Whether it was from going on mission trips and working alongside my peers to help rebuild a community or performing and competing as a dancer, being a part of a team is something that I have always been very comfortable with. In 7th grade I found a new team that I would since aspire to be a part of. I became utterly fascinated with the medical field and all it had to offer because as a young teen I spent a lot of time as a patient in and out of the hospital and saw many providers from different specialties. I loved seeing the way in which different members of a healthcare team worked together for my benefit. While being the patient may have initiated my infatuation with the field, I knew that one day I had to be on the other side. When …show more content…
The patients I have worked with have become my greatest teachers. I can’t sit down and flip to a chapter in a textbook that would teach me how to listen to a patient and let their unique history paint the picture of their present illness. A physician that I shadowed told me something that has since resonated with me. She told me how every patient has a story, and you always need to listen carefully because these stories aren’t pointless, they often can lead to your diagnosis. I personally believe the most important member of the care team is the patient; without communicating with the patient there is no chance to obtain crucial insight as to the illness that is presented to you. One thing I love about the role of a physician assistant (PA) is how they have the opportunity to focus on spending time with each patient and allowing that to impact their practice. This is one of the reasons I aspire to work in primary care; I strive to build relationships with my patients in which I can help implement healthy lifestyle choices for them and their families. For me, patient interaction is not a mundane task I ever want to overlook; it is every reason I wanted to get into medicine in the first place and I will one day be a better provider because of the things I have learned first hand in the