Where to start?

[sav11]

I know this is a very general question, but I am have been trying to write a personal statement for quite some time now and feel that I would be fine if I just knew where to start. Does anyone have any advice (either from themselves or some that was given to them) in regards to deciding on a topic/information to include in their essay? All of my research seems to yield mixed reviews on the "style" of essay and necessary components.

[karebear12892]

I was advised to write about a memorable patient encounter from my healthcare experience. I talked about why that particular patient experience was meaningful to me and what I learned from it. It gave me something compelling to talk about and showed that I was invested in the patient's outcome, which they like to see. I also mentioned my short-term and long-term goals as a PA. 

[smith4]

This is late in the game - but in case anyone else stumbles upon this with the same question:

Well, why do you actually want to be a PA? Has anything happened to you in your personal life or at work that has made you want to be a PA? What do you think makes you a unique applicant or how do you think you will contribute uniquely to the profession? Basically, what do you have to offer and what do you care about? A lot of people definitely write about a significant patient encounter, and that's what I was advised to do as well.

I also was advised to kind of pick a theme and stick to it. Rather than choosing a patient encounter and talking about that and then jumping around to unrelated personal anecdotes and academic experiences, try to relate everything back to one common topic or theme. It makes it easier to read and seems less like your throwing in every possible thing you think they want to hear. Overall, be sincere and think about why you think you're a good candidate! Good luck!

[paproof]

myPAresource has a free personal statement workshop you can check out too