Study advice to incoming PA students

[stat1177]

Directed towards study habits; we all know PA school is nothing like undergrad.  What study tips would you recommend for those starting PA school that you wish you knew or would have done differently.

[NiYa13]

Hi there! Congratulations on your upcoming year!

My study habits were a lot different than other people, but I did decently well in didactic year. First off, I wrote down a list of what lectures were a part of the current unit (since we had unit tests) so that I could visualize/organize all that I needed to study. Once I felt comfortable enough with a lecture prior to the test, I would cross it off my collective list so that I wasn't wasting time on an easier lecture when the time could be directed towards a more difficult lecture. I typed out a schedule for each day (like 6-7 pm study lecture A, 7-8 study lecture B, etc.) so that I had something that I could stick to and it helped me find free time in my day. It also helped me to see what lectures I may have been neglecting from that unit.

I also made a lot of quizlets from the powerpoints (and not just "what does this word mean") but actual questions that were based on the lecture objectives. I also did some outside reading and references to add to my notes aside from the powerpoint; it just helped me solidify it more if I wasn't just memorizing a power point. For diseases, a lot of people also liked to make charts; it was never really my thing but it helped others. I also think it helps to make your own notes instead of using what other people make because you are condensing and processing the information on your own, plus you never know if people left out information in their notes because they didn't think they needed to study it too much, therefore you never get exposed to that material.

Try to buckle down and really focus while studying (put your phone in another room, put on some nice studying music, etc.) It's not about making an A, but passing. But, you also want to get a decent understanding on what your learning instead of just memorizing the powerpoint and then forgetting it completely after the test.

And don't be afraid to prioritize your well being and mental health. All of this gets overwhelming at first because its so much material in so little time; utilize behavioral health services, advisors, etc. to help. It seems like a lot, but it is only two years and you will get through it!

 

I hoped that helped; sorry for the long paragraph! Good luck!!

[UGoLong]

You'll probably come in doing what you've done before and usually that will work. A few pieces of advice:

1. Don't fall behind.

2. "Kit" your enhanced notes so that you'll have something (a "kit") concentrated enough to study from right before an exam. Exams can come like picket fenceposts and there is often not enough time just to pick up your raw class notes and blaze away a few days before the test.

3. If studying in groups works for you, then fine. Always be on the lookout for whether the group is covering more stuff that you do know and not enough what you don't.

4. If you do poorly on an exam, try a different approach. Some classes don't lend themselves to your old approaches. Be willing, for example, to do some hands-on review (good in anatomy), or draw drug family trees, or whatever.

5. Don't try to memorize what is best understood by learning the underlying disease process. Then the treatments will often become more obvious.

 

Good luck!

[stat1177]

Thank you both for your responses!