Rural PA for Family Medicine

I hope all my readers had a nice Thanksgiving! It felt great coming home in the middle of my rotation to see family. I am currently in LaPorte, PA working at Sullivan County Medical Center. I must be one of the luckiest girls on the planet because this is the third rotation that I absolutely LOVE! For those who have never heard of LaPorte, it has a little over 300 people in the population. Some would say that this would make the rotation boring; on the contrary, I find it a perfect place to learn. While I am a second year PA student, I still find that I have a lot more learning to do, working in a more slow paced environment allows me to learn techniques correctly. The small town atmosphere is a definite adjustment, I am about 45 minutes away from everything: grocery store, shopping mall, and chain branch restaurants. What I love about this area is its simplicity. Many that live here do not earn a large amount of money, however, they are a very giving community. Many times I have been asked by patients to come to their homes for dinner or to celebrate a birthday. The staff has also been given many delicious desserts and presents from patients. LaPorte is located in the woods so many patients come in with stories of bear hunting and deer spotting. One patient even named and feeds a few black bears each year. She took a picture after she fed three bears sitting at a picnic table. Sounds like some fairytale story I know :). I have personally seen a total of 4 bears (mom and three cubs) and probably 12 deer in a total of 2 weeks.

Two weeks ago there was a health fair that we were involved in at the local high school. We gave the entire community free immunizations. I must have given 50+ shots that day, which was great practice for me. While my encounters with “patients” were short I was still told a little of their life story and always told thank you after giving them their shot.

In this rotation I have also had the pleasure of working with 4^th year medical students from PCOM. Their rotations are 4 weeks long and mine are 6 weeks long so I have gotten to know two groups of medical students. It is great to finally work with students who have more experience. I really feel like we all worked as a team to help treat patients and educate each other. Since we all live together we all have “family dinners” each night and even make a fire to make some s’mores during the cold nights up here. There is a tradition for all the groups who stay and work in the medical center, you have to complete a puzzle, autograph it as a group, and hang it up in the house. The first group of medical students and I successfully completed our puzzle and hung it up in the hallway of the house. My name will be forever a part of this medical center for future students to see. I hope that future students will love it here as much as I did.

Rotation 2: Pediatrics

I love Pediatrics! I find great pride in not only diagnosing and treating little ones, but also creating a sense of ease for parents. So, essentially, at the end of the day I have treated two patients. What could be better? While I don’t have children I can see that it is equally as taxing on parents as it is rewarding. While a normal bump and bruise may mean nothing to us it is at times a call to the ER for new parents. It is my job to provide anticipatory guidance. I tell parents what to expect and how to deal with issues as they arise or how to avoid potential problems. For most parents it’s easy. For others, a takes a while to get comfortable with the fact that parenting is difficult and they need help. Trust is important in this relationship more than anything else. Everyday I work through parental concerns involving toilet training, tantrums, school rebellion, sibling rivalry, nutritional guidance, bed-wetting and constipation. Sometimes my response is as simple as “Try these techniques, if they do not work come back and we will work through another solution to the problem.” The simple act of being there in the process means a great deal.

As I am getting toward the end of this rotation I, again, am amazed at how fast time flies. I remember being so timid when I first started this rotation 5 weeks ago. Now, I can see three or four children in one room. When you get comfortable in a rotation it is really hard to tear yourself away from it. I know that this is what I have to do to complete my degree, but it does not make it any easier. Some of these children I have seen multiple times and seen them grow. Today I had a 10-month-old baby girl want me to do a full physical exam while holding her hand. Yesterday, I had a child whose arm got stuck in a chair in the waiting room. There is never a dull moment. I am sure I will have more crazy adventures on my next rotation, Family Medicine.

One rotation down, pediatrics to go

I can now say that I have successfully completed my internal medicine rotation and passed the final exam! I am so excited that I am one step closer to becoming a PA. I still have 6 more rotations to complete and then my elective rotation. My last days in Jenkintown, PA in internal medicine were great. I feel like I really started to get into a rhythm. I even got to see some repeat patients that I had already built a good rapport with. Internal medicine gavee me a solid foundation for which to take with me to future rotations. I was very sad to leave because I had grown close to the staff, patients and the doctor there. I was given a nice thank you card from the staff and a few hugs goodbye. I went through my evaluation with my preceptor and was pleased that he thought I did a great job on the rotation. My last day was Wednesday, September 21st. On friday the 23rd I took my final exam, which was tough, and then our class had a few introductory lectures in order to help us prepare for our certification exam after graduation. It was nice seeing all my classmates and teachers. It was great to hear about different rotations and experiences. It was interesting the wide range of topics all the way from delivering a child to seeing their first patient pass away.

