Turned off from the PA Profession and Process
Hi everyone, I just wanted to vent about my circumstances and anecdotal experience thus far. I still like the idea of being a PA and I do not want to be so doom and gloom about it or dissuade others, but everything about this process has been miserable (from my experience just to reiterate). I've had a professor trying to dissuade me on multiple occasions from going to PA school when I was back in college. I've shadowed one PA in particular to which he said if could choose his career again, he would not have gone PA route (which of course has no real bearing on me but rather signifies his discontent for the profession, to which I'm sure there will always be someone like that in any profession). I had to write letter of recommendations for TWO PA, to which neither of them have read, and one of them was doing my evaluation for CASPA "as a favor" even though that same PA promised me to help me with this process and to do mock interviews (never did either because she was always too busy). Overall just have no PA to look up to.
The real turning point for me was when I decided to shadow other healthcare professions after not being accepted for a couple years to possibly pursue other options. I decided to shadow rad tech because I do enjoy the diagnostic imaging side of things and I felt it was a night and day difference by comparison with PAs. When I was shadowing rad tech, they actually tried to talk to me, made me feel welcomed, ask where I'm applying, etc, and they all seem like friends rather than coworkers. In contrast to my time shadowing PAs where I felt more out of place, not able to really connect with the people, not really talking to each other (to which I understand since they are working after all), and overall feel more isolating. Maybe its a stupid decision to place such an emphasis on this social experience alone, especially since I'm sure this is so hospital dependent, but I actually felt that I would enjoy the culture and being a rad tech more so than being a PA. So now I feel like I've wasted a couple of years (I'm 25 now) of little/no progress to only start at square one again. As of now, I'm going to try and continue to shadow other healthcare professions like nuc med, rad tech, respiratory therapy, etc, so I'd be interested in hearing anything if you guys have any experience with that.
Though, one thing I keep asking myself is if it's wrong to place such an emphasis on the social and work culture of a rad tech that I've experience shadowing (which again I'm sure its hospital dependent) so much that I'd rather pursue that instead so I'd appreciate what you guys have to think about that
Otherwise, that about sums it up. I'd be interesting in hearing similar stories, something comforting, and/or if I'm being too dramatic. Appreciate it if you read all of it.