I can’t believe I’ve made it to this point - PA school is
actually wrapping up. We’ve taken our last exam and only have a couple of days
left at our clinical rotation sites. This
time next Friday I will have already walked across the stage and received my
diploma! The only thing left to tackle is the ASCP Board of Certification Exam.
I’m terrified, to say the least, but I’ve signed up to take my exam at the end
of January. Unfortunately I’ll be hitting the books hard until then.
So without further ado, I think it’s time to share that I
HAVE A JOB! Starting in January I’ll be
working at a hospital outside of Baltimore, Maryland. The department has three
pathologists and I will be the first pathologists’ assistant they’ve had. I
will work 100% in the gross room and will not be doing any autopsies, as they
are sent to another location. The lab receives around 9,000 surgical cases
annually and does a decent amount of intraoperative consultations. I loved that the lab receives a variety of
specimens including Whipples, mastectomies, and quite a few penectomy cases (a
rare specimen, typically). It was
important to me that I’d be in an environment that would continue to challenge
me and expand my pathology knowledge.
The lab is also a clinical rotation site for PA students attending
the University of Maryland. This past year increased my confidence, knowledge,
and skills exponentially because of the mentors I had at my clinical rotation
sites. I’m excited (and a tad nervous) to be able to have a role in educating
future PAs, ensuring that they have a clinical experience similar to mine.
Accepting a position in a lab with a wide variety of
specimens and teaching opportunities was at the top of my priorities. An added
bonus was that the job was in my desired location, only 45 minutes from home! After
so many years of schooling, I can’t wait to finally start my career in a field
that I love!
