Interview with a PA-S from UTPA

Here is Miguel, a TAPA Student Director and PA Student from UT Pan American

1) What made you decide to be a PA? (include a bit about your background if you can)

Well, I've been working in healthcare since I was 18 when I started to work at an out-patient surgery center as a Nurse Aid for almost 3 years. During my last year in college I worked as a Caregiver then once I graduated I immediately began working as a Sales Representative for a compounding pharmacy part-time, while I worked full-time in the business office at a physician owned hospital for about 4 years. So naturally, I new the healthcare avenue would be my best choice to seek a professional career in. I was very interested in the fact that a PA has the ability to move from one specialty/branch of medicine to another, as compared to an MD's career. I was also enthused by the obvious career perks, which included yearly salary, program length, responsibilities and the privilege to treat patients. But what sealed the deal for me was when I shadowed different PAs, I knew right away that this career was for me.


2)  How did you choose UTPA? What was interviewing like?

Since I was already carrying some weight from my undergraduate loans, my first priority was to attend a program that was more affordable. My second priority was to find a program that had a curriculum that would best fit my learning style and experience. My third priority was basically getting accepted into any program. After I looked into several programs, I did realize that UTPA was best suited for me. I liked that the program was focused on team-based learning, involved in rural medicine and wasn't located in a big city that had a distracting night life.​ The interview process has changed every year since I have been attending but I will say that it wasn't as intimidating as other program interviews. As long as you know your strengths and weaknesses and show compassion for the profession, I feel like you will leave the interview feeling good.


3)  What surprised you about PA school?

What surprised me the most was that I initially thought I was going to be fed all of this medical knowledge by my professors directly into my grey matter but this was not the case. This being my first Masters program, I realized that a lot of the information we learn is self taught, the professors are there to help guide you to your degree and of course teach you a few things.


4)  What study strategies worked?

I feel like this is a very open ended question since every student is going to have an almost completely different strategy to studying. However, I did find myself experimenting with a few different strategies and even study groups throughout the first semester until I felt comfortable with the amount of work I would put into studying and the outcome of each exam. Towards the end I thought it was best to study with a small group that way we could talk and share important points about each topic. Watching videos, whether free or paid for, also helped tremendously when I was pinched for time. My best advice would be to get familiar with your study habits and find out how you learn best, while also looking at other strategies that could possibly work for you, before you enter any program.


5) Tell me about your involvement and experience with TAPA.

So I've known about TAPA for about 4 years and have been personally involved as the UTPA Student Director for almost 2 years now. As Student Director I have had the privilege of being involved in TAPA board meetings, which gave me a behind the scenes look at how our board members run the show. It is hard to explain the awesome feelings I get when sitting at a board meeting and being able to interact with other board members on important issues that affect all PAs in Texas. Aside from being a Student Director I am also part of the Legislative  and Multicultural Affairs and Mentorship Committees. I try to attend both the spring and fall conferences every year and any other TAPA event that my schedule allows me to attend. PA Day at the Capitol in Austin, TX has definitely been my most memorable TAPA experience and I hope to see more PAs involved in the future.


6) Any plans for after graduation?

Right after I graduate and take the PANCE I am going to treat myself with a trip to Thailand for a few weeks. As of now, I plan on staying in the Edinburg/McAllen area for a few years, hopefully working in an ER or family clinic until I pay off all my school debt. I still plan on being part of a few TAPA committees in hopes of attaining a leadership position. I will probably still live like a poor college student until I'm debt free but once I pay off all my loans I will most likely buy something really expensive that I will regret and then try to return it. Hopefully I don't really do that but I do hope to buy a home, start a family and have lots of dogs.


7) What advice would you give an aspiring PA?

I highly recommend that you go shadow many PAs in different areas of medicine to see if this is the profession you are passionate about. I know it has become more difficult to find hospitals and clinics that allow shadowing but if you really want to be a PA, you will do whatever it takes to get there. Don't give up and try, try again. Make sure that you can be a flexible person, in all aspects, especially while you're in school. And most importantly make sure you are okay with studying for countless of hours, to the point that you forget what a bed is used for. If you still have doubts or questions, go to a TAPA Conference!