Personal Narrative: My Patient Care Experience

Describe the details of your patient care experience.

I began my career in healthcare working as a behavior therapist for individuals on the autism spectrum. I worked as part of a care team centered on improving the quality of life for the clients we served. Working directly with a behavior analyst and a speech language pathologist, I assisted in developing and implementing therapeutic programs specific to my clients’ unique needs. I spent the majority of my time working one on one with clients running programs focused on decreasing aggressions, destructions, self-injurious behaviors, and increasing language and communication. I took data on the programs that I ran and communicated my client's progress to my supervisors as well as the
client's family. It was through this job that I began to understand the importance of patient-centered care, learning that although my clients may share a diagnosis, their cases are as unique as they are and need to be treated as such. I believe that my experience providing care to special populations will only serve to make me a more compassionate and capable physician assistant.

Discuss the three most important priorities in your life, and how they apply to your interest in our PA program.

The three most important priorities in my life are growing personally and professionally, exercising compassion, and being of service to others. As an individual who strives to grow both personally and professionally, it is imperative that I attend a university where growth in both of these aspects is not only encouraged but expected. Being someone who is a lifelong learner with a diverse interest in medicine, I realize that MBKU has more to offer as a university. MBKU takes an integrative approach to healthcare that challenges students to approach health care more comprehensively. Being in a program that challenges me to explore health care from the viewpoints of different specialities will allow me to continue to learn and grow both personally and professionally. I believe that compassion is a critical component that is necessary to bring about immediate change in our lives as well as the lives of the individuals that we serve. As a campus that emphasizes civic engagement, I realize that MBKU is an environment where students can further cultivate their sense of compassion. Being of service to others is not only an integral step towards fulfillment, it is also a way to become a part of something that is bigger than yourself. It calls us to utilize our talents, abilities, and resources to make a positive change to the community and the individuals that we serve. MBKU asks their PA students to complete clinical rotations in underserved areas, allowing their students to utilize their skills to provide life-changing services to communities in need. Ultimately, I believe that the PA program at MBKU addresses the three most important priorities in my life, and will be a place where I will excel and reach my fullest potential.

What do you expect to contribute to this University and community?
I will contribute my unique perspective to the university and community. As an individual who is not only a minority, but one who has experience working with individuals of varying intellectual, social, emotional and cultural backgrounds, I will offer a unique perspective to the MBKU campus. This is exemplified through my experiences providing care for individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities, my background in clinical psychology, my passion for serving others, and my leadership experiences.

I believe that my background in mental health will add to the diversity of the MBKU community. Through my background in clinical psychology, I learned that health care goes far beyond curing the patient of disease, it embraces diversity, respects life, and nurtures the human spirit. I found this to be especially true working as a behavior therapist for individuals with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities. Working with my clients I learned that sometimes, there is no magic pill to reverse your diagnosis. Respecting the diversity of your client and working to improve their quality of life can be life changing. Working as a behavior therapist, I spent long hours working with my behavior team, my clients and their family members to help them live a more independent life. Providing behavioral therapy for individuals with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities has allowed me
to foster a unique understanding of patient-centered care that will serve to diversify and enhance the spirit of compassion and respect of the MBKU community.

Additionally, as an individual who values community, philanthropy and civic engagement, I believe that my involvement on campus will add to the MBKU community. As an undergraduate, I was heavily involved in campus life and hope to be as involved as a graduate student. In my time as an undergraduate, I developed and led student run organizations dedicated to increasing intersectionality and inclusiveness on campus. In these roles I ensured that the needs of the diverse student population were met, organized programs to educate students, and helped foster safe spaces for diverse student groups on campus. I also coordinated events raising thousands of dollars for nonprofit organizations such as The American Red Cross, The Cure It Foundation, Breast Cancer Research, and fund raised to build a well in a third world country.

My diverse experiences have ultimately allowed me to develop a unique perspective that will translate to the classroom as well as the campus as a whole. As a student at MBKU, I will use this perspective to stimulate classroom discussions, and will lead and become actively involved in activities on campus. I know that the skills I acquired serving in these roles will be a valuable asset to the MBKU community and will benefit the patients I will serve.

Tell us about a person from history or present day who has influenced your life and how.

My mother is the single most influential person in my life.
She grew up in a culture that did not place importance on education and expected women to get married at a very young age. My mom dropped out of high school to get married, and had me at the age of 17. She was determined to break out of the cultural norm as she understood the value of education and wanted her children to value education as well.

She went back to school immediately after my birth and has not stopped since. Throughout the duration of my lifetime, I watched my mother work all day and spend late nights working on completing her education. She never stopped learning, in fact, she even studied for finals in the hospital after delivering my brother. Initially, my mother finished her G.E.D and her associate’s degree. She then pursued a bachelor's degree in Education and became a teacher. She continued with school and earned her master's degree in Educational Leadership and served as an assistant principal in the public
schools.

After my brother was diagnosed with autism, she decided that she would specialize in applied behavior analysis so that she could provide my brother with the best services possible to help him grow. She now utilizes this certification to benefit other children and families. She now serves as an associate director of a school for children with autism. Most interestingly, she also works with a board that is seeking consultative status with the United Nations so that she could educate organizations worldwide about treatments that will help enrich the lives of those that they serve.

It was through my mother that I came to understand the value of learning and the importance of utilizing that knowledge to serve others. I am truly inspired to embrace the values my mother embodies throughout my own life and experiences. My mother has a very strong work ethic and always places emphasis on striving for excellence in all that she does. I am thankful to have acquired all of these qualities from my mother and plan to live by and apply these attributes throughout my lifetime and professional career.