Sunkist77 Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Hello fellow PA-S's and alumni! As you know, PA school is more than just a firehose. It's a tsunami! And, I need help :/ I just finished my first quarter recently and passed all of my finals except one. It was a huge disappointment to say the least. I have been trying to stay positive, but it's hard not to think the worst in terms of my chance of survival. I have been studying diligently and trying to manage my time effectively. But as you know, PA school vs undergrad is completely different! I feel as though a part of my struggle is that for one, there is obviously not enough time, but also because I am a multimodal learner. I need to use all styles of learning to really seal what I learn into memory. Do any of you have this learning style? If so, what other methods did you use to study? I've tried a lot... flashcards, condensed notes (tons to condense!), lecture recordings, etc. My school's primary textbook from which our teacher pulls a lot of test questions is from CURRENT medical diagnosis and treatment. I have tried to read this book straight through one chapter or several sections, but often feel lost with not just high yield information, but low yield as well. I feel as though PANCE review books might be easier to study because they are easier to chew. Many of my classmates use USMLE Step 1 First Aid or A Comprehensive Review for the Certification and Recertification Examinations for Physician Assistants. As much of what we have been studying recently, cardio and pulm, is new to me, I feel like I need something that's more to the point without all the extra fluff I don't absolutely need to know. Has anyone had experiences with studying CURRENT? And, are there any methods you used to digest it easier? Also, just any other study tips/advice would be GREATLY appreciated! Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timon Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Sent you a PM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynamo24 Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Hello fellow PA-S's and alumni! As you know, PA school is more than just a firehose. It's a tsunami! And, I need help :/ I just finished my first quarter recently and passed all of my finals except one. It was a huge disappointment to say the least. I have been trying to stay positive, but it's hard not to think the worst in terms of my chance of survival. I have been studying diligently and trying to manage my time effectively. But as you know, PA school vs undergrad is completely different! I feel as though a part of my struggle is that for one, there is obviously not enough time, but also because I am a multimodal learner. I need to use all styles of learning to really seal what I learn into memory. Do any of you have this learning style? If so, what other methods did you use to study? I've tried a lot... flashcards, condensed notes (tons to condense!), lecture recordings, etc. My school's primary textbook from which our teacher pulls a lot of test questions is from CURRENT medical diagnosis and treatment. I have tried to read this book straight through one chapter or several sections, but often feel lost with not just high yield information, but low yield as well. I feel as though PANCE review books might be easier to study because they are easier to chew. Many of my classmates use USMLE Step 1 First Aid or A Comprehensive Review for the Certification and Recertification Examinations for Physician Assistants. As much of what we have been studying recently, cardio and pulm, is new to me, I feel like I need something that's more to the point without all the extra fluff I don't absolutely need to know. Has anyone had experiences with studying CURRENT? And, are there any methods you used to digest it easier? Also, just any other study tips/advice would be GREATLY appreciated! Thank you! From my experience, I have used the objectives the professors give. I fill those out and know them front to back. After that I chase down any additional information. Always talk to your professors to see if that is the best approach. For anatomy, obviously you just have to do you best to learn what you can and retain the information. Other than that, just do well at time management and prioritization. Its actually the hardest part for most students because we are use to drop kicking our undergrad classes in minimal time. You are clearly smart enough to be there and you can get through, like many have before you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunkist77 Posted October 10, 2014 Author Share Posted October 10, 2014 From my experience, I have used the objectives the professors give. I fill those out and know them front to back. After that I chase down any additional information. Always talk to your professors to see if that is the best approach. For anatomy, obviously you just have to do you best to learn what you can and retain the information. Other than that, just do well at time management and prioritization. Its actually the hardest part for most students because we are use to drop kicking our undergrad classes in minimal time. You are clearly smart enough to be there and you can get through, like many have before you. Thank you Dynamo. I guess the hardest struggle is managing that objective list...in our case, the syllabus. It has 10+ pages worth of topics/diseases/tx/labs/etc for each class (A&P, Pharm, Clinical Skills, and Core Medicine). I've been trying to fill it out as best as possible. But, as you know, some teachers and guest lecturers give you information that may or may not be relevant to what is a necessity to know. I will do my best. