Study done Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Hello, I have a few questions about PA school that I'm hoping someone could answer. What are the clinical tasks that are required? I ask this because I have a slight resting hand tremor and want to know how much you have to rely on your hands for fine motor tasks. I'm debating taking tremor meds only for the course of the program if I'm accepted since I want to specialize in psychiatry where the tremor wouldn't matter. Also, if anyone has experience/ advice on how to specialize in psych that would be great to hear- the nearest PA program to me is geared toward primary care ( like most programs) so I wanted to see if anyone has had success with specializing in psych. I saw the psych PA thread and that was helpful but I am just curious to see if anyone has more thoughts. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted January 31, 2015 Moderator Share Posted January 31, 2015 why have you ruled out going to medical school? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paula Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 The way to specialize in psychiatry is to take a psychiatry elective when you do your PA rotations and then apply for a psychiatry residency after you graduate. There are a few psych residency programs for PAs/NPs in the midwest in Minnesota and Iowa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nonlegit Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 I feel like there was a thread on SDN within the last couple of years asking essentially the same question....actually I think it was maybe a med student with a tremor wondering if surgery would be an option. I was pretty surprised, it seemed like there was less concern than I expected. They discussed attendings taking beta blockers, etc. It might be something you look for, as I'm sure my memory is hazy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UGoLong Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 My daughter has an essential tremor and still did procedures as a vet. I work in cardiology (the internal med side, not surgery) and you could surely do my job with a tremor. You might need a med in school when you are suturing, etc, but I don't see a tremor as a serious impediment to becoming a PA. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Study done Posted January 31, 2015 Author Share Posted January 31, 2015 Yes (to Nonlegit) I did see that thread you mentioned on SDN; just wanted to ask specifically in relation to PA because I am not looking to do surgery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Study done Posted January 31, 2015 Author Share Posted January 31, 2015 EMEDPA- I can't go to medical school because I can't do night shifts which is a requirement for on call residents. Which brings me to another question-do PA's ever have to do night shifts? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted January 31, 2015 Moderator Share Posted January 31, 2015 EMEDPA- I can't go to medical school because I can't do night shifts which is a requirement for on call residents. Which brings me to another question-do PA's ever have to do night shifts? Thanks in your PA training you will need to take call just like a medical student and work some nights/weekend/holidays. PA school isn't easier than medschool, it's just shorter. My current schedule at my regular job is all nights. My PA students do all nights with me for a month. why can't you work nights? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterallsummer Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Yes you can become a PA with a tremor. There are many doctors and PAs with tremors, some worse than others. It should not preclude you from going into psych or most specialties with the exception of surgery or interventional med or ED or ICU. Or it may not. Going into psych - get some HCE working as a CNA in a psych facility. There are a lot of rural psych jobs paying well in my area that will take new grads. Yes you may have to do some overnight shifts as a PA student especially in emergency medicine and surgery rotations. As a practicing PA you can find a job without working nights but again will be tough to do if you want to work surgery/emergency med/ICU. Most psych jobs will not require overnight shifts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PACdan Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 in your PA training you will need to take call just like a medical student and work some nights/weekend/holidays. PA school isn't easier than medschool, it's just shorter. My current schedule at my regular job is all nights. My PA students do all nights with me for a month. why can't you work nights? reverse vampire oh wait, those are called "normal" people... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted February 2, 2015 Moderator Share Posted February 2, 2015 reverse vampire oh wait, those are called "normal" people... so what are you saying here...just because I work mostly nights and like a really rare steak....and volunteer at the blood bank...and live in a place where the sun doesn't come up for months at a time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PACdan Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 so what are you saying here...just because I work mostly nights and like a really rare steak....and volunteer at the blood bank...and live in a place where the sun doesn't come up for months at a time... yup, a terminal case of Bela Lugosis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbrothers98 Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Hello, I have a few questions about PA school that I'm hoping someone could answer. What are the clinical tasks that are required? I ask this because I have a slight resting hand tremor and want to know how much you have to rely on your hands for fine motor tasks. I'm debating taking tremor meds only for the course of the program if I'm accepted since I want to specialize in psychiatry where the tremor wouldn't matter. Also, if anyone has experience/ advice on how to specialize in psych that would be great to hear- the nearest PA program to me is geared toward primary care ( like most programs) so I wanted to see if anyone has had success with specializing in psych. I saw the psych PA thread and that was helpful but I am just curious to see if anyone has more thoughts. Thanks! You can do any medical training with a resting tremor. It will only be an issue suturing or doing an incision. So if meds will make this less an issue, yes, take them. But suturing and other such procedures are a very small part of training. On the other hand if you have the tremor when examining patients, that could be unsettling to them. The conditions you have outlined, do you have a documented disability? If so, then during school they will have to work with that including scheduling you for rotations and night work. But if that is only a preference, then there is no requiring issue. My anecdotal experience is that you likely will not have to do any night shifts as a student unless you expressly seek them out. So worthwhile to query during interviews. Your program may have a distinct psych rotation plus you could try to do psych as an elective(s) during your clinical year. A psych residency after school would serve you well. Looks like there are 2 listed, by the time you finish school could be more. There is no psychiatry focused PA program. All of them have a primary care focus. Good luck. G Brothers PA-C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acebecker Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Funny story (sort of): During my first ER shift as a student I was on for a 12 hour stint. I was worried about getting tired so I had caffeine at hand the entire time. I wanted to be super alert, observant and on the ball. I was super nervous, too. I had only done a general surg rotation and an internal med rotation to this point, so I wasn't sure what they would have me doing and I wanted to impress them (I was looking for a job in EM out of school). I didn't figure they would have me do anything exciting. Until the PA in the fast track pulled me aside and said, "I've got a lac I want you to suture." I went in there to get to work and with the caffeine and nerves I was vibrating pretty good - my hands visibly shook. The guy I was sewing up looked at me as if to say, "Are you alright? Are you sure you know what you're doing?" I saw the look on his face and reassured him with a cavalier, "Man... Looks like I had a little too much coffee today!" and laughed it off. I sewed him up just fine and he was happy with the outcome. Never had that much caffeine for an ER shift after that. Never needed it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHU-CH Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 Is it a resting tremor or an intention tremor? I would not automatically exclude any specialty on the basis of a tremor. I used to get shaky hands if I stayed awake too long working CT surgery, but I could still sew. How severe is the tremor? Does it affect your handwriting? Can you do fine motor things like thread a needle? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted February 4, 2015 Moderator Share Posted February 4, 2015 we still don't have an answer to why they can't work nights.... I think it is equally likely that one would have to do nights in PA school as in medschool. I had night shifts or night call on OB, EM, and Surgery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acebecker Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 If the students are not being required to work nights, something is wrong. Here's the thing: emergencies happen at all hours. At least some of your training should be in the ER at night. I had to force my EM preceptor to let me come for night shifts. Even then he'd tell me to go home when he wanted to get sleep on slow nights. Some of the best training comes at night. If you can think through a differential while sleep deprived, how much better will you be when wide awake? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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