“One of the most rewarding parts of my job is when women tell me that I made an uncomfortable experience a little less scary,” said Alyssa Heath, PA-C, a physician assistant (PA) at Canyon View Women’s Care in South Utah County and a 2020 graduate of the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (RMUoHP).
While most women see a gynecologist for an annual check up, those appointments can often be filled with dread or discomfort. Heath is grateful that her education and career allow her to help patients during such visits, where she strives to both provide quality care for her patients and to create an environment of support and security.
“I am grateful that as a women’s health PA I get to spend a lot of time counseling my patients about preventative care and helping them understand health changes over different phases of life. I enjoy being a partner with my patients in their journey towards better health and being an educational source for them.”
Prior to becoming a PA, Heath received her bachelor’s degree in physiology at Brigham Young University, knowing that she wanted to pursue graduate school to become a PA.
“I was always interested in medicine, but I knew I wanted to be a PA specifically after meeting a PA who told me about how much she loved the flexibility and scope of her job,” explained Heath.
As she was applying to various PA programs, Heath shadowed an obstetrician-gynecologist (OBGYN) and decided that is what she wanted to do.
“I was impressed at the broad spectrum of care provided at the OBGYN office,” said Heath. “I love women’s health because you work with women of all ages and in different settings. I love being able to see patients in the clinic, caring for patients in the hospital, and assisting in surgery. It’s a good mix of both primary care and specialty care.”
As a PA, Heath works hard to both help her clients and to create a more equal environment in the workplace.
“Healthcare is now a female-dominated industry, and PA programs especially tend to have women as the majority,” said Heath. “Despite this, I think women still face challenges and obstacles in their career. Patients and even fellow healthcare professionals might make assumptions about you or treat you differently than they would a male provider.”
Heath added “We still have a lot of work to do. It is important to continue advocating for equality in the workplace.”
But such barriers don’t stop Heath and other women from making a difference as healthcare providers. “I know so many incredible women who are great doctors, PAs, physical therapists, nurses, and so on. It is so possible to have both a fulfilling medical career and a happy life outside work. There may be extra considerations and challenges unique to women, but it is doable,” said Heath.
“It is a difficult but rewarding career,” said Heath, but “your passion and success benefits society as a whole.”
