My ambition to become a family practitioner has been fueled by events during my adolescent years, as well as experiences throughout medical school. As I rotated in hospitals and clinics over the past two years, I observed the multiple angles the family physician role encompasses. Coupled with my love and respect for medicine with its evolving curative and management possibilities and the desire to further probe the nature of the array of illnesses I have seen, my role of educator and counselor has been ignited.
Once a morbidly obese adolescent at 324 pounds, I was counseled by my family doctor to “watch your portions.” Years later, those words of counsel still echo in my mind. I acknowledge their truth but equally their incompleteness. Consequently,
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My love of the hospital clinic during many of my clinical rotations grew. I always looked forward to this part of my duties as a student, because I was able to assume the roles of comforter, counselor, and educator. Additionally, I was able to attach a human face to the pathologies I study in the books. I recall a patient in the endocrine clinic, a 33 year old female diabetic of ten years carrying over 300 pounds on her small frame. She was being treated with very high doses of Lantus and regular insulin as well as oral hypoglycemics. During the first of our many discussions, I inquired as to what she had eaten for lunch since her finger stick glucose was 240. She exclaimed,“No sugar! Only soup with chicken and rice, and I had an iced tea...but it says all natural on the bottle and I drink it all the time.” It is at that point my counseling began. Over the next month, I met with her multiple times. With my counseling and her dedication, she achieved better glucose control and her HbA1C fell. Several months later our paths again crossed in the pediatrics clinic where I performed school physicals on her four children. She appeared a transformed person. Hugging me and thanking me for my patience and encouragement with her struggle, she confided she was no longer on insulin. Her success and her gratitude gives me tremendous satisfaction even now, further solidifying my drive to be a primary care physician. Several similar experiences followed with each rotation,
H, who had come into the emergency department two days prior for diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. The Mayo Clinic explains that diabetic ketoacidosis occurs when the body cannot produce insulin. Insulin is the key that allows glucose to enter cells, and provide the cells with energy. Without glucose for energy, the body begins to breakdown fats that produce harmful substances known as ketones. DKA is characterized by hyperglycemia, metabolic acidosis and ketones in the urine, (2017). That had since resolved, so for the most part of the day me and the secondary nurse were providing diabetic education. She was educated on the use of the glucometer, how to give insulin injections, and symptoms of hypoglycemia, I felt confident in this education and was surprised by how much I remembered from previous lectures. I did not have time to provide teaching on diet, exercise induced hypoglycemia, or patient specific teaching based upon her report, because we switched our roles. I can see how education can get swept under the rug in practice when you are so busy throughout the day. Instead of saving education until the end of the day, when I become a new nurse I will make sure I am taking advantage of every patient encounter as an opportunity to educate. Later in the simulation, when I had transitioned roles, Ms. H experienced a hypoglycemic episode after receiving a dose of insulin and not consuming any of her breakfast. According to Silvestri, hypoglycemia is often caused by the following, too much insulin, too little food, or excessive activity (2014, p. 653). In Dr. Johanson’s lectures I learned that carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the body and are metabolized to form glucose for the body to use. When there is no consumption of carbohydrates, there is no glucose and this results in low blood glucose known as hypoglycemia. A type 1 diabetic lacks the ability to make insulin, which is the key that
Van Gogh once said “your profession is what you’re put here on earth to do, with such passion and such intensity that it becomes spiritual in calling”. That is what nursing is to me. A passion that started early in life. During my senior year in high school, I completed the nursing assistant course over a holiday break in order to begin working as a certified nursing assistant at a local hospital and nursing home. I continued serving others, in this capacity, while I pursued higher education earning my Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Clarkson College. After graduation, I began my career as a Registered Nurse at Sacred Heart Hospital. Over the last nine years at Sacred Heart, my experience grew as a staff nurse on a Cardiology Step-down Unit,
Factors contributing to the application of a master's program in nursing are to intellectually challenge myself, broaden my scope of practice and comprehension as a registered nurse. I recently graduated with my bachelors in nursing and have worked as a registered nurse for close to seven years. I became a registered nurse to help people. I feel my nursing career has rewarded me personally each and everyday. When someone tells me "thank you" and appreciates my kindness and understanding I leave work feeling fulfilled. I would like the opportunity to continue to feel this way by enhancing my understanding of medicine. By becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner, I would be able to bridge between being a nurse and a physician. I would be able
I am writing this letter to give my highest recommendation of Ms. Shari Allen for admission to the school of medicine’s physician assistant program. I have had the opportunity of working closely with Shari in my clinical practice of Pediatrics as a preceptor for the greater part of three months in 2009. During her time as a mentee, Shari has demonstrated a strong interest in becoming a future practitioner in medicine by her drive to learn basic sciences, her curiosity for medicine and her ability to learn quickly, which makes her an outstanding candidate for the program.
