LIVE From South College - Navigating PA School: Insights from Students and Program Director Dr. Jeffrey Peacock

Thinking about PA School? Wish you could talk to those who have "been there" or in it right now?

Join us as we dive into the realities of physician assistant education, from student challenges to program excellence and career pathways, with students Cassidy and Bryce, and South College PA Program Director Dr. Jeffrey Peacock.

Main Topics:

• Challenges and rewards of PA school
• Key skills and experiences impacting clinical practice
• Program highlights and factors behind South College Nashville’s success
• Future trends in PA education and the role of doctorate degrees
• Advice for prospective PA students and application tips

In this episode:

• Cassidy and Bryce share their experiences managing the demanding PA curriculum
• Discussion on the importance of soft skills, such as communication and first impressions
• Insights into how previous work like hospitality and healthcare shaped their clinical readiness
• Program director Dr. Peacock emphasizes program excellence, faculty dedication, and the high pass rates
• Advice on how to strengthen your application and prepare for interviews
• A heartfelt story of military service and resilience from Dr. Peacock
• Insights into the evolving role of PAs with doctoral degrees and increased autonomy
• Personal insights into the balance of study, fun, and future planning for students

Timestamps:

00:20 - Challenges of navigating intense coursework 

01:23 - The peaks and valleys of medical knowledge growth 

02:10 - Building connections and overcoming isolation in PA programs 

03:19 - The significance of clinical tools and real-world preparation 

04:41 - The impact of soft skills and patient interactions 

05:50 - Insights on shadowing hours and practical experience 

06:54 - The importance of maintaining confidence and professionalism 

07:22 - The role of extracurricular experiences like hospitality 

08:44 - Shadowing in healthcare settings and first impressions 

10:02 - How fun and relaxation play a part in a rigorous program 

10:35 - Future pathways for PAs with doctoral degrees 

12:10 - Tips for applicants considering PA school at South College 

16:21 - The inspiring military background of Dr. Peacock 

19:47 - The significance of resilience, service, and grit in PA education 

22:25 - The rewarding nature of patient care and service mindset 

25:32 - Personal stories of growth from challenging student days 

26:55 - Final thoughts on applying and succeeding in PA programs

Resources & Links:

• South College Nashville PA Program
• South College Admissions
• Doctor of Medical Science at South College

Got a question? Have some feedback? Email us at SouthCollegePodcast@south.edu or come visit us at www.south.edu.  Follow us on social media too.  The Live from South College Podcast is your source for all South College activity including new student information, deeps dive’s into our 100+ programs, and concentrations,  “Tools of the Trade,” and even Live on location from all of our campuses! Great interviews with Faculty, Staff, Deans and hear from South College students and alumni in their own words. From Certificates all the way to Doctoral degrees, catch up with “Live from South College” for the lighter side of helping your dreams find direction. 

Transcript

TRANSCRIPT   - Navigating PA School: Insights from Students and Program Director Dr Jeffrey Peacock 

Kathleen Stockham (00:40)

Welcome to the Live From South College podcast. I'm your host Kathleen Stockham. The Live From South College podcast is your source for all South College activity, including new student information, deep dives into our 100 plus programs and concentrations, tools of the trade and even live on location from all of our campuses, great interviews with faculty, staff, deans, and hear from South College students and alumni in their own words.

From certificates all the way to doctoral degrees, catch up with live from South College for the lighter side of helping your dreams find direction. I know we talk a lot about our PA programs on the podcast, but today I'm excited to do even more. These students are the most poised.

driven and some of the greatest kids you will ever meet. I call them kids because they're all younger than me. We are back just beyond the sounds and the lights of Broadway in Nashville. I'm in Tennessee to talk about the PA program at South College Nashville with program director Dr. Jeffrey Peacock. Hey Jeff.

Jeffrey  Peacock (01:49)

Hey, good morning. How you doing?

Kathleen Stockham (01:51)

I am good. Good morning, good morning. So PA here in Nashville is something that's very special. These kids are truly the best of the best. The PA program is especially competitive to get into and stay in, but this group is always amazing. So in one of the greatest cities ever, let's get into this. PA is an enormous program for South College with way more applicants than seats.

Why do you think that the Master's in Physician Assistant continues to be such a hot program?

Jeffrey  Peacock (02:25)

Well, when you look at it, you look at the US World News report, anything medical, whether PA or nurse practitioner or ultrasound, these are the most popular jobs currently in the United States. And one of the main reasons is the baby boomer generation is all retiring, all elderly and all needs healthcare. And so this is one reason why PAs

are so popular. It's also, you're in a position where, after you're undergraduate, you can get into this in about three years but most importantly, really be in a position to serve people. I think the PA program at South College is so popular. Number one, it is the professors. Many of these professors,

I've personally worked with and known for over 20 years. They love the students. We're student focused and I think students who come here, I know students who come here, they get that feel. Another reason is we have a very low student to faculty ratio. And so when you look at hands-on, one-on-one training, it's about one to 13. This is important when you're trying to train a person to be

become a clinician. The other reason is, we have a very low student attrition rate. So we're less than 5 % a year. That means that most students who make it to the program eventually graduate and become PAs. And finally, our graduate exam, the PANCE, this past year, we had 100 % pass rate. So,

All these data points and all these reasons are some of the reasons that the PA program is so hot up here in Nashville.

