Physician Assistant Program in the US - Admission/Application Essay Example

Time and again, most of those who aspired to become physicians have childhood memories wherein the inspiration came from another doctor or as a result of a medical condition experienced or witnessed as a child. Some of these events had happy endings while the rest were sad stories. For my story, part of my childhood saw my mother afflicted with cardiomyopathy where she eventually died of heart failure a few years later. The lost of my mother ignited in me the passion to be a medical doctor in order to help those with medical problems and alleviate their pain and suffering.

Hence, I studied very hard in high school and was rewarded with high grades especially in the sciences which eventually gained for me an acceptance at the prestigious Cairo University School of Medicine in Egypt. While at medical school, I especially enjoyed pharmacology, anatomy and physiology, and clinical rotations in ophthalmology, pediatrics and internal medicine. During my clinical rotations, I observed and took part in the care of patients under the supervision of resident and attending physicians.

Some of the valuable skills I learned were collecting patient history, interpreting patient symptoms, physicals and results of most common diagnostic procedures as well as conducted a list of differential diagnosis.Although I completed all the course requirements for a medical degree, I was not able to take the final examinations during my last term therefore I was not able to attain my much coveted M.D. The reason for this was an opportunity to leave for the United States and despite the tough decision I had to make, I chose to leave Egypt for the U.S. knowing there would be better opportunities for the future.

Since arriving in the United States, I have always wanted to practice medicine and the opportunity came when I met a fellow Egyptian doctor who was already a physician assistant (PA) in the U.S. He explained to me the role of a PA and I was intrigued with that line of work. After that, I was encouraged to be a PA myself especially since PAs conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses – these are my main interest and concern.  In 2006, I started taking the prerequisite courses for PA program at Touro College and to complement my academic training I have been doing volunteer service since last year at the emergency room of the Wyckoff Hospital Center.

The volunteer work at the hospital exposed me to the American hospital environment.Further exposure to the PA environment came my way when I shadowed a PA in the ER fast track mode and my observations of the PA is that of thorough clinical knowledge, deep compassion and a high aptitude for patient education. Hence, I became more interested in the PA’s ability, not only to make decisions autonomously but also the ability to work with other members of health care team. I noticed that the relationship between a PA and the supervising physician is one of a great trust and respect.

The PA whom I did understudy with answered all my queries patiently and professionally especially with regards to the PA career. He allowed me to help obtain patients’ history and physicals from those who didnt speak English. I also helped the PA to steady patients as he performed suturing and assisted patients going to the X-ray room. From my overall exposure to the PA career in the hospital, I was impressed with the ability of PAs to work in various fields and specialties of the medical and allied medical profession as well as the flexibility to change their chosen areas of specialty.

At present, I still do hospital volunteer work to further my experience and exposure with PAs and other medical professionals in the ER environment. With this, the present college courses I am taking and my medical training in Egypt, I feel I am on the right track in enabling myself to be a physician assistant. Given an opportunity to enter the field, I believe that I can contribute to the medical profession as a PA and it will be a lifetime dream if I can achieve at dedicating myself in the PA career.

I plan to work in an ER environment if ever I achieve the PA degree and I will do my very best to contribute to the welfare and well-being of the patients as well as hold sacred the trust vested on the physician assistant career.