Midterms break etc.

It's been a month since my last up date (my apologies).  Currently this is the first week back after spring break and midterms so really not much happened in March other than exams and relaxing.

I really can't stress how important it is to relax (pun intended) in this type of environment.  Worrying, anxiety and stress are all natural and can be healthy.  What is unhealthy is letting that be your only focus.  Having the netflix, video games, books and TV are healthy distractions (sometimes brief) that give you time to decompress.  PA school and other professional programs are not for the faint of heart nor the worrisome.  

Anywho currently I'm preparing for another week of exams (noticing a trend?) coming up and some labs we have in phlebotomy.  It's going to be fun, busy, stressful but above all else another step towards becoming a Physician Assistant

Settling in or how to study and pass an exam

With the second month of PA school underway and a handful of exams under my belt I'm settling into my study habits. Midterms are beginning this week although with one or two exams a week for the past month this doesn't feel like anything different. The panicky and under prepared feeling of the first few weeks has waned and what's left is a rhythm of preparation, confidence and execution. Allow me to elaborate;

There is an exam for X class in Y weeks. I begin a week or two before by lightly reading my notes over and over. Maybe not everyday but things I have not looked at in awhile are touched upon and brought forward during this period.

With 3-5 days before the exam this material has now been brought to my focus and I study more intently and depending on the class make an outline (i.e Physiology, Clinical Microbiology).

A day or two before I meet up with classmates for a study session at a local coffee shop. Having read the material we now have time to quiz each other back and forth usually until closing.

Exam day arrives and I do minimal studying, when I do look at my notes it is in glancing to keep a word bank of points to remember. Think of it like spring boards; when I see that word or phrase from my notes on an exam I can launch into whatever process I have learned without having to memorize every step.

The exam begins and I begin reading each question word for word, followed by eliminating immediate poor choices. I mark one or two I think could be correct and then circle the one I think is the best (this is usually the one that leaps at me first, go with your gut!). If I do not feel confident in answering a question immediately or I think it will take too much time I circle it and then move on so my mind is sharp (and confident) to tackle the ones that take less time.

I finish the exam and leave, avoiding all discussion about the exam. I don't care how hard or easy I thought it was, discussing with others opens the door for doubt and fear about a question. I know I will most likely get a few questions wrong but that is nothing to panic about.

And that's it, I've been doing this process (with some modifications here and there) and have gotten nothing less than an A- on each exam/quiz. For those reading I'm not that intelligent, I have taken enough classes and exams to know my study habits. And also for those reading these are my study habits, what my work for me may not work for you so developing a routine that fits your personality and learning style is crucial. With that in mind there are some general patterns that are most associated with success;

-Studying several days before the exam
-do not cram the night before
-Relax and just breathe


Take care everyone

Three weeks and a lifetime

Upon entering the fourth week of PA school I feel like I know nothing but yet I feel like I am learning so much.  Since school has started I;

-study 2-6 hours per day 

-opened a thoracic cavity 

-will never forget about acetyl-CoA (like ever)

-finally understand lipoproteins 

-taken histories on all of immediate family

-look at people and subconsciously dissect them

It's a great experience really.  To anyone who is set on PA school or accepted, you're going to love it everyday.  Just be prepared for it to slowly take over your life.

Two weeks and first impressions

Hackneyed, but an accurate description of PA school! The volume of information I am learning is anything unlike I've had before but the material is familiar and not impossible. Topics such as complement system, dihybrid crosses, weaks acids, glycolysis are all taught but briefly with the bulk of the understanding to be handled outside the classroom. Those weekly nights of studying add up and I find I'm retaining more than I thought I could already but let me state this to would be PA students and prospective candidates;

there are not enough hours in the day to study everything

And it's not just studying; there's other assignments, homework, online quizzes, seminars and meetings that all eat up a part of your day. Right now I'm learning my best studying habits and what information I need to focus on. That lecture on the immune system in microbiology felt like a review but that anatomy lecture on the thorax left me feeling behind so I'll spend more time with anatomy tonight. That kind of decision making has left me feeling somewhat prepared after the first two weeks.

But there's no exams yet, so right now I don't feel as if I'm studying for them. Currently I'm studying to make sure I comprehend the material, and that little nuance is perhaps one of the largest distinctions between my previous studies. I used to study for exams to get A's, now I study to know the information according to my comfort level so I can pass the exams. High marks are secondary to comprehending the material.

