Sabsaf123 Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 What was the hardest part of PA school for you? Was it anatomy, surgery rotation, passing PANCE, the entire pre-clinical, etc.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancer_dancer01 Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 For me it was the clinical year. The combination of the long clinical hours along with the end of rotation exams, constant studying so you don't look like a dumb ass to your preceptors, master's project, and a part time job really took a toll on me. Didactic year wasn't bad at all and after clinical year and the pance prep course the PANCE wasn't that bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunnyn Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 For me it was the clinical year. The combination of the long clinical hours along with the end of rotation exams, constant studying so you don't look like a dumb ass to your preceptors, master's project, and a part time job really took a toll on me. Didactic year wasn't bad at all and after clinical year and the pance prep course the PANCE wasn't that bad. Can one do a job while doing their clinical year? Is it feasible? How did you manage to do so? Pls do tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuralER/Ortho Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 It would have to be extremely flexible. You typically have no control over your schedule, spends tons of hours at your rotation site, and you often don't know your schedule far in advance. No one in my class worked during clinical year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamBra0 Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 I am a current student but the hardest part so far is the pace. My program is approximately 26 and it is just so much information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted December 31, 2015 Moderator Share Posted December 31, 2015 I did a few concert standbys as a medic on weekends during my clinical year at home rotations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UGoLong Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 I thought it was the pace of the didactic year. Doable, but lots of information in a short period of time. Clinicals for me were more like a job with undefined hours (pretty much like every job I've ever had). I wouldn't count on working, though I did 2 twelve hour shifts a month to keep my medic skills fresh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timon Posted January 1, 2016 Share Posted January 1, 2016 Mine was two items. The first being quitting smoking after 14 years just 4 weeks prior to starting PA school and dealing with the side effects of tobacco withdrawal.. The second was the emotional affect of being away from my wife and daughter.. As for the PA program itself, I think the human sciences courses we took our first session (biochem, anatomy, physiology, neuroanatomy, and immunology) were the hardest for me, especially as a non-traditional applicant. I think it's probably mostly to do with the fact I had memory retention problems due to tobacco cessation. Second to that, I think pharmacology was the hardest aspect of all PA school for me. I found my clinical year experience to be a lot easier than my didactic year experience in addition to coursework being less difficult the further we progressed and built on our clinical knowledge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adru373 Posted January 2, 2016 Share Posted January 2, 2016 In general, the classes are challenging and rotations can be exhausting, but neither of these things are the hardest part. Finding a school life balance was most challenging for myself and my fellow classmates at the time. Here's an article with tips if you're interested. Www.physicianassistantstudyguide.com/paschoolsurvival.html Good luck!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabsaf123 Posted January 3, 2016 Author Share Posted January 3, 2016 In general, the classes are challenging and rotations can be exhausting, but neither of these things are the hardest part. Finding a school life balance was most challenging for myself and my fellow classmates at the time. Here's an article with tips if you're interested. Www.physicianassistantstudyguide.com/paschoolsurvival.html Good luck!! Link doesnt seem to work. But since it's only two years, who cares if you don't have a work/life balance? Right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosslyn Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 Link doesnt seem to work. But since it's only two years, who cares if you don't have a work/life balance? Right? Spouses, children, family, and friends might beg to differ ;) It's much easier said than done, as far as dedicating your life to school only. Outsiders have a hard time understanding why you don't have time for them. Just my expectation. I'm pre-PA currently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timon Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 Link doesnt seem to work. But since it's only two years, who cares if you don't have a work/life balance? Right?Try explaining to your 3 year old that you can't take them out because you need to study (try doing this for 28 months straight). Or trying to calm your wife down who thinks you're having an affair because you're never home and claim you're always "studying" (I had a guy in our class that got divorced because of this). Or when your wife tells her friends you'll come to their birthday party and you end up canceling because you have your cardio exam in 2 days (plus 6 other exams right after that). Or better yet, you actually go to the party and bring your notes with you to study and then your wife gets angry that you're not being social. This list can go on and on. I haven't even mentioned the lack of social interaction and the affects that solitude play over a period of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator LT_Oneal_PAC Posted January 3, 2016 Moderator Share Posted January 3, 2016 If you are studying so hard in PA school that you don't have a work/life balance, you aren't studying right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timon Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 If you are studying so hard in PA school that you don't have a work/life balance, you aren't studying right.Easier said than done. There is no balance between PA school and social activities. It's slanted to one side. Anyone who says otherwise is outdated or is just wicked smart unlike us average folks. Our 16 month long didactic year consisted of 134 exams. That's an average of 3 exams a week (if you factor in our 2 week long breaks between sessions). Just food for thought... Rotations were a different story.. I felt I could breath again once clinical rotations began since it was a regular work schedule coupled with some homework assignments and a single end of rotation exam at the end of each month and could be time managed better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabsaf123 Posted January 4, 2016 Author Share Posted January 4, 2016 Try explaining to your 3 year old that you can't take them out because you need to study (try doing this for 28 months straight). Or trying to calm your wife down who thinks you're having an affair because you're never home and claim you're always "studying" (I had a guy in our class that got divorced because of this). Or when your wife tells her friends you'll come to their birthday party and you end up canceling because you have your cardio exam in 2 days (plus 6 other exams right after that). Or better yet, you actually go to the party and bring your notes with you to study and then your wife gets angry that you're not being social. This list can go on and on. I haven't even mentioned the lack of social interaction and the affects that solitude play over a period of time. Ya good points. I was thinking from my perspective since I have no kids or s/o. Would it be easier for a student like me to persevere, w/ little social life, during the didactic year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timon Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 Ya good points. I was thinking from my perspective since I have no kids or s/o. Would it be easier for a student like me to persevere, w/ little social life, during the didactic year? I would say without kids or significant other, it's easier to maintain a social life. Of those I've observed fitting your scenario, I did notice they did go out more often and partied it up more frequently than those who fit my profile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted January 4, 2016 Administrator Share Posted January 4, 2016 The toughest time is when you're almost at the end of your didactic year: you are fully committed financially (loans) and professionally (Old job? Gone. Almost a year ago) and aren't sure if you can't take any more of it, and want to quit, and you and your friends have to take turns talking each other out of quitting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterallsummer Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 The stress it puts on family and relationships having to study non stop. Clinical was the best part for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabsaf123 Posted January 5, 2016 Author Share Posted January 5, 2016 The stress it puts on family and relationships having to study non stop. Clinical was the best part for me. Doesn't clinical put an equal amount of stress on the family, since you are away from them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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