Kathleen Stockham (04:19)

Oh, I love that. And the 100 % PANCE Pass Rate is amazing. And I can honestly say as I've done a little bit of research on this, that is not common. So that's really exciting and very special for you guys. So I've interviewed many of your students over the last year for the podcast. And I always find the National PA students to be so professional, smart, focused, polite.

together and I always say the Nashville students always look right out of central casting being so attractive. These kids are just literally the whole package. What is going on in Nashville that we have so many smart people in PA?

Jeffrey  Peacock (04:58)

Well, we, you the Nashville program has anywhere between four to 5,000 applicants for 60 slots each year. And so we, we pull students from not just Nashville and Tennessee, but all over the country. And so being that it's that competitive, we, only take the best. And so that's a major reason. You know, the other reason is from day one, we,

show and tell the students just the importance and the level of responsibility that you're going to have as a clinician. And so we have 27 months from the time a student gets there to the time of graduation that to make you a clinician, to make you a clinical provider and give you the opportunity to really bring healing and health to others. And that's a huge responsibility. And so

the expectation and the bar is set very high for students. so students really quickly, if they're not maybe professional or they have areas of lacking, which most of them don't, they really quickly get on board and get with the program because they wanna be medical providers. And so that's what it takes. It takes you to be competent, compassionate, comprehensive, and professional.

Kathleen Stockham (06:22)

that really kind of makes it into a nice concise very nice tight little circle for these kids and you're right they're literally the best of the best and there are thousands and thousands of applicants at all of our campuses for just very select spots so that's amazing all right so I mentioned this a lot on the on the podcast every time I talk about PA and I'm just gonna say it again it's a hard program there's no doubt about it there's no getting around it is tough it is difficult these students are

are face down in studying pretty much all the time. How do you and your staff make things maybe a little more comfortable for some of these students?

Jeffrey  Peacock (07:01)

Well, there's several things that we do to make it more comfortable. So I'll tell you one of the things that we do is that the program's hard, but it's fair. And so we're not trying to trick students or confuse students. Our goal is to show them and teach them what they need to know to get to that next phase. So in the didactic year,

We teach them, do you need to know to get to the clinical year and be ready for that year? In the clinical year, we teach them, what do you need to know to get out and graduate, take your pants and work in a clinic or hospital? And so we're not writing tests to confuse students at all. And so I think the difficulty of medicine and the volume is enough to do that. The other thing, some real practical things that we do is,

you know, before every quarter we look at the assessment calendar. So we put all the exams and quizzes kind of on a monthly calendar and our didactic director does this. And what we do is we try to make sure that we were managing their study priority and their focus. And so if you have a day with three exams or three quizzes, we try to make sure that we're staggering those mostly because we don't want students to cram.

You know, we don't want students to have to choose, do I study today neurology or cardiology and blow off the other one? And so that's a practical way that we do for students. The other thing is that most of our faculty works in clinic on Fridays. And so on Fridays, students, they don't have class most Fridays. And so this this time for students is really time for them to study.

for them to focus on what they learn throughout the week. You the other thing that we do is, I don't know how the saying goes, but you you need to make sure you see the forest through the trees. I may have said that wrong, but it's focused on the important things and the big picture items. You're not gonna learn cardiology in a year, but what we can do is we can teach you the basics. We can teach you the fundamentals.

and get you ready for that next phase. So those are some practical things. The other thing, just some fun stuff is, you know, during labs, we allow students to wear scrubs. It's a little more comfortable. You know, yesterday for PA week, had, we had potlucks. And so this, this brings, just like a spree decor to students and allow students to have some fun while they're doing it. But we try to have fun too. And so in lab, we're a little more relaxed.

And those are just some practical ways that we try to help students get through a difficult course load.

Kathleen Stockham (09:53)

Well, yeah, I was going to ask you if you if you let them have some fun. So I'm glad to hear that. And also, I'm going to assume and the students that I interview at all campuses, they do find avenues and alleys to go have fun, go have dinner, maybe have a cocktail or two. yeah, well, I mean, with Broadway right there, I mean, I would think that might be a distraction, but that's just me. ⁓

Jeffrey  Peacock (09:57)

Ha ha ha.

Yeah, you gotta do that. You gotta do that.

Well,

I would say on a typical week, that class is running Monday through Thursday, I tell students, look, you just have to get to Thursday night and then you can take a break. And so most students will take a break Thursday night, you they'll go out with friends, have a good burger, have a drink, have some fun. And then they'll, of course wake up on Friday and start with the books again.

Kathleen Stockham (10:43)

Yeah, that makes sense. That makes total sense. It's kind of the opposite for other college students where, Friday is kind of like, hey, I'm not going to class or like I said, maybe that was just me. don't know. Anyway, so we just launched the Doctor of Medical Science program aimed at working PAs. How do you see that pathway changing for the PA students of the future?

Jeffrey  Peacock (10:51)

Ha ha ha ha.

Well, look, PAs, we're noticing that, of course, every place needs more providers. And so I'm just speaking of my own experience, many times I was the sole provider at a clinic. And so the demand for more clinicians is definitely there. And so it's a supplier demand issue. And I think the new doctorate allows

PAs and providers to gain more competencies. And so for instance, in Tennessee, we have a new license compact allows you to get licenses in multiple states. And so this allows PAs to have more autonomy. So a doctorate degree is just keeping up with that trend. So if you look at doctorate of physical therapy,

You look at nurse practitioners, have already moved towards doctorate degrees. And so PAs are just following that trend. And I think this is gonna allow PAs in the future to have more authority and more autonomy, but most importantly, larger access to care for patients. And so I think this is a step in the right direction.

