Need PS review - Thank you

[desiviza]

            It had been a normal, busy day in the department when the beeper went off with the message: “Level II Trauma Adult”. Immediately, a medical resident accompanied the patient to the CT department, and requested a CT scan of the cervical spine. The patient, Mary S., was a 56-year-old woman, who had fallen off a ladder. We quickly transferred the patient on to the CT table, and I began to ask her about the medical history and the medications she was currently prescribed with. She stated that due to her history of blood clots, she was currently taking Eliquis. A bruise on her forehead prompted me to ask whether she hit her head during the fall today, and she replied affirmatively, which raised my concern for a possible brain bleed. I called the attending physician in the ER about my apprehensions for this patient, and he agreed to add the CT scan of the brain. As soon as I noticed a subarachnoid hemorrhage on the images, I followed it up with the radiologist and Mary was transferred to the ICU.

            I saw Mary few times after that day, and each time she seemed to be doing better. While I felt bad for her, I felt privileged to have played such an important role in her diagnosis. She may never know the role I played in her life, but I will forever remember the change she brought in my personal and professional life. This incident reaffirmed the importance of acquiring a thorough patient history and the vital role that plays in diagnosis. At this point, I had finally decided I wanted to do more in the healthcare field; I just needed to find out what.

            There is a personal anecdote involving my mom which fueled my desire to be a physician assistant. During one of her regular visits at the doctor’s office, Nate Strohm, PA-C noticed my mom’s pale and fatigued appearance, which prompted him to order a blood test. The next day he called to inform us that my mom’s hemoglobin had dropped to mere 4.5 grams and advised her to rush to the ER immediately. To this day, we are incredibly grateful for Nate’s intuition. Had he not noticed the change in my mom’s appearance and ordered the blood test, the entire situation could have resulted in some unfortunate circumstances. This incident made me realize the incredible role physician assistants play in medicine, and I hope to make the same kind of difference in someone’s life someday.

            To gain a better insight, I shadowed a physician assistant at a local urgent care. Over the course of his career, he had made several transitions in his specialties, the aspect which I find extremely rewarding. I have always tried to grow my skills and knowledge in the medical field by starting off my career as a phlebotomist, eventually becoming an X-ray/CT technologist, and I hope to stay on this lifelong pursuit by being a physician assistant. The shadowing experience was exciting, because I got to observe a PA doing a wide array of things such as physical examinations, administering immunizations, and also performing minor procedures like abscess drainages, sutures, etc. The urgent care was located in an area with a large number of low-income families, most of who lacked any sort of health insurance. I could relate to their needs, because had it not been for the government welfare and the generosity of the others when we first immigrated, my family would not have survived in this country. I encountered several patients who were new immigrants, and it was really exciting to be able to interpret for the ones who spoke Hindi, Urdu, and Gujarati. This experience further solidified my interest in becoming a PA.

             I understand that the PA program will be full of challenges, but my previous life experiences have equipped me to overcome them through hard work and dedication. During the first few years of moving in to the United States, my academic performance was in a horrible condition due to the huge language and cultural barrier. However, I was determined to not let that decide the rest of the course of my life. In order to become more proficient in English, I read several books, watched TV with subtitles, joined a leadership class & other extracurricular activities, tutored my little cousin on his basic math classes, and eventually improved my scores slowly and steadily. I specifically had a tough time with the Biology class initially in college, but I repeated it and later took Microbiology with lab, and passed with the final grade of A. Subsequently, I acquired my Bachelors in Radiologic Technology from Wayne State University. The two-year program was quite intense, and integrated all aspects of radiology using didactic and clinical settings. The clinical rotations were based in various radiology departments such as the Emergency Room, Gastrointestinal, Orthopedics, Interventional Radiology, CT, MRI, etc. For completing the program with stellar grades and attendance, I was one of the few students to graduate with CT certification along with X-ray.

             As a physician assistant, I will be better equipped to diagnose and treat patients like in the case of Mary. My family and I have been personally affected by the care and compassion of Nate, and I hope to return the favor by doing the same for others. My experiences as a student and an employee in the field of radiology & phlebotomy will be indispensable for the PA program. I have become thorough in acquiring patient history, detecting abnormalities on the images, starting peripheral lines, accessing EPIC, handling trauma or ICU cases, and a number of other skills which will be integral in becoming a successful PA. More importantly, I have gained a level of patient care experience that is going to be vital for this next career. I try to give back to the people who are underserved by volunteering at Gleaners Food Bank, and as a physician assistant, it will be my privilege to ensure medical help to the community that I was once a part of.

[paproof]

People may be more willing to help you if you provide your feedback on their essays...

[PAmethyst]

Chg barrier to barriers...sorry not time to help more

Watch for exaggerations...indispensable sounds like a lot, maybe a strong addition instead

[ajames]

Do you still need edits on this PS?