MamaPA Posted August 22, 2010 Share Posted August 22, 2010 I'm pitiful..I am obviously expecting the worst. I had some time to kill today so I went to Barnes and Noble and bought a PANCE flashcard/prep book. I haven't even had the first interview yet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acozadd Posted August 22, 2010 Share Posted August 22, 2010 If you are gonna do some light reading, I'd recommend memorizing every drug under the sun. Pharm has definitely been the most difficult part of my program, mainly because there just isn't time to put into it (and we cover all pharm in 1 block). I'm doing well in the class, but our class average is failing after the first exam... We take it with the med students, and when their class average is an 81 and they're only in class 3-4 hours a day with all the free time in the world to study... you know it's not easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bosox2k1 Posted August 24, 2010 Share Posted August 24, 2010 If you are gonna do some light reading, I'd recommend memorizing every drug under the sun. Pharm has definitely been the most difficult part of my program, mainly because there just isn't time to put into it (and we cover all pharm in 1 block). I'm doing well in the class, but our class average is failing after the first exam... We take it with the med students, and when their class average is an 81 and they're only in class 3-4 hours a day with all the free time in the world to study... you know it's not easy. Then I am happy I worked as an Rx tech for 5 years!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted August 24, 2010 Administrator Share Posted August 24, 2010 One of the PAs I shadowed recommended I get and familiarize myself with Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment. That was great advice. Drugs are a good topic for memorization, but there's a lot about disorders that we need to commit to memory as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WishIDidnt Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 It is harder than anything I've ever done and clinical rotations are worse. I regret having ever started PA school, I hate it every day, and honestly, if I didnt have so much debt from the last year and a half I would quit right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just_me Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 wow....sorry to hear that. seems you need some "me" time are you planning to work as a PA when youre done? if so I would say everything worked out fine....you'll have a job in profession that allows you flexibility and pays well enough to be happy It is harder than anything I've ever done and clinical rotations are worse. I regret having ever started PA school, I hate it every day, and honestly, if I didnt have so much debt from the last year and a half I would quit right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haeriphos Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 If I had to sum it up, I would say the content is easy to understand but the AMOUNT of content borders on insanity. You'll become very good at using obscure methods to remember things. The tricky part is to not flush the info right after you pass the test like you did in undergrad. You need it for your comprehensive exams, your PANCE, and of course, your patients afterwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunny2spot Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 It is harder than anything I've ever done and clinical rotations are worse. I regret having ever started PA school, I hate it every day, and honestly, if I didnt have so much debt from the last year and a half I would quit right now. Wow.. that sucks. I don't really know what you thought it'd be like though.. it's not something that's really falsely advertised.. I'll be honest, a lot of the time I feel just as down about everything. PA school is HARD. And I'm not saying that as someone who majored in stencil drawing in undergrad. Maybe it's just my program, but it is go-go-go all the time group work, homework assignments, 4 exams in one week, 2 labs a week, all on top of all day class time. It just never ends. The only way to get through it and save my sanity is to buckle down with some really great people who are like you (STAY AWAY FROM THE ONES WHO FREAK OUT ABOUT EVERYTHING) and you'll be out in no time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delco714 Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 I need to find the cool ones in my prog. During breaks we are allowed to be in the classroom since it is just for us and only we are allowed in. Every one who stays in there is what I like to call a test hypochondriac. Seemingly so, they come off as wanting to memorize everything to pass the test, not to remember it as info to help a patient. Same people who use the plastic models instead of going elbows deep in our cadaver. They are learning to memorize, not to grasp and understand in a broader picture. I have learned to segregate myself from their leeching, paranoid ways but have not made good friends with like minded individuals yet, which saddens me. It is tough because there are a few groups of house mates who clique, and on top of it all I am the youngest in the program, having only turned 21 recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiaroscuro27 Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 I share your sentiments, delco, but it's the other way around for me. I'm one of the oldest in my program, and as much as I enjoy my classmates, I doubt I will keep in touch with many of them after I complete this program. There are a few who I can tolerate, and I tend to stay close to those who have positive things to say instead of those who complain about EVERYTHING! I often say that I came to PA school thinking I would meet lifelong friends, people who were just and pumped about medicine as I was. So far that has not happened! I've pretty much given up on that fantasy. All I care about now is making it through didactic year successfully,doing well during clinical year, learning/doing as many procedures as I possibly can, and being a kick-a$$ PA once I graduate and pass the PANCE. Everything else is just icing on the cake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jen0508 Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 I need to find the cool ones in my prog. During breaks we are allowed to be in the classroom since it is just for us and only we are allowed in. Every one who stays in there is what I like to call a test hypochondriac. Seemingly so, they come off as wanting to memorize everything to pass the test, not to remember it as info to help a patient. Same people who use the plastic models instead of going elbows deep in our cadaver. They are learning to memorize, not to grasp and understand in a broader picture. I have learned to segregate myself from their leeching, paranoid ways but have not made good friends with like minded individuals yet, which saddens me. It is tough because there are a few groups of house mates who clique, and on top of it all I am the youngest in the program, having only turned 