a discouraging high school counselor, I allowed fear to take over and I shied away from pursuing a major that would guide me to medical school in college. The comment from my counselor, an ADHD diagnosis, and classes I was not interested nor prepared for, hurt my academic confidence, resulting in poor grades. In time I managed to vastly improve my studies in community college, transfer to UC Riverside to study Psychology, graduate with honors and become a Behavioral Therapist for the next 8 years. As a Behavioral Therapist, I provided direct patient care to children with Autism, down syndrome, traumatic brain injury, and cerebral palsy.
127 our experts are availableright now
This care involved using behavior analysis (ABA)to assess, document, and treat mental health behaviors and providing physical assistance in hygiene, self-help skills, and behavioral crisis situations to my patients. I expected that this career would fulfill my altruistic desires, and while it was very satisfying to know I was making a positive difference in children’s lives, it still didn’t fill that need I had deep down inside of me. I wanted to understand the science of diseases and disorders and learn how to medically treat a patient. Reflecting on my past experiences, I re-examined my goals, and after much consideration, decided that I wanted to contribute myself to a life in medicine.
The steps required to move forward meant additional school and patient exposure. I began to explore the idea by shadowing a former coach (and now mentor), an ER physician, in order to learn about becoming a doctor. In the coming months I observed and worked (with limited scope/allowance/or practice) with other physicians, physician assistants and nurses. In time I found myself the most drawn to the career of becoming a physician assistant. Learning about the salary and years of school was appealing, but it was comprehensive treatment they could provid. their skill and knowledge in various specialties, the time spent with each patient, and their supportive role with a physician for the common goal of helping the patient. With PA school in-mind, I started a post-baccalaureate program to fulfill pre-med requirements for PA school which meant taking the math and science I desperately avoided early in college. Ironically, I now found the courses fascinating. Knowing that the material learned in my post baccalaureate could be applied to PA school and saving lives inspired me to do well in the courses. Looking to add clinical experience to my science classes, I volunteered for Flying Samaritans, an organization that provides free medical assistance to clinics in underserved regions of Mexico. I had the chance to gain experience from shadowing, assisting in physicals, distributing medication, and triage. I recall the day an older woman came in with intestinal discomfort. While obtaining vitals and patient history in triage, I noted her nausea, fatigue, low appetite, and high heart rate. The woman, 57, had various symptoms were pointing towards pregnancy, so I asked for sexual history and cycle – to which she responded, “often and missed.” I consulted with an OBGYN who ran several test and confirmed she was pregnant.
Collaborating my opinion with OBGYN about the woman’s diagnosis, so I could hear the words “you’re pregnant” come out of my mouth( . ?). It was in that moment, that for the first time, I was doing what i wanted (felt truly fullitfilled????). I loved the feeling, I felt like i was acting like a real PA While navigating the hospital halls as a kid, I made some wrong turns. But I learned more with every turn and made it to my desired destination. I have proven to myself that I can promote health by treating both mind and body of a patient, ( Write about PA Mobility/specialties) I have had the opportunity to work and volunteer in and serve those less privileged. II have had a taste of what it is like to with patients, to assist physicians, and sits close to to sit comfortingly beside the bed of woman —– Even though my long path My path to become a PA has a been long my lifes lessons as my drive to succeed as in the A used the drive from past experience to but I know that the skills I have acquired throughout my life: resilience from losing my mother, and the patience working as a therapist mentally and physically disabled, I feel very secure that my passion and commitment will elevate me past other candidates. I have proven to myself that I can promote health by treating both mind and body of a patient, a( i want to treat across speiclties) .
I was never the smartest kid in class, but I worked hard and used my adversity to motivate me even further. As a child, I experienced one of the hardest aspects of medicine and life as well—watching someone you love die. Losing my mom could have diminished my capacity to take on challenges, but instead, I see the underlying beauty in death—finding my purpose in medicine, living a meaningful life as a physician assistant, and fulfilling my desire to do good for myself and others. To become a Physician Assistant, requires life-long hard work, persistence, patience, dedication and above all, the right kind of right temperament. — Scratchpad post-bacc, shadowing, and medical experiI have worked alongside many health professionals along the way, but the physician assistants stood out to me.ence haveolidify how (much/badly) I desire to become a physician assistant. that there was no other profession I desired more. Through all of my learning and experience it occurred to me that my love for medicine is so broad, that it would be impossible for me to just focus on one aspect of medicine .
Knowing that I have the option to experience nearly any specialty entices me, and having the opportunity to treat and diagnose patients instead of standing in the background observing would give me great pleasure. They were versatile and compassionate, spending the majority of their time with the patients. Most adapted to every new circumstance and smoothly transitioned between specialties in the field. Every encounter with a patient or a physician assistant has fueled my ambition and fever for more knowledge and skills, le hat excited me most. They are given more patient interaction and select skills from learned from specialisti in various field and can best treat a patient(weird?). I saw much of the work between the and pA dine Using these skill still but rather working together with a common goal – helping the patient. want to utilized the PAs option to a become versatile, well rounded practitioner through the learned skills of specialized doctors in many different specialties.
