The Final Post
My journey with ADVANCE began July 7th 2008 as I
wrote about my days leading up to physician assistant school. I was excited,
yet nervous, about what I was getting myself into. There were PAs in my life
that encouraged me with words of hope and peace. They said the road would be
hard, but each day would make me stronger. I remember feeling like my head was
barely above water throughout that first semester. The only thing that kept me
going was the thought that PAs are made, not born. They are shaped and refined
daily. They are a product of the journey.
Often I have pre-PAs approach me with discouragement in
their eyes because they experienced denial or simply found the application
process very difficult. I remind them of the process. I tell them there is
purpose in their circumstances. I tell them to hold on.
Already now there are pre-PAs who are about to graduate from
PA school. They are equipped beyond comprehension when compared to before. When
you are on the path to become a professional, the days are tough and sometimes
defeating. However, when you look back, you will see how far you have come. It's
a glorious thing.
Today I am a PA in the emergency department. I encounter
many patients with various needs, ranging from minor to critical. I have done
things with my hands that I never would have believed, from sawing the femur
for a knee replacement to repairing a complex laceration on the arm. Had I been
thrown into these situations prematurely, I would have caused more harm than
good.
Yes, I wanted my life to be on my terms and start when I
wanted. I wanted to start PA school right away. I wanted to make all A's. I
wanted to be the smartest and the best. Life didn't happen as I chose. Life happened
as it was supposed to. The journey became clear as soon as I stopped worrying
and as soon as I started trusting. Our days have purpose.
This is my last post for the ADVANCE Adventures of a New PA
blog. There will be others like me who will write about their journey through
the process. I encourage you to learn from them. Learn from your own
journey. Don't curse it. There are
valuable things to learn along the way. Your
days are like bricks that slowly build up who you will become. Don't skip over
the steps or you will have a faulty structure. You are a unique individual with
special talents and abilities. And no matter how young or old you are, the
process never ends. Your days have purpose. We are continually shaped and
refined. The journey is beautiful. Press on, friends!
Thank you for giving me the chance to share my adventures! This
has been an incredible 4 years! I am blessed beyond belief by the amount of
people who have taken the time to read my posts. Thank you, thank you, and thank
you! If you have any questions or want to bounce ideas off me, feel free to
email me (timothyloerke@gmail.com).
Signing Off,
Tim Loerke, PA-C