Things I did to Prepare: Research other roles in medicine

When I started out on this journey, I knew I wanted to help people in the context of health care, but I didn't have a specific role targeted. I started by talking with people I knew in health care about what they do and what they like about their role. Talking with mostly doctors and nurses I was able to connect with the desire for bedside/clinical/direct patient contact in my role. As I discovered more about PAs, I felt certain that I had found my direction. I didn't stop investigating though. As I started working in health care, I learned about a myriad of roles available in health care, what types of personalities fit those roles, and what parts of them I like and dislike. This has not only helped me understand the team I work with, but also understand why I want to be a PA instead of anything else. When talking to anyone in health care (PA or otherwise), I always try to ask 1) what got you into health care? 2) why did you choose the role you are in? 3) do you like your job? 4) what do you like/not like about it? From those 4 questions I have had a more realistic view of what everyone does day to day.