kyaira93 Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 I am a freshman in college and I have trying to figure out what I want to ever since junior year of high school. Yea I know very indecisive. But I've recently have been very interested in Physician Assistant. What's bothering me though is the whole personality thing though. I'm very introverted which does not mean shy but I'm also shy too. Really, I don't have a hard time conversing one-on-one it just when someone wants me to give a presentation or something. Also I am very bad with small talk. I'm thinking this would be very horrible for the patient aspect which is the most important. Soon I'm going to start volunteering at a hospital as a patient companion. My coordinator put me in this role and I got nervous. But I'm going to try my best to do it because I'm hoping it will help me come out of my shell. I'm also going to start taking cna classes soon. I don't want to regret going into this. But I'm also wondering if I'll be able to get over my shyness. If not I honestly don't know what other career to go to. For my Holland code it was Investigative, Social (weird I know), Conventional just if you want to know. What do you think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghostnineone Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 I have similar anxiety issues, I think that if you try hard enough to over come it you can, and I think that if you end up really loving it you'll be so into it you won't be able to shut up! I think that maybe your CNA classes and working as one will help you a lot since you can get used to patient interaction with it being less nerve wracking. As a CNA you might have minimal interaction compared to a PA having to do your first physical exam and other things. If your CNA work goes well, maybe try EMS? That way you'd have more interaction with the PT care aspect. (that was probably the wrong term to use) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sartort Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I don't consider the conversations I've had with patients, seen physicians/PAs have with other patients or myself to be "small talk." The interaction is about overall well-being and although it may seem that some conversation is unnecessary, I really believe it all serves a purpose. You ask them about school, work, family, etc. not just to keep conversation flowing while you look in their ears, etc. but because this is relevant information to a patient visit. Are they stressed, depressed, active, social enough, etc? As a patient companion it will be, but as a PA I really don't think that's what you'll find. Also, if you're a traditional freshman and only 18 or 19, don't worry that you haven't found the perfect career. You're really not supposed to at that age, I promise. I think the focus high schools and such are putting a lot of pressure on people to figure out their lives way too early. When I was 19 I wanted to be a police officer, but couldn't start a program until I was 20 1/2, joined the army as a medic and found the PA profession. Do things that interest you and you'll discover what you are good at and passionate about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted July 22, 2012 Administrator Share Posted July 22, 2012 Let's put it this way: You need to be comfortable working around a lot of different people to make it through PA school, let alone function in a medical team or office. If you're really introverted, smart, and want to help people, consider radiology, pathology, or another medical specialty where interaction with patients is the exception rather than the rule. Trying to change your fundamental personality just to mold yourself into one job within a broad career field like medicine can be a recipe for frustration. Besides, radiologists make bank. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyaira93 Posted July 22, 2012 Author Share Posted July 22, 2012 Yes I am 19 and yes my high school did push us to figure it all out. we had colleges not stop through out the year come visit us and had to do career research papers. i think it added fuel to my already what to figure it out personality lol. But now that you describes it better for me I really think I can do it. I love people and I want to help them period. Like I said I don't have a problem talking on a one-on-one basis. just when all the attention is on me. So now that ive thought o=it through some more i think I'll be okay. Im sure ill really like it. thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyaira93 Posted July 22, 2012 Author Share Posted July 22, 2012 ooh radiology would be good. before i was considering radiologic tech, and it seemed really interesting. good idea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyaira93 Posted May 29, 2014 Author Share Posted May 29, 2014 Wow, I know this post is old, I completely forgot about it. Well as an update, I did the volunteer program for a few months and it wasn't that bad. I also became a cna and have been working at the hospital I'm at for over a year now. Boy, time passes fast. Well, working as a cna has taught me that I'm not that bad at interacting with people after all. I really enjoy taking care of my patients and don't feel shy at all around them (I do feel shy at times when the whole room is filled with family and friends) although I'm not a very talkative person I think my patients still appreciate my work for them. This job has taught me a lot about working with many different types of personalities (patients and coworkers!). Some patients are really sweet while some have taught me to grow thick skin, which is good for me since I'm a highly sensitive person. I think I have grown a lot since I first posted this and I feel much more confident in this aspect. This is no longer a concern for me, thanks again for all of your input. : ) Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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