A Week in Review

What they say is definitely true. PA school is like drinking from a fire hydrant!

Honestly, this past week feels like 5 weeks rolled into one. The amount of information and the pace at which classes are conducted are astounding. Prior to the start of school, I was constantly trying to figure out a way to better prepare myself. The truth is, there is no way to prepare for this kind of experience. You have to jump in feet first!

I am by no means overwhelmed at this point. On the contrary, I am inspired to spend a great deal of time reading and absorbing as much as I can. Every book on the book list is important, and every class counts. There are no fillers in PA school. Everything matters, and everything is done for a purpose.

Here are a few things I've picked up during the first week that I feel will be paramount to my success:

1. Study daily: Due to the amount of information thrown at you from day one, there is no possible way to learn what needs to be learned unless you give each class a bit of attention everyday. The key to daily study is to add to your notes, even if it is two or three sentences. This is the meaning of integration. What are you learning in your other classes that you can relate to the class you are studying for.

2. Study in groups: I'm not really a group person, but already I can see how valuable they are. The key for me is to study the lectures and read the book on my own first, then get together with the group to hammer it all out and make sure we all are on the same page. Study partners make you think about topics in different ways, and some of the mnemonics they come up with are really helpful.

3. Read: Sounds simple enough, but I think lots of people just focus on the notes and neglect the text altogether. This doesn't work for me. I love to read, and I learn well just by reading the text. If a topic in the notes just doesn't make sense, go the text and get clarification. Typically the text will give you detailed information about a certain topic. And in medicine, it's all about the details.

4. Attend lecture, always: Avoid missing class if at all possible. Attending lecture keeps you on top of your studies. Missing lecture guarantees that you'll get behind. There is no substitute for being in class and taking your own notes.


I'm really enjoying this process so far. I'm expecting the workload to increase as we move along, but I am pleased with the results of my study techniques. Two tests tomorrow...already! I'll let you know how it goes.