| Course | HS106 Health Science Profession and Career Planning |
|---|---|
| Unit | Unit 10 |
| Paper type | Personal career plan |
| Length | About 850 words, 6 pages double-spaced |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Purdue University Global |
| Program | BS in Health Science |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for HS106 Unit 10
Physician Assistant by 2032, With a Respiratory Therapy Exit Ramp: A Unit 10 Personal Career Plan for a Transitioning Navy Corpsman
[Student Name]
Purdue University Global
HS106: Health Science Profession and Career Planning
Unit 10 Personal Career Plan
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
The student, dates, goals and finances are composite; the programs and sources cited are real and should be confirmed before use.
Long-Term Goal
Practice as a certified and licensed physician assistant in emergency or hospital medicine in Hampton Roads by mid-2032, about seven years from now. The goal follows from the earlier units: the scope comparison showed that only the PA role includes diagnosis and treatment decisions, which my interest inventory ranked first; the labor data showed strong growth, a 21 percent projected increase from 2025 to 2035 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2026a); and my interviews showed that veterans succeed in the role.
Short-Term Goals: The Next 14 Months, Before Separation
1. Next month: request my Joint Services Transcript and meet the Center for Career Advancement to review my résumé.
2. Within three months: enroll in one prerequisite science course and earn at least a B to test my readiness after nine years away from science classes.
3. Within six months: shadow a PA and a respiratory therapist for at least one shift each at a local hospital.
4. Within twelve months: apply for an emergency department patient care technician role to start after separation, and use the Department of Defense SkillBridge program, if my command approves, to begin civilian training in my final months of service.
5. Before separation: confirm my education benefit entitlement with the VA and attend the transition assistance program's education track.
Medium-Term Goals: Years One to Three After Separation
1. Complete the BS in Health Science with a GPA of 3.4 or higher, including all PA prerequisites.
2. Work as a patient care technician, adding civilian hours to my military experience.
3. Complete 40 or more hours shadowing PAs in two settings.
4. Apply to at least three accredited PA programs in year three.
Resources
Education benefits for the bachelor's degree; federal graduate loans if needed for PA school; the Center for Career Advancement; the veterans' services office; two mentors from my interviews, the PA and the respiratory therapist; and the professional standards and requirements summarized in Units 3 and 5. Research on veterans in PA education shows that many programs admit and some actively recruit veterans (Michaud et al., 2015), which supports applying broadly.
A plan without a point at which I would change course is a wish; this one has a date for deciding.
Risks and the Switching Point
Grades. If I cannot earn at least a B in my first two prerequisite science courses, I will switch to the respiratory therapy route.
Finances. Should a technician's wage plus benefits prove too thin for my family after the first year, I will move to respiratory therapy, where a full professional salary is roughly two and a half years away.
Admission. If I am not admitted to a PA program in my first application cycle, I will reapply once while strengthening my application, and if not admitted after two cycles I will enter respiratory therapy and reconsider in five years.
Switching is not failure, and I want to say so in writing before I am tempted to feel otherwise. Respiratory therapy is a licensed profession growing faster than average, with a median salary of $82,280 in 2025 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2026b), and the therapist I interviewed described work I would be proud to do.
Who Helps
The plan depends on several people. My spouse and I have agreed on the financial line for the switching point. My PA mentor will read my application materials, and the respiratory therapist has offered a shadow shift. My chief, who supported my request for SkillBridge, will help with the command's paperwork. Naming them in the plan reminds me that a career transition is not a solo project.
How I Will Track Progress
Each quarter I will review this plan with one of my mentors, update the dates and note which steps are complete. The first review is scheduled for three months from now, after my first science course grade is posted.
Values Behind the Plan
The plan reflects three things I learned in HS106. I want work that combines figuring out problems with caring for people. I want a career that respects the experience I bring from the Navy without pretending it replaces civilian credentials. And I want a plan my family can live with, which is why the switching points are tied to grades and finances rather than to pride.
