Melissa Elist, PA-S
Melissa Lilian Elist is currently a physician assistant student at University of California, Davis, cohort of 2021. She holds a B.A. in Sociology and an emphasis in Disability Studies from University of California, Los Angeles. She is the co-founder of Mission Hygiene, nonprofit. She also enjoys playing piano, hiking, and having picnics on the beach. She is a preventative care advocate and is very proactive in mindfulness, consciousness, and self-love.
In her own words,
"My biggest challenge in my future profession so far has been the process of getting accepted into PA school. There are many competitive applicants and not too many PA schools. The profession is growing rapidly and the acceptance rates are not so high. Figuring out what made me stand out and my own journey to PA school has been the most challenging so far.
I believe in spreading words of empowerment for the future of medicine and the future of PA's, especially for women. I believe in sharing the journey of getting into school, during school and after school. Medelita and I both believe in sharing kindness, respect and hospitality towards one another. I believe in helping other people succeed and helping one another get to our highest potential. People need other people in order to succeed and be stepping stones and I think Medelita assists greatly with the community of medicine and I want to be a part of this amazing growing community."