TAPA 2013 Video Interview #1

Here's the first of several video interviews I did at this year's TAPA conference. Eric Martinez is working with TAPA and recently completed his EM residency at BCM.

Interview with a PA-C in Neuro

Here's an interview witha PA who works in Neurosurgery. 

1) Why did you become a PA?

I became a PA in a roundabout way.  I suppose the same way a lot of people do.  I already had a Master's degree in Anthropology and was burnt out on academics.  I knew I wanted to do something practical with my training and experience.  Initially, I was taking pre-med prerequisites thinking I'd become a physician, but I met someone who was applying to PA school who was taking a class with me.  I did some investigating and realized that becoming a PA would be a better fit for me over all.  I wasn't wrong.

2) How did you pick BCM? What was your application and interview process like? 

I lived in Louisiana at the time I applied to Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.  Louisiana only had one PA school available and it was a Bachelor's program.  Baylor was relatively close to home and I didn't have to meet any residency requirements to go to Baylor.  I loved it there.  Great school and amazing experiences at the Medical Center there.  The application process was easy.  This was 1998-99 so I think it was an individual application process, not a centralized process.  The application process was enjoyable actually.  We all toured the campus and part of the Med Center.  We were assigned to interview with PAs and MDs.  It was pretty relaxed overall even though we were all stressed out.

3) What was your strategy for succeeding in the didactic phase? How did that change in clinicals?

I learn visually and I just remember reading and re-reading and re-reading and talking things through with classmates.  For me, re-writing my notes was really helpful.  Clinical phase was markedly different.  You learn on your feet, helping take care of patients and then reinforcing what you saw and learned by reading more whenever possible.

4)  What do you do as a neuro PA? What does a normal day/week look like for you?

As a neurosurgery PA I see patient's in my own clinic, assist my physician in his clinics, order and interpret tests, assist in surgeries in hospitals and in our surgery center.  I also take call after hours and round on the weekends as needed.  I also field phone calls from patient's and deal with disability paperwork and refill requests.  I also see patients in pre-op clinic and discuss their upcoming surgery and answer their questions.  A normal day starts at its earliest around 7 am and ends around 4:30-5.  I work Monday through Friday and, if on call, round on Saturdays and Sundays.  Occasionally, we do have emergency surgeries that happen after hours.  Occasionally we have to see patients in the hospital in consultation after hours too.

5) How did you get connected to your current practice? Have you worked in other areas of practice?

I actually interviewed with my current employer 9 years ago but accepted another job offer.  I was looking for a new position several months ago and answered an advertisement for a Neurosurgical PA on the TAPA website.  I have also worked in general orthopedics, neurology, orthopaedic spine and orthopaedic trauma surgery.

6) I've heard that the critical component of any PA position is the relationship with your supervising physician. What do you look for in that relationship?

Finding the right "fit" with your supervising physician is very important.  You have to mesh well intellectually and emotionally.  Working with surgeons means that you have to respect and appreciate that your employer may do things differently from other surgeons, but your employer's way is THE right way when you work for him/her.  You are second fiddle to your boss.  If you can't accept that, don't become a PA!  For me, I need to work with someone who is respectful of me, my life and my opinions, and is honest about the expectations.  Some employers will try to win you over with money and benefits but then have no respect for your time outside of work.  I can take working long hours as long as I know that's what is expected of me.  I've been led down primrose paths before thinking that I would work "normal" hours (ie, 9-5) only to be in clinic until 8pm routinely and in the operating room until 11pm all too often.  With no extra compensation for all that time mind you.  If your employer works as hard as you do that's the exception to the rule.  That's how things are for me now.  Not always.  I used to work with ones who took their dedicated time off during the week but expected you to work your 40 hours and more.  

7) You've been practicing for 10 years now [ed: I think I remember that from our conversation, feel free to correct me] How has the role of a PA evolved in that time? 

I have been a PA in practice since 2002.  Medicine has changed drastically.  I think that US medicine is evolving towards a more centralized system.  Not necessarily toward government centralized but more towards hospital centralized care.  I see more and more private practices having real difficulties because they're competing with other providers who are employed by hospitals.  Imagine that you work for yourself and have employees.  All the income you generate is because of your great reputation and hard work.  Then, right next to your name in the insurance directory is a provider who provides, by appearances at least, all the service you offer but their salary is paid for by a hospital system and that provider is expected to keep all their referrals and testing within that system.  That's what we're going to see more and more of.  Your boss may be a surgeon who is competing with other surgeons who provide the same services, but your boss gets paid based on the work that your practice performs.  A hospital employed surgeon gets paid no matter how much work he/she does because they get a salary from their employers - a hospital.  Your boss may need to do 40 surgeries a month to keep the business going, but that hospital employed surgeon....I'm not sure how hard that surgeon would work since they would get a salary no matter what.  I feel that this trend will affect PAs and NPs and more hospitals will employ mid levels directly.  Might not be a bad direction to consider.

