Having a father as a physician opened Mary Lela’s eyes to medicine at a very young age. She always looked up to him and knew she wanted to take care of people just like her father had. As she got older and started thinking about her future, she began shadowing other doctors and physician assistants. She was able to see what they did on a day-to-day basis, and it was then that she knew the physician assistant profession was the right fit for her.Mary Lela got her Bachelors degree in Psychology at the University of Mississippi. And then received her Masters of Medical Science degree from the Mississippi College Physician Assistant Program in Clinton, MS. Mary Lela graduated from PA school in December of 2017, so this is her first job as a physician assistant. She is very proud of her success throughout PA school, finishing as one of the top in her class and getting inducted into the Pi Alpha National Honors Society.One of Mary Lela’s biggest passions other than medicine is exercising and staying fit. She loves spin, pilates, high intensity interval training (HIIT) classes and running on the Katy Trail. She also loves trying new restaurants with her husband Adam.