A friend of mine in Law School and I were discussing what our programs were like and found a few similarities which I think describe many professional programs;

-You will create most of your own anxiety
-Getting stressed out does no one any good
-You're surrounded by over-achievers, competition is not worth the stress
-This is your life for the following X number of years

Above all these past two weeks have taught me that I am in the right profession and I'm going to love it.


-Kevin

Orientation and the first day

It was the lecture where I sat during the information session for the program. 8 months ago I was sitting in the same seat, listening to PA students talk about the rigors of the curriculum and the fellowship that was forged from it. I saw listening attentively, smiling, nodding and laughing when was socially acceptable. But I longed to be in their seats, to be looking out over the sea of eager and hopeful prospective students.

It's 8 months later and I am rising from that same seat, the director is introducing the class of 2016 to the Faculty and Staff. Orientation started out with a bang, but it ended with our first assignment.

The assignment wasn't too complicated, but I imagine is a preview of the curriculum (understatement really). We got our schedules, the bill, were given some sincere advice from students and faculty and were on our way.

The first term is 21 credits, 8 classes and daunting at a glance. However I must keep in mind that several of these courses I've had as an undergraduate or graduate student. Obviously not to the same extent but I am treading on somewhat familiar ground, albeit the ground is rocky and at a sixty degree angle. pKa values and weak bases first appear as an old arch enemy. The keyword being old, I've at least heard and studied these concepts before and that is somewhat reassuring.

Tomorrow is our first day of actual class from 8am to 5pm. I'm nervous as with many of my classmates, but anxious to get started. Reading my pharmacology book (a subject I've never studied before) was interesting and above all exciting. I'm excited to get into these classes and learn some of the most fascinating and useful information I can imagine.

The final week before school starts

This week is my last week before PA school starts and I am a combination of excited, nervous, giddy and panicked all at once haha I feel like the end of the first book in a story, setting the stage for the next installment of the series during these final pages. The characters are set, the next goal for the main character defined and the major climax in the first book resolved.

The first book of this story was about me getting into PA school. It was a long journey for a goal that seemed impossible at times. I'll detail my journey in a post next week. In these final few days before school starts I'm taking care of odds and ends; changing oil in the car, getting notebooks, cleaning my room, finalizing my schedule and just relaxing.

I constantly wonder what school will be like during the thick of it. Sometimes I get panicked that it will be much harder than I expected, other times I wonder if it will be easier (I may eat my words on that one). But most of the times I feel excited to start the next step of this journey and I feel prepared. As Macklemore said in his song Ten Thousand Hours

"Ten thousand hours felt like ten thousand hands
Ten thousands hands, they carry me"

This song is most likely a reference to Malcom Gladwell's book "Outliers" which to summarize proposes that people are successful at a task more because of practice and experience as opposed to inborn skill. As of today I have over 7,000 hours of healthcare experience, dealing with patients in a variety of settings and have completed a Bachelors and Masters in Biology. All that time working with patients, studying late nights and managing a very busy schedule will hopefully lend itself to PA school. I can certainly tell a difference in my own comfort in healthcare and school these past few years. Whenever I get nervous I think back to what I had to do to get here and I draw my confidence from it. That was part of the subject of my narrative for my application.

I write this to you not only on the first day of the new year, but my last night shift at my full time job where I have worked for three years. This is a bittersweet last shift, but also a very exciting time.

Happy new year,

Kevin

An Introduction

Hey world,

My name is Kevin and I am starting Physician School in two weeks. I am 26 years old and have a Bachelors in Biology and am wrapping up a Masters in Biology as well. I was born in raised in Connecticut and although I will not state which school I am attending I will say that it was my number one choice and have never been more excited in my entire life.

Although this blog is just starting, my first steps towards becoming a PA started long before this post. I would venture to say that I have spent almost four years trying to reach this point in my life. My journey was a learning experience, at times heart breaking and on those rare occasions unforgettable. That leg of the my journey is behind me and a new one just beginning, and that is what this blog is for. Hopefully I can write a post at least once a week updating you about what it's like to be a PA student.

So I hope you enjoy this blog, and maybe even find it helpful on your own steps towards becoming a PA.

Best regards,

Kevin