I have returned

I just realized it's been many rotations (and therefore many months) since I've updated this thing....and much has happened since then:

• I finished orthopedic surgery in September; this was my 2nd go-round in dealing with bones, and I had a total blast (again)!  There's nothing quite like hearing a bone crack and pop, watching a femoral head pop out of socket during a total hip replacement, and the sound of an electric drill has hardware is being implanted.  (In my down-time this rotation, mostly at the end of the month, I had the opportunity to scrub in on a few more GYN procedures with my old preceptor, which was a huge treat; for the girl who started PA school thinking I'd never do Ob/Gyn, and I'll graduate knowing there's nothing else on the planet I'll be happy doing, I'm the poster-child for keeping an open mind).
• I moved onto ENT surgery next for the month of October, which also involved a LONG commute every day (I logged 1.5 hours each way every day to get the hospital where my rotation was, which meant seeing NO sunshine M-F for the entire month; this, in addition to the fact that this was an incredibly difficult rotation for me (especially after Ob/Gyn being such a highlight in my life), made this month really rough.  However, I survived, and gained some valuable experience 
• I then started November as the first of 3 months in a row at Children's Hospital Colorado, one of my favorite places on the planet.  While I know that pediatrics likely isn't in my long-term future career-wise, I can't imagine a more fun place to spend a rotation.  I started out with 2 days of general pediatrics, dealing with a wide array of well-child checks, coordinating of social problems and dealing with parents, and then....



"What is this crazy lady going to do to me?  She's not the one with the pointy things, is she?"

• I had emergency surgery at 3am on November 3rd (boy, I REALLY know how to live it up and have a good time at the start of a weekend....); I spent the next week out of clinic recovering, which wasn't too bad, but not the greatest way to spend a week
• I came back to clinic the next Monday to have the crazy week from hell (or, at least I thought); it was a conglomeration of all of the patients who were super sick, behind on their shots, mad that they weren't seeing a provider fast enough, and dealing with coordinating public benefits....needless to say, my first week back (during which one of my attendings said I looked like "a slightly paler shade of white") was crazy, and sort of like juggling fire.
• The short week before Thanksgiving was just as nuts, but I finally felt more like myself, and not so exhausted and sore, so I was better able to deal with the endless sea of patients, charting, and figuring things out.
• Just one more week left of general pediatrics before I move onto 2 weeks of Pediatric Endocrinology.  This will be my 3rd go-round with their dept., so I'm looking forward to spending more time there.

 I'm at that point where I feel pretty confident in what I know, and know when to ask for help, and learn more.  I'm also thinking graduation is coming so slowly that it seems like an eternity, and 5 months is forever.  However, considering some very interesting developments, I may not be finished (more on that in a post devoted entirely to that....)

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving, and that the impending holiday season brings lots of relaxation (or for those of us in medicine, a crap load of patients trying to get in their visits before the end of the year insurance deadlines).  Hopefully I'll find more time to update things in the future.

Back to the construction zone

Now that Ob/Gyn is over (sadly, I might add), I have moved onto another specialty that has been a favorite of mine: orthopedic surgery.  I find it funny (more in a ironic sense than anything) that I seem to have been a poster child for keeping an open mind during PA school: the 2 specialties (Orthopedics and Ob/Gyn that I never (not in a million years) thought I'd be interested in (Orthopedics just scared the crap out of me, as evidenced by my prior posts on the subject)) were the 2 specialties that I've fallen head-over-heels in love with, and the ones I can't imagine spending my career doing anything but.  Even though I am fairly certain that I will spend my career in Ob/Gyn, I am still insanely excited to be assisting in surgeries involving power tools again.  Orthopedic surgery is so dynamic and fun, and PAs get to do so much, both in clinic, and in surgery.

My week was a nice, slow introduction, after the hectic schedule that I kept during my Ob rotation.  I had the long Labor Day weekend off, and my first day back in Ortho. was a surgery day (YAY)!  The one thing I didn't quite remember was just how heavy the lead vests weigh (woof; didn't have to deal with those in Ob)....so standing on my feet for a 2 hour surgery was much different this time than a 2-hour salpingo-oophorectomy in Gyn.  But, other than that, it was a phenomenal first day back.  I saw my first hip surgery (so amazing) and few other routine type procedures.  The rest of the week was spent in clinic, and I had Friday off.  I know next week will definitely be back to non-stop, busy carousel of seeing patients, and 2 more days of surgeries, but it was nice to start off slow, especially since I'm dealing with a completely different area of anatomy.  Being focused on the anatomy of the pelvis is so much more different than dealing with the anatomy of the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, ankle, etc.  Much more territory to cover with this one.  I'm certainly going to be kept on my toes this month!  It was so much easier when I was a kid, and the foot bone was connected to the leg bone, was connected to the hip bone. 

