Yasmine Affes on Balancing National Leadership and Graduate Studies

Graduate school is a unique journey marked by both challenges and triumphs. For those pursuing careers in the healthcare sector, like Yasmine Affes, a Physician Assistant (PA) student at the University of Michigan Flint, this journey is even more demanding and rewarding. In a recent episode of Victors in Grad School, Yasmin shares her insights, from choosing a graduate program to finding success within it. This blog explores her journey, her path to leadership, and her tips for future graduate students.

The Journey to Graduate School

Yasmine's journey to graduate school began in high school, ignited by her passion for math and science and guided by her mother, a physician. Unlike many who stumble upon their career paths, Yasmine was proactive, researching various medical professions with her mother's help. She discovered the PA role, a perfect blend of her interests and career aspirations, offering flexibility across various medical specialties.

Yasmine received her undergraduate degree in Sports and Exercise Science from Wayne State University. During her undergrad years, she accumulated essential clinical hours and served as President of the Pre-PA Society, demonstrating her leadership potential early on.

Choosing the Right Graduate Program

Selecting the right graduate program can be overwhelming. Yasmin solely applied to the PA program at the University of Michigan Flint, a decision influenced by her extensive research and active involvement in the Pre-PA Society. Her interaction with the program director and faculty, coupled with the program's commitment to serving underserved communities like Flint, cemented her choice.

"I loved everything about U of M Flint's program... and I could not be more happy with my decision. The biggest reason I chose PA was because of the flexibility," Yasmin shares.

Overcoming Challenges

Graduate school is notoriously challenging, a truth Yasmine experienced first-hand. She struggled in her first semester, even failing an exam. Rather than view these setbacks as failures, Yasmin leveraged them as learning opportunities.

"Grad school is a different beast... but those are the topics we're truly interested in," she reflects. Yasmin adapted her study techniques, focusing on creating questions and scenarios that deepened her understanding of medical conditions.

The support from faculty and resources like a learning specialist played crucial roles in her academic turnaround. Reflecting on her journey, Yasmine emphasizes the importance of resilience and adapting one's study methods to meet the rigors of graduate education.

Leadership and Advocacy

Yasmine's leadership journey didn't stop at the state level. Her involvement with the Michigan Academy of Physician Associates (MAPPA) piqued her interest in national advocacy. Encouraged by peers and her own drive, Yasmin ran for and was elected President-Elect of the Student Academy with the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA).

This role blends her passion for advocacy and leadership, allowing her to impact legislation and advocate for PA students nationwide. Yasmin expresses a deep commitment to increasing diversity within the PA profession and advocating for underserved communities.

Tips for Future Graduate Students

Drawing from her experiences, Yasmine offers several tips to future graduate students, particularly those in clinically based programs:

1. Active Learning: Passive learning is insufficient for mastering complex medical topics. Yasmin recommends actively engaging with the material by creating detailed scenarios and questions to test understanding.

2. Utilize Resources: Most graduate programs offer support resources like learning specialists. Yasmin found these invaluable in overcoming academic hurdles.

3. Network and Get Involved: Building a robust professional network is crucial. Yasmin’s involvement in state and national advocacy not only broadened her network but also enriched her educational experience.

4. Resilience: Accept setbacks as part of the process. Yasmin’s initial struggles were pivotal in developing the adaptive strategies that led to her success.

Yasmine Affes’ journey underscores the importance of preparation, adaptability, and involvement in finding success in graduate school. Her story is a testament to the impact of resilience and leadership in overcoming challenges and making a difference.

For those on the cusp of their graduate school journey, Yasmin's experiences offer a blueprint for navigating this complex and rewarding path successfully. As she continues to advocate for PA students and underserved communities, Yasmin exemplifies the potential for graduate students to make significant contributions to their fields and communities.

