Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Name of Undergraduate Institution: University of Missouri
Major(s)/Minor(s) in College: Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences
Name of PA School: University of Texas Medical Branch
Favorite Quote: “Your talent is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.”
Contact Info: meghaninmedicine@gmail.com
Additional Links:
Instagram: @meghaninmedicine
Where are you currently at in your career path and why did you decide to pursue this career path?
I am currently in my second year of Physician Assistant school. I had never thought of myself in a career outside of medicine growing up. I originally wanted to become a Pediatrician, then I wanted to join the nursing field. Eventually I ended up finding out about the Physician Assistant field and fell in love with the idea and work/life balance and decided to pursue it.
If you could go back and have a chat with your naïve college freshman self, what would you tell her?
I would tell my freshman year self to take it easy, enjoy the time that you have to live in the dorms and be a little bit carefree. I would tell her that whenever you make plans, God laughs. To not sweat the small stuff and get the work done when you can.
What is a major challenge you have had to overcome and how did you do so?
A major challenge I had to overcome was getting denied my first round of applying to Physician Assistant school. Looking back now, I was not nearly as confident in my application and simply in myself when I was applying for the first time. I received only one interview, that truly didn’t go well. After that experience, I began to figure out the best ways to improve my application and improve my overall self. From taking different health care jobs, to volunteering for the underserved, to changing my personal statement, and to seeking advice in those with more wisdom. On my second round, I received four interviews and was accepted at all four of them. I was truly in shock when I received that last acceptance. I praise God for giving me the confidence I needed and security within myself to show those I was ready for the challenge ahead of me.
What is your favorite thing about your PA school?
My favorite thing about my PA school is its connection to a free health clinic called St. Vincent’s. It is run fully by medical, physician assistant, nursing, and lab students at UTMB, as well as supervised by physicians and physician assistants. It's great because it gives all students a chance to perfect history taking, physical exam skills, developing differential diagnoses, and creating a treatment plan with the help of supervision. It was a really fulfilling way to give back to the community of Galveston.
How have you been able to deal with your romantic relationship and PA school at the same time?
I somehow got engaged and married within my first year of PA school. My husband and I had been in a long distance relationship for about 2.5 years at the time of his proposal and we decided to have our wedding 9 months after. Relationships in general require a lot of good communication. Relationships in long distance require very good communication. And lastly, relationships while in stressful life situations, professional school being one of them, require very very good communication and planning. We often would plan out our weekends with each other when he would visit two times a month. He was extremely supportive of me and would help me study by quizzing me before exams, coming to the library with me to keep me company, restocking my fridge when I didn’t have time to go to the grocery store, and the list goes on and on. I think a good relationship foundation begins with communication and commitment!
Thanks a ton for all the fantastic information that you've shared with us Meghan! We really appreciate you giving us some insight into your journey in medicine as well as leaving us with some great words of wisdom! Congrats on having come so far and we wish you the best of luck as you go on to do amazing things in your career!
Health Career Spotlights Home Page
Posted on March 7th, 2019