Goodbye to Ob/Gyn...for now

I finished Ob/Gyn yesterday, and am still sort of in shock that it's over. It was truly the best rotation for me: the one where I learned the most, did the most, and realized the most about myself and where my future is heading (yes I'm getting reflective there).

Surgically, I think I've come farthest during this rotation. I was challenged by my preceptor's partner, during a c section I was assisting in, to learn one-handed knot-tying during the time of my rotation. I took the challenge head on, and finally got to show off my skills during the last c section I scrubbed in on with him yesterday. It was a nice closure to the rotation for me. And again, every time I scrub into a case in the OR, I learn more about the nuances that make surgery what it is.

The variety of cases and patient ages is wide, which makes it fun and interesting every time I go into clinic. In-office procedures, birth control counseling, prenatal appts, Gyn annuals, and the surgeries/c sections on top of that. Ob/Gyn combines my interests in endocrinology, surgical cases, seeing patients in clinic, and having a wide range of ages.

Overall, it was an amazing rotation to have, where I learned and did a lot, and realized exactly where I belong. Next up: fun with power tools (orthopedic surgery)!

Hating (looming) endings, and moving forward

I officially only have 1 week left in Ob/Gyn, and am absolutely dreading the end.  Usually, endings are just that....endings (or, new beginnings, whichever way you look at them).  But, what really makes this one poignant, is that incredible amount of learning and growth I have done during this short month, and the things I have accomplished.  I have found my niche clinically, and would like nothing more than to stay where I am, to continue learning what I'm learning, and have that amazing feeling that comes from the daily reinforcement of being exactly where I'm supposed to be professionally and personally, and know that what I'm doing matters.  I have to give so much credit to my amazing preceptor, who has made this rotation an amazing, full-throttle adventure, and given me so many reasons to be thankful for the time and energy he has spent investing in my training.  I have gained clinical pearls to use in practice, new surgical techniques, and life lessons that I will carry with me and use for the rest of my life.  I also enjoyed enormous respect and patience from my preceptor and his partner; both of them never made me feel as though I was "just" a student.  I was able to engage in conversations and question why things are done a certain way in practice, and they actively probed my mind to force me to think about why I do/say/teach my patients a certain way.  I know that I am a better provider because of this month, and I only hope I can re-pay the immense gift I have been given with their teaching by emulating their styles in my own practice. 

This is also the first time that I (seriously) began realizing that the job hunt is near.  Mostly because I am realizing just how enormous the task in front of me seems....especially since only 3-4% of practicing PAs end up practicing in Ob/Gyn....aka my job hunt will be long and difficult.  In addition to the academic/practice-based things I have learned this rotation, I also gained a very solid idea of what will be absolutely essential to me when I practice, and the things I will be looking for in a job and supervising physician.  For now, I have several surgeries, C-sections, and hopefully a few more vaginal deliveries between now and next Friday, and I am hoping to soak up every possible clinical pearl and patient encounter before then. 

Learning and growth

2 more weeks have passed in Ob/Gyn, with 2 more full weeks left to go (plus next weekend on call).  I don't know when there has been a shorter amount of time where I have learned so much, and I am absolutely dreading August 31, when this rotation ends, and I have to say goodbye to this experience.  It has been phenomenal in terms of personal growth and learning, and finding the excitement that I had been lacking in my decisions to become a PA in recent months.  I had the opportunity to work with the other doctor in the practice, which was extremely beneficial.  I have become a much more confident provider and surgical assist because of my time spent with him.  I have learned countless procedures, refined my suturing techniques (which, being a lefty, provide some interesting, awkward challenges, when everyone else around the table sutures opposite the way I do; I learned some very handy tips to overcome some of the barriers in my way) and learned a ton about why things are done the way they are in Ob/Gyn. 

2 more weeks to go, and I hope many more amazing patient interactions, and much more learning awaits me in these 2 weeks.  I don't know that I've ever been truly sad that the end of a rotation is in sight, but this one for sure has me feeling blue to leave. 

