Soon, I will finish my last clinical rotation as a Duke Physician Assistant (PA) student.
I am writing this from the floor of my empty apartment, after packing everything I own into a U-Haul for my move back to Maryland. Two years ago, I looked at this same empty apartment on move-in day, imagining how different my “PA student life” would be from the one I left behind.
I was pretty sure this experience would require putting my personal self on hold to be a successful student. I expected to be less present in my relationships and have less time to do things I enjoy outside of medicine. However, I quickly realized I would have to get creative in satisfying my personal needs to survive the grueling nature of PA school. Being a student in this program taught me how to prioritize my time and my energy to strike a balance between my professional and personal lives. Ultimately, I realized they are one and the same, to be the best PA for your patients, you need to be the best version of yourself.
I have accepted my first job as a PA, which feels truly surreal. I will continue to build upon my broad foundation of skills, working as a float PA in emergency medicine, hospital medicine and surgery. As I reflect, I am so very thankful for the many ways in which the last two years have prepared me.
First and foremost, I am thankful for my patients who graciously accepted me as a part of very intense and personal life experiences. They allowed me to learn from them and gave me a true sense of purpose. They taught me so many things that a textbook never could. I learned that being a health care provider goes far beyond ordering tests, making diagnoses and writing prescriptions. My duty is to understand my patients, where they come from, their preferences and their resources to provide personalized care. They taught me to be more genuine, intentional and compassionate in my actions. They allowed me to really understand that health outcomes are heavily dependent on race and socioeconomic status.
I am thankful for my classmates, who quickly became family and consistently reminded me that my physical and emotional health are important. They reminded me to take time to relax, read, laugh and exercise. They taught me that when there just isn’t enough time in the day, do the best you can and know that is enough. They inspired me to be an advocate for my patients, to volunteer with local organizations, to speak up when something is wrong, to be mindful and to be kind.
I am thankful for my preceptors and the DPAP faculty. They invested their time and energy into my education and shared their wisdom and unique styles of medical practice. They encouraged me to be confident and showed me the importance of strong interpersonal skills. I learned when to say “I don’t know,” when to ask for help, and that it’s okay to do both of those things. They set an example of how to be an engaged and committed life-long learner and leader.
I am thankful for my family and friends, who stood by my side through the highs and lows of PA school. They were patient and provided me with love, advice and motivation.
While I knew PA school would be full of intellectual and professional growth, I had no clue it would consist of so much personal growth.
Who knew so much could happen in two years?
Alissa Kirby is a second-year student with the Duke Physician Assistant Program. Email alissa.kirby@duke.edu with questions.
Editor’s note: Duke Physician Assistant Program students blog twice a month. Blogs represent the opinion of the author, not the Duke Physician Assistant Program, the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, or Duke University.