First Semester
"PA school is like running a marathon. You warm up with a jog then it quickly turns into a sprint the rest of the time."
These are the words of a third year student to me two days before PA school began. Most people refer to PA school as a fire hose hitting you all at once, and I definitely understand the meaning behind that now.
The first two days we were eased into the program with orientation where we reviewed policies and talked about strategies for studying and handling stress...and were constantly reminded on how hard PA school is and how much you will sacrifice. Words are just words until they actually become a reality. It is hard to grasp this until you begin to experience it.
I wouldn't say I was a "stellar" student in undergrad. I had an average GPA and enjoyed my social life. In my program, we need a 75% on each test to pass and an 80% in each class to move onto the next semester. This immediately instilled a fear of failing into me. First semester is statistically the hardest semester in our program. They say that if you can make it through the first one, then you can make it to the end. The first two to three weeks of PA school were probably the toughest for me. I was experiencing a great amount of change. My family, boyfriend, and best friends were across the country. I went from a highly populated city with big tall buildings, lots of people, and many attractions to a small "city" in a state I had never been before.
Change is difficult for me and change is exactly what I was experiencing. There were many times when I had late night phone calls to my family crying because I missed the west coast so much. My mental health became VERY apparent to me and I realized my body was telling me to slow down or that I needed to break. Now, Im not trying to say all this to tell you that I was sad or PA school is awful, because that is not the truth at all. I want to be vulnerable with you and let you know that there are times when things are going to be difficult and you will be pushed out of your comfort zone, but IT IS OKAY.
I spent a lot of my time studying first semester. I chose to stay in and study, rather than go out which was an adjustment for me. I wanted to prove myself to this program and to myself that I could succeed and do well. Part of me also wanted to prove that even though I didn't have a "superstar" GPA in undergrad, I could still be a great PA. I believe my experience in athletics really helped me in first semester. I was so used to cramming my study time in after practice or games, now, I was able to utilize my time on the weekends and after class to organize a study schedule and succeed. The jitters and stress of first semester began to disappear after the first round of exams. I was getting in a rhythm with my study habits, managing long distance with my boyfriend, and finding time to facetime my family and friends on the west. I began to build relationships with students in my class and explore the area of Charleston. I even was nominated for a position in our class student body. I was finally establishing myself here.
Some of the great things about first semester was that I was committing myself to classes that I enjoyed and were pertinent to my future career! Everything was relevant. I got to learn how to perform multiple types of physical exams and injections in lab. Teamwork was also so evident first semester. WE WERE ALL STRUGGLING TOGETHER. We all did our best to lift each other up and help each other do the best that we could. One of my favorite things about our program is that we have so much accessibility to our professors. They do not have office hours, so we are able to pop in or send them an email whenever we had a question. The unity amongst classmates and professors makes the struggle much more manageable. My biggest advice to you for surviving first semester is find what fills your soul and be sure to find time to do those things. For me, it was staying connected to the people I love on the west coast and making sure I carved out time in my week to talk to them. Also, do not be afraid to use your professors and classmates as resources. Teamwork is a key aspect of school and your future role as a PA.
Surviving first semester has allowed me to branch out more this semester. It has also allowed me to develop confidence in myself as a student and a future PA. I am better able to understand when I can give myself a break and go have some fun, or when I need to be disciplined and buckle down. At the end of the day, no matter our grades, we will all stand on that stage in two years as PA-Cs.
YOU ARE WORTH IT AND YOU CAN DO IT.
Medically related tools I recommend for first semester and beyond:
- Netters Anatomy Flash Cards
- Picmonic
- SmartyPANCE
- Whiteboard!
- Essential oils and my diffuser (thank you to my wonderful sister)
- I used these for multiple reasons!
- Sickness, tired, headache, stress....
- Facetime
- Daily devotions
- Exercise
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