Physician Assistant Profession

Imagine getting into a taxi cab after waiting 10 minutes.The cab would come rumbling down the dusty streets and take your family member to the local hospital 30 minutes away. After some small initial testing, the physician would discharge said family member saying he has the flu and to wait until his symptoms resolve. But this case would not be like many others, he would not feel better in a couple of days. This is what happened to my grandfather and many others with health problems in Eritrea, which is a dire country despite its independence from Ethiopia. I was devastated to learn my last surviving grandfather had passed away and I had not been back in recent years to see him.After his death, I found my calling to go back and help my fellow

I volunteer at Children’s Medical Center in Plano where I learned the importance of teamwork and communication in a hospital environment. I volunteered as a child life specialist.I fed babies while parents got food, played video games with teenagers that had cancer, and provided drinks to children while they played with toys.I understood the toll and sacrifice families and patients made to get the help they needed.I learned that facial expressions, body language, and context clues were just as important as what the patient says in order to figure out patient’s needs.This further developed my knowledge of adolescent behavior in a hospital settings.My most fulfilling volunteer experience occurred during this past year when I was helping an elderly hospice Parkinson’s patient.He had moved to Texas to live with his son due to his progressive disease was wheelchair bound.I began to take him on weekly rides around the neighborhood where we would have long thoughtful discussions.It was a joy to know that with my help he was able to go outside to feel fresh breeze and sun on his face for the first time in many years.I loved knowing that I was making the end of this gentleman’s life a little better by just having a conversation and talking him for a ride.Even though I was able to see his health deteriorate before my eyes as he could less on his own as the days went on I