My Desire To Become A Physician Assistant

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Track and field is a sport that requires mental toughness, self-belief, and commitment. Excelling in track and field is difficult, but it is the individual and team commitment as well as preparation on and off the track that makes all the difference. I learned that to be a great runner requires endurance, discipline, resilience, and a positive mental attitude. The fundamental process for success in medicine is no different. It is the preparation, inherent sacrifice, and desire to succeed that determines one’s success long before one enters into the medical profession. The experiences and skills I acquired from being a runner have given me a foundation to pursue my desire to become a physician assistant. My initial interest in medicine stemmed …show more content…

This admiration led me to participate in the summer CURE (Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences) program at Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center. I conducted a pilot experiment using targeted sequencing to detect somatic mutations in brain cancer-related genes. I recognized early on that my research could go beyond isolating DNA from brain tumors or detecting mutations. This experience gave practical meaning to my academic coursework, and I learned the importance of medical research to lessen the impact of health problems and to provide the basis to examine effective treatments. While I was excited about doing research, I realized I missed working with patients and seeing directly how patients benefited from …show more content…

Consistent with my interest to understand social determinants of health and to promote health equity, I decided to pursue a master’s in public health. By pursuing an MPH degree, I am looking to gain critical thinking skills that will enhance my perspective in medicine and provide me with a greater understanding of how decisions made for individual patients affect the entire community. I am also hoping to acquire the skills to strengthen community engagement since a patient’s health is not only impacted by their behavior and socioeconomic status, but also by their surroundings. Upon completion of the MPH program, my desire is to have the skills to foster patient empowerment and to succeed in a medical

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