Having a very special privilege

I have finished a week and some change of my OB/GYN rotation, and I really don't want it to end!  I   have 3 full weeks left, plus my weekends on-call, but I am having way too much fun to think about ever doing anything else.  So far, I've assisted in several C-sections, several GYN surgeries, and been there as several babies were born, and a family was changed forever.  It's really special being there with a mother and father, as their lives change, and a new life enters the world.  It's breathtaking and priceless and miraculous all in one.

Yesterday was my first day off in 9, and I actually found myself extremely bored (you know I must either be very sleep-deprived, crazy, or both, when I am bored during a much-needed day off), because I have gotten so used to the long hours, endless coffee binges, and seeing so many cool procedures, visiting patients of all ages and medical complaints, and learning/doing so much.

I had a suspicion I would love Ob/Gyn before this rotation, given that it has a combo of clinic/well-visits, surgeries, and different areas of medicine that forces me to use all aspects of my training up to this point.  However, I don't think I was quite prepared for how much I would fall in love with Ob/Gyn.  Now, my dilemma is that I know how rare PA jobs are in Ob/Gyn, and I worry now that my job hunt will be immensely difficult due to that scarcity.  But, at this point, I am focused on learning/doing/seeing as much as possible during the next 3 weeks, and praying that maybe, just maybe, I will find a job doing exactly what I want to do.

That's all until next week; I'm on call all weekend (again), and hoping for more babies :-)  Here's just a taste of what I've gotten to see countless times this week :-)  It never gets old!

Another ending

Today was the end of my month in plastic and reconstructive surgery. Although I went into the rotation with hesitation (even though I chose it as an elective) I really enjoyed and learned a ton. The spectrum of surgeries I saw was incredible, from pediatric cases to adults, burn surgeries, cancer reconstructions, and everything in between. I learned (albeit clumsily) how to do deep dermal and running sub-cuticular sutures, and learned the names of many of the surgical tools. I can confidently ask for DeBakey, Adson, and Bishop pick-ups, and know exactly what I'll be getting. I overcame many hurdles not normally there for most in surgery, as I am a lefty, and had to figure out ways to hold tools built for right-handed operators. It's still a learning process, but I hope with 3 more rotations involving surgery this year, I'll become better at doing things "wrongly.".

I saw just how much of a difference it makes being in the OR regularly over a month, rather than doing a 2-week surgical rotation in terms of learning how the attending operates, and how to best suit everyone's needs as the student. It was a much more immersive experience, compared toy short rotation that fulfilled the surgical requirement for my program, and only further demonstrated how well-suited surgery is to my meticulous personality, and my love of complex patient requirements. I look forward to what my first job will bring, and learning I have yet to accomplish.

Up next: Ob/Gyn. Here's to a nice combo of anticipatory health guidance, surgeries, and being involved in some pretty amazing moments of families.

Lots of suturing

I have definitely neglected updating this blog in awhile; Internal medicine has come and gone (which was the update from my last post; I had just finished my first week of IM, and now it's already done), and I saw and learned a lot.  It was a very nice introduction to full-time clinical rotations, with a wide variety of different patients presenting with different chief complaints, and very complex medical history and allergy lists.  I actually did a happy dance when the rare patient presented with no significant chronic illnesses and no known medication allergies.  However, my ability to use my pharmacology definitely increased dramatically when I was forced to integrate the list of the patient's medication allergies with what was available to me, and I learned the preferred 2nd and 3rd line drugs (especially antibiotics) for common disorders, when a patient was allergic to the 1st line therapy.  I also became confident in when I picked up on an abnormality, because I've already seen/heard so many normals.  It's nice when things start jumping out, like a subtle heart murmur, developing abscess/infection, or difference in a neuro. exam from what is expected.

This month has been with the plastic and reconstructive surgery service.  While I know that it won't be what I pursue professionally, it has been a great time learning about different common procedures used for breast reconstruction post-cancer, reductions, augmentations, and other reconstructive procedures that may be part of my patients' histories.  It has also been a great opportunity to learn different suturing and knot-tying techniques, although I feel like I'm the slowest suturer ever.  I have done (although very slowly) sub-cuticular and deep dermal suturing now, both of which I hadn't done in my previous surgical rotations.  Sub-cuticular is amazing, because they are done with absorbable suture material and buried beneath the skin; the resulting scar is minimized, and you don't end up with the "railroad tracking" appearance from sutures that are superficial.  I hope that with time, I will be able to do more than 4-5 sutures a minute.  It is also difficult that I am left-hand dominant, and many surgical instruments are built for right-handed surgeons/assistants.  I will have to learn many things in a different way.  It's a constant learning experience. 

