RMT to PA: Switching Careers & Turning ‘No” into PA Acceptance | Sarah, McMaster PA-S2
You Didn’t Get In the First Time—Now What?
What if your first “no” is exactly what shapes your strongest “yes”? My conversation with Sarah Floyd might be the pep talk you didn’t know you needed.
Farrah is a second-year PA student at McMaster University and a former registered massage therapist who had a whole other career before pivoting into medicine. In this episode, she shares the full story—starting from high school uncertainty, through her time as a massage therapist, to becoming a reapplicant who turned disappointment into motivation.
Sarah opens up about being waitlisted, how grief shaped her first interview season, and what she did differently the second time around to walk into her interviews with confidence. If you’ve ever doubted whether it’s too late to change careers, or if you’re feeling crushed by rejection, this one’s for you.
We also get into what PA school is really like—from problem-based learning to longitudinal placements—and how Farrah is balancing planning her wedding while finishing clinical year. Her honesty, organization hacks, and pure excitement for patient care make this conversation one of the most energizing we’ve had yet.
If you're feeling overwhelmed, behind, or discouraged in your pre-PA journey, please listen to this one.
4 Key Takeaways from Sarah:
1. Rejection isn’t the end, it’s a reset. Sarah didn’t get in the first time she applied. She talks openly about what went wrong, how personal grief impacted her interviews, and how she used that experience to fuel serious prep the second time around.
2. Be more than your GPA. Yes, Sarah had a 4.0 GPA. But she’s the first to say most of her classmates didn’t. What really helped her stand out? A mix of patient care experience, communication skills, and learning how to prepare smart for interviews, not just hard.
3. Longitudinal placements are what you make of them. McMaster’s LPs are self-directed shadowing opportunities, and Sarah emphasizes just how important it is to show up informed, curious, and respectful. Doing your homework before stepping into a specialty makes all the difference.
4. You can plan a wedding and survive PA school, but don’t do it alone. From spreadsheets to delegation to letting go of perfectionism, Farrah shares how she’s approaching wedding planning with the same mindset that helps her succeed in PA school. It’s a masterclass in boundaries and balance.
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