Missouri State University Physician Assistant Studies is happy to spotlight clinical student Courtney Estes, who serves as the treasurer for the Class of 2021. Nearing the end of her PA school education and inspired by her father, Courtney is ready to begin her new career providing exceptional care to her own patients. Read more on Courtney’s journey to PA below.

Hometown:  Springfield, Missouri

Colleges attended and degrees earned (major/minor):  Missouri State University with a Bachelor of Science in Cell and Molecular Biology and a Minor in General Chemistry

Previous health care experience: 

I have worked as a pharmacy technician and certified medical assistant in Medical Oncology and Gynecologic Oncology at Cox Health prior to PA school.

Interesting fact about me: 

I have an identical twin sister who is currently in dental school in Kansas City, Missouri. We were both offered jobs and signed contracts to work for the same company after graduation.

Why did you decide to become a PA?

I decided I wanted to pursue a career as a Physician Assistant shortly after my father got diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Watching his health deteriorate is heartbreaking, but his resiliency throughout everything is inspiring. I want to provide my future patients with the same excellent care that is given to my father and support to them in their own health journey.

Describe your experience so far in the program.

Undergoing most of our PA education amid a worldwide pandemic has not been ideal. However, our class continues to excel time and time again. With graduation less than a month away, I reflect on the last 24 months and I am blown away by the amount of knowledge and experience I have gained while in PA school at Missouri State. I feel blessed to have been taught from the best faculty, staff, and clinical preceptors. Applying to and attending PA school has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding decisions of my life. I will never forget my time here at Missouri State.

What do you like best about Missouri State’s PA Program?

What I like best about Missouri State’s PA program is the relationships I have gained along the way. We have some of the most kind and caring professors who check in to make sure we are doing okay. They truly do want us all to succeed. Our cohort has gotten very close over the last 2 years as well; I know they all will make great Physician Assistants. I will miss seeing everybody, but I am excited to see where we all end up as providers!

Do you have any advice for prospective PA students? 

PA school can be grueling at times. You may even question yourself along the way. But always remember why you chose this path because in the end it will all be worth it. Learn as much as you can, take time for yourself each week, make close friendships, and have fun during the process.

Current Rotation

I am currently in my last elective rotation in Gynecologic Oncology. Here, I have been able to participate in hospital rounds, first-assist in surgery, as well as medically manage patients undergoing chemotherapy.

What specialty or career goals do you want to pursue? Why?

Before I began PA school, I was passionate about serving the underserved community around Springfield. During my clinical education, I developed an interest in Pediatrics and Women’s Health. To my excitement, I have been offered a position in Family Medicine with Jordan Valley where I can help provide care to the underserved community including Women’s Health and Pediatric patients. I cannot wait to start!

Mallory Warren-Brothers is nearing the end of her first year in the Missouri State University Physician Assistant Studies program. With her white ceremony and promotion to the clinical year just ten days away, Mallory will be just one year away from joining her parents in the healthcare arena. Read Mallory’s journey to PA and advice for prospective students below.

Hometown: Richland, MO

Colleges attended and degrees earned (major/minor)

I graduated from Drury University in May 2019 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology and that same year I also graduated with my Associate’s of Science in Radiologic Technology from Rolla Technical Center.

Previous health care experience 

I worked as a student radiologic technologist during my last year of X-ray school at Mercy Hospital Lebanon and fulfilled all requirements to take my CT registry 2 months after my X-ray registry.  I continued working at Mercy until moving to Springfield in August 2019 where I joined Cox South working in X-ray and CT, rotating through all of the different radiology departments (like fluoro, surgery, ER, urgent care, and portables).

Interesting fact about yourself

I married my best friend in December 2020, one month before PA school started.  Due to COVID, we had to reschedule our wedding reception to June 2021, so we ended up having it on a weekend during my didactic summer semester.  I have six nieces and nephews who didn’t mind basically having two parties, though!  We’re a month away from one year married and I’m so glad to have had him by my side through this whole process.

Why did you decide to become a PA? 

I grew up in a medical family with a family physician father and a RN mother.  Hearing their stories nurtured my seemingly inborn curiosity about medicine and helping people.  However, my path after high school didn’t go nearly as planned.  I had some very deep personal and relationship struggles going on during my early twenties that diminished my academic performance.  In 2016, I began realizing the kind of person I wanted to be and started working really hard to get myself out of the hole I’d dug.  It took a lot of work to get where I’m at today, but those intense personal struggles are exactly the reason why I wanted to become a PA.  I have a unique past that allows me to relate to patients in a way that many providers and health care professionals cannot.  Working in radiology gave me the opportunity to get my foot in the door in healthcare to see how everything works, and I truly loved it, but I also realized I wanted to have a more direct role in each patient’s treatment and care.

Describe your experience so far in the program.

