bethm86 Posted July 16, 2011 Thank you so much for helping! My whole life, I have taken on a variety of professional roles in order to find a career that is self-fulfilling and personally rewarding. The *** family “MD” legacy has been an inspiration to me throughout my childhood, as my father, his parents, brothers and sister have all have gone through medical school and PhD programs. Although I have considered becoming a doctor or researcher, I chose not commit to a career immediately and instead decided to take time to explore different options until I knew what felt right. I am glad I took my own route, for the different experiences I have had, and knowledge I have gained over the past few years have inspired and motivated me to become a physician assistant, and I am excited to begin the journey. During my senior year at ***, inspired from my Physiology and Exercise Biology courses, I decided to work at a Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine clinic as a Physical Therapist Aide. I wanted to learn more about the human body, and explore the field of physical therapy. Within the first couple of days in this position, I not only fell in love with working directly with patients, but I also enjoyed being and assistant to the physical therapists as part of a collaborative and supportive health care team. My role as a physical therapist aide was challenging yet extremely fulfilling. I was not only able to work side by side with patients, guiding them myself through specific exercise routines, but also in conjunction with the physical therapists, often consulting them for advice when I had questions. Although I ultimately decided that physical therapy wasn’t for me, I loved the idea of working with patients, and my job as a bridge between the patient and physical therapist is exactly what sparked my interest in the role of a physician assistant. Next, after graduation I began working at the Children’s Hospital of Boston as a research assistant in Cardiac Surgery. I was determined to become more involved in the medical field, and this was a great opportunity to do so. Working in research has been a great stepping-stone to the profession of a PA. It has allowed me to master skills of diagnosing and finding solutions to problems, paying close attention to details and procedures, and working as a team with others in the lab. Although I did not directly work with patient’s everyday as I did at Marathon, I served as part of a surgical team and was able to gain exposure to being an assistant to a surgeon. One of my main responsibilities was to assist surgical research fellows in the large animal operating rooms. I helped harvest heart tissue samples from sheep and perform single leaflet valve replacement, for the purpose of heart valve tissue engineering research. In one study, the anesthesiologist intubated the sheep and I prepped the operating area with iodine before the surgeon made the first incision. I participated in the five-hour open-heart surgery, learning many different surgical techniques, and anticipating the next request from the surgeon. This experience, as well as other surgeries, greatly inspired me to pursue a career as a physician assistant. I am excited to educate patients about their surgical procedure and provide pre and post operative care, and know I would be an excellent addition to a surgical team. The opportunity to shadow a PA in a small clinical setting has motivated me even further to become a physician assistant, as I was able to experience firsthand the roles of a PA. The constant teamwork that was demonstrated between PA and MD solidified my desire to become a PA, as I could see the similarities in my role as a physical therapist aide and as a surgical assistant in the operating room. I learned that working in the medical field takes patience, confidence, intelligence, motivation, and communication. I am certain that I possess all of these assets and would make a positive contribution to the medical community. Each of my experiences has uniquely prepared me to become a physician’s assistant. I am confident that my background and knowledge have given me a solid base to become a mid level provider in the medical field. I am ready to work closely with medical doctors as both a leader and listener, continuously learning from their medical experiences, assisting and educating their patients, and consulting them for advice and final decisions. I know this is the right position for me, and I am excited to set forth on my new career path.
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