Nora found out she was pregnant right before starting PA school.

That's the kind of timing that makes people assume the plan is over. It wasn't. She started anyway, and she's doing well - not because she's superhuman, but because she built a support system and made some hard calls about what she could and couldn't do.

We talk about how she told her program, what accommodations looked like, and how she manages studying with a newborn. Her honesty about the hard parts is the best thing in this episode. She doesn't pretend it's easy.

If you're worried that life circumstances disqualify you from this path, they usually don't. They just change the logistics.

What we talk about:

• Finding out she was pregnant right before starting school
• Telling her program and what came of it
• Studying and attending class with a newborn
• The support system that made it work
• What she'd do differently
• Advice for students who become parents mid-program

Resources:

Pre-PA counseling: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/pre-pa-counseling

Free application timeline: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/free-application-timeline

PA Program Map: https://www.thepaplatform.com/pa-platform-map

Free resume download: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/free-resume-download

Mentioned in this episode:

CapYear Training

Get $200 Off CapYear Academy Looking to boost your clinical experience this summer? CapYear Academy offers a flexible, 100% online medical assistant training program with optional externships and CCMA certification included. 🎓 Use code PA200 for $200 off your tuition! 👉 Enroll now at capyear.co

So I've had a baby, but not right before I started PA school.

So today we have Nora on the show to share her experience and insights into finding out she was pregnant while about to start PA school and having an infant during PA school.

Welcome to the Pre PA Club podcast.

If you want to learn how to become a physician assistant, you're in the right place.

I'm your host, Savannah Perry.

Let's get to it.

Hey guys, thanks so much for tuning in.

And today's episode is going to be a good one because it's just so relatable and something that I get asked about a lot and just it's so great to hear from someone who is in PA school and doing well even with some unique circumstances.

So I really admire Nora's story and how she, she made some tough decisions as far as what was going to work best for herself and her family.

But ultimately she's killing it and doing way better than I think I could in PA school with the baby.

But she's awesome and you're going to hear from her in just a second.

Before we get to that, there's a couple things I wanted to let you know about.

So number one, AAPA is having a personal statement webinar coming up on January 26th, so I'll be involved with that.

You're also going to hear from my PA Resource, who is a sponsor of this podcast and they are the Go to people for PA School Personal statement editing.

And that's a service you can look into.

And if you want to hear more about just what should be in your personal statement, how to do it, all of those things, join that webinar on January 26th.

I will be posting probably in the description, sending to email list, trying to let people know a link to sign up for that.

You do have to sign up so that they are able to logistically make it happen.

But it's gonna be really great.

And so that will be on the night of the 26th.

I think it's at 8 o' clock, but Eastern.

But I don't want to say that 100%.

So I wanted to let you know that that was coming up, which is really cool.

And now.

Oh, the other thing I want to add.

So if you are looking at using MyPA resource, make sure you're using the code future PA on the website so that you get a discount on that service, which I do recommend.

And we'll be talking more about that in the webinar and kind of what to look for in editing and how to Work on your essay now.

If you're working on it now or you need help working on it, we have developed a personal statement checklist as well as a kind of program to walk you through writing your personal statement or at least getting a rough draft in about two weeks.

So if you go to the paplatform.com personal statement, you will find information on that and you just enter your email and we'll send you the checklist and then kind of get you started in that program to actually write your essay.

And just taking a few minutes each day so that you don't feel like you're staring at a blank page, hopefully that will get you the jump start you need.

Maybe not a finished product, but at least some words on paper.

The other sponsor of our podcast right now is PA School Prep, which is a online program that will help you to get ready for PA school.

So if you have been out of school for a while or just feel like you want a refresher or just want to be at the top of your game, go to paschoolprep.com and you can use the code future PA there as well for a discount on that online course.

But it's going to prepare you in anatomy, physiology, med terms and make sure that you have all the information you need for those tough classes that start right away in PA school.

All right, so let's get to our interview with Nora.

Okay, well, my name is Nora Frampong, and I'm originally from Ghana, but I came to Manila, Minnesota about 10 years ago, and that's where I actually did my undergrad at St.

Cloud State University, and I have my undergrad in biomedical science.

I was there for, I think, a good probably five years.

And then I moved to Connecticut, where I live right now, and that's where I started working at the hospital as a cna.

And I pretty much been here since then.

Okay, did you know through undergrad and your experience and stuff that you wanted to go the PA route, or did that come kind of later on?

Later on, basically when I was almost about to graduate, I didn't actually know what a PA was until my brother, he was seen by a PA because he had.

So he was born with cerebral palsy, and then he also has epilepsy.

