The Missouri State University Physician Assistant Studies Department is pleased to spotlight clinical student Trevor Moore. Trevor serves as the Class of 2022 Secretary and as a MSU PA student representative for Missouri Academy of Physician Assistants (MOAPA). After successfully navigating the challenging first year of PA education, Trevor is gaining hands-on experience with community health care partners in his clinical phase of education. Read our interview with Trevor to find out more about his journey to PA education, his experience in the program, and advice to prospective students.
Hometown: Springfield, MO
Degrees Earned: Missouri State University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and minors in psychology and chemistry
Previous Healthcare Experience:
Medical courier for 3 years
Unit assistant for ~9 months on psychiatric unit
ER scribe for 2-3 years.
Volunteer for 2 years in neurotrauma ICU
Why did you decide to become a PA?
It is a highly respected field, with a good salary, good job satisfaction, and a lot of opportunity to experience and practice in various fields of medicine. More importantly though, my first inspiration to join the medical field was by a PA, and every PA I have interacted with since then are very happy individuals and have great things to say about their careers. Prior to choosing which field of medicine to pursue I took a long and hard look at my options and decided I would be happiest as a PA.
Describe your experience so far in the program.
I would first like to say that my experience meeting new individuals with different backgrounds, experiences, and knowledge bases and having the opportunity to learn from each other and to learn with each other was a very humbling experience. You begin to realize early on that to operate as an effective future provider and member of the healthcare team, you must be humble, willing to learn from your peers, and a lifelong learner because there is so much to learn not only about medicine but about cultural, societal, and economic issues our patients face. Throughout the didactic year you go from not knowing the individuals sitting beside you or across from you, then through your collective struggles, you become very close to your classmates. Then you are thrown into the clinical arena and no longer spend every day with those you got to know so well over the last year, and suddenly you realize that you made some true/life-long friends. It is definitely a transition, but overall, clinical year is great. It is an opportunity to show yourself and your preceptors that you did in fact absorb some of the information you spent the last year cramming into your brain. I have nothing but good things to say about my experiences in PA school. I learned a ton, gained some confidence in my abilities while, at the same time, becoming much more humble. I made some great friends along the way and spent many lunch breaks playing cards with those friends.
What clinical rotation are you on and what are you looking forward to most as a PA-S2?
I am currently on my psychiatric/family med rotation. The thing I am looking forward to most as a PA-S2 would be learning which field of medicine I enjoy most.
What do you like best about Missouri State’s PA program?
I enjoy how close the faculty and staff is here. There is a good atmosphere here and it makes MSU a much better learning environment.
Do you have any advice for prospective PA students?
1. Just come ready to learn.
2. You have nothing to prove to your fellow classmates. You are all here for a reason. The program meticulously picks applicants that they know can successfully complete the program. Therefore, in my humble opinion, the hardest part of the program is getting into the program. Once you are accepted, just show up ready to learn, take notes, study, have fun, and make friends. The rest will come with time and practice.