A Narrative of How I Took The Interest to Become a Physician Assistant

Moving at an early age to San Diego from Mexico was an arduous and lonesome transition. However, moving and remaining close to my extended family made the trauma of adjustment and stress of adaptation more tolerable. One afternoon, at a family reunion, my cousin Oscar with his habitual silly inventions, decided to mount a ladder horizontally in our backyard swing. As always, the younger cousins and I complied with his outrageous ideas. Each cousin sat in a ladder rung on each side of the ladder as Oscar proceeded to swing the swing-ladder complex vigorously. Despite the small injuries accompanied by such silly ideas, the swing was an avenue of peace and happiness during harsh moments. Nonetheless, that avenue was later on shadowed when my cousin Oscar was diagnosed with Leukemia. After three years of battling leukemia, Oscar unexpectedly passed away, taking away with him part of the swing that once provided me with comfort. I now regain a piece of that swing as I embark on the physician assistant (PA) profession in order to convey that peace and warmth into my future patients and provide high-quality healthcare.

After my cousin’s death, my interest for the healthcare field surged in order to provide prompt and accurate diagnosis to patients. The pain and suffering that my family and I experienced, motivated me to seek a healthcare profession in order to provide comfort to patients and their families and transform fear into strength. Unaware of the physician assistant (PA) profession, I first encountered it at a San Diego State University (SDSU) health professions meeting. Captivated by the ability to work independently as well as a team in order to ensure quality care to patients prompted me to become more knowledgeable of this profession. Since then, my volunteer and healthcare experience have contributed to my insight and strengthened my interest in this profession.

Impacted by the limited and poor healthcare in my native country, I decided to volunteer with Flying Samaritans, a non-profit monthly clinic set up in Tijuana, Mexico for the medically undeserved. There, I had the opportunity to shadow and translate for Lindsey, PA. The remarkable level of patient interaction and ability to diagnose and treat patients independently, as well as work as a team, sustained my interest for the profession. Most importantly, I realized the importance of empathy and trust in patient interaction. These same observations paralleled during my medical assistant externship in California, assisting another physician assistant in general medicine. Moreover, I became knowledgeable of the profession’s ability to more easily transition between fields, which is captivating given the interconnection of specialties. Lateral mobility captivates me due to the possibility for increased knowledge and more accurate diagnosis and treatment.

I have confirmed my aspiration to become a PA through my current position as a medical scribe in the ENT specialty for Dr. Taylor. My ability to work as a team player by collaborating with the physician in order to ensure a complete medical chart, yet working independently when giving instructions to a patient, administering medications, and obtaining his or her chief complaint parallels my future abilities as a PA. Being present during almost every patient’s office visit has given me a glimpse into ENT and associated general medicine as well as the rewards and challenges of the profession. The capacity to turn a patient’s fear, distress and reluctance into hope, happiness, and eagerness is fascinating and rewarding. Nonetheless, I have also perceived the challenges of the profession through patient’s noncompliance. Endlessly, I have seen Dr. Taylor’s clear and effective communication skills to improve understanding of patient’s plan of care and have paralleled these skills when clarifying patient’s question. Through my work and volunteer experience, I have noticed the importance of active communication not only between the PA and the patient, but also between the PA and other healthcare providers in order to better coordinate care and provide high-quality health care to patients.

To become a physician assistant requires great academic excellence, dedication, and excellent communication skills,-; all of which I have gained through my personal and professional experience. The language barrier and cultural adaptation were not enough to stop me from graduating honors in high school, succeeding in various AP courses, and graduating with a 3.82 GPA from SDSU. My excellent grades in undergrad, cultural competency and continuous dedication for scientific knowledge manifest my capacity to succeed in a demanding PA curriculum and later on as a PA- a compassionate, and knowledgeable PA with continuous dedication for scientific knowledge and the health of her patients.