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corpsman2PA Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 We had objectives as well. Most of us were part of a study group, and we would divide those objectives between us. They are usually from a specified source, whether it's Current or Tintinallis, etc. After we each finished our smaller portion of objectives, we would condense them and begin studying. It's hard to eat a whole pizza, but a few slices is more than doable. I only used the lectures as a supplement. You should have your objectives done prior to the lecture, and add any interesting notes/pearls to them as needed. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MedLib42 Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Objectives. I'm not talking about the course objectives that are in the syllabus - those are an ARC-PA accreditation requirement, and studying those typically isn't efficient or worthwhile. i'm talking about specific lecture or module objectives. In medicine, we were given a list of objectives at the beginning of each module; in other classes, we were given a list of objectives for each lecture at the very beginning of the lecture. Most of our professors' test material would come directly from the objectives, and most of that material was from the lecture itself (not from the supplemental reading) so my most efficient studying went like this: 1) Before class, fill out as many of the objectives for that lecture as possible using only the lecture notes; I wouldn't read them, but would just search within the presentation or document for certain keywords or phrases from the objectives. 2) During lecture, fill in the objectives with some additional need-to-know info from the lecture that might not necessarily be presented in the presentation. I kept the objectives up on one screen throughout the entire lecture, so that I really knew what to focus on. 3) After lecture (at some point) fill in anything that seems sparse or anything I need clarification on with relevant notes from the textbook (thus, I only read the parts of the text that were relevant to something I didn't understand, or something that wasn't presented in enough detail during lecture). 4) I read my objectives list over every single day until the exam. As your objective lists pile up for each class, this does get harder and harder to do; however, I managed to find time to at least skim before, in between, and after classes. Anything that is difficult to memorize (i.e., requires memorizing a ton of detail or is super important) would often wind up on a flashcard, and I'd study the flashcards every day. Another option is to hook up with a study group, and you each do only a few of the objectives. That way, you have your high-yield information done and ready to study much more quickly. The only problem with this method is that you have to trust your group mates are doing it right (aren't leaving out some really important stuff) and sometimes the process of filling in the objectives can really help cement the info. If you don't have specific lecture or module objectives, maybe talk to some of your professors about the best way to identify the really high yield information - I did this for one class, and it was immensely helpful. Also, do you have a mentor or buddy from the class above you? A lot of schools do that.. if so, talk to them! They can be a great resource for study tips. Also, the following can be really helpful as well: - For things like medicine or pathophys, keep a chart for each disease/condition and fill it in as you go - include its clinical presentation, diagnostic workup, treatment, and any other elements that might be required by your program (such as pathophysiology of the disease). Try to summarize and only include really important info (what is the gold standard test? what is/are the most characteristic sign(s) or symptom(s)? - KEEP A LIST OF "MOST COMMONS"!!! Every time you see or hear the words "most common" in a book, lecture, etc. write it down on your most common list! I always wound up with a decent list for each section, and these definitely went on flash cards. Most of them wound up on exams, and sometimes would make up as much as 30-40% of the exam. So it's worth it to pay big attention to these. - Practice tests!!!! This was the most helpful way I've ever prepared for exams; flashcard drilling ever only got me so far. Doing practice tests forces your brain to figure out where it stored the million and two facts you heard that week during lecture, and so can help it compartmentalize and recall the info easier on test day. I would either make my own in the style of the professor, or I would utilize PANCE question banks (SO helpful for certain classes, like medicine and pathophys), sometimes I'd actually buy the question banks that went along with certain texts (for physiology, for example). Often my classmates would all make up various tests and post them in a central location, so we would have tons to choose from. Also, here are a couple of threads that might help you, if you haven't seen them already. The first includes a lot of anatomy-specific study tips, the second is just a fantastic resource for PA school study tips: http://www.physicianassistantforum.com/index.php?