Ryan Haas

Physician Assistant

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Hometown: Evansville, Indiana

Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training

What made you want to be a PA?

Talking to PAs in the community and Professor Mike Roscoe showed me how fulfilling a PA profession could be. Also, I was intrigued by the possibility of treating the injuries I was seeing and learning about as an athletic training student.

Why UEPA?

Evansville is a wonderful community, and the University of Evansville is a fantastic school that sets all of their programs up for success. This program is different from other programs because of the supportive, rather than competitive mentality from all students and especially faculty.

What was your major in undergrad, and did it prepare you for PA School?

I majored in athletic training, and yes I believe it prepared me and gave me a unique feature when applying to PA school. Sure there are some areas where a typical biology or chemistry major might have an advantage, but athletic training provides you practical experiences that can give you an advantage in not only orthopaedic knowledge but also general medicine.

How do you balance school and other aspects of your life?

I look at every school day as a workday. Every day I get to school at 6:00 a.m. and complete a workday that allows me a few hours every night of free time that will not include school work at all.

How hard is it…really???

The course work is challenging, but I believe that it challenges time management more than anything. No one topic is over-the-top hard, but when you add several other classes equally as difficult, time management is key.

What is the best study skill you can recommend for a PA student?

View the day as a workday! Stay away from things that would distract your performance at work, and get your work done so that you can enjoy your time in the evenings.

What is your typical day like?

Wake up at 5:30 a.m., get to school by 6:00 a.m., study until the first class, go to class from 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. with breaks for lunch and more studying, study from 1:00 - 6:00 p.m., eat dinner, and enjoy free time until bed time at 9:30 p.m.