Kathleen Stockham (12:18)

Yeah, that makes total sense. So now we talk a little bit about this in other episodes at other campuses. I'm interested to get your take. What advice do you have for someone who is thinking about PA who is in Metro Nashville or in a state or a city, you know, not too far away. I know we do have students that travel from other states and other cities for the Nashville PA program. But what tips, tricks?

advice do you have for someone who's thinking about it who's seriously considering PA school?

Jeffrey  Peacock (12:48)

I would say three things. First, just look at our website. You can see the kind of students we have, what the courses look like, what the admissions requirements are. So you can get a really good feel for, do you already have the prereqs? Do you have what it takes? Do you have what you need? That's the first thing. The second thing is just come by and see us.

You know, come by and see us come by the campus, You can talk to me. You can talk to our admissions. You can talk to any one of the different professors and just meet the faculty. The third thing I would say do is just go ahead and talk to our admissions team.

One of the things that we probably do differently is students are calling all the time saying, do I have the right prereqs? How competitive do you think I am? We're pretty open about, guiding a student and letting him know, hey, this is one thing I'd recommend you do. You might not have quite enough hours to be competitive. Go ahead and do this. And so I would just say contact us either through our website, our email, come by campus. Of course, we always love to see students.

nd then contact our admissions team.

Kathleen Stockham (14:11)

Yeah.

That makes sense. And I know that's a question that we get emailed in all the time is, who can give me a sense of before I before I apply, am I good enough? And so it's hard because they have to go through the PA cast system. So they haven't really applied yet. And so it's kind of hard until you have obviously the whole package in front of you. So any tips on the interview? What about the interview and what advice do you have when they're invited to come in?

for an interview to really nail that conversation.

Jeffrey  Peacock (14:45)

I would say, one of the biggest things that I want students to do is I want students to be themselves. And so with that being said, that means we really welcome a lot of questions. This is a huge decision for each student. I mean, not only a big decision, it's three years of your life. It's a lot of money. It's a big investment in both time and resources on your part. And so,

ask those questions that you want to ask. You one of the things that I really love about our interview process is that we have current students in breakout rooms. And I really think when prospective students ask them questions, it goes a lot longer because they kind of assume I'm going to say the right thing or I'm going to be nice. so I would say come ask a lot of questions.

Be yourself. You the other thing is, is realize that the interview is very important, but what's also important is all those things that you've done those last four or five years. So that science GPA, your GRE scores, those letters of recommendations, those clinical hours, they weigh so much.

The interview is just part of the selection process, but it's not the entire process.

Kathleen Stockham (16:11)

Got it. Okay. Well, see, there you have it. Yeah, there you go. All right. So let's talk about you for a minute. You have a really interesting background in the military prior to coming to South College. Can you tell us a little bit more about that?

Jeffrey  Peacock (16:13)

There you have it.

Yeah, I can. So I was a PA in the Army and my main job was to train foreign medical students overseas.

And so I did this in both Iraq and Afghanistan. And so my last position was to start a PA program in Afghanistan. This was in 2010. And then my other job was to be a mentor for physicians in both emergency medicine and trauma medicine in Afghanistan.

and so that was my last position. I did love the military. loved training students. loved the medics and the nurses and everybody I worked with. But what happened in 2010, there was actually a Pakistani terrorist organization that had a hit on my life. And, and

They actually, was hit by a suicide bomber and it really took my life for a new direction. it, unfortunately it killed several of my students. It ended my military career and I was pretty broken, know, physically, emotionally, spiritually for several years. It was a really hard time in my life.

And I honestly didn't even know if I'd be able to do medicine again. And so I would say that the, in this part on a high note, the Nashville PA program was an absolute miracle for me because, I'm gonna get teary-eyed, I'm sorry, but you can't see me, but. ⁓

Kathleen Stockham (18:24)

Take your time.

Jeffrey  Peacock (18:32)

See, God just turned it all around.

Kathleen Stockham (18:35)

Wow.

That's amazing. That's amazing. it definitely led you to where you are to actually teach the next generation. I love that. That's so powerful. Amazing. Well, yes, absolutely. We can do that. We can do that. So what top three things do potential PA applicants need to know about this program?

Jeffrey  Peacock (18:57)

All right, next question. Yeah.

Top three things, we'll realize that every student who comes here is gonna have imposter syndrome. That's normal. And so what I mean by that is medicine is so broad, you never feel like you really are a master of it. And because we're always growing and we're always learning. And so I feel this even today. And so that's a normal.

part of the PA experience. And that's important to tell students that this is normal. The other thing is you need to have the desperate determination to succeed. So keep your eyes on your goal and just tell yourself, I've volunteered for this, this is what I want and I'm gonna do whatever it takes to do this. And so this type of grit, this type of growth mindset,

is important to be able to get you through the PA program. For many students, it's gonna be one of the most challenging things they've ever done. And so having that mindset is helpful. The third thing is, and I talked to a student about this yesterday, is that if you wanna be a good clinician, you have to understand that this is really about serving other people. This is not about,

serving yourself. This is about bringing healing and health and love to others. And so it helps to kind of have that in your mind. this is not about clout or a degree or the money. This is about bringing healing and serving other people that are in many cases at some of the lowest points of their life. the people that you're going to see

they're sick, they're broken, they're hurt, they might have psychiatric problems. This is who you're serving. And so it's a real honor to do it, but that's what you're getting into. And so I would say that those are the three things, service and grit and have a desperate determination to succeed.

