Pre-PAs, stay tuned at the end for a discount code PLUS a great giveaway! Whaaat!?

Oh, I’m so darn excited to introduce this next PA leader. Savanna Perry  is the owner of The PA Platform, the author of “Physician Assistant School Interview guide” and also works clinically in the field of dermatology. She was one of the first social media PAs to reach out to me once the site was launched, just to connect and say “hello”, which shows her dedication to our profession. She is also overwhelmingly supportive of the Pre-PA community! She hosts a Pre-PA podcast and her site offers services such as mock interviews, Pre-PA assessments and letter reviews.  She’s also a PA momma to a sweet baby girl.

Tell us a little about yourself? Name, how long you’ve been a PA, where you went to school, and anything else you’d like to add.

My name is Savanna Perry, and I’ve been a dermatology PA for four years. I went to the University of Georgia and majored in Biology for undergrad, and then attended Augusta University for PA school. I graduated in 2014, and I’m still at my first job! My husband is an internal medicine resident physician and I just had my first baby this year. I also run a website called The PA Platform where I blog and coach pre-PA students, and host a weekly podcast called The Pre-PA Club.

What is your role as a leader?

After graduating from PA school and starting my first job, I started to miss the hustle of school. It was the first time that I hadn’t had regular assignments or tests. I had always been interested in blogging, but I had never taken the plunge. I’ve always had a passion for advising and planning, so I decided to start The PA Platform. What started as a blog has grown to involve one-on-one coaching, video webinar, social media, a podcast, and even a book! I’ve also been able to make a lot of connections with other PAs.

What does your typical day look like?

I currently do clinical work Monday through Thursday. It’s a bit of a mad rush getting out the door as I get my baby ready for the day, but once I get home we play until she goes to bed. After bedtime, I get caught up on emails, work on content and projects for The PA Platform, and hang out with my husband. I try to be productive during lunch at work by going over my to-do list and getting caught up on social media.

If you are clinical, how is your practice set up? What is the structure and what is your relationship with your supervising physician like?

I work from around 8-5 on the days I’m in clinic. We see between 30-35 patients that include medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology cases. I have a dedicated medical assistant working with me throughout the day. I have an awesome supervising physician who is always available if I have questions, but I practice very independently when seeing patients.

Do you divide your time into clinical and administrative tasks?

It took a while to find a way to balance my time, but I have a pretty good system in place to make sure that each week there is a Pre-PA blog post published on Monday and a Podcast episode on Friday. We’ve also just started doing a weekly PA-S blog on Wednesdays. I would say there is rarely a day when I don’t work on The PA Platform at all, but work stays extremely busy so I’m focused on patients while I’m there.

Did you pursue a leadership role or was it offered to you?

I created my own! I wanted to give back to the PA profession, particularly students, so I took the initiative to create something I felt was needed. When I was applying to PA school, the resources were seriously lacking so it’s nice to see more information out there now.

How did you prepare for your role? Did you take any leadership courses?

I used Google a ton. I created my own website and have done everything as DIY so far. There were some huge learning curves because I am NOT a web developer, but I do love learning new things and researching. Even now, I make mistakes and I just learn from them!

Do you have room or opportunities to grow in your current leadership position?

I definitely see more things on the horizon for The PA Platform. This year our team grew from 2 to 5 coaches, and we recently started a PANCE video series on Youtube. We just want to provide more resources to help the PA profession gain recognition and continue to grow.

Are you satisfied with your position? If you could do it all over again, would you?

Definitely! At work, I love my role there as a PA. I’m also glad I started The PA Platform. I wish I had blogged throughout PA school, but my free time during school was virtually nonexistent.

Do you think PAs are adequately educated about how to be a leader? If not, do you have any suggestions on what should be taught?

That’s a tough one. I don’t think there’s a lot of open conversation about PAs in leadership, but with more PAs getting involved in social media, I think we’re able to see the many different hats that PAs assume.

Do you have any suggestions for newly graduated PAs interested in becoming leaders in their community?

Talk to current PAs in leadership and look for guidance and mentorship. The cool thing about the PA community is the collaborative and supportive nature. I had a ton of PAs reach out when I first started The PA Platform and offer help or advice, and I’ve been able to assist others too.

The coaches that have joined The PA Platform have all reached out independently because they wanted to get involved and help students too.

Thanks so much to Savanna for her insight into her world. She has helped many Pre-PAs get accepted to PA school and is one of many great resources for Pre-PAs, PA students and practicing PAs. Plus, she has been kind enough to offer a discount code for Empowered PAs: “empoweredpas” will get you 15% off books and services on her website The PA Platform.

Time for a Giveaway!

Update: The Giveaway is Closed! BUT you can sill use the discount code “empoweredpas” to get 15% off!

Do you want to win a copy of the “Physician Assistant School Interview Guide”? Go to Empowered PAs Facebook Page

1. Like the giveaway post
2. Comment why you want to be a PA
3. Enter your email address: ENTER THE GIVEAWAY HERE

Click here for more posts in the 'PA Leadership' blog series

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