Personal Narrative: My Journey Into The Medical Field

I was never a kid that knew who I would become when I grow up. My interests ranged from wanting to become an interior designer to having a strong desire of becoming a pilot. I was often surrounded by healthcare professionals but I never imagined myself striving to become one. Little did I know that I would end up at a stage in my life where I would be sure about pursuing a career in healthcare. Although I have decided on my career path, I have yet to discover a particular field within healthcare that grabs my interest. The RA Internship will help me learn more about medicine and help me find a right field of study through clinical research experience and monthly lectures offered to me as an intern. Though this opportunity I will be able to

Growing up I was always exposed to the medical field because my mom worked in the emergency department in the local hospital. When I graduated high school, I got a job working in the construction field making a great salary, for as young as I was. Because of this, I continued to work in this field for the next eleven years. It wasn’t until I was 29 years old when I got laid off of my construction job and my whole world came crashing down on me. I moped around for a month but quickly realized that this is now my time to pursue my dream of becoming a Firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). That next summer I enrolled at Aims Community College in

The career I became interested in is a Physician’s Assistant, or a few people call them PAs. I became interested in this job in my sophomore year of high school. It all started when I attended the STEM fair after school one day. STEM fair is only offered to students who are in either the biomedical Stem academy or the engineer academy. At this fair, students tour around to different classrooms to acquire information on different careers. I attended the Physician’s Assistant one, where there was an actual PA to give information on what PAs achieve. For example, PAs examine patients for diseases, injuries and illnesses.

A couple years ago I lost my grandpa to an illness. It had to do with his diabetes and then it begin to progress to the point where he ended up in the hospital and then needed to be in a nursing home. After seeing the way that nursing home treated him and the other patients/residents made me not only disappointed in the nurses but also encouraged me to one day pursue a career in the medical field. When I graduated high school and went to college I was unsure on what I wanted to do. I was interested in automotive technology and radiology as well. Since I was undecided I begin some basic courses. After 2 years in college I was still unsure and decided to give myself the experience of working in the Eagle Ford Shale. It was heavy labor in all

Choosing my career was not an easy choice but becoming a Medical Assistant would be my “foot in the door” to becoming a nurse. I started Alaska Career College in fall 2014 to become a Phlebotomist. I thought that with my experience as a medical receptionist, I can further my career as a medical assistant rather than a phlebotomist. I love to draw blood but because of my personality, I thought that maybe it would be more beneficial to become a medical assistant instead. As a young Hmong child, I loved helping people especially the older folks who did not speak English well. It is my goal to help others who are in need of help and because of that, I chose to become a Medical Assistant. I do hope that one day

During the course of my college years, I have considered alternate career options. I have contemplated becoming a physician’s assistant, a dentist, or a podiatrist. Physician’s assistants and doctors play similar roles in clinics; I would still be able to see patients and enjoy the interpersonal aspect of delivering healthcare. Additionally, I would still be able to play an important role in primary care and do my utmost for the sake of my patients, which is hugely appealing.

My sister was at hospitals and doctors offices a lot during this time of her life. Now, I recognize that without the skilled medical professionals tending to my sister, she would not be here today. People of the medical world have always amazed me and have had my respect. because of the experience my family has been through, I now want to become a registered nurse. Since realizing my career path I have taken the first steps toward my nursing degree and started taking prerequisite classes for my local junior college nursing program.

Sitting in the waiting room at the doctor’s office, 7-year-old me swung my feet back and forth under the generic, time-worn furniture and anxiously wrung my sweaty palms. I’d been to the doctor’s before, but with each returning yearly visit the dread that sunk to the bottom of my gut never shrunk. “Jillianne Carrasco?” The nurse called. My stomach turned. I began to shoot my mother a pleading look, but she wasted no time in grabbing my hand and leading me to the smiling nurse waiting at the door, and we both followed her through the pasty white halls to a customary exam room. The nurse closed the door behind us and asked me to take a seat on the crinkly tissue paper cot. She smiled warmly, likely taking note of my nervous breathing and shaky hands.

