Introduction of an Aspiring PA
Hi, my name is Asha Chandrasekar (aww-sha chan-dra-say-kerr) and I am a senior student as of three days ago studying psychology pre - physicians assistant at the University of Oklahoma. I was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma and have lived there all my life up until I came to Norman for college four years ago. My parents are from India (born and raised) and moved to the United States of America a month after they got married. They had me two years later and then had my brother six years after me. They later gained their United States citizenship when I was in fourth grade and that is the year I knew what area I wanted to work in and have a career in when I grew up. From a very young age, I have wanted to play a major role in the health sciences center and field. I felt that and feel that people should be there for each other and in order to do so, I wish to play a big role in the health field and help people feel good and be okay.
I have a strong feeling that most people do not know what Pre-Physicians Assistant is as they only have heard Pre-Med or Pre-Dent. Pre-PA is a short form for Physicians Assistant which is basically the same as Pre-Med but two years of PA school rather than four years of medical school along with residency afterwards. Although it is starting to get highly competitive, it is a cool field to go into as you are able to do almost everything a regular doctor can do and have people who can second your diagnosis and ask for help. Once I complete my senior year and the required prequisites necessary to get my double degree, I will then apply and hopefully get into PA school to further my education to reach my goals. I aspire to be a PA specializing in either dermatology or pediatrics in a hospital either in California, New York or Oklahoma. As I mentioned in the previous blog post, I would love to move to California and start living my dream and life out there. I feel that Oklahoma will always be home but I am much more open and I am the type of person to wander and explore. Since I have resided in Oklahoma all my life, I feel like it is time to venture out into the world and just sightsee and settle down where I could picture myself living.
Asha,
ReplyDeleteit is cool that you are an aspiring PA. I am sure California would be an amazing place to practice it. I was Pre- med Microbiology major with a minor in Chem and bio and felt very isolated with lot of studies to do which basically killed my social life and since i love debate I thought to pursue my career in Law where I can be a prosecutor.
Hey Asha! I think it's awesome that you want to be a PA. My Uncle has been going through the same field for a while and it's always super cool to hear all his stories. He works in the ER currently and has a lot of stories to tell. California would be a beautiful place to move to and I hope you get that chance to explore more.
ReplyDeleteOh, how great that you have such close connections to India through your parents and their journey to America, Asha! It is always exciting to have students in this class for whom India is a very real place, a part of life itself. If you are interested in pediatrics, maybe you can use this class as a way to practice storytelling skills that you can use with children; the epics were not written for children, but many of the epic characters, especially Hanuman, have stories that get told again and again to children in India, and to children with Indian heritage all over the world. And we can never have too many Hanuman stories! The anthology of Jataka tales from India for Week 2 also has some stories that are great for children. Like with the epics, not all the stories in the Buddhist Jatakas are good for children... but many of them are!
ReplyDeleteAnd I hear you about California! I lived in the Bay area for about 10 years, and I still miss it. My favorite Indian restaurant, Udupi Palace, is still going strong; I ate there the last time I visited Berkeley a few years ago. UTHAPPAM. I am uthappam-deprived now where I live. But someday I will get back to Berkeley to visit again, and I hope Udupi Palace will still be there too! If you get to go live in California, you will find lots of wonderful Indian culture (food, shops, temples) for sure!
Hi Asha, I'm Dacia our names actually sound alike. I am also from north east Oklahoma, Muskogee if you would like to be exact. I actually have a lot of friends that want to be PAs and I think that it is a growing field and starting to gain a lot more applicants I can think of at least four of my friends that are going to be PAs. I wish you the best of luck on your endeavors. I know what you mean about Oklahoma I think it might still be stuck in the 80s. But it was great seeing another pre-medial student in the class
ReplyDeleteHi Asha, I find your aspiration in life to admirable! I think your pursuit of making people feel better and be healthy to be one that is truly altruistic! I used to want to be a PA as well! I feel they connect better with the patients than doctors. They get to know the patient on a closer basis, and from my experience care more. I hope you get out and explore the world. See what it has to offer, it is a big and beautiful place!
ReplyDeleteHey Asha! My name is Tracy and I aspire to become a PA one day as well. It is a growing field and it seems to be getting more competitive every year. Despite that, it seems like you know what you are doing and will achieve your goal in no time! As for me, I am on the struggle bus because I don't know what I am doing yet and I am currently a junior. I'm honestly going with the flow and hoping for the best.
ReplyDeleteHi, Asha! That is so awesome that you want to be a Physician's Assistant! I have a couple of friends in that degree field. I know it is a lot of work, but it also seems like very rewarding work. I am sure your patients will love having someone who is so passionate about helping them! I was born and raised in Edmond, Oklahoma, but I’ve always had a dream of moving to New York, so I totally get the feeling of Oklahoma always being home but also wanting to see what else is out there! Best of luck to you as you begin this next chapter of your life!
ReplyDeleteHey Asha,
ReplyDeletePA is a great field to dive into! You can cut the grueling schooling short and still get the rewarding benefits of assisting patients in need. I am also looking to relocate to California after I graduate this upcoming spring semester. I have visited LA on multiple occasions, and I can concur that there are more things to explore, such as culture, food, ideology, etc. I wish you all the luck as you step foot into your next journey. Hopefully we will both be residents of California one day!
Heyyyyoooo Asha!
ReplyDeleteSo like I forgot to do my commenting last week so here is me trying to get caught back up. Even though we are friends I do not know much about you! Reading this helped that and I think we need to have more conversations about our actual lives! I also have not seen you in awhile so we should change that. I am not sure if this constitutes and actual comment, but hey, I am going to make it count. Hope to see you soon!
Hi Asha!
ReplyDeleteI think that PA is an awesome choice for a career. I am pre-dent and I think that working in the health field is such a cool thing to do. I think the idea behind making people feel better is very selfless and admirable. I would also love to move to California. I think it would be a really cool place to live. I would be happy anywhere with warm weather though. It was nice meeting you!
Hi Asha!
ReplyDeletePA's are awesome. That is the majority of the doctors I see. I've considered dermatology but there is so much work going into it. Good for you to know what you want and to work hard for it. New York, Cali, and Oklahoma are all very different places but any would definitely be cool to go. Good luck in your studies!
Hi Asha! I love your motivation for going into the health and medical industry. That is not an easy road but your outlook on it and the profession are so important and needed. Good luck! And it is also interesting that you want to wind up either right where you are or two of the places that are the furthest from (physically and philosophically) Oklahoma. Other than California and New York, where would you like to live, or at the very least visit?
ReplyDeleteHi Asha! I think it's really cool that you want to work in the medical field, that's super admirable. I could never do so many science classes! I'm just an English major who likes words. Also, I want to go to California, too! I hope to go to grad school out there somewhere. I've never been, but it seems like a cool state!
ReplyDeleteHey Asha! It's crazy that you're just now popping up in my blog randomizer in Week 13! This semester has flown by. I do not know much about PAs, but I wish you luck with all of that! How do you feel about a couple more years of school? I know I am getting burnt out with all of the homework, but I do enjoy learning.
ReplyDeleteHi Asha!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you have some good goals set not only for your education, but for your life goals as well. I think working towards being a PA is a wonderful idea. Especially if you want to go into dermatology. Good dermatologists are hard to find in Oklahoma so you should stay here 😊 Although, California is a beautiful place to live. Good luck with your schooling!