Chronicles of a PA student- week one in the books

I thought about retitling my blog to "Chronicles of a PA student" since I feel as though most of my posts for the next 30 months will be coming from that direction. I decided, however, to just use it in the title of my posts specific to school. And the reason is this- Although my blog is for all things Chrissy, PA school is still a big part of the journey. But that's what makes it so wonderful. I am extremely blessed to have this opportunity, so it too, deserves a special reserve in my wonderland.

Cumulatively, we are told PA school is hard. To me, (and I'm only 2 weeks in so my opinion is not quite valid), I always think the first week of classes and then the first week of exams is the hardest. There's so much unknown, so much change. It can be overwhelming, scary, and maybe at times even frustrating. The jump from undergraduate to graduate level studies is quite the leap. You think there's not enough hours in the day for everything, or you realize your old study habits don't work. It is a lot to take in, and not a lot of time for trial and error. My best strategic approach? Very cliché, wait for it... Keep calm and carry on. Yep, that's my best advice, and I promise you, it works. At the end of the day, stress does nothing to help your cause. And I of all people normally have a hard time having a grasp on that, which is why it's been sort of an odd feeling to not necessarily be stressed. You learn to tune it out, focus on the positive vibes, and keep going. And for me? It worked. Though I know there are plenty of areas for improvement after my first set of exams, I am also pleased with my performances. You have to look for the good and the bad in every situation. Reward yourself for the good, and make a plan for the bad, without beating yourself up about it. Take it and let it make you better, don't let it break you.

My reward? Going to run an 8K for the MS society.... and then stuffing my face with pancakes. Then back on the study grind for round two! I am so excited to be learning again, and am constantly reminding myself hope blessed I am, and I can't wait to see where this journey takes me.


"Trust yourself, you know more than you think you do."

Finding Balance

I have been preparing for this journey for a long time. Especially these last few months, I have made it a point to take the steps needed to be mentally and emotionally ready for this, and I've never felt more alive and ready.

One of the first things everyone told me when I got into PA school was to never forget to make time for life balance. This was the first thing they told me. Not that it was going to be incredibly hard and time consuming, but that it was going to be pertinent to MAKE time to make a life. Wow. Talk about perspective. So amongst the incredibly hard, time consuming work, I have made it a point to take everyone's advice.

If there's one thing I've learned from being an AT, it's just how important life balance is. One cannot have inner peace or self if they do not give themselves a chance to find it. During orientation, he gave us an hour breakdown of what our days should look like, and at the end, he totaled 24 hours of "free time" during the week. TWENTY FOUR! That's a whole days worth of time to focus on you, do something for you. So I have certainly made it a point to implement this, and so far? so good. It's actually a lot easier than you'd think. Whether it's having the motivation to get up early and workout, or know when to call it quits and go enjoy some good sushi and ice cream with some even greater company. With that said, my first week of PA school is in the books (literally) and has been a success! Well, we will officially see after the first exam ;)



"She is at a point in her life where peace is her priority and negativity cannot exist."

A wave of nostalgia

It hits every year around this time... UCA college nationals, NCA college nationals, Worlds. Each one brings on another wave, always full of different emotions, but most noticeably, a happy sad. Cheer will always be a huge part of my life no matter how long I am retired as an athlete. I certainly took all the wonderful experiences for granted while I was enjoying them. I never thought I would see the day where I hung my cheer shoes up for good, and that day certainly came too quickly. I often find myself thinking "if I could just step out on that mat one more time." But even though I am done competing, the life lessons, the friends and family, and the experiences I gained from it are far more important than any one of those 2:30 performances.

I am naturally a very competitive person, and with that competitiveness comes being very hard on myself, and often times, critical of others. I  think that was my biggest downfall as an athlete. I was so focused on the end product, that I sometimes forgot about everyone and everything it took to get there. At the end of it all, I came out without any rings. But I don't consider it coming up short by any means. Now that I've been out of the sport for awhile, I have come to be much more grateful for the process rather than the product. While I dreaded every single "One more time" while I was cheering, I appreciate every time it was uttered now. It taught me the strength and perseverance that has made me the strong and driven woman I am today. It taught me that no matter how tired I am, no matter how defeated I may feel, that there is a spark left for me to fuel the fire. No amount of hardware on my hand could teach me a better lesson than that.

