Which experience to use?

[lmueth]

I am trying to decide which experience to write about in my PA school personal statement. I was a volunteer at a hospital over the summer, and I experienced 2 significant moments that have shaped me as a person to this day:

1) As a volunteer in the emergency department, I assisted an elderly woman who was confined to a hospital bed in the middle of the hallway (there wasn't enough space for her). She called for help and didn't receive the slightest bit of attention from the medical staff. I went over to speak to her, and we conversed about several things, all getting her mind off of the situation she was in.

2) I witnessed an emergency Caesarean section while volunteering in the labor and delivery department. It started out as being a rotation of the baby due to his breech positioning, but when the medical professionals noticed that his heart wasn't beating quickly enough, they performed an emergency C-section. I watched on as the doctors and other medical staff rushed around to save the baby's life.

Both of these experiences stand out in my mind as times that I realized I wanted to be a physician assistant. Which do you think I should write about in my personal statement and why?

Thank you!

[cleveland05]

Hi,
Those are both great! I think you should go with number 2. I've met with quite a lot of staff at school and read a book on writing the statement, and the most important thing to remember is to take your experience and be able to relate it to specifically why you want to be a PA, and not just someone in the medical field. With number 2 you can take that experience and talk about how as a PA you would have been able to help them with the C section by doing x, y, and z, and how it really fueled you to pursue the field. The admissions committees want to know that you did your homework and that you know what it is a PA can do as opposed to NP, RN, MD, surgical tech, etc. Tie that experience into something you maybe learned about in the classroom. For example, in anatomy I learned about how a stroke happens and its symptoms. However, when I saw someone actually going through a stroke at work it really formed that full picture in my head.

You got the hard part done-thinking of an intro!

[kynesgis2]

Hi,
I use experience #2 because it seems more exciting and can be an eye opener to the readers. I am not saying #1 is not exciting but #2 will allow the readers to jump right in your paper and possibly keep your readers indulge in the personal statement. Just remember to tie this experience to how it led you to want to be a PA and what you got out of this experience. I Look forward to possibly reading your personal statement if you put it up on the forum.
Good Luck

[luigi]

I'll reinforce what was stated above: go with #2, as it is more attention-grabbing and medically related. Frame the scene and explain why exactly it led you to want to become a PA. Make sure you relate the experience to the PA profession! All the best

[TNPAHopeful]

Definitely use experience 2. It makes for a more interesting opening, and I feel that it also has more to offer, even though you are not directly involved.

[Hillmanz]

I voted number one. both are great situations and I am sure you can both be used to grab the readers attention. But it is all how you word it in your essay. make sure to talk about how these interactions made you feel and how they helped draw you to the career as a PA the reason why I chose number one is because you seemed more involved with the care of the eldery patient and shows that the volunteer experience provided you with a deeper learning experience that school can not teach you.

[elenagonza]

I vote the number 1.

[waffles]

You should definitively go with the first experience and here is why:
1. Everyone is telling you to go with story number 2 because it is attention grabbing. My essay included watching a primary care PA flush out a patient's earwax, the subject matter does not need to be flashy and in fact, I have heard from numerous adcom members from various different schools that they are tired of reading essays that start with an overdramatic scene. It's all about HOW you write about your experience and what makes it make you want to be a PA. (I highly advise you not to do as this person suggested: "talk about how as a PA you would have been able to help them with the C section by doing x, y, and z," adcoms don't want to read about what you would do if you were a PA. You are not a PA. You have no idea.
2. The first interaction shows that you put the patient first above your work related duties. It shows that you can relate to patients. It shows that you can make the most out of a difficult situation. It shows that you can stay calm in an ER. Etc, etc... I would use that story and expand on it to show why you want to be a PA.