Introduction to Helen, a future PA
Hello, my name is Helen Doan and I'm a senior majoring in health and exercise science, pre-pa. I am currently in the process of applying to PA schools. The schools I'm applying to are OU-OKC, OU-Tulsa, St. John's University in New York City, and Barry University in Miami. I'm hoping to get into OU-OKC because it's close to home and I'll qualify for in state tuition. However, I wouldn't be too opposed of getting to move to NYC or Miami if I needed to. :D
I've lived in Oklahoma my whole life. Although the cost of living is a lot less I still have a desire for living in a bigger city. I would prefer to move to a bigger city once I have the money for it so my debt doesn't build up too much. But, I'll go wherever life takes me. :)
PA stands for physician assistant. They are able to diagnose and treat patients just like doctors. The difference is the autonomy. Doctors are more autonomous while PA's have to work under the supervision of a doctor. I was a pre-med when I first came to OU. Then, I discovered about PA's and decided to go down that route since I personally saw more pros. The pros of being a PA versus a doctor for me is that they focus more on patient care. They don't have to worry about budgets and bureaucracy like doctors do. Another pro I saw was the ability to switch specialties at ease. For example, if I was in family medicine for a few years and wanted a change I could easily switch to general surgery. Whereas, a doctor would have to go through additional years of training to switch. Some specialties I'm interested in are dermatology and family medicine.
I did a few clinical shifts as an EMT student. I was grateful for this experience because it made me realize that I am more fit for specialties that are able to build a relationship with a patient over time. The moment I truly realized this was when we went on a call to a woman who was having a heart attack (proper medical term is myocardial infarction ;) ). We gave her the medications to help relieve her pain. Then, we dropped her off to the hospital and passed her on to the surgeons who would help her. After that, we immediately went on to our next call. However, I kept thinking back to the woman and wondering if she ended up being okay. It was stressful for me. This is why I think specialties like family medicine would be perfect for me. I can focus on patient interaction and building a relationship with them through the years versus seeing a patient a few times and never knowing how they ended up. I also enjoy the fact that in family medicine PA's can help prevent disease. This means they help patients by advising them about healthier choices that will prevent them from getting sick in the first place. :D
Image Information:
PA Student (wikimedia)
Ambulance (pixabay)
Hi Helen!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your blog post because we are so similar! So I am actually deciding between med school and PA school, but I think I am leaning more PA. My main interest in specialty is dermatology, which I saw was up on your list, too! This is so exciting! I feel like I do not know too many people interested in dermatology, let alone as a PA.
I am really looking forward to reading more of your posts and hopefully we can both be colleagues in medicine together!
-Libby
Hi Helen!
ReplyDeleteI loved reading your intro! I know of PA's because I'm pretty sure those are the types of medical staff that work in Goddard, at least the last time I went I was seen by a PA. I liked your story about your experience as an EMT student, I had never thought about the fact that EMT people never really hear back about the patients they brought into the hospital. I guess some people like that? Good luck with the rest of your semester and PA school!
I have a friend who is in PA school and absolutely loves it, so good for you fro going for that goal that is awesome. I know it can be hard but keep going for it. I am from California which is very expensive obviously so my advice is to move someone with a bigger city once you already have money, knowing fro experience it can be very hard to be steady with moving there in the first place. Doing dermatology or family medicine would be awesome!
ReplyDeleteWhat's up Helen!
ReplyDeleteI am a little jealous that you have your life so put together. Like you, I have lived in Oklahoma my whole life. However, I do not mind living a low profile life that Oklahoma provides, i'm not much of a city person. I'm glad you provided context for what PA meant because I had no clue, but it seems like an amazing field to go into. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors and hope you get into the program of your choosing!
Best,
Payton
PAs are the best, Helen! My dad was on hospice care for a long time (LONG time: over 2 years), and his nurses were great... but then when the PA came, she was the total hero, figuring out how to coordinate everything and answering all the questions. All the closeness to the patient like a nurse, but also with the ability to intervene and fix things where a nurse has to kind of stand back and just report what is happening. And as a PA you can end up living anywhere... because everywhere needs PAs! I don't know if geriatrics is a field you have looked into, but just from my own personal experience, I will be forever grateful to how much help my father got from his PA and nurses; I never even met the doctor (who was like some legendary being in some faraway office who never even met my dad)... but the PA and nurses were right there helping him every step of the way. It's a great career, and I hope you will get into a school where you can have a wonderful learning adventure, and maybe in a wonderful new city too!
ReplyDeleteHi Helen! I'm a Chemical Biosciences and Letters dual-degree, and I'm pre-med track right now but I definitely have considered PA. I think that's so cool that you're applying to several places, but want to go to OU! I have my heart set on going to OU Med as well, preferably in OKC which is close to home :) I wish you the best of luck going forward, whether you're in Oklahoma or a new, fun place!
ReplyDeleteHey Helen, I think that's really cool that you've managed to get some experience as an EMT. If I was any good at science and math, I probably would've headed in the same route, but I can only handle so much gore, and also I'm not great at the latter. That said, I hope you manage to get into your dream school! I wanted to go to New York for law school, but unfortunately big cities are ridiculously expensive, and I'd rather not have even greater debt, so I plan on staying in Oklahoma until further notice. That aside, I hope you enjoy wherever you end up!
