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Questions for current OLOL PA students...


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I am considering applying for the OLOL PA program, though it would be several years before I do so. I am very determined, but also trying to be realistic about my schedule in the years to come as my husband and I are expecting our first child this fall. I have a ton of questions...

 

-what is your daily schedule like during the first 3 semesters and during the clinical phase?

-are there any women with families or young children that make it work?

-where did you all take your prerequisites?

-how do I go about 'shadowing' a PA?

-can anyone give me some current info on whom I could chat with at OLOL about the program and the life of a PA?

 

That's all for now. Thanks for any help and advice y'all can give. I hope everyone's studies are going well! :;-D:

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  • 1 month later...
I am considering applying for the OLOL PA program, though it would be several years before I do so. I am very determined, but also trying to be realistic about my schedule in the years to come as my husband and I are expecting our first child this fall. I have a ton of questions...

 

-what is your daily schedule like during the first 3 semesters and during the clinical phase?

-are there any women with families or young children that make it work?

-where did you all take your prerequisites?

-how do I go about 'shadowing' a PA?

-can anyone give me some current info on whom I could chat with at OLOL about the program and the life of a PA?

 

That's all for now. Thanks for any help and advice y'all can give. I hope everyone's studies are going well! :;-D:

 

I'm a current student in the didactic phase at OLOL. I am married with a 3.5yo. There are 7 of us that have children. Most have 2 kids but 2 of us have just 1. There are married and single parents alike. We all seem to make it work but no one really gives a detailed account as to how. My partner is very "hands on" and has the ability to be there when I'm not. (8-5 job) When my partner is busy, we throw ourselves on the mercy of our families. We are lucky enough to have most immediate family in the Baton Rouge area. It is very possible but the important thing to remember at all costs is to be flexible and try not to lose your cool. PA school is stressful and I find myself feeling guilty when I miss out on my child's daily activities. I have gotten used to my daughter deferring to Daddy for EVERYTHING.

 

There are some students that have the ability to only study on the weekends and have alllllll that time during the week to enjoy life with children. There are also students that manage to have a very active social life. I am not one of those lucky people.

If I'm not studying, I am stressing about how I need to be studying but I'm so tired and burnt out that all I can do is stare at the wall.

 

The first semester was quite the adjustment. I have changed studying habits so many times and the way I organize and take notes that I'm not really sure what works for me anymore but I'm too terrified to change anything:) I have been beaten mentally into submission(self-induced). My fellow students all joke about the degree of apathy we have at this point. (we are 3wks away from a true vacation) The summer semester is ending. At any given time, you can look around the dungeon(classroom with no windows) and people are either stressed or giggling from stress.

 

Negativity is infective too, so at this point, if you're outwardly having a bad few days, keep it to yourself bc it's the polite thing to do:)

I am not trying to paint a depressing picture. I knew PA school would be "challenging"(upbeat way of saying ****ing hard as **** mentally), but somehow, it's harder in the aspect of everything I didn't imagine.

 

With having said all that, I absolutely LOVE it! I have made so many friends and they are all focused about what we're there to do. Do we get burnt out? yes. Do we want to scream and whine? sure.(and sometimes do) It's really more of a mental game than anything. The material is not too difficult to understand or learn. It's the amount of info and the mental aspect of being able to keep going.

 

Our class started in January and it's amazing how time has flown by!

 

Our typical day depends on what phase of didactic we are in. The first semester, we had class from 10am-3pm everyday for the most part with an hour for lunch. who needs an hour for lunch? I do! Being in the dungeon all day makes sunlight necessary. Seriously, 1st semester schedule is predictable, easy, and gets you into the groove of PA school.

 

The 2nd semester, approximately 2 days after 1st semester finals, is a bit more unpredictable. This is the time when Foundation courses begin. For instance, if you have an infectious disease foundation class, the instructor has a day job usually. They usually don't take off work where they are either a PA or doctor to come teach us. They come after work, which means you stay after business hours. Don't freak out though, most foundation classes are roughly 4wks long, with twice/week lectures. They are not all at night. We are lucky enough to have our faculty instruct some of our foundation courses, so they are during the day.

 

This summer, I've had off every Tuesday/Thursday for the most part. It hasn't been bad at all. I have no idea what the next semester will hold so far. I have seen on the calendar that the aim is only 2days/week of class. I'm trying to contain my excitement because you never know if it will change at the last minute. I have learned to be very flexible. I also try to keep in mind that I can quit anytime I want. No one is making me go. Of course I don't know how I would pay back the student loans of PA school without being a PA either, but you get my point.

 

I took my prereqs at the Lake as well. I finished my undergrad 2wks before PA school started. (non-traditional student, but who isn't these days) I even had my daughter in undergrad. Poor thing has only known me as a student but she's pretty resilient.

 

I shadowed a few PAs. I called in favors. I begged anyone I knew to introduce me to someone willing to let me follow them. Each time I shadowed a PA, I met another PA that would let me shadow. I have gone to shadow a PA that I've never met before. I'm pretty used to being uncomfortable at this point in my education. I was desperate to get any experience necessary for PA school.

 

My advice, start with your friends or acquaintances and ask if they know any PAs. If so, make a contact. The point of shadowing is to gain knowledge about what a PA is and what they do. Aim for different areas of practice, as that truly shows how diverse your career can be. That's part of the beauty of being a PA.

