Physician Assistant Personal Statement

I am applying to the MD/MPH program after experiencing four years of undergraduate coursework to receive a degree in public health. The coursework as an undergraduate greatly drew my interest to things such as epidemiology, microbiology, environmental health, and global health. I was introduced to the importance of population health and preventative care, as well as the social aspects of health and the disparities stratified across populations. I believe that the rigorous undergraduate coursework I completed exemplifies my competence in terms of public health and suitability as a candidate for an MPH. I also had opportunities to have real-world experience related to public health, more specifically I have worked as an infectious epidemiology

I am embarking on a life-changing journey, and I cannot be more excited. I chose this career path to better myself in so many ways with the expectation of being challenged daily to be the best therapist I can be. And, I vow to give my all to my patients and coworkers. My primary drive to become a Physical Therapist Assistant was to provide for my young children.

As a former college athlete and the daughter of a veteran, I was always infatuated with the idea of staying physically fit. However, when I began working as a medical scribe at a Family Medicine clinic and interacting with many patients living with a pattern of chronic illnesses such as Diabetes Mellitus and Coronary Artery Disease, I realized that many people did not share these same ideas and passion for physical activity and disease and injury prevention. Talking to these patients and their families, I realized that most of their diseases were life threatening and costly, yet what if these patients had taken steps to prevent their illnesses through exercise and diet, would heart disease still be the leading cause of death in the U.S. today? If we could lessen tobacco prevalence,

Before being introduced into the medical field, I had always seen myself as an engineer. Growing up I was fascinated by how everything worked. When something would break down I would be the first with a screw driver in my hand ready to take it apart. Of course being at such a young age, I would often worsen the situation than fix it, but the thrill and excitement from fixing a broken object meant the world to me. I thought becoming an engineer was my lifelong passion.

As a physician assistant, I would love to provide medical care to an underserved population and impact people the way that these doctors do on a daily basis. Additionally, after spending the Summer of 2023 at Camp John Marc working with children with chronic illnesses and disabilities, my choice to become a PA has never been more clear. First and foremost, working at Camp John Marc gave me the opportunity to talk to physicians and physician assistants in a myriad of different fields, such as hematology, cardiology, neurology, and osteology. Aside from the valuable knowledge they gave me, I also had the opportunity to observe the interactions they had with their patients and how the quality of care they provided had such an immense impact on their patients and their quality of life. I was also able to develop lasting relationships with the children in an environment away from the confines of a hospital or clinic.

43 degrees Fahrenheit and realizing I had forgotten my arm warmers and iPod, I recognized the 26.2 miles ahead of me would require some grit. Yet before the starting pistol fired and the recording of Frank Sinatra singing “New York, New York” played, I knew all the preparation done in the months and weeks prior had primed me for a successful finish. There is a mantra in distance running, “the hay is in the barn,” to affirm that all of the training and miles logged up until race day will lead you to success. And it is this mantra which has guided my preparation for a career as a physician assistant.

Have you ever wanted to be a physician assistant? If you do, it is a challenge to be accepted in PA (physician assistant) school. There are over one hundred and twenty-five PA programs in the United States. A physician's signature is required on some percentage of the charts of patients whom PAs treat in twenty-four states. This job is considered to be the second best job America.

Other things to keep in mind when applying for these physician assistant programs are things like the GRE and more importantly, the citizenship requirement that may intervene with my plans. Though I have a permit to legally reside and work in the United States, I am not considered a citizen or a permanent resident. This could be a big problem when applying because a requirement listed is that the applicant must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Applicants should be citizens or permanent residents because insurance is required to participate in the clinical rotations. I believe this will be the most difficult part of my journey to becoming a PA but like all the other challenges I have faced due to my legal status, I will overcome it. I will use this personal issue in my favor by explaining that having to live with it has only made me more resilient and I would relate it back to their mission statements which all state that one of their priorities is to serve the underserved communities. Because of my status, I relate to these underserved communities because I

Being a nurse not only means compassion, dedication, and intelligence, but the profession also requires endurance, personal sacrifice, and the need for continuous education. I have learned that nurses are some of the most caring and selfless people that anyone will ever meet. Nurses are more than willing to complete challenging tasks and care for others in a way that the majority of people are unwilling to. I am driven to bring all of these qualities into my role as a future nurse practitioner, which is why I am committed to pursuing my Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP).

I have been passionate about working in healthcare since childhood. This passion was solidified by a health program that offered free, life-saving surgeries for deprived patients with critical medical conditions. The joy and smiles that spanned the faces of the patients after they received their surgeries further bolstered my interest in pursuing a career in the medical field. I had the opportunity to work as a medical scribe at the University of Chicago Medical Center's hematology/oncology department after my graduation, and I sincerely appreciate this opportunity for many reasons. Most importantly, it gave me firsthand exposure to various healthcare careers and provided me with a wealth of medical education.

It is a fact that we have a longer life expectancy than ever before. This has been achieved through years of thorough research, technological development, and most importantly resilient individuals. Doctors are constantly faced with different enigmas with no right or wrong answer. What first attracted me toward medicine was the desire to help and support, in particular, disadvantaged people. Coming from a country with an underdeveloped health care system has made me realised the impact it has on people’s life.

As an acute care nurse practitioner I hope to utilize my experience as an Intensive Care Unit nurse along with clinical knowledge and skills acquired through a graduate level program to provide the highest quality patient care. In my current role, I place high value on patient-family centered care and advocacy as well as commitment to lifelong learning. I have built my nursing career upon these values. I am excited to begin the journey of becoming an acute care nurse practitioner and to further my education and expand my scope of practice in the field of critical care, for which I have already developed a passion.

I write in pursuit of becoming a teaching assistant for EG-1003 beginning this fall. I seek this position wishing to further develop my skills in communication and collaboration. Furthermore, I would admire watching student creativity in action when they work in the labs and interacting with others when helping them solve problems. I believe my previous experience and personality enable me to be an effective teaching assistant.

Let me first start of by saying I have been surrounded by the prospect of medicine and science since i was a little kid. There were days where my mom took me into her office and let me observe her patients as well as showing me how to use a stethoscope or as i used to call it the “doctor rope”. There were days where kids my age usually were spelling hard words like ambidextrous,playground,yesterday, and etc, while on the other hand i was spelling the names of medical drugs like tylenol,prilosec, and vicodin. There were my frequent summer trips to india where i noticed both my grandparents helping rural patients with their struggles and pain. As i grew older i realized that no matter how different health care is in different parts of the world only two things remain constant no matter

Back from where it first started, I believe that I grew up with medicine in my blood. I can still remember how I was really fascinated when my father who is a veterinary pathologist brought his first microscopy at home. I was captured by how things appeared under that light and it drove the curiosity in me to know more and more. A curiosity that grew as the years passed and was reflected in my tremendous interest in science and my passion toward solving puzzles and revealing mysteries. A passion and interest that was guided into medicine when I knew my dad had Hepatitis C, wondering why doctors kept telling him it has no curative treatment at that time.