Kathleen Stockham (21:05)

Yeah.

that's amazing. It's interesting you say that my daughter is an ER nurse and she often says that the best part of her job, ironically, is to help people that it's probably the worst day. And she said there's so much reward in seeing people at their worst. When they come into the ER, particularly in a large metro downtown.

emergency room, she sees a little bit of everything and she often speaks of that, that there is reward in being able to show up and help and address and help get things figured out and get things sorted out. sometimes those visits don't end on a great note, but on the other hand, she also feels compelled and drawn to that service and she's actually getting ready to go into the Navy

to become a Navy ER nurse. And we just got that piece of news not long ago. And I think it's amazing. And I'm really excited for all of these students because it is truly a calling and it takes a very special individual exactly to your point to be able to put everything else aside to take care of what's in front of them and want what's best. So I love that. Well, let's lighten this up just a tad.

What are you doing in your spare time?

Jeffrey  Peacock (22:42)

Well, you know, I have a ton of it. I've got two teenagers and a preteen. And of course, I've been married to my wife now. So most evenings are soccer games and basketball tournaments and volleyball tournaments. that's most evenings with my three kids and wife. The other thing that I do is I've got a couple of young men that come to my house.

Kathleen Stockham (22:49)

Okay, I feel for you.

Jeffrey  Peacock (23:10)

really early in the morning and I kind of mentor them and we lift weights together. This helps me keep healthy and try to stay young, but also gives me an opportunity to speak life into some people. And then I do some other volunteer work. I'm the treasurer for a couple sports booster clubs that keeps me busy. In the summer, of course, we love to be on the lake and land between the lakes in Kentucky.

But most of my spare time is really just with my wife and kids. Whatever we need to do that weekend or to enjoy each other, that's what we do.

Kathleen Stockham (23:48)

That's awesome. My goodness. I always liked you and always thought you were awesome. And now I think you're even more awesome because that is incredible. You hold down a full-time job. obviously growing next-gen healthcare leaders and you're also mentoring young men early in the morning, lifting weights and running around behind kids and their activities. You're awesome. I think that's great.

Jeffrey  Peacock (24:14)

Well, thank you.

Thank you.

Kathleen Stockham (24:16)

All right, so I ask all of my podcast guests this question, so you're no exception. What kind of student were you in school?

Jeffrey  Peacock (24:24)

I was not the greatest student, to be honest with you. I would say I was an average student. I was also a procrastinator, which is terrible, because these are the things that I tell students not to do today. But I've always loved learning. But yeah, I was not a great student. I was not a great student. So hopefully I'm teaching students to do better than I did. I actually tell the students this too.

I say, learn from me, but I was not a great student. So I actually, I think I barely made it out of high school. So that's what happens, right?

Kathleen Stockham (24:59)

Yeah. Wow. So what the students can glean from this and actually for our listeners, this is an amazing story of maturity where you maybe didn't have all the great foundational pieces in place. You got out of high school, maybe were a distracted student and you got into college. It's kind of the same thing. But look where you are now. Look what you're able to do now.

That is a real testament to growth and maturity and most importantly, a commitment to be better. That's awesome. What an incredible story. All right.

Jeffrey  Peacock (25:34)

Well, this was fun.

Kathleen Stockham (25:35)

Yeah, well color me

impressed. So well, if you are interested in the Master of Physician Assistant program and you live mostly near Nashville, you have 100 reasons to sign up for this incredible program from this incredible dedicated staff and this man that you are listening to. And my goodness, he is amazing. You have to sign up from the dedicated staff and support and of course the passionate faculty.

who are ready to start this journey with you. The time is now. I want to thank my special guest here. Really appreciate you being here. The program director of PA for South College Nashville, Dr. Jeffrey Peacock for joining me.

Jeffrey  Peacock (26:17)

Thank you everybody.

Kathleen Stockham (26:18)

Oh no, this was great. Coming up after the break, I'm going to get a chance to talk to two of your current students in the program.

which will give us a really up close view of what it's like being a PA student in Nashville. It's more than just highlighter pens and notebooks. Stick around. We'll be right back.

[South College Radio Ad Spot]

Kathleen Stockham (28:14)

Welcome back. Well, you've heard from the guy in charge, but now let's find out from some of the PA students themselves on what it's like being in one of the hardest programs there is in a city full of fun and distraction. I want to welcome to the podcast, PA students, Cassidy and Bryce. Hey guys.

Cassidy Iverson (28:34)

Hey, how you doing?

Bryce Chandler (28:35)

Thank

you for having us.

Kathleen Stockham (28:36)

All right.

So glad you guys are here. Thanks for taking a break from studying because I know that's pretty much all you do in V.A. school. So let's get into this. What quarter are you guys in right now?

Cassidy Iverson (28:49)

So right now we are in our final quarters. We're in where there's nine quarters total in our PA program and we're just finishing up our final one.