TRANSCRIPT

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:01]:
Welcome to the Victor's in Grad School, where we have conversations with students, alumni, and experts about what it takes to find success in graduate school.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:11]:
Welcome back to Victor's in Grad School. I'm your host, doctor Christopher Lewis, director of graduate programs at the University of Michigan, Flint. Really excited to have you back again this week. As always, you are on a journey. And I say it's a journey because it truly is a journey. Every person that is thinking about graduate school is in graduate school, sees that light at the end of the tunnel because you're almost done with graduate school. Wherever you are in this continuum of thinking about or being in graduate school, you're on that journey, and you're working toward the goals that you that you have set for yourself. And that's why this podcast exists.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:48]:
Every week, I love being able to sit down, talk to you, and to be a resource for you, to help you to be able to step through that journey, walk through that journey to help you along the way. And that's why every week we bring you different guests, different people with different experiences that have walked on this path like yourself, that are currently in graduate school, have completed graduate school, but have figured out some things along the way about what it takes to find success in that journey. This week, we got another great guest with us today. Yasmin Afes is with us today, and Yasmin is a physician assistant student at the University of Michigan, Flint. She did her undergraduate work at Wayne State University. And then soon after graduating, she made that decision of applying to graduate school and decided to attend the University of Michigan Flint. But I'm really excited to be able to talk with her about her experiences and her journey into graduate school and now through graduate school, and I'm happy to introduce her to you today. Yasmin, thanks so much for being here today.

Yasmine Affes [00:01:58]:
No. Thank you for having me.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:01:59]:
It is my pleasure. I'm really excited to be able to talk with you. I mentioned that you had done your undergraduate work at Wayne State University. And every student has that origin story and that journey that they go on. You did your bachelor's degree in sports and exercise science. And sometime along the way, you made a decision. You made a decision that you wanted to continue on to work toward being a physician assistant. I know you've got involved as an undergraduate student in the pre PA society there.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:02:30]:
You were the president of the pre PA society there. So bring me back. Let's go back to that beginning and talk to me about those first steps. And what were the reasons that you chose that you wanted to continue on to go to graduate school to become a physician assistant?

Yasmine Affes [00:02:44]:
Yeah. So I actually started in high school. My senior year of high school, I remember thinking like, what school do I want to go to and what do I wanna major in? Because those things determine what I wanna do for the rest of my life as well. So I was like concerned about it because I had no idea what I wanted to do. I guess that was most people in high school. I was like, I need to figure this out. Like, I need to come up with a plan. And I talked to my parents about it.

Yasmine Affes [00:03:09]:
I was like, I don't wanna go to medical school, but I like medicine. Like, I like math and science. Those have always been my strong suits. And my mom told me about the PA profession. And we both did research together about it and saw, like, what I needed to do. So my senior year of high school, she actually put me in I'm lucky because my mom is in also in medicine. My mom was a physician. So she helped me a lot guide me through the ropes.

Yasmine Affes [00:03:33]:
But, throughout this journey, like, I have that guidance. So what I try to do is give it back to others. So my mom put me in certified nurse assistant course. So my first job was a CNA out of high school, And then I accumulated my patient care hours throughout undergraduate. I worked as a COVID tester. I worked as a medical assistant for a pulmonologist for two and a half years. So I got all of my hours in during undergrad so that I could just go straight from undergrad to PA school. So that kind of worked out well for me, and I got really involved at Wayne State as well.

Yasmine Affes [00:04:09]:
I actually chose Wayne State first because it's a good, like, medical school or and, like, it has great math and science courses. But second, because I ran track in college, I always wanted to run track, and I wanted to pick a school where I could do that and something I'm interested in. So and then I ended up starting my own club at Wayne State called Herd Immunity where we discussed vaccines and the importance of vaccines. And I think, like, having that extra curricular involvement and being involved in the community in Detroit an underserved area and applying to school that's in Flint also an underserved area those attributes were very appealing for me and my application. I I feel like U of M Flint was actually the only graduate school I applied to that cycle. I really enjoyed the program. I went to so many monthly meetings and I loved the faculty. They knew my face because I would ask so many questions every time but I loved everything about U of M Flint's program and that ended up being the only school I applied to and I could not be more happy with my decision.

