FINAL DRAFT. Submitting tonight. Any thoughts help. Will return favor

[Caroline1]

It was late in the summer last year when I got the phone call from Janelle Griffith, the physician assistant I had been shadowing for the past few months. Surgery on Charlie would be in two hours, and she needed to know if I could be there to observe. Charlie was a young man with cerebral palsy (CP), and I felt eager to be there. Having cared for my niece Samantha, who has lived with CP for 10 years, this was a surgery I would not miss. I watched intently for three hours as Janelle collaborated with the attending surgeon on the best way to remove and stabilize a rod from Charlie’s right leg. As interesting as the surgery was, what happened during the post-op period was what really left an impression on me. Because the patient was nonverbal, Janelle had asked Charlie’s mother to teach her the common gestures and sign language he understood before the operation. Janelle also made a point to do her paperwork near his bed so that when he awoke, a familiar face would greet him. She demonstrated how healing is not merely a physical process, but one that requires emotional support and empathy as well. This kind of passion for quality health care is what drives me to become a physician assistant.

 

I met Janelle through my current job at Florida Medical Clinic one year ago. As a medical assistant (MA) floater, I work under many different types of health care providers, including PAs. My job requires that I know and understand numerous specialties, along with the medical terminology, testing, and procedures specific to each office. Although personalities and responsibilities of the office might differ from day to day, each patient wants the same thing — quality time with those caring for them. As a PA, I would have the knowledge and training needed to care for patients, but also the time and liberty required to provide the compassionate care they are all entitled to.

 

In addition to working full time, I have been an active volunteer in multiple organizations, specifically those centered on children with disabilities. I began volunteering in this field after Samantha was born 10 years ago with CP. Realizing how children with disabilities were so limited in affordable therapy options, my sister started a nonprofit called Samantha’s Purpose. Working directly with this organization and with the children it serves has allowed me to develop my communication skills and patient care. Through this volunteer experience, I was exposed to a variety of communication types.  For example, my niece is unable to communicate through hand gestures like Charlie. However, she can communicate through an electronic device, which allows her to express what she wants or feels. Adapting to a patient’s preferred method of communication is essential when striving to make them comfortable and when building a patient-physician relationship. These experiences have molded me into a compassionate and understanding caregiver — traits that will be essential in my success as a PA.

 

My desire to become a health care provider was shaped further by my internship in USF's highly regarded Medical Student Internship Program at Florida Hospital. During the summer before my senior year, I did rotations as an assistant to several doctors in a wide variety of specialties. The most significant experience was when I worked with Dr. Thomas Umstead, an OB/GYN, and had the privilege of delivering five babies. One of our patients, Emily, was pregnant with twins and required an emergency C-section. The doctor allowed me a more hands on experience by letting me hold two of the surgical clamps throughout the surgery. Observing the surgical team collaborate and work together to save Emily and the twins was the moment when I knew I was going to pursue a career as a PA. 

 

When I began my college studies, I was clear in pursuing a career in health care and have worked hard in that pursuit. I have carefully considered my strengths, personality, and life goals in determining the best healthcare career path for myself. As I have studied hard and succeeded in my class work, my journey toward becoming a PA now feels less like a goal and more like reality. My extensive shadowing experience has given me a tangible goal to be focused on. Working full time as a MA floater taught me the benefits of being flexible and learning to quickly integrate myself into a team. Volunteering allowed me to be a positive, altruistic influence in my community while also teaching me to not only look at an individual’s physical appearance and outward problems but to address the underlying issues that drive them. Lastly, continuing my education after graduation has helped prepare me for intensive and focused study. My combined experiences have provided the necessary preparation to create the confident, determined, and compassionate applicant that I am today. I believe that all of these attributes and experiences are essential when finding success in the physician assistant program and beyond.