Bryce Chandler (28:58)

Yeah, it gets a little gray area during the clinical year because it's kind of just one rotation after the other. So we're in the middle of our seventh rotation, Cassidy? And then we're beginning our eighth starting later this month and that's our final one.

Cassidy Iverson (29:08)

Yes, I think so.

Kathleen Stockham (29:15)

I love that. So the end is near. You can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Yes. I love that. All right. So tell me what's been the hardest thing so far? PA school, of course, is notoriously tough and difficult, but what's been the most challenging? Bryce, I'll start with you.

Cassidy Iverson (29:20)

It's getting closer slowly over time.

Bryce Chandler (29:20)

It is.

I think everyone in the cohort would agree content is of course going to be the first thing that comes to mind. Both volume and just how fast-paced the program is. You learn a lot in, 27 months. It's a lot of medical knowledge. You learn both foundational medical skills and like procedural skills as well.

So the content can be one thing and I think that's one thing everything would agree on. One thing I experienced during PA school kind of outside of the academic side was it can be isolating at times too. It's a very time demanding program and it's really important if you find yourself kind of getting isolated just to establish a friend group, whether that's in the program or getting involved in things outside of school to kind of combat that.

So you can stay engaged with others, because that was one of the things that I definitely experienced and found a lot of relief with once I found a good core group of friends in the program.

Kathleen Stockham (30:27)

Yeah. Yeah. What about you, Cassidy? What's been the hardest thing so far?

Cassidy Iverson (30:31)

Yeah, I mean, I would agree with everything Bryce says for sure. The content, it can be very challenging and especially kind of starting off that first quarter, just being like, okay, what in the world did I get myself into and changing how you studied in undergrad and in college, it can be a big switch. I think for me, kind of one of the hardest things I would say is

going through like didactic year, you learn all this stuff and you're like, okay, like I'm tested on it. I'm doing fantastic or I'm making it through whatever. But you start your first clinical and you're like, okay, maybe I don't know how to put all the puzzle pieces together basically. And so that was kind of challenging, but I feel like once clinical year started and you were able to

use the tools that you learned and the knowledge you learned in didactic year that all the puzzle pieces kind of came together and it was like okay I can do this I feel like an actual provider now like we'll make it through.

Bryce Chandler (31:22)

a common thing that they talk about in PA school and it's kind of like your peaks of knowledge and it's like you get to the end of didactic and you feel like you know so much and then like Cassidy said, then you start your first day of clinicals and that drops down immediately and you feel like you know absolutely nothing and you slowly kind of build up to that peak throughout clinical year and then eventually you start a job and then I'm sure you end up feeling like you probably.

have a much lower knowledge base than you actually expected. But then again, you just kind of build on that and that's over time, you just end up trending up eventually.

Kathleen Stockham (31:53)

Yeah, you kind of feel like you've got a big sign on your back that you can't see that says new person, new person, new person.

Cassidy Iverson (31:59)

Exactly.

⁓ And you just like you become you you get comfortable being in uncomfortable situations. That's honestly like the story of my life for PA school, but that's the best way you learn.

Kathleen Stockham (32:14)

Yeah, but think about it, you know, depending on what discipline you want to go into, and we'll get to that a little bit later on where you want to go, but you're walking into a patient room or an ER room or something else, and that's your job is to assess quickly, immediately and know exactly what to do. And that only comes from practice, right?

Cassidy Iverson (32:34)

Exactly, yeah, exactly. Practice and repetition for sure.

Bryce Chandler (32:38)

Yeah, certainly practice. there's one thing I realized too. People ask me like what helped me most before getting into PA school. And it's like those small encounters you have with patients every single day. And I actually think it was just working in hospitality, working as a bartender, just having the small conversations, getting like a comfortable grounding with patients versus like important and kind of establishing those patient relationships and getting them to establish some trust in those relationships.

Kathleen Stockham (32:38)

Yeah.

I love that. So did the bartending hours count as your shadowing hours when you applied?

Bryce Chandler (33:07)

No, unfortunately,

South College, I believe that's probably universal across all PA programs, that they did not consider those direct patient hours or things for applications.

Kathleen Stockham (33:16)

Well that's no fair, that's no fun.

Cassidy Iverson (33:17)

I

was gonna say you could count that as like psych hours I feel like.

Bryce Chandler (33:23)

yeah, are plenty of psychiatric patients. No, I'm just joking.

Kathleen Stockham (33:28)

I love it. Where were you a bartender at, if I may ask?

Bryce Chandler (33:30)

I went to undergraduate at Florida State University and it was a company that actually did third party catering. So we would go to weddings, we would go to business events. And so was like, we took the bar to them. So it was always great because it was always environments where people are in a great mood because they're celebrating a wedding or they're celebrating, you know, an end of the year party. But it was great just opportunity to kind of build those small conversational skills, which may seem very minute kind of on the surface, but

When you realize that you have only maybe 10, 15 minutes with a patient, those first 30 seconds to a minute, especially if it's the first time you're meeting them, it's kind of crucial to A, ensure that, and them, that they can trust you, that you're relatable, and just kind of establish that foundation so that you can provide for them the medical care they need. So it's often not considered very heavily, but it is essential.