I have one more week of plastic/reconstructive surgery, and then I start my Ob/Gyn rotation, which I'm very excited about.  It's at a community hospital, away from the academic medical centers that are not as conducive for students and getting individual attention, and less competition.  Hopefully I'll find more time to update things next month!

Internal medicine: week 1

Well the first week of internal medicine has come and gone, and I definitely love the confidence and learning that comes with being in clinic full-time. I have seen somewhere around 50 patients, and made 2x as many phone calls to follow up to others. Internal medicine is, if anything, an exercise in keeping the details straight, because most of the adults we see are very medically complex in nature. When I open a chart, I'm no longer surprised to see a history of heart issues coupled with diabetes, hypertension, cancer, psychiatric issues, and allergies to 12 different medications (thank goodness there are so many options, otherwise it would be very difficult to write any prescriptions for some of these people). Actually, I'm more surprised when I'm handed a relatively thin chart, or when the sticker plastered on the front says "NKDA," indicating that they have no drug allergies. I sometimes do a little happy dance in my head when I see that. But, I'm also discovering that it's the really medically complex patients that I learn the most from. I know which other drugs to avoid in allergies to a certain class of medications, resources to give patients, and where to go next when things would seem to get stuck at the fork on the yellow brick road just last year when I was a student in the didactic portion of my training. I'm very happy I had internal medicine as my first rotation, as I am able to use all of the information I've learned while it's still fresh in my mind. I also realize that time goes inexplicably quickly. I only have 12 more days left of IM, before moving onto plastic/reconstructive surgery. Stay tuned for the travails of week 2!

And the countdown begins

364.  It's a seemingly random number.  It's also the number of days left until I'm again wearing the fabulous (and ever fashion-forward) black pointy hat, gown with bat-wings, and a tassel, to receive my MPAS degree, and officially become a PA.  Today was the graduation ceremony for the class above ours, and watching it was very surreal.  Several of my very close friends (some of whom have been my classmates since college) graduated today, and the realization hit me that my fellow classmates and I will be there in less than a year.  The fact that we're out starting our 3rd year rotations is baffling to me in and of itself, because when we started anatomy our first summer, it seemed like almost a lifetime would have to pass before we would reach this point.  But, here I am, just 7 days away from beginning my first rotation, and I cannot wait! 

I passed!

I found out last week that I passed my comps, so I'm officially on my way to starting my amazing year of rotations.  I'm really excited for my summer ahead, and I can't wait to see what Internal Medicine holds for me in June!

Last week of classes

This week is my last week of classes, after 20 years of sitting in a classroom.  Only 2 more days this week left of classes, 1 day left at my AMAZING general pediatrics rotation, and then 5 final exams next week.  Still waiting on comps. results, but expect them this week.  While I'm not too worried that I didn't pass, I won't feel good until I get that envelope with the official results contained in it.  After final exams, we have a week of ACLS/PALS training, and then 2 weeks off before clinical rotations officially begin on June 1!  My first rotation is in Internal Medicine, followed by 3 surgery rotations (another month in Orthopaedics, ENT, and General Surgery), and Ob/Gyn....the first 5 months of clinic are going to be very busy, but I'm so looking forward to the intense hours and the amazing learning that's ahead of me!  I've been dreaming about this for 2 years....well, actually, my entire life. 

2 years of knowledge

Wow.  Tomorrow, I will take my written comprehensive exam, a 200-question, 4-hour exam that will assess my knowledge and processing skills on 2 years worth of material.  It's so strange, because when I think about where I was in June of 2010, essentially fresh out of college, and starting from square 1 of medical training, it seems almost silly that 2 years of hard-earned knowledge, sleepless nights, endless trips to coffee shops, PILES of notes (I can only imagine the amount of trees that are no longer living, having been sacrificed for 10 page handouts for every lecture, x2 years, x40 classmates) can be whittled down to just 200 questions, and 4 hours.  It's amazing to think that I will be practicing medicine in a year.  Wow.  Just, wow.  Where have the past 2 years gone?  When I started with my lab group in the cadaver lab in June 2010, 3 years seemed so long.  Now, I'm wondering where it has gone.  I can't believe my clinical rotations start in just a little over a month.  Looking forward to my amazing schedule ahead, and leaving the classroom behind.  But first, my comprehensive exam tomorrow morning.  I'll see you all on the other side of the dark cloud :-)

Tomorrow's the big day!

