First Draft of PS- all suggestions welcome!!

[tg858]

Life experiences, ambition, and strong will mixed with great compassion for others have culminated over the years into these moments of preparing for and applying to Physican Assistant programs.

 

 

Growing up, I spent every summer with my grandparents, both physicians, in Bulgaria and was largely

impacted by witnessing them in their element. From going to their clinic with them, to seeing neighbors and relatives dropping by their home frequently with health questions and concerns, I was greatly impressed by the kindness, respect and thoroughness with which they provided everyone, my grandma especially. Bulgaria is poor country and many people are not able to afford healthcare; for this reason, my grandmother worked at free clinics on the weekends and made herself available to everyone who needed her. The comfort others felt by this was undeniable and showed me just how valuable having a trusted physician is. With this realization, I discovered that I too wanted to provide people with quality healthcare and so, my journey towards joining the medical field was born.

 

 

Currently working as a Physical Therapy Aide, I have had the opportunity to work with a diverse population of patients ranging from those suffering from chronic pain, developmental disabilities, or recovering from stroke or surgery to professional athletes, geriatric and pediatric patients. Our clinic is unique in that we have physical therapists and a chiropractor working side by side, both drawing in different populations of patients. I am fortunate enough to aid in

all patient treatments and have learned a great deal from these continual, hands-on experiences. From assisting in Active Release Techniques (ART) for patients with muscle tightness who require increased mobility to participating in Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS) for patients with respiratory and digestive distress, my eyes have been opened to a vast array of ailments and treatments. Post-operational patients specifically intrigue me most, as I am fascinated by the body's ability to recover from such great trauma; the frequent exposure to patients rehabilitating from biceps tendon tear surgeries, total knee replacements and ACL/MCL tears has piqued my interest in such procedures and has guided me towards pursuing a future as a Physician Assistant in orthopedic surgery.

 

 

In addition to working as a Physical Therapy Aide, I have been fortunate enough to have some incredible volunteering opportunities. During my time as a UCSB student, I spent one year volunteering at our Student Health Physical Therapy Clinic. This was my first taste of what rehabilitation services entailed and marked an important cornerstone in my decision to further pursue my interest in orthopedics. As a certified EMT-B, I completed

fifteen hours of clinical rotation at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital downtown. Working alongside a team of professionals to stabilize a young gunshot victim with a sucking chest wound was an incredibly profound life changing experience. Volunteering with San Diego Fire Station 33 allowed me to experience emergency care from a different perspective; attending to patients in the field presents a unique scenario each time and helping to rapidly stabilize the patients and obtain vitals, regardless of the current surroundings, requires great focus, confidence and the ability to think clearly and calmly under pressure. These opportunities have been invaluable in continuing to guide me towards my ultimate goal of becoming a Physician Assistant.

 

 

Academically, I have always challenged myself with a rigorous, goal-oriented course load. Deciding as a freshman to complete a B.S. in Biopsychology and a minor in Exercise and Health Science set a rapid pace for my time at UCSB. During my first quarter of college, the San Diego Wildfires of 2007 destroyed a large part of my community, my home included. Worried for the safety of my family and friends back home and devastated by the damage caused, I went home for a few days to be close to my loved ones and help in any way that I could. Once I returned to school, I realized that despite my personal struggles, I had to devote myself to my studies; the result was a high GPA and tone set for the rest of my academic career. While my grades have not always been perfect, it has never been due to lack of effort; rather, it has been just the opposite. I have always set such high standards for myself that at times, I have bitten off more than I can chew. Taking four to five science courses in one ten-week quarter put great time constraints on my ability to prepare adequately for everything and at times, this has shown through in my grades. Looking back, I have learned from these mistakes and realize that academic time management is just as critical as the desire to achieve.

 

 

Ultimately, my path through life, my struggles and successes have brought me to this moment in time. Assisting those with medical ailments, whether in a

controlled or emergency setting, is a tremendous privelege which few can share. There is nothing in this world more precious than good health and as a PA, I feel that patients entrusting me with their well-being is the highest honor I could receive. My hard work, determination to succeed, and compassion for all walks of life, coupled with the wide array of experiences which have shaped me as a person and a professional, are the components which will make me an exceptional Physician Assistant.

[tg858]

DRAFT #2

 

My parents instilled in me at an early age that in order to know where you are going, you must know where you came from. Hence, I spent every summer growing up with my grandparents, both physicians, in Bulgaria. I accompanied my grandmother to work at the clinic frequently; witnessing her in her element was incredible. Even as a child, I noticed the anxious expressions of sick patients melt away as she explained the reasons for their ailments and reassuringly prescribed how to get them back to health. Outside of the clinic, neighbors and family members stopped by the home often with medical questions and concerns; my grandma never turned anyone away. Watching her, I recognized that being a good physician requires more than clinical knowledge alone-compassion, devotion, and patience are integral components. The comfort and relief which she provided others was undeniable and showed me just how valuable having a trusted physician is. With this realization, I discovered that I too wanted to provide people with quality healthcare and so, my journey towards joining the medical field was born.

