Essay: A Career As A Physician Assistant

I am a black belt in karate and a Physician Assistant with a research background, who has a great interest in the complexity and diagnostic challenges in Internal Medicine. As much as we need to solve difficult questions in research and adapt to a complex set of moves of an opponent in martial arts, I am excited with the possibility of gaining entrance into a field of medicine that provides perhaps the greatest diagnostic challenges and complexity of care. My goal has always been to be a practicing physician, and I have worked in a variety of positions in the healthcare system in Canada to strive towards this goal. These experience have given me a greater understanding of the broader system, and a depth of insight into the interprofessional teams we work with every day.
Having first experienced Thunder Bay during one of my rotations while completing the Physician Assistant program, I enjoyed the growing city, year-round outdoor activities, fresh produce and affordable living. When an opportunity presented itself, I accepted an offer for my current position in Vascular Surgery and moved here. My family is now settled in, we have a beautiful house and my son will be starting school this September. In my role as a Physician Assistant, my experience with NOSM and the Internal Medicine team has been nothing but positive. I also spent one month working on MCTU, where I had the opportunity to experience what it would be like to be a resident. It was evident that the program is committed to student and resident education. There was a strong emphasis on learning with daily case reviews and educational sessions. I also found that the preceptors and senior residents were supportive and available for questions. I continue to reflect on my experiences from that month and would be honoured to be considered as a future member of your