Well, tomorrow is the big day....well, one of them, at least.  The start of comprehensive exams, required to enter 3rd year clinical rotations.  While I'm not terribly worried about them, the thought that this is the exam that I must overcome before I can enjoy the glory of 3rd year is weighing on my mind. And the fact that I'm fighting a nasty cold, care of my very adorable pediatric patients, doesn't quite help things either. 

While I'm a little nervous (who wouldn't be; I never really enjoy standardized patient encounters, anyway, knowing that 3-4 video cameras are recording my every move/sound, even though there's only myself and the patient-actor in the room), I know, and have known, that there is no real way to study for the comprehensive exams.  Everything we have done/learned for 2 years up to this point has prepared me for this week, and I know that I will do fine.  I just have to prove that I know what I demonstrate to know every day in clinic, and in other classes.  I just have to remind myself to remember to do the silly things we haven't done since 1st year, and the random physical exam maneuvers not commonly performed, except in specific circumstances....and to remember to properly drape the pt., and pull out the foot-rest on the exam table....having the pts. feet hanging uncomfortably off the table is never good form.  Wish me luck!  3rd year is so close, I can taste it!

Tiny humans....and minor freakouts

The last 7 weeks of my didactic curriculum (ever) include my rotation in general pediatrics.  Can I just say how much I love children?!  I knew this long before I ever started PA school, but after doing my last seven week rotation in palliative care, this rotation is a far cry from the end-of-life discussions I observed prior to this.  I walked into clinic on Tuesday morning, on the first bright, sunny day Denver has seen in a long while, coffee in hand, and found bright paintings on the walls of jungle and under-the-sea scenes.  "The Little Mermaid" was playing on a loop on the waiting room television (try getting "Under the Sea" out of your head after hearing it 9 times in one day; the calypso beat that Sebastian sings to is actually pretty catchy).  Immediately, I was welcomed by the doctor who started the practice, the office staff, and several other providers with whom I'll be working with this semester.  I was already having fun, and I hadn't even seen any patients yet.  Overall, my first day of this rotation was phenomenal, and I loved that all of the providers came in excited to see patients, and were so in love with their jobs.  I could get used to this.

The rest of the week was a drag, more so than is usual.  There are only 7 weeks left of the semester, including our week of the big comprehensive exam, and I had my first minor freakout session about the comprehensive exam.  There really is no good way to study for an exam that essentially tests everything we've learned in the past 2 years, before we're allowed to be let loose into the world of full-time clinical medicine.  However, I'm hoping that with the time I spend during spring break studying, I can use everything I know to prove that I'm SOOOO ready to leave the classroom. 

Back to studying for the 2 exams that stand between me and spring break (as much of a break as it will be with comprehensive studying).  Here are some photos from our recent IV lab (I got all sticks that I attempted successfully on my partner!)

Nice little blood splatter

Trying not to look at the giant needle

My turn....just threading the catheter into the vein :-)

And the letter that comes after O is.....

I'm pretty sure that in kindergarten, they stopped teaching the alphabet after the letter O.  I'm 100% convinced of this.  Why, you ask?  Because EKG interpretation is NOT my forte.  I really wish it was.  Sometimes, it just baffles me, because I'm a total physiology nerd, and how the body works just rolls off the back of my hand.  But how the electrophysiology of the heart actually translates into the rhythms that appear on a 12-lead?  I find myself always struggling to interpret anything more involved than the rate, rhythm, and whether there's ST-segment elevation or not.  Beyond that, it all looks like a bunch of squiggly lines that have varying degrees of points, depressions, and other things that seem as foreign to me as learning another language (full disclosure: learning foreign languages have never been easy for me, either).  So, needless to say, my weekend has been full of trying to desperately cram all of the rhythms into my brain for the exam that is coming up on Wednesday.  I have actually found the Dubin book to be very helpful, in addition to a few algorithms for interpretation that we've learned in class.  But, when all is said and done, I wouldn't trust myself to interpret an EKG.  I'll leave that up to the cardiology people.

