Guest dallas Posted December 21, 2005 Share Posted December 21, 2005 :confused: I start PA school after the christmas break. I have spoken with some of the guys in the class ahead of me and got some great tips. The one thing I have really never done, however, is join a study group. I did it to some degree in the SF medic course, but the guys here are meeting two or three times per week til the wee hours of the morning. I don't want to waste time either way and risk falling behind in my studies. I would appreciate everyone's advice on this. I do well on my own, but are study groups necessary for survival? That's just how IPAP was described to me; survival. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guetzow Posted December 21, 2005 Share Posted December 21, 2005 Study groups can get a bit clicky, for sure. Sometimes, however, folks may be more inclusive the night before an exam. Cultivate classroom relationships, and you may be able to partake of this without chaining yourself to a regular group ritual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melcal Posted December 21, 2005 Share Posted December 21, 2005 no, study groups aren't necessary for survival. if you do well on your own & are used to your own methods, go with that. or, just try a study group a couple times, if you don't like it-leave. the only study group i was a part of consisted of me and one other person and we'd meet up just a couple hours before an exam-and it worked quite well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contrarian Posted December 21, 2005 Share Posted December 21, 2005 I do well on my own, but are study groups necessary for survival? That's just how IPAP was described to me; survival. Nope... not necessary. I tried it once... but found that to much time was wasted explaining your answer to someone who knew the answer, but just didn't internalize it the same way you did. As for hours of study... I just kind of made sure that I read everything at least 4 times... from at least 4 different sources prior to testing... If we were doing cardiology I would read what Harrison's, CDMT, PA handbook, AND 5MCC all had to say about it... It would usually "stick" at this point The night before testing... I would then read it from NCCPA Cert/ReCert... I liked this because all the "Fluff" has been removed... I'm not a "scribe" so I never took notes when I realized that: Most Students spend to much time writting... and not enough time listening... (not just PA students!) All of our lectures were presented with handouts... and the speaker's content generally followed the handouts... All testable material is in the books they made you buy... the instructor will tell you that any answer disputes will be referred to the texts... not what you may have thought you heard... and scribbled down during lecture... I just read a lot ~ 1.5-2hrs a day... Put a book in every room in the house (especially the small smelly one ) and read...read...read. Use three different color highlighters...first read of the material is not highlighted...second read of the material main points (full sentences) highlighted green...third read of the material only main points (sentence fragments) highlighted blue...the last read of the material only "clippings" are highlighted... Medullary Sponge Kidney is a rare disorder characterized by the formation of cystic malformations in the collecting ducts and the tubular structures within the kidneys (tubules) that collect urine. One or both kidneys may be affected. The initial symptoms of this disorder may include blood in the urine (hematuria), calcium in the kidneys (nephrolithiasis) or infection. The exact cause of Medullary Sponge Kidney is not known. Basically what you would be doing is removing all the unecessary words and english rules from the info to focus on the concepts. You don't need all the ifs/ands/buts...you need bullits. Some people highlight to much...some people not enough.... All your books will be colorful...but just think...on the night before the test...or even 15min before the test... all you have to do is read the red stuff... Finally... To remember the physiology/pathophys stuff... Make up a story and stick to it... Take the esoteric processes and apply/mirror them to daily occurences. Use analogies... Overloaded trucks shuttle two types of cargo containers...little ones (LDL) and big ones (HDL) to end organs for processing. The little ones (LDL) fall through the cracks on the street and cause buildup (ASD), the big ones are to large to fall through the cracks and therefore make it to their end organ destination to be processed... Doing this will also enhance your ability to expain complex medical disease processes to the average 12 year old. I heard somewhere that... If you can't explain it in your own words using an analogy...then you don't know it...!!! DocNusum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dallas Posted December 22, 2005 Share Posted December 22, 2005 Doc, your a genious The analogies are something I had never thought of. That will be a big help. You should write A&P for dummies and reduce the human body to little bedtime stories like that. Little oveloaded cargo trucks; that's precious.:p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contrarian Posted December 22, 2005 Share Posted December 22, 2005 If you can't explain it in your own