1st Rough Draft- Personal Statement

[hinson7]

Hey guys and gals, this is my first rough draft so far. Any tips or corrections would be greatly appreciated. Also, do not be afraid to be brutally honest with me. Thanks again.

 

 

As the semi-trailer truck hit the back of the car, my friend and I watched as the vehicle spun off the highway and into the adjacent tree line. As we stopped to help the victims, I noticed the car engine had caught fire, and there were two victims in the car that we had to get to safety quickly. The amount of adrenaline that coursed through my veins was immense. The two victims were badly injured, and once we got them out of the car to safety, the ambulance was already on its way. While waiting for the ambulance, I kept talking and sometimes even screaming to keep one victim conscious. Once the ambulance arrived, we stayed and helped in any way we could. Up to this moment, I was just an 18 year old boy with no real college plans. After rescuing and possibly saving someone’s life, my life was forever changed. I knew I wanted to be put in a position to where I could help human lives on a daily basis and make it a career.

 

My journey into the health-care world started when I got accepted in the Radiography program at Jackson State Community College. During my first clinical rotation through the ER, I got my first glimpse of what a physician assistant was. While my radiology mentor and I waited to perform a post-reduction (dislocation) shoulder x-ray, I watched as the physician assistant manipulated the humerus back into proper alignment. At this point, I was new to the role of a physician assistant in the health-care field; however, I was in complete amazement at how meticulous and confident the PA was in securing the shoulder back into place. Later that evening, my curiosity took over, and I began to research what exactly a PA was.

 

As my clinicals in the hospital progressed, I began to observe the PA much more attentively. The PAs could read x-rays, reduce a fracture or dislocation, stitch an open wound, and treat a variety of cases. They had shown that they can handle a large patient load, work successfully in high stress situations, and work as a member of a team, as teamwork is crucial in becoming a great PA. Towards the end of my clinical in radiography school, I had grown to love the physician assistant career, and the role they played through teamwork to solve and treat a multitude of cases. When I graduated from radiography school with an Associate degree in Radiography, I decided that I wanted to pursue the PA field, and finishing my bachelors was the first step.

 

A couple months later, I landed my first radiography job performing x-rays and cts through the ER at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Covington,TN.  Since I decided I wanted to pursue the PA career, I began to observe the PAs in the ER more and more. I quickly learned that this obsession of the physician assistant career was not going to dissipate. Since this hospital ER only consisted of 11 active rooms, everyone worked closely together; therefore allowing me more exposure with the PAs. One evening as I was talking to the PA, Sam, I asked why she chose the PA field over becoming a Physician. She responded with a simple phrase, “I love the balance”.  The balance between work and life, and the balance between having freedom with cases and working alongside the physician was exactly what I wanted in a career. Though I loved working in the Radiology department, I wanted more interaction with the patients, and I wanted to design a course of treatment for the patient.  

 

Since we are a smaller hospital, I am the only radiologic technologist in the department at night performing both x-rays and cts. Therefore, working as a team with the nurses, PAs, nurse practitioners, and physicians is essential to the overall well being of the patients. Throughout the night, I have managed multiple radiology exams at once with incisiveness, worked many types of trauma with confidence, and have worked alongside physicians and nurses during patient resuscitation. I have been faced with many challenges at night; however, I have always adapted to them in a calm and scrupulous manner.

 

Undoubtedly, the PA program will be rigorous work, and a strong academic background is essential in successfully completing the program. Though I graduated with a Bachelors in Radiologic Sciences with a 3.66 gpa from East Tennessee State University, I believe it is my clinical and patient care experience that will make me a successful PA. During the process on completing my Bachelors, I worked full-time with a variety of patients and health-care workers. My compassion and love for the medical field, and the desire to never stop learning is an indication that the PA profession is for me. Furthermore, with many different radiology cases presented through the ER, I believe my problem solving skills and the many hours of high pressure ER situations will benefit me in becoming a great physician assistant.