It has been a whirlwind!  I can’t believe we’re almost to the end of our didactic year.  The days/weeks go by slow, but the months go by fast.  It has been the hardest, most rewarding, and amazing experience being in this program for almost three semesters.  I just feel very grateful to have this opportunity!  I have learned sooooo much since January, largely due to lots of help from classmates and professors- thank you Leah, Anna, and Sarah D for sharing your awesome study tools.  Shout out to the back row, Melissa, and Munia for all of your help throughout this year as well!  There are so many wonderful people in this cohort, I’m just very thankful to be a part of it and am trying to learn all that I can during my time here.

What do you like best about Missouri State’s PA program?

There are many great things, like the nice facility, cool things you get to do in anatomy and procedures lab… but my most favorite part about this program is the professors.  It sounds cliché, but it’s the truth.  I’ve doubted myself every step of the way and just when I feel like I’ve done extra horrible after an OSCE, a professor takes me aside and gives me words of encouragement.  Just when I’m not sure if I’ll ever make it through or learn all of this stuff, a professor will give bonus points and raise my whole grade up.  The professors have been through this before, they know what you’re going through, and they care- it shows through their actions.  Even though this program is hard, I feel like I am not being set up for failure and, just when I need it, the faculty is there to support me.  That’s the best part.

Do you have any advice for prospective PA students? Any helpful tips to prepare for PA education? 

You can do it.  Don’t let doubt get in the way of shooting your shot.  I had several bad grades in my early college career, but I re-took the classes I could and worked on strengthening my science GPA for four years- you need a grade of B or higher to really be competitive, especially in Anatomy and Physiology.  But those requirements are in place for a reason, you truly need that background in order to be successful in this program.  If you were a non-traditional student like I was, you have hope of getting in.  But, you really need to address in your personal statement what academic blunders were made (if any) and how you’ve worked on improving yourself since then.  We all make mistakes!!  Before you apply you should meet with LeAnne Snow to go over your application; if you don’t get in you should meet with her again to hear her suggestions.  My advice is to keep working at it if PA is something you really want, all you can do is show up and keep trying your best.

What specialty or career goals do you want to pursue? Why? 

I still am not totally decided because it seems hard to know until I go through clinical rotations, but at the moment I’m leaning towards primary care.  I really like the idea of being able to help patients and their families throughout their lifetimes, getting to build a relationship with individuals and follow along with their healthcare journeys.  But I also like the idea of specializing in something, so who knows!  I’m still open to discovering where I will find the best fit for me.

This month’s clinical student spotlight features Logan James, MSU PA Class of 2021. With only eighteen days until commencement, Logan reflects on her two-year experience in PA school and shares wonderful advice for prospective PA students.

Hometown: Branson, MO

Colleges attended and degrees earned (major/minor):

I have a B.A. in Religious Studies and a minor in Philosophy from Missouri State and an M.A. in Christian Ministries from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary

Previous health care experience:

I worked as an ER Scribe and as a Nurse Assistant on a Med Surg/Telemetry unit.

Interesting fact about yourself:

I don’t think it’s so much interesting, but something that sets me apart from most other PA students is that I have three kids. They are currently ages 7, 5, and 2. For some reason, we decided to get a puppy in the middle of clinical year, so I’m also a “dog mom” to a 5-month-old Corgi named Cash.

Why did you decide to become a PA?

I wanted a career where I could not only help others but challenge myself. I love that as a PA I will always be studying and learning new things.

Describe your experience so far in the program.

It’s crazy to look back over the past two years and see how much I’ve learned and the confidence I’ve gained. I have really enjoyed my clinical year. I learn best by doing so I feel like I have solidified my understanding of so many concepts we were taught during the didactic year.

What do you like best about Missouri State’s PA program?

I have really enjoyed the opportunities for hands-on learning, whether that be through simulated patient encounters, procedure labs, or various clinical experiences.

Do you have any advice for prospective PA students?

My advice to prospective students is to know what unique experiences or strengths you’d bring to a PA program and to the PA profession and be able to communicate those things in your personal statement and interview.

Any helpful tips to prepare for PA education?

PA school is a lot of information coming at you fast. Set up good study habits and routines from day one so that you and those around you are able to respect and expect those boundaries. On the flip side, don’t sacrifice your family (especially if you have children) for PA school. It’s worth it to get an occasional lower grade on an exam and still go to your child’s game or spend time reading with them at night.

Cassidy McCandless PA-S1, MS, RDN, LDN and member of the MSU Physician Assistant Studies Class of 2022, has accepted the position of Student-Member-at-Large on the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) Board of Directors. As the Student-Member-at-Large she will represent PA students nationwide in quarterly meetings as the 12th member of the PAEA Board of Directors.  Cassidy was selected for this position from a national pool of accomplished PA students by the Board.  This is a two-year appointment beginning January 1st, 2022 with goals such as facilitating student participation in PAEA projects, participating in strategic planning, and serving as liaison to the Future Educator Development Steering Committee, as well as other duties as assigned by the Board. “I’m so excited for this opportunity to represent my fellow students nationwide and to learn from leaders in the PA profession about ways our profession can continue to grow”.