Rough Draft #1

[JohnConner]

This is a VERY rough draft that still needs improvement in terms of grammatical issues and revision of some parts.

My initial thought after reading it was that some of the parts seemed a little too glamorous despite being genuine. I could cut down on some of the fluff, perhaps?

 

Thanks

 

The distinction of being a Physician Assistant is an honor in which I have strived to achieve from the time I became a medic in the air force until becoming a full time college student with a family. Over the years, I have managed to accumulate a variety of life experiences that have resulted in my decision to pursue a career in medicine. As evidenced by my transcript, my first attempt at college is scattered with poor grades over the course of two and a half years. I do not have a valid excuse for those grades other than lack of direction and motivation. Since I joined the air force in 2007, I have dedicated my life to serving others within a medical capacity and have been working on completing a degree in public health while taking the prerequisite courses necessary for physician assistant school. I have abided by the core values of the air force which are: integrity, service before self and excellence in all we do. My grades since joining the military and getting out to pursue college full time are drastically improved from when I started college as an 18 year old. To put it simply: “I grew up.” I now have a family of my own which is further motivation to do my absolute best.

 

Before I was a full time student, I was a medic in the air force. My time was divided between an assignment at xxxxxxxx base on the Labor and Deliver ward and a tour of duty in Germany. During my time on Labor and Delivery, my job covered many support roles such as staring IV’s, drawing labs, assessing vital signs, assisting in deliveries, handling the infants immediately after delivery, providing resuscitation measures to infants and administrative work. A key memory I have that has stayed with me is one that occurred in the operating room during a cesarean section. We knew the delivery was high risk and consequently, the pediatrician was immediately available in the operating room. The doctor delivered the infant from the incision and handed him over to me. I quickly set the infant on the baby warmer and upon visual observation; the infant appeared lifeless and grey. Vigorous stimulation ensued and the initial heart rate assessment was far below 60 which called for administration of oxygen. The pediatrician had me assess the vital signs every 30 seconds while she continued to administer oxygen. Again the heart rate was below 60. At this point, I was ready to initiate CPR. Finally, a distinct cry came over the infant and almost instantly, the color of the infant’s skin went from greyish to bright and pink. A sigh of relief came over us both as we continued to provide care for the infant. That feeling of success that resulted from a calm, collected effort in an emergent situation was something I will never forget.

 

 

The other portion of my enlistment consisted of a tour of duty at Ramstein air base in Germany. Our mission was to extract wounded soldiers from the aircraft returning from combat and to transport them to the base hospital where they could receive treatment at better facilities. Many of the soldiers returning were in critical care and would not survive the trip to the States. The soldiers we transported and cared for were my age or younger and seeing them return in such a way had a profound effect on me. Of all my experiences, I believe my time in Germany matured me the most as a person. Not only did it teach me the value of life and to cherish each moment, but is showed me a side of medicine that isn’t glamorous; a side I am grateful to have experienced before making the decision to pursue a career as a physician assistant.

 

 

My desire is to serve the community by working as a physician assistant in primary care. My undergraduate studies in public health have given me a deep respect for protecting the overall health of our communities and I feel practicing medicine as a physician assistant would allow me to contribute the most to this effort. The medical providers I respected most were the ones who treated their patient as a person and not as a diagnosis. They effectively communicated what was happening within the patient’s body in a way that interested the patient and allowed for an understanding of the physiological process and preventative measures to take. I think this is an overlooked skill many medical providers do not have but is vital for patient education. I hope to carve a niche within my community in which patients can rely on me to educate and treat them to the best of my ability while under the supervision of the physician. Practicing in primary care would allow me to see a variety of cases throughout the population so I can have a better understanding of the overall health of the community. Titles are of no importance to me and I believe every position within the healthcare setting is an important one. I feel as if I could contribute the most to the PA profession in terms of representation and advancement. Many patients are still unfamiliar with the role of a physician assistant and by putting forth extra effort in terms of patient care and education; I can promote trust between physician assistants and patients within my community.