Going into junior year of high school, I had no idea what I wanted to do, but I knew that I was good at math and science. I was looking at careers like Data Analyst or Actuary, none of which truly caught my attention. There was increasing pressure to start looking more seriously at what I would pursue after graduating from high school. While I knew that the STEM fields appealed to me, I had no further ideas. In registering for courses, a scheduling conflict put me in the class that would ultimately provide an experience that pushed me in the right direction.
Though I initially registered for Forensic Science, I was placed in an Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology class during fall semester 2015. The first couple of months, it was just another class. Some of the information was interesting, but for the most part, I was simply completing assignments because what I was learning had no tangible application.
In late October, the class had the opportunity to take a field trip to Arapahoe Community College in Littleton, CO. We saw isolated organs like a heart, brain, and kidneys, but what truly fascinated me was the human cadaver we saw. For the first time, I saw what muscles, bones, tendons, organs, veins, arteries, and nerves looked like. The complexity of the human body was inspiring.
That evening, I gushed about what I had seen and learned over dinner. Growing up, I always brought home and shared “fun facts” from what I was learning, but this was one of the first times I was that enthusiastic and excited talking about something I had learned in class. My parents pointed out that not everyone gets excited learning about cadavers and encouraged me to explore the medical field. I finally had some direction to follow in finding my future career, even if I didn’t know precisely the path the follow yet.
Two projects during my remaining time in high school gave me more information that allowed me to decide to pursue a career as a PA. First, the semester after the cadaver field trip, a class called Mind Works assigned a very open-ended research project as our final grade. As long as we met the research, writing, and presentation parameters, we had the freedom to investigate anything we wanted. After looking into some medical careers briefly, I concluded that I wanted to be a provider of some kind, but I did not know which type of provider. I took the opportunity to compare the careers of Medical Doctors (MD) and Physician Assistants (PA). I researched job descriptions, cost and length of education, salary, scope of practice, work-life balance, and other information about each profession. Then, I interviewed MDs and PAs and asked about their experiences. The project culminated in my decision that PA was a better fit for me. The decision influenced my college search; I eventually chose to attend Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado to study Biomedical Sciences with a minor in Spanish.
With that significant decision behind me by my last semester of high school, I used my Senior Capstone project to map out specific steps that I would need to take in the following four years of college to get into PA school. I found the general prerequisite courses, number of health care experience hours, GPA, test scores, and other experiences that I needed to complete before applying to PA school. By the time I finished that project and graduated high school, I had a clear idea of how I would prepare, beginning with a CNA (Certified Nurse Aide) class that started the day I graduated high school. Since then, classes, shadowing, and work experiences have continued to affirm that decision.
The first promising sign was the curriculum of the Biomedical Sciences (BMS) program. I genuinely enjoyed the classes I was taking, from general biology and chemistry to physiology and anatomy. Even in college-level courses, I continued to love science and learning. The topics I was studying were preparing me for PA school and continued to be a great intellectual challenge. They confirmed that science and medicine would always be something that I would enjoy learning.
Shadowing PAs in various specialties gave me an idea of what PAs can do on a daily basis. The PAs answered questions, offered advice, and asserted that they would choose the same career if they could do it all again. The flexibility to change specialties, time with patients, and job satisfaction made the profession appealing.
I worked as a CNA at a rehabilitation facility and an assisted living facility. The connections I made with patients while providing care emphasized the importance of the interpersonal aspect of a career in medicine. I also gained an appreciation for everyone on a healthcare team, from CNAs and nurses to providers.
The most influential experience in confirming my desire to be a physician assistant was working closely with a PA. As a Patient Care Assistant (PCA) and Telehealth Presenter at a School-Based Health Center called The Health and Wellness Center at Centennial High School, I supported our PA during intake and exams, taking vitals, asking intake questions, and collecting lab specimens. I also served as her “hands” during telehealth visits; while she directed the appointment from a remote location, I was with the patient making observations, palpating, and placing the stethoscope to listen to their heart and lungs. This position not only provided valuable skills like stethoscope placement, blood draws, and exam skills, it also demonstrated what a PA can do day-to-day. The collaborative nature of the profession, competent and compassionate care our PA provided, and flexibility to change specialties were some of the most significant benefits of the PA profession that I saw.