End of Didactic Interview

Here are some quick thoughts from a PA student who is wrapping up the didactic portion of her program and moving into clinical rotations!

1) Tell me about your PA school experience thus far. (ups and downs, was it overwhelming, what surprised you, etc)

Overwhelming is an understatement, but there have definitely been more ups than downs. There's more work and studying in PA school than I would have ever imagined, but the entire experience of PA school is what you make of it. I've enjoyed my experience in school so much because despite having to work so hard, I've always allowed myself to have time set aside for fun, friends, and family - this is something that I highly suggest. If you are always studying and never give yourself a break, the stresses of school will really get to you. Also, no matter how hard it gets or how badly you wish you weren't studying at the moment, always be thankful that you're in the program because there's a lot of people who would rather be in your place!

2) What was your favorite unit/section/class?

My favorite section is clinical skills. Its the class where you learn all of the basic clinical procedures like sutures, IV placement, and foley catheters. This was my favorite because it's hands-on learning and is a sign that you're almost at the end of your didactic portion. Also, learning the procedures is just fun.

3) How did your study techniques evolve during your time in the didactic phase? What worked best and what didn't work?

Group studying helps out a lot, especially when you're teaching others. It's great because in order to teach someone, you really have to know the material well. However, everyone in the group must study individually before the group study session in order to be efficient. This has worked out well for me throughout the entire didactic phase, and worked for a lot of other people as well.

4) Which clinical are you looking forward to the most? What about that one excites you?

The rotation that I am most excited for is orthopedic surgery! The orthopedics block was really interesting and I really enjoyed surgery when I was shadowing, so naturally this would be the one I'm most excited about. Plus surgery is nothing like the other clinical rotations - the process of manually fixing the body is fascinating!