The First Week of PA School at UTSW

Here´s a few questions  I posed to 3 brand new PA-Ss from Univeristy of Texas South Western Medical Center about the first few weeks of PA school. Enjoy!

1) How did you prepare for the start of PA school?

Student A - I didn't exactly do anything in particular to prepare for PA school.  I had been working for roughly 5 years as a radiation therapist before entering PA school.  The year prior to entering PA school however I did transition myself back into a student by taking Chem II, Organic Chem I, Genetics, and Microbiology to complete my prerequisites.  If I could do it all over again though, I would have tried to find the time to travel or go on vacation before school started.  

Student B - I took many courses that were in addition to the prerequisites.   I'd recommend taking Anatomy (or the A&P course that focuses on muscles/bones) if you haven't taken it within the last 2 years.  Also, take an Intro to Neuroscience and/or a Neuroanatomy course - you'll be glad you did!   None of the Texas schools require health care experience (HCE) but the vast majority of my classmates have at least a year of HCE.   Many have direct, hands-on HCE (nurses, medics, techs).  You should consider getting some kind of HCE as a prerequisite if you are really serious about getting into PA school.  

Student C -  Looking back, if I had done one thing to prepare, I would have either sat in on an anatomy course (even though I had already taken one) or re-studied my old anatomy notes at a

superficial level.  The first semester of most PA programs includes anatomy/physiology and this would just help lighten the amount you have to re-memorize. During the "meet and greet" before my interview at UT Southwestern, someone asked the student panel what they recommended doing in the time between finding out you got in and starting the program.  Most of the students strongly recommended doing anything and everything you've always wanted to do but never had time for because you will have very little free time during school.  I took this advice to heart and took a couple of trips, got a temporary job I'd always wanted to try (worked in a flower shop), and spent time with friends and family.  I also purchased Rosetta Stone thinking I would make significant headway into the Spanish course.  (It's a great program for anyone looking to

learn conversational Spanish!!)  As hard as it was for me to not study and try to "get ahead" in preparation for school, I am really glad I took this time to relax, have fun, and spend time with loved ones.  I can't tell you how often I think back to those few months-about something I did or people I spent time with-and it makes me smile :)

2) What has been the most interesting thing you have learned so far? What has been the hardest?

Student A - Probably the most interesting thing I have learned so far was in Neuroscience.  Learning about the spinal tracts and what clinical manifestations can arise from lesions in upper or lower motor neurons.  

Student B - Interesting: At my program we preform full dissections on a cadaver.  It is an amazing learning (and life) experience.   I'm so honored to be able to learn from another person in that way.   I'd highly recommend attending a program with full cadaver dissection if that's an option for you.  It's worth all the extra work and the occasional frustrations....oh man!  did I just cut that really important nerve?!

Hardest:  Haha, can I say everything?!  It's volume overload from Day 1.  We have guest lectures for almost every class, which is much different from undergrad.  It is difficult compiling all the different notes and getting a feel for what to study for the exam, since many different professors submit questions for the exams. 

Student C - The most interesting and challenging things I have learned/dealt with so far are about myself.  PA school is a very unique environment in terms of classmates, workload, professors, schedule, skills you will learn, everything.  Working with cadavers is an amazing experience and has really touched me in so many ways on a personal level that will help me in my future practice.

3) What study strategy has worked? What hasn't?

Student A - So far I've relied on studying power points and listening to the recorded lectures over.  Every now and then I refer to the book for clarifcation on certain topics, but most of my info comes from the power points and audio.  

Student B - Please do yourself a huge favor and move into your apartment at least 2 weeks before your classes begin!   As far as study strategies are concerned, I can only recommend staying on top of your studies.   Force yourself to go to the library after the first day of lecture and study whatever you learned that day.  If you keep that up, you'll glad you started off on the right foot.   It is very difficult to keep up in PA school, so you need to start off strong.

Student C - I think the key is to be patient with yourself as you are adjusting and finding what works best for you. You will need to make some adjustments from your undergrad study skills but don't panic - you won't need to start from scratch.  The skills that got you to this point have worked for a reason.  Use this as your base and go from there. I think the most challenging part for me was learning that I can trust and relay on my professors to present all testable material

in lecture.  If the material wasn't presented in class most professors have created a syllabus which presents all information you will be tested on, almost like a "mini" textbook chapter.  Most of our actual textbooks are used if you want an alternate approach or different way of explaining something discussed in lecture, not to present an entirely new concept that wasn't presented in class.  In undergrad I felt as though my textbook was my primary source of information whereas now, my professors are my primary source of information. Something I learned in the first few weeks of class that I felt was particularly helpful - you are not meant to learn all presented

material while you are actually sitting in lecture.  The purpose of lecture is to present the scope of information you will be held accountable for and to show you the way the professor organizes the information.  So don't feel panicked if you can't sit through six hours of lecture and absorb every drop of information, or if they move too fast!