Yasmine Affes [00:05:15]:
And I love PA school. My mom says no matter which PA school you would go to you would love it, but I think our faculty is super supportive, and it's been amazing. The biggest reason I chose PA was because of the flexibility. So you can work in any specialty. We're trained as generalist. We're based on the medical model, so we're learning similar things to students in medical school are, maybe a little less detailed. There's a lot less histology, like cellular level things, and there's less pathophysiology. We learn really the nitty gritty, the basics, and then we build upon that.

Yasmine Affes [00:05:51]:
So we also don't get any breaks throughout school. It's a continuous 27 no. Mine is 28 month program. The average program in the country is 27 months. That's why I ended up choosing PA school, and I'm really happy with that decision.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:06:07]:
So I can tell you did your research, which is great because not everybody does as thorough of research as it seems like you did to figure out the right program for you, and you did choose to attend the University of Michigan, Flint. Bring me back to that decision making process for you. You did say that you did your research and you only applied to the one program. Not everybody chooses to do that in the in the CASPA system, and, you know, many people will choose to try a couple of programs that seem like good fits. So what were you looking for in a PA program, and what made you ultimately decide that the University of Michigan Flint was that only pro program that you're going to apply to?

Yasmine Affes [00:06:47]:
Yeah. So I went to the most monthly meetings for U of M Flint. I went to so many during undergraduate because I was the president of the pre PA society. I had to talk about these programs and what makes them different and different attributes. So I had to educate myself, but also it was a win win because I had to learn about the other programs in the state for myself so that I knew what would be the best fit for me. Our program director, Gilkey, she actually spoke to our pre PA society. And the first time she spoke to us, I think I was a sophomore in college, and I was running that meeting because the higher ups couldn't go. So I was asking professor Gilkey questions about the program, and I fell in love with it then and there.

Yasmine Affes [00:07:27]:
She really talked about wanting to support the community of Flint and things that we could do to help Flint. There's like a volunteer program. We go to we go to schools and tutor kids in an after school program. I think we did it about 3 or 4 times a semester for a few hours, and those were pivotal moments to see, like, what is really happening in our community. I had a child who was crying and I thought, oh, she might have gotten hurt. She might have been bullied or something. And I went up to her and I was like, why are you crying, sweetie? And she had tooth pain. And I looked in her mouth with a flashlight and she had the worst cavity rotten tooth I've ever seen.

Yasmine Affes [00:08:08]:
Like, she's never been to the dentist and just seeing, like, the health disparities in this community and wanting to be able to help them. I've always wanted to work in an underserved community. I plan to work in an area similar to Flint or Detroit or somewhere where I can truly make a difference. And I think having that experience in a community like this is amazing. I mean, she didn't go into as much detail as that when she was talking about it, but I was really in awe of the program and the things that they do to help blend in. So that's ultimately why I chose it. And, also, because CASPA has a different application cycle, our school isn't rolling, and the application deadline was later than the other schools, and I just didn't feel confident. I feel like I'm kind of a perfectionist, and it was ultimately, like, one of my top choices.

Yasmine Affes [00:08:56]:
So I was, like, it's okay if I just apply to one school this cycle. I can apply to much more. And the high school is extremely competitive. Like, I was not thinking I was gonna get in the first time, especially only limiting myself to one school. For the students listening, I recommend applying to, like, 7 to 9, but really truly doing your research on every program and every single requirement. Because a lot of schools, if you don't meet all of the requirements, they don't even look at your application. So it's super important to do your research and take time. And I felt like giving all of my time and energy into one school definitely upped my chances, but also, like, limited myself as well.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:09:33]:
Now every student goes through a transition and you go through undergraduate, you're taught in a specific way. You get used to that way as you go through that experience. And then you go to grad school. And in grad school, it's very different, especially being in a clinically based program, very different model of education, learning, etcetera. So there is that transition of being able to make that jump from undergraduate to graduate and being able to find success in that. So talk to me about what you had to do. What did you have to do to be able to set yourself up for success as you entered into the program? What have you had to do to maintain that success as you've gone through the program thus far?

Yasmine Affes [00:10:16]:
Yeah. Grad school is a different beast. Everyone tells you it's so much harder than undergrad, but you truly don't understand until you're in it. And I struggled a lot my 1st semester. I was failing exams. I was not confident in myself. I thought, oh my god. Like, I'm the only one in my class who failed this.