8) Any advice for aspiring PAs?

Study hard.  Ask lots of questions.  Listen to the nurses.  They can teach you a LOT.  Don't take things personally if people look at you like you're "just a PA" and "not a doctor."  I'm amazed daily how few people know what PAs are and what we do.  Don't stop learning.  Most patients just want someone who actually listens to them.  Try to really listen to people rather than just waiting for your time to talk.  Do what you enjoy and enjoy what you do.

TAPA Video Interview #7

Here's an interview I did with PA-C and current TAPA President, Trisha Harris-Odimgbe. Once again, sorry about the noise.

TAPA Vide Interview #6 - Student Forum

This is a multi-part video from the PrePA reception/PA-S student panel. We were able to sit down with TAPA Student Directors from several of the Texas schools ( and a couple of PA-Cs) and get there feedback on our questions!

Part 1




Part 2





Part 3





Part 4





Part 5





Part 6





Part 7

Interview with a PA-S from BCOM

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.

Interview with PA-S from Baylor

I left out the questions since he included the ideas in his answers. Plus, they are the same questions I've used before, so it should be familiar.


1. I first decided to be a PA back when I was in high school, so my memory is a little fuzzy. Back then, I was drawn to the fact that PA is a financially lucrative job in health care that does not require spending as much time in school and residency as a physician. Over the years, I've been drawn more to the profession because of the lateral mobility it allows; sometimes I still am not sure what specialty I want to work in, but being a PA will allow me to try different fields and switch over the years if I choose.


2. To prepare for application to PA school, I set up a timeline: when I needed to take the GRE, finish certain courses, submit my applications, etc. I also made a spreadsheet of all the Texas schools I was applying to, and their individual requirements. It's a lot to keep track of! I also had my personal statement proofread by some friends and a career advisor at my university. I didn't practice interviewing, per se, but I thought about potential questions interviewers might ask (current events in health care, why I wanted to be a PA, etc.) and did some soul-searching about what my answers would be.


3. I only applied once, during my senior year of college, and was fortunate to be successful on that first attempt. I applied to Baylor, UTMB, UTSouthwestern, UTHSCSA, and UNT. I was offered (and attended) interviews at all 5, and was accepted to 4 (waitlisted at UTSouthwestern).


4. I enjoyed interviewing because it gave me the opportunity to travel to different cities and health care centers I had no familiarity with. It was fun to imagine myself in each of these locations and think about what the next few years of my life might be like. I felt prepared for each interview because I had researched the programs thoroughly and was prepared to discuss their curricula and mission statements. I was unprepared for how nervous I felt during some of them! I still believe I blew my UTSouthwestern interview because my nerves were just shot; I couldn't even read a simple bar graph for them! If this sounds like your personality, you may wish to practice a little bit beforehand.


5. I chose Baylor for a few reasons. I liked that the program was well-established with a great reputation. The location in the Texas Medical Center is second to none - You will have the opportunity to see things that only happen here, because it is a very special place. More than once, I've thought to myself "Dr. DeBakey walked these same hallsl!" More than anything, I felt comfortable during the interview. The faculty was welcoming, and students in the class above us that came to speak seemed content with their choice.


6. As for keeping up during didactic, my strategies kind of evolved. I had never needed to study much in college, and suddenly I had to. I tried everything: study groups, study partnerships, individual time, etc. Sometimes I made flashcards, spreadsheets, or drew pictures. I watched dissection videos and traced the muscle groups on my arm. I read over power point notes and did question books. It all depends on what works for you and which strategies seem best for each course.


7. My favorite clinical rotation is difficult to choose because I've had many good ones. I would have to choose OB/GYN with Dr. Crowder in The Woodlands. This was a fantastic rotation because he treated me like a colleague and was very eager to teach. We did everything from routine well woman exams and deliveries to vaginoplasty surgery. I worked really hard but gained a lot of experience. A close second would be my Community Medicine rotation - a unique concept to Baylor I believe. For 8 weeks I lived in a rural area and delivered primary care to an underserved population. I really became attached to these patients: I rooted for their problems to improve, lent a comforting hand when they cried, and gently scolded when they were non-compliant. I felt as if I really made a difference.


8. The biggest thing I think pre-PAs should do (that I did not), is become aware of how medicine works in the 21st century. This could be incorporated into shadowing if you ask the right questions and observe. Future PAs need to know that practicing medicine is not all rosy all the time. You will have to review charts and write notes on the computer - about half your time is sitting in front of the screen. You will have to know how to bill properly - enter the right diagnosis and management codes (that you aren't taught in school!). You have to be aware of liability issues; some steps you have to take in patient care not because you want to but because you don't want to be sued. Furthermore, there are dynamic relationships between PAs and other disciplines. You should know the meaning of having a "supervising physician." Depending on where you work and who you work with these relationships can have a variety of connotations.


