Personal Statement Identification Report

I felt inept as I swung the hammer and struck the nail at angle, clumsily bending yet another nail. The seemingly oversized hammer, felt large and awkward in my small eight-year old hands. My dad turned and smiled encouragingly as he skillfully tapped another nail into the beam. My tiny arms felt weak as I swung the hammer upward for what seemed like the hundredth time, but this time the hammer struck the nail directly driving it into the beam. I looked up to see a smile of approval as my dad tapped a handful of nails into the beam so I could perfect my new-found skill. This same pattern is what forms quality healthcare as it is a dynamic integration of learning, action, and teaching balanced with a sense of compassion. During my first twelve hour shift as an intern at the local ambulance service company, I remember feeling disoriented as I sat in the back of the ambulance. The two small windows on the large back doors barely …show more content…
In life, we learn that this system is incredibly fragile. During fall of my sophomore year, my dad lost completely function of his right arm. An MRI revealed that a tumor was present in the motor cortex. I was devastated, and grappled with the idea of withdrawing from university to spend time with my dad. My parents both felt strongly that I should stay as neither of them had the opportunity to attend college. Two weeks later, my dad underwent an open biopsy. I received a call from my parents the next day, they told me that the surgeon had decided not to remove the growth. Instead, the surgeon had taken a small sample of the affected area to send to pathology and informed my parents that the tumor was not malignant but rather it was a bacterial infection in the brain. My dad was treated for the infection and regained movement in his arm. Life is incredibly fragile and as a physician assistant I want to be present to individuals in these moments of