First Year Student Blog: Courtney Frye
Like many people, I would consider my relationship with my chronic illness complicated. It becomes even more complicated when I am pursuing the path of becoming a health care provider in a system I am often frustrated with as a patient
I have had some absolutely amazing healthcare providers in various disciplines. With appointments to see MDs, follow-ups with PAs and NPs, and referrals to PTs and OTs to work on the practical aspects of daily activities that can improve my quality of life. Yet, even with all their hard work, I still undergo the patient experience of coordinating medications and new therapies. This happens at the same time that other providers are changing treatments and my own schedule shifts from long hospital shifts to a 9-5 class schedule.
It is an ongoing challenge to maintain the motivation to follow up with providers between classes, even when scheduling is difficult. They also advocate for me to rest, which makes balancing everything more complicated.
I feel like more than anything, being a chronic patient has made me overall empathetic with the patient experience. It has made me understand that patients seek help because their conditions can be debilitating. It also shows me how the process of diagnosis and treatment affects their morale and daily life. It is easy to fall through the cracks without the right amount of advocacy and education on how the system works. As a patient, handling so many different treatments and advice, and going to work or class and getting rest, can be all-consuming.
Something that the PA education system does well is requiring patient care hours. In having clinical experience, I learned to navigate long, physically demanding shifts with emotionally taxing patient interactions. Before starting this program, I had not fully reckoned with the number of coping strategies I had developed over the past few years of working full-time with unpredictable flare-ups. I had to be very strict with myself about prioritizing rest and implementing activities other than just school and studying. I have learned to be very vulnerable with myself about how I am feeling and what my body needs due to the very real physical repercussions if I do not.
The most gratifying part of PA school at this point is proving to myself that I can do it. I have still had a handful of severe flareups, even with my preparation. My advisor and other faculty have been so helpful in navigating accommodations. In addition to that support, my peers also offer me grace when I cannot show up as my full self. My experience influenced my decision to run for the co-chair position for Wellness and Sustainability. I have developed a passion for encouraging my peers to prioritize rest.
Courtney Frye is a first-year student with the Duke Physician Assistant Program. Email courtney.frye@duke.edu with questions.
Editor’s note: Duke Physician Assistant Program students blog monthly. Blogs represent the opinion of the author, not the Duke Physician Assistant Program, the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, or Duke University.