Salley Kate Pierce ’22 knew she wanted to be a physician associate (PA) or nurse practitioner. With a love for sports and an interest in kinesiology, she decided to major in exercise science and blazed a trail to PA school.
From the jump, Pierce got involved in Berry’s sports medicine department, which offers experience in high-quality student-athlete care. She took on small jobs with the men’s soccer team: prepping water coolers, helping with stretching, wrapping blisters, making ice bags and getting familiar with the medical kit.
The department hired her as the sports medicine team lead for men’s soccer. Pierce worked alongside athletic trainers deeply invested in her career growth and personal development. She applied the department’s core values — integrity, compassion, service and unity — and challenged her coworkers to do the same.
“Sports medicine gave me practice prioritizing people over tasks,” Pierce reflects. “Even nitty-gritty jobs became fulfilling when I understood their purpose. It also taught me to think about patients holistically and grew my desire to help people stay healthy for the long term so they can continue to enjoy the things they love. Ultimately, it helped solidify my desire to be a PA.”
Beyond her student work position, Pierce was well-prepared for PA school because the foundation of the exercise science curriculum stresses an understanding of anatomy and physiology.
“It wasn’t hard to brush up on physiology topics like muscle contraction because I had already learned these concepts,” she explains. “I loved that my exercise science classes were so focused on understanding the human body, and I knew my advisor would help me take prerequisites my major did not offer. PA school may have a different level of rigor, but I was prepared. I left college with a solid foundation.”
Beyond Berry, internships rounded out Pierce’s training. A Costa Rican physical therapy clinic provided the opportunity to work with older orthopedic patients. At Harbin Clinic Orthopedics, she gained experience alongside a PA serving athletes and patients with arthritis and other wear-and-tear issues.
“Sports medicine originally drew me to orthopedics,” says Pierce, “but my internships gave me a more well-rounded perspective.”
As Pierce starts her final year of PA school, she encourages undergraduates to design academic goals around interests and values rather than the “right” major.
She says, "Many people thought I should study biology or biochemistry if I was going into medicine, but it was fulfilling to be in a major I enjoyed. You won’t love every class no matter your major, but I would not let the potential for a clearcut career path be the determining factor in a major choice. Be interested and curious. Shadow people with expertise and try on the next step of your career.”
