For Rachel Savage, PA-C, the people make the place

When Rachel Savage, PA-C, started her undergraduate education at Purdue University, she expected to build a career in orthopedics. She was studying athletic training, working with athletes and enjoying the hands-on nature of helping people recover from injuries.

Then a guest speaker introduced her to the physician assistant (PA) profession.

The career that followed looked different from what Savage had imagined at Purdue. Instead of staying in orthopedics, she moved across specialties and states, discovering along the way that the people she worked with and cared for were what made the work meaningful.

“It’s not what you do for a living; it’s who you work with and for,” Savage says.

A surprising start in urology

During her physician assistant training, she completed elective rotations in orthopedics and expected to pursue a career in the specialty.

Then she and her husband moved from Florida to Tucson, Ariz., so he could attend graduate school. The only PA opportunity available to Savage was with a female urologist.

"I said, 'Oh my gosh, what am I getting myself into?'" she says. "If there was anything that's the opposite of orthopedics, it would be urology."

The position ultimately became one of the most influential chapters of her career. The physician became a mentor, teaching Savage the specialty and influencing her approach to patient care.

Women make up just 12.9% of urologists in the United States. For Savage, learning from a female urologist early in her career was invaluable, and the lessons she learned continue to shape her work today. The two still keep in touch.

Finding her way home

As Savage continued her career in the Midwest, she began to understand what she valued most about being a physician assistant: getting to know her patients and being part of their care over time.

“I realized that, you know, I liked seeing the same patients over,” she says.

Eventually, Savage and her family decided to return to Greater Lafayette, where she was born and raised.

When she interviewed with advanced practice providers Doug Doll, PA-C, and Donna Morrison, NP, at IU Health Urology – Lafayette, Savage says she immediately knew that she had found the right team.

Savage joined IU Health in January 2024.

Making a difference for patients

Today, Savage brings experiences from every stop in her career to her work in urology. She strives to care for patients the way she would want her own friends and family to be treated, asking questions, taking notes and listening carefully to understand what each patient truly needs.

Recently, a patient told Savage they finally felt comfortable going out in public because they no longer worried about bladder leakage. For Savage, helping patients regain that kind of confidence is one of the most rewarding parts of her work.

For those considering a career as a physician assistant, she encourages them to “go for it.”

She also advises prospective physician assistants to observe the profession in different settings and learn from the many paths a PA career can take.

After all, Savage knows firsthand that the path you expect isn’t always the one that leads you home.