Christian Wigfall '10 Reflects on Becoming a Physician Assistant

Christian Wigfall '10 recently graduated from Touro University California with a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies and a Master of Public Health and just began working for the Family HealthCare Network in California. Christian graciously took time from his busy schedule to answer a few questions for us about his experiences at Elmhurst and Touro and to share his insights for current students preparing for careers in the health professions.
 

Christian Wigfall, MSPAS, MPH, PA-C

1.)       What experiences did you have at Elmhurst that helped prepare you for your career and professional school?

Courses, extracurricular activities, shadowing, and internships all played a part of preparing me for PA school and my career. I was an exercise science major, so as part of my curriculum anatomy, physiology and nutrition were all very helpful in preparation for professional school. As one of the doctors I work with always says, "If you know your physiology, you know your medicine." However, going into a career in healthcare requires that you have a broad range of life experiences in order to truly connect with patients. Beyond the basic sciences, the classes I took that helped with this were philosophy, psychology, sociology and even acting. Shadowing that I set up through the Patterson Center for Health Professions also reinforced knowing what I was getting myself into, which was invaluable. 

2.)       What did you appreciate most about your Elmhurst experience?

I appreciated the resources that were available to me. The Patterson Center for Health Professions really helped narrow down what field of healthcare I wanted to go into. I initially was torn over different careers, but after researching a few, talking with them about prerequisites, job duties, etc. I was able to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. 

3.)       What did you enjoy most about attending Touro? Were you concerned about going so far from home? What was it like being in the dual degree program?

I enjoy the fact that it’s finally over!! PA school was intense and grueling on its own. With the additional public health course load, it was definitely the greatest academic challenge I had to undertake. The analogy (that PA programs are like) "trying to drink water from a fire hose" was indeed accurate. In retrospect, I appreciated the small class size, the philosophy of treating both the individual as well as a community, the bonds I made with my classmates, the teachers and preceptors, and of course California's year round great weather. Going to school far from home was a benefit as I was able to solely focus on school.

4.)       How did you decide to work in family practice?

Family practice was low on my list of specialties that I wanted to work in before I went on rotations. Through rotations, I gained an appreciation of the great bond and lifelong relationship that a provider and a patient can have. The ability to become part of a community and make a major impact on it is a great honor and challenge as well.  I am working in a federally qualified underserved clinic whose patient population is mostly made up of migrant farmworkers, uninsured, and underinsured patients. 

5.)    Are there recommendations you have for current undergraduates as they are preparing to become PA’s or even other health professionals?

College is definitely a time to expand your boundaries of what is familiar and comfortable to you by meeting and conversing with people you wouldn't normally talk with and taking classes that seem interesting to you. So I would recommend you challenge yourself and try to grow in every way possible.  Take advantage of the resources available to you, like the Patterson Center for Health Professions. Also if you can, travel as much of the world as possible. It is one of the best investments you will ever make! 

Eye-Opening Experiences for EC Pre-Optometry Student

Rosalba Ramirez is a senior at Elmhurst College majoring in biology and pursuing a career in optometry. As an undergraduate, she has gained wonderful experiences geared toward her professional interests. Below she describes two opportunities in optometry where she was able to explore the profession.

At the Spectrios Institute for Low Vision, I was able to learn a lot about low vision care while translating for the Spanish-speaking patients that went there.  My time there consisted of translating paperwork so that Spanish-speaking patients can comprehend their treatment, access different resources available to them, and much more.  I also translated for Spanish-speaking patients in person helping them understand the optometrist’s diagnosis and different options they had available to them.  While the institute itself did not offer vision correction, they offered an array of resources and tools that helped patients make the most of the vision they did have.  Working alongside the low vision optometrists at Spectrios was really helpful in giving me some insight on one of the different routes one can take as an optometrist. 

 Rosalba Ramirez

My time at the Illinois Eye Institute (IEI) at Princeton Elementary School was a very valuable to me.  Monday through Friday a busload of Chicago Public School (CPS) students arrive at the school-based eye clinic around 9am.  I had the opportunity to go in every Thursday for half a year, and it was quite an eye-opening experience for me!  I performed a variety of screenings that included testing for far and near visual acuity, stereoacuity, color vision, eye pressure, and measuring for refractive error before the optometry students from the Illinois College of Optometry performed exams on the CPS children.  I had never had so much hands-on experience as I did at the IEI at Princeton, and I am grateful for all that I learned from the optometrists there.  It was very fulfilling to know that I was helping provide vision care to an underserved community.  I never realized how many people in Chicago do not have access to vision care and how much it affects children in their school performance.  The IEI at Princeton Elementary School was one of the best volunteer experiences to participate in, and I would strongly encourage any student remotely interested in the field of optometry to volunteer there as well.

Gratitude: It’s Not Only What You Say, It’s How You Say It

Growing up, most of us were taught the importance of saying “thank you” (often hand-in-hand with please). Hopefully those lessons in politeness have stuck with us to adulthood. Yet, as we become more socially aware, it is apparent the means to show gratitude can vary and require a measured approach. 

In the health professions, many graduate and professional programs conduct interviews to screen candidates for seats in their upcoming classes. It is highly recommended that students not only share their appreciation of being offered an interview while on site but also follow-up afterward in writing to show gratitude for the opportunity to meet with them. Thanking the school after an interview may not “make or break” one’s chances of being accepted, but it certainly can demonstrate professionalism, graciousness, and a genuine interest in the program. Not every applicant takes the time to be this thoughtful, and the kind gesture is noted. As a student digests this, a multitude of questions may come to mind. How should I go about this? Do I mail them a card? Send an e-mail? How soon should I send it so I’m timely but not too overzealous?

Although we are in an age where technology permeates our daily lives, in asking a few admission counselors, it seems more of them prefer the handwritten thank you card as opposed to an e-mail. Students should opt for a more professional looking card rather than something designed to give a friend or family member. It is still customary to drop a card in the mail within a couple of days of the interview. Yet postal mail may not be timely enough if an admission committee is making decisions shortly after your interview. In these situations, some applicants may send a brief e-mail first and then mail a thank you card within the next few days providing more in depth remarks about their experience. However, even under a time constraint, it would be inappropriate to come with a thank you card already written to give them immediately after the interview finishes. This would suggest a candidate didn’t take time to reflect on the experience or make the sentiment personal. When in doubt, students can talk with an advisor in the Patterson Center for suggestions on the best methods for delivering a thank you message as well as any other questions related to this topic. 

             Thank you!