9. I can think of tons of advice, but I'll try to limit it. Foremost, maintain your life outside of school. It can be tempting to feel as if you have to study all the time, but don't neglect your significant other, pets, family, or friends. Many of you will be living in a new place, so you should build some relationships. You will not do well emotionally or academically if you push yourself to the breaking point; set aside some time for fun. Also, always ask if you need help: Your classmates and faculty want you to succeed, but they may not know if you're falling behind until it's too late. On a similar note, when you're on rotations, ask as many questions as come to mind - This is your chance! Soon enough you'll be in the same scary situation as me, on the verge of being the PA!

Interview with PA-S from Baylor

Here's an interview witha PA-S from Baylor.

1) Why did you choose the PA profession?

I worked in management consulting right after I finished undergrad. Even though I was getting paid well and enjoyed the challenges of work, I always felt like something was missing. In 2005 I was invited by a friend who was a PA (Baylor grad) to go on a medical mission trip to Kenya. Even though I wasn’t a medical professional, it was an amazing experience just being able to observe the amazing gift of medicine and healing. As I continued to work in consulting, the 80 hour work weeks and constant travelling eventually got to me. I decided to quit my job and go back to school, and the rest is history!

2) What did you do to prepare for application to PA school?

I quit my job and went to school full time to finish up all my prereqs. I had to retake the GRE, because the previous one I took was more than 5 years old. I also spent some time shadowing PAs, nurses, and doctors.

3) Tell me about you're application process (multiple attempts, which schools, how many interviews)

I actually didn’t intend to apply the year I was accepted. My plan was to either become a CNA or MA and get more hours under my belt, and then apply the following year. However, as a long shot I went ahead and applied to BCM and UTMB. I did not expect to get in, and was planning on making my net much wider the following year…but I lucked out and got accepted at BCM (which was my first choice)! Since I already accepted BCM’s offer prior to getting UTMB’s interview invite, I declined my other interview.

4) What was your favorite part of interviewing? What do you wish you were more prepared for?

I loved the interview process because it gave me an opportunity to freely articulate why I wanted to be a PA, without the confines of a paper application. Take advantage of that opportunity. As much as they are interviewing you, know you are interviewing them as well – ask yourself whether you could see yourself fitting in at that school.

5) Why did you choose Baylor?

Here are some things that helped me pick BCM:- First is that BCM has brand equity and name recognition among physicians. Many physicians don’t know about PAs, but most know about BCM. This definitely helps when you graduate and begin thinking about jobs. In that regard, some would argue that medical school reputation is more important than a PA school ranking.- It’s the only PA school in the Texas Medical Center in Houston (the largest medical center in the world!). You’ll have opportunities to do and see so many things at rotation sites throughout the TMC that not many others have the opportunity to see.- Right when I stepped into the BCM interviews, I sensed that there was definitely a family atmosphere. Everyone was so incredibly nice and laid back. Everyone watches out for everyone else, and all the faculty seemed to genuinely care for their students. There is no competition at all, and everyone is very collaborative, and works for the success of those around them. - Also from the BCM PA grads I have met, they all seemed to be extremely sharp, confident, competent…yet compassionate and humble. I asked myself if PAs I met from BCM were people I could see myself as striving to become, and the answer was yes.


6) What strategies did you use to keepup during the didactic phase?

I think the trick is to know that no two people study the same way, and that’s OK. Never feel pressure to study a certain way just because your classmates are doing so. Some study best in groups, some study best as individuals. Some study way in advance, some people like to cram. As long as you are passing, that’s all that is important…but if you aren’t doing well, make changes to your study habits quickly, because PA school comes at you fast. Some strategies that I’ve seen my classmates use that can be helpful: flashcards, mnemonics, white-boarding, re-writing notes, and using USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 review books.


7) What has been your favorite clinical rotation so far?


For me my favorite clinical rotation has been inpatient internal medicine. As an engineer and former consultant, I love problem solving and attacking open ended problems – and I felt internal medicine granted many of those opportunities. Every patient, every disease state, every situation was a brand new learning experience for me, and I enjoyed soaking up every moment of it.

8) What, besides prereqs and shadowing, would you recommend doing to prepare for PA school?

As PA school becomes more competitive, I think health-care experience is getting more and more important. People who are med techs, ER techs, EMTs, MAs, CNAs, etc etc all have an edge when it comes to PA school


9) What advice do you have for future PA-Ss?


-If you are young and just finishing undergrad, make sure that you do not want to go to medical school instead. I think it’s easy to think that PA might be a shorter route, but if you love the practice of medicine, then becoming a physician might be the way to go. Not saying this is true for everyone, but just take a hard look at why you are going to PA school and not medical school. I’ve seen time and time again people working as PAs for a while and realizing they had wished they had gone to medical school to begin with

-Apply to as many schools as possible, but only apply to the schools you see yourself going to. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

-The path to becoming a PA can be tough at times, but it will be a blast…enjoy the ride!!