When someone asks what I do, it often feels like an oversimplification to say that I'm a PA. Perhaps, I'm a PA by trade, however, I feel that would be an inaccurate statement for a lot of reasons, granted not technically incorrect. And as true as that may be, that’s barely only the surface. Because in reality, and beyond a quick look, I feel I am at times more than just an advanced practice clinician. The other times I am a liaison, a “Psych attendant”, a colleague counselor, at many other times a student mentor, etc. I guess the list could go on, but I think you get the point.
The reality is this, saying simply that "I'm a PA" is not descriptive enough, it (personally) can feel as if I'm leaving out something really important–the parts that make the sum total that are just as important if not more so. In other words, yes, I am an Orthopedic PA who spends a great degree of my time not practicing solely as a PA, but also helping other people & other healthcare peers & professionals figure out how we can all be the best patient advocate at the end of the day.
While it can take some explaining to share in detail how I go about wearing these many hats simultaneously, I can say, after all these years, the blending of all these parts feels very integral to my workflow and/or workday. In 2 words, more like my professional identity. And while certainly, these might come at times a personal price, via work-related stress or at times some unexpected transactional frustrations, and operational patient-care related delays, etc., just to name a few. It is all part of trying to be the professional we were all called to be when we selected this professional path and career choice.
Personally, I know of many PA friends involved in other clinical subspecialties, various healthcare organizations, and work settings, who feel similarly about their professional lives and roles. Their inner compasses are in sync with mine even though we might see things differently at times based on the circumstances we are part of. Yet, the bottom line is the same: patient-centered care is number one…nothing less than that, even in the austere landscape of reimbursement. However, if you are a PA student you don't have to wait until you're a practicing PA to see if this is truly your calling in life. Or if it bodes well with your value system. Because even during your PA training, there will be times you will see and experience these demands placed on you. No one is immune. So, the question becomes: can you withstand these career expectations & or demands daily? Are you willing to go beyond what you envisioned & signed up for?
Remember, being a PA oftentimes is not just the easy part of medicine. It is about wearing the “many hats” you might be called to wear in your practice and workplace, but more importantly, can you wear them well, proudly, and diligently too? Therefore, if you one day or ever get asked what you do, you should be able to respond affirmatively that you’re PA…in the truest sense of the word. Think beyond the oversimplification tag or label others may feel inclined to label you with by (possibly) and indirectly diminishing your professional value or role. You know your reality because you live or have lived that PA reality yourself many times over while embracing it day in and out!