Conclusion
The plan sets a clear long-term goal, short- and medium-term steps with dates, the resources for each and honest rules for changing course. Its first step happens next month. Whether I reach the PA role directly or by way of respiratory therapy, it leaves me working in a health career that fits my interests and uses what eight years as a corpsman taught me.
References
Michaud, E., Jacques, P. F., Gianola, F. J., & Harbert, K. (2015). Education of military veterans in physician assistant programs. Journal of Physician Assistant Education, 26(2), 77-85. https://doi.org/10.1097/JPA.0000000000000025
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2026a). Physician assistants. In Occupational outlook handbook. U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physician-assistants.htm
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2026b). Respiratory therapists. In Occupational outlook handbook. U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/respiratory-therapists.htm
What the HS106 Unit 10 assignment asks for
Unit 10 often closes HS106 with a personalized, actionable career plan. Expect to state a long-term goal, set short- and medium-term goals with dates, name the resources each step needs and identify risks. Instructors look for plans that draw on the earlier units, such as scope, standards, labor data and requirements, rather than starting fresh. An actionable plan includes a first step the student can take soon. Many prompts ask for alternatives or a backup path and for how progress will be tracked. Honest discussion of constraints, such as finances or family, makes the plan credible. The plan should be specific enough that a mentor reading it could tell, months later, whether the student was on track.
How this HS106 Unit 10 example is built
The plan opens with the long-term goal and the evidence from earlier units behind it. Five short-term goals for the months before separation are dated, beginning next month. Four medium-term goals cover the degree, grades, civilian hours and applications. Resources follow, with Michaud and colleagues supporting broad applications. Under a highlighted line that a plan without a switching point is a wish, three risks are paired with rules for changing to the respiratory therapy route, and the paper insists that switching is not failure. A section names the people the plan relies on, from the writer's spouse to two mentors. Quarterly reviews, the values the course clarified and a conclusion complete the plan.
Where the points sit in the HS106 Unit 10 rubric
Career plans earn their points through specificity and coherence. A clear long-term goal grounded in the course's earlier work earns early credit. Short- and medium-term goals should be measurable and dated, with a first step soon. Resources should be named, not implied. Graders reward realistic risk analysis and a defined alternative path. A way of tracking progress, such as quarterly reviews, shows the student will return to it. Consistency with earlier units, in careers, figures and requirements, is often checked. Reflection on the values behind the plan adds depth. Professional writing and correct APA 7 citations for the data and research used complete the rubric for this closing unit.
Common HS106 Unit 10 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Career plans often state a goal and a list of hopes with no dates, which makes them impossible to act on. Another frequent weakness is ignoring the earlier units, so the plan contradicts the student's own scope comparison or labor data. Some students leave out risks entirely, or name risks without saying what they would do. Backup plans described as failures undermine the student's own options. Resources are often listed as general support rather than named people and offices. Before writing, list every step you need to take in the next year and put a month beside each. Share your goal and your earlier units, and we can turn them into a dated plan.
Get an HS106 Unit 10 example written to your instructions
Send your career goal, earlier units and the plan instructions with the rubric. A custom plan sets out goals, dated steps and resources. The first one is free and comes back within 24-48h. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.
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HS106 Unit 10 questions, answered
What makes a career plan actionable?
Specific goals, dated steps, named resources and a first step you can take soon.
Should the plan include alternatives?
Yes. A backup path shows realistic planning.
Can I change the plan later?
Yes. Career plans are revised as you learn more.
Where can I find a free HS106 Unit 10 sample paper?
The complete HS106 Unit 10 personal career plan can be found on this page, setting a dated route to physician assistant practice for a transitioning corpsman, with switching rules.
When would the writer switch careers in the HS106 Unit 10 sample?
If the first two science prerequisites come in below a B, if the family cannot manage on technician pay after year one or if two PA application cycles do not succeed.