Application Essay

Answer

Application Essay

The Moment I received a Negative Performance Feedback from my Supervisor

Most individuals often forget the unexpected criticisms from their supervisors or professors. While it is easy to forget in some cases, it is important to note that the most critical thing is the immediate response someone respected provides after the criticism since it has the utmost scope to either make things better or worse them. Personally, I got an unexpected criticism from my college professor when I handed him my masterpiece. After reading the essay for about ten minutes, he crossed out two paragraphs as well as many words in the next paragraphs and jotted a few notes on his notebook then absurdly looked at me. He said to me that the essay was not substantial and asked if I really wanted to become a physician assistant and why. Indeed, I did not expect such a question. I silently asked myself, “Is my essay not brilliant?” The professor enquired on my preparation for the healthcare career, college course, maturity as well ability to work with people. I felt that questions such as maturity were very awkward and frustrating g. As a result, I became very irritated, angry, and confused. Nonetheless, after self-interrogation, I politely explained to him the reasons why I wanted to become a physician assistant. He again asked me another unexpected question, whether the essay was prompt or not. However, I could not reply him because I did know the essay’s word count. It was a sad moment, but I paid more attention to him as he carried on reading the article to pinpoint the mistakes. I eventually realized that I had not put much emphasis on why I wanted to become a physician assistant, but instead, I had highlighted much about my personal experience. Even though I felt intimidated and vulnerable, his questions helped me realize my mistakes. Notably, my response to the professor was a bit debauched. Nevertheless, he sympathized with me and prepared a special schedule to meet me so that he could help me in correcting the mistakes.

I learned that my immediate response was vital and could expedite the greatest scope of my help. Furthermore, I realized that remaining calm could aid in getting assistance and expressing emotions can worsen a situation. It is important to note that negative criticism may give rise to feelings of inadequacy as well as anger. I also learned that maintaining self-esteem is quite remarkable since criticism can be a terrible experience capable of demoralizing and individual and lowering their self esteem. Additionally, I learned that it is fundamental to be open-minded as well as recognize both personal strengths and weaknesses for prosperity in any field. Physician assistant programs are very competitive and require outstanding teaching as well as qualified students hence any simple mistake is highly taken seriously. Lastly, I learned that it is essential to manage any uncomfortable situations by remaining calm. This is quite important since it helps in eliminating emotions and tempers and gives the parties a pleasant setting to air their views.

Reasons Why I am Applying for this Program

The decision to apply for this program has been propelled by my desire to be one of the individuals responsible for the prevention of current diseases that have pose significant threat to human existence.  I was grown in a region where preventable diseases were part of my community which, in several cases, caused preventable death. In that line, I have had a desire to pursue a career that would directly assist communities avoid such diseases. Having gone through several medical courses, I have realized that working as a physician assistant (PA) is the surest bet of achieving my childhood dream of helping the community as a whole.  Specifically, PAs deliver a comprehensive range of surgical and medical services to varied populations in both rural and urban settings. As a major part of their inclusive responsibilities, PAs perform physical examinations, diagnose and treat illnesses, interpret tests, give guidance on preventive health care, prescribe medications, and assist in surgery.  Narrowing to the responsibilities mentioned above, PAs stand a chance to prevent diseases on a global scale.

From a middle-class home, I have struggled to meet my personal goals, of which education has been given priority. This is because my parents’ financial status could not support a healthy and enjoyable livelihood. As such, despite my determination and hard work, as a student, I understood how important a role funds play in one’s life. This was further experienced when I stopped receiving student loans during my last semesters in school. Having experienced financial difficulties, I have decided to have a career that I have extreme passion in at the same time can offer me economical relief as far as its earnings are concerned.

According to my academic performance and achievements, I qualify for the program. At the College of Life Science at Coventry University, Coventry, UK; I studied Foundation in Life Science and Biomedical Sciences as an undergraduate and Bachelor of Science, Biomedical Science (Major), Biochemistry (Minor) as a graduate. This unrelenting and inclusive 7-year specialization in biology has distinguishes   me from other applicants of biology programs, for my knowledge of biological science is deep, and my willpower to handle biological research while providing solutions as my lifelong duty can be evidenced.

While several schools offer PA program, my application has also been motivated by the mission of Augsburg College on this particular program. Notably, the mission of the school is to develop students and educate them in a manner that aligns with the medical field, which is to nurture future leaders in service to the world, a dream that I have had for the rest of my life. According to the college’s curriculum, the program will enable me to be well conversant with current medical practices and theories dedicated to excellence with high standards of integrity and ethics. Therefore, apart from reaching my dream, the PA program should be completed in a reputable, dynamic and competitive institution.

I now have a clearer picture of what I want in life. I am driven and I am very sure of what I want to achieve. I have developed personally and professionally while providing empathetic care to others and moving myself to the degree that I have never thought was possible. I am eager to take this desire to the next level, striving to enrich my life with the challenges that only profession in the physician’s assistant field can bring, and that can be achieved when I get a chance in this adorable school.

Something About Me that is Not Reflected in this Application Essay

While most of my characters including hobbies, achievements, and academic performance can be seen in some of my documents such as the resumes, there are certain unique things about me which are not known since they do not appear in such documents. One of the special characters in me is determination. Having been brought from a middle-class family which did not get it easy to achieve their economic goals and responsibilities such as successfully taking me to school, I did not lose hope following the predicaments that surrounded me. I swore to myself that no matter the challenge, I will have to reach my goals and be a useful person whose actions cannot only be seen among people who are close to me, but also to the whole community. It is for this reason of determination that I will remain a useful asset to the school and also to my colleagues as well.

