2nd Time Around....Suggestion Appreciated

[mpisano12]

So I am reapplying this year. Last year I only applied to one school so I am leaning towards keeping the majority of my previous personal statement and then editing what I have been doing both academically and in the healthcare field to improve my own knowledge in preperation for PA school. This is basically what I ended up submitting last year. If you have any other thoughts or suggestions I welcome your support and critiques. Thank you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A wise man once said, “When it is darkest, men see the stars”. (Ralph Waldo Emerson). Throughout my life, I had difficulty grasping such quotations because I had escaped facing any great turmoil or loss. However, two years ago my grandmother and acting second mother throughout my life, suddenly experienced loss of function in her tongue due to a cluster of malignant cells gathered around the hippocampus. The promise of early recognition and positive feedback from her physician only increased my “Nana’s” optimistic outlook. However, a seemingly minor issue with her feeding tube rapidly escalated into a fatal meningitis infection. As I stared incredulously at my grandmother’s lifeless body in her final moments, I vividly recall questioning the onset of situation and what could have been done to prevent it. In this painful deliberation, an even greater desire to act as a compassionate servant of the medical community was ignited.

 

My fervor to heal and facilitate to the needs of others has remained steadfast throughout my life. During high school, I geared my focus towards the life sciences and volunteered at St. Francis Medical Center. As pediatrics became an emergent interest of mine, employment as a day camp counselor allowed me to care for children from diverse backgrounds including mentally and physically disabled children in the HISRA program. One child named Clifford that I became close to appeared to be just another cheerful six- year old when I met him. However, during a soccer game I noticed him wandering and unaware of his surroundings. My early recognition of these symptoms was eventually diagnosed as a potentially fatal genetic disease that rapidly degraded his eyesight. I undertook aiding him in daily activities such as eating, changing clothes, and even trips down the waterslide as the disorder progressed. Though Clifford has since passed, the time spent with him taught me the untold rewards of caring for a child in need.

 

I continued my journey towards the medical field at the University of Illinois as a student in Molecular and Cellular Biology. However, despite the resources available, I found myself out of top of my classes for the first time. My struggles only increased my ambition, and I began taking counsel from a career center advisor. Guy helped me realize how my compassion, dedication, and relationship building could best fit with my drive to make a difference in the medical field, and suggested the vocation of Physician Assistant (PA). The freedom for both a home life and more time with patients, while still demanding a high level of knowledge and responsibility perfectly matched my persona. Concurrently, I taking my first psychology class and became captivated by the idea of caring for individuals on both a physical and psychological level. So, in order to develop into a more diverse medical professional, I took psychology as a second major. This task proved more ambitious than anticipated, but the understanding of humans on a social and physiological level is an asset I would never trade. Struggling to find resources, I opted to take my bachelors in psychology in 2008 and look for opportunities to gain experience. In a bleak job market I took a promising position in St. Louis which affirmed my only true gratification would come from caring for those in need. As I returned home to my ill grandmother, the time spent caring for her amplified my drive to utilize my skills to serve the medical field as a PA.

 

Though I had taken a hiatus from formal education until recently, my candid curiosity and aspiration to aid others has never extinguished. For the past two years I have been employed at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center as part of the admitting and patient accounts departments.

Despite failed attempts to gain a more patient care oriented position, I believe my work allows me an outlet to interact with patients and influence the quality of care provided to them.

Acting as a first contact for patients has permitted me to recognize the public perspective of healthcare systems and what can be done to maximize accessibility and efficiency. Also, the detail and dedication required from all staff members to provide competent and compassionate care while gaining the patient’s trust has become increasingly apparent. I believe that without trust for your caregivers, true healing is more difficult to achieve.

 

Physician Assistant is a calling that has resonated with me since I learned of its existence. I believe my diverse foundation in biology and psychology along with passion for healthcare will allow me to flourish as a PA. Becoming a part of this field of health professionals would fulfill my aspirations of providing competent, compassionate care to individuals, while allowing the freedom to create lasting relationships with patients. I appreciate your consideration and look forward to studying under the guidance of your institution as I pursue the knowledge and experience needed to aid my fellow man.

