Meet The PA: Jennifer Suckow, PA-C

Location

Hip and Knee Center

How many years have you been a PA?

15 years

How many years have you been a PA with OrthoCarolina?

Almost 2.5 yrs

What made you decide to become a PA?

I always had an interest in medicine and athletics. I studied athletic training in undergrad but started to realize I wanted to be able to do more than the scope of what an athletic training career had to offer. I discovered the PA profession in my junior year and knew it was the perfect blend with my athletic training degree.

What is a big challenge in your job?

A big challenge in my day to day job is turning off work when I go home. Smart phones and constant access to each other has blurred the lines of when a work day starts and ends. I lean on my PA peers at OrthoCarolina and my husband for some fun social time outside of work to ensure I get a chance to decompress and avoid burnout.

What do you enjoy about your job?

I enjoy elevating others - whether that is by educating a patient about their injury or empowering them through choices of treatment to meet their lifestyle. I enjoy precepting students for those same reasons. Helping students realize that how they show up in the room with a patient is more important than knowing all the answers.

When you were younger what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to have two jobs. Hairstylist and interior decorator - such a departure from what I am today.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself or something that people might not know about you

I'm a lifetime learner and nerd! I recently completed Queen’s University’s Executive Coaching program. Tune in to see what’s next for me!

Jennifer Suckow, PA-C is a physician assistant with the OrthoCarolina Hip and Knee Center. She is teamed with hip and knee surgeon Keith Fehring, MD.

Watch for a new Meet the PA each month and get to know our physician assistants.