A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE

THE CHANGE

Hello everyone! It has been a long time.

This year has been focused on giving other parts of my life attention, while in PA school had been ignored. It was a realization after completing an intensive program that I began to look at other areas of my life. I began to reignite relationships with my friends and family. I had to re-connect with myself and learn who I was as a person who was not in school anymore. Now I have the time to return to the activities that I’ve once enjoyed and coming to terms to people, goals and emotions that I've ignored. I always will be interested in expanding and promoting the physician assistant career in Canada. But now when I think about the past, from entering the program in 2012 at age 25 and now at 2016 turning 29 the focus on academics has changed in a holistic way. To include not only my physician assistant role/studies but now to encompass all areas of my life including friends, family, interests and love.

I’m hoping to continue to write about interesting cases. I have worked as a hospitalist physician assistant for almost 2 years. My supervising physicians have become more to me than just colleagues but have now transitioned to friendships. I have created meaningful relationships at my work and able to go out for lunch without being stressed and truly enjoy working, thinking of long term goals instead of short term. As for the day to day work, I can say I love my job. I have great autonomy and have the opportunity to learn more from my awesome teachers. I feel a good balance between being challenged,  having autonomy and continuous learning. It is inspiring to be part of a great team of physicians, nurses and allied health providers.

MYSELF AS A PRECEPTOR

I had the opportunity to have one student for 2 weeks on an elective rotation. I was excited to have a student. I had prepared topics and bedside teachings. Having a student was an enriching experience. Not only do you find how much you have grown as a physician assistant but you begin to feel pride when your student begins to grow and understand concepts. You also begin to think back of when you were a student and realize how much you didn’t really know at the time :P. There is a lot you learn from experience and experience is very valuable. I didn’t realize how much work my preceptors had done when having students. Now I have a great sense of appreciation. Not only did you want your student to learn and have good teaching experiences but in the end you are still working and ensuring your patients are safe, properly cared after and that the flow of the hospital continues.  I recommend anyone who has the opportunity to have a student to take it. It requires extra work and dedication but it is truly rewarding to see new PAs learn and to realize how far you have come as a PA.

Until next time...