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Personal Statements from people who have been accepted


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Andrew Rodican is your man. He solicited here looking for PS's of accepted students so he could compile his next book. I don't know how long it will take to get that into print, but your search may come to you at a bookstore near you.

 

But here are a couple of things to mull over. There are close to 150 programs with all sorts of different personalities. Applicants range from the "I'm 21 years old and never touched a patient" to "I am a 45 year old retired Independent Duty Corpsman for the US Navy with 5 tours to the middle east treating the local villagers." to the "I'm rapidly approaching 60 and working in medicine is on my bucket list". When you start crunching in data points of blending particular backgrounds with particular preferences of certain schools, what you come up with is a widely varied chart that would be insane to duplicate and expect similar results. It's much better to write your own PS, from your own heart, tailored to fit the type of school that you are hoping to enroll into.

 

If you are stuck on how to begin, try reading the several hundred PS's and the feedback provided on this forum to help get you jump started.

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I know it is tempting to look at a bunch of successful personal statements, but trust me, all that leads to is a bland, generic ps. Write from your own experiences and write in a manner that fits your personality. Make sure it is written well and with proper grammar and plenty of meat. That's all there is to it, really. Yes, it is one of those extremely difficult, simple things to do in life. Kind of like balancing a budget; simple yet difficult.

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I was just hoping to read something about the personal experiences of people who have been accepted, and to see if there might be a better way to organize my PS. I thought there might be a style that was possibly more relatable than mine. We've been able to read a lot of GPA stats and volunteer experiences, and those have given me some understanding of what schools are looking for, and I thought it would be helpful to have that same understanding for the PS. I guess the first comment of "are you serious?" put me off and I read the rest of the comments with that in mind. I thought people were responding as if they thought I was looking to copy someone else's work. But reading back over them today, I see that wasn't true. Sorry.

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beautifulday- that makes sense. Have you posted your PS for critique or maybe PM'd some of the people here on the board that might be willing to look over it? I am not too keen on sharing mine with anyone, but I am happy to read over and critique yours if you want. You can post it here if you're comfortable or you can PM me.

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beautifulday- that makes sense. Have you posted your PS for critique or maybe PM'd some of the people here on the board that might be willing to look over it? I am not too keen on sharing mine with anyone, but I am happy to read over and critique yours if you want. You can post it here if you're comfortable or you can PM me.

 

Thanks, wca, I will consider that.

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Beautifulday

 

It's perfectly normal to look at what successful applicants have done to see what works.

Grades, stats, LOR's, PS's etc

 

Kind of hard to figure out how to hit a baseball when you've never seen anyone do it.

 

There are numerous books on the subject, including the aforementioned Rodican book.

 

I wouldn't post your PS for everyone to see, not because someone might steal it as PAwannabeMAC suggests, rather that it's not called a PERSONAL statement for nothing, it's personal.

 

Work on it, work on it some more, then work on it even more. When you have it down as best as you can have it, show it to other PA's that you know and trust, doc's you know and trust and a select few people here on this very board.

 

REV Ronin was gracious enough to read mine and was very helpful with some fine tuning. This was only after I took a month and a half and a dozen or so revisions and keen insight from a physician ex girlfriend of mine.

 

The PS is it's own weird little creature so don't despair.

 

Good luck and I hope this helps.

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Beautifulday

 

It's perfectly normal to look at what successful applicants have done to see what works.

Grades, stats, LOR's, PS's etc

 

Kind of hard to figure out how to hit a baseball when you've never seen anyone do it.

 

There are numerous books on the subject, including the aforementioned Rodican book.

 

I wouldn't post your PS for everyone to see, not because someone might steal it as PAwannabeMAC suggests, rather that it's not called a PERSONAL statement for nothing, it's personal.

 

Work on it, work on it some more, then work on it even more. When you have it down as best as you can have it, show it to other PA's that you know and trust, doc's you know and trust and a select few people here on this very board.

 

REV Ronin was gracious enough to read mine and was very helpful with some fine tuning. This was only after I took a month and a half and a dozen or so revisions and keen insight from a physician ex girlfriend of mine.

 

The PS is it's own weird little creature so don't despair.

