IT’S EXPONENTIALLY EASIER TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, “WHY PA?” AFTER HAVING BEEN THROUGH PA SCHOOL

My brain was going faster than my fingers could keep up with as I wrote my response for @ellerytheprepa ‘s Why PA Wednesday segment. Oddly enough, I recall struggling to articulate this response for my PS 5+ years ago. Rest assured, you will leave PA school with a deeper passion and understanding for “why PA?” In the meantime, I'd encourage you to immerse yourself in the profession as much as possible in order to perfect your answer to this very important PS topic.⁣

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"From a young age, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in medicine. I entered college as a pre-med student, mostly because I thought that this was the only way to enter the healthcare field as a provider. To be completely honest, I had no idea that the PA profession even existed. ⁣

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I was at the lake the summer after my freshman year of college when a family member, who also happened to be a plastic surgery PA, enlightened me about the profession. After our conversation, I was hesitant but curious and I knew I had to check it out for my myself. The flexibility and lateral movement that she had spoken about really caught my attention and I decided to consider this as a suitable career option for me. ⁣

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Once I started shadowing PAs, I simply could not get enough. I was so intrigued by the versatility of the PA profession and the flexibility that the career offered. I am a very indecisive person, so the thought of a generalist training coupled with the ability to transition from one specialty to another throughout my career are really what sold me. Every single PA that I had the opportunity to shadow was down to earth, easy to talk to, and their passion for their career shined through in their patient interactions. With each encounter, I felt more and more certain that I finally found a career that matched both my personality and interests. It didn’t take long for me to decide that this undoubtedly was the best career choice for me.

From that moment forward, I had zero hesitation. Shadowing, gaining PCE/HCE, volunteering, and maintaining my GPA did not feel like a chore anymore. Don’t get me wrong, the were struggles in my pre-PA journey, but I never questioned my decision to become a PA. Each challenge propelled me forward and with every milestone, I was more and more confident in my decision to come a PA. ⁣

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6 years, a lot of laughs, a few sleepless nights, and a couple tears later, I can say without a doubt in my mind that I made the right choice in pursing this career. PA school is not easy, the PANCE is not easy, but when you find the career path that makes these struggles worth it, you know you’re on the right track."