Christina Larkin 
MS/PA '18

Christina Larkin (MS/PA'18)

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Christina Larkin, a member of the inaugural class of physician assistant studies students at Georgia Campus – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (GA-PCOM), became interested in a career in medicine early in her life.

“Growing up, I was constantly in and out of doctors’ offices due to dealing with several health problems which could have been overwhelming as a child,“ Larkin shared. “However, the healthcare teams with whom I interacted during that time made me feel like I was no different than any other child. This inspired me to want to work in health care.”

Larkin envisions a career in either behavioral medicine or emergency medicine upon her graduation on Tuesday, July 31, 2018, at the Infinite Energy Center in Duluth.

“I hope to make a lasting impact in a patient’s life,” she said. “I also aspire in the long run to make a difference in the physician assistant community by creating a foundation and/or scholarship to help other aspiring physician assistant students.”

This high-achieving student was the female winner of the Title Boxing Fitness Challenge, a competition focused on fitness goals.

“This competition was both physically and mentally challenging because it required discipline and focus to achieve the highest percentage of body fat lost,” Larkin explained.

She credits her work ethic to her parents.

“They inspire me,” she said. “Growing up I watched how hard they worked for me to be able to go to school and to ensure that I was successful in reaching my goals.”

Larkin earned a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Biology at Georgia State University in Atlanta. For three years while at Georgia State, she served as a lecturer and teaching fellow on the Georgia State Bio-Bus, a mobile laboratory where kindergarten through 12th grade students learn science.

Prior to her acceptance at GA-PCOM, Larkin worked as a medical scribe for nearly two years. In addition, she interned at the Marcus Autism Center in Atlanta, an NIH Autism Center of Excellence, and at Centennial Academy in Atlanta where she developed science lessons and lab activities for elementary students to promote STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activities in underserved areas.

In her spare time, Larkin enjoys cooking, traveling with her husband and creating photo books.