A Work in Progress

I am happy to report that I officially got my "C" last week.  PA-C that is, after stumbling through a five hour, life-changing exam.   A few weeks ago I was really feeling fine about it until my neighbor said "Oh you're test is soon?  Pretty cool as it's like the culmination of two years work right?"  I left the conversation wide-eyed thinking, yes, two years of work.  Although that isn't so accurate.  Really, it's been like three years of taking prerequisites, re-teaching myself chemistry, saving money, boosting my resume, applying, being rejected, applying again, waiting to start, then 26 months of studying and scraping by, moving twice, working all of the holidays, first days, feeling intimidated, scrubbing in, fitting in, moving on, conferences, studying, studying, studying.  As I walked away and all of this sank in, I started to panic, and panic studying gets me nowhere.   What did I do with the last few months?  Why did I re-w...

Waiting for Mom

Sorry, it's either kayaking or cats this year.

Last look before packing begins.

Suffice to say it has been a weird period in PA school. We were pulled from clinical sites in the middle of March and it is possible we won't go back before graduation.  Second year is clinical only so there is little substitute to be had.  We have been doing some workshops and CME and case studies and the like, but it is a pale replacement to actual clinical experience.  Experience that I sorely miss not only because it was something to do, and a great learning experience, but I see the value in being able to practice as a student.  Potentially the next time I take on a patient it will be totally for real and my responsibility which is terrifying. I am glad to be a second year, as our first year students have had to finish out the semester online and take all of their mid terms and finals online.  UGH.  I am a very bad online learner, so that might have broken me.  School is doing everything they can to keep us on track and are very focused on gett...

PANCE BOOKED!

One more 50 degree day in May.

Box gift from our neighbors.

Cat pooping in the basement mitigation system.  Update:  it works!

My internal medicine rotation was in at ICU.  This was unusual, as most internal med rotations were at an office or as a hospitalist.  This rotation gave me fascinating insight into a very complex world and patient population.  As a first rotation, it was terrifying, and I am sure would be equally terrifying now. We aren't taught much critical care in PA school.  Bits and pieces here and there but the ability to put it all together and make sense of it is truly daunting.  Every detail matters in the ICU, something I loved, and something I hated.  Attention to detail is the PA student's default setting.  We may not know what it means, but we will asked about it!   I feel like I could spend an hour combing through the patients medical record and still not have full grasp of what was happening. Happily, my paramedic training came in handy, as I could show off my only trick of EKG reading and knowledge of ACLS.  But that is merely a sprin...