Please critique my personal statement.

[Noekae]

First. Is Physician Assistant capitalized in the middle of a sentence?

 

Here's my personal narrative:

 

My desire to become a Physician Assistant started when I was a medic in the Army. I worked with a number of PAs and soon developed a respect for the skill with which they performed their job. These men, like me, had a love for medicine and although they were officers, they had a sense of humility about them. We were part of the same team: rather than rank dividing us, we were united by our common focus, the care and treatment of servicemen, women, and their families. Those PAs expanded my training as a medic and helped me gain confidence in my abilities. It was while working with them that I realized I was capable of becoming more than a medic. In my twenty years of military service I have worked as an Army medic (active duty and National Guard) and as a Public Health Craftsman in the Air Force’s Air National Guard. While serving in both branches I’ve had the opportunity to work with many PAs.

 

I have acquired a variety of medical training and experience in other areas as well. Working as a surgical technologist expanded my knowledge of the human body; and my work as a phlebotomist introduced me, in a limited way, to how a small hospital laboratory functions. Working at Idaho State Correctional Institution (ISCI) as a prison medic for four years was some of my most beneficial experience. ISCI is Idaho’s oldest and largest state-run facility with the capacity of housing 1,688 offenders. I worked there with other former military medics, conducting sick call and responding to medical emergencies. Working there allowed me a good deal of medical autonomy; the health of the men incarcerated there was my responsibility, and I did not take this lightly.

 

In December 2010 I joined a group of volunteers on a short-term medical mission to Haiti to care for people living in tent cities. This was my first opportunity to treat people who lack access to medical care. This experience brought with it a good deal of satisfaction. Starting in April 2012, I began volunteering two to three nights per month as a registration volunteer at The Olympia Free Clinic in Olympia, Washington. The clinic operates with an all-volunteer staff and has opened my eyes to the very real need for health care professionals in underserved areas. I hope that after school I will be able to better serve the needs of people like these and continue to work in medical missions.

 

It is time to bring my experiences and past education into focus on a path that will allow me to care for people on a more professional level. I see myself working in a small community where I know my patients and their families, while continuing to volunteer locally and abroad as part of medical missions. I am excited about PA school as the next step in this journey.

 

___________________

 

Thank you.

 

Ric