My current goal is to become a physician assistant working in primary care and pursuing integrative medicine. Integrative medicine is the combination of fast-paced western medicine with the more holistic approaches of eastern medicine. I desire to pursue a career in healthcare so that I can be the change I want to see in the health industry. I have always had a calling for healing, whenever there is someone with a health issue in my presence, my immediate response is to assist them and resolve the discomfort. This calling is what initially led me to want to pursue healthcare, however as I have grown as an individual over the years and culminated my own personal experiences, my aspirations have become more clear in my path. I have had many negative personal experiences with western medicine where I have been given unnecessary medications as quick solutions to deeper rooted issues in my health. As a result of this, I am determined to bring change to the healthcare setting by becoming a physician assistant who incorporates integrative medicine into my work. This way I can see my patients on insurance and provide them with the proper western medical advice while still providing some holistic insights and alternatives as an option to them. Patients can then make their own informed decisions on their health and find the best combination of modalities for their healing. My current plan to reach this goal is to graduate CSULB this Spring 2022 and immediately obtain a medical job where I can begin gaining patient care experience. I plan to work in a medical role for at least a year to accumulate patient care hours and experience prior to PA school. After this, I will take an additional gap year to travel and gain insights on the world to best prepare me for a role in the medical industry where I will be engaging with individuals from various backgrounds, cultures, and ethnicities. Travel will allow me to explore cultural competency to the best of my ability. My hope is that I can begin training on some branch of holistic medicine in my time abroad - most likely Ayurvedic medicine a branch of traditional Indian medicine. Upon return from my travels, I will immediately begin applying to Physician Assistant schools. From here I will attend PA school for 2-3 years depending on the program I attend and then can become an established Physician Assistant. After graduation, I plan to become certified for integrative medicine through the Academy of Integrative Healthcare (AIHM). All my work as a health science major thus far has had great impacts in preparing for my future as an integrative physician assistant. As a health science major, we learn the importance of proper health education and implementing behavioral change theories for health alterations. I am also currently working as a behavior technician where I implement behavior change therapies developed by a supervisor to spur behavioral changes among my patients. As a primary care PA, I will need to advise patients on major lifestyle changes to implement for their own health and wellbeing. These two backgrounds will allow me to effectively form a behavior change plan for each patient and best advise them in making lifestyle changes. Further, with a background in health science I have knowledge on community based health which I can bring into the medical setting. I can remain mindful of the overall community trends in health when dealing with patients one on one. My time at CSULB has prepared me well for my future endeavors in the medical field and I am excited to continue learning and growing in the field.