Currently, I am on my pediatrics rotation at Virginia Beach, VA. I love the setting over here. While the pace is slower than internal medicine I really like the doctor I am working with. She is willing to teach me at every opportunity. She takes time out of her day to go over a topic a day with me. The doctor is also very personalble and friendly so working with her is a breeze. I enjoy the patients that we have seen so far. It is so differnt than internal medicine. The volume of medications and past medical diagnosis for these patients are significantly less for the most part. It is a hard adjustment to go to tiny little bodies for physical exams but I am managing so far in this first week. The patients are adorable, I love seeing them smile. It breaks my heart to see them cry when giving immunizations. Soon, I will be doing immunizations myself on patient...eek. The other day we had to give a 9 month old 3 shots, proir to this she was smiling and laughing and just so delicious. Seeing her streaming tears and high pitched screams almost made me want to cry too. I know this will take some getting used to, for now, I am taking it one day at a time and enjoying the experiences as they come.

First Rotation

I started my first rotation on August 15th in Internal Medicine. So, far I love it! It is really nice not being in the classroom each day, but more than anything, it feels great making a difference in people’s lives. Each day I meet new and amazing patients. Each person has their own personality and way of interacting with their Doctor and myself. If there is something that I learned from PCOM other than a huge knowledge base, it is a way of interacting with patients that seems almost second nature. All those standardized patients we were giving over 3 terms taught me well. One may think it is easy; you are just having a conversion with someone about their health, but, this is not true. You are giving patients the opportunity to trust you enough to be honest with you about their personal health and habits. This is personal information. It takes asking the right questions and using the right tone to get the appropriate answers to find out their diagnosis and treat them. Another great aspect of this rotation is my preceptor, he is amazing. I aspire to be loved as much as he is loved by his patients. He has had patients for over 15 years because they believe and trust in him. I have also seen him tackle multiple obstacles with patients. Diagnosis seems only part of the difficulty in medicine, because once you find this diagnosis you have to explain it to the patient, go through the treatment and see if they are willing to change their habits and accept the treatment. Many cases patients don’t believe in taking medication. Especially for hypertension, high blood pressure, it is called the “silent killer” for a reason, most patients feel fine. We try to explain every day that hypertension is a very serious diagnosis that needs medical treatment and life style changes. On the other side, there are patients who are relying on you to help them and will do anything you say to not be in pain. Sometimes you have to play the part of a friend and just listen or be a shoulder when they cry. The other day I met a woman who was in so much pain she could not stand or even sit without fidgeting to get into a comfortable position. Unfortunately, there was not much we could do for her pain that would be a cure all. However, she was appreciative of our time and through her tears she told me “your smile means a world of difference and it’s an act that many of us do that costs nothing, thank you.”

Offically a 2nd Year PA Student

Yesterday we had our last exam of the term, officially making me a Senior PA student!!! After our exam we were able to celebrate by getting a survivor brunch provided by the school. Here we got a free gift and were given a nice speech from the faculty. After, we took multiple pictures to remember this day of accomplishment. We all could not stop hugging one another and wishing each other good luck on our upcoming rotations.

It is so strange to think that the next time I need to go back to school is in 7 weeks to take my internal medicine rotation final exam. It will be strange not seeing my classmates and teachers every day. I really feel like we have all become a family. We have seen each other through tears and praised each others accomplishments. I feel like now I will be stepping into an unknown world filled with new people and new faces. Honestly, I am anxious, but I know that these last 14 months prepared me well. I am excited to treat patients and to be part of a medical team. My first rotation is in Jenkintown, Pa in Internal Medicine. I know this rotation will be callenging but a different sort of challent from what I have been used to. Before my interal medicine rotation begins, my classmates and I have been rewarded with a few days break to relax and enjoy some of the things we have put off for the last few months. I am going to Disney in Orlando, Fl! See you all on the 15th!

