Another essay

[TwoHighways]

Thoughts?

As recently as four years ago, a career in healthcare was not even a passing thought in my mind.  After spending most of my twenties without a sense of direction, a friend suggested that I look into a career in the fire service.  I did some reading on the profession, felt it was a good fit, and ended up becoming a member of Odessa Fire Rescue.  At the time I started with the department, I believed that a career in the very real service of others was a way to feel purposeful, meaningful, and fulfilled.  It was during my paramedic training that I developed an interest in medicine.  I excelled through my training and class work and really hungered for a deeper understanding of anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and pathophysiology.  The intellectual curiosity for more, along with a continued desire to be of service to others is why I'm applying to physician assistant programs today.  

The physician assistant profession appeals to me over other career choices for several reasons.  First, I see on a near daily basis how a lack of affordable primary care puts a strain on the healthcare system.  I believe physician assistants have a huge role to play in reducing costs, making it more affordable for people to seek treatment for minor ailments in a clinic type setting instead of an emergency room.  The misuse of the emergency room is a systemic problem that is much bigger than any one provider, but as a future physician assistant, I'd like to do my part in helping reduce the problem by volunteering my time and potentially partnering with other clinicians to offer free or low cost services once or twice a month in the community I serve.  

I also feel strongly that preventative care is not emphasized enough.  I believe that the knowledge I'll gain from a physician assistant program will prepare me to better educate patients on ways they can make healthier choices, and the importance of making those choices to not only feel better, but also to avoid the development of more serious problems in the future.  The old axiom attributed to Ben Franklin that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" was actually made in reference to fire safety, but rings just as true when applied to medicine.  

Lastly, there are some very practical considerations I've made when I chose to apply to physician assistant programs instead of medical schools.  As someone that graduated from college nearly a decade ago, the thought of being able to get back to work in 2-2.5 years compared to 4 years plus a residency fits better with my desire to feel established and settled.  I wish to have a family at some point, and I want to be able to provide without the stress and amount of debt that would be incurred attending medical school.      

[TwoHighways]

Revised

As recently as four years ago, a career in healthcare was not even a passing thought in my mind.  After spending most of my twenties without a sense of direction, a friend suggested that I look into a career in the fire service.  I did some reading on the profession, felt it was a good fit, and ended up becoming a member of Odessa Fire Rescue.  At the time I started with the department, I believed that a career dedicated to serving others in a very real way was the ticket to feeling purposeful, meaningful, and fulfilled.  It was only during my paramedic training that I developed the passion for medicine that continues within me today.  

I excelled through the paramedic program and particularly enjoyed my clinical rotations in the emergency room, where I was able to see what I was learning in class in a clinical setting.  It also showed me how much my paramedic education and training fell short in regards to the practice of medicine as a whole.  I felt as though my knowledge of anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and pathophysiology was woefully lacking compared to the physician and physician assistants working there.  The intellectual curiosity for more knowledge, along with a continued desire to be of service to others is why I'm applying to physician assistant programs today.  

The physician assistant profession appeals to me over other career choices for several reasons.  First, I see on a near daily basis how a lack of affordable primary care puts a strain on the healthcare system.  I believe physician assistants have a huge role to play in reducing costs, making it more affordable for people to seek treatment for minor ailments in a clinic type setting instead of an emergency room.  The misuse of the emergency room is a systemic problem that is much bigger than any one provider, but as a future physician assistant, I'd like to do my part in helping reduce the problem by volunteering my time and potentially partnering with other clinicians to offer free or low cost services once or twice a month in the community I serve.  

I also feel strongly that preventative care is not emphasized enough.  I believe that the knowledge I'll gain from a physician assistant program will prepare me to better educate patients on ways they can make healthier choices, and the importance of making those choices to not only feel better, but also to avoid the development of more serious problems in the future.  The old axiom attributed to Ben Franklin that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" was actually made in reference to fire safety, but rings just as true when applied to medicine.  

Lastly, there are some very practical considerations I've made when I chose to apply to physician assistant programs instead of medical schools.  As someone that graduated from college nearly a decade ago, being able to get back to work in 2-2.5 years compared to 4 years plus a residency fits better with my desire to feel established and settled.  I wish to have a family at some point, and I want to be able to provide without the stress and amount of debt that would be incurred attending medical school.