Athletic trainer who found herself in the wrong profession

[taykells21]

Hey everyone, I am trying to work out the kinks of my essay before the upcoming cycle opens so I have one less step in the CASPA application to worry about. Any and all pointers are welcome, thanks!

All is well. Three very simple words from my childhood I will never forget. Three words my parents would sing to me each night before bed. Three words I sang to myself the first night I spent away from home to bring me comfort. Three words from a song full of meaning that all on their own have made a lasting impact on my life. It was from these modest and unassuming words I drew my strength as a child and continue to inspire me each day of my life.
My first job out of college was working as a physician extender with the bone health clinic at Iowa Ortho. This was my second choice originally, seeing as I had always pictured myself working as a high school athletic trainer. I was promised I would be able to eventually transition but had to fill this position for the time being. I had worked with a physician extender while in college and understood even though it was not my first choice, I would still be able to improve as an athletic trainer and gain insight into the health care profession. Maybe I would even learn better practices I could use in the future once I took over a high school. Every day I would walk into clinic and see the patients sitting in the waiting room. Never giving them any more consideration than knowing there were there to be treated by one of our doctors for reasons I did not know. Over time, I became stuck in a routine at work, knowing my position in the bone health clinic was temporary.
It took a very special patient for me to realize my own potential as a medical practitioner and understand I had forgotten myself and my beliefs in regard to patient care. I was pulling up the QCT of a patient, something I did every day. Initially, I only looked at the information I needed to include in her records for that visit. It wasn’t until I looked past the computer-generated data, which I thought was all I needed, and truly looked at the scan of the patient. I realized I had been missing something even more important. I had questioned what I was seeing and discussed the scan with the physician assistant I worked for, who confirmed what I had suspected. I was starting at a mass the size of a softball where the patient’s kidney should be. I began to question my own practice as a physician extender. I was complacent in my interactions with patients and had a limited understanding of what it truly meant to provide exceptional treatment and care. I realized by not getting the position as a high school athletic trainer, I was given something greater. I realized it was time to push myself to be better than who I was. Time to realize the importance of treating each and every patient as a whole person, not a list of symptoms, test results, and data compiled into a single diagnosis.
Those three words came to mind again. All is well. Can we as practitioners of medicine say we are in the pursuit of wellness if we do not expand our own views to personalize our care of each patient. In my current position, I knew I would not have the opportunities to grow and help these patients achieve wellness. I wanted to do better and be better for the patients I was helping to treat and knew this would take pursuing a new profession. I have been lucky to work with a variety of health care practitioners during my time as an athletic trainer. These range from nurses, physicians, physical therapists, and more. There was only one I felt a connection with, knew would give me the best opportunity to provide excellent patient care, and allow me to work in a cooperative and friendly environment where I will continue to learn and grow. Two years ago, I decided to become a physician assistant, and I was willing to make every sacrifice to make this a reality. A year and a half ago, I turned down a position as a high school athletic trainer and knew this was the right decision for me. A thought came to mind when I experienced this realization, all will be well.