I am sitting here on my 31st birthday, as a first-year student in my second semester at the Duke University Physician Assistant Program, thinking about all the advice I have received over the years. One of the best pieces of advice was during my second tour of duty to Afghanistan when Dr. Shepherd asked me, “Are PA schools or medical schools going anywhere?” I was slightly confused by the question, but then he said, “If there is any job you want to do before you start PA school, you need to do that first.” That statement stayed with me when my enlistment ended in December of 2014.
San Antonio Fire Department
I thought about that conversation quite a bit and ultimately decided to pursue the job that almost every little kid dream of doing at some point in their life; I became a firefighter. After about a year to get through the hiring process and six months in the fire academy, I graduated and was assigned to Engine 32 in the heart of the San Antonio Medical Center. I remember waking up to respond to my first structure fire at 3:00 in the morning, running to the engine, and putting my gear on while we are flying down a pitch-black road toward a bright orange light. We arrived first on scene to a two-alarm fire and initiated an interior attack on the fire before having to withdraw due to a roof collapse. After about an hour of wrestling with it, we finally extinguished the fire and headed back to the station.
The next three years on the job would involve thousands of EMS runs, dozens of fires, and a handful of water rescues. In a sense, it was everything I could have wanted from my time as a firefighter. However, all good things come to an end, and so it was with my time in the fire department. I was beginning to get too comfortable with the job and knew that it was time to pursue my next goal; becoming a PA.
Take your time if you want to (A note to Pre-PAs)
I use the anecdote above to illustrate a point; that you are not obligated to anyone else’s timeline for your life or career. The beautiful thing about PA school is all of the varying past experiences within a student cohort. Taking some time to try a career you might be interested in before PA school will only help your application, and you will never have to wonder “what if?” Take your time and Dr. Shepherd’s advice “If there is anything you want to do before PA school, you need to do that first.”
Veteran Applicants
I want to take a moment to reach out to any pre-PA student veterans. I want to strongly encourage you all to take advantage of the education benefits that you have earned. Do not be dismayed or overwhelmed by how many courses you have to take to apply to PA school. Like with any other assignment, you need to set up a solid plan and execute your objectives one at a time. Feel free to reach me at the email below to ask me any questions about the application process.
James Bayless is a first-year student with the Duke Physician Assistant Program. Email james.bayless@duke.edu with questions.
Editor’s note: Blogs represent the opinion of the author, not the Duke Physician Assistant Program, the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, or Duke University.
Veteran Alumni: Become a Mentor
If you are a veteran graduate and would like to be more involved with the Duke PA program, consider becoming a mentor to incoming Duke PA student veterans or being available to pre-PA students who need shadowing experience. Contact Michael Steigerwald, Jr., MHS, PA-C (’12), at michael.steigerwald@duke.edu, for more information.