So he was having seizures that were getting worse.

And so we saw a neurologist, and on the team there was a PA Ann, that's her Name.

Initially, I didn't know who she was, to be honest, because she did talk to us a lot.

I noticed she explained a lot of things to us, and she was really easygoing, but I didn't know what her role was until we started to actually talk.

And she told me that she was a pa and this is what she did.

And I was like, oh, that's interesting.

And I was about to graduate.

Honestly, didn't know what I wanted to do.

I was so focused on pharmacy for such a long time because my mom is a pharmacist.

But then I realized I didn't.

I wasn't really interested in that.

And so I did shadow her, and I decided, you know, this is.

This is something that I think I could do, and I could possibly be good at it.

I had a couple more classes to finish before I could apply to PA school, so I decided to go ahead and do that, and I did shadow a couple more other PAs, and, you know, like, okay, so this is.

This is what I want to do.

I want to be able to talk to patients.

Like, the way she talked us and, you know, explain things to us made us feel very comfortable, and she really had the time for us.

That's what I really appreciated most about her job.

Okay, so when it came time to apply, you took the extra classes, got your experience, all that.

What did your application process look like?

For the most part, it was pretty straightforward.

I think the thing that I struggled with the most was my personal statement, because writing is not my strongest suit.

So I felt like I had so many things that I wanted to say and so many things that I wanted to share, but I just didn't know how to put it together.

And so I did write my personal statement over quite a number of times, and I had different people read over it.

I had a couple of PAs look over it as well before I finally submitted it.

That was, like, my last thing.

I had gotten everything, my recommendations, my transcripts and everything.

But the personal statement was the last thing that I finally applied to.

I also didn't know how many schools I should apply to, and if that was going to be, like, my first time applying, if that was going to be just like a test kind of cycle versus, like, my actual, like, I'm gonna apply and then start, you know, once I get into a program.

So I was kind of, like, on the edge about it, say, oh, I'm gonna try my best and get into school this cycle, but then I'm not going to.

It's not going to be the end for me, basically.

So, yeah, those are the things I probably struggled with the most during the application cycle, but for the most part, it was pretty straightforward.

So how many schools did you end up applying to?

So initially, like I said, because I didn't think that it was, like, it was my test cycle, basically.

So I.

And then I got three interviews.

How many did you apply to find?

One entry.

I'm sorry, say it again.

Oh, sorry.

How many did you apply to apply to?

5.

5.

Okay.

Then you got three interviews.

Got it.

The interviews.

And then I declined one, and then I went for the two, and I got into those two programs.

Okay, well, that's.

Obviously, you had an impressive application and impressive interview skills.

Okay, so, Ben, tell us what happened.

So both of the programs that I got into were in New York because initially that was my plan.

I wasn't planning really on staying in Connecticut.

I wanted to go to New York.

And so I was just trying to decide between the two programs which one I was going to go to.

And then I found out I was pregnant.

Okay, that was unexpected, of course, but all the same.

Is very exciting.

But, you know, it's like, what am I doing next?

Yeah.

So can you give us a timeline of kind of like, when you were accepted, when you found out you were pregnant, and when you were supposed to start school?

And then the other program, their cycle was a little bit different.

So right before, like, the first program was gonna start, I found out I was pregnant at that point, that program, for several reasons, but I didn't know how they would, you know, take it, because I had.

They didn't take a deposit.

The school didn't.

Didn't take a deposit or anything down like that.

But I was already set with a roommate, and I was just like.

I don't know.

I had taken, like, a medical terminology class, and so I wasn't sure what to do next.

So I did call the program, and I spoke to the director, and I told, you know him, this is what's going on.

So he was like, you know, you can defer, because we've actually had a student like that last year who's in the same situation.

And so they did allow me to defer.

And so I was like, you know, why don't I just keep my options open?

So I called the other program because I never told them, you know, my answer for sure.

And so I asked them just to see how, what, you know, their reaction would be.

And they also said, you know, you could defer for a year because we've had students do that.

So both.

I deferred at both programs.

Interesting.

Okay.

Yeah.

And then once it kind of sunk in everything, I was like, realistically, it doesn't make sense for me to move to New York considering that my family is here in Connecticut.

And if I'm gonna have a baby and I'm going to be going to PA school, I'm gonna need help.

I can't go to New York if, you know, my family's here.

So that's when I decided to reapply in the cycle.

That was like a last minute thing because it was just like, I think getting towards the end of the cycle, it was just kind of like, I can't go to New York possibly.

So I just let me just apply and see what happens.

If it happens, it happens.