Yasmine Affes [00:10:34]:
Like, I'm not cut out for PA school. But at the end of the day, these are the topics we're truly interested in. Like, this is the medicine. This is things that are helping people. And in the future, we will need this knowledge no matter what. So I just changed up my study tactics, and I failed a class my 1st semester, which was really scary. But since then on, I I never failed again. I found my groove, and I think it helped me learn, like, oh my god.

Yasmine Affes [00:11:01]:
This is really serious, and I need to put more effort into finding a way that works for me to study. But, wow, grad school is so difficult. I've finally found my way, and I think right now I'm doing really well, and I only accredit it to my failures on the past.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:11:19]:
And sometimes you have to have those stumbles, those failures along the way. And sometimes that's difficult because students that go to graduate school, sometimes they had smooth sailing in undergrad, did really well, didn't have any stumbles in there, and then they get to graduate school. And then that confidence, that imposter syndrome sets in, and you feel like, should I be here? Am I cut out for this? Is this really what and you gotta tell that brain of yours to just shut up and be able to keep moving forward because, like you said, you found your groove. It may take a little bit of time and figuring out, okay, what do I have to do different in this type of education versus what I had to do as an undergrad?

Yasmine Affes [00:12:03]:
Yeah. And for our program, we have a learning specialist that also works with the medical students at U of M. So she will tell you what to change up and help you along the way as well. We have a great faculty who will support you along the way.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:12:17]:
So one of the other things that I know that you did, you you were very involved as an undergraduate student. And then as you got into your work here in the PA program, you decided to get involved with the Michigan Academy of Physician Associates. You became a class representative. You got involved, with the public relations committee. You did a number of things, which I'll have to say, probably should not be a surprise with how involved you were as an undergraduate student. But that's good because I've talked about in the past that it's important for your future success to be able to not only focus on the academics, because that's why you're here, but to create that network for yourself and build other opportunities. But now you ran and you are the president-elect for the student academy with the American Academy of Physician Associates. Talk to me about this position that you now are in and what you're going to be in as you become the president of the student academy and why you decided that you wanted to get involved at that national level?

Yasmine Affes [00:13:19]:
So I was extremely involved at the state level. I was going to the MAPPA summit, which is our Capitol Hill day, advocating for bills that PAs should be included in. We're not trying to increase the scope of practice in any type of way, but I think it was we were left out of because our profession is still so new. But we talk about the bills with the legislators and they're like, yeah. Like, I don't know why you're not in this. It's like very basic. So it was a learning experience because it sounds so scary to talk to a legislator, but they're just people. They're just like us, and they absolutely love to hear from their constituents.

Yasmine Affes [00:13:52]:
So I thought that was a really impactful experience. And then we actually brought a legislator in to speak to our program, and I felt like I was getting a lot of leadership and experience through Michigan Academy of Physician Associates. And then Kyle, one of my classmates, he is our leadership and advocacy chair in our student society, and he brought in our student adviser for the student academy from AAPA. And she spoke with us and told us about different leadership opportunities and said anyone could run any PA student. And I was like, wow. Like, I just assumed that only the American Academy of Physician Associate class representative could run for these positions. I had no idea a Michigan state representative could. So I was like, wow.

Yasmine Affes [00:14:36]:
I have all of this great leadership experience. I've done so much for the state of Michigan. I bet I could push it further and do it for the whole country. I have the time. I have the study group now. I love being involved. I'm super passionate about it. I will always take time out of my day if it can make a positive impact.

Yasmine Affes [00:14:55]:
So I was like, I feel like I'm the right person for this job, and I wasn't gonna run for that position right away. The president, it's kind of an intimidating position. I was thinking about running for the communications director position, and I wrote this whole speech and I gave it to my sister. And my sister was like, it really sounds like you wanna run for president. So I was like, you know what? Go big or go home. Like, let's just do it, see what happens. So I did run, and I was a little bit worried because all of the other positions are just 1 year positions, and this one is a 2 year position. But I was like, it's okay.

