Guest betyv90701 Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I have already had an English professor critique my PS, but to be honest, I do not feel confident in the job they did. They provided little to no constructive criticism on how I could have done anything different, even after I probed for their opinion. Feel free to tear this baby apart on anything you don't like. I appreciate it very much! Thank you! :) Becoming a Physician Assistant means everything to me. I spent many hours working on what I considered to be the best attention-grabbing opener I could think of. In all honesty, though, I believe catchy introductions take away from simply telling you about me, who I am, and what drives me to pursue an education and career in Physician Assisting. I believe that is what really matters here, and as you continue to read, I think you will come to realize that my life and my experiences speak for itself in answering this question. Uniquely, I am an individual who has overcome multiple life changing events. I refrain from referring to these events as ‘tragedies’ (or other similar terminology)because it was through these events that I was able to overcome and see through hardships to become the person I am today. Today, I am an individual who has survived two potentially fatal diseases – bacterial meningitis and whooping cough. I also overcame giving birth to a physically disabled child at the age of 16. And at 17 years old, I overcame the diagnosis of a closed head injury following an automobile accident. Each of these experiences led me to question how certain physiological processes of the human body occurred, and why in certain conditions diseases and injuries were able to interrupt these processes. Yet, even though I always questioned the how and why of the circumstances I experienced, I have to admit, that I did not always conscientiously realize that I possessed such a deep and underlying interest in the sciences. I believe this is because, at the time of these incidents, I lacked maturity to know better, adult guidance to help me realize my potential, and an understanding of life in general – something I spent many years pondering. To provide further background, my initial attempt at a college education was when I was 17 years old. At the advice of a teacher, I dropped out of high school, obtained my G.E.D., and enrolled in classes to become a paralegal. It was during this time that I was injured in the previously mentioned automobile accident. Subsequently, I was forced to withdraw from my classes. I should note that I have only recently been made aware that I was not properly withdrawn from these courses. I am currently working with the school’s registrar to correct the error. Since the accident, I did return to school. This time it was as a nursing student. In my mind, being a nurse meant that I would better understand health care, and to me, that translated into an improved ability to provide for my disabled daughter in all aspects. As I was going through the required prerequisite courses, though, I became aware of my inclination towards the sciences. I was genuinely fascinated with what I was learning, and I craved to know more. When I had completed all prerequisite courses to the nursing program, I was faced with the decision to explore the sciences further or enter into the nursing program. I declined acceptance into the nursing program in order to pursue the sciences further. Today I can tell you that I definitely made the right decision. In conclusion, it was the exploration of my personal interests and my life’s experiences that have actually directed me to pursue an education and career as a Physician Assistant. Upon completing my degree, I wish to work with the underserved, disadvantaged populations of this world because I was once considered an individual within this population – probably still am, but was granted the opportunity to pursue my interests and change my outcome. I would like to serve as an inspiration to others in dealing with their own circumstances through the work that I do as a Physician Assistant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest betyv90701 Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Thank you very much for your honest input! Just what I needed! :) I, too, questioned opening my PS in that way. My thoughts behind using this opening are based on advice that students applying to PA school try too hard in their opening statements. I was told to just be straight forward. Possibly bad advice? I do like your idea, though, on modifying the second paragraph as an opening paragraph instead. ... Just curious, but what are your thoughts on using a quote as the opening? I've heard some say it is okay to do that, and others say that it is not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemoptysis Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Be straight forward, just don't spell out that fact that you are doing so. Keep in mind CASPA specifies "using your own words", and any quotation would clearly need to be cited, although I suppose it could work, while maybe a bit unconventional from what I've seen. If your looking for an attention grabber, most posted personal statements typically do so with a personal story, although not necessarily as an introduction. This is typically centered around an event that demonstrates motivation, humanitarianism, or clinical experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fyrelight74 Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 If your looking for an attention grabber, most posted personal statements typically do so with a personal story, although not necessarily as an introduction. This is typically centered around an event that demonstrates motivation, humanitarianism, or clinical experience. Typically, but doesn't have to. Here was my successful PS: http://www.physicianassistantforum.com/forums/showthread.php/27947-PS-Critique? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest betyv90701 Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Thank you corycallister and fyrelight74 for your thoughts! Fyrelight74 - just read your PS, and it is beautifully written! Absolutely love it! :) For me, writing a PS is much harder than I thought it would be! Clearly, I have quite a few experiences that have influenced my decision to become a PA. I would like to address all my illnesses and injuries in my PS, but not sure that I can fit it all in the way it needs to be with the 1000 character limit (or about 625 words) that CASPA provides. I'm thinking I should cut out mentioning ALL of my medical issues and focus more on, say, one or two of those issues and some of the specific experiences related to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fyrelight74 Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Yes, I had the same issue. At first, I was trying to include my struggle with infertility and miscarriages and such, but it just had to be trimmed down. I think I had even stronger constraints on words, as I was applying to NON-Caspa schools. I ended up dropping that idea entirely and just went with the ovarian/uterine cancer. I felt it was important to show that I had experienced being a patient and could empathize with my future patients. I think you'll do a fine job with this.. just needs a bit of tweaking... :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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