Kathleen Stockham (34:20)

love that it's relatable skill. I would never have put the two of those things together, but I kind of like it. I think that's actually just for notes for anyone out there bartending. Actually, and to your point, it's a really good one that it's learning about becoming comfortable introducing yourself, interacting with someone that you don't know, asking questions, providing them with what they need. I I get it. I definitely see the similarities and there's definitely...

a kind of an assessment that you make as a bartender on the other side of the bar as you're you assessing people and looking at them and watching them so I love it I think it's great.

Bryce Chandler (34:48)

Yeah, and it's

just one of those things you see a lot of people for listeners out there considering applying to PA school. A lot of people focus on the medical knowledge and stuff, but it can't go without saying that sometimes the soft skills are even more important. Just the ability to relate to other people, the ability to have a brief social conversation before going into something that's going to be very important for them to bring up to you can really be influential in how they open up and how you provide care.

Kathleen Stockham (35:16)

Yeah.

I love it.

honestly I think that's an excellent point because you have to establish credibility into your point comfort immediately. All right. So Cassidy a question for you. You guys have learned everything from sutures to innovation and so much more. Did you think it would be this hard?

Cassidy Iverson (35:45)

that's such a hard question. I definitely went into PA school going, okay, I know this is going to be hard. This is going to be challenging. Probably everyone has heard the saying of you're drinking through a fire hydrant and that's honestly how it is. And so I kind of went into it going, okay, I know it's going to be hard. It's going to be harder than undergrad and kind of having that expectation. So I feel like

I would rather expect it to be harder than I think it was than go in thinking it was easy, if that makes sense. So I definitely went in thinking that, okay, this is going to be hard. And don't get me wrong, it definitely was, but I feel like going in that way, I was able to set up like great studying habits and just good time management skills in my first quarter. And I feel like that made the other quarters not as bad as they could have been.

Kathleen Stockham (36:13)

Alright, so while Bryce was at the bar, where did you do your shadowing hours?

Cassidy Iverson (36:35)

Well, not that fun, unfortunately. I worked in a women's health clinic as an MA. And so that's where I worked beforehand, but I feel like it taught me a lot just in medicine in general, even outside of women's health. It taught me a lot about different labs and medications and diagnostic studies and things like that. And just same with kind of what Bryce said with talking with people at the bar. mean,

As an MA, you're the one who's rooming the patients, taking the vitals and having that brief conversation with people. And it's just that fast, easy skill of having a conversation and kind of just being a human being with people.

Kathleen Stockham (37:13)

Do you think it's redirected your ability on first impressions? You know, we're all guilty of first impressions, all of us are as human beings, but now that you've had a chance to approach it from a more clinical perspective, has it changed how you view first impressions when you look at someone?

Cassidy Iverson (37:30)

I would say, yeah, I think so. It's definitely, it's, it's so funny being able to kind of watch patients, their entire demeanor almost changes once you like, cause you introduce yourself as a student and you can kind of see they're like, okay. Like I'm going to have to say the same thing twice to them. And then the provider. then once you kind of sit down and talk with them and you become relatable or you're just, you're just a person, you're not a robot. You're having a normal conversation.

you can kind of see their entire demeanor change. And they're like, okay, I can actually talk to this person. It's not gonna just be kind of pulling hair to be in my doctor's appointment. But I do feel like it definitely has changed kind of my first impressions with people for sure.

Kathleen Stockham (37:59)

Yeah,

Bryce, what about you? Has your ability on first impressions been altered a little bit, perhaps?

Bryce Chandler (38:16)

I would say, I think one thing that's really important is that I've found kind of through this year and just through medical training is you really have to have your clinician cap on one time at one time. And then you sometimes just have to have your person ability cap on at another. And, you know, based on a first impression, you can actually get a lot of clinical knowledge just about a patient. Even without them saying a word, you can actually get a pretty good impression sometimes of how sick someone is.

maybe their past medical history, things like that. But I try not to let that clinical evaluation influence my personal interaction with them. So still treating everyone the same, still being grateful just to have the opportunity to be in the room and hopefully help them with whatever they're there for. So I would say it probably has shifted the way that I've had first impressions of people, but I think it's important to balance the two just between a clinical impression versus just being a like,

Like Cassidy said, just a human impression.

Kathleen Stockham (39:09)

Yeah, that makes sense. All right, so a question for both of you. Why PA? I mean, why or kind of what led you to choose physician assistant as a profession? Bryce, we'll start with you.

Bryce Chandler (39:22)

So for me, I knew probably like most listeners for a while that science and medicine was probably going to be the direction that I went. Then it was kind of navigating the multitude of things, which I feel I was probably naive to, and I'm still even learning, new opportunities, new roles in healthcare, just through clinicals, sync jobs that I never quite realized were even there. But I knew that I wanted to work in medicine and I knew at some level wanted to be a provider.

I explored being a nurse and a nurse practitioner, a PA, and then a medical doctor. And I was drawn to PA mostly because, I saw how fast they were growing. It's the most rapidly growing field in medicine. The demand is incredible. And the roles and responsibilities are increasing. So the demand I knew was there. So I knew it was going to be sustainable in terms of a career. And then also knew that it was a very flexible role. One thing about me is I'm

very indecisive and can sometimes change what I like and don't like. And I was afraid that if I went the physician route that I might end up finishing residency, maybe be a pediatrician or something like that and find out in a couple of years, either A, I didn't like the lifestyle or B, I didn't like, kind of the clinical experience. So with the role of PA, I realized that you had the flexibility to kind of move around if you wanted to, or if you were that kind of person, but also still have the capacity to really specialize and really spend.

a whole career getting into a certain field and really becoming an expert in that field as well. So it just offered the flexibility and just being such a growing position is what drew me to it.