Drinking from the fire hose

Ever since before I started applying to PA school, everyone I talked to said that during PA school, everything feels like you're trying to drink from a fire hose....getting completely doused in heavy, torrential flow of information, and struggling just to push back against the pressure.  Overall, I actually haven't found that to be true, but considering I'm in a 3-year program, it's most likely the pace of the program is a bit better than most.

However, I think this is the first time I've ever felt like that analogy is actually true.  I was out for almost 2 weeks recovering from a minor surgery, and I'm definitely struggling to catch up.  Even though all of my classes only take place once a week, 2 classes=2 weeks worth of material=Katie running around like a crazy person trying to get back into a routine.  Much like this:

HOLY CRAP! 

On the other hand, I truly feel that in spite of how overwhelmed I feel, every day is a day closer to clinic.  My schedule is almost complete for 3rd year, except for my required OB/GYN rotation.  Very excited to spend a year with patients, and (hopefully) figure out what specialty I'd like to focus my job search on.  It's only a slight comfort knowing that as a PA I can switch specialties throughout my career, but I'd still love some insight into where I'll start.  Every day I feel like I oscillate between wanting to do Endocrinology or Surgery, but I have an Endocrine rotation and 2 (hopefully 3 once my final elective is scheduled)  Surgery rotations next year, so I hope I can figure that out.

On a final note: think good thoughts....we have our IV lab in Emergency Medicine this week....EEEK!

"You're going to feel a little pinch"

We had our needles and injections lab last week, which was super fun!  Even for some of us who have already gotten plenty of experience giving injections in clinic, it was a great refresher on techniques, injection sites, and clinical pearls.

Knowing full well that we'd committed to being guinea pigs for our classmates when we started PA school, we chose partners, rolled up our sleeves, and exposed some nice arm flesh with plenty of sub-Q fat to practice injections on.  Here are some of the highlights from that day:

Ready to stick me with needles

Pretty wheal under my arm

   Otherwise, life has been pretty boring thus far.  Endless round of exams begins on Wednesday.                  

It's finally real!

On Monday, my classmates and I went to a meeting that we had anxiously awaited for practically the entirety of 2nd year, to this point: 3rd-year clinical discussions!  We got more information about the logistics of rotations (yada, yada, yada....I feel like I'm in the middle of a Seinfeld episode whilst typing that), and we finally got our "tentative" 3rd-year clinical schedules.  Knowing that some things will change, I was actually pretty pleased (thus far) with my rotations.  Since our program has a pediatric emphasis, I have at least rotations (general/ambulatory, inpatient, and pediatric subspecialty) in pediatrics, as well as the required internal medicine, family practice, ER, and OB/GYN rotations.  But since I'm seriously considering surgery for my future, I'm much more excited about my elective slots!  I already secured one elective in orthopedic surgery, and am waiting to hear the status on a requested general surgery elective.  Depending on how things go, my 3rd elective slot will either be filled by pediatric endocrinology (the only thing I love more than surgery), or another surgery slot. 

After working incredibly hard for nearly 2 years, I finally feel like I have some motivation to tough out the last 13 weeks ahead of me (and comprehensive exams....and ACLS/PALS certifications).  Although we have been doing clinical rotations all throughout our didactic training, I'm so excited to implement my knowledge full-time, and really delve into what makes me tick.

We're doing the first of many clinical labs tomorrow: needles and injections.  Pictures to follow!

Things I wish I knew before I started

It's been over 2 years since I learned that I was accepted to PA school, and would be beginning this incredible (albeit, extremely stressful, at times) journey that I am over 1/2 finished with.  At times, it seems so common place to get up in the morning, drag myself to class for another day, and stuff more into my brain than I thought would even fit just the day before.  But then again, I have my moments where I remember how worried I was that I'd never get to this point, and I was anxiously checking my email 8.3 times per day for any news about my acceptance status.  But every time someone asks me about any advice I have for the application process, or help out with an interview session with my program, I feel as though I have been transported back to my own interview, and how incredibly nervous I was feeling, worried that everything in my future relied on one decision that wasn't even my own to make.  Now, whenever a friend from college asks me about any tips they have for applying to PA school, I tell them I don't remember much, except for the things that I learned (unfortunately) from experience...the hard way, and will always recommend someone think about when they are applying to PA school:

