"You are going to go through a rollercoaster of emotions throughout this journey. You're going to find yourself struggling, trying to find time to fit your social life with school. Didactic year will either make or break you, and that will be the year where you find out what is the least amount of hours of sleep you can get to function. In the midst of trying to survive school, you will also have people doubt you. You will have people who question your capability and intelligence, and to some point, you may start questioning yourself as well. You will have people asking you why don't you just go "all the way" and become a doctor. You will have ignorant people who know nothing about the profession ask why you're taking the "easier" way out. You'll find it hard inside and outside of school. There will be days where you ask yourself if this is all worth it, and there will be days where you feel like nobody can stop you."
No matter how hard it gets, keep pushing on. You will taking more exams than you ever did in your past. You may not be the Type A that others may perceive you to be just because you're pursuing a profession in the medical field, but remember that a letter grade does not define who you are and who you will be as a PA. It is more important to grasp as much information and genuinely learn. A patient will not ask you what you got in your Primary Care class, but they can see if you have knowledge by the way you present yourself to them. You will find the long nights of studying to be discouraging, but just think of the years ahead of you when you're actually treating a patient. Think of a patient's face lighting up and thanking you for making them feel better. Now do you think all the mental breakdowns, excessive intake of coffee, and countless exams are worth it? What about when you think of the satisfaction you get of yourself knowing you have the capability in making someone's day better simply by applying the knowledge you spent all your hard work studying for?
Do not let others underestimate who you are because of their ignorance in not understanding the PA profession. You will find the urge to explain to them what a PA really is, instead of the stereotypical and literal definition of a "Physician Assistant," but your frustrations in them not understanding what you do will stop you from doing so. But that's OK to be frustrated. Remember that you are not inferior to a physician, but also that you are not superior to anyone else either. You will learn to accept orders from physicians without feeling inferior to them, but instead, feeling like a team member. Remember that PAs are important to the health care profession, and we all work as a team. We work with other aspects of the health care spectrum as a team, and together we provide the best care to patients.
Your test grades and what some outsiders will think of the PA profession right now does not define who you will be as a PA. You may have not done well on a test, but do not let that stop you from pursuing your dream. Everyone falls through their journey, but the most important part is to pick yourself up. Keep pushing toward your goal. Prove to yourself and others who you truly are. Remember to show your personality! You are not someone who just does not want to be a doctor, and it is not because it's the easier way, but because you're pursuing a different role in the health field. You are making a difference regardless, so do not let others drag you down and tell you that you are not good or smart enough. There's a reason not everyone is pursuing the medical field because it is not for everyone, but this is for you. There will be days you will want to quit, but that is temporary. It will get better, and you will become someone who has the capability of caring for someone and saving their lives. You will be someone who makes a difference in a patient's life and his/her family, and in that moment, it won't matter to them if you're a PA, doctor, or any other profession in the field. Why? Because you saved a life, and not many people can say that they're able to do that.