[mpisano12]

So I am reapplying this year. Last year I only applied to one school so I am leaning towards keeping the majority of my previous personal statement and then editing what I have been doing both academically and in the healthcare field to improve my own knowledge in preperation for PA school. This is basically what I ended up submitting last year. If you have any other thoughts or suggestions I welcome your support and critiques. Thank you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A wise man once said, “When it is darkest, men see the stars”. (Ralph Waldo Emerson). Throughout my life, I had difficulty grasping such quotations because I had escaped facing any great turmoil or loss. However, two years ago my grandmother and acting second mother throughout my life, suddenly experienced loss of function in her tongue due to a cluster of malignant cells gathered around the hippocampus. The promise of early recognition and positive feedback from her physician only increased my “Nana’s” optimistic outlook. However, a seemingly minor issue with her feeding tube rapidly escalated into a fatal meningitis infection. As I stared incredulously at my grandmother’s lifeless body in her final moments, I vividly recall questioning the onset of situation and what could have been done to prevent it. In this painful deliberation, an even greater desire to act as a compassionate servant of the medical community was ignited.

 

My fervor to heal and facilitate to the needs of others has remained steadfast throughout my life. During high school, I geared my focus towards the life sciences and volunteered at St. Francis Medical Center. As pediatrics became an emergent interest of mine, employment as a day camp counselor allowed me to care for children from diverse backgrounds including mentally and physically disabled children in the HISRA program. One child named Clifford that I became close to appeared to be just another cheerful six- year old when I met him. However, during a soccer game I noticed him wandering and unaware of his surroundings. My early recognition of these symptoms was eventually diagnosed as a potentially fatal genetic disease that rapidly degraded his eyesight. I undertook aiding him in daily activities such as eating, changing clothes, and even trips down the waterslide as the disorder progressed. Though Clifford has since passed, the time spent with him taught me the untold rewards of caring for a child in need.

 

I continued my journey towards the medical field at the University of Illinois as a student in Molecular and Cellular Biology. However, despite the resources available, I found myself out of top of my classes for the first time. My struggles only increased my ambition, and I began taking counsel from a career center advisor. Guy helped me realize how my compassion, dedication, and relationship building could best fit with my drive to make a difference in the medical field, and suggested the vocation of Physician Assistant (PA). The freedom for both a home life and more time with patients, while still demanding a high level of knowledge and responsibility perfectly matched my persona. Concurrently, I taking my first psychology class and became captivated by the idea of caring for individuals on both a physical and psychological level. So, in order to develop into a more diverse medical professional, I took psychology as a second major. This task proved more ambitious than anticipated, but the understanding of humans on a social and physiological level is an asset I would never trade. Struggling to find resources, I opted to take my bachelors in psychology in 2008 and look for opportunities to gain experience. In a bleak job market I took a promising position in St. Louis which affirmed my only true gratification would come from caring for those in need. As I returned home to my ill grandmother, the time spent caring for her amplified my drive to utilize my skills to serve the medical field as a PA.

 

Though I had taken a hiatus from formal education until recently, my candid curiosity and aspiration to aid others has never extinguished. For the past two years I have been employed at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center as part of the admitting and patient accounts departments.

Despite failed attempts to gain a more patient care oriented position, I believe my work allows me an outlet to interact with patients and influence the quality of care provided to them.

Acting as a first contact for patients has permitted me to recognize the public perspective of healthcare systems and what can be done to maximize accessibility and efficiency. Also, the detail and dedication required from all staff members to provide competent and compassionate care while gaining the patient’s trust has become increasingly apparent. I believe that without trust for your caregivers, true healing is more difficult to achieve.

 

Physician Assistant is a calling that has resonated with me since I learned of its existence. I believe my diverse foundation in biology and psychology along with passion for healthcare will allow me to flourish as a PA. Becoming a part of this field of health professionals would fulfill my aspirations of providing competent, compassionate care to individuals, while allowing the freedom to create lasting relationships with patients. I appreciate your consideration and look forward to studying under the guidance of your institution as I pursue the knowledge and experience needed to aid my fellow man.

