So...lets start from the top shall we? I first heard of the PA profession in 2006 while I was wrapping up my bachelors degree in radiation therapy at The University of Oklahoma. I didn't think much of the profession then and was excited to embark on my future career as a radiation therapist. Fast forward to 2010, my job starts to become a little mundane. The only thing keeping me in the profession was a comfortable lifestyle and steady income. I knew I was ready for the next challenge but the only problem was I couldn't pull the trigger. As most of us probably know, healthcare was beginning to head towards a new direction. Medicare and insurance reimbursements were getting tighter and more strict; not even healthcare could withstand the poor economy. I was already sitting on a 3 year salary freeze and dodged a bullet when one of my co-workers was laid off.
On that fateful day in January however, I couldn't dodge the 2nd bullet and was laid off. It was hard to swallow at first but I tried to make the best of the situation. In all honesty the timing of it couldn't have been any better. Had I been laid off a week or 2 earlier it was very possible I would have landed an available job somewhere else. Had I been laid off any later I would have missed the deadline to register for prerequisite courses needed to apply for PA school. To me it was divine intervention and God made his purpose for me very clear every step of the way. I worked PRN on occasion and looked for jobs in radiation therapy, but there just weren't any jobs available. So for the next few months I worked diligently on my CASPA applications and took the courses that needed to be taken (Chem II, Organic Chem I, Genetics, & Microbiology).
Then came August when I was invited to a 2nd interview for a full-time job! Financially things were getting really, REALLY tough for me, there was no word from any PA school, and I thought the job could solve all of my problems. At least until this came in the mail.......
Like I said....divine intervention. God knew I was struggling, but he also knew PA school was in my heart. So, he gave me an out by allowing me a chance to walk away from my dream of becoming a PA and go on with my life as it was before I was laid off...comfortable. Because of the timing of it all, I could only pick one. There was no guarantee of getting into PA school and statistically the odds were stacked against me. Over 1400 people applied to UT Southwestern, 140 people were selected for an interview, and only 40 were admitted. After careful thinking and soul searching, I felt that passing up the UTSW interview was going to leave me regretful. I saw myself waking up to my job every morning thinking "what if?"
Friday evening, September 23rd, UTSW Meet n' Greet before the interview.
I was in attendance. Talk about nerve wrecking! There was great food but my mouth was so dry I couldn't swallow. To be honest I felt more comfortable walking around conversing with the faculty, students, and applicants. It was an absolutely wonderful atmosphere that gave me an opportunity to get to know the faculty a little better. After brief introductions and slideshow presentations I told myself that whether I got in or not, I made the right decision.
Saturday morning, September 24th, INTERVIEW DAY!
Couldn't fall asleep until 2am and ended up waking up to a phone call at 4:30am. My dad called to wish me luck, still fuzzy, I responded "Thanks" in slurred speech. Still had 4hrs until the interview but there was no going back to sleep now. So yeah..still had 3hrs to spare after getting ready and putting on my black suite. DOH!! I eventually picked up some coffee and probably received over a dozen text messages along the way wishing me luck from friends and family. Thanks you guys! Finally, I arrive and walk into the building where I am greeted by one of the students and directed to the student lounge to wait. After 30 minutes or so, they were ready to begin. They split us up into 3 groups of 10. One group would be going on campus tours, while one hangs out in the student lounge, and the other goes through the interview. The interview process had us rotating through 10 different stations w/ each station assigning us a task to perform or question to answer. Each station was looking for specific qualities that as an interviewee you have no clue what it is. As for the questions, trust me when I say that there is no way you can prepare for them. They are not your typical questions you can look up and find on the internet. Be yourself and be relaxed! It sounds generic but I can't stress it enough! BE YOURSELF AND BE RELAXED! To sum up the experience though, it was fun and friendly. Some stations were harder than others and I was definitely mentally exhausted afterwards.
Wednesday afternoon, September 28th, The phone call........
So I was shocked when I saw the number pop up on my cell phone. It was only 4 days since the interview. They wouldn't call just to reject me would they? I picked up and it was the program director offering me a seat into the program. Words can do no justice in describing the emotions that came over me at that instant. I was definitely giddy and stuttering as I told him yes. Just like that, I was accepted into one of the most prestigious programs in the country. Surreal! God is great!
And so, I wanted to fast forward us now to the present. I am a month away from starting PA school and I look forward to sharing this journey with you all. I hope what I share is enjoyable to read and maybe encouraging. I'll continue to update periodically and may consider doing a video blog as well. Please feel free to leave any comments, suggestions, or questions and I will try to respond to them in a timely manner.
"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might." Ecclesiates 9:10