Oral Boards and my Birthday

Since the beginning of PA school, there has been this test that people dread. That test is oral boards. It is something that we start studying for months to weeks in advanced. This test takes place in the last term of PA school and it is your final for clinical medicine III. There are multiple diseases that you have to studying and your grader choses two to test you one and you have to verbally go though, definition, etiology, epidemiology, pathophysiology, signs and symptoms, diagnosis/ labs, treatment, and complications. All in 15 minutes per disease. We also get a chief complaint like "cough", and have to spit out 20 diseases or so that cause cough. You have to make sure that when you rattle off 20 things that cause a cough that you throw in oral board topics so that you can get your final diagnosis. COPD is an oral board topic, these topics can change every year, and that causes a cough for example.

Yesterday we had oral boards and it was extremely stressful. The day was filled some crying due to all the emotion built up for this event. However scary it was, our teachers tried to relieve as much stress as possible, some even handed out candy. In the end we PASSED! It is so exciting that the test we most feared is now behind us and we only have 2 finals left before we go on rotations! Last night we all went out and celebrated this accomplishment. Also, yesterday was also my birthday, so we celebrated that as well. It was so nice to go out and relax with my classmates. We all hugged one another and took pictures, it was a great night. I am proud of everyone and how far we have come! What a great birthday present this was.

Stress and Surgery Day

It has been a while since I last wrote on here. School has been a little crazy lately. We are coming to the end of the didactic phase, August 5th is our last day. There is still a lot before then, and stress is high amongst myself and my classmates.

This past friday was fun though, we had surgery day! Each of us were in groups and assigned to a "surgery" later that day. We had to look up everything about that surgery in order to report back to our preceptor for intense questioning about the surgery, complication, indication, etc. While preparing for that we did rounds with our attending. We saw 4 patients, they were our teachers, who all pretended to have complications post surgery. I think our teachers enjoyed this part, they went all out: having pretend IV lines placed, foley catheters with yellow highlighter colored urine, fake incisions, the works. It was pretty funny. After we saw those patients we wrote up notes on them. Anytime during this day there were two people on call who got called to dispense orders for those 4 patients. That part was the hardest because we had to think on the spot over the phone how to treat our patient. Once, we were called in and had to examine the patient. Finally, we ended the day writing up a post-operative note for our patient having surgery. My groups surgery was a carotid endarterectomy.

The day was really fun and not as stressful as I was expecting. It was a nice way to ease into our real surgery rotation during clincals. I think the students had as much fun as our teachers. Oh, and we had to come in at 6am to start rounds on surgery day making the experience even more realistic.

Well, we have a hard 2 weeks ahead of us, hopefully we will all come out unscathed and ready to take on rotations on August 15h.

Casting and Splinting Lab

            After being in Las Vegas for 5 days, we got back into the swing of school rather quickly.  We woke up bright and early to attend a casting and splinting lab.  Anytime we get to get out of the classroom and do things hands on is refreshing.  We were taught how to do 3 different upper extremity splints, one lower splint, and one cast.  I have to say that I was most nervous about the casting, not because putting it on was difficult but the whole taking it off with a saw had me nervous.  Needless to say, my partner and I left that to the end, as did the majority of my class. 

            I think I did a pretty good job with splinting.  It was nice to have our teachers check over our work and give us tips and encouraging us on how well we were doing.  Doing a splint on the leg was the hardest part for me because the ankle was hard to wrap.  My finished product with that turned out not so great.  However, it did present the opportunity for a good laugh.

            Then it came time to cast and TAKE OFF THE CAST L.  Having witnessed my partner complete this task with no problems I felt more up to the challenge.  I must have really looked nervous though because immediately my teacher Sean pulled out a cast that had already been removed from on of my classmates arms.  He picked up the saw and quickly showed me how the saw went through the cast without going through the stockinet underneath.  For those that are unaware, a stockinet is put over the arm/leg first before putting on the casting material. Sean also showed me by putting the saw on the stockinet and demonstrating how it did not go through it.  Throughout this whole process he reassured me that I would not cut my partner and that I would do great.  That really put me at ease and I will probably never forget that he did that for me.  Sure enough, I cut off the cast without a problem.  Jen 1; Saw 0.  From what I hear all my classmates performed this flawlessly.  Another accomplishment for the books!

