Why are the meetings so late?

We try our absolute best to consider the busy schedules of our members when planning meeting times that are suitable for everyone. Unfortunately, given the volume of our club, it is inherently impossible to accommodate for each and every member. Furthermore, it is also difficult to reserve rooms with the capacity to hold our club at earlier times in the evening.

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Why doesn’t the club do more healthcare group volunteering?

Volunteering in healthcare settings often introduces a multitude of compliance issues that make it difficult for groups as large as ours to do so. A few of these include HIPAA, background checks, required trainings, and vaccinations. There’s also the issue of how much disruption to a unit a large group of people can be (noise, space, etc) and in an environment where people are sick and trying to heal this is rarely helpful to them. If you still wish to volunteer in a health care setting, consider doing so with a fellow member or friend! Under the meetings tab on our website you can find a PowerPoint with a multitude of volunteer opportunities both in a healthcare setting and not. It’s under “Resources” on that page after the meeting info and slides. If you’re still stuck on where to go, reach out to any of the board members and we can help point you in the right direction, although don’t be surprised if we encourage you to do some of your own research on these opportunities. Learning how to network and find potential opportunities will be an important skill on your journey to becoming a PA. 

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Where can I find information about potential volunteer opportunities outside of the club?

As mentioned above, there is a PowerPoint on the website under the meetings tab that has a vast array of volunteer opportunities. In addition, our group volunteer events are posted on our website under the “Opportunities” tab, and are regularly updated. Lastly, following our social media pages on Facebook and Instagram will help keep you tuned in to our latest volunteer information.

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How do I find PAs to shadow?

Shadowing is an important part of the Pre-PA process, and we recognize it can be difficult to find a PA to shadow. Our goal as a club is to provide resources and facilitate opportunities for our members to allow them to individually make the connections that may lead to shadowing opportunities. With that in mind, we are often unable to directly provide members with the contact information of personal PA connections out of respect of these professionals (unless they have shared an interest in hosting future student shadowers). Assuming that you are gaining healthcare experience hours while in school, reaching out to individuals you may work alongside is a great place to start! It also may surprise you how many family and friends know of a PA who is willing to take on a student shadower. Even asking your primary care physician if they have any connections with a PA is a possibility. Struggling to find individuals to shadow is something we have all had to endure - but do not give up. It only takes one connection, one PA to open the door to an unlimited future network.