Recently Accepted to PA School

Started by danishmaximus
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danishmaximus

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I am a first time applicant to PA school and I recently found out I got into one of the programs I applied for! I am extremely happy for making it to this point. I can finally achieve my dream.

I just wanted to ask all of the PAs out there if you have any tips/suggestions to help me get through PA school. Your help is greatly appreciated!
 
Plenty of advice here:

1. If you want to study ahead, pharmacology is the class that kills most. The others are anatomy and pathophysiology.

2. Get all your personal affairs in order before you start school.

3. Be prepared, it is harder than most people think it is. The first couple of tests and grades at the end of the first semester are tough. Most of the students will be used to making A's. Being close to failing/barely passing is hard on the ego and some falks get cranky/flip-out.

4. I never really had to study before going to PA school, that changed. If you have just coasted through school up to this point, than you may be in for a surprise.

5. Do you like to read? Good, you're going to be doing a lot of it. It is almost impossible to read everything they want you to, like 100+ pages a night with good retention. Learn how to skim and learn what is important.
What is important for your instructors and what is important for your boards is different. Who the hell knows what you instructors will want but, First Aid for the USMLE: Step II is one of the best books ever, IMO.

6. The information comes at you fast. The oft repeated quote is, "Like drinking from a fire hose". It is not far from the truth.

7. Find out who the RT's, MT's, Paramedics, PT's, etc are. These are your resource people, use them. EKG's a problem schmooze your paramedic. Having trouble with the clotting cascade then track down your MT. Clueless about PFT's then get a mini-course from your neighbor the RT, etc. Get my point?

8. I don't know how others handled it, but I just kinda went into crisis mode at some point. What I mean is that there is not time to peruse the information at your leisure. It's more like, "What's gonna smack me in the face next?" Oh, I've got an anatomy final in two days, I should probably start studying for that. Once that test is over, Oh look I have an OSCE in clinical diagnosis tomorrow. I guess I should study for that!

If you are reasonably intelligent, work hard and give a damn then you will make it. Good luck!

All of the above is anecdotal and is just my opinion. Everyones experience in PA school is different. Listen to all of the advice and really pay attention to the things that multiple people say.

-Mike
 
Congratulations on getting to PA school! If you don't mind me asking, how much clinical experience did you have before applying?
I know this is a pain, but I will appreciate it if you help a prospective applicant to pa school nx yr, what did you do right to get to where you are?
Thanks!
 
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Thanks Mike for all of your great advice. That program starts in June, so I have some time from now to prepare myself and use your suggestions.

nanpa, I appreciate your kind words. I have around 800 hours of direct patient care experience and roughly 4000 hours of healthcare related experiences (research, volunteer at local hospitals, shadowing PAs, etc). Here are some things I did that I think helped me get in:

1. I applied as early as possible. I was not sure at first if I wanted to apply this year or next year, but I finally decided to do it this year, and I sent all my CASPA apps out at the end of August. As soon as I got my secondary apps, I finished them and sent them. The earlier you submit your application, the better the chances of you getting an interview and an acceptance.

2. My recommenders were the ones that knew me the best. Make sure to get a rec letter from a PA and one other healthcare professional who you know very well.

3. Getting to any PA school is ultimately a numbers game. Yes, they consider clinical hours and the rest to be important, but what's going to determine if you get an interview or not will be your GPA and the GRE. So I would try to get those numbers as high as you can to maximize your chances.

4. Pour your heart out at the interview. Many good PA programs want passionate PAs that are in it for the right reasons. Make sure you demonstrate that you are passionate about the field and that you are 100% committed to patient care.

I think that's it. If you have any other questions feel free to ask anytime. Good luck!
 
danishmaximus said:
I am a first time applicant to PA school and I recently found out I got into one of the programs I applied for! I am extremely happy for making it to this point. I can finally achieve my dream.

I just wanted to ask all of the PAs out there if you have any tips/suggestions to help me get through PA school. Your help is greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...

Congrats! You'll have a wonderful career, I'm sure.
 
Learn to have positive responses to stress (not etoh or such). A couple of us in my class learned to clean when stressed.

Studying for Pharm? Learn a section, clean the bathroom cabinet, learn a section, clean the kitchen utensil drawer, etc.

My apartment was immaculate, particularly when the tests were coming on a near-daily basis. Stress-cleaning actually had some positive attributes, as a clean environment made studying easier as I knew where everything was, always.

I'm not suggesting that you become a "clean-freak" (my kids term), just that you develop a positive coping mechanism.

Wookieemom
 
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