I had the privilege of being coached by women who truly exemplified what it meant to be passionate.
I can honestly say that they put their hearts and souls into our program. Their pure joy for our success exemplified everything they worked so hard for, and how selflessly they dedicated themselves to their athletes. I work hard every day to put even half the amount of that passion into everything I do, and the results are amazing. I look forward to the opportunities to come and will forever remember the ones that got me there.

PA-C or ATC, why not both?

This past month has brought a whirlwind of events and emotions into my life, all good of course. Though a tad overwhelming, it’s all too exciting as well. Choosing to go back to school is a big decision, but even harder is choosing what to go for. In the healthcare field, there seems to be endless possibilities. This of course meant a lot of time contemplating my choices to decide what was a best fit for me. I absolutely love what I do, so to some, it seemed to be a surprise that I have switched gears a bit. So many have asked, “Why PA?” not as accusatory, but out of genuine curiosity. So my question back to them, which seems to throw them for a loop, is “Why not?”

I absolutely love what I do. Becoming a certified athletic trainer has been one of the most rewarding journeys and decisions I have ever made. It has helped mold who I am today, and has influenced a lot of my life choices. I live for the excitement of Friday night lights and seeing an injured athlete’s pure joy as they return from an injury. To them, their sport is their everything. To me, seeing them get to do what they love is mine. I live for making a difference in others' lives.  Nothing makes my day quite like the short, sweet, but sincere, “thank you”.   I can see the impact I make in their lives, and that is all it takes to make my job worth it. So when people ask, “Why PA?” my answer is simple. That joy? That subtle, yet at times, immense impact? I want to be able to spread it further. I want to be able to have that positive impact not just on my athletes and athletic population, but every population. More specifically, I want to reach out to those who don’t have the luxury of such services. Do I love my school? Absolutely. Is it going to be incredibly hard to leave them and the relationships I have built with my coaches, athletes, and parents? Of course. But I also know that my school is extremely blessed in that they will always have a full time certified athletic trainer. To me, this is the perfect opportunity to bridge the health care gap in underserved areas for both the general population AND the athletes. I have been advocating for athletic trainers in all schools since I’ve been involved in the profession. Only 37% of schools have “access” to an athletic trainer. THIRTY SEVEN PERCENT. That is extremely pathetic. It is also no secret that there is a huge gap in healthcare services for primary care as well, making the PA field ever growing, which is why for me, it just made perfect sense. I want to be able to make that difference.

To me, choosing to get my masters in physician assistant studies is no different than my classmates who choose to get their masters in exercise science, or education, or a doctorate in physical therapy. In order to make ourselves more marketable, we need to make ourselves more diverse, especially as the demands for employment continue to increase. When I was in high school, everyone around me was telling me how important it was to get a college degree. Now that college degree is sadly becoming nothing more than a piece of paper… Now it’s “where’s the masters degree?” I don’t view or treat my degree as a stepping stone, but rather my foundation. You can’t function without the foundation. While athletic training is the foundation of my education, I want to build on it, all the while still using it every day. From the foundation the only place to go is up, but you can't do so without it. It is the most important part in order to continue to work.  

I’ve never been known for following the norm, and my choices in careers is no exception. Who is to say I can’t be a PA-C/ATC, and practice as both successfully? I didn’t choose to go back to school for PA for the money or the hours. I chose the profession because it exemplifies everything I stand for as a health care professional. Some may disagree, but I see many similarities in both professions, which is why I want to be a part of both. It will help me continue to fuel my passion for healthcare by increasing my clinical skill set to better serve more patients. My athletic training background, in my eyes, is advantageous both ways. My orthopedic experience will be beneficial while practicing as a PA. Having both credentials will also be an advantage in that I can advocate for the professions in both directions. Education is key not only in practice with my patients, but also for growth of the professions. Both are unique in that they are part of a medical model that works in collaboration with other health care professionals, a team approach. I think representing two teams will drastically make a difference.  While I know many will read this and be skeptical, my response will be the same as it is every time someone doubts my ability to push the limits and break boundaries- “Watch me”

Why being single was the greatest blessing of 2015

"Our twenties are our selfish years." As popular of a quote as this is, I feel as though it's true meaning isn't well understood. Talking with some of my peers, it seems that it is a common misconception that we are going to be living the high life in our twenties, which couldn't be further from the truth.

