Mercer’s Mission Statement is congruent with mine. To be most effective, medical care must be patient-centered. My experiences as a paramedic and as a shadowing student have shown me that textbooks are excellent guides, but each patient must be assessed individually and holistically. To be an effective provider, one must possess and exercise critical thinking skills. Most people can read a protocol and follow instructions. However, often times patient presentations do not line up perfectly with classroom training; the provider needs to be alert, attentive, and agile in evaluating and preparing treatment plans. Some patients need more help than others in managing their health. This is an opportunity for PAs to take the lead in Coordination of Care. Follow through on this matter is of utmost importance to me, as I see firsthand how …show more content…
As diversity becomes more ubiquitous, it is imperative to extend understanding to others while honoring one’s own tenets. A happy heart is good medicine, and a joyful mind works healing.
Additionally, I find value in the extra four months of education at Mercer. The third spring semester promises to afford more time to glean information from providers at clinical rotations as well as from Mercer faculty and fellow students. Furthermore, I am excited about interprofessional learning with Nursing, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Public Health, and Clinical Medical Psychology students.
Finally, I am attracted to Mercer’s Advanced Cardiology Residency. Despite several PAs telling me that residencies are unnecessary, I feel that I would be better prepared to start my career in Primary Care and later possibly transition to Cardiology. Heart disease has been an epidemic in America and recent reports tell us that it is only getting worse. I see this when I work as a paramedic in the field, and when I shadow providers in the Emergency Department and Chest Pain