Avantika Sathiraj's Story

When I came to my interview for the Physician Assistant program, I liked how it was very intimate. We got to meet all the faculty, and they even sat down and had lunch with us.

I’ve gotten to know our class of 30 people. We all have different backgrounds that contribute to the different strengths that we bring to the program. We often study in separate smaller groups, but no one hesitates to share a review that they made or spend some time explaining subject matter that they are comfortable with. It’s those little things that make studying more effective and enjoyable.

We’ve already had a few out of school get-togethers like a cookout party at the pool with our faculty, their kids, and the students in the program. The faculty also hosted a Thanksgiving lunch and an Easter egg hunt for us. Generally, things like that don’t happen at bigger schools. It’s really great to be able to do that with the people who are teaching you every day because this is essentially our home away from home.

The biggest impression that the program has made on me so far is how we are all a tight-knit family. Our faculty is motivated to make this a family-oriented group. When I’m overwhelmed or stressed, I know that there are people who I can talk to, whether it’s my friends in the program or my teachers. We all have advisors who mentor us if we’re struggling in a class and meet with us regularly to see how we’re doing academically but also personally. It’s a very rigorous program, but the supportive community at Hardin-Simmons makes it very manageable and rewarding.