jeanmarshall70 Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 Hi all, I need some professional advice. I come from a background without any clinical experience and my first rotation was really specialized (women's health). Two weeks in, my preceptor called my program and asked for me to be moved to family medicine because he thought he would be doing me no good by keeping me in my women's health rotation when I needed a stronger background in the medical field. This all sounds like a good idea, but in reality this means I would get a F in that rotation and have to repeat it at the end of the year. I was told by my professor that once I repeat the rotation, my grade will replace the F. However I had a really strong gpa from didactic, so even with the F, I'll have a gpa of a 3.6. My question is - do you all think this will affect me getting a license? I know some boards want to know if you've ever been put on probation. I think this may put me on probation. Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted September 9, 2014 Moderator Share Posted September 9, 2014 shouldn't be a problem as your final grade will be changed. what did you do before pa school? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeanmarshall70 Posted September 9, 2014 Author Share Posted September 9, 2014 I worked in clinical research during undergrad and went straight into PA school (bad idea). I'm fine with patients but I was too nervous doing pap smears and pelvic exams and women's health was my weakest subject in didactic. I noticed that on the application for texas licensing boards it asks the program director if I have ever been put on probation before or asked to withdrawal. Does anyone think a licensing board would have a reason to withhold my license because of this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbrothers98 Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 This does not necessary mean you are on probation. Sounds like your program has a thought out process in this case. Now if you fail other rotations, that is another story. I think if a medical board asks about a graduate being on probation, they wonder if this is someone that managed to squeak by summatively vs someone who had a bad week or just needed better formative preparation. Good luck. G Brothers PA-C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sassy27 Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 My best friend from PA school works as a PA in many different parts of Texas and from what I understand they are pretty desperate for PAs. Just put no on the application and try not to be too nervous on your future rotations. Remember you are a student - you are there to learn - not work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Febrifuge Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 If I may be blunt: Stop worrying about your GPA. You're in PA school now. True, if you feel like you want to compete for a PA residency spot, GPA might matter. Even so, I think there is a real danger in placing the focus on a number, instead of on the quality of your learning and your experience. Every class has people who are great at taking tests and making grades, who by the end of the program you start to feel are going to have a rough first year (or, to be even less charitable, some of these can be the people you wouldn't want your sick relative to go and see for care). Take the F, make it up later, and just concentrate on being the best PA-in-training you can be. You'll only be a PA student for a couple of years. You'll be a PA the rest of your life. Focus on what's important (hint: the welfare of your patients is the most important thing). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradtPA Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 What's the difference between a PA with a 3.0 GPA and a PA with a 4.0 GPA? After graduation, nothing. No employer has ever asked for a transcript or could care less about my 3.6 GPA I had in school. They DO care that I am licensed, and that I am certified. There are going to be a lot more complicated procedures than PAPs over the next year. Look at them as a challenge, and meet the challenge head on. PAPs are an important part of what we do in primary care for our women patients. Nobody expects you to be perfect at them as a student. Heck, it was probably a year after graduation before I was comfortable doing them myself. Comfort comes with repetition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UGoLong Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 Our program started and ended with a family med rotation; it helped you get comfortable at the onset and to see how far you had come at the end. Women's health might have been a tough place for you to start, but keep your head screwed on and you will do fine in the end. As others have said, no one cares about your grades. Pass and learn what you need to learn, as well as figure out what settings interest you for a job. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MassPA-C Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 You may have to disclose it to the board but it shouldn't effect you getting a license. I know a friend in my program had been on probabtion for a reason other than grades (and a few friends for grades actually) and in NC you have to disclose but it wasnt an issue. Just a paragraph about how they werent ready for xyz or didnt realize xyz and what they had done to rectify the situation (extra studying, tutors, counseling, etc). Our program provided a letter explaining what measures they had to take to get off of probation and all of them were able to get licenses and are currently working. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted September 10, 2014 Administrator Share Posted September 10, 2014 If I may be blunt: Stop worrying about your GPA. You're in PA school now. This. Times a thousand. If you can't successfully complete a rotation... that happens. Sometimes, people expect more preparation than you have. My third rotation was inpatient, and let me tell you, 5 years of prehospital EMT Basic did not prepare me for the expectations of the long-term care facility in which I was placed. I just never felt like I clicked with my preceptor, and I felt like a failure the entire time. It was really not a good match, and if my preceptor had been less gracious he could have legitimately failed me... but he didn't, mostly because he saw how I was trying. Yours did--or really, tried to redirect you to a place where you can be successful, in a way that your school interprets as failure. It's a huge blow, as it should be, but it you care more about the GPA than the fact that you've been deemed too incompetent to touch live patients in an overseen and training situation, your priorities are wrong. Go back to family medicine, get stronger, work harder, put in extra time, and go kick butt. The GPA doesn't matter any more--you're touching real patients now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joelseff Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 I agree with Febrifuge and Rev. You have bigger issues than your grades. You're doing this to be a professional medical practitioner. Focus on that. Ask your program for more help. In your FM rotation learn all you can. Heck do all the PAPs etc in the office. Ask your preceptor to help u. Your grades mean squat if you don't learn MEDICINE! Besides, we are PA-Cs not PA-As ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterallsummer Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 I don't think this will effect your license or job. As others have said as long as you pass GPA is not that relavent. There is a joke what do you call the person graduating from school w lowest grade? Answer is a PA. Anyway you have to just buck up because trust me you will do things more disturbing than Pap smears and more uncomfortable for you and patient. After draining a large abscess under a morbidly obese woman's breast fold you may miss a routine pap. And just wait until you get into the OR... Anyway you gotta get back on the horse and push forward. Medicine is not glamorous and more times than not its uncomfortable embarrassing smelly and not always fun. But your job is to help the patient and you have to fake confidence constantly until its there. You will be okay and perhaps you did or did not need to be humbled, but now it's time to move on and keep doing well. Again don't think this will impact you long term in any way. And as a condolence I think most of us aren't crazy about women's health (wait til you see live birth...) but it can be rewarding and you will find your niche in time. Deep breath and keep moving! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeanmarshall70 Posted September 10, 2014 Author Share Posted September 10, 2014 Thank you all! I was extremely worried that the possibility of me going on probation for having a bad week and having to withdrawal and fail my first rotation would mess up my entire career as a PA! It is very comforting to hear all of this positive support! I actually have already completed a month of my family medicine rotation (still one more month to go) and my preceptor is awesome and gave me a great evaluation! Too bad he doesn't do pap smears or any procedures actually.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterallsummer Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 Yep procedures can be tough and many are learned in surg or ER rotaiton which doesn't always attract the most patient and nurturing preceptors. One thing that helps is looking up YouTube videos of common procedures because 1) you can learn a lot and 2) it sort of preps you for what to expect and you won't be so shocked first time you see how much d/c comes from an abscess. You will meet good and bad preceptors alike but always your job is to do right by the patient and learn, not necessarily get praise or a good grade (as long as it's passing). Just shake it off and move forward, some parts of medicine you'll like, others you will hate but eventually you will learn to tolerate and even be very good at most of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHU-CH Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 I have had to document occasional "mishaps" - academic and professional - on license applications and I have never seen one rejected. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and dive back in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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