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Why do you want to be a Physician Assistant? 

I always loved that medicine was a perfect mix between science and helping people. I chose to become a PA because I loved that I would maintain my autonomy as a provider while also having a lot of flexibility in my career. I get bored easily so the fact that you are always learning new things and that I could switch specialities without having to go back and do another residency was a huge perk for me! I also wanted to be a part of a team, which is a big emphasis for PAs. I was originally pre-med, but after doing my research and talking with MDs and PAs I decided becoming a PA was the better path for me and I haven't looked back!

What did you do during your gap year?

I did a lot during my gap years and I certainly have things I would change if I could do it all over again. I started my clinical experience as a medical scribe, then as a phlebotomist, and I have been working in my current position as a medical assistant for one year now. I also shadowed an emergency medicine PA and shadowed the podiatrists performing surgery, and I have also been heavily networking with PAs from other specialties for mentoring and shadowing opportunities. I have volunteered in the emergency department of my local hospital as well. Lastly, I have been finishing taking my final PA prerequisites. I chose to study abroad while at ɫ���, which was the best decision, but it left me unable to finish all my prereqs during undergrad.

How did you get there from ɫ���? 

After graduating and moving across the country I was a little unsure of what I wanted to do to best prepare myself for PA school. My first post-grad job was actually working for a bank. It gave me the financial stability to make a game plan to prepare for PA school. I initially wanted to go back to school to get my medical assistant certificate, but I ended up deciding I didn't want to delay applying by one year and to take out student loans, which led me to look into other medical positions with minimal training. I found my medical scribing position through intense Google searching, and worked as a scribe while I got my phlebotomy certificate from a local community college. That certificate is what helped me get a job as a phlebotomist. It also helped that I made connections from volunteering in the hospital that were useful when I was applying to work at that same hospital. I ended up being very unhappy in my phlebotomist position, primarily due to scheduling issues that caused me to not get the patient contact I needed for PA school, so I decided to apply for new jobs and post my resume on websites like Indeed and LinkedIn and mark that I was open to recruiters. I am at my current position because the office manager saw my resume and reached out to me for an interview. I was a tad hesitant because the position was part-time, but I interviewed and had a great time. For a few months I worked part-time as a medical assistant and per diem as a phlebotomist, although I am now working full-time as a medical assistant since our office hours increased. I believe that a lot of luck allowed me to be where I am today, but with each clinical experience I became better qualified for the next job I looked for. And in the end, all three of the positions I held are going to help me become a better PA.