PA-S

Got Accepted to PA school?

Making the transition to PA-S

The PA Zone congratulates you on your efforts! You deserve this. Get ready for the most emotional yet rewarding journey of your life! Given the rigorous curriculum of PA school, we encourage you to take a short trip, spend time with family and enjoy your sleep! Begin preparing for PA school 3 weeks before the first day is announced. Review the semester syllabus and purchase any required material. Be sure to check out How to Succeed Year 1 in PA School and Didactic Year Must Haves. Some other things you might want to consider are (if you already haven’t) is to discuss with your family, spouse, kids what they should expect your next few years to look like. Have them look out for you. Maybe set a schedule for picking up kids, making dinner, family events. Avoiding additional stress in PA school is extremely worthy- so make sure to discuss details even if they might seem little.

How to succeed YEAR 1 in PA School

It’s your first day and you arrive and see anywhere from 20-40 new faces whom are going to be your classmates- correction FAMILY for the next 2-3 years. So put a smile on, bring your positive attitude and start introducing yourself!

Starting PA School- HOW EXCITING! We at the PA Zone are here for you every step of the way! The success through PA school begins from Day 1. Coming to class early, picking a good seat (seats are not designated but your classmates will more than likely continue to sit in the same seat they did from day 1 ), being prepared and running on a nice well balanced schedule will all help you through the most rigorous yet exciting years of your life. There is no time to procrastinate. You’ll notice there’s an exam in 2 weeks – That’s right! I said it, 2 weeks. But the key to success is POSITIVITY

Its important to have that support in and outside of PA school. So Make friends, The PA profession is all about team work and it starts here!

How to Study in PA School

There are SO MANY study resources on the market! How do you know whats best for you? You have to know your study technique. At the PA Zone we recommend you limit yourself to 2-3 sources. Buying a subscription to every flash card website, maxing your credit card on 7 different anatomy books or having multiple Question banks will only lead to exhaustion and confusion. If you consider yourself an audio learner – tune in on lectures, if you learn by repetition -a question bank is the way to go. If you study with support- create a study group by asking your classmates to join but remember to not be offended if they give up on the offer- some people study better on their own.

PA School Must Haves- Didactic Year

These are the PA Zone and many didactic year student recommendations. Of course you know yourself best so do what’s best for you!

A good laptop – does not have to be the most fanciest or expensive. Instead, you need a laptop with good battery life, easy keyboard and lightweight
A Water Bottle – STAY HYDRATED MY FRIENDS!
Invest in a good stethoscope – maybe ask for it on a holiday or as a birthday present! This will be super essential during your physical diagnoses course- this is where you’ll practice auscultating lung, heart and abdominal sounds and you want to make sure you know what you’re looking for!
A pair (or 3 )of comfortable scrubs – for any hospital volunteer work you are offered
A nice seat cushion- you will be spending hours studying!! Make sure your seat is adjusted to your back and if you’re a library person- take the cushion with you. Trust us, it will be your best friend.
A good coffee machine- Starting the day off with coffee is amazing but starting off an exam morning or a 10 hour study day with some quick coffee is priceless! Plus, you get to save on those extra dollars daily which we highly advise- the student life can be tough!
A good Anatomy and physiology Guide
Last but not least- a tissue box. Yes this is true- get ready for an emotional journey and you’ll need lots of tissues to wipe those tears

How to Succeed Clinicals (YEAR 2)

It’s time for some Hands on FUN! Rotations are exciting and scary at the same time. You will realize you knew every page of Physical Diagnoses but quickly realize you know nothing when the attending asks you a question.

WORST DAY EVER. But don’t worry we have all been there! During some of your rotations you’ll be grouped with medical, nursing and pharm students. Be sure to learn from them and to pass on any skills and tips you have. After your shift, unwind and review the patients and situations you saw- review them in a textbook for better memorization.

Make sure you have a positive attitude to every rotation site, know your preceptor- make sure you meet with them at the beginning, middle and end of your rotation. This is important because they will be signing your evaluation.

It’s also a good idea to address any conflicts you might experience at a rotation site EARLY, do not wait till the end- this can have negative effects on your end of rotation exam, you’re learning experience on that rotation and evaluation.

Make sure you’re prepared for each clinical site! At the PA zone we’ve got you covered, starting your IM Rotation next week and unsure what to bring along- Contact Us for a full review so you can be prepared on your first day.

PA School Must Haves- Clinical Year

These are recommendations to help you get you moving comfortably through those long days of clinical rotations. A lot of PA students think clinical year is easier than didactic which in fact is not true. Yes you are no longer in a classroom for 8 hours a day going from pharmacology to physical diagnosis but its more than that! Clinical year is long hours at your rotation site, studying for your end of rotation exam, returning to the classroom to attend lectures usually every 2-3 weeks AND prepping for the next day with any assignments that you might have been given by your preceptor. As with didactic year, this is personalized to the PA student. But reflecting upon many prior PA students, we have found the below items to be universal!

If we haven’t mentioned this before, a GOOD Stethoscope. Because when your preceptor asks you what did you hear or what do you think? You want to make sure you heard something at all
A quick Reference Guide – this is great for new rotating PAs
Some medical equipment- a reflex hammer, Pen Light, pulse oximeter, Welch Allyn set – remember rotations are the only time patients will allow you to examine them knowing you are not the one taking care of them. PRACTICE!
A Good Pair of running sneakers
2-3 pairs of comfortable scrubs – super important to get you through those lengthy rounds and running to codes.
A White Coat – Remain professional always.
Cater your pockets with medical equipment pertaining to your rotation. Get to your rotation sites early to do this!

How to Identify PA School Burnout.

PA School burnout is real. There’s no shame in it either. If you or anyone you know is experiencing it- reach out for help. Know that The PA zone is here for you, but also consider family, faculty and counselors that are readily available to help you through these times.

These tips will also help prevent Burnout

Plan Ahead! This is Key to making sure you are never procrastinating. Setting daily/weekly goals will help you understand your pace in PA school.
Make sure you take time off for your own wellbeing – this includes visiting family, going out with friends, watching a movie or catching up on sleep- whatever it is that allows you to unwind and feel better.
Have a support system that you can talk to routinely. Talking matters out can help you understand your rhythm in PA school. (What triggers stress, when are you the most stressed etc.)

Preparing for PANCE

YOU DID IT! You Completed PA school, congratulations. But there’s just ONE more exam between you and being certified. And that would be the PANCE- Physician Assistant National certifying Exam. Every PA-S must take and pass this exam to earn that “C” This is the exam that will allow you to practice in medicine. Things to keep in mind-

Give yourself 6-8 weeks ( STRAIGHT OUT OF PA SCHOOL) for the exam. Studying for longer periods of times can cause confusion and study burn out. Remember that you have learned majority of all the material in didactic and clinical year- these weeks before the exam will be to put PA school in a review.
Limit your study sources to 2 books and a test Question Bank
The final 2 weeks should be all about retaining information. QUESTION BANKS! You should review any wrong answers and understand WHY it was wrong- majority of the questions are recycled and can come from the explanation of a question – example the same question but different way of asking.