How to Start an Organization in PA School

By: Savanna Perry, PA-C

TL;DR

You can start a meaningful organization while you are in PA school, even with a packed schedule. Patrick and Lili, PA students at Bay Path University, built Be The Change, a student-led diversity and inclusion club focused on increasing PA awareness in underserved communities and mentoring pre-PA students. The biggest takeaway is that acting on your idea, rather than waiting, is what brings it to life.

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What is Be The Change and who started it?

This episode of the podcast features Patrick and Lili, PA students at Bay Path University, who did not let anything hold them back from acting on their idea. They created Be The Change, a student-led diversity and inclusion club with a clear mission: to increase awareness of the PA profession within underprivileged communities, diversify the next generation of medical providers, build cultural competence and humility within their PA program and others, and provide mentorship and guidance to pre-PA students, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds.

In the conversation, we talk about their individual paths to becoming PAs and how the organization came together. It is a great listen if you have ever had an idea for a club or initiative and wondered whether you could actually pull it off while in school. You can find Be The Change on Instagram at @bethechange_pa, and you can listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here on The PA Platform website.

In this post:

Why start an organization while you're in PA school?

What stops most of us from acting on our ideas? Usually it is the sense that we are too busy or not far enough along. Patrick and Lili show that PA students can build something that matters to them and to their community without waiting for the perfect moment.

Starting an organization gives you a way to channel your values into action, connect with classmates who care about the same things, and create real impact during a season of life that can otherwise feel all-consuming. For a club like Be The Change, that impact reaches beyond campus, since the mission centers on bringing the PA profession to communities that have historically had less access to it and on mentoring the pre-PA students coming up behind them. If something is missing at your program or in your community, you may be exactly the right person to build it.

In Our Experience

In our experience at The PA Platform, the students who start clubs and initiatives in PA school are not the ones with the most free time, they are the ones who decide their idea is worth a few hours a week. Conversations like this one with Patrick and Lili are some of my favorites, because they remind everyone that you do not have to wait until you are a practicing PA to make a difference.

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Every Pre-PA Should Know...

You do not need a title or extra time to start something meaningful in PA school, you just need to act on the idea instead of waiting for permission.

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CTA: Free Application Timeline -> https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/free-application-timeline/ [QA: convert to lead-magnet button]

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Need to Know:

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Listen: the full conversation

We talked through this on The Pre-PA Club podcast. Press play for the full episode.

Episode show notes, takeaways & chapters

This episode features an enlightening dialogue with Patrick and Lily, both PA students from Bay Path University, who founded 'Be The Change,' a student organization that addresses diversity and inclusion within the PA profession. Their personal narratives as first-generation college students underscore the challenges associated with navigating the complexities of medical education and professional expectations. They articulate the mission of their organization, which seeks to raise awareness of the PA profession among underrepresented communities and provide mentorship to aspiring healthcare providers. Throughout the conversation, Patrick and Lily share actionable insights regarding the establishment of their initiative, emphasizing the need for a well-defined plan and the importance of collaboration with faculty and peers. They also discuss the impact of their efforts on the broader medical community, including changes made to the admissions process at their university. The episode serves as a powerful reminder of the potential for student-led initiatives to drive change and the essential role of mentorship and support within the healthcare education system.

What we cover

Creating a student-led organization can be a powerful way to make a difference and foster inclusivity within the PA community.
Be the Change is focused on increasing awareness of the PA profession in underprivileged communities and mentoring aspiring PA students.
Developing a clear plan is essential for initiating any organization or movement within your school.
Forming connections with like-minded individuals can significantly enhance the chances of successfully launching a new initiative.

Chapters

0:11 – Inspiring Initiatives: A Conversation with PA Students
2:30 – Introduction to the PA Journey
11:20 – The Journey to PA School Applications
28:58 – Diversity in the PA Profession
34:11 – Navigating the PA School Journey

Episode: How to Start an Organization in PA School - Patrick and Lili with Be The Change · Follow The Pre-PA Club on Apple Podcasts or Spotify · Browse all episodes