Please critique me! Always need outside options

[tour9196]

Thanks in advance for any input! This will be my 3rd post. Edit - Meant Opinions, not options.

 

The night I questioned my career path began with a lost ambulance at the new hospital. As a security guard, I quickly redirected them to the ambulance bay and watched a bleeding, unconscious, younger male wheeled out of the ambulance. This was the first time I've seen a person struggle for life. The concern on everyone’s face amplified the tension, but the trauma surgeon, with strict attention to repairing the bleed, directed orders to each person with a calm voice. After what seemed hours in the trauma room, the young man did not survive. The trauma surgeon, distraught from the event, had to inform the concerned parents, and did so with professionalism and empathy. This event, being one of many stories, was both inspiring and horrific, influencing me to consider a career in health care.

To insure this was the right career choice, I volunteered at the hospital and obtain my EMT to learn more. My EMT certification allowed me to apply to different medical jobs, and become a volunteer with the ambulance service. After 6 months and 3 interviews, I became a nursing assistant at Medical Center of the Rockies in the float pool. Becoming involved with patient treatments and working with professionals, I built a solid foundation on basic skills. I then became proficient at comforting and helping these individuals through rough times, and also learned valuable communication skills. This job was, and still is, fulfilling and engaging with the everyday challenges and accomplishments it brings. This I know because I am happy. But on the flip side, things were also disturbing as I saw many policies and actions which could arguably be disagreed upon, along with the low quality life people suffer. All this struck me as a challenging problem, but helping people even in the most mundane tasks gives me gratification.

Knowing health care was the right choice, many career opportunities were available to choose from. I’ve worked with many inspiring health care workers giving me the opportunity to observe their work. I also studied each career by attending presentations to different programs, talking to advisers but in the end the Physicians Assistant profession stuck out. The PA’s I worked with made the facility run smoothly, they showed compassion, and were inspiring in their work. This gave me an understanding of the stress, autonomy, knowledge, and skill set a PA must have. Further, having researched the career, it fit me for where I am now, and what I’m eager to do in the future. Additionally, on a personal note, having type 1 diabetes has also influenced my decision. I know endocrinology is a shrinking profession as patient numbers are growing, and taking my experiences from my disease, I know I can help out struggling diabetics. Since I've made this choice, my experiences have only emboldened me to pursue this career, and feel it’s time to take these experiences to do more.

In my pursuit, I've gained a Bachelors of Science in Biology as a full time student working nights. Not only has this increase my knowledge in the basic biological sciences, but also has increased my interest and understanding to read scientific journals. My GPA, which wasn't satisfactory with my first bachelors (more of a hobby), has seen a sharp increase ever since my focus has been to become a PA. I also continue to take science classes to increase my knowledge.

This will be my second year applying to PA programs, and I will continue to improve myself in preparation for the rigorous program. I continue my job in a level II trauma hospital working in multiple ICUs and regular floors, I’m taking classes to improve my GPA, and I’m volunteering to help my community, but I feel it’s time to move forward and continue with my career. I hope to take these experiences to build upon and help people through the PA profession.