Writing a book, and I need your help

[Turbo]

Hello, I want to make this short and sweet. My wife will be starting a PA program this fall. I know she is more than capable. She is very knowledgeable and she will make an excellent PA. However, I want to try to support her and give her some encouragement. That said, I want to write a short book with advice from current PAs/Students/Dr. My hope is she will be able to refer to this for tips and support whenever she is struggling. I would greatly appreciate it if you all could give me your best advice for new students/PAs. The advice can be about anything. Examples: how to study, manage stress, enjoy yourself, be a good PA/medical student/Dr., what to focus on, student loan debt, balance daily life with school, etc. Like I said any tips would be greatly appreciated. Feel free to PM me with your name if you would like proper credit and would like to see the finished version of this. I truly appreciate you taking the time to read this. Thank you!

[winterallsummer]

http://www.physicianassistantforum.com/index.php?/topic/12-advice-to-beginning-pa-students/

[Turbo]

http://www.physicianassistantforum.com/index.php?/topic/12-advice-to-beginning-pa-students/

Thank you for the reply I will definitely check it out!

[AREID]

Hello, I want to make this short and sweet. My wife will be starting a PA program this fall. I know she is more than capable. She is very knowledgeable and she will make an excellent PA. However, I want to try to support her and give her some encouragement. That said, I want to write a short book with advice from current PAs/Students/Dr. My hope is she will be able to refer to this for tips and support whenever she is struggling. I would greatly appreciate it if you all could give me your best advice for new students/PAs. The advice can be about anything. Examples: how to study, manage stress, enjoy yourself, be a good PA/medical student/Dr., what to focus on, student loan debt, balance daily life with school, etc. Like I said any tips would be greatly appreciated. Feel free to PM me with your name if you would like proper credit and would like to see the finished version of this. I truly appreciate you taking the time to read this. Thank you!

The biggest thing you need to over come is fear. Fear of being wrong, fear of not knowing, fear of causing harm. You need to throw this "fear" away and just do things. You will never be ready to see a patient or do a procedure. There's always more you can learn. There's always more that you can read to perfect technique. So, people put things off. People sit in the corner on rotations or don't actively seek procedures. We all have fears, you just need to embrace it and do it anyway. Throw yourself in the water with the sharks and you'll be surprised how fast and how good of a swimmer you actually are. Believe in yourself, because if you think your the best, you will be. Think you can't do it, and you won't.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sarraeo26]

That is so sweet of you!  My advice is to take each day one at a time. It's really easy to get overwhelmed when you realize you have 15 exams, x number of papers, videotaped practical exams, etc  in one semester so you just have to focus on whatever is the next step. Take time to exericise, eat healthy food, make a cutoff point each day where you STOP studying and go to sleep!  My advice to partners/husbands/etc is to be willing to sacrifice.  Realize that his/her job is getting through PA school and hopefully not just sliding by but really learning!  I made sure to take off at least one day a week so I could be with my husband and be away from school!  The most supportive thing he did for me was cooking and bringing me dinner to the library, whenever I didn't have something prepared.  He didn't complain that I spent each night until 9 or 10pm studying because he understood that it wasn't going to last forever (and those 15 months of didactic FLEW by!).  Rotations are much more forgiving, you start to get your life back!  I agree with the post above, getting over fear is the hardest part. I let fear get in the way of trying new things (that and recovering from surgery during 2 rotations, ugh) but I did try to push myself as much as I could stand to.  You will look stupid once in awhile, someone will yell at you, but you will also impress people and "shine."  Not everyone is going to be nice during rotations but most people will surprise you and be willing to help!  Learn from your mistakes, write them down/reflect on what happened, and don't repeat them!  My other piece of advice (which I am kicking myself about now) is apply to jobs and especially, start applying for your state license 1-2 months before graduation. Right now I'm waiting for the state to process paperwork and there are only so many jobs I can apply for in the meantime!  Then, devote a month to studying for the PANCE. I think the advice giving is endless, but we all find our own way of getting through PA school. Find some amazing people in your class to support one another along the way, study together, and ask questions when you don't understand something, and that will make a big difference!  It is SO worth it!  Oh, and try to spend as little money as possible if you have to take out loans like I did.  I now have a house sized loan to pay off which feels like looking down into a volcano that is about to explode.  I hope that at least one thing I said will be helpful :) Best of luck on this life-changing journey!

 

P.S. Since she will have some time to read before school starts, I recommend reading "How Doctors Think" and "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down." 

 

-Sarah, Class of 2013, Samuel Merritt University

[UGoLong]

I wrote a book about before, during, and after PA school that might give her some ideas.

 

(Old Man on Campus

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1479372099/ref=tsm_1_fb_lk)

 

I wish you both well! It was an incredible time in my life.