If it doesn't, I mean, I tried.

Oh, my gosh, they're so brave.

But I think all of that just shows how much you really, really want to be a pa, which is awesome.

Yeah, no, this has been.

I mean, once I set my mind to going this route, I was just like, you know, just because, you know, I'm going to be a mom or just because I'm going to have a baby, it's not going to be something that's going to necessarily stop me.

It might.

I might have to do things a little differently, but I still definitely wanted to do that.

And I thought, you know, the best thing to do at that point was to try to into a program here in Connecticut and to be able to stay here in Connecticut.

Okay, so you made your mind up kind of last minute to reapply, kind of forget the programs in New York.

But you had proved to yourself that you could get into PA school, which is awesome.

So does that mean you went through interview, the interview season pregnant?

Yeah.

So again, I decided to apply to two programs.

More than that, I applied to programs and then I got a call for an interview.

The first program for Sacred Heart.

That's where I'm at right now.

And okay, at that point, I was.

That was in September.

I got the call for the injury, but the interview wasn't until November.

So I think I was around Seven months or so.

So, yeah, I was showing.

I was pretty pregnant at that point.

Yeah, it was.

It was.

It was nerve wracking for me.

But they definitely did not treat me any different than any person that was being interviewed.

Yeah, I didn't feel that at all.

So you didn't feel like, judge.

They didn't ask you, you know, any.

Specific questions going into the interview that, you know, they would maybe have these, you know, obviously, like, preconceived, like, no.

Oh, she's pregnant.

Like, how is she going to be able to do this?

And I had talked to a PA that I had shadowed for quite a while, and he told me that, you know, I'm not gonna lie to you.

They.

People have.

Of course, you know, people might have that, like, idea, but what you could do is just, you know, come there and, you know, give your best interview that you can and do what you can.

So he was just like, you know, just give it your best in everything that you're gonna do.

And, you know, they're not even gonna think or.

Yeah, they're not gonna think that you think about, like, that's something that's gonna be a factor.

So I didn't definitely.

I definitely didn't feel that at all.

I felt very comfortable.

They made me feel very comfortable.

Yeah.

And the interview process went smoothly, considering again, I was, like, seven months pregnant.

Yeah.

Okay, so they accepted you?

They did, yep.

So they.

Their process is they interview everybody and then they make their decisions.

And so I got a call.

I think it was early January or somewhere around, like, mid January, I can't remember for sure.

But yes, I did get a call, and I was extremely excited and I was so happy that things, like, fell into place.

That's awesome.

Okay.

So then I guess your mindset had to shift to, okay, I'm going to be a student with a baby.

Yeah.

So how old was your baby when you started PA school?

So he was about.

Almost six months.

Okay.

And I.

So my plan was to get him enrolled in daycare before I started school.

So he started daycare about five months so that he could kind of get used to that and there wouldn't be any, like, surprises right at the beginning or anything like that.

But of course, my first week of PA school, he was sick.

And then I was just like, oh, that's like, one of the challenges.

I guess, like, immediately that was thrown at me because I don't know for other programs, but my program has intended policy and class even, you know, if something like that happens or that's where I started to really lean on my family for support.

And I think that's definitely one of the biggest factors for anybody that.

I mean, in general, PA school is tough.

And so having a good support system is important.

And especially when you have a child, you need that help.

And so I did talk a lot with my family about it before.

I mean, you hear about PA school being very, like, limited with the time that you have for outside activities and how busy you are going to be, but you don't really know how it's going to be until you start.

And that's how I felt.

I didn't know that it was going to be like that.

Like, my schedule was going to be so packed until I actually started.

And so there were, like, adjustments in between with, like, who had to pick up my son from daycare or who was going to watch him.

I mean, if I was going to be able to make it and come back home at a time when I could pick him up or something like that, sure.

But if I can't, who's going to be able to do that?

So I had.

I did have conversations over and over with my family and tried to help them understand that, you know, this is not just regular, like, college where I can maybe take a class part time or, you know, or skip class or something, you know, something along those lines.

This is different, and it's going to be intense.

So I'm going to need all the help that I can get.

And I'm fortunate enough to have a.

Really great support system that is definitely helpful.

And even, I mean, where I live, I have my family here and it's been great even just working, having them to step in when necessary because, yeah, you never know when they're going to get sick or who knows?

So it sounds like how you had, like, backup plan on.

Backup plan, thanks to your support system.

How many people are in your class?

There's 42 people in my class.

Are there other parents?

No, no.

Yeah, I'm the only parent in my class.

Yeah, there are people that are married, but yeah, I'm the only one with a child.

