Any suggestions??

[Recook]

Any suggestions or comments are welcome and appreciated!

 

Here are some questions that I have about my narrative:

 

-Is my narrative too vague?

-Can I abbreviate physician assistant?

-Should I elaborate on or even keep the phrase "...interact first hand with patients..."? I feel like this may be misleading. While shadowing her, she has me look in patients ears, nose, and throat. She even lets me assist in procedures such as an arch bar removal and flexible laryngoscopy. I also assist the residents if they need help with a patient. (ex. restraining a child when removing a foreign body from the ear)

-Should I use specific names of schools, work, supervisor, etc? -I have blanked all the specific names and stuff out on here just in case...

 

 

 

Here it is:

 

 

Learning is an eternal process. Learning is my hobby, my passion, and my goal.

 

I have always had a passion for learning. A professor once told me that there are always exceptions in biology. Always. And because of this, there is always something new to learn. This is why I am so intrigued by biology and how it relates to human health. Learning is what drew me to the healthcare field.

 

Though there are many careers paths to choose from in the healthcare world, I chose the Physician Assistant profession because I strongly believe in preventative health care and educating people. I have a strong belief that people want and need to be educated when it comes to their health.

 

After college, I began working as a research associate at [place of work] in the department of Otolaryngology. My supervisor, Dr. ________, has provided me opportunities that were once only a dream. She has strengthened my passion for research and given me the chance to interact first hand with patients in her clinic.

 

My passion for research began while I was still an undergraduate at [undergrad college name], when what began as a proposal for a fractal physics project, ended up receiving a grant to actually carry out the research. I was also involved in writing another proposal on site-directed mutagenesis as a means of finding treatments for cataracts in children. Work on these research projects strengthened my team-work skills, my problem-solving skills, and taught me how to think not only short term, but long term as well. These skills have helped me immensely throughout my work as a research associate.

 

Since March 2013, I have been shadowing Dr. __________, an Otolaryngologist, in her clinic, mostly seeing adult patients. I am also shadowing, Dr. _______, also an Otolaryngologist, at her Pediatric ENT clinic. Though both are in the same specialty, they are two very different worlds. On my first day at the adult clinic, one patient stood apart from others, not because of his condition, but because he had been "hiding" from the doctor for over two years because of his fear. He had been diagnosed with a cholesteatoma and was told by his doctor that whenever he was ready, they would schedule surgery. However, they didn't hear back from him for over two years. When asked why, he stated that he was scared of the outcome of the procedure. I believe that this is a prime example of how educating patients can help ease their fears and concerns about their diagnosis.

 

While shadowing at the pediatric clinic, I have learned that it is not only the patient that needs to be reassured, but also the parents. Parents naturally want the best care for their children. It's difficult enough to make decisions about healthcare for yourself, but it's even more difficult when the decisions needed to be made are for someone that is completely dependent on you. Again, this is why education is so important. Educating the parent will give them the reassurance and knowledge needed to help them make good decisions based about their child's health care.

 

Nobody is perfect and I believe that everything happens for a reason. Something good can emerge from even the most devastating events. When Hurricane Ike hit the Gulf coast, my life took an unexpected turn and I found myself faced with some hard decisions. Due to the fact that I had just lost my home and all of its contents, I was forced to move to Louisiana to live with family for a month. During this time, the University I attended would not allow me to drop my classes or make up tests missed, which unfortunately impacted my grades. It was a very stressful time and given the circumstances, I feel that not only did I come out a stronger person, but that turn of events played an important role in strengthening my skills of working under stress. I feel that I can use that outcome to my advantage as a P.A..

 

As a PA, I hope to channel my passion for knowledge to patients by educating them on not only their condition, but more importantly preventative care, with the hopes of preventing common preventable diseases. I will also strive to utilize research as a means to spread hope and insight to the incurable, a way of developing new treatments, and to encourage and inform my patients.

 

This is just a draft so I am willing to change it up a bit!

 

Thanks!

[tour9196]

Great story, but I feel it didn't answer the question of why you want to become a PA. You can educate/treat patients as a doctor or nurse, and in fact nurses do much more education than a PA will, at least that is what I've seen in the hospital I work at, and from being a patient. Additionally, PAs don't do much research, from my understanding, while doctors have much better opportunity. Anyway, just at first glance I don't see a solid reason you want to become a PA. As far as abbreviations, fully state Physicians Assistant first, then you can use PA (and be careful not to use 'Physician's Assistant').