Non-Traditional PA Applicant: GI Bill to Class President

I'm Travis Laverne, a second year PA student at Drexel University, and my path was pretty non-traditional. I spent 13 years on active duty in the Air Force before PA school, operating jet engine testing facilities with no medical background. I was always drawn to high-tempo, high-responsibility careers, and I was exposed to a lot of PAs in the military since they are the main providers in our clinics.

The fire really got lit about 10 years into the Air Force. My wife and I would watch medical shows at night, and she finally asked why I didn't get into medicine. From there I started researching, reaching out to PAs, and shadowing. Once I committed, I built a roadmap over six to eight months, since I had my bachelor's and was finishing a master's in management but had no prerequisites. I knocked out the core sciences, fell in love with anatomy and biology, started volunteering in the ER, and took a scribing job working 10pm to 2 or 3am shifts three days a week, all while active duty and married with a baby.

Timing my exit was tricky because of my military contract, so I actually had to leave the Air Force before even applying, walking away from a potential pension at 20 years. Family support mattered, so we focused on the New Jersey and Philadelphia area where there are many programs, and where some offered the Yellow Ribbon Program. Drexel was a 100% Yellow Ribbon school, which made it a top choice.

From the active duty side, if you serve at least 3.5 years of active duty and pay into the GI Bill for about a year, you gain access to benefits. [VERIFY] The GI Bill pays 100% of in-state tuition up to 38 months, but since many PA programs are private, it only covers up to a capped amount, which was around $19,000 annually when I looked. [VERIFY] If a school has a Yellow Ribbon Program, it matches the GI Bill contribution. At Drexel, veterans get 100% coverage automatically, no application required, plus a housing allowance based on the school's zip code, about $2,500 a month for Philadelphia. [VERIFY] Using these benefits for a graduate professional degree stretches them much further than using them on an associate's.

Before applying, I got a job at the University of Pennsylvania as a clinical research coordinator in cardiac surgery, which exposed me to cool medicine and gave me my letters of recommendation. I applied to 5 schools, got interviews at all of them, and attended Drexel's first, accepting once I knew the Yellow Ribbon Program covered 100% of tuition.

I had no intention of running for class president. That first quarter hits you hard, and with a family at home and a commute from New Jersey, I figured I had enough on my plate. But classmates nominated me, and I thought the least I could do was give a five minute speech. I got elected, and honestly it saved that first quarter for me. Taking on a little extra responsibility shifted my mindset and got me fully bought in. In that role you can do a lot of good, especially bridging communication between faculty and students and empowering the right people in a class full of smart, driven people.

My first quarter was messy. Around week six I started figuring it out, but I'd ignored the usual advice to change your approach early and ask for help, because my GPA was strong and I'd aced anatomy before. Then I failed my first exam badly and it was a wake up call. It took me six to eight weeks to rebuild my confidence, and once my second exam came back better, things improved.

On balance, I don't think it really exists. The best thing I did was sit down with my wife, show her every assignment and expectation, and keep a shared family calendar a week or two ahead so she could see my study time. I set a hard limit of no studying past 10pm and protected my weekends for family. It wasn't perfect, and there were heartbreaking moments, like my oldest son saying "Daddy doesn't live here anymore," that made me close the computer and go downstairs. But communicating openly and doing my best, even when that meant accepting a less than perfect grade, is how we got through it. Clinicals have been awesome, and I'm leaning toward emergency medicine or surgery.

Travis's story shows that a non-traditional path, including a major career change and military service, can lead straight to PA school and even a leadership role. If you are a veteran or career changer wondering whether your background fits, it absolutely can. Reach out if you want help mapping your own roadmap.