Theater Major to Medical Student

Hi everyone! I'm new to the boards and wanted to introduce myself. I'm a theater major who is choosing to take a different route. I'm going back to school to become a Physician Assistant. Okay, talk about dramatic change! As I prepare to go back to school (and study medicine!) I'll be blogging about the challenges and roadblocks I run into. Will it be hard to accomplish this goal? Of course! But it'll be worth it in the end when I'm making a difference...a real difference...for my community.

A little about me...I'm a mom...a wife...and a copywriter. I fell into copywriting quite by accident. During my senior year of college, I realized that when school was over, I would be out in the real world. It sounds so idiotic now...why didn't I figure that out earlier? As a naive college freshman, I didn't truly understand the full purpose of college and focused on a subject matter where I knew I could excel. (Yup, you guessed it -- theater.) It’s possibly one of the easiest majors out there. And no, I'm not 100% sorry I chose it. It gave me the chance to write freely and creatively. But, what in the world do you do with a degree like that? One day during my senior year, I wondered into the career center on campus and realized -- insert *@?%!* here -- I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up!

What a revelation. But, I’d just put in four years into a creative field, so I figured I’d look for something where I could continue to unleash my writing on the world. Advertising seemed to be a natural niche. And yes, I’ve made a good salary…one that’s grown proportionately with my portfolio. So, here’s the issue. I don’t want to write the Super Bowl commercial anymore. That used to sound like fun. Yet, somehow, writing catchy phrases and thought-provoking newsletter articles just isn’t cutting it anymore. I want more out of life. Yes, I’m 32 years old. I’ve already been to college. But, I want back in!

Physician Assistant programs abound across the U.S. The training is typically between 24 and 27 months, and graduates can earn up to 100K a year (and more) depending upon their specialty. Am I doing this for the money? I’d be lying if I said no. But, it certainly is a perk. And, so are the hours and the work I’ll be doing once I’m out own my own and practicing under the supervision of a doctor. Before I begin applying, I’m starting my prerequisite classes. (Gee, they never asked me to study biology and chemistry in college the first time around!)

So, stay tuned as I share the triumphs (hopefully there will be a few!) and the “whoops, I screwed up” moments that are sure to come.