adjk1229 Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 Hey everyone, I was wondering if any of you students or PAs have any advice for someone who is about to enter into a program. Are there certain things we should brush up on, anything we should study, or anything we should expect out of the ordinary? Any advice or suggestions would be very helpful!! Thanks so much! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HMtoPA Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 IMO you should just take it easy while you still can. Trust that your pre-requisite coursework and previous HCA prepared you for what you are about to start. Start getting plenty of rest and exercise now and try to keep it up while you're in school. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IdahoPA Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 I'm in the same boat: anxious to start but a lil scared, too. I'm following HM's advice. I hear the next 2+ years are going to be a whirlwind and, honestly, this is the only time in my life that I'm going to have this kind of downtime. I'm rereading book series, catching up on Hulu, visiting friends, and doing some projects I've been meaning to do. I just spent 2 weeks with my sister. Occasionally, I even work. ;p Someone else said the downside of "brushing up" is that you don't know what the instructor expects you to know from that info so it would be like taking a shot in the dark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HopefulPA Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 Yep relax and chill out. You are about to enter the vortex. If you insist well start reviewing anatomy. But really just chill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just_me Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 Anatomy maybe med term if youre not strong in it....I notice a few programs have a med term test that first week so I would find out how your program operates. Also ours set us up with a 2nd year student as a buddy....they would be the best to give you advice on what you could do as well as the program faculty. Personally I wish I had gotten a head start on anatomy, direction terms "the blah is poterolateral to the superior aspect of the blech which is on the lateral aspect of the medial boarder"...and I would have rather read Bates than the assigned summer reading but what can you do right? Anywho, most people will tell you to not even pick up anything and just relax but I think you can do both....you can preview and relax at the same time. If you know what the curriculum will be for the first semester and you know its something that you may not be strong in (anatomy, med term, biochem...whatever) take some time to brush up on main things....dont get bogged down in the details. No need to take a formal course but if you have the text sitting around and you know that youre not go with med term or you still have trouble with nerves or you have no idea what p-glycoprotein is....skim the book. Skimming never hurt anyone but like I said, dont get bogged down in the details and have some fun.......because it will be a while before you can have fun again lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Steve Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 The school has selected you based on their review of you as a person. They feel you have shown adequate preparation to succeed at their program. Trust the system. I sincerely doubt you can absorb the right things, in the right order, in the right manner that will jive with their particular education system with any sort of success. In other words..why burn all that energy reading ahead only to find out your reading wasn't on target? That being said, I do appreciate wanting to keep the brain in the medical mode a bit. Just something to keep the wheels greased and ready to roll. A&P is never a bad thing. I have gotten a kick out of playing around on an app called Prognosis. It mentions tests/labs that I have never heard of, so I go read around Google to figure out what the heck they are talking about. While it doesn't really teach me anything that I truly retain, it does keep the juices flowing. Good luck...go play hard now. You won't have that much of chance when school gets rolling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paporzelt Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 I notice a few programs have a med term test that first week so I would find out how your program operates. Also ours set us up with a 2nd year student as a buddy.... OMG, i'm so jealous of you. My program did their best to keep our two classes separate, so they wouldnt help us on tests (i know, super retarded, like anyone can remember specific questions to a test they took a year ago and only got a grade back on..never a copy of the test to review). I wish i had someone a year ahead of me just telling me to not lose hair over tests, and to go easy on myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgdog Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Agree with above, however, I bought "Pathophysiology Made Ridiculously Simple” and read the chapters that I wasn’t real clear on, ie, cardiac. It really helps to understand the basics of how things work and subsequently, break down. This is probably my favorite book and have used it extensively through the didactic portion of my program. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterallsummer Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 House of God 7 Habits of Highly Successful People. Get into a good workout routine and catch up on your sleep. Spend time with those you won't have time for when school starts. Wrap up personal business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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