4) What do you like about PA school vs. undergrad studies?

Student A - So far I really like the organization and structure of my classes.  They really seem to schedule all of our exams around each other in a way that allows you to catch up on your studies.  You definitely have to study everyday though, that way you aren't completely cramming when it gets close to exam time.  

Student B - There is a clinical focus to everything we learn!   We had phlebotomy training at the major county hospital the second week of school.   Nothing like touching real patients a few days into the program!  

Student C - The clinical application in PA classes is always interesting and I love that we use cadavers instead of anatomical models.  In PA school I value having leading experts on a specific topic teach a particular section of a course, as opposed to having one professor for the entire course in undergrad.

Urology PA-C Interview

Here's an interview with a Urology PA from Dallas

1) Why did you become a Physician Assistant?

I was a school teacher, and I was very unhappy with my job. I decided I would go back to school and eventually get to med school. I had wanted to do that the first time around, but somehow I ended up off-track and became a teacher. I had a wonderful advisor who talked to me about all of my options. As an older student, the PA profession seemed ideal.


2) Tell me about your application process (how did you get ready, how many schools did you apply to? Who did you interview with, what as it like, etc)

I began by researching schools in my area. There are 7 in Texas, and I planned to apply to those. I had seen a poster for Harding University outside my microbiology class, so I applied there, also. Due to a difficulty with CASPA, I missed the deadline for most of the Texas schools. (CASPA is not the easiest process. It took much longer than I expected. Also, one of my references dragged their feet for almost 2 months.) I ended up getting an interview with Harding. I researched some of the more frequently asked questions to prepare. During the half day interview, we had several activities. There were 12 people interviewing in the AM (my time slot) and 16 in the PM. We started by taking a medical terminology quiz. Then, we broke into 3 groups. My group started with a group "interview". We were given a questionably ethical situation and asked to discuss how we would handle it. Then, we were told we were stranded on the moon and had a set number of supplies. We had to discuss and order the supplies from most to least important. The point was to see how well we interacted with others. Next on the agenda was a guided tour of the facilities by current students. After that, we came back for the formal interviews. They were being conducted by the program director, curriculum director, and the teachers (both MD and PA). I was interviewed by the 2 directors, separately. I was asked the typical questions of strengths, weaknesses, etc. They also asked about my support system and beliefs (it is a faith-based school). The program director had thoroughly read my application and asked about specific items. It was very stressful, but everyone was pleasant. I was actually wait-listed. I was #14. I did not think that I would make it because the highest number ever accepted prior to this (and since) was 10. but they made it all the way to 15.


3) What made you pick your program? While you were there, what stood out to you about your program? 

Honestly, it was the only program to which I was accepted. However, I liked that it was small. Also, the year I applied, the class had a 100% PANCE passing rate. The staff was very welcoming during the interview process. I had gone to an info seesion at one of the larger PA schools in Texas. Everything was very cold and no one was very friendly. Harding is part of a small community, and you feel that when you are there.


4) What area do you practice in? What other areas have you practiced in?

I have only practiced in urology.


5) What does a normal day look like for you? What kinds of things do you do? 

My day starts at 8 AM. I see clinic patients as they are scheduled. I travel to 3 different clinics throughout the week. If there is a hospital consult or admitted patient where I am, I see them. I see new patients, established patients, and pre-ops. I spend a significant portion of my day calling in/refilling meds. I return patient phone calls. I speak to other PAs or MDs on the phone. I finish clinic by about 5 PM, although I usually have charts to finish. Fortunately, I have our EMR on my home computer.


6) How is being a PA different than you expected when you were a student? 

I spend a lot more time on things that do not invlove direct patient contact than I expected. So much of my time is spent going over labs, returning calls, etc. There are always endless drug reps wanting your attention.


7) What professional evolution do you hope to see next for PAs? 

I wish that the profession could somehow promote itself to the general public. I don't think that PAs are on the same level as MDs, and I don't believe we should be independent. However, I wish that patients were more accepting (as a whole) of PAs. Many prefer to see me over the MD. But some become very angry when they are expected to see me.


8) Any advice for future applicants? 

When I started PA school, I assumed that I would fail out or be struggling to keep up. That attitude actually served me well. It jump-started me to begin PA school studying harder that I ever had before. Also, you need to assume (and let nearby family and friends know) that you are generally not available. Of course, you need time away from school, but it needs to be sparing. I would advise making friends with your classmates. They are some of the only people who will know what you are going through. Also, you will be speaking "medicine" for 2-3 years. Non-medical friends and family grow very tired of that. Study in groups and individually. Group-studying was actually the most efficient studying I did, even when we were off-track. We came up with silly songs or sayings to help us remember things. Have a non-school book, or some non-school hobby, going at all times. The people that struggled the hardest where those who didn't study enough or those who studied non-stop. Do not worry about what other people's grades are. At the end of the day, yours is the only one that matters.