1. What do you do?
I'm a PA student at Mercer University.
2. What's the coolest part of your job?
The coolest part about being a student again is learning about medicines and finally applying new skills to clinical practice.
When I was a medical assistant and scribe, the most fun part of the job was interacting with patients and discussing differential diagnoses with doctors and nurses.
3. Why are you passionate about it?
I am learning how to treat patients with a range of different diseases or injuries from an amazing group of professors and awesome peers.
4. Which skills from Georgia Tech and your IAC degree have helped you be successful in this career?
Studying LMC helped me stand out in my application to PA school since few applicants had a background in liberal arts. It also helped me become confident in communicating with patients from different backgrounds.
Classes like Gender Studies, Literature in Medicine, and Ethnicity in American Literature exposed me to new perspectives and have helped me keep an open, critical mind about socioeconomic factors, gender, or age when making clinical decisions.
5. What's your #1 tip for students and alumni interested in your field?
Study what you love! I loved LMC courses and thrived in classes where I could participate and discuss the work. If you're on a pre-health track, you can still take your prerequisites for whichever graduate school you want and study a subject in undergrad that you enjoy.
Priyanka Dave graduated with a B.S. in Literature, Media, and Communication in 2020. Explore more IAC alumni careers here!