Professional Interview
Name of Interviewer: Emily Smajstrla
Name of Interviewee: Hannah Helm
Occupation/Specialty/Facility or Location of work: PA at Central Texas Gastroenterology
Prior to interview- Why are you seeking to enter this field of work? What do you think will be your biggest strength and weakness in this occupation? What will be the most rewarding part of this job? What will be the most difficult aspect to handle? (150 words)
I have always envisioned myself working in healthcare, and the older I got, the more I knew that I wanted to be a healthcare provider. Whenever I first learned what a Physician Assistant was, I knew that it was exactly what I wanted to be. I like the idea of a two year program as opposed to the four year program of medical school, although the lateral mobility afforded to PA’s is the biggest draw for me. I think my biggest strength in healthcare is that I truly love learning and being a part of anything health related and applying that to patient care. I think a weakness of mine that I try to work on is that sometimes I’m too nice, especially in certain situations where being stern might be necessary. The most rewarding part of being a Physician Assistant will be knowing that I am coming to work and changing people’s lives. Being a part of someone’s health journey is a privilege, and I am looking forward to educating patients on their body. I think the most difficult aspect of being a PA applies to many different fields, and that is the burnout. Many healthcare workers, including PAs are overworked with not enough support from their place of work, and I think this is inevitable no matter the place of work, which will be hard to work through.
Interview Questions
Why did you decide to be a Physician Assistant?
Hannah Helm, PA-C: My major was in Allied Health, although I didn’t know I wanted to be a PA until about sophomore year of college. I have a passion for healthcare, but also had life goals that I wanted to be compatible with my career. I wasn’t sure exactly what specialty of healthcare I wanted to work in, so having lateral mobility in this career field was a huge plus. Another factor for me was that PA’s are also known to have a great work-life balance, which I knew would be very beneficial when I got married and decided to start a family.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Hannah Helm, PA-C: I think the most rewarding part of being a PA is knowing that I’m coming to work and helping to improve my patients' lives. At our clinic, PA’s mostly handle the clinical side, while the Physician’s focus more on surgeries and procedures. This allows me to see the same patients multiple times, and to really become involved in their journey to improve their health.
What is the hardest part of your job?
Hannah Helm, PA-C: I think the hardest part of my job is helping patients who suffer from chronic diseases/GI issues. Patients who suffer from IBS, and chronic abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhea, are hard to treat seeing as there is no “cure” for any of these things. There is only treatment to try and alleviate the symptoms, which often involves patients changing their lifestyle, which many are not willing to do, and it is hard trying to help patients when they are not willing to help themselves.
Is your job stressful? How do you handle the stress and demands of your day?
Hannah Helm, PA-C: There is always a certain amount of stress when working in healthcare, especially as a healthcare provider. I work at an outpatient clinic, seeing around 15-20 patients a day, which I feel comfortable with. It can get overwhelming at times, but I manage it by trying to stay organized and by finishing all my work before I leave for the day. This allows me to separate work and home, and allows me to really be present with my family once I come home.
What is your greatest skill as a Physician Assistant?
Hannah Helm, PA-C: I think my greatest skill is communication. Communication is vital when interacting with patients and their families, as well as physicians, nurses, etc. PA’s need to make sure that patients feel heard, while also educating them in a way that is easy to understand. PA’s also do the important job of gaining and conveying important information to the healthcare team which is vital to building the best plan of care for the patient.
What is your greatest weakness as a Physician Assistant?
Hannah Helm, PA-C: I think my greatest weakness is sometimes caring about my patients too much. I have made many calls to tell my patients about their cancerous biopsies, or that they have Hepatitis B or C, or some other life changing condition, and it can be hard to separate myself emotionally from the situation.
What are the best and worst things about the place you work?
Hannah Helm, PA-C: I think the best thing about my place of work is my team. I am lucky to work alongside one other amazing PA and a fantastic team of physicians who support each other and genuinely care for and respect one another. I think the worst thing about my place of work, like many others, is having to deal with insurance, as a lot of the time insurance won’t cover necessary medications or procedures at an affordable price for the patient.
What does a typical day at work look like for you?
Hannah, Helm, PA-C: I start clinic at 8:00 am, and see about 7-8 patients in the morning. I get an hour for lunch and then see about 7-8 more patients in the afternoon until 4:00 pm, and leave at 5:00pm. I see patients for a variety of different reasons, however the most common being, IBS, GERD/acid reflux, constipation/diarrhea, Crohn’s disease, and colitis.
What would your dream job be?
Hannah Helm, PA-C: This! I truly love my job, and while I was doing clinicals I was initially interested in doing surgery, however I accepted a job offer to work in GI and haven’t looked back since!
If you had to start all over again, would you choose the same career? Why?
Hannah Helm, PA-C: Yes, 100% I would choose to become a PA again. While it is an extremely challenging job, it is so rewarding, and has allowed me to further my career, and at the same time start a family and fulfill my personal life goals as well.
Post-Interview reflection- What was the most unexpected thing you learned about this career field? How did your interviewee’s answers compare to your initial impression of this job? Has your opinion or attitude towards this career option changed? What skills do you think you need to improve so you are the best candidate for a career in this field? (300 words)
I think the most unexpected thing I experienced learning about Physician Assistants’ is the fact that they can be involved in every specialty of healthcare, including surgery. This opens up so many doors for PA’s, allowing them to choose their specialty, setting, and work schedule, accommodating for many different lifestyles. Hannah’s answers were pretty consistent to my initial impression of the job. I got to shadow Hannah for a period of time, and got a really good look as to what everyday life looks like for a PA who works in an outpatient clinic. I know that PA programs can be rigorous, however after talking to Hannah and some other PA’s, the consensus is that it's worth it. Hannah made sure to tell me the highlights of her job, as well as some of the more negative aspects such as burnout. One of my big personal goals is travel, and with the variety of schedules and contracts available for PAs, this seems very doable. The lateral mobility of a PA is also a huge factor for me. It is very daunting to pick one thing to focus on, and a Physician Assistant career allows you the ability to work in many different specialties if you desire to. PA seems to be a satisfactory career with many rewards along the way, as well as great work-life balance, which is exactly what I want out of a career. My interview with Hannah hasn’t changed my mind about this career option, but rather strengthened what I already felt about being a PA. I think there are always professional skills that could be improved upon, but I think for me, confidence in my decision making, as well as my communication skills would be two big ones that would really allow me to be a great candidate for this field.