Currently working as a Physical Therapy Aide, I have had the opportunity to work with a diverse population of patients ranging from those suffering from chronic pain, developmental disabilities, or recovering from stroke or surgery to professional athletes, geriatric and pediatric patients. Our clinic is unique in having physical therapists and a chiropractor working side by side, drawing in a wide array of patients and applying different concepts in treatment. I am fortunate to aid in all patient care and these hands-on experiences have taught me the importance of competence, accuracy, and attention to detail in providing successful treatment. While assisting in Active Release Techniques (ART) for patients with pain from muscle tightness to participating in Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS) for those with respiratory and digestive distress, my eyes have been opened to a vast array of ailments and treatments and I have acquired valuable skills and handling techniques. Post-operational patients specifically intrigue me, as I am fascinated by the body's ability to recover from such great trauma; the frequent exposure to patients rehabilitating from biceps tendon tear surgeries, total knee replacements and ACL/MCL tears has piqued my interest in such procedures and has guided me towards pursuing a future as a PA in orthopedic surgery.

In addition to working as a PT Aide, I am grateful to have had incredible volunteering opportunities. During my time at UCSB, I spent one year volunteering at our Student Health Physical Therapy Clinic. This was my first taste of what rehabilitation services entailed and marked an important cornerstone in my decision to further pursue my interest in orthopedics. As a certified EMT-B, I completed a clinical rotation at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital downtown. Working alongside a team of professionals to stabilize a young gunshot victim with a sucking chest wound was an incredibly profound life changing experience. In that moment, the fragility of life was unmistakable and the ability of the medical providers to think and act swiftly under pressure made the difference between survival and death. Volunteering with San Diego Fire Station 33 allowed me to experience emergency care from a different perspective; responding to calls in the field presents a unique scenario each time and challenges the EMTs and paramedics to filter distractions and work rapidly to obtain vital signs and stabilize the patients. Such situations demand great focus, confidence, ability to think clearly and calmly and work against the clock in distracting environments. These opportunities have been invaluable in demonstrating to me the qualities necessary to be a healthcare provider and continuing to guide me towards my ultimate goal of becoming a PA.

Academically, I have always challenged myself with a rigorous, goal-oriented course load. Deciding as a freshman to complete a B.S. in Biopsychology and a minor in Exercise and Health Science set a rapid pace for my time at UCSB. During my first quarter of college, the San Diego Wildfires of 2007 destroyed a large part of my community, my home included. Worried for the safety of my family and friends back home and devastated by the damage caused, I went back to San Diego for a few days. Once I returned to school, I realized that despite my personal struggles, I had to devote myself to my studies; the result was a high GPA and tone set for the rest of my academic career. While my grades have not always been as I anticipated, it has never been due to lack of effort. At times, by setting such high standards for myself, I have bitten off more than I can chew. Taking four to five science courses in one ten-week quarter put great time constraints on my ability to prepare for exams up to my expectations, despite the efforts on my part. Looking back, I have learned from these mistakes and realize that academic time management is just as critical as the desire to achieve.

Ultimately, my path through life, my struggles and successes have brought me to this moment in time. Assisting those with medical ailments, whether in a controlled or emergency setting, is a tremendous privilege which few can share. Nothing in this world is more precious than good health and having patients entrust me with their well-being is the highest honor I could receive. My hard work, determination to succeed, and compassion for all walks of life, coupled with life experiences which have shaped me as a person and a professional, are the components which will make me an exceptional Physician Assistant. I know the path is long and arduous, and I excitedly await the challenge.

[GatorRRT]

Okay, here's what I get from your essay..... 1. You have HCE (good) 2. You have a drive to help people. 3. You were unable to handle a course load of science classes. Your essay isn't poorly written, but it doesn't address why you want to become a PA. This essay could be used to apply to any health care profession program. As for your issues with taking a science heavy course load and not doing well.....it's good that you address your deficiency, but you don't explain how you over came this (retaking classes, getting extra help, etc.). I would talk in depth about your most current HCE, speak as to why you want to be a PA specifically (wanting to help people doesn't sell yourself to adcoms) and address how you changed to be able to succeed in science heavy coursework (after all, that's what PA school is).

