College of Medicine

Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri

Undergraduate College: University of West Florida

Major: Biology

What and/or who inspired you to go to PA school, and how so?

I wasn’t one of those people who always knew they wanted to go into medicine. Having the opportunity to volunteer at free clinics with people like Dr. McLeod and Dr. Williams prior to PA school was the reason why I decided to pursue a career in medicine as a PA. It was from watching them and others like them that I realized how much of a privilege it is to be a medical provider and to take care of others in that way. As I fell in love with medicine, I had some major doubts as to whether I could be successful in PA school. My family played a huge role in encouraging me and supporting me. Watching my dad go through a major career change and work hard to become successful at something he really enjoyed gave me the courage to change paths myself and pursue a career as a PA.

What did you learn about yourself during your time in PA school that surprised you?

I’m a lot more like my parents than I thought I was! As I continue to grow and learn, I realize that I have so many things in common with my parents. I now understand that Progressive commercial a little too well.

What course and/or professor had the greatest impact on your PA education?

I honestly took something from every course and every professor, but two professors specifically had the biggest impact on my PA education. Ms. Justice was a huge inspiration to me and had a big impact on my PA education. We had the opportunity to work closely together, and she is an amazing example of always striving to be better and trying to continuously improve yourself. Her passion for life and learning is contagious and gives her the unique ability to inspire others to make a difference in the world. Having her as a role model and as an advisor really encouraged me to keep going when things got tough and to seek out ways to improve myself. Dr. Bastin was also a huge influence on me – it’s very clear that he is an amazing PA and that he really cares about the patients he takes care of. He used to say, “medicine is easy; it’s all the other stuff that’s hard,” and it’s so true. As clinicians, we get really good at the medicine part and often forget about the people part; I’ve really tried to pay attention to that in my patient interactions during clinicals and I’ll continue to try and address both in my future practice.

In what setting and specialty are you planning to launch your PA career?

I accepted a job in trauma medicine and critical care at a level 1 trauma center in St. Louis. They provide a lot of opportunity for continued learning and I’m very excited to continue this journey as a part of a great team with really fantastic clinicians.

Given the rigors and stressors of PA education, what diversion did you lean on to get you through?

My family is amazing. They supported me no matter what and were there when I needed them the most. On a day-to-day basis, my dogs and my horse really provided a reprieve from the stressors of PA school and kept me centered. And of course, the friends that I made in PA school were in the unique position to truly understand how stressful and rigorous PA education can be, and their support really made a big difference. 

Benjamin Smith, associate dean of the College of Medicine and director of the School of Physician Assistant Practice, said, “Christy has approached her formal PA training with energy and focus. She has motivated others to do much good.”