Selfish means focusing on you. Making decisions and choices for you. We all want to live the high life, but how do we do that without taking the steps to get there?  My question is this- How can you do this when you're already tied down to someone? How can you focus on you, when you've already agreed to selflessly give yourself to someone else? I'm not saying it's impossible, but I know it has to be pretty damn hard. I know, because I tried.

We live in a society preoccupied with stereotypes, clichés, and deadlines. I too, fell victim to it. But guess what? I've decided to be a rebel. I've decided to say no, to go outside the norm. I'm 24 years old, I don't know who I am yet. I don't know what I'm doing with my life yet. If I don't know the answers to my own questions, how am I expected to try and figure it out with someone else?

"Soul mate", "Better half", "You are my world". Some other popular quotes that have consumed my generation. While some are drowning in it, I've chosen to swim from it. Again I say, I'm 24, I don't want someone else to be my world; that sounds pretty lonely and boring to me. Instead, I want to go explore the world, quite literally and figuratively. I don't have a better half, because I am not a half. I don't need someone to make me complete. I am a whole, independent woman. I am not searching for a soulmate, I am searching for the next big step in my life and in my career. By finally just focusing on me, I've had the chance to make some big changes and take some huge steps to get to where I want to be.


I've delayed writing this post because I was hesitant to write it. But I thought, why be ashamed of life lessons? Why not be proud of what you've been through? After all, it's gotten you to where you are. To think I've gotten this far, and I've got the whole second half of my twenties to continue living selfishly. So to that, I look life in the face and say, "Hit me with your best shot."

Why I don't need a New Year to make a New Me

New Years Resolutions are just a whole bunch of hype to me. Why do you need to wait 365 days to set a new goal, to make yourself better? All sounds so silly to me. Which is why I don't believe in it, and I don't participate in it. I have the free will to stop at any point and say, this is not where or who I want to be, and change it. Which is exactly what I have been doing since July, since the beginning of not only my social media cleanse, but also my life cleanse as well.

It's been almost 6 months since I started my "cleanse", and it's been one hell of a 6 months. I've learned so many life lessons from such small life happenings, yet taken so many very large steps toward improving myself. It's crazy what a little tuning out of the clutter and background noise of life can do. When I first started my cleanse, I was worried about not fulfilling it. But then I realized, the cards were in my hands. The cleanse would be what I would make of it. I started making a list of things I knew I otherwise would have never done had I not been making the effort to make a change. At first, I had a hard time coming up with stuff. But then when I stopped trying, it seemed to triple in size. If this is what I've accomplished in 6 months, I can't wait to see what I accomplish if I can permanently maintain this new way of life.

An ode to a great ride

An old beater. That's typically the description you hear someone give to their first ride. My first set of wheels was worthy of more than that; Bullet Bill, sounds pretty catchy. That bad boy was a gem of a first set of wheels.

6 years, 153,000 miles, 10 states, 3 accidents, and one hell of a good time. It takes a pretty special car to be named after the best item you could ask for on Mario Kart to snag a first place title. Bullet Bill was more than just my first car, he was my first partner in crime. That bad boy was by my side for all my big life happenings- countless competitions, my college experience, my big move outside my comfort zone. His skill set was endless, taking care of all my life needs. He doubled as a shoulder (or steering wheel) to cry on, a comfortable cushion for a cat nap, hell he was like a second bedroom and dresser to me (as was evident by my apparent homelessness with how much of my wardrobe he carried.) It's always hard to say goodbye to a dear old friend, but I knew it was his time. He served me well though, and his replacement certainly has big tires to fill.


"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, wow, what a ride!"