Choosing the PA Path: How I Found My Fit in Medicine

From early on, I had a strong interest in health and a clear desire to work in a role that allowed me to support others in meaningful, hands-on ways. During my undergraduate studies, I explored that interest through academics, healthcare volunteering, and leadership roles in health-focused campus groups. Like many of my peers, I initially assumed medical school was the natural next step.

On paper, I was a competitive pre-med applicant—but privately, I felt uncertain. I struggled to connect with the traditional path to medicine and began questioning whether it truly aligned with how I wanted to contribute to healthcare.

Through ongoing reflection and conversations with my academic advisor, I began exploring a broader range of health professions—everything from physiotherapy, dentistry, pharmacy, physiotherapy to naturopath. That process led to a conversation about a new program at McMaster University: the Physician Assistant Education Program.

I started researching and learned that PAs provide medical care in collaboration with a supervising physician, with opportunities to work across specialties, maintain career flexibility, and complete training in a much shorter timeframe.

At the time that I applied, the PA profession in Canada was still emerging. Apart from military-trained PAs, few had entered civilian practice, and local resources were limited. Most of what I learned came from U.S.-based forums and scattered articles online. Eventually, I connected with a McMaster PA student who part of the inaugural class—someone who had taken a similar path through undergrad. Our conversation gave me a clear sense of what the PA role looked like in practice, and how the training was structured. I still consider this PA a mentor, and this conversation led me down a trajectory that confirmed that this was the direction I wanted to pursue.

The possibility of helping to pioneer a new career in Canada was very exciting too and inspired me to pursue becoming a Physician Assistant.

My PA Journey Now: Working as an Orthopaedic Surgery PA

I now work as an Orthopaedic Surgery PA, in private practice, then obtained hospital privileges where I was surgical first assist in the operating room and saw patients in fracture clinic.

I have also worked in two specialties at once (lateral mobility), while working full time in Orthopaedic Surgery, I worked part time as a PA in Physiatry.

I now work as a large urban university-hospital as an Orthopaedic Surgery PA. I work with 9 different Orthopaedic Surgeons across various Orthopaedic subspecialties: Trauma, Arthroplasty, Ankle and Foot, Hip & Knee, Sports, and Shoulder & Elbow. I am in the Operating Room, Fracture Clinic, Orthopaedic Clinic, with previous experience on-call and inpatient/ward management.

Medicine, Mentoring and PA Advocacy

As I grew more confident in my role as a PA in Orthopaedic Surgery, I felt called to support others entering the profession. I began mentoring students, supervising clinical placements, and volunteering with PA organizations.

Over time, I’ve guided PAs through school, placements, job interviews, and contract negotiations. I’ve seen many PAs successfully pivot between specialties or grow within their field.

These experiences inspired me to keep writing and sharing insights, often sparked by real questions from students in our Pre-PA community. My goal is to help others navigate the PA path with more clarity and confidence.

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Thanks for reading about my journey, and feel free to connect with me if you have any questions!

Cheers,

– Anne