Q&A with this month’s #PlattProfile, Jim Blaisse.
Blaisse talks about his journey in PA school at DeSales University.
(This interview has been edited for clarity and length.)
(This interview has been edited for clarity and length.)
Q: How old are you?
A: I am 19.
Q: What school are you currently attending?
A: DeSales University.
Q: When do you graduate?
A: I will graduate in 2024 but I will actually graduate in 2025. I am in an accelerated five-year physician assistant program, so it is a three plus two.
Q: What is your major?
A: Medical studies but generally it is referred to as the physician assistant program. It is like a fast track, there is no applying to grad school or anything.
Q: How did you decide on that major?
A: I remember writing in my application for the scholarship that I think I found my passion for serving others, especially through medicine. I remember caddying for a bunch of doctors and just listening to them talk shop, it really piqued my interest. As I got further down the path of pursuing being a PA, I would ask the golfers questions about medical school. A lot of them would say if they could go back and redo school, they would pursue being a physician assistant. It’s a shorter amount of time in school, less debt, and the scope of practice is growing exponentially. It’s a really growing field and has given me prosperity for the job market. Quite honestly, I found that passion through caddying and serving the golfers.
Q: Do you participate in activities at school?
A: Yes! I am on the golf team at DeSales.
Q: Do you have any hobbies?
A: I do! I like playing golf, I am an avid outdoors man. I like a lot of summer activities such a fishing. Also, as a youth, I was involved in Scouts and I achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.
Q: What golf club do you caddie for?
A: Rolling Green Golf Club.
Q: How long have you been caddying?
A: I started caddying the summer going into my junior year so it is my fourth summer
Q: How did you start caddying?
A: I actually started caddying from transitioning from another job. I heard about it through a friend and I actually called Chris Hoyle, the caddie master, and asked him for the job. I said I’d like to see if I can come caddy for you and he gave me the opportunity to come out on a Saturday and I kind of hit the ground running from there. I never caddied or had any experience before, my family is not a member of a country club or anything like that, so the whole aspect of what golf is was kind of foreign to me. I was lucky enough that Chris gave me the opportunity to prove myself as a caddie and since then it has been very beneficial to me. I was promoted to a green bib, which is a senior caddie, in my first year of caddying. And ever since then, I have been trying to prove my worth and continue to strive to be a good caddie.
Q: What is your favorite thing about caddying?
A: I think my favorite thing about caddying is actually talking with the golfers. Of course, playing the game with them is fun, but getting to have some nice conversations with different ladies and gentlemen that are different and to hear about their careers is always fun.
Q: How did you hear about J. Wood Platt?
A: I heard about J. Wood Platt as kind of a legend thing. As a caddie, being a newbie, with the yellow bib, I would see these caddies that would have black bibs. I would always be interested in them so I asked around, “What is the deal with those guys?” And I was told they are the scholarship kids. I was always intrigued by that. As I grew closer to the age of applying for the scholarship, I had my heart set on achieving that ranking/recognition. It was really through caddying that I learned about J. Wood Platt, the importance of it, and the benefits it could give students.
Q: What are your long-term goals? Think 5 to 10 years
A: I look forward to completing college and beginning working as a PA (was originally known as a Physician Assistant but the new name change is a Physician Associate)
Q: What is something that happened to you while caddying that you will never forget?
A: I’ll never forget caddying for a certain gentleman who encourages me to follow through with the leaps I made entering college and apply to the DeSales University’s PA program.
Q: What advice would you give your younger self as a caddie or a new caddie just starting?
A: I would offer the advice of going above and beyond your demands of a caddie. Become someone who is proud to be a caddie and willing to stand out.
Q: How has J. Wood Platt changed your life?
A: I believe J. Wood Platt has changed my life by aiding in my academic journey. For many youths, college and its accompanying expenses can be rather daunting as they were to me, yet through the generous support of GAP, J. Wood Platt, and especially the donors, I now feel more confident in achieving my life goals, with the hopes of one day to give back.
J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust
The Trust’s mission, which has remained constant since its inception in 1958, is to financially aid deserving caddies in their pursuit of higher education. The J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust was created by GAP through the efforts of then President Walter A. Schmidt; Leo Fraser, President of the local section of Professional Golfers Association of America; and Albert Keeping, Golf Professional at Gulph Mills Golf Club. It was named in honor of Philadelphia’s premier golfer of the era, J. Wood Platt. Not only was Mr. Platt an accomplished player, but he was also the Trust’s co-founder and first contributor.