LAS VEGAS CONVENTION

            Every year there is an AAPA convention for all PAs and PA students.  This year it was in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Fortunately, each year PCOM tries to allow time for their students to attend, and over half our class was able to attend.  We were required to see at least 2 presentations and present on one to a faculty member and some classmates.  I ended up going to 5 and I couldn’t help but take as many notes possible on each presentation that I saw.  Its incredible how much I have already learned and how much more there is to learn.  It was interesting to see what presentations people decided to attend.  Some wanted to see topics that were already taught to us to see if they would learn anything extra.  I took the opposite approach and wanted to learn new subjects.  The two presentations I loved the most were: maternity and trauma and a how to break the Google habit.  We are learning our OB-GYN unit this coming term so this was a nice preview to that class.  Breaking the Google habit was interesting because it gave us ideas on how to get our patients to NOT search on Google but instead use more useful sites like www.medlineplus.org.

            On Wednesday night there was a PCOM cocktail dinner at the Hilton, right next to the LV convention center.  Here we were able to meet alumni and talk to them about being out in the field.  It was also nice to relax with friends, alumni, and faculty.  During this event the director of our program made a speech in which he quoted some of his own calculated statistics about PCOM PA Students.  He calculated that every year PCOM PA graduates see over 1,000,000 patients a year.  He also calculated the top specialties chosen by PCOM PA alumni.  It is amazing to think that PCOM PAs help so many people in the US each year and in so many different fields.  

            While going to Las Vegas was filled with its own perks, I really treated this as a stepping-stone to the future.  Everything is beginning to come full circle.  Soon we will be out treating patients, graduating, and going to future conferences.  I cant help to feel so lucky that I was chosen to become a part of such a great class and school that allowed me the opportunity to truly practice something that I have grown to love.

Officially 1 year in PA school

             It is so amazing how time flies in life.  A year ago I was starting orientation at PCOM; this nervous student that had no idea where to go or what to expect.  Here I am today, in my final didactic term at PCOM, less nervous but fully aware of the possibilities that await.

            Nothing makes this process more real than welcoming the incoming class of PA students; the Class of 2013.  My classmates and I are officially no longer the newbies on campus!  It is strange to think that there are people that look up to us now and ask us for advice.  I remember when I was at orientation I admired the class above and could not wait until I was then someday.  Now that I am I can’t help but feel proud of my classmates and myself.  Also, I feel a strange sense of obligation to help the incoming class on their journey as much as possible.  So, I decided to help with some of the aspects of orientation.  A handful of my classmates and I each got a group of 6 students from the new class and did activities with them that they then presented to their other classmates and family members.  I really had a great group of individuals with diverse backgrounds and personalities.  I couldn’t help but sense their nervousness yet sense of belonging during this whole process.  I really enjoyed being a part of orientation and making the new students more comfortable.

            Later in the week we had a BIG/LITTLE DINNER.  Here individuals from our class were assigned a little from the new class.  This event was great during the year when we were littles.  It was a great opportunity to get personal feedback on the program and what to expect.  This year was no exception, and my classmates were flooded with questions during dinner and we confidently handled them all.  I really like my little; she and I bonded right away.  Many of my classmates had similar experiences with their littles. I am confident that they will make great PAs and I can’t wait to hear/see their progress throughout the year.

            I will never forget those individuals in the class of 2011 who helped me throughout this while process and followed up on my progress.  In just over a month, July 27^th, they will be graduating, thus passing the torch on to us to be the leaders.  I hope that they are as proud of us as we are of them. 

Starting My Last and Final Didactic Term

At the beginning of each term our class meets with one of our teachers to go over our thoughts on the previous term.  Our class discusses as a group our likes, dislikes, what we would like changed, and what we would like to stay the same in our program.  I have always liked this because I really do feel that our thoughts are heard and our changes considered.  It is a very non-judgmental process.  It is also interesting to see if your own thoughts are on par with others in the class.  It is nice because our teacher always ends with telling us that we are just where we need to be in this program.  He instills confidence that we ARE ready to move on to the next stage in the program: clinical rotations.  It is always nice to be praised after each term.  Sometimes you get so wrapped up in “GO” mode that it is nice for once to relax and take it all in.  Confidence is something that comes in this program but gradually.  I am sure when we get to clinicals we will think that we don’t know anything, when in reality we know more than we think.

This term’s meeting felt different than all the others.  Our teacher started out by talking to us about the advice he received before going on clinical rotations.  I found the advice helpful and thought I would share it to all of you.  He told us to enter every rotation by introducing yourself to your preceptor, nurses, PAs, and anyone you will be working with even if its not a medical professional.  He said that not only will you seem friendly but also this is something these individuals will remember about you.  This will make you stand out.  It shows that you care who you are working with.  I thought this was really good advice and one that I will take with me when I go on rotations.  I know it is simple but if you think about it, how many people actually do this?  My guess is not as many as there should be.

