1) Why did you want to be a PA?
I was an older student and medically experienced prior to applying to PA school. Mostly due to my age, PA school was attractive because it saved me from all the hoops one must jump through for traditional medical education. It affords me greater flexibility at obtaining an advanced medical education and career, but at the same time finish the education part with enough time to enjoy family and other critical elements of a balanced life. Because PAs are capable of contributing significantly to medical teams, medical literature, as well as to their patients I saw this route as offering more benefits and less risks for my particular situation.
2) What did you do before starting PA school?
I did several health care related jobs. Notably, I was an EMT-B, I worked in nutrition and addiction counseling, and I worked as an ER-tech.
3) What was your application process like? (how many schools, interviews, how did you choose)
I applied to all the Texas schools, and a few others outside the states. I always hated the question "Why do you want to go to this school?" The honest answer for me was "Because you offer the degree!!" But of course, you should never say that. I believe its best to get a feel for as many schools as you can and if you are fortunate enough to be able to have your pick of several schools then to go to the one where you feel the most comfortable. It is hard to know where you feel comfortable until you interview so apply to all the schools that are congruent with your geographic wishes.
One important factor may be considering which schools focus on rural area primary care and which are more consistent with contemporary education (which are then more conducive to specialization.) This is important because you may not be happy doing all your rotations in rural primary care centers if you really want to do something like plastic surgery. It goes the other way around too. All schools will give you a good education in primary care, but the schools in the major medical centers will shift more focus on various medical specialties as well.
4) How does Baylor stand out to you? What do you now appreciate about the program that you weren't aware of during the interview?
Baylor has an incredibly fun interview! I'll be honest, I was a bad pre-PA student. When I applied I didn't know Baylor was one of the top PA programs (I thought Baylor was in Waco!) You should know that Baylor College of Medicine is an incredibly prestigious medical institution and PA program. We are also completely and utterly not affiliated with Baylor University in Waco.
What I really appreciate about that we have one of the most established PA programs in the country. Our director was in the 2nd class of PAs in history, and Baylor is one of the oldest programs. We are located right in the middle of the world's largest medical center and surrounded by medical innovation and cutting edge research. The medical school is ranked one of the top medical schools and we are able to benefit from many of their best educators and courses.
Most importantly, when I interviewed at BCM it was a relaxed and inviting interview. The faculty are just incredibly cool which means the students accepted here are just incredibly cool. It felt notably different then my interview at other institutions. It was my last choice when I applied to PA schools and my top choice after interviewing.
5) What has surprised you about PA school so far?
What is humbling and surprising is just how complicated and esoteric medicine can be. It has been said that medical school (and PA school) are really only good for teaching you how to use the index at the back of the book. You feel like you are constantly feeding information into your brain and then confront a medical case and realize that you truly do not know anything. To me, this makes the study of medicine incredibly exciting. There is always more to learn, and PA school should give you a healthy drive to go out and learn more to be a great healer.
6) What has been your strategy for surviving the didactic portion of the program?
Organization, balanced healthy lifestyle, and working as hard as you can. I think of it as a ironman / marathon that just never ends. The end goal is that you are doing this to take care of patients. I often think that I wouldn't want my physician or PA to have barely passed anatomy. So everyday you have to stay motivated to continue on and try and do your best. It is incredibly important for the patients who will be under our care.
7) What do you wish you had done to prepare for PA school?
I took several allied health courses at a community college before PA school. Pharmacology. Pathophysiology. Things like that. Those courses were very helpful and surprisingly not offered at most 4 year institutions. Reflect on why you want to go into medicine because it is not a field for everyone. Make sure that PA is for you and that you would actually not be happier as an MD, DO, or NP.
Once you are accepted DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!!!!!! Just enjoy your time and wait for the wild ride.
8) What advise would you give a future PA?
Wise advice would be to always consider the big picture. When you are in school do not just study to prepare for exams, but attain an understanding of a disease from primary manifestations to final treatment. Be organized. Be methodical. Be thoughtful. Learn from your patients. Students have the luxury of time to spend with a patient to really understand how this disease has evolved for them and how it is affecting them. Practicing MDs and PAs rarely have the time to really understand some of these things about one particular patients, but an understanding of those little details really helps you to provide care for the patient and understand the disease to help your future patients once you are licensed and practicing.
No comments:
Post a Comment