When I first started undergraduate school at the University of North Carolina I was pre-med like everyone else. Unlike many on this track, I did not have family in the medical field. Growing up I was pushed towards this idea that if I wanted to be successful I had to become either a doctor or a lawyer. When I was younger I imagined that lawyers always had to get up in front of a courtroom and give long speeches. I hate public speaking. So I figured my only other option was to become a doctor. I started the pre-med track right off the bat with chemistry 101 and biology 101 during my freshman year of college… and then I got sick. Becoming sick was a pivotal moment in my life. Through a series of events that followed I finally chose my career path… to become a physician assistant.
My freshman year was a blur of trying to do everything and also spending time in the hospital. I had joined: the rowing team, a sorority, and several clubs, and I was in more classes than was required. I was trying to juggle a lot around the time I got sick. To make a long story short, I ended up in the hospital with something called a retropharyngeal abscess. This required emergency surgery and cost me a month or so out of school. I had to apply for medical underload and drop the majority of my classes including several science classes. The few classes I continued with suffered and I started my undergraduate career with a low GPA.
Now, you might be wondering, what does this have to do with choosing to become a PA? Well, let me explain. I was naïve freshman year and thought I was far behind because I had missed a semester of science courses. Due to this, I started to research other careers in the healthcare field.
On the bright side, my freshman year did allow me to meet my best friend. This new friend of mine told me about her plans to attend PA school. I am going to be honest, at that time I had NO clue what a PA was. I started to read about the career path, and the more I read the more I liked it. My friend informed me that her father was a physician and he was recommending she attend PA school. I thought to myself: “well if a doctor is telling his own daughter to go to PA school and not medical school, there must be a reason why.” Since I didn’t have anyone in my family to ask what I should do I decided to follow her on the journey to PA school.
RELATED: This or That? Medical School vs PA School
It might seem like all I did was pick something and say “okay that’s what I am going to do,” but that’s simply not the case. I did a ton of research before pursuing my current career path. I interviewed and shadowed both PAs and physicians. At one point I even shadowed a nutritionist. The honest reasons why I ultimately chose the PA route are the following:
5 Reasons Why I Chose to Become a Physician Assistant
- As I stated above, at the time of making this decision I had a new friend who was pursuing the same career path. We took a lot of the same classes and were able to study together. Having a friend throughout the process that understood made everything more enjoyable.
- Attending PA school means so much less time in school when compared to medical school. It also means you can be out in the workforce that much sooner.
- The pay doesn’t compare to that of a physician but it is still good, and the job market for PAs is only increasing.
- As a PA you have much more flexibility in choosing your desired medical specialty, and in switching specialties down the road if you ever desired to.
- Everything I read states PAs have a better work-life balance. (I think this is partially true but depends on your chosen medical specialty and the type of working environment you are in. My job as a dermatology PA does have a good work-life balance because I don’t have to take calls, or work nights or weekends. It is a typical 8-4 job with the option of working 4 or 5 days a week.) Of course, when I decided to attend PA school, I had no clue what field of medicine I would end up in.
RELATED: Pros and Cons of Working in Dermatology
There you have it, these are my top 5 honest reasons why I chose the PA career path. It definitely has its pros and its cons but ultimately I couldn’t be happier with my decision. I have a meaningful career that is affording me to live a good lifestyle. What more could you ask for?
View comments
+ Leave a comment