 

Good luck and I hope this helps.

 

Thanks, bgdog, that helps a lot.

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  • 1 year later...

Hope this helps someone! Just got accepted to one of my #1 choices.

 

=========

I rolled my cart of IV fluids down the halls of the hospital for the evening refills. It was my first week as a pharmacy technician, and I was anxious about my future after graduation. An alarm wailed as I stepped off the elevator,

"Attention, Code Blue on ICU-3"

I quickly wheeled my cart into the medication room and looked over a group of nurses, respiratory therapists and staff, searching for the source. Bryan, the on call Physician Assistant (PA), began orchestrating the staff seamlessly, ordering the removal of the patient's clothing, intubation, and appropriate IV fluids. After a few minutes, the 24-year-old patient was still. The patient's brother fled the room, dropping a book he had been reading at his brother's bedside. Upon leaving the floor after my refills, I caught a glance of the patient's brother in the hall with his face buried on Bryan's shoulder. Bryan stood there calmly, with one arm around the patient's brother and the other arm holding the dropped book. Moved, I reflected on the event for the duration of my shift.

As a pharmacy technician, I contribute an important, but indirect role in providing care and the extent of my patient contact is limited. In the patient's room, however, I could see a face, body, and even his terrified mother. My contribution felt meager compared to that of the PA, and I realized at this time that I had more to offer. In fact, everything I have been dedicated to within the past few years has helped me become a stronger leader, student, and caregiver.

During my time at Texas Tech University, I dedicated myself to various organizations that fostered my ability to lead. In the university marching band, I acted as drum major for two years. On a daily basis, I was expected to think critically while commanding over 350 students during rehearsals and performances. Many times in this position, I counseled students about their personal problems surrounding family and school. My term in student government allowed for a much larger spectrum of service, where I advocated for students and spearheaded an initiative that ensured prompt grade returns. With enough teamwork and perseverance, my committee and I influenced one of the colleges on campus to adjust their academic policies. Both of these roles enhanced my strong work ethic and communication skills, but more importantly, endowed me with a deeper sense of empathy and the desire to serve others.

I wanted to become a stabilizing force for people as Bryan was for the patient's brother that night in the ICU. I researched what it means to be a PA and quickly discovered that I possessed many of the qualities an ideal PA has. Motivated by this, I began my prerequisites with a stronger resolve than ever and tutored my classmates in rigorous courses such as Physiology and Cellular Biology. Upon completion of several academic requirements, I proved to myself that I could master difficult coursework, enjoying the challenge it brought.  This bolstered my confidence to continue my education as PA student, and encouraged me to translate the same passion I had for academics into a clinical setting.

Becoming a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and shadowing have broadened my horizons of patient care, and subsequently, have cemented my desire to become a PA. Getting my hands dirty and drilling the fundamentals as a CNA has helped me better understand the sometimes unpleasant nature of medicine. After completing CNA clinicals, I was better able to comprehend what life is like for people with severe disabilities. I am certain that this lesson will be essential in my future as a professional caregiver. While shadowing Christy, one of the PAs at a wound care clinic, I became humbled by how knowledgeable and understanding she was when solving her patient's problems. Not coincidentally, I noticed how both Christy and other PAs contribute investigative and practical services to the facilities in which they thrive. They are part of an unassuming profession that is transforming the delivery of quality healthcare. I hope to be a PA that can provide this type of care: A realistic practitioner who works within a team of professionals and someone who makes his patients feel at ease.

Bryan's code blue ultimately failed to revive the patient. Although these types of losses are unfortunate, I am thankful for the perspective they give me. This event, along with many others, has given me the desire to never give up on what I hope to achieve in medicine.  Throughout my self-discovery, the PA profession has emerged as the perfect fit for me because it operates on the core values I possess. It has pushed me to become more successful in my academics and exceedingly generous in compassion. I look forward to continuing serving others in a more refined manner, and am confident that PA school will supply me with the capacity to do so.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Because there are vast amounts of PNs posted here and you are suspicious of plagiarism? I thought about that when posting mine, but ultimately I posted my narrative with the intent of providing an example of a narrative that helped land me an interview. People will do what people do, but I own my narrative.

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