The Missouri State University Physician Assistant Studies Class of 2022 December spotlight is Melissa Toman. Described by her professors as compassionate and thoughtful, Melissa brings twenty-one years of health care experience to her cohort. With her first year completed and clinical rotations on the horizon, Melissa is eager to explore all career possibilities on her journey to becoming a certified PA.
Hometown:
Graduated High school from Nixa Missouri (1996), now live in Marshfield Missouri
Colleges attended and degrees earned (major/minor):
- Ozarks Technical College: Associate of Applied Science as a Physical Therapist Assistant in 2000,
- The University of Findlay, Ohio: Bachelor of Science in Business Management 2019-graduated Summa Cum Laude
- Missouri State University: pre-requisites for the PA program 2019/2020. Will graduate December 2022 as a PA-C!
Previous health care experience
20 years as a Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) with experience in: General inpatient, Orthopedics, Neurology, Inpatient Rehabilitation, and wound care.
1 year as a Clinical Liaison for an Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility.
Interesting fact about yourself
I love the outdoors and spend every moment I can outside. I love to hike, bike, backpack, camp, kayak, and roller-skate. I often study outside at home. I have listened to PA podcasts while kayaking during my first year of PA school so I could get in some water time.
Why did you decide to become a PA?
I love health care and working with people. Becoming a PA allows me to search out the cause of a person’s problem and help them overcome it.
Describe your experience so far in the program.
I am going through the PA program with an amazing, diverse group of students who have been accepting, encouraging and supportive. We are all making it through with each other’s support. We each bring a different bit of knowledge and background to the group.
What do you like best about Missouri State’s PA program?
I appreciate how the information builds on itself throughout the program. It is nice to have those ah-ha moments in the Fall when you learn something that clarifies information from the Spring and Summer. I know that there will be many more “ah-ha” moments as I move into the clinical year.
Do you have any advice for prospective PA students? Any helpful tips to prepare for PA education?
Learn how to recall the information you have studied, whether its through cognitive mapping or some other means of study you have learned. It really helps you actually learn the material and be able to recall it when you need it. I do not make study guides because they take up too much of my time.
What specialty or career goals do you want to pursue? Why?
As of now my goal is primary care because I want to have that continued relationship with my patients and be able to help them with their healthcare over time. However, I am sure my clinical year will expose me to many other specialties I would enjoy. I am excited to see all the possibilities.
