“Why I Want to Be an Army PA” Essay

I. Introduction

An Army Physician Assistant (PA) is a healthcare professional who diagnoses illness and provides medical treatments to Army troops (Greener, 2022). Army PA is a critical part of the healthcare team that provides various medical services to soldiers in the battalion and their family members. A few years back, when I was doing my bachelor’s degree at Womack Hospital, my mother was diagnosed with cancer, and I was her primary caregiver. Later, my dad was also diagnosed with cancer, and I took care of him during his cancer battle. These incidents spark my interest in joining the army as a PA. Initially, I worked as a PA in roles I, II, and hospital centers. Later, I joined the military as a paralegal and was inspired by other health workers to become a PA. Soon, I applied for the IPAP program to pursue my career as an army PA.

II. Passion for Serving Others

Since childhood, I have been passionate about helping others. While taking care of my mom and dad during their cancer battle, I committed to serving our soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country. The modern world is very uncertain, and multiple wars are ongoing in different parts of the world. Therefore, it is crucial to always have military readiness to tackle any crisis (Greener, 2022). I have always desired to be a part of helping soldiers stay medically fit so they could perform their best to save people.

III. Unique Opportunities within the Army

I want to become an army PA as it provides unique opportunities. An army PA has to work in different conditions, treat different populations, and tackle critical care settings. An army PA can also serve as a medical officer in different brigades and battalions. There are also professional growth opportunities such as advanced medical training programs, specialized training, and emergency medicine. An army PA also gets various benefits, such as skill training, education assistance, health insurance, and retirement plans.

IV. Alignment with Personal Values

Unlike traditional healthcare settings, military healthcare service emphasizes teamwork, companionship, and mutual trust (Greener, 2022). I always desire to provide loyal and selfless healthcare services to make a difference in people’s lives. The core values of the army include selfless service, loyalty, honor, respect, duty, personal courage, and integrity, which are correctly align with my personal values. As an army PA, these core values will help me become a successful physician assistant and inspire me to continue good work.

V. Commitment to Lifelong Learning

Due to technological advancement, it is crucial to acquire knowledge continuously to provide better healthcare services. As medical technology advances rapidly, the nature of military medicine becomes dynamic. Therefore, army medical professionals have an opportunity for lifelong learning. Since college, I have been interested to learn advanced medical practices and new medical achievements. Being an army PA, I can fulfill my desire to continuously learn about cutting-edge medical practices and apply them for further career development.

VI. Contribution to Military Communities

As an army PA, I would not only provide medical treatments but also take care of military personnel’s physical and mental health. The health and well-being of military professionals and their families are critical for the readiness of soldiers (Greener, 2022). As a PA, I can critically enhance military readiness by providing selfless medical services to troops and their families.

VII. Conclusion

My desire to help others and witness the sufferings of my mom and dad was the early motivation for pursuing a career as an army PA. Serving the military is my utmost pride, which drives me to join the military. The army’s core values align with my personal values, which inspire me to become an army PA. Moreover, my vision is to serve the army and continuously learn about military medicine for the well-being and readiness of troops.