Lost in the Mosaic? Step Back and See the Big Picture
When you taste the food at the banquet table, all other delectables pale. That is how I feel coming back from the AAPA conference. Not to say school is inferior, but I now view it in a different light. When you see the big picture, the finer details do not seem as intimidating.
At the 37th annual AAPA conference, I learned about the intricacies of student and practicing PA policy and position statements. Issues such as specialty certification and building relationships with other health care professionals were discussed in depth at the Assembly of Representatives (AOR). I was able to sit in on a House of Delegates (HOD) session where they discussed whether or not the nominations committee should endorse prospective candidates. I saw PAs from all 50 states and even from other countries coming together to celebrate our progressive impact in health care. This is the big picture I am talking about!
There are two years remaining on my student bill, and I know I have to make the most of it. I would be a fool to think that the challenges I face with a master’s project, the intense blocks, the inconvenient rotations and studying for my PANCE are bigger than what lies beyond the horizon. When in the thick of things these next two years, I have to reflect on the bigger picture. This is even true when I am a practicing PA, when my patients are driving me nuts! Physician assistants are leaving their mark on society, and we must not forget the opportunities we have to be a part of that. The greatest downfall we can make is to be lost in the constituent parts amidst the larger sum. Daily we fight the battle together, not alone.