While I always knew I wanted to go into medicine, I never fully believed I was capable of doing so. As many of you who are reading this are aware, every step of the process of becoming a medical professional tests you in new ways, constantly reminding you of how much there is of both you and the world that you’re unaware of. Although I knew on paper I was a good candidate for PA school, the idea of absorbing all the information provided during the didactic year into my brain or embodying the dream version of myself a

When will things make sense? When will life really start? I’ve asked myself these questions more times than I can count since starting PA school. I used to think, I just need to get through this semester. Then it became this exam. Then this practicum. Surely after that, things would feel settled. Surely then I’d be “good.” But the finish line kept moving.

How does one go from rappelling and ascending in and out of crevasses and flying in a helicopter over glaciers as part of their commute to work, to sitting in lecture for eight hours/day at Duke University’s Physician Assistant Program? The journey was far from linear, but I think that’s what I’m most proud of. It is truly my own.

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 got my acceptance two days before Thanksgiving and immediately started crying—it felt like validation that I could do what I set my mind to, despite the self-doubt and catastrophic Reddit threads. I spent the next year working and spending time with friends and family, and in August, I moved to Durham.

Breaking Barriers and Finding Strength During Hardship Life’s challenges don’t wait for you to be ready to take them on; they may happen at times you least expect. This became clear during my senior year of high school, when I became emancipated from my parents and found myself virtually homeless. After becoming estranged from them, my dreams of attending college seemed impossible, especially when they refused to sign my financial aid papers. I knew I wanted to practice medicine and become a physician assistant (PA), a path that required a college degree.

Beta Tested: DPAP Approved How Peer Partnership and Purpose-Built Tech Modernized Volunteer Engagement As the Stead Society student secretary for the Class of 2026, one of my core responsibilities is to track and manage individual and class-wide volunteer hours.

From Research to PA School: A Non-Traditional Applicant It was not until 2019 that I met a Physician Assistant (PA) for the first time. I just moved back home to California to work at UCLA. Up until that point, I always envisioned myself pursuing a career in healthcare as a physician or a nurse. Over time, I developed a deep passion for clinical research.

Each year, more than 350,000 Americans experience Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA), or sudden stopping of the heart outside of the hospital setting. Nine out of ten people who experience OHCA die, but chances of survival can be significantly improved through bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Who we are Checking that we rigged Lila in the stokes basket safely! The Duke Physician Assistant (PA) Wilderness Medicine Student Interest Group (SIG) was founded in 2022 with hopes to foster a commun