New Daddy PA (first draft personal statement)

[saldanamoreno]

Please read and critique.

 

There are many events in my life that helped shape me into the man I am today. The day I enlisted into the Air Force, the day I became an EMT and the day I graduated from City College are among them. However, none of these events are more defining than the day my daughter was born. My wife in her protest against staying in hospitals and her own personal preference decided to do a home birth. I had been an EMT for only a year and never responded to any OB calls. However, we hired a midwife and a Doula which is a birthing coach. I remember that day so vividly; I remember the adrenaline rush I felt and how time seemed to ebb and flow in conjunction with each contraction she felt. I was reassuring my wife that everything was going to be fine; secretly hoping that she was only experiencing false labor pains. I took notes to record her contractions, how many? How long were they, and how far apart were they occurring? I had the midwife on the phone when my wife let out the loudest scream I had ever heard. "I better get up there!" the midwife exclaimed. I ran a warm water bath and laid sterile OB pads down on the living room floor. I was trying to think what in my EMT training could I do for her and realized that there was nothing medically to do. The only thing I could do for her is be there. I had to reassure her every step of the way. I had to make sure she knew that she was not alone I was right there with her. I followed her throughout the apartment holding her hand the whole time. Finally, in what seemed like an eternity, the midwife and the Doula showed up for support. The midwife was very soothing and calm having successfully delivered dozens of babies with no complication, we were going to be fine. I also knew that if an emergency did develop we would be prepared to transport her to Harlem hospital which was five minutes away. Eventually baby told mother it was time and my wife got on all fours, I was right there telling her to breathe. Next thing I know a beautiful baby girl came into this world. The midwife cleaned her face off and immediately passed her to me. Once my skin touched hers she stopped crying and looked around. "Welcome to the world, this is your home" I said. Something switched on in me at that moment. I was now a father responsible for a tiny life. They say estimable acts help build self-esteem and there is nothing more estimable than the creation of life.

 

 

My daughter is now 15 months old and in that time I continue to grow as a person alongside my child. I believe a great Physician Assistant is someone who knows themself and what they are capable of. Before the birth of my child I only "thought" that I could make a good clinician, now I "know" I would make a great PA. What does it mean to be a professional? You have to be willing to profess yourself to something greater than yourself. In the military I took an oath of enlistment and for the first time was referred to as a professional. It was expected that I profess myself to the needs of my country. "Service before self", Excellence in all that we do" were the core values we lived by. Now that I am a veteran I have personally professed myself to the healthcare needs of the community. I still hold these core values close to my heart and apply them in my career. Whether I am bandaging up a head wound as a volunteer EMT or providing information as a Lab service representative to the staff at Mt. Sinai I believe in professionalism. I want to utilize these values in a more clinical setting and I believe I can do this as a PA. There is a strong need for the mid level provider to fill a void in the under served community. It is no secret that healthcare in this country is suffering and something needs to be done. Giving back is the creed to my life and I know only a life of service.

 

 

At City College I was part of the volunteer emergency services known simply as VES. It was completely run by student's mostly pre-med and pre-nursing hopefuls. I was voted to be the Director of Training. I was responsible for making sure all member EMT's were up to date with their training and knew their skills. I found that being in that position was very fulfilling. If you are the cleverest person in the room, then you are in the wrong room. It was in this position that I realized that I love to teach and I hope to do so later on in my career as a PA. What was surprisingly pleasing was the motivation and the knowledge that I saw in my 19-21 year old peers. I was definitely in the right room when it came to VES and I not only taught but I also learned a lot. I think the most important thing I learned was that you did not have to be in the military to exercise its core values of professionalism. I saw a level of maturity and motivation from these young men and women that demanded my awe and respect. It came from a shared goal of making a better life and giving back.

[saldanamoreno]

Hey everybody I would love any kind of critique. This is only my second draft and I know I can improve it I just need some objective, constructive criticism. Please don't hold back.