Ep. 70 - Physician's Assistant and Assistant Professor - Abby Allen, University of Findlay
Welcome back to the Joust About Careers podcast! This episode features a conversation with Abby Allen, a 2005 Van Buren graduate who is a physician’s assistant and assistant professor in the PA program at the University of Findlay. Abby shares how a typical day looks for a PA and professor, gives advice on getting into PA school, explains how a PA is different from a nurse practitioner, and much more. Whether you are interested in a healthcare career or are still exploring your options, I hope that what Abby shares today will help all of you make better career decisions and have fulfilling career journeys. Enjoy the show! 1:50 - A typical day as an assistant professor in the PA program at the University of Findlay 3:46 - A typical day as a physician’s assistant 5:13 - Working in a nursing home is somewhat different from working in a hospital or office. 6:05 - The writing involved with being a PA 7:00 - The differences between a PA, NP, MD, and DO 7:39 - PA’s can switch specialties quite easily, which is a nice option. 8:31 - Fellowships are typically reserved for MDs and DOs. 9:00 - MDs and DOs don’t have quite as much flexibility. 9:40 - Nurse practitioners have to be nurses first. 10:20 - PAs can see all types of patients and don’t have to specialize. 11:29 - What made becoming a PA the right choice for Abby after she planned to become a Spanish teacher 12:34 - It is very competitive to get into PA school. 13:26 - Colleges want PA professors to have five years of clinical experience before starting to teach. 13:55 - Making the switch from Spanish education to exercise science 12:55 - It wasn’t too difficult to get back into the swing of high-level science classes because of Abby’s study skills. 16:00 - Helping people is definitely one of the best aspects of working as a PA. 17:28 - Being a PA pays well. 18:10 - Most PA graduates from UF have jobs soon after graduation. 19:00 - “Get an undergraduate degree in something you want to do for a living.” 20:28 - There are PA programs popping up because of the demand for the position. 21:18 - What happens to those who aren’t accepted into a PA program the first time they apply? 21:45 - Patient-care hours are like bonus points for admission, and those who are rejected the first time might retake classes or get more experience in the healthcare field to make acceptance more likely the next year. 23:49 - Experience is important to being accepted to PA school. 24:47 - Careers in medicine require good grades throughout college. 26:08 - Students, you don’t have to have your career figured out when you graduate from high school. Questions? Connect with Brian on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/brian-bratt/) or e-mail (bbratt@vbschools.net). Connect with Abby on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/abigail-allen-5b3374208/) or by e-mail (abigail.allen@findlay.edu).
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