3 min read

Synergy has always been important to me. I’ve always liked balance and seeing projects through to completion. The sense of fulfillment of a job well done is a satisfying cap for any task. Teamwork and collaboration are important values for me in both personal and professional environments. These values were never more apparent to me than when I played college volleyball.

I’m a fairly independent person, but competing on my college’s volleyball team allowed me to appreciate the synergy of a team sport. As someone who abhorred the lack of synergy and teamwork in most academic group projects, competing with my teammates was a great balance between relying on my own independent skills and knowing I could count on the efforts and skills of other players. Alone, I knew I could score a point, but as team, we could win a tournament. In fact, our volleyball team won nationals two years in a row, and we completed the Wild Rose Collegiate Volleyball Tournament undefeated. I found that seeing my teammates work so hard made me strive to work just as hard. To push myself and become a better player so I could be a better teammate in turn.

Just as my volleyball team was able to work in sync to achieve our high-level goals, the medical team was a perfect example of teamwork and collaboration. They cared for the team’s players throughout our seasons, monitoring their health or jumping in to tend injuries or handle crises whenever needed. All parts of our team worked together to help each other excel, and the resulting synergy meant we could achieve remarkable things.

Since I excelled in school and was always drawn to the science of sports, I started exploring a career in sports health. I talked often to the volleyball medical team, curious about the ins and outs of a career in sports medicine and what the possibilities were. I also knew sports medicine would provide that special blend of teamwork and independent work, of science and health I was seeking.

Knowing of my interest in the field, my brother offered to introduce me to his college hockey team’s medical officer. A physician assistant by trade, Adam had been working with the team for several years, and like me, he shared an interest in sports and medicine. I asked to shadow Adam for a season, and he agreed. Whenever a player was injured, I assisted Adam in treating it. When Adam conducted regular check-ins, I served as his assistant, getting to know the players on the team and collaborating with Adam on treatment plans. Especially rewarding for me was creating a physiotherapy treatment plan with Adam for Blake, a player who tore his ACL. Where insurance fell short of covering his sessions with a licensed physiotherapist, Adam and I created a personalized plan for at-home treatment, and we followed up with Blake every week during practices to check on his progress. Seeing Blake through his recovery and back onto the ice was immensely satisfying, and the collaborative energy of Adam and I working together and problem-solving was an incredibly rewarding experience.

Adam was my guide to the PA profession, and offered me invaluable insights into what the work is like, especially getting into a niche specialty like sports medicine. He helped solidify my position to apply to your school, and he has graciously written me a recommendation letter for my application.

I have never been satisfied with one thing or the other, always looking for that perfect combination. That perfect niche. I think becoming a PA is the right foundation for my ultimate goal of specializing in sports medicine, and it will embody that synergy of multiple disciplines coming together to create something altogether better. (623 words)

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