The little PA baby.

Well, what.

How have you found, I guess.

What have you struggled with and what have you found that works as far as balancing time with just being a mom and a student and having kind of that different family dynamic than someone who doesn't have those responsibilities?

It was quite a while since I was in school.

And so just getting back into that.

And of course, again, it's different because you're taking.

They set the amount of credits that you're going to be taking, and you have a really pretty.

Like a pretty trick schedule.

And so that was an adjustment for me initially.

I'm a visual learner, so it's really important for me to be able to see things versus just reading them.

So I.

What was really helpful for me was watching a lot of videos, and that really helped in terms of when I didn't.

There were times when I didn't get the help that I needed.

Like, if Haley wasn't available to watch my son, I would have to kind of balance along with him.

And a lot of my studying actually came from me watching stuff like, either YouTube or osmosis, which I use quite a lot to listen to things, or like listening to podcasts and things of that nature.

And so watching videos or watching like Sketchy Med or picmonic, things like that, that really helped me a lot, especially when I didn't have help watch him.

So he would be here with me, and I'd be just watching that in the background.

And that's kind of the kind of learner that I am.

So that's what works for me.

I think that's what everyone should kind of see.

How is it that what works best for them?

Kind of like, because I might be a good visual learner, but somebody might not necessarily like that.

So I think that's what I did, and I think that worked pretty well for me.

Other than that, I think also I'm the type of person that I didn't have the habit of, you know, studying every single day.

When I was an undergrad, I would study whenever I had exams.

Basically, if I didn't have exams, I wouldn't really keep up with stuff.

But here's a case where you really have to.

So every day you have to at least go over.

Try to go over whatever it is that you did in class.

And so that was a bit of an adjustment for me in the beginning.

It is still an adjustment for me because it is a lot of stuff that we have.

And we have exams as well every week almost.

So I try as much as possible to at least, you know, for the most part, try to go over whatever I did in class that day.

And that helps you to stay on top of things and not get too overwhelmed when you have an exam.

Yeah.

Okay.

I'm gonna ask a couple questions that would be considered highly unethical in an interview setting.

But have you felt hindered in any way by having a baby in PA school?

Like, do you think it has affected your performance or, like you said, like, if you set your mind to something, you're just gonna make it happen and you've been fine.

I don't think it has hindered me, honestly.

I think that it did help me to kind of adjust in situations that were unpredictable, because a couple of times during this semester, my son was sick.

There were times that I had to take him to, like, the emergency room and then literally be in class in a few hours.

So, I mean, it was hard.

I'm not gonna lie.

There were times when I kind of cry a little bit because I was a little.

But I think that made me a little bit more motivated, and it did show.

Show me that, you know, I could do things that I.

Because I.

If you could.

If you told me this a couple of years ago, I'd say, there's no way I could do that.

No, Like, I'm not gonna do that.

But it definitely showed me that, you know, I'm stronger than I actually think I am.

And so I don't think it's hindered me.

I rather think it's the opposite, that I show myself that I can multitask better than I can ever imagine, you know, especially when I don't have the help.

I don't have anybody to watch him sometimes.

And having to manage that and study for exams, I've learned to better, like, manage my time and try to use my time as best as possible and that I could do that.

So I don't think that's hindered me in any really.

No.

Okay.

So one question that I get a lot that I don't feel like I necessarily have been able to answer.

Well, because I can't answer it from a personal standpoint is people ask me when.

Like, if, like pre PA people when they should have kids, they will say, should I try to have my baby right before PA school so that they're a baby.

Should I be pregnant in PA school?

Should I be pregnant on interviews?

And I know you only have one real experience to speak from, but what are your thoughts on that?

I don't.

If I didn't have a child probably before PA school, I don't think I would get pregnant in PA school just because it's rigorous.

In terms of your.

First of all, you're sitting for at least.

I mean, eight hours at a time.

Yeah.

You have breaks here and there, but, you know, let's Just say you're in class from like 9 to 5 and that's basically, that's, that's how my school schedule is.

So that's what you're doing.

You obviously, you know, you can't avoid it all the time.

When exams come up, I do get a little bit stressed out, a little anxious.

So I don't think that's necessarily the most healthiest thing for somebody, especially when they're pregnant.

First of all, sitting for such a long time, the chairs are not the most comfortable to sit in for so long.

Just that mental stress, you know, anxiety, you know, you should try to be as calm as possible when you're pregnant.

And so being in that environment, I think that unless you're somebody that really is super great with managing your stress, I don't think that's like the best time.