words using an analogy...then you don't know it... you just memorized it!!!:rolleyes: :rolleyes: Doing this also enhances your ability to explain complex medical disease processes to the average 12 year old...;) DocNusum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orangerusty Posted December 22, 2005 Share Posted December 22, 2005 Thank you for your wods, doc. I continue to learn how to learn in better ways everyday. What you said makes a lot of sense, and I have my methods too that work for me, but I can use some of your advice to modify mine slightly. Good stuff! I was told recently by one of my profs that in PA school we don't learn all we need to know to be a PA in 2 years rather we learn how to learn....fast. So bear that in mind too, Dallas. Learn as much as you can like Doc is saying and know that you will continue to learn once you get out later; so you'll need some solid learning habits after graduation too. Perhaps not reading four times over, but knowing where to go to find the information you need. Personally, I used study groups for some subjects but ones that were very straight forward, I would work primarily on my own. You need to make sure and test the waters a bit when you get into school to see how you best process information. You may not be a highlighter, you may be a better flashcarder. Whatever you do, think about classes you did your best in prior to PA school. Then think about the methods you used there and start running with those. Modify as needed. The main thing you'll notice in grad school is the amount of reading is immense. So you'll simply have to make time to read, read and read some more. And I agree with Doc, in that you should find multiple sources for various explanations. At UTMB we have access to a database of medical articles called Up To Date (utdol.com) at the hospital and on campus so I would find info on there about a topic as well as on e-medicine plus a couple of text books. At first, I felt like I had to stick to the texts assigned by the prof, but fact is that the information is fairly standard so find some key sources that speak your language (explains the info the way you like to hear it) and run with those like Doc using CMDT, PA handbook, Harrisons and 5-min Consult. As a side note, this is a big reason I have for not buying your books immediately. Take a look at the book and read a few pages. Think about whether it is a good book for you and then buy. If not, look for alternate sources. That said, if the prof makes tests that quote from that book you might want to reconsider. Point is find books that speak your language. Learning (especially w/r/t PA school) is a key topic that I'm very interested in. I would be glad to go into more detail if you send me a personal message if you have more questions. Funny thing also, is that this issue is not limited to PA school. Most folks that go to grad school find there is a significant difference in the level of studying required. (That's why not everyone has a graduate degree.) It is difficult to explain to someone how to get through grad school until they are there and experiencing it. Bottom line, period, end of discussion... So jump right in and don't be too proud to ask for help from those around you. Good luck and let me know if you have any questions. Rusty Ulrich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest zulu62 Posted December 22, 2005 Share Posted December 22, 2005 If you did 18D, then you already know how to study. Forget the study groups.... unless you're trying to hook up with a hottie thats in the group :eek: :confused: I start PA school after the christmas break. I have spoken with some of the guys in the class ahead of me and got some great tips. The one thing I have really never done, however, is join a study group. I did it to some degree in the SF medic course, but the guys here are meeting two or three times per week til the wee hours of the morning. I don't want to waste time either way and risk falling behind in my studies. I would appreciate everyone's advice on this. I do well on my own, but are study groups necessary for survival? That's just how IPAP was described to me; survival. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica Posted December 22, 2005 Share Posted December 22, 2005 dallas, Keep an open mind about study groups. Before PA school, I never benefited from learning in a group setting. Once PA school started, I found a few people who I was able to study with before tests. I would study on my own the majority of the time, but before tests the group was a great way to test my knowledge and solidify harder concepts. The key is to find the right group of people. If you find that group study is not for you, no problem..stick with what works. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeg Posted December 22, 2005 Share Posted December 22, 2005 Before PA school, I did ALL of my studying alone and with flashcards. I quickly found out that that was not going to get the job done, there was just too much to learn and too little time to do it to make all those flashcards. My study group has had a core of three people. At time other people will meet with us, but normally it is just us three. We take turns quizzing each other over different lectures on a given subject. This way we cover all of the material for a given exam in a Q&A format AND we keep each other motivated and accountable. Bottom line is, as others have said, do what works for you, but try different study methods. Graduate school is WAY different that undergrad. Lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeBe Posted December 22, 2005 Share Posted December 22, 2005 i love every study method you put down there, doc!! sounds like you learn and retain material the same way i do! i do a lot of reading, rarely take notes, and just brush up over the important highlights and handouts. i'm going to try your highlighting method this next semester in micro!! (oooh, now i'm pumped!) :D Nope... not necessary. I tried it once... but found that to much time was wasted explaining your answer to someone who knew the answer, but just didn't internalize it the same way you did. As for hours of study... I just kind of made sure that I read everything at least 4 times... from at least 4 different sources prior to testing... If we were doing cardiology I would read what Harrison's, CDMT, PA handbook, AND 5MCC all had to say about it... It would usually "stick" at this point The night before testing... I would then read it from NCCPA Cert/ReCert... I liked this because all the "Fluff" has been removed... I'm not a "scribe" so I never took notes when I realized that: Most Students spend to much time writting... and not enough time listening... (not just PA students!) All of our lectures were presented with handouts... and the speaker's content generally followed the handouts... All testable material is in the books they made you buy... the instructor will tell you that any answer disputes will be referred to the texts... not what you may have thought you heard... and scribbled down during lecture... I just read a lot ~ 1.5-2hrs a day... Put a book in every room in the house (especially the small smelly one ) and read...read...read. Use three different color highlighters...first read of the material is not highlighted...second read of the material main points (full sentences) highlighted green...third read of the material only main points (sentence fragments) highlighted blue...the last read of the material only "clippings" are highlighted... Medullary Sponge Kidney is a rare disorder characterized by the formation of cystic malformations in the collecting ducts and the tubular structures within the kidneys (tubules) that collect urine. One or both kidneys may be affected. The initial symptoms of this disorder may include blood in the urine (hematuria), calcium in the kidneys (nephrolithiasis) or infection. The exact cause of Medullary Sponge Kidney is not known. Basically what you would be doing is removing all the unecessary words and english rules from the info to focus on the concepts. You don't need all the ifs/ands/buts...you need bullits. Some people highlight to much...some people not enough.... All your books will be colorful...but just think...on the night before the test...or even 15min before the test... all you have to do is read the red stuff... Finally... To remember the physiology/pathophys stuff... Make up a story and stick to it... Take the esoteric processes and apply/mirror them to daily occurences. Use analogies... Overloaded trucks shuttle two types of cargo containers...little ones (LDL) and big ones (HDL) to end organs for processing. The little ones (LDL) fall through the cracks on the street and cause buildup (ASD), the big ones are to large to fall through the cracks and therefore make it to their end organ destination to be processed... Doing this will also enhance your ability to expain complex medical disease processes to the average 12 year old. I heard somewhere that... If you can't explain it in your own words using an analogy...then you don't know it...!!! DocNusum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica Posted December 22, 2005 Share Posted December 22, 2005 This thread is extremely helpful for many former, current, and future PA students. I kindly ask that every poster remain on topic for all further postings in this thread. Thank you very much.:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VentJock Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 If you can't explain it in your own words using an analogy...then you don't know it... you just memorized it!!!:rolleyes: :rolleyes: Doing this also enhances your ability to explain complex medical disease processes to the average 12 year old...;) DocNusum Doc I had a bio teacher who taught this way. it made things really easy to understand, especially differences in concepts. i still remember what he would say about C4 and CAM plants, codominance,etc...and it really sticks. to everyone else i would take Docs advice, it certainly works for me. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tool man Posted December 24, 2005 Author Share Posted December 24, 2005 I never found study groups to be that helpful, but I can see how some people do like them. Like I say, my style is test banks. Within each question is a stem fact that for some reason wasn't apparent when I just read the book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marlene G Posted December 25, 2005 Share Posted December 25, 2005 Study groups didn't do it for me, either. Sometimes, they became too much chit chat or veered off in one person's agenda. My bottom line was always to get the info off the paper and into my head. For that, I needed to do it on my own and in my own diverse and creative ways. Study groups are good if you do not understand concepts and need to hear someone else place it into plain English. I have seen that work well for a lot of people. They also work well when everyone takes a part of the material and creates study charts, outlines, etc. to share. Our class was excellent at breaking up the work into parts, developing study guides and sharing them via mass emails. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dallas Posted December 25, 2005 Share Posted December 25, 2005 Thanks, everyone, for your advice regarding study groups. I see that it is not as necessary as I was led to believe, so I'll just stick to the "flying solo" method unless someone needs my help. I doubt if anyone will be requesting me as a study partner for Biochem, though. Carbon chains and alcahols; sounds like a party to me!:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsherer Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 As a new PA student-this forum has some great advice! I just wanted to post something about this suggestion: " -If at all possible, get old tests from you mentors." You might want to be careful about doing this, as we were just informed in our incoming class seminar that if we attempted to do this (even just asking for previous tests), it would be grounds for immediate expulsion from the program. Obviously this would be a great study aid, but if you plan to do this you might want to check and double-check that your program allows this. -travis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tool man Posted February 1, 2006 Author Share Posted February 1, 2006 just depends on the school, and how lazy the teachers are about writing new tests each year. At the med school I was at for doctoral program, you could go into the office and see every med school test they ever gave on any subject, make copies or whatever. The secretaries would cull them each year, but I recall looking at tests as far back as 1988. PA school can be a little juvenile at times. They covet to be like a med school but then wimp out, so it turns out like a hard High School with endless threats..."If you don't then we're gonna....". At times it's really sad and pathetic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest hopefullpa Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 Yep, toolman has hit the nail on the head!!! It seems really odd to me that when I was in an MBA program and also when I was working on an advanced degree in chemistry you could look at old tests or at least a page or two to get an idea of your prof's testing style. NOT so in PA school. And what is with all the endless threats??? One one hand all I hear from our program director is that we are in grad school now and stop acting like whining babies but in the next breath the threat comes.... I guess you really can have your cake and eat it too if you are the holder of all the cards. :-) Don't get me wrong - I am thrilled to be in PA school doing what I'm doing but sometimes..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marlene G Posted February 2, 2006 Share Posted February 2, 2006 Wow, you mean most schools are like that. Mine acted as if the material was under top security secrecy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mainiac Posted February 26, 2006 Share Posted February 26, 2006 Hello Moderator of this thread/section, Could you please make this a sticky? There is great info here. Thanks! ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenGintheED Posted February 26, 2006 Share Posted February 26, 2006 The reason this thread isn't stuck is because it is the first link provided in the PA Student forum sticky, "Advice for First-Year Students." {Yep, I borrowed Toolman's title, because I couldn't think of a better one myself :p} But that sticky is a collection of merged threads answering the most common questions people have posted about the first year. If they weren't all in one post, I'd have nearly a dozen stuck threads - too cluttered, in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medic327 Posted April 4, 2006 Share Posted April 4, 2006 I agree with what others are saying on this thread. Don't get involved with all of that old test stuff. Act honorably at all times and never allow anything to cast a shadow on your integrity. It will serve you the best in the long-run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g8orlife Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 Wow. Toolman, you are really a life-saver. I haven't even begun PA school yet (begin in 1.5 months), and I already know how I am going to attack my classes and, not counting obvious obstacles, also have my study patterns practically set. Thank you so much for beginning this thread! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyBoy Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Just wanted to tell everyone that has contributed to this thread; you all are amazing! I just finished my undergrad and am preparing for the future, and seeing all of your advice and support for each other is wonderful. I look forward to using this thread and site for my many questions to come in the future! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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