newly accepted, class schedule, difficulty, time spent outside of class

[Westz33]

Hey guys I am a newly accepted student into the MSPA program at western university.

 

I just had a few questions for current students or recent alumni of the program.

 

1. whats your class schedule like? is it monday - friday 8 to 5pm?

 

2. how is your study schedule your first year? is it really true that you will be studying all day and all night and all weekend with no time to play/relax/see family/have a life?

 

3. with the hectic first year schedule are you guys actually able to participate in student groups, student government etc etc?

 

4. any general advice for newly incoming students?

 

5. how were your professors in the program? some better then others? any favorites?

 

6. what was your most difficult class? which class did you enjoy the most?

 

thank you in advance and have a great day!

[JenM88]

Hey. I am currently a 1st year...well almost second year. Haha. Thought I would help answer some of your questions.

 

Class schedule varies a bit but usually Monday you are there 8-5 but not always as labs are sometimes split into smaller groups. Tuesday 10-3, Wednesday 10-2:30, Thursday 1-3 and 5:30-7:30, and Friday 10-12 for the Fall Semester.

 

Yes it is really true that you will be studying all day and all night and all weekend and won't see your family and friends. Unfortunately this really isn't an exaggeration especially for the first 5 or so months. I maybe had one day off a month. It's called Red October for a reason. Spring lightens up a bit as you get the hang out it. Summer is more time in the classroom and a little less studying.

 

You can participate in groups and government but you will have minimal time to devout to them.

 

My only advice is to take time off and enjoy time with family and friends. There is nothing I can really say to prepare you for next year.

 

The professors are pretty awesome and available outside of class.

 

Adult Med is by far the most difficult class followed by Pharm. However, those will also be your two favorite. I would say 15+ hours a week are spent on those classes alone.

 

Hope this helps. Back to studying. :)

[Suavisimo]

Class of 2011 alum here. Pretty much what JenM88 said is true. First couple of months you'll be studying and stressing like crazy, but it'll be ok once u get used to the daily grind and get into a groove with ur study habits. Looking back, from the second half of spring semester until throughout summer, I actually had a lot of time to enjoy myself and party lol. You'll be ok

[vegetofu]

Class 2012 graduate.

Get a study buddy or small group, this is really significant in PA program. Your family and friends support you but your classmates live and breathe PA school with you everyday so they understand what you're going through. Plus you can't catch everything so having a small group would really help when you miss something or they miss something n guys help each other out. Get to know everyone in class but having a couple of ppl to study with is really helpful. If you tend to study alone like I do, that's totally fine. I would study alone then meet with my group and we study a bit before the exam. These are suggestions, depends on your study habits. Enjoy!

[queenofhearts]

Those who are graduates or current students, would you recommend this program if you had to go through it again? What was your experience like in the classroom and the clinical rotations you got set up with? Did you move out of the area during the 2nd year to a a more desirable location? What were your job prospects once you graduated? The debt pretty manageable? Thanks!