Kathleen Stockham (40:53)

I like that.

And how self-aware are you that you already know that you're indecisive? I know many adults much, much older than you that don't know this, so I like that.

Bryce Chandler (41:01)

It's the one thing

I've reflected on this past year that I'm probably, or that's just through the program, I'm very grateful I realized that early because even now trying to decide what to do after school, I'm finding myself having that internal battle of what do I want to do in terms of specialty afterwards.

Kathleen Stockham (41:16)

Interesting.

Okay, interesting. All right, Cassidy, same question for you, YPA, and what led you in that direction?

Cassidy Iverson (41:25)

Yeah, I think you know exactly what Bryce said and probably similar with with a lot of the listeners is I always wanted to go into medicine. That's what I knew I wanted to do. Growing up, I'm a first generation college student, I know one of my family's in medicine. And so I didn't really know a lot of the different job positions out there. I knew there was a nurse, I knew there was a doctor and so

In high school, I was kind of going back and forth on the two, but neither one just ever felt right, felt like it fit me and who I am. then actually when COVID hit, that's kind of when I first started hearing more about PAs and a lot of these PAs who were, in dermatology or in these other specialties that weren't as busy anymore just due to the pandemic, they were able to kind of switch and go to the front lines and go where they needed help or they were understaffed in certain areas. And I saw that and

for me in a time where I feel like most people felt just helpless in the world with everything going on. went, okay, this is something that I feel like I want to be a part of and a part of this community that can switch specialties at any time and go to the front lines and help when it's needed. So then I started looking into more about that and I shadowed PAs, I shadowed MPs kind of to get a feel of both of them. And ultimately I just felt like the PA route just

agreed with me better and kind of how I want to be as a provider.

Kathleen Stockham (42:49)

Yeah. I love that. Very, very solid thinking on both of your parts. I've interviewed students for P.A. before and some say, ⁓ you know, I have a family member who was a P.A. or I wanted to do something in medicine but didn't want to go to med school. So it's really interesting to hear all of the the different reasons. All right. So the most important question, once you get out and we have a little celebration and a happy dance and you pass your PANCE exam. Bryce, what's next?

Bryce Chandler (43:17)

For me, it's going to be vacation first. going to need, so I'll, I think we graduate December 12th. My PANCE is scheduled for January 8th and I will be taking at least a little bit of time personally just to see my family. My family's, from Orlando, Florida originally. My family's still there. So taking a little bit of time just to be with them. We have a couple of weddings in Florida in January, so.

I'm going to try to get some time just with family and friends, just because it has been a busy 27 months up until now, and not many opportunities through such a time demanding program to do that. So first and foremost, I to see them. I want to just get a little bit of time. But then obviously focusing on job search, which kind of ends up happening at the end of your clinical year as well, where you start kind of looking for opportunities and things like that.

I've been looking down in Florida and considering kind of doing like a trauma or orthopedic role. I ended up having a rotation here at Vanderbilt, which is a level one trauma center and absolutely loved it. Got to go to trauma activations in the emergency room and also got to manage patients in the ICU on the more inpatient side. So I really enjoyed doing that. Just considering doing that as well. And then my next elective is an orthopedic surgery.

rotation where I'm hoping to like it. I like being in the operating room so we'll see. Professionally it's going to end up probably being something more trauma inpatient or maybe an orthopedic surgery type role.

Kathleen Stockham (44:43)

Nice, nice. That sounds really good. love the fact that you're based out of Orlando. We just started and just seated our very first PA cohort for South College Orlando. So they are just at the very beginning of the journey where you guys started some time ago. So there you go. You've got some colleagues out there in your hometown. All right, Cassidy. So same question. You get out, you pass your PANCE and we have a little celebration, hopefully a little champagne. What

happens next?

Cassidy Iverson (45:13)

Yeah, I mean, I'm right with Bryce. The first step is definitely a vacation. ⁓ My friends from home, they're already kind of talking about it, trying to get everyone together to find a good time just to kind of go on vacation and relax just because I feel like we haven't been able to do that in a while. But just studying, like Bryce said, we graduate December 12. I take my PANCE January 3. And so I basically looked at my husband and my family and said, hey,

We can celebrate Christmas after January 3rd. I'm going to be basically non-existent for those few weeks just to focus on the PANCE. So maybe some celebrations, some after holidays things as well. And then just job searching right now. I'm doing my women's health rotation actually at the same clinic that I worked at before PA school. And I'm just loving it so far. I'm actually on call today. So we just, we just finished up a C-section and just waiting on some moms to deliver. And I'm just

keep falling more and more in love with it. And so hopefully there'll be a job with them in the future.

Kathleen Stockham (46:12)

fantastic. Well, thank you for tearing yourself away from all the cute babies. ⁓ So that's amazing. Thank you. I feel honored. All right, guys. What's the best advice you have for someone who is thinking about PA and considering applying to South College Nashville? Cassidy, take it away.

Cassidy Iverson (46:16)

Yeah.

