Medical Assistant Personal Statement

As a phlebotomist and young college student, I knocked on the door to find my fourth chemotherapy patient of the day unresponsive. It was my first “code blue.” A team of healthcare professionals rushed into the room and my attention was directed towards the physician assistant (PA) who was leading the team as he implemented advanced cardiac life support protocol. Witnessing the empathy, compassion and wisdom of the PA as he updated the family on the care plan for the patient, while spending the time to explain to the family and ensuring that all questions were answered strengthened my desire to develop the same compassionate interactions with a family and patients as a PA.
This desire to interact on a personal level and the ability to practice
medicine in a team-based setting are just a few of the aspects that draw me towards the PA profession. After my discovery of the PA profession and the further exploration of the role of a PA in medicine, I found the PA profession fits my personality and fulfills my desire of serving in healthcare. For instance, during my summer internship I witnessed my wound care PA take the time to sit down and ask how her recovering cancer patient was feeling. That bond between them truly showed the concern and empathy of the PA. Many times during shadowing I would observe the PA and assist in any way needed, but I would also interact with the patient and listen to them. For example, while the PA was cleaning a wound site I noticed the pain in the patient’s face and alerted the PA. From my healthcare positions, I have built trust with patients by being both compassionate and empathetic to improve the patient care experience, and I will use these skills to help elicit complete histories from my patients and find the best treatment for them. The internship in conjunction with my other experiences have given me the opportunity to observe and work alongside PAs by handing supplies to the PA, reviewing and typing patient charts through EPIC, learning about blood orders or medications prescribed, understanding different diseases and their treatment options, and interacting with healthcare professionals and patients. These experiences have shown me just how critical the PA is in the modern healthcare system, thus, I strive to become a PA as part of an integral medical team providing preventative and necessary care to patients. The importance of the PA in so many different areas of healthcare teams is yet another aspect of the profession that captured my desire to experience as many different aspects of modern medicine as I can.
Transitioning from different areas of medicine allows me to fulfill my love for diversity and enriches my adaptability to tackle varying experiences and develop new skills.
My goal is to be a provider who takes the extra step to help patients understand their diagnosis, and help them select the treatment option that best suits their needs. The ability to assess patients, order diagnostic testing as appropriate, and formulate a treatment plan is exciting to me, but it’s also reassuring to know I will have a collaborative healthcare team to discuss cases when needed. I strive to lessen the disconnect between a patient and a provider. My work has taught me valuable skills to accomplish this career goal by strengthening my interpersonal communication skills and enabling me to feel comfortable working independently and in a team-based setting while paying attention to detail and providing for my patients who are under high levels of stress. I saw these shared qualities I possess in the PAs I worked alongside during my internship. I witnessed them giving back to their community by participating in health fairs, fundraisers, and educating local schools on health issues. As a PA I hope to serve and volunteer for my
community.
I do not wish to spend any more time watching from the sidelines. The PA profession focuses on a patient-centered environment. In order to improve patient health care and treatment, the PA serves on the front lines of medicine in a constantly evolving healthcare system by expanding and improving medicine, providing health education to the community, and maintaining their understanding in the latest medical breakthroughs. I am eager to continue my lifelong journey of learning and dedicating my life to serving my patients and community. My passions reside in preventative medicine and the ability to aid my patients in various ways both medical, and personal. I will strive to create a strong patient bond and ensure preventative medicine by building a friendly and trustworthy relationship with my patients and informing my patients about healthy living. Furthermore, my numerous and varied health care experiences reinforce my drive to become a PA. I am prepared to hit the ground running in my pursuit of the higher education that is necessary to reach this position that all of my hard work and experiences have made me so passionate about.