About Stephen Pasquini PA-C

"To fight passionately for what we believe, but remain open to learning and growing. To be committed to helping people grow, deepen and behave more effectively in the world. This is The PA Life! " - Stephen Pasquini PA-C Visit the Blog Content Archives Those of us who choose to study medicine are privileged folk. We are privileged because we have the ability to study hard and apply ourselves to a chosen field, often to serve others. We have an inherent duty to act responsibly in supporting our patient's medical needs in their particular aspect of care. Even as a child, I was sensitive to the idea of human suffering. Though I grew up with access to the best healthcare, my parents, educators who got their start working in the inner city, made sure I was aware of the discrepancies that existed in the world around me. I always knew I wanted to help people by working in the medical field. Though Ive always wanted to practice medicine, it wasnt until my junior year at the University of Washington that I decided to become a physician assistant (PA). The high cost of health care and lack of insurance limits access to care for many Americans. I wanted to become part of the solution to this problem. Its why I went into medicine and the reason I love going to work every day. Becoming a PA is the single best decision I ever made! I applied to become an NHSC Scholar during my second year at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (now Rutgers PA Program). Though I was turned down for the NHSC scholarship the first time, I applied again during my third year and was accepted. Words cannot describe how excited I was to be part of the NHSC and fulfill my dream of practicing medicine in an underserved community. After completing my two-year service commitment, I spent another eight years working at TheGreenfield Mee Memorial Clinic.I loved every single day of that job. The majority of my patients were Hispanic and didn't speak much English. When I started at the Greenfield clinic, I didnt speak a lick of Spanish. But my patients helped me. Now I am proud to say I almost always work without a translator. Working in a community with limited access to health care keeps me grounded. It reminds me every day why I went into medicine. It makes me a better person, community member, and father. For the past two years, I have worked as part of an integrative pain medicine specialty clinic in my community. Our goal is to treat the full spectrum of pain, addressing both the physical and psychosocial needs of our patients without defaulting to opioid medicines. I am grateful to have the opportunity to wake up every day and do something I love. Its so rewarding to be a physician assistant because I know this work helps people. For me, there is no better path to personal fulfillment and happiness. Here is me interviewing myself 🙂 Why did you start this blog This blog started as a hobby in 2012, a way to help others learn about the PA profession and connect with a real life PA. Over the years it has grown into something much more. The internet is full of information,some better than others.My goal is to bring you valuable information that will help you wherever you may be on your PA journey. How did you build this blog aren't you a PA? Believe it or not I am not a coder and I have no background or training in HTML or JavaScript. I didnt even know what these terms meant when Istarted writing online. I began with a family blog about 8 years ago as a way to document the growth of our children and share ideas. I launched my first blog on the original Google blogging platform blogger and then learned about a little web thing called WordPress I signed up for a free account. The family blog started to get some attention and I began writing more and realized I really enjoyed the process of mixing all the arts: Writing, photography and user interface. So I decided to teach myself more. I read books and got on Lynda.com and learned how to self-host a blog. I kept writing. The rest is history. This blog is the result of my love of connecting, writing and sharing ideas. This is pretty easy in the 21st century, it will continue to get easier and the world will be better because of it . What do you love most about being a PA? I love that I get to wake up every day and work in a profession that helps people. I love that as a PA there is a wonderful blend ofwork-life balancebuilt in. I love that as a PA we get to teach and even better than that we get to listen. It is such a wonderful privilege and I am grateful for each and every moment. What is your biggest pet peeve about being a PA? I hate that as PAs we get charged so much for everything. It starts as a student and gets worse every year. Books, school, memberships to PA organizations, journals, licensing etc. etc. One of my biggest goals here over the next several years is to create very inexpensive materials that use the power of scale and the internet to keep costs down while providing really useful and amazing tools. I am so proud to have launched thePANCE and PANRE Academyin 2014 and the very successfulfree Daily PANCEemail series, ourPA Essay collaborative, thePA Schoolfinderwebsite and myfree resumesandfree PANCE and PANRE exams. The list will continue to grow with your continued support. Any big goals for the year? I hope to work more Internationally and figure out how we as PAs can use our skills to advance equality in health and medicine. I want to (have to) figure out a way to end the useless suffering that is the result of a profit based health care system. One that places profit above people. It is hard to work in this environment, and I am hoping in my lifetime to see it end. What do you like to do on your free time? I am an avid biker, runner, surfer, tennis enthusiast and all around outdoor geek. Are you single? Ha, Got Ya 🙂 I just wanted to see if you would click on this one, so I am flattered. In case you were wondering I am 37 years old and have been married to the same amazing woman for the last 13 years. We have two small children aged 6 and 4 who are the center and love of my life! I Appreciate You! I just wanted to finish by saying that Im here for you, not only as a guide while you begin or continue your education career but also as a friend. I do my best to respond to all emails (its getting tougher as this blog gains in popularity, but I will always do my best to respond!). And I dont hold myself above anybody. Im not special; Im just a guy who likes to work hard, work smart, and use the influence I have online to make theworld (and hopefully the PA profession) a better place. Thank you so much for your support. And if youve made it this far, Id love for you to come say hi to me on my Facebook Page. Ill definitely respond, and I look forward to meeting you! 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