[tg858]

Thank you for your constructive criticism, you make some valid points. I'm having a tough time trying to fit in everything that I want to say without going over the character limit. I didn't elaborate more on the academics because truthfully, my science GPA wasn't bad- mostly A's and B's with a few scattered C's so I never retook anything or sought additional help. I just focused on better time management. I will have to rethink how to communicate this more effectively.

 

I do agree that this could be used for any health care profession so I will make the necessary changes to tailor this for PA and incorporate my HCE into shaping my PA goals as well. Thanks again, I found this very helpful!

[tg858]

GatorRRT-I gave your critiques a lot of thought and this is the latest revision I've come up with:

 

My parents instilled in me at an early age that in order to know where you are going, you must know where you came from. Thus, I spent every summer growing up with my grandparents, both physicians, in Bulgaria. Accompanying my grandmother to work at the clinic frequently, I noticed the anxious expressions of sick patients melt away as she explained the reasons for their ailments and reassuringly prescribed how to get them back to health. Outside of the clinic, neighbors and family members stopped by the home often with medical questions and concerns; my grandma never turned anyone away. Watching her, I recognized it was more than clinical knowledge alone which made her a good physician- her compassion, devotion, and patience were integral components. The comfort and relief which she provided others was undeniable and showed me just how valuable having a trusted physician is. With this realization, I discovered that I too wanted to provide people with quality healthcare and so, my journey towards joining the medical field began.

 

Currently working as a physical therapy aide in a unique setting with physical therapists (PTs) and a chiropractor on staff has given me the opportunity to work with diverse patient populations and a vast array of neurological, orthopedic, and chronic pain conditions. Post-operational patients recovering from tendon tear surgery, total knee replacements, and ACL/MCL repairs specifically intrigue me, as I am fascinated by the body’s ability to recover from such traumas. Assisting in all aspects of patient care and working side by side with the PTs and chiropractor in the applications of Active Release Techniques (ART) and Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS) has provided me with hands on experience, allowed me to acquire valuable skills and handling techniques, and taught me the importance of competence, accuracy, and attention to detail in providing successful treatment.

 

In addition to working as a PT Aide, I am grateful to have had incredible volunteering opportunities. During my time at UCSB, I spent one year volunteering at our Student Health Physical Therapy Clinic. This was my first taste of what rehabilitation services entailed and marked an important cornerstone in my decision to further pursue my interest in orthopedics. As a certified EMT-B, I completed a clinical rotation at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital downtown. Working alongside a team of professionals to stabilize a sucking gunshot wound victim was a profound life experience. In that moment, the fragility of life was unmistakable and the ability of the medical providers to think and act swiftly under pressure made the difference between survival and death. Volunteering with San Diego Fire Station 33 allowed me to experience emergency care from a different perspective; responding to calls in the field presents a unique scenario each time and challenges the EMTs and paramedics to filter distractions and work rapidly to obtain vital signs and stabilize the patients. Great focus, confidence, ability to think clearly and calmly are demanded. Shadowing a PA demonstrated what an indispensable part of the medical team they are; providing the link between patients and physicians, they are able to devote the time to patients that busy MDs are not always able to.These opportunities have been invaluable in demonstrating to me the qualities necessary to be a healthcare provider and continuing to guide me towards my ultimate goal of becoming a PA.

 

Academically, I have always challenged myself with a rigorous, goal-oriented course load. Deciding as a freshman to complete a B.S. in Biopsychology and a minor in Exercise and Health Science set a rapid pace for my time at UCSB. During my first quarter of college, the San Diego Wildfires of 2007 destroyed a large part of my community, my home included. After a short visit home, despite the worries about my family and friends, I had to devote myself to my studies; the result was a high GPA and tone set for the rest of my academic career. Setting high standards for myself and taking four to five science courses per quarter taught me that academic time management is critical to fulfilling my desire to achieve. Knowing I would pursue a career as a PA, I also studied abroad in Spain to improve my conversational proficiency in Spanish and better serve patients whose primary language is not English.

 

Ultimately, my path through life, my struggles and successes have confirmed and intensified my desire to become a PA. First-hand experiences at different levels of patient care solidified that like PAs, I value the ability to guide patients from A to Z through the medical process. Working with a medical team to provide quality, patient-centered, cost effective healthcare is my goal and the PA profession is the clear answer. In an ever-changing industry, PAs are fulfilling a distinct need, raising the standard of care and shaping the future of American healthcare. Nothing in this world is more precious than good health and having patients entrust me with their well-being is the highest honor and privilege I could receive. My hard work, determination to succeed, and compassion for all walks of life, coupled with life experiences which have shaped me as a person and a professional, are the components which will make me an exceptional PA. I know the path is long and arduous, and I excitedly await the challenge.