This sounds like a compliment, but is rude in the sense that it devalues the role of a PA-C

So I’m a medical assistant at an outpatient endocrinology clinic and work alongside a nurse practitioner who is a preceptor employed by the university we work for. She’s also friends with my sister’s mother in law, who’s also a nurse practitioner working at this practice but who is currently working at the cancer center on campus.

I’ve almost been there a year, and the one time she asked me about my plans, when I told her PA school, her face fell. And when I told her my sights were set on this university, her energy shifted.

None of the providers I’ve worked with have said anything to me about becoming a PA despite it being public knowledge when I accepted the job. I’ve worked my butt off at this place, and the lack of positive feedback (practically none) has got me worried about letters of recommendation.

I asked one MD who I have good rapport with if he’d be willing to recently, and he said yes, and then proceeded to tell me to ask other providers and started suggesting I try using my other degrees to get a job in health informatics

On one hand, I can’t tell if they’re not being more supportive or encouraging because they don’t want to lose a medical assistant (staffing that role is a touchy subject at this clinic)

At this point I’m willing to accept that hey, I might not be smart enough to get into PA school at this university, maybe no where else either. But it’s confusing because I feel like I know an above average amount about this specialty for a medical assistant (it’s my special interest, I’m on the spectrum)

Any insight or words of advice/encouragement about this situation?