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Friday, August 5, 2011

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!

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

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.