21 recently. Aww dont worry, you'll find your niche. for the first part of the 1st semester i didn't really talk to or kick it with anyone on a deeper level. I was thinking "damn everyone in this class is the total opposite of me.. " lol. There were people who were way eager to make friends and all that, but i was just chillin...I'm from around here so I have friends outside of school to hang out with. But eventually me and a couple other girls ended up becoming really close, and i can honestly say they are people I can see myself being close to for a lifetime. Just dont force it.. it'll happen naturally. I'm sure there are cool people in your class ... you'll be able to tell who they are after a while... look for the people who are chillin and don't freak out over everylittle thing lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted October 12, 2010 Administrator Share Posted October 12, 2010 I need to find the cool ones in my prog. During breaks we are allowed to be in the classroom since it is just for us and only we are allowed in. Every one who stays in there is what I like to call a test hypochondriac. Seemingly so, they come off as wanting to memorize everything to pass the test, not to remember it as info to help a patient. Same people who use the plastic models instead of going elbows deep in our cadaver. They are learning to memorize, not to grasp and understand in a broader picture. I have learned to segregate myself from their leeching, paranoid ways but have not made good friends with like minded individuals yet, which saddens me. It is tough because there are a few groups of house mates who clique, and on top of it all I am the youngest in the program, having only turned 21 recently. This is one of the better arguments for a minimum age of entry to PA school. It's not that youngsters can't manage the academic material--they absolutely can--but they lack the appropriate life experiences into which to integrate a philosophy of medicine and a model of care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haeriphos Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 This is one of the better arguments for a minimum age of entry to PA school. It's not that youngsters can't manage the academic material--they absolutely can--but they lack the appropriate life experiences into which to integrate a philosophy of medicine and a model of care. I agree with you on a philosophical level, but reality doesn't match up with that argument too well. My class is filled with younger students and only a few of us are 30+. We have two nurses, no EMT-Ps (other than one of the nurses), two EMT-Bs (myself included), and the rest are mostly CNAs. That said, I've seen no disparities in maturity or academic ability. I'm interested to see if that changes as we're integrated into clinicals next year, but I don't think it will. I believe that getting into a PA program requires a decent amount of maturity and tends to weed out the less desirable candidates. I also know that my program focused heavily on the essays in our supplemental applications so that might give them an indicator of who's ready to assume the mantle of responsibility that comes with being a practitioner. Just my $.02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delco714 Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 I agree with the age doesn't matter as much because the "bad" group is a mix and match of ages. Plus, rev I love ya, but remember it was me that posted what you claim to be an argument for age of matrics. So someone (being 21) like me wouldn't be allowed in?! The best we can hope for is to chose the best candidates the best we can. Learn from mistakes, find trends, and scope out patterns of applicants is key. And jenn, thanks for the encouragement. I can agree in that I can already feel who is "worthwhile" to study with, just a matter of time I suppose :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curlywurly Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 I'm only in my first year, but I'd say PA school is both easier and harder than I thought it would be. The material itself seems easier than undergrad, probably because I've seen most of it before. What has been the hardest has been: 1. having to keep my brain "on" all the time. We're in school all day and come home to study all night. There isn't much time to take a day off and not think about school. It's not like in undergrad when you could finish a round of midterms and then relax for a day or two 2. the amount of material Like others have said, PA school is what you make of it. I study a lot and as a result have felt somewhat overwhelmed with all of the things that I should know, but simply don't have time to process. At the same time, however, all my studying has been paying off grade-wise. One thing that has helped me has been taking a half hour each day to exercise, because at least that way I can spend that time focusing on how much I want to be done running, rather than how much I really don't want to study that night :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mdub83 Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 First year wasn't bad but second year has been much more difficult. I guess it's because I'm taking my intro to clinical skills class with the medical students. It's rough and I'm completely burned out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blessings!! Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 So what if you are taking your intro to clinical skills with medical students? Does that mean inferiority complex or you think medical student knows better?? What is the anxiety about? hey don't forget PAs are the backbone of primary care...........you will do good!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mdub83 Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 it's much more difficult than my pa courses taught by pa professors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blessings!! Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 What is the difficult part? History taking or Physical examination?? or remembering sign/ symptoms, treatment or diagnosis? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Savage Posted November 24, 2010 Share Posted November 24, 2010 OLDCARTS ... lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mdub83 Posted November 24, 2010 Share Posted November 24, 2010 taking a physical and history is all first year.. My intro to clinical skills course is basically Physiology on steroids. It's divided into modules... This semester's I've taken the General Concepts , Respiratory , Hematology, Renal, & Cardio modules so far. I'm now on the final module for the semester in Musculoskeletal/Derm. Each module takes about 3-4 weeks to complete. The lectures are given by several board certified MD's who write the questions for the exams. So for example, my cardio module was taught by 5-6 different cardiologist, the renal module by 5-6 nephrologists, etc. It's really interesting, but just alot of material, especially when you combine it with pharmacology, clinical skills, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.