Any suggestions/feedback would be appreciated ! Thanks !

[leon14]

Personal Statement

 

 

My grandfather, originally from Jalisco, Mexico, immigrated to the agricultural, border town of Calexico, California during The Bracero Program of 1942 to provide a better life for his family of eleven. He earned a living through hard labor in agricultural fields under exhausting, harsh environmental conditions, including overexposure to the blazing desert sun. These conditions, in conjunction with our family medical history manifested as melanoma which eventually metastasized to osteocarcinoma. Due to the lack of health care and lack of medical awareness, the cancer was detected at a highly developed stage of the disease and a short life expectancy was inevitable.

 

The lack of health care, resources and education is a common trend in the community I grew up in and its neighboring communities. This is my motivation to get involved in my own community by being well aware of medical issues and pursuing a career as a physician assistant. My goal as a health care provider is to educate patients about their past medical history, history of present illness and medication regime, become an advocate to the patients, and encourage them to ask questions and become well informed about their health. By volunteering with The Flying Samaritans in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, I am able to educate patients about common diseases such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension, and suggest simple modifications to their diet, exercise regime, and lifestyle in order to improve their overall health and help prevent disease.

 

In Mexico, where I received my health care growing up, there is no equivalent profession to a Physician Assistant. I was therefore unaware of this profession and a P.A.’s degree of responsibility. As a Clinical Career Extender/Medical Interpreter at Palomar Medical Center, one of my duties was to obtain patient vital signs in the Emergency Department. In the E.D. I was exposed to the Physician Assistant profession from the many P.A.’s that work there. In the Examination area of the E.D., I observed P.A.’s perform fascinating procedures such as laceration repairs, incision and drainage, and joint reductions to name a few. I was amazed at the level of responsibility the job entails, the vast knowledge of every P.A. I encountered, and began to admire the profession. I have been fortunate to shadow P.A.’s in different scopes of medicine, including Neurosurgery, Dermatology, Rheumatology, Family Medicine, and Emergency. I am attracted to the numerous specialties offered to practicing P.A.s and the flexibility to take on any specialty. I am impressed by the professionalism of every P.A. that I have had the privilege and pleasure to work with and convinced Physician Assistant is the healthcare profession I want to pursue.

 

For the past eighteen months, I have volunteered with a family medicine P.A. who practices in an underserved community with the majority of the patient population being Hispanic. Aside from the medical experience I receive, I am also expanding my knowledge of Medical Spanish. As a Spanish interpreter, it is important for me to bridge the communication between Spanish speaking patients and their health care provider. As a Hispanic, it is important for me to learn how a health care provider incorporates traditional medicine with Hispanic home remedies and cultural beliefs that have been passed down through generations.

The experience I have gained in the various clinical settings, have prepared me to pursue a career in health care and the responsibilities brought on by the career. I am reassured I am able to cope with the emotional stress that high acuity cases such as Trauma codes and CPR codes are bound to generate, as I continue to learn how to balance the task of providing professional medical care and feeling empathetic toward the patient. Pursuing a career in health care as a P.A. will allow me to provide medical attention to communities I am passionate about helping.