ReplyDeleteHi Helen,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your intro! I am so happy to hear that you are from Oklahoma, but you are open to travel if necessary, to pursuit your studies. I hope you get that chance, i am an international student, i will say go for the change because it can be worthy. And I noticed you said that you want to be a PA. That sounds like a fun and amazing field to be in. And you mentioned that you did some clinical shift as EMT student, not sure what it stands for but after the experience you went through in there I will encourage you to Keep up!!!
Hi Helen,
ReplyDeleteIt is so cool that you are applying to pa schools. I am currently a senior who is applying to medical schools and pa's are such a useful and valuable part of the healthcare system and I am so glad that you want to spend more time with the patients and the ability to switch between specialties will also provide a nice variance that won't be as easy to do as a physician. Pas are really awesome and so I wish you the best of luck on your journey.
Hey Helen! I am right there with you on wanting to be in a big city. I've lived in suburban neighborhoods my whole life, and I think there is so much value in changing it up and trying something different! I also think it's so cool and impressive that you are on your way to being a PA! The curriculum is not easy, so the fact you are almost to the finish line of your undergrad is super exciting! Good luck and I hope you get your dream school!
ReplyDeleteHey, Helen!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you are as passionate as you are about being a PA! I also really enjoy how you are comfortable with choosing out-of-state schools to go to even though you have been in Oklahoma most of your life! I think keeping your options open in that way will guarantee you a lot more success than being tied up in one place. I have lots of hope for you in regards to getting into PA school! I wish you all the best with wherever life takes you.
Good luck, and nice meeting you.
Hello Helen, I have lived in Oklahoma my whole life and well and love OU, but I think it would be so cool to go to NY or Miami for school because there would be so many more opportunities and things to experience. I also love your passion for medicine and patient care. Most people completely look over that aspect of medicine, but I personally think it is very important. I think you will be a great PA and best of luck in the future!
ReplyDeleteHello Helen,
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I also have a desire to not live in Oklahoma anymore. New York City and Miami would be fun cities to live in because there is always something different to do and more opportunities. I really admire your passions and goals because I can tell that you truly want to take care of people and genuinely connect with them. You are going to be a wonderful PA! It was nice to meet you and I hope you get into your dream school!
Hi Helen! It was great to learn more about you. Congratulations on finishing up undergraduate soon! You must be very excited for PA school. Miami and NYC would both be incredible places to live! It sounds like you have some good experience already, and you are looking at some great schools. Best of luck as you move on from OU, I can't wait to read more of your stories throughout the semester!
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ReplyDeleteHello Helen!
I'm Rachel. I have lived in Oklahoma for my entire life as well. I'm the same way with living here. I'm a city girl. I won't be opposed to moving to places like New York City.
I enjoyed reading your story as an EMT student. That's an incredible experience. However, I can see and agree on why you would want to build a relationship with a patient over time.
Hi Helen,
ReplyDeleteIt was awesome to get to read and learn a little more about you! Congrats on working towards your PA dream that sounds awesome. I am also really interested in emergency medicine and I hope to become a firefighter after graduation. Look forward to reading through some of your work this semester. Best of luck.
Hi Helen!
ReplyDeleteI too have lived in Oklahoma my whole life. I also grew up in a small town, so I get the feeling. I've always gone back and forth on moving to a bigger city; I want to see more of the world around me, but the switch from small town living to the big city sounds very out of my element. Being a Physician Assistant sounds like a great job! I think sometimes people can feel unfulfilled in their jobs, or that they want to do more than their basic job, and I think a physician assistant is an amazing avenue! You definitely should get the opportunity to branch out and experience various specialties that interest you. Hope the rest of your semester goes well!
Helen It is nice to read about someone pursuing a career in a health related field for the right reasons and I wish you the best as you continue on your journey to becoming a PA. I also want to pursue a career in medicine but as a physician! Best of luck this semester!
ReplyDeleteHi Helen!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing a little bit about yourself! I think that is so cool how you want to get into the medical field. It is such a rewarding career to get into! How did you like doing EMT clinicals? I feel like it would be scary, gory, but also exciting all at the same time! I have thought about moving to OKC too because the cost of living is much cheaper than moving to a bigger city! I hope to move to Chicago one day! You are going to be a great PA and I wish you the best of luck!
Hi Helen! I love the big city. However, I am a terrified wreck when it comes to driving through them. I suppose that would not be as big of a problem in cities like NYC because you can walk everywhere if you need to. I hope that you do get in state but I am a big advocate for fleeing the normal and trying to establish yourself elsewhere!
ReplyDeleteHi Helen!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing a little bit about yourself! That is so amazing you want to pursue a career in the medical field. My boyfriend is doing the same thing and I wish I could have as rewarding of a career as that! I think being an EMT would be such a fun and fast paced job! Also, I think that is so exciting you are wanting to move to OKC! The city is so fun and there are tons of great places to visit, shop, and eat! Overall, you are going to be a great PA one day and good luck with finishing school!
Hi Helen!
ReplyDeleteWow, I was so interested to read about your experience as an EMT. That sounds so terrifying and rewarding at the same time! I also think it's really cool that you have decided what you want to do with your life by considering what's best for you and how you feel about things because I always find it so difficult to decide what I really want to do. I hope you get a job in NYC! That would be an awesome experience for you. Have a great day!
Hi Helen! Nice to meet you. I've also lived in Oklahoma my whole life but I'm looking forward to moving to a bigger city sometime as well. I think it's super cool that you were an EMT - that's a great way to gain experience in medicine before deciding if that's what you want to do. Both of my roommates want to have careers in medicine as well, so I've heard them talk about it a lot! It sounds like you are really going to enjoy your career. I hope you get into your dream school. Good luck with everything!
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