[mpisano12]

So I am reapplying this year. Last year I only applied to one school so I am leaning towards keeping the majority of my previous personal statement and then editing what I have been doing both academically and in the healthcare field to improve my own knowledge in preperation for PA school. This is basically what I ended up submitting last year. If you have any other thoughts or suggestions I welcome your support and critiques. Thank you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A wise man once said, “When it is darkest, men see the stars”. (Ralph Waldo Emerson). Throughout my life, I had difficulty grasping such quotations because I had escaped facing any great turmoil or loss. However, two years ago my grandmother and acting second mother throughout my life, suddenly experienced loss of function in her tongue due to a cluster of malignant cells gathered around the hippocampus. The promise of early recognition and positive feedback from her physician only increased my “Nana’s” optimistic outlook. However, a seemingly minor issue with her feeding tube rapidly escalated into a fatal meningitis infection. As I stared incredulously at my grandmother’s lifeless body in her final moments, I vividly recall questioning the onset of situation and what could have been done to prevent it. In this painful deliberation, an even greater desire to act as a compassionate servant of the medical community was ignited.

 

My fervor to heal and facilitate to the needs of others has remained steadfast throughout my life. During high school, I geared my focus towards the life sciences and volunteered at St. Francis Medical Center. As pediatrics became an emergent interest of mine, employment as a day camp counselor allowed me to care for children from diverse backgrounds including mentally and physically disabled children in the HISRA program. One child named Clifford that I became close to appeared to be just another cheerful six- year old when I met him. However, during a soccer game I noticed him wandering and unaware of his surroundings. My early recognition of these symptoms was eventually diagnosed as a potentially fatal genetic disease that rapidly degraded his eyesight. I undertook aiding him in daily activities such as eating, changing clothes, and even trips down the waterslide as the disorder progressed. Though Clifford has since passed, the time spent with him taught me the untold rewards of caring for a child in need.

 

I continued my journey towards the medical field at the University of Illinois as a student in Molecular and Cellular Biology. However, despite the resources available, I found myself out of top of my classes for the first time. My struggles only increased my ambition, and I began taking counsel from a career center advisor. Guy helped me realize how my compassion, dedication, and relationship building could best fit with my drive to make a difference in the medical field, and suggested the vocation of Physician Assistant (PA). The freedom for both a home life and more time with patients, while still demanding a high level of knowledge and responsibility perfectly matched my persona. Concurrently, I taking my first psychology class and became captivated by the idea of caring for individuals on both a physical and psychological level. So, in order to develop into a more diverse medical professional, I took psychology as a second major. This task proved more ambitious than anticipated, but the understanding of humans on a social and physiological level is an asset I would never trade. Struggling to find resources, I opted to take my bachelors in psychology in 2008 and look for opportunities to gain experience. In a bleak job market I took a promising position in St. Louis which affirmed my only true gratification would come from caring for those in need. As I returned home to my ill grandmother, the time spent caring for her amplified my drive to utilize my skills to serve the medical field as a PA.

 

Though I had taken a hiatus from formal education until recently, my candid curiosity and aspiration to aid others has never extinguished. For the past two years I have been employed at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center as part of the admitting and patient accounts departments.

Despite failed attempts to gain a more patient care oriented position, I believe my work allows me an outlet to interact with patients and influence the quality of care provided to them.

Acting as a first contact for patients has permitted me to recognize the public perspective of healthcare systems and what can be done to maximize accessibility and efficiency. Also, the detail and dedication required from all staff members to provide competent and compassionate care while gaining the patient’s trust has become increasingly apparent. I believe that without trust for your caregivers, true healing is more difficult to achieve.

 

Physician Assistant is a calling that has resonated with me since I learned of its existence. I believe my diverse foundation in biology and psychology along with passion for healthcare will allow me to flourish as a PA. Becoming a part of this field of health professionals would fulfill my aspirations of providing competent, compassionate care to individuals, while allowing the freedom to create lasting relationships with patients. I appreciate your consideration and look forward to studying under the guidance of your institution as I pursue the knowledge and experience needed to aid my fellow man.