My Physician Assistant (PA) journey first began when I knew that I was interested in medicine. I was 18 years old, and I was on the corner of the street when I saw a young girl get hit by a car. I didn’t know CPR or first aid, but thankfully there were first responders and passersby that were there to help. I realized at that point that I was interested in medicine. In the middle of going to community college full time, I decided to pursue becoming an EMT. My older brother encouraged me to consider the Air Force as a way to pay for school, and also to travel and get more exposure and discipline. I eventually joined the Air Force in 1998 as an aerospace medicine technician. Within the first year or two in the Air Force, I knew that I wanted to progress in medicine. I didn’t know what a PA was at that point, but I worked with top-notch physicians who were excellent educators and eager to teach. Even now, I often think back to the first physician that I worked with and still am inspired by his excellence in medicine, his integrity, and the way that he approached patients. I can think of every mentor and physician that I’ve worked with that has gotten me to this point. It’s been their example and mentorship that has propelled me. The number one thing that they taught me is that I should never be afraid to ask questions and to always be inquisitive, and to never let that go away. The best mentorships fall in line naturally, in my experience. I’ve been so fortunate throughout my entire life to have had excellent mentors, and I hope to pay that forward as I progress in my career. There are two pieces of advice that I have for current healthcare students: Don’t ever be afraid to ask a question. Additionally, surround yourself with good mentors and people that you admire and are accessible to you.
As my career progressed in the Air Force, I learned about the PA profession. One of the medical technicians that I worked with was applying to a PA program, and it was through her interest in the program that I became aware of the profession. I loved the idea of having the opportunity to work in different specialties and not necessarily commit to one right from the start. The more I learned about the PA profession, the more I realized it was a good fit for me. I was a little older at that time, and it made sense as a way to pursue my interest in medicine and have flexibility. I decided to separate from the Air Force in order to finish college and apply to PA school. I completed the requirements needed to apply and received my first undergraduate degree in Journalism. I’m naturally inquisitive, love to write, and felt it would be a good opportunity if I didn’t get into a program right away. I did get accepted to the University of Washington and by the end of my second year, I knew that I wanted to go into dermatology.
After I graduated, I accepted a position in a small private clinic in Spokane, Washington. It wasn’t long after that first year that I realized private practice was not the best fit for me, and I was more interested in hospital and academic settings. I had an opportunity to move to Las Vegas to work with one of my mentors at Nellis AFB in the Family Medicine Residency clinic, which satisfied both of those interests. I learned so much in that position, but knew that I wanted to get back into dermatology and also to be closer to family in San Antonio. After hearing about an open position in dermatology at Audie Murphy, I reached out to a PA and set up what was intended to be a tour of the hospital, but turned out to be an interview. Needless to say, the position was a great fit and I’ve now been in San Antonio for five and a half years! The VA hospital here has an excellent staff and every Friday, we have the opportunity to listen to academic lectures with the residents. This is a valuable opportunity that I look forward to each week.
I’ve done a couple of medical missions to Haiti, which have impacted me significantly. When you have limited resources to care for people whose needs are so acute, and who don’t have regular access to medical care, you really begin to feel the weight of everything that you do, or that you can’t do. Many days, there are more patients than there are resources. You really take seriously what it took for someone to come to see you and don’t take for granted the small window of opportunity you may have to make a difference. I’ve had to lean on my faith a lot when I’ve not been able to help in the ways that I think are most important.
What you do for someone else matters in ways that you don’t know. Even if you think that you’ve failed to meet a need, and even if you objectively have, you don’t know how you might have made a difference. That affects my practice on the days when I feel like I don’t know anything. I had a mentor in PA school that said, “Sarah, you’ll be such a great PA because you truly listen to people.” It certainly takes a lot more than being a good listener, but it does help to remember that when I struggle with confidence or feel like I will never know enough.
Later on, when my team and I were in Las Vegas and reflecting on how meaningful our experience was in Haiti, a physician and her husband brought up the idea of opening up a medical clinic to meet the needs in our own underserved North Las Vegas community. We wanted to be able to provide excellent care for those who needed it, regardless of their ability to pay. A group of us that served in Haiti together, along with other members from our church and community, met in my living room one night and that was how Hope Christian Health Center started. We really had no idea what we were doing at the time, nor any collective experience opening a clinic, but we were passionate about the mission. We became founding members, had many bumps, and certainly made mistakes along the way, but the clinic has now been open and serving the community since 2014. To have had the opportunity to share in that experience was an honor, and because of those experiences, my own faith continues to grow.
Sarah Berger is currently a certified dermatology PA at the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans’ Hospital in San Antonio, TX. She loves running, cooking, being outdoors, reading, and traveling in her free time. Visit https://hopehealthvegas.org/ to learn more about the Christian health clinic that she helped to start in Las Vegas.
Story: Janet Li Photos: Claire Schenken