On Sunday nights, the feeling arrived before she could argue it away. Dread in the pit of her stomach, a countdown to Monday morning, a sense that something essential had slipped out of reach.

Hope Cook, MMSc, PA-C, had built a respected career in dermatology. She was good at her job. She was also exhausted.

“The number one sign was dread,” Cook said. “Dread on Sundays, dread on Monday mornings, dread when I was pulling into the parking lot. My migraines ramped up to two or three per week. I would wake up in the wee hours and think, ‘What am I going to do?’ and then spend the rest of the night arguing with the voice in my head that said I couldn’t afford to quit, or that I should be grateful to have a job in the coveted field of dermatology, or that I should just push through it.”

Today, Cook works part time as a PA practicing in dermatology providing care to medical dermatology patients. The rest of the week, she writes and coaches virtually, both one-on-one and in small groups. She also hosts a podcast (that is currently on a short sabbatical). Off mic, she lines up guests, interviews other inspirational PAs, promotes episodes on social media and records solo shows. The pivot did not happen overnight. It started by listening to what her life was trying to say.

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