Yeah, I mean, first and foremost, I would just say, mean, granted I'm biased, but I South College Nashville, I think their faculty is absolutely phenomenal and amazing. That definitely is what sold me a lot during my interview. Of course, applying to the program, I knew some people who had gone to a different South Colleges, whether it was Knoxville or some of their other campuses, and they just told me how much they loved South College as a whole. And so I looked into the Nashville program and did

ended up finding out that a lot of the faculty are veterans. so veterans have a close place in my heart. My brother's a veteran. And so that was something that I loved and wanted to be a part of that community. And so at my interview is kind of when I sat down and got talking and one of my professors that was interviewing me as a veteran and we got chit chatting. And then the other one is actually a dietician that went back to school and became a PA.

I majored in undergrad in nutrition and so it almost just felt like fate, which is so corny to say, but like, I was like, okay, these are two parts of my life that are coming together and this feels more perfect than it could be. So for me, it felt fantastic. But then not only that, the cohort is a smaller size. A lot of some schools, schools outside of PA, like NP programs or MD or DO programs have a hundred plus students and,

Our cohort started off with 60 and I loved having that intimate smaller class to be able to connect with everyone. You're going to know everyone in your class. You're going to have good relationship with your professors and that's really what drew me to South College.

Kathleen Stockham (48:05)

Yeah, that's awesome. Well, and shout out to all five of our South College campuses besides Nashville and Knoxville. We also have Atlanta, we have Asheville, and of course, brand new starting in Orlando. So there you go. Shameless plug. Yes. All right, Bryce, same question for you. What's your best advice for someone who's thinking about applying to PA at South College Nashville?

Bryce Chandler (48:29)

Yeah, just a couple small things before I considered South people applying to PA school in general. Things that I realized I should have done before I ever started was get a Keurig if you're in a lot of K cups from Costco. If you're a big coffee drinker, try to meal prep on Sundays because you got busy weeks. Sometimes there's not always time to cook meals at night. If you have a partner before, definitely communicate to them just the time commitment that it takes. There's a lot of things that you may not be able to contribute to.

And so I think it is really important that if you're to go into this and you're already in relationship, just communicating with them, getting on the same page, that it is a time demanding thing. And then most importantly, if you're thinking about applying to PA school, just maintain a sense of gratitude throughout the entire time. I've found throughout my entire time in the program, the things that got me through the most were just being grateful that I was there. I didn't know that I'd get into PA school, the cycle that I applied, and I was just so grateful to get in. And I just have realized I've kind of tried to carry that.

throughout every single day, through every quarter, and then eventually into clinical year. And if you are just grateful that you're there, grateful for the things you're learning, grateful for the opportunities you've given, that's really gonna help you succeed. And then for South College specifically, I am obviously, of course, biased to South College Nashville campus. The faculty there is amazing. Our didactic director, Professor Mohammed Bigg, is actually a South College alumni from the PA program as well.

and has done a fantastic job at creating the curriculum for the didactic year and taking kind of some of the things that he noticed worked in his program, things he wished he would have changed and adopted them into our program. So he has done a phenomenal job with the didactic year. It's a completely in-person program, which I appreciated because I love seeing other people. I love interacting. I'm not very good at lectures that are recorded or material that's given to me in advance. So I really appreciated that it was an in-person program.

There's a dedicated staff, a lot of programs as well. You will see kind of have adjunct professors or people they hire that are professionals in the community to come in and give lectures. But we had a completely dedicated staff, which really helps. It seems like a small thing, but really helps you kind of get closer to some of these professors throughout a year, which just makes them more approachable. You can ask them questions and you kind of learn their style of teaching and testing. So they're just a really, really personable staff.

the fact that it's dedicated and really promotes kind of the relationships you can build with them. And objectively too, our testing is kind of the proof of everything I just described. Everything I've seen is our national averages are pretty good compared to kind of where we're at. So South College Nashville seems to be doing something right. And I think it's really attributed to the staff that we have that really does dedicate themselves to kind of promoting the program and the students that respond to that and see the effort they put in.

and respond by putting in the effort themselves.

Kathleen Stockham (51:15)

All right. Well, so there you have it. We're just going to throw away all of our commercials and just talk to you guys because that's the best endorsement for South College Nashville and the incredible PA program. And we know it's incredible. I follow these students all the time. And of course, under the direction of the amazing Dr. Jeffrey Peacock, who I interviewed in the earlier segment.

Cassidy Iverson (51:20)

Thank

Bryce Chandler (51:21)

Hahaha.

Kathleen Stockham (51:38)

So there it is, one of our biggest and busiest campuses and one of the toughest programs around, the Master of Science Physician Assistant Nashville, where the beautiful, smart people are. I want to thank my two guests, Cassidy and Bryce, for joining me and make sure you wave at Bryce on the other side of the bar. He's likely wondering what's wrong with you. ⁓ Thanks guys. ⁓

Bryce Chandler (51:59)

Thank you so

much Kathleen, we really appreciate it.

Cassidy Iverson (52:01)

Thanks for having us.

Kathleen Stockham (52:03)

That's Well, that's going to wrap it up for us today with 10 campuses in seven states plus online and CBE. There's a pathway for you at South College. Hope you enjoyed this latest episode of Live from South College. The Live from South College podcast is a production from South College Marketing. Thanks for joining me. If you love it, give it some stars and you can always send us feedback by emailing us at southcollegepodcast.south.edu. Have an awesome day and let your dreams.

find direction. See you next time.