/topic/14447-drowning/?hl=drowning http://www.physicianassistantforum.com/index.php?/topic/12-advice-to-beginning-pa-students/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterallsummer Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Here was my PERSONAL experience: 1. Study groups = waste of time. Too much socializing and you are not holding yourself responsible to use your time 100% efficiently. 2. Re-listening to lectures = waste of time for the most part, unless you are totally focused on them. Pay attention during the actual lecture and don't half listen to them later - waste of your time! 3. Reading CMDT or official text books = a LUXURY. Do this LAST, only IF you have time. What works: A. Re-typing the power point and lecture notes either on word, excel, etc, or if you have time hand writing them, and then memorize those notes. B. Condensed review books, including bulleted ones and non-bulleted. Here are a couple examples but I do not neccisarily recommend these, point is find one you like: https://www.google.com/shopping/product/7744889668203512503?q=physician+assistant+review+book&espv=2&biw=1046&bih=580&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.77161500,d.cGU&ion=1&tch=1&ech=1ψ=2Ck4VKGlJc7foAS69oHYDg.1412966873935.7&sa=X&ei=4Sk4VMiBCPPhsAT24YDwDw&ved=0CF4Q8gIwAA https://www.google.com/shopping/product/6900893589762216995?q=physician+assistant+review+book&espv=2&biw=1046&bih=580&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.77161500,d.cGU&ion=1&tch=1&ech=1ψ=2Ck4VKGlJc7foAS69oHYDg.1412966873935.7&sa=X&ei=4Sk4VMiBCPPhsAT24YDwDw&ved=0CG8Q8gIwAQ http://www.amazon.com/Step-Up-Medicine-Series-3rd-EDITION/dp/1609133609/ref=pd_sim_b_12?ie=UTF8&refRID=18THFABSGB1M1ZQ9XFXB C. What is KEY is taking practice tests!!! Find one that breaks down by section (eg cardio, pulm, etc) http://www.amazon.com/Appleton-Langes-Review-Physician-Assistant/dp/0071124667 http://www.amazon.com/Swansons-Family-Medicine-Review-Consult/dp/1455707902/ref=pd_sim_b_6/181-8851565-2569407?ie=UTF8&refRID=18THFABSGB1M1ZQ9XFXB Anyways, bottom line is you have got to scrap out all the crap that is wasting your time. Again this is just what works for me. I started PA school off really into study groups. Problem is people are socializing, some people are benefiting, others are not, some are teaching and using that to learn, and everyone thinks it's a great investment of time (sure it can be fun) but really a lot of time is wasted. I liked to study, and then have my free time to spend with my friends, didn't care to try to be in a study group and expect that to solve my problems. Flash cards are too much an investment of time for me, better to write notes on paper or better yet type on computer and read, read, read them over and over. Listening to lectures also I did for a while - waste of time. Listen the FIRST TIME (and if you can't pay attention in class, why would you pay attention hearing it a second time?). Ultimately in class, during lecture, I would copy and paste info from the slides and add what I thought the lecturer said that was important, and during that lecture and on break, convert that into a table on excel (or google drive). I had 4 columns: Definition/Patho, Sg/Sx, Dx, and Tx. Then use "-" to bullet my points on what is important. If we had a lecture on just 1 disease, I'd just convert the powerpoint to word and re-format it. Then when I get home, study those notes (not wasting time on the above things!!!). Once I go over a lecture 2-3 times, it was time to read that section in a review book, and then 2-3 days before the test, take the practice test twice. Be efficient and you will have more free time than you have now, doing everything you are trying to do, and enjoy your life more, plus do better on your test. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corpsman2PA Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Yeah, when I say study group, I really mean objectives group. I couldn't stand group study. Worthless in my opinion. We would however, do a night before rehash of some objectives before a big test to clear up what some people may be struggling with. This usually yielded me 2 or 3 correct answers on the tests. