Ashley Kay is a Physician Assistant student at South College in Knoxville. She received her bachelors degree from the University of Florida where she majored in Health Science (go gators!). Prior to Ashley's acceptance into PA school, she worked nights and weekends while completing her undergraduate studies as a patient care tech in the pediatric emergency department/after-hours clinic at UF Health (previously known as Shands Hospital) in Gainesville, FL.
Born and raised in the Florida sunshine, Ashley is no stranger to the ocean, which is where she loves to spend most of her free time relaxing when she's not studying. Now that she is officially a Tennessee resident, she finds hiking in the Smoky Mountains to be the perfect stress reliever.
In her own words,
"My favorite aspect in becoming a Physician Assistant is having the ability to maintain the value and importance in upholding the patient-provider relationship. This is the core of what inspired me to pursue the physician assistant profession- the opportunity not only to improve the health of others, but also to develop a relationship with patients, which cultivates their understanding of personal health and in turn improves treatment adherence.
The biggest challenge I’ve faced thus far as a Physician Assistant student is letting go of the expectations of perfection that I place on myself- and instead, remember the truth that my purpose as a student is not about maintaining a perfect GPA and performing perfectly throughout the process- but to learn for my future patients to the absolute best of my ability.
Professional style means to convey the commitment to excellence without neglecting the importance of appearance in the workplace. Whether this passion is exemplified through scrubs, lab coats, or the business attire underneath-professional style allows you to set the standard in the midst of executing operational duties."
Follow Ashley on Instagram and check out her website at withAshleyKay.com.