 

Start with the website for OLOL. There is some contact info on there for the process of applying and specific contacts for questions.

 

Good luck and don't give up!

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I am considering applying for the OLOL PA program, though it would be several years before I do so. I am very determined, but also trying to be realistic about my schedule in the years to come as my husband and I are expecting our first child this fall. I have a ton of questions...

 

-what is your daily schedule like during the first 3 semesters and during the clinical phase?

-are there any women with families or young children that make it work?

-where did you all take your prerequisites?

-how do I go about 'shadowing' a PA?

-can anyone give me some current info on whom I could chat with at OLOL about the program and the life of a PA?

 

That's all for now. Thanks for any help and advice y'all can give. I hope everyone's studies are going well! :;-D:

 

I'm a current student in the didactic phase at OLOL. I am married with a 3.5yo. There are 7 of us that have children. Most have 2 kids but 2 of us have just 1. There are married and single parents alike. We all seem to make it work but no one really gives a detailed account as to how. My partner is very "hands on" and has the ability to be there when I'm not. (8-5 job) When my partner is busy, we throw ourselves on the mercy of our families. We are lucky enough to have most immediate family in the Baton Rouge area. It is very possible but the important thing to remember at all costs is to be flexible and try not to lose your cool. PA school is stressful and I find myself feeling guilty when I miss out on my child's daily activities. I have gotten used to my daughter deferring to Daddy for EVERYTHING.

 

There are some students that have the ability to only study on the weekends and have alllllll that time during the week to enjoy life with children. There are also students that manage to have a very active social life. I am not one of those lucky people.

If I'm not studying, I am stressing about how I need to be studying but I'm so tired and burnt out that all I can do is stare at the wall.

 

The first semester was quite the adjustment. I have changed studying habits so many times and the way I organize and take notes that I'm not really sure what works for me anymore but I'm too terrified to change anything:) I have been beaten mentally into submission(self-induced). My fellow students all joke about the degree of apathy we have at this point. (we are 3wks away from a true vacation) The summer semester is ending. At any given time, you can look around the dungeon(classroom with no windows) and people are either stressed or giggling from stress.

 

Negativity is infective too, so at this point, if you're outwardly having a bad few days, keep it to yourself bc it's the polite thing to do:)

I am not trying to paint a depressing picture. I knew PA school would be "challenging"(upbeat way of saying ****ing hard as **** mentally), but somehow, it's harder in the aspect of everything I didn't imagine.

 

With having said all that, I absolutely LOVE it! I have made so many friends and they are all focused about what we're there to do. Do we get burnt out? yes. Do we want to scream and whine? sure.(and sometimes do) It's really more of a mental game than anything. The material is not too difficult to understand or learn. It's the amount of info and the mental aspect of being able to keep going.

 

Our class started in January and it's amazing how time has flown by!

 

Our typical day depends on what phase of didactic we are in. The first semester, we had class from 10am-3pm everyday for the most part with an hour for lunch. who needs an hour for lunch? I do! Being in the dungeon all day makes sunlight necessary. Seriously, 1st semester schedule is predictable, easy, and gets you into the groove of PA school.

 

The 2nd semester, approximately 2 days after 1st semester finals, is a bit more unpredictable. This is the time when Foundation courses begin. For instance, if you have an infectious disease foundation class, the instructor has a day job usually. They usually don't take off work where they are either a PA or doctor to come teach us. They come after work, which means you stay after business hours. Don't freak out though, most foundation classes are roughly 4wks long, with twice/week lectures. They are not all at night. We are lucky enough to have our faculty instruct some of our foundation courses, so they are during the day.

 

This summer, I've had off every Tuesday/Thursday for the most part. It hasn't been bad at all. I have no idea what the next semester will hold so far. I have seen on the calendar that the aim is only 2days/week of class. I'm trying to contain my excitement because you never know if it will change at the last minute. I have learned to be very flexible. I also try to keep in mind that I can quit anytime I want. No one is making me go. Of course I don't know how I would pay back the student loans of PA school without being a PA either, but you get my point.

 

I took my prereqs at the Lake as well. I finished my undergrad 2wks before PA school started. (non-traditional student, but who isn't these days) I even had my daughter in undergrad. Poor thing has only known me as a student but she's pretty resilient.

 

I shadowed a few PAs. I called in favors. I begged anyone I knew to introduce me to someone willing to let me follow them. Each time I shadowed a PA, I met another PA that would let me shadow. I have gone to shadow a PA that I've never met before. I'm pretty used to being uncomfortable at this point in my education. I was desperate to get any experience necessary for PA school.

 

My advice, start with your friends or acquaintances and ask if they know any PAs. If so, make a contact. The point of shadowing is to gain knowledge about what a PA is and what they do. Aim for different areas of practice, as that truly shows how diverse your career can be. That's part of the beauty of being a PA.

 

Start with the website for OLOL. There is some contact info on there for the process of applying and specific contacts for questions.

 

Good luck and don't give up!

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  • 2 years later...

That response was extremely helpful, thanks for the advice. Can you tell me what to expect for the second semester as far as when classes usually start and end? I know you said it varies with foundation classes, but on the days with no foundation classes? Thanks again!!

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  • 2 weeks later...

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