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpaghettiSorting Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 Well, first - did you fail the entire class or just the final? Obviously, it's ideal to not fail any tests, but people fail tests all the time (failing for us is below a 70%). You should reevaluate your study habits and methods, but if you only failed one test, then I wouldn't freak out, especially if you didn't miserably fail it (ie, less than a 50%). This isn't undergrad, you will not get all 97%s without even trying anymore. There are times when you will work your ass off to get a 70%. And there are times when you won't try nearly as hard as your classmates and still get an excellent score. It's the nature of the beast. I'd second what many are saying about filling out the objectives, however. We use Current as our main text and I've never read an entire chapter beginning to end, it's just not worth my time when we cover 5 or more 100+ page chapters every two weeks. Focus on your lecture objectives. Study groups (as in breaking up objectives) are great for this. My class started a Facebook page and we all share helpful documents, Quizlets, etc that we make. Also, I would tap into any resources available from last year's class - we were each assigned a mentor from the class above us and the class president from the year above us passed down several of the study materials they created during their didactic year, including objectives that are filled out. The objectives don't change that much year to year, so it made it easier to go through and fine tune them and add any extra pearls from lecture. If your school is like mine, they don't care at all how you get your information, they just want you to know it and understand it. Find a way that works for you and study hard. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunkist77 Posted October 11, 2014 Author Share Posted October 11, 2014 Well, first - did you fail the entire class or just the final? Obviously, it's ideal to not fail any tests, but people fail tests all the time (failing for us is below a 70%). You should reevaluate your study habits and methods, but if you only failed one test, then I wouldn't freak out, especially if you didn't miserably fail it (ie, less than a 50%). This isn't undergrad, you will not get all 97%s without even trying anymore. There are times when you will work your ass off to get a 70%. And there are times when you won't try nearly as hard as your classmates and still get an excellent score. It's the nature of the beast. I'd second what many are saying about filling out the objectives, however. We use Current as our main text and I've never read an entire chapter beginning to end, it's just not worth my time when we cover 5 or more 100+ page chapters every two weeks. Focus on your lecture objectives. Study groups (as in breaking up objectives) are great for this. My class started a Facebook page and we all share helpful documents, Quizlets, etc that we make. Also, I would tap into any resources available from last year's class - we were each assigned a mentor from the class above us and the class president from the year above us passed down several of the study materials they created during their didactic year, including objectives that are filled out. The objectives don't change that much year to year, so it made it easier to go through and fine tune them and add any extra pearls from lecture. If your school is like mine, they don't care at all how you get your information, they just want you to know it and understand it. Find a way that works for you and study hard. Good luck. Just the final. By only 5 questions! However, the only reason I'm worried is because our program only lets you have a certain number of failures of a finals or course (scoring below 70) for the whole program. I'm not aiming to get A's, just to pass and learn as much as possible so I can treat patients! Current is a beast in itself too. And, my teacher loves it!...picking out tiny bits of information from a random section for her test questions. It's a little frustrating to say the least. I have gotten several study materials from my mentor and classmates as well. It is easy to get lost in those as well. But, I will try to go more in depth with the objectives as you mentioned. Thanks for your help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunkist77 Posted October 11, 2014 Author Share Posted October 11, 2014 Thank you everyone for your advice and tips! Truly invaluable! Just gotta keep swimming! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sirpaul1990 Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 http://doseofpa.blogspot.com/2014/12/10-most-helpful-study-tips-for.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamBra0 Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 I start this May and I appreciative for all of the tips! I also think I will talk to a teacher I know from my previous studies and try to sit in on the Anatomy and Physiology lectures...Just for extra measure. :-) Keep working hard Sunkist77! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nixietink Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Charts. I lay out a table for each condition with etiology, epidemiology, presentation, pathophys, diagnostics, treatment. Each specialty gets its own word doc, with conditions separated into most common, less common, and emergent. I fill these out with as many resources as I have time. Lecture notes first and foremost. Then I use a variety of resources such as Step up to Medicine, PANCE review books, required texts, UptoDate, etc. Our school sticks pretty close the PANCE blueprint content. Pharm details get flashcards or their own chart as well. Then I glance through the objectives to make sure they've been covered. Best of luck!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoRyou Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 All of these are great!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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