It’s the middle of October and I’m facing my midterms. My Biology classes are going great, thanks to my awesome instructors. I am thoroughly enjoying my Anatomy Lab class. I am learning so much in this class. It is amazing to learn about my body, look at things in a different way, and literally study every portion…
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Pulmonary Shadowing…
Well, today was interesting and a wonderful learning experience. I shadowed with a PA that specializes in Pulmonary treatment. When I arrived at 9am, we went over the appointment list, seeing who was coming in- at this point, the patient’s name is all we know. After the nurse rooms the patient, we got their chart. Reviewing their reason for seeing us today, we looked up their record in the amazing EMR. The EMR (Electronic Medical Record) is an amazing tool.. with the touch of a button, we could see X-Rays, Lab Results, Past Medical History, and more! We saw the patient, answered any questions the patient had, reviewed their medication, and listened to their chest. I heard the worst (hands-down) set of lungs I’ve ever heard. The patient was presenting with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). The patients lungs, when auscultated with the stethoscope, sounded as if we were taking sandpaper across pavement with every breath. The patient said they dropped from four packs of cigarretes, to only three.. but wanted to know why there were still problems with breathing. This is definitely an interest of mine and I am excited to return Monday to finish my shadowing. I will be shadowing, over the next couple of weeks, PAs in Family Medicine, Dermatology, In-Patient Psychiatry, and Oncology. Shadowing has really opened my eyes to the profession and I am glad that this is my future profession.
Psych Shadowing…
Today was my first experience with shadowing a PA! I shadowed with a Psychiatric PA. Overall, I enjoyed the time. However, I did learn that I do not have an interest in this specialty or at least not the position this PA has. She was responsible for medication checks and getting an update on the patient’s condition. I saw several patients, in which some we felt were drug seekers, which is not uncommon. The session consisted of an update since their last visit, how their medications are doing, and any new changes in their environment. I saw several patients today in a pitiful state of mind; some recently lost loved ones, to bipolar patients on a rollercoaster of emotions, some of which were suicidal. This experience opened my eyes to this field and made me take a look at how thankful I am to have my health and overall sanity. I will be shadowing in a veterans inpatient facility next week, in which I am very excited about. I hope it is a little more exciting than what I did today, although I did enjoy myself.
Fall Schedule.. Wow! Is it time already?
I can’t believe that it is almost time to start my fall semester at MSU! I am so excited; I can’t wait for my A/P lab– Cat Dissection! I know, it’s gross, but… What a better way to learn the underlying structures than to dissect them! So my fall schedule is looking like this: – Biology I – Biology I Lab – Human A/P I – Human A/P I Lab – Intro to Sociology – Intro to Psychology – Math I’m ecstatic about all my classes except math. I like math, it’s just so boring! BUT, I strongly recommend any new Pre-PA students to take as many of the following classes, which yes, include math! Human Anatomy & Physiology (with lab components) Biology (with lab components) Chemistry (with, well you get it!) Organic Chem (yes, lab) Algebra or higher Communication These are just a FEW of the classes I’ll be taking. I have a full schedule, with next semester I am hoping to knock out 24 hours. That will be the semester of all semesters– If I can do 24 hours and survive organic chemistry, I can do anything. Things may get you down and you may feel like giving up sometimes, just push on. This is a great time in your life and I am excited to be sharing my life with you!