3rd Draft, Submitting in a few days. Comments please and thank you!!!

[Mamber09]

Her cries filled the house and grew stronger as she neared my room. As she walked through the door, I could see the anguish on my little sisters face. She said she had fallen off her bike and she was clenching her stomach. As she lifted her shirt I was paralyzed. Her stomach tissue was protruding from a four inch gash to the left of her bellybutton. I saw the fear in her eyes and immediately regained my composure. I told her everything would be alright and that I would take care of her. I pushed back the feelings of panic and told myself "be strong." I called 911 for the first time in my life and they told me help was on the way. Then I called my mother, informed her of what happened, and reassured her that everything was going to be alright.

 

The next ten minutes were the longest of my life. I stayed by my sisters side, held her hand, and told her a story to distract her until the paramedics arrived. In what seemed like seconds she was in the ambulance with my mother and they were gone. When I arrived at the hospital, she was in surgery. It was hours before we were able to see her. When we entered her room, I almost broke down. Seeing my seven year old sister hooked up to IV's and a heart rate monitor was overwhelming.

 

Her doctor was speaking what seemed like a foreign language and I wished I could understand. I grew very curious and began asking her questions about being a doctor. That is when I learned that she wasn't a doctor, she was a physician assistant. I grew more inquisitive because I had never heard of such a profession. She told me all about being a PA and I was infatuated. I spent countless hours researching physician assistants and I knew that it was the career for me.

 

I spent the next three years of high school taking classes that would be beneficial to me in college, such as anatomy and chemistry. By the time I was finished with the first semester of my freshman year of college, I knew that I wanted to major in Biomedical Science. I was advised that the course load would be rigorous, but I gladly accepted the challenge.

 

In the fall of my junior year I took a class to become a certified nurse assistant. My dream of becoming a physician assistant felt closer than ever before. After getting my CNA I began working the overnight shift at Maplewood Assisted Living. It is a small facility with only 35 residents, so I am the only worker until 5:00 a.m. My first night of work, I was surprised to find that one of my residents was being put on hospice. I spent most of my night with her family and the hospice nurse. The following night, my resident passed away while I was in the room. When her family arrived, her daughter wrapped me in a hug and whispered in my ear "I'm glad it was you with her."

 

In my almost two years at Maplewood I have had many moments like this. Moments that remind me why I want to be a physician assistant. I don't just want to help people; I want to make a difference. I've found that being part of a strong team is the best way to make this difference. The relationships I have built with my co-workers allow us to work together to provide the best care for our residents. Every day I leave there I feel good knowing I have made a difference, but I long for more.

 

I love what I do, but I would be lying if I said it has not been difficult balancing working overnights and taking 15-18 credits at a time. There have been countless days where I have gotten off work at 7:00 a.m. and gone right to class for three hours or more. Although it has been challenging, it has taught me to work harder than I ever thought possible and to push myself to achieve my goals.

 

I was recently fortunate enough to shadow David Sell, a PA that works for Toledo Orthopedic Surgeons. The 15 hours I spent with him, both in surgery and in the office, made it clear that I made the right choice in pursuing a career as a PA. The atmosphere was invigorating and I learned a great deal.

 

I look forward to furthering my education and getting to experience the wide variety of settings that PA's work in. I also long to be part of a bigger team, a strong team with the same goal that I hold: to make a difference. Although the road to becoming a PA is a difficult one, I am ready for the challenge. "A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work." -Colin Powell

[Mamber09]

I'm submitting my application tomorrow. If anyone has anything they think I should fix please let me know!

[PA2016!]

It sounds good, but I would be careful as to how much you repeat yourself. What I mean by this is try to avoid saying things that can already be seen in your application and focus your essay on things that cant be seen in other parts of your application. I was told this from an admissions director.....just my 2c

[missadventure]

Great use of a personal story to illustrate your motivation to pursue medicine. One small thing: "the next few minutes were the longest in my life" immediately followed by "in what seemed like seconds she was in the ambulance" is a bit confusing and contradictory.