Yasmine Affes [00:15:29]:
When I'm a PA, no matter what, I'll still be involved, so might as well just take on this role. So I ended up running. I ran against a few other candidates, and we had to write a speech. And it was a lot of fun along the process, and everyone was super nice and helpful.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:15:45]:
So talk to me about some of the things that you hope to be able to accomplish in that year that you're going to be president of the group.

Yasmine Affes [00:15:53]:
As president-elect, I kind of take on the vice president role, and we have 4 different committees for the student academy. And different regional directors and different positions can take on chair of those. I can't. So I end up I'm gonna be the liaison for all 4 committees. So I go to each committee meeting, and I help out where it's needed. I get resources from AAPA where it's needed. And then starting in July, I'll start my president role, and that's where I'll be working more with the big board of the nation. So I will be the student representative advocating for students on the national board with the president of AAPA and all the rest.

Yasmine Affes [00:16:35]:
So I'll definitely be able to make more of an impact in that role, but both are extremely important and fulfilling in both ways.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:16:42]:
Are there specific things that during your president year that you ran on that you hope that you can accomplish in that year that you're going to be president?

Yasmine Affes [00:16:51]:
Yeah. I think that's this year. I'm definitely learning from the president now. I'm glad I'm not just being thrown into the ropes, and I get to really figure out what I want to do that is an attainable goal because I feel like my goals are very difficult to achieve. I might need to level it down maybe, but basically increasing diversity in the PA profession, having people with different perspectives, different backgrounds, even myself. I am lucky to have that guidance from my mother who is in medicine and not everyone has the opportunity. So definitely going to high schools and underserved areas, speaking to them about the PA profession, how the route they can take to get into PA school and having their voices heard and their communities being seen, that's a huge thing that I want to see in the future.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:17:37]:
Now you're currently in the program. You're in your 2nd year of the program. And as you said, you had some stumbling blocks at the beginning. You learned some things. As you think about future graduate students, could be in PA, could be in some other area, but as you think about students that are thinking about graduate school, and you think of the experiences you've had thus far, as you look back on the education you've had and what you have to come, what are some tips that you might recommend to these other students that could help them find success sooner?

Yasmine Affes [00:18:08]:
So what I kind of learned is passive learning is absolutely nothing. It's not gonna do anything for you. You have to be actively using your thoughts in your brain. So what I like to do is I like to read our slides and our materials and write questions. I will write a vignette, like a 2 order question myself so that if I can answer this question, I know the whole entire disorder disease. So I would do, like, 28 year old with a history of hypertension and and has a sore on their leg. They're having cramping when they're walking and their legs are cold to touch. And then I would say, what's the first line treatment? So you have no idea what disorder they have.

Yasmine Affes [00:18:50]:
You have to figure out what disorder they have, and then you have to know what's the treatment. So it's 2 different thoughts into this question. So I like to write those for each condition. And then first off, it builds the story of of a patient in my brain. And then I have to know that whole disease to answer that question. And then just having that second order thoughts actively. You're thinking about, like, what other people would be thinking about. And just having that thought process helps me so much.

Yasmine Affes [00:19:18]:
I actually write questions for my classmates, and I send it to them. And they'll take the exams that I write before our exams, and everyone loves it. And that's how I study. I I never really did anything outside of that because it took so much time to write those questions. That helped me a lot.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:19:33]:
Well, Yasmin, I wanna say thank you. Thank you for sharing your journey today, and I truly am excited to hear more about this journey that you're going to be on, to be the president of this national group coming up and representing not only the University of Michigan Flint, but representing PAs across the nation and upcoming PAs across the nation. And I truly wish you all the best.

Yasmine Affes [00:19:57]:
Thank you so much for having me. I wish you the best as well.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:20:00]:
The University of Michigan Flint has a full array of masters and doctorate programs if you are interested in continuing your education. Whether you're looking for in person or online learning options, the University of Michigan Flint has programs that will meet your needs. For more information on any of our graduate programs, visit umflint.edu/graduateprograms to find out more. Thanks again for spending time with me as you prepare to be a victor in grad school. I look forward to speaking with you again soon as we embark together on your graduate school journey. If you have any questions or want to reach out, email me at [email protected].