Things happen, of course, but like to actually plan a pregnancy during PA school, especially the didactic year, I don't think that is the best thing.

I know some people do in clinical year, but I haven't experienced clinical year yet, so I'm not, I can't really say if that's like, you know, the best time.

But I, I know I've heard before, like, if you're going to get pregnant in PA school, do it in clinical year versus like you're didactic.

But for me personally, I don't think I would in like ph school get pregnant.

I think it's also a personal choice, you know, before people, like if you want to have kids or what people, when people want to have kids and.

But you do have to realize that once you do decide to, even if you do have a child right before PE school or if you have a child in PE school, that you have to have people around you to help.

Because that's like, I think that's the thing that makes a huge difference.

Having that support like system, having family, whether it's family or whether it's friends or whoever it is that's going to help you, you have to have people you know in your corner.

So I think that's something that people should really think about before.

And also, you know, there is a financial aspect to it as well.

And being in PA school, if you're living off loans and if, or if you borrow loans and things of that nature, you also have to think about that.

Well, you know, because having a baby is, can be expensive.

So I think those good things.

Oh, you kind of alluded to it with saying, you know, that first week when your baby was sick and there's an attendance policy.

Like, you're held to the same standard as all the other students despite having a child.

Correct.

Yeah.

And I don't expect them to say, oh, we're going to, you know, be lenient on you because you have a child.

No, you know, we're all in PA school, you know, and these are all choices that everyone made.

I made, you know, to.

I'm a mom, and I made a choice to come to PA school.

I could have easily said, oh, you know what?

I'm just going to forget about it.

Wait, when my son turns a couple of years older, then maybe try again or something like that.

I made a choice to come.

So once I've made that commitment, I can't just, you know, it's hard, of course, you know, when your child is sick, you know, to come to school, but I realized that I had to kind of separate my mind mentally and, you know, put that away for a short while and then try to focus on what I'm doing in school and then, you know, switch over to that later because otherwise, you know, you will get overwhelmed.

Especially being a mom, I think I never understood this until I became a mom, like, how much you could worry about your child.

Learning to come, kind of come separate things and have the time for it and place for it is, I think, another thing that's really helped me.

So obviously, you know, I do have time to.

I try to make as much time as I can, even to spend time with him when I get back from school.

I don't go immediately, like, dive into my school stuff.

I take some time off and spend a little time with him, you know, put him to bed.

That's usually what I do, put him to bed.

You know, I get back to school stuff.

And that I think that's helped me also feel a little bit better about things in general.

Just being able to have a little time for him as well.

No, that's awesome.

It sounds like you're doing well and you've time to talk to me on a podcast, so thank you so much.

Any last parting words or advice?

I think I would say, regardless of if you have a child or not, if this is something that you want to do and, you know, and this applies to any.

Any field, like, if it's something that you want to do and you're determined, I think that you can do it.

People really underestimate the power of, like, their mind and the power of, like, positive thinking and the power of, like, what they can accomplish.

Like, sometimes, like, you go through Something, and you're like, oh, wow, I actually did this, and I never thought that I could do it.

So I think that you should never think that something's not possible.

I would always at least try, and that's one thing I like to do for myself personally, is always know that, you know, at least I tried to do it.

Yeah, I could have.

Or who knows?

Like, maybe if I.

If I never attempted to do PA school, would I have regrets?

I don't want to have regrets later, you know, So I always try to give my best and then see, you know, say that I tried.

And, you know, that's.

That's worked for me so far.

So hopefully someone out there could be encouraged that, you know, being a parent does not mean that you can't follow, like, your dreams or you can't achieve something or you can't do something better for yourself.

And I'm always, always thinking about it also, as I'm not just doing it for myself, you know, I'm doing it for my family now as well.

And hopefully that goes a long way to make a better life for my family.

And also, my son would be able to look back also and say, you know, mom was able to do this while she had me, and that would be a motivation for him, hopefully.

Well, you are super impressive, and I'm sure he'll be very proud once he realizes what you actually do.

I hope so.

Yeah, he will.

Well, thank you so much for taking the time to share just all of your advice and stories, and I don't know that I could do what you're doing, but like you said, you don't really know till you're there, so.

Exactly.

Doing a great job.

I'm glad I could have the opportunity to talk about my experiences and hopefully motivate somebody out there.

Oh, I'm sure.

All right, I'll stop the recording.

No, this was great.

I really.

I really am impressed by you.

Thanks.

That's.

I mean, well, mine's one and a half now, and she is wild.

Oh, yeah, he's getting to that.

He's almost.

I can't believe it.

He's almost gonna be one next month.

And they start moving and.