I will leave you all with a quote that our teacher also left us with.  I loved it so much that I had to actually get from him later.  It is from Ambroise Paré who was a French royal surgeon and a pathologist in the 1500s.  He said, “Guérir quelquefois, soulager souvent, consoler tougours,” which means, “Cure occasionally, relieve often, comfort always.” 

Awaiting Next Term

             Last week our class met with the class above us to discuss upcoming rotations.  Each student in our class was paired with an upper-classman with the same rotation.  The upper class was helpful in explaining what to expect, how to study, what books we will get, and what to expect from certain preceptors and the areas we will be working in.  It is always nice to bond with the upper class.  I am not sure if this happens in all programs but in my experience, the seniors have been beyond helpful.  I have never felt like I am bothering them with questions.  They seem to welcome questions and enjoy giving advice. 

            With rotations on the brain and as this term comes to a close (next Thursday), it is hard to not think about next term.  Next term is our LAST term of the didactic phase.  After that, rotations!  It is scary to think how time flew and all we have accomplished thus far in this program.  As a matter of fact, PCOM is beginning to prepare for the incoming PA class orientation in June.   Already I have been receiving e-mails from incoming students asking what to expect, what books to buy, etc.  I love getting these because I know that when I was in their position I was feeling an overall sense of panic as well.  It’s only natural.  I am sure this is the same feeling the seniors have toward my class, they only want to help and “pay it forward” as you will. 

            As much as I am looking forward to the last term, there is a lot to still do for this current one. We have finals next week and all of us are pretty worn out.  Just to give you a preview: this morning I poured coffee into my cereal bowl and cereal into my coffee mug.  I would be lying if I said this was the first time something like this has happened.  I have even put peanut butter in the freezer.  Being tired seems like the norm now-a-days, BUT I know it is all for a purpose and, at least I know I am not alone.  I have my friends, family, classmates, teachers and upper classmen to push me along.

Treat Patients NOT numbers

This term we have a radiology course, which has to be one of my favorite classes at PCOM.  We have been taught different sections from many health care providers in the area.  Each teacher has lectured to us the Dos and Don’ts when reading an image from their own experiences and how they came to “master” films in their respective fields.  Each comes with a more fascinating story than the next.  I have learned so much in this class; it really is amazing.  I remember looking at my first chest x-ray and thinking that I only knew one thing: where the heart was.  I have to say I felt pretty dumb, but our teachers assured us that they were not expecting us to be experts.  In just a few months I can now say that I feel confident that I can read x-rays and CT scans.  While I am in no way an expert, I feel I at least know the anatomy and the correct approach as to avoid missing essential details and diagnoses.  I also know to always look for the most common fracture, THE SECOND ONE!  I know that reading images will be critical when going on rotations.  Having this skill will hopefully impress preceptors and maybe help save a life.

Many times on tests and quizzes I can identify the fracture or the correct location of pneumonia on x-ray but the question may state: “what would you expect to see on this patient?”  These used to be the hardest questions for me to answer.  Sometimes we tend to forget that this radiograph belongs to someone who needs our help.  It is not just a picture, just like lab values are not just numbers.  All these tests and images to help aid in diagnosis and further treatment our patient.

This has been a recurrent theme at PCOM in general, not just radiology – “Always treat the patient, not numbers.”  It is really simple but something we tend to overlook.  I hope that if you are in PA school, nursing school, medical school or in any health profession that you remember this and never forget it!  I know I won’t.

Rotations!

Rotations! Rotations! Rotations!

Yes, we finally got our rotation placements on Friday! I got 2 out of my 3 choices, so I am ecstatic. The day was filled with anticipation, people posting on Facebook how many minutes left until rotations were revealed.  Each student is given the option of making a preference list of 3 sites each in different specialties. We were told that our teachers would do their best to honor at least one of the three. There are 7 rotations total: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Pediatrics, Ob-GYN, Emergency Medicine, and Geriatrics/Behavioral Psych.  Each rotation is 6 weeks with the exception of Geriatrics/Behavioral Psych which is split 1 ½ weeks in geriatrics at PCOM and 4 ½ weeks in Behavioral Psych.  From taking a quick look around the room it seemed like my classmates were all happy with their rotation placements. I even saw some students hugging our teachers.

            My rotations are actually pretty local which is nice, I have two a bit further away but they are in areas I have never been so I am excited to see areas of the US that are unknown to me.  Overall, I am just excited to get out there, albeit nervous, but excited! Everything seems more real now, I can’t wait until August!

