Physician Assistant: By (Name) Personal Statement Examples

Having obtained in 2008 a CPR/First Aid Licence, one day I encountered an unconscious elderly lady on the street. Using the knowledge I had gained in my training, I first asked another passerby to call 911. Meanwhile I checked the person’s breathing and pulse, finding that both were present. Then I gently and carefully rolled her towards me onto her side, bending her top leg accordingly as I had been taught, so that she was now in the recovery position. I also tilted her head back slightly to keep her airways clear, and checked she had not swallowed her tongue. As her breathing was steady, I just stayed by her, ready to offer reassurance and comfort, until an ambulance arrived a few minutes later. Although I had not needed to begin CPR because she was breathing fairly steadily, I was ready to do so if needed. I believe that event solidified my ambition to work in the medical profession, because I realized that my training had helped make that lady comfortable until professional help arrived and could even have saved her life. Looking back, that one chance encounter showed me that being there to help others through ill health can be so rewarding. By virtue of diligent studies, my goal of working full time in medicine could very soon become a reality.
During my own life I have also been on the “receiving end” of the skills and expertise of a physician assistant. The role – developed originally to overcome a nationwide shortage of doctors – is essentially to perform many of the tasks normally performed by doctors, including the examinations, diagnoses, treatments, etc., limited only by agreement with their doctor associate, who sets the “rules” for their physician assistant(s), being in the best position to know their abilities. My own experience came as a child when I had fallen and damaged my wrist. The physician assistant at our local medical center was a cheerful, caring lady who calmed my nerves by telling me she’d fix me up real good, put me at ease by telling me how I reminded her of her own son, then telling me all about his football exploits, taking my mind off my own misfortune. On a subsequent occasion, some years later, my best friend was hospitalized with a nasty respiratory infection. I visited him in the hospital and happened to meet the physician assistant who was in charge of his case. My friend was full of praise for this guy who not only seemed to have the air of confidence that puts patients’ minds at ease, but he seemed to be everywhere, yet never too busy to give a kind word to anyone who might look sad or worried, or frightened. I found out from my friend that he had never yet met the supervising physician, and was perfectly comfortable with being looked after by this physician assistant, who in my friend’s opinion was everything that a good doctor should be.
However, most of my firsthand experience came when I worked for four years in a medical office, providing general assistance to a primary care doctor (endocrinologist) and his physician assistant. Looking back I realise just how much that experience taught me. For example I learned how to answer incoming phone calls, how to make appointments for patients, how to perform a DEXA test on patients to measure their bone density, how to perform and interpret ECGs, how to work with patients’ charts, and so much more. There surely can be no greater satisfaction than turning a very sick patient into a healthy person once again. I could see from my time there that the physician assistant did almost everything that his supervising doctor did, taking on much of the burden of his practice.
I hope to have the opportunity to make the most of this next stage of my journey and become a caring and well-trained physician assistant. I believe that my previous experience, strong work ethic and positive attitude will make me a good and valued team member. I appreciate your consideration, and I look forward to a successful future with your practice.