As the world evolves the focus on children and their health continues to be placed on the back burner. Child obesity is at an all time high, yet the worlds focus is to come out with another TV show, another computer game, another fast food restaurant. As a physician assistant, it would be my life goal to educate the children and families on the immediate and life long dangers of continuing a life of no exercise and intake of high fat foods. These communities need a physician who understands that the drive thru is a way of life because each parent works two jobs and time together is limited. They need a physician who understands and is able to compile treatment plans that truly work with their situation, not just a plan that would suit any patient. Preventive care will cut down on overall healthcare spending by warding off diseases that strain the economy and work production. PAs believe strongly in patient education for better
“What are you even doing here? I have never seen such flawed technique in all my years as a choreographer.” The words echoed throughout the medical college auditorium. Impelled by the admonishment in front of my peers, I persevered in my endeavor to improve upon my dancing prowess and by the final year of medical school was leading the college dance team. The above mentioned undertaking further spawned an interest for the discipline of Latin Ballroom which lead to participation at the national level. The unwavering focus and persistence even in the face of unfavorable odds is more broadly reflective of my approach towards learning, both academic and extracurricular. This has been instrumental in achieving stellar academic outcomes including being ranked nationally in the top 0.0004 percent in the premedical test and the top 0.6 percent in the common aptitude test for management training.
I first realized my passion for health promotion and disease prevention the summer following my first year of college. I had the privilege of attending the Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP), which introduced me to numerous healthcare professionals. During the program, many of the professionals shared their stories about why they choose the profession, and with each story, I began to reflect deeply on my own background and what drew me to medicine. It was not until an emergency medicine physician spoke about his experiences, that allowed me to fully understand connecting my background to my future. The physician mentioned growing up in D.C., which brought to mind my family in D.C. It had been almost a year since my grandmother
In the continued process of realizing how much sugar content was in the food and beverages I was consuming and going to the doctor receiving my blood work results, I decided to change my nutritional habits. I went to my primary care provider to get my six-month checkup and was informed that my Hemoglobin A1C levels were high (5.9%). Over the course of the summer/winter break I was consuming too much of sugary food items and beverages while on a cruise as well. I can agree that I consumed large amounts of sugary foods while on my summer break and now this has changed my way of thinking about nutritional sugary content. Whenever I would feel the need to have a snack, I would want something sweet to curve my appetite at the moment.
In order to gain insight on the most frequently seen healthcare problem, I chose to interview a registered nurse from Georgia Regents Medical Center, Mrs. Denead Buoy RN, MSN. I chose this medical provider because she has had experience in her field for 17 years. During the interview, I gained valuable information about a disease that she stated she sees commonly in her in patient unit. The disease she noted was diabetes mellitus. During the interview she gave me information about the disease in terms of its causes, its frequency, and the reason she decided to identity these disease.
I want to attend George Washington’s physician assistant program because their mission and strong curriculum will help me attain my academic objectives and become a successful PA in primary care. I will fulfill the mission at George Washington as a PA because I plan to practice evidence-based medicine, advocate for my patients, and serve the community. From my dietetics major, I learned the importance of practicing evidence-based medicine to provide the highest quality care to my patients, which is how I will practice as a PA too. Secondly, I will strive to support my patients holistically with their medical needs. Providing quality, compassionate care to my residents as a CNA, I learned how to be a reliable caregiver and address any questions about their care that they have. Lastly, I learned the importance of volunteering and serving the community from my mother as a kid and began to volunteer at church and school alongside her. Also, I was a Girl Scout for eleven years and at the end of high school earned my
My mother, hearing the bubbles bursting during the cremation of my aunt, that I later understood to have occurred from the fluid retention due to renal failure as a complication of diabetes, is my earliest recall of the field. Diabetes runs rampant in Asia and my extended family. My father exercised and ate healthy all his life to help keep high blood sugar at bay that his brothers suffered from. My sister-in-law being unable to conceive for years and eventually diagnosed as severe hypothyroidism and successfully treated to have 3 kids drew my attention to thyroid problems, which later affected my sister and father. One of my patients during my early clinical years, becoming a double amputee secondary to diabetes, inspired me to edify masses regarding preventive medicine as a freelancer.
Limiting my sugar is a topic that I have been wanting to address for a few months now. I struggle with anxiety and my weight. I came across a website sharing how sugar enhances the symptoms of anxiety, so I have held onto the idea until HEA 110 encouraged me to put in on the table. I am not just addicted to sugar, but also the library, so the idea to obtain my needed sources for the paper was an obvious one. The library is the best source for information…and it’s free. I had to familiarize myself once again with CPCC’s credible database, but finally found the perfect thread within ProQuest: Public Health. Seeing my emphasis is based on health issues, I keyed in ‘health risk sugar’. I found the article, The Dangers of Sugar
Deciding to pursue a career in Family Medicine was not a choice that I made easily. Before entering medical school, I assumed Pediatrics was the field for me. Taking on a leadership role as a volunteer peer tutor for students with disabilities in high school had stimulated my interest in working with adolescents. However, after completing rotations in various specialties, I recognized that I enjoyed caring for patients of all ages and wanted to be in a profession where I can treat not only the disease but the person as a whole.
True-born caring person, with an open heart, and a deep sensation of satisfaction after helping people. I was less than 10 years old when my mother used to call me “ the mother of the family” because I was already caring for my siblings, making myself available to those in need.
In the fall of 2008, my life changed dramatically when my daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus at eighteen months old. Who could have known that a single drop of blood could be the powerful catalyst for me to become the woman that I am today? Early in my daughter’s diagnosis, I found myself working side by side with my daughter’s health care providers, no longer just a mom, but an integral part of the team that would help her to have a “normal” life. From the night of her diagnosis, I was drawn to the nurses in the emergency department, then on the floor, and ultimately in our clinic—they were just so readily available and willing to take the time to alleviate my fears and answer my questions. In particular, even now, our clinical nurse practitioner is my rock. Exuding confidence and the medical knowledge I thirst for, she is the beacon I strive to become for others.