Positive Thoughts

Last Saturday, April 9^th, our class had a clinical skills day.  This is done once per term during the last 3 terms of the didactic phase of PA school at PCOM.  During these days we get to learn techniques that will be useful on clinical rotations and for the rest or our PA careers.  The last clinical skills day we learned NG tube placement, arterial blood gas, how to draw blood, and how to administer vaccines and medication amongst other things.  This past clinical skills day had a lot of review from the first day in order to make sure we understand important concepts like taking blood and administering a shot to a patient.  However, we also learned new skills like placing catheters, placing EKG leads, and starting an EKG machine.  Some of the skills we perform on dummies or dummy arms, like placing IVs and catheters, although we do draw blood on each other.

           

I love clinical skills day!  It makes PA school more real, in the sense that you know one day you will be doing this on a real patient.  I also couldn’t help but notice that this clinical skills day we started to become more confident.  Some of us even decided to do IVs on each other and not the dummy arms.  I know that I felt comfortable enough to take blood from one of my teachers, something that would have caused anxiety before.  I enjoy these days because we get to learn from our teachers and other healthcare professionals from local hospitals.  Everyone is always very patient with you and they share personal experiences and tips.  I also feel that it’s a great way to meet potential co-workers.  Breakfast and lunch are always provided which is nice and it is a very low-key atmosphere for learning.

            On a separate note, our class finds out our clinical rotation sites on Friday!  We are all really excited to know where we will be going in August throughout the next year.  Look for that update this weekend.

            Something important to note for PA students or future PA students: sometimes we can get bogged down in work and stress and how many tests we have the next week.  In times like that it is nice to focus on the positives and enjoy the stress-free moments in life.  DO NOT lose yourself in this process.  We were all chosen to be in PA school for a reason; they liked us for who we ARE.  Clinical skills day and knowing where we are going on rotations are the hallmarks of this week and last.  In the weeks to come I will have others.  The point is stay true to yourself, enjoy school, lean on friends and family if you are stressed, and do the best you can. 

A Little About Me

Hey Everyone! I’m Jennifer and I am currently a first year physician assistant (PA) student at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) in Philadelphia, PA.  Ever since deciding to become a PA I have wanted to share my experiences.  The goal of this blog is to educate others about the PA profession and to give you an inside look about of my experiences during the didactic and clinical phase of my PA curriculum.

Let me start by saying a little about myself: My name is Jennifer Pilchman and I graduated from Muhlenberg College in 2008 with BS in biology.  I decided to become a PA on Christmas Day, 2008.  I kid you not!  And, I got into PA school almost exactly a year later on December 19^th, 2009.  My decision to become a PA was made for many reasons.  I wanted to be in medicine but not necessarily at the top of the medical hierarchy.  It’s a career choice that allows me to work hands-on with patients, do procedures, assist in surgeries and work in tandem with my supervising physician and medical team.  The PA profession allows flexibility in scheduling as well as specialty choice.  Not having gone through the clinical phase yet, I am not sure what specialty I want to go into, however, I have always leaned towards pediatrics and primary care.

Just so that you are all aware, both my parents are doctors and they LOVE what they do, so my love for medicine was in the blood so-to-speak.  I believe one of my first words was “stethoscope.”  The decision to become a PA was a difficult one, and yet so rewarding, and I have not looked back since.  The PA program at PCOM is 26 months; 14 months are didactic and 12 months are going out on clinical rotations.  Right now I am in the didactic phase and I go out on clinical rotations starting August 15^th, 2011 (not like I am counting or anything).  So far, school is really tough.  For those that don’t know about PA school, let me put it this way: we were told on the first day of orientation that PA school was like drinking out of 2 fire hydrants, and man, they were not kidding.  I have never worked this hard in my life!  BUT, I have to say, it is amazing how much you can learn in such a short period of time.  For those that are unaware, PA school is based off the medical model, so we learn a similar curriculum in a shorter period of time.  Although PCOM is an Osteopathic Medical School, we do not learn any osteopathic manual manipulation, which is something unique to the DO program.  However, we are still taught to see the patient as a whole, which is a benefit to attending an osteopathic institution.  I chose PCOM because of its close-nit atmosphere and welcoming faculty and students.  

I can’t wait to share my experience with you all soon!  Please feel free to share your experience with me as well.

~Jen