Life changing events had a great impact on me becoming a nurse. In 1992, my husband was suddenly diagnosed with colon cancer. We had two small children, and I only worked as a hostess in a buffet. He was the sole bread winner of the household. He had a colon resection and then underwent a year of chemotherapy. After he was diagnosed, I decided I needed to have a job that could support my family in the event my husband would not be able to care for us. I enrolled in college to pursue a nursing degree. I thought why not nursing it's a respectable job and they make decent money. It took me a long time to get through my prerequisites. I had some stumbling blocks to get over along the way. In 1993 my father in law passed a way exactly a year the day my husband had his surgery, he died of colon cancer. In 1995, my husband's cancer reoccurred, I lost my father to cancer and we also lost my brother in law to colon cancer. Then in 1996, we buried one of my step brothers, who was 23 years old, he died in a motorcycle accident. One would think that after seeing so much death in such a short period of time why would I still want to be a nurse. But I was determined to be a registered nurse. After getting into the program, the more I became

High School has been filled with some of the best moments of my life and overall my experience has been very memorable. However, my most memorable high school experience would have to be a special accomplishment in the Medical Academy. April 27, 2017, was the day I gained my first industry certification as a Certified Medical Administrative Assistant. By having one of the highest passing scores in my class made me feel very accomplished and I truly gained the understanding of hard work and determination. That day is very special to me and have encouraged me to work even harder to accomplish all of my goals. My experience in the medical academy has inspired me to pursue a career in Nursing. Ultimately, I want to work towards becoming an ARNP

The decision to apply to medical school was not taken lightly. I knew that medical school would require a huge commitment of my time and energy. Therefore, before applying to medical school, I knew that I needed to prove both to myself and to the committees that would be reviewing my application that I had what it takes no not only survive, but to excel in medical school. Therefore, while continuing to work around 50 hours per week, I returned to school with a full-time load, and prepared myself for the MCAT – all in a period of about 6 months. This was one of the most mentally and physically exhausting periods of my life, but the tools I developed to spend my time both wisely and efficiently helped me stay organized. My passion for the coursework

There’s has been many educational opportunities in my life but the most significant opportunity that I had that really impacted me was partnering and being able to intern with Sharp as a highschool student. As a student going to a high school focused on the medical field, I have gotten many advantages in my education for interning as a nurse at Sharp Grossmont hospital. I’ve connected with many inspiring and great people along the way and I have learned more about healthcare from the many preceptors I have collabed with. While I was interning as a nurse on the 5west area, it really open my mind up to determine if nursing was what I truly wanted and go along with. As the years went by, I have not only intern in the nursing area but also in the

My biggest challenges to applying to medical school came from finding a balance between working to afford school and having enough time to study as well as coping with the fact that my parents moved to Germany and I wouldn't be able to afford to see them. These two problems on top of the normal stress of starting college took a toll on my first year and a half and is something that I'm reminded of every time I look at my grades from those semesters. During this time what helped me the most was my determination and my willingness to seek help when I needed it. I have never been one to take defeat and I refused to let these set backs keep me from trying to achieve my dreams. While overcoming these challenges have not been easy I'm grateful for

It was magical – so many people and things working in perfect rhythm, carefully constructed rules in place to keep everyone safe and informed, and puzzles constantly being solved by all the moving parts inside. It was more than a well-oiled machine; it was a living, breathing being. I didn’t know it yet, but here began my interest in the field of public health and the many areas it encompasses in its approach to keeping the world safe.

In 2007 I accepted a job as a Social Service director in a local care home. At that time I had already been working in the medical field off and on for about 15 yrs. My job was to visit each patient once a week and make sure all there needs were being met by the facility and that they did not need for anything. The more I got involved with these patients the more I became interested in what is going on in there mind and why they do or say some of the thing they do , was it drug induced or was it just their mind getting tired from age. I began to get intrigued more and more with the way people's minds work and why they think the way they do or act the way they do. It was almost like I would start picking at their brain every time I met someone