JohnConner

$2000/yr and 1 week. Using a portion of it for a conference in Costa Rica in a few weeks.

I ended going rural in FL for my first job. I graduated in late December and didn't actually start until early March. Right now, I'm running an acute/urgent care type clinic for a private family medicine practice with 4 physicians. Most of the larger hospitals in my area wanted experience, so I had to expand my horizons a little. Its an hour drive to work, but honestly for the experience, I don't really care. I'm actually from Missouri (St.Louis Metro) and from what I've heard, it's a poor state to be in for PA's as it is. Stay persistent my friend and spread a wide net. If you're in the St.Louis area, you might try for jobs on the Illinois side an hour outside the city.

Hello all, Is anyone familiar with the St.louis job market? Missouri or Illinois side. I'm a new grad with a military medic background applying anywhere within an hour of the city and was wondering how the opportunities are. I grew up in St.Charles but haven't been back in a decade. There seems to be a handful of large hospital networks in the area but not many job postings. Any advice/tips would be appreciated. Thanks!

I took very little handwritten notes; mostly used OneNote. Also, I read through the text and highlighted the main points, then went back to the highlighted sections and studied those parts. Someone mentioned making an excel doc with disease diagnosis, treatment etc. I did this as well which should hopefully help with PANCE topics.

Looks like they will repay up to 60,000 in student loans over 2 years. The only issue is the small window in which to apply. I graduate in December which means working a job in the meantime until I can apply the following July. Really seems like a sweet deal though considering the benefits.

70, then 80 on second attempt if you fail the first time. If you fail the second attempt, you're dismissed

Doing my elective in cardiology right now and the PA's seem to be treated with as much respect as the physicians. The PA's in cardiology do consults in all areas of the hospital here and appear to be appreciated everywhere they go.

Sounds like these schools are willing to open by any beans necessary. There's a latte of them opening causing salaries to plummet. This is making me so sad I think i'll have a depresso now..

I would just like to provide some hopefully meaningful tidbits that would have helped me when I started PA school. When I first started PA school, I was ready to charge full steam ahead and was willing to sacrifice sleep, exercise, and eating habits for the sake of spending that extra time studying for the next exam. As a result, I became stressed to the max, sleep deprived and out of shape. I thought I was helping myself by fully committing all of my time into my studies but it turned out to be counter productive. Yeah, I still did okay grades wise, but my mental and physical health suffered. So about halfway through my second quarter, I decided to make a lifestyle change in an effort to improve my mental and physical health. I started getting 8 hours of sleep a night and working out four times a week. I also took the time to prepare my meals on sundays for the week and keep my diet clean. The result? My grades actually improved substantially (4.0 in my 3rd quarter) and I feel physically and mentally better than I have in years. It's funny how it took PA school to initiate this lifestyle change but it has helped me tremendously in my studies. I guess what I'm trying to say is take care of yourself in PA school. It is tempting to get 2-4 hours of sleep a night in an effort to cram that extra chapter into your brain but for me, getting sleep helped me retain the information and consequently, do better on exams. Also, take the time to decompress and enjoy some the the activities you enjoyed before PA school. For me this has been hiking the trails around where my school is and grabbing a couple of beers on the weekend. Your mental health will appreciate it. Disclaimer: In no way am I saying you should neglect your studies. Quite the contrary in fact. That being said, balance is key in PA school so take care of yourself and still enjoy your life. Also, this is what has worked for me. One size does not fit all. I came into PA school with solid medical experience so I think that has also played a part in being able to have some free time and enjoy the things I used to do.

Solid advice. I throw some meat, potatoes and seasoning in and BAM I'm good to go for the new few days. If you need some ideas, just google "cheap crockpot meals". There's a ton on the web. My first semester I ate out wayyy too much but I've since toned that down with the crockpot. Also, you can't go wrong with PBJs. I probaly do a PBJ with some fruit and yogurt as least a couple of times a week. For breakfast, its usually a protein bar and my coffee. I have a keurig that really comes in handy for as well. At this point in my didactic year, I just see food as sustinace to get me through the day.

I wish I would have taken a more in depth anatomy course in my undergrad. To say the least, my anatomy class in undergrad was a joke and I'm paying for it. I'm doing okay, but trying to play catch up in Gross Anatomy is a nightmare.

Depends on the schools you're applying to. Many schools require biochemistry, which in your case, would also require that you take OChem II. I went as far as Ochem I and biochemistry to widen my net when applying to PA schools, which in my opinion paid off.

Congrats on the passing the PANCE, Just Steve. You must be riding on clould 9. My story is similar except I started PA school this week and hell has officially begun.

Figure I'd post in here since I start PA school in a couple of weeks. Undergrad Ed School: The University of West Florida Cumulative Undergrad. GPA: 3.1 (3.7 last 60 hrs) Science Undergrad. GPA: 3.4 Age at application time : 26 Direct Patient Care : (type & hours) Air Force medic-6000 hrs. Medical assistant-1000 hrs. Hospice patient care volunteer-40 hrs. Shadowing: 8 hrs. I shadowed for exactly one day as a formality to put on my application. Schools Applied: Touro Nevada USA Three of the NOVA programs Harding Barry U EVMS South College Application Submitted Date: 8/20/12 Schools Received Application Date: (approximate date) Don't remember Interview Invites: South College, EVMS Denied: All but South College and EVMS Withdrew Application: EVMS-After I was accepted to South College Waitlisted: None Accepted: South College After interviewing and getting accepted to South College, I had no desire to attend the interview at EVMS. I knew South College was the place for me. It was a long hard road to pull my grades up from a 2.3 to a 3.1 but 100% worth it.

Enlisted military medic (any branch) is considered prime HCE (health care experience) for most PA schools. Also, there are PA schools that actively target and recruit prior military medics. This is the path that worked for me: -Enrolled in college directly out of high school. Found out I wasn't ready for college... -Joined the air force as a medic (4N0x1); spent 4 years accumulating HCE. Decided I wanted to be a PA. -Took pre-req courses while on active duty such as A&P I, II, micro, stats, psychology and other gen ed courses using TA. -Got out and enrolled in a local university to complete a BS in public health (graduate this May) -Applied this past cycle to PA schools and found out I was accepted in Feb. I start PA school this October. Joining the air force was one of the best decisions I ever made. As uscbigdawg mentioned, you can apply for the IPAP while on active duty. I chose to get out and pursue the civilian route because I did not want to rely solely on the IPAP for acceptance. You can still join the military after PA school as on officer. Also, as HMtoPA? mentioned, TA has been cut but apparently, it will be reinstated > http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/03/military-back-on-track-to-reinstating-tuition-assistance-program/