1. Know (and be able to express in words) exactly why you want to be a PA.  I knew that I wanted to be a PA, but couldn't concisely express exactly what attributes of the profession appealed to me.  The 2nd time I applied, I knew exactly why, and they weren't the cookie-cutter answers many people probably give.  I knew what pieces of my personality were suited for becoming a PA, and the things of the profession that would satisfy each of the things I wanted and needed in my career.
2. Think long and hard about who you want to write your letters of recommendation.  They usually only permit 3 letters, and you want those 3 letters to be from people who can speak very well about your character, personality, work ethic, patience, etc., and not some generic form letter.  While getting a letter from someone with impressive titles, such as the head of a hospital department or a decorated college professor may seem like it is a good idea, if they can't talk about specific conversations you've had with them, or they don't know you outside of the classroom, steer clear of that person.  You really only want to do the application process once, and since you only have 3 letters to work with, choose people who have known you for a long time, with whom you have worked, or a doctor or PA that you've shadowed or volunteered/worked with, who can speak in detail and highly of your character and accomplishments.  Other than your first-hand account of your life and experiences, your letters of rec. allow the admissions committee to get another point of view of who you are, and if what your record shows is supported strongly by your letters of rec., it's much stronger than if your letters are generic and say something like "X is a good student who performed well....blah, blah, blah."
3. On that note, spend some time getting to know yourself....and know yourself well enough that you can both write and talk about yourself.  This seems like a stupid suggestion, but it comes in handy when you have to start writing essays.  The people who work in admissions read hundreds, if not thousands, or applications each cycle, which include at least one, if not more, essays to read.  You have to be able to stand out in 500 words or less.  Sit down and think about events/people/experiences/etc. that have changed the way you think, how you interact with people, etc., outside of school.  You have to be able to show that you can overcome adversity, stressful situations, and that you are passionate about things other than studying.  You've already gotten to the point where you have the grades and test scores that are impressive enough to apply to PA school....they want to know what ELSE you do!
4. Don't get caught up with thoughts of what you THINK they are looking for.  I feel into this trap the first time I applied: I was so worried about what I thought PA schools were looking for, rather than just being myself, and telling them about who I really was.  Whether or not the things you love to do (play an instrument, enjoy classic film, etc.) is something that is mainstream or not, just go with it, and if you think it's important for the admissions committee to know about you, then write about it.  When you're writing your essays or answering interview questions, talk about the things you love with so much passion and enthusiasm that you will make the people reading your application just as passionate about your activities and interests as you are.  It is all about building a picture of your character, and what makes you tick.
5. The most important thing that I tell people is to START EARLY!  If you plan on applying to more than one program, it is likely that you'll have to write a few essays, and you'll want to take plenty of time drafting your ideas, and working on edits (and having multiple people that you trust to edit them), and making sure that everything is absolutely the way you'd want the admissions committee to see them, and without spelling and grammar errors.  It will be much less stressful if you have some time to work on your applications, and submit them early, rather than starting late, rushing through your application and writing, and submitting in a hurry just prior to the deadline.  Applying is already super stressful, and taking enough time will help lessen that stress (if only by a little bit).

That's all for now....one more week of break to enjoy before tackling 15 more weeks of class, comprehensive exams, ACLS/PALS training, and then, on June 1, starting rotations!!!!  So close!

Do I really have to explain this one again?

I'm sure as pre-PA or PA students (or even practicing PAs) have had to explain what, exactly, is a PA to more family members, friends, and the general public than they can count.  Some days, I love explaining why I chose to become a mid-level provider, and how excited I am about having the flexibility that being a PA will provide, and all of the amazing contributions that PAs make to medicine.  Other days, I sometimes find myself rolling my eyes, and spitting back a cookie-cutter answer, or just feel carrying around a flier with the answers to everyone's questions ("No, I don't think it would be easier to just go to medical school;" "No, I am not selling myself short by being "just" a PA;" "Yes, we can prescribe medications, assistant in surgery, and treat our own patients;" "No, I cannot write you a prescription for vicodin;" etc....)

When I came across this video on Youtube, I found that someone (probably a frustrated PA student or PA-C) had already done just that, in a very humorous manner.  I think the monotone voices of the 2 characters make it even better.  All of my readers in the PA profession can probably relate very well to this video, and will laugh hysterically at the same time.