Self-determination puts me far above other applicants. Specifically, in a field considered to be very critical and deals with human lives, individuals who simply loose hope are obstacles to its success. Notably, there are cases where students have been tasked with certain duties which are not hard to achieve but require determination and patients. In such occasion, I believe I will be valuable since giving up has never been part of my characteristic. As such, in cases where others will see obstacles, I will see opportunities. Therefore, other than reaching my dreams of becoming a top PA, I will be useful to the school in cases where determination and success are required.

Another thing about me which is not mentioned in this application document is that I am a sociable individual. I enjoy being in the company of others and having many friends. This virtue has given me an opportunity to associate with several individuals. In the end, I acquire certain information and knowledge that assist me to go through particular challenges in life. While being sociable has helped me individually, it will also help me to handle certain issues with the school as I pursue my course. Interacting with several individuals creates a platform for gaining new ideas which can be helpful in matters that need assistance. For example, I heard of the reputation of this college, particularly in matters of medical courses, through a friend. After that, I did a personal research on the achievements of the institution. Through association, I will seek ideas from important people on matters that require assistant both personally and those of the school.

How my Personal/Professional Experiences Reflect at least three of the Core Values of the Samuel Merritt University Physician Assistant Program

Core values are important beliefs of an organization or a person. These guiding principles control behavior and assist people to understand the difference between wrong and right. Core values also assist firms to know if they are on the right track by establishing an unwavering guide. Just like other organizations, Samuel Merritt University Physician Assistant Program has several but important core values that determine what they stand for. It is not surprising that among several fundamental principles which include critical thinking, interpersonal communication, teamwork, responsibility, technical contact, and medical knowledge, I have demonstrated some of them in my daily endeavors both professionally and in my private life.

One of the core values that I have described in my personal life is teamwork.  Knowing that teamwork is a mutual action of a group of individuals, especially when effective and efficient, I have used it in several ways to achieve goals in tasks that involve more than two people. In particular, as Envision Community Member, I worked with other members to organize an event that was meant to educate members of the community about sexually transmitted diseases (STIs). Our aim was to inform people about these diseases and how they can be prevented. In the early stages, we met to plan and assign tasks.  My function was to generate funds for the event.  I established a clear plan for the task with a timeframe of what to do and when to do it. I engaged a local Chamber of Commerce directed to the local companies and managed to raise £200 sponsorship money which was enough for the whole event including small amounts of motivation and traveling expenses. The group met on a regular basis to discuss the development and progress of the function. In cases where we could not meet, we communicated through online avenues. This ensured that if any team member had problems completing tasks within the stipulated time, then other members could provide support.  Due to good collaboration among our team members, the event was very successful and we managed to inform the community about the predicaments of STIs and how they can be prevented to live in a society that is free from diseases.

Another core value of Samuel Merritt University Physician Assistant Program is patient contact, an issue that I have been involved in on several occasions. As an individual who wanted to take care of patients before I even started school, I have severally engaged in matters that ensure patients are taken care of. I have done this in my personal and professional life. During my work at Birmingham City Hospital for three years, I have had enough experience with patient contact. During this period, I performed several activities which include bathing patients, drawing blood, helping patients who are unable to move from bed to the toilet or bedpan. More importantly, I was given the duty to look after patients in the hospital especially at night. I also had a chance to listen to the testimonies of the patients affected with fatal diseases such as cancer and HIV-AIDS.  This experience gave me a chance to understand patients deeply.

Another important core value of Samuel Merritt University Physician Assistant Program is medical knowledge. Notably, besides the desire of being a nurse to help society, I have attained recommendable knowledge in this field. I worked as community service assistant in Cesa Del Los Nino as a supervisor. In this institution, I carried several responsibilities that directly related to the medical field, hence medical knowledge. Particularly, I gained extensive experience in foster family management and assessment, excellent familiarity with a variety of foster care programs and related social services, as well as superior expertise in early and adolescent child development and protection. I have also done several laboratory experiments that are part of the medical field. Particularly, I did Investigation of cells and chromosomes of the snook. For this experiment, we conducted it in the laboratory. We made clear notes about our methods and record results with great care and precision. 3mm segments taken from the tip of the tail of 3-day old snook were excised (cut off) and the cut tail fragments were incubated with colchicines for 24 hours then fixed in acetic acid. These are just among the medical knowledge I have gained over the past few years as a student.

Responsibility is one of the core values that I share with Samuel Merritt University Physician Assistant Program. I am one person who can work outside limits to ensure that activities that are meant to assist people are successful.  This was demonstrated when I decide to volunteer at St. Michaels day nursery as an assistant teacher. During this time, I had to take charge in several activities which include maintaining toys and play equipment, finding ways to stimulate children, helping to feed, wash and clean the youngsters, following and implementing policies and procedures set out by the nursery, ensuring that all daily routines are adhered to, coordinating and planning activities, and making posters and art pieces for the nursery.  This value, therefore, puts me a head of other applicants since I can be trusted with several tasks however much they may seem difficult. Coupled with my unique characteristics of determination, I am confident that will be an important asset to the institution whose objective is to ensure the top goals of healthcare as a whole are achieved.