#pa student

[bentancurs-bitch]

Such a messy desk but the organ cross stitch finishes it off 🥰

[im-a-college-studier]

I got into PA school!!!!!!

So, what now? Since getting in I’ve been preparing non-stop! Where am I going to live? What will I need? What will it be like? These are all questions I’m trying to answer as soon as possible!

I’m a planner, so I really like to know what I’m doing in advance. One thing I definitely know: anat and phys is a big one in PA school, which means I’m starting to study for it now! I’m trying to make it as easy as possible for myself, and while I’m just working, I can def make time for some studying, and it will help me get my head back in the game!

Happy Saturday 💛

[populationpensive]

One Year Later

Exactly one year ago today, I began my career as a PA-C. It’s a surreal place in which to be. The year has felt so slow and yet buzzed by so fast. I’ve learned a lot. I’ve cried. I’ve been on top of my game. I’ve been completely spent. I’ve been wrong. I’ve felt alone. I found friends. I laughed. It’s been...a year. 

Taking a burn medicine job straight out of school was ambitious at best. The learning curve from school to my job was so steep. I’ve spoken about this a lot on this blog, but looking back, there is SO much stuff I learned how to do. I don’t think I ever really appreciated how much progress I made while the year was happening. Retrospect is a virtue. 

When I look back, I try to think about what I learned, what I could do better, and what I can do differently. Maybe this will help you if you’re just starting, maybe not. But I think it’s important to have some introspection as a provider. 

Things I learned

Burns are tragic and also inspiring. I’ve seen patients with HORRENDOUS injuries make such a kick ass recovery. These patients make you realize that to be alive is to be resilient. It’s truly inspiring. 

The technicalities and pathophysiology of burn care are SO fascinating to me. It’s great. And I have a passion for teaching it. I also value being able to distill this information to my patients and their families so that they are better able to understand their injury and its course. 

ALWAYS being open to change. Burn care (and wounds in general) is such a dynamic field. Techniques and approaches to care change. It’s important for me to be fluid and adaptable. 

Food is awesome. We have a snack cabinet. We all contribute. Now the unit knows of our snack cabinet. BUT at the end of the day, it connects us. We cook for each other. We share. It’s a nice way to say thank you. 

Things That Challenged Me

My first code. It still haunts me. Ever since, I have been so diligent to not miss things. I didn’t have the experience to see that there was an impending problem with this prior patient and my attending raised no issues. I still feel guilt, though much less than before. 

People - dealing with difficult coworkers, patients, families, and providers. Patients and families can be exhausting at times, especially on a burn unit. My attendiings were hard in the sense that I have to cater to all of their particularities. It meant that I had to be super adaptable. 

Critical care management - just as a topic it is overwhelming when you are a new provider. You are working with people who can easily die if you order the wrong thing. 

Myself - my anxiety, my lack of confidence, my judgment. I am still working on all of this but it has taken a herculean effort. 

Things I hope to Do

Create more teaching resources for the residents and students. I really have a passion for making their rotations a good experience. 

Get central line certified! We have been trying to schedule this and the unit blew up.

Bring back great practice advice from the ABA conference! I’m excited to meet other people and collaborate. 

Advice (If you need it)

Be forgiving in your first job. You will make mistakes. You will drop the ball. You’ll have shit days. Don’t make excuses but do be forgiving of yourself for being in a constant stage of flux with your learning and skills. 

Ask questions. Always. If you don’t understand why something is done, ask. If you work with attendings and you’re afraid of seeming like you are resisting an order, try questioning by saying “hey, I just want to understand this for my learning - why are we doing x,y,z.” When phrased like this, it is perceived less as obstinance and as more inquisitive/an effort of self-improvement.

Know when to walk away. I overworked. A lot. I had a poor sense of when to leave something for the residents. Partly because I know my floor and the residents don’t. You can’t be there all the time and that’s ok. 

Take time for yourself. Seriously. I know I was preaching this in school, but in your first job this is still true. Don’t check your work email or chart check when you are home. Exercise. Get a massage. Whatever. 

Be honest and communicate clearly. This has been a big issue on my unit for a variety of reasons. I struggled to communicate with one attending and it ended up in big misunderstandings. It is FAR easier to just clarify and approach someone like a responsible adult than to let something brew. AND - demand clarity. 

I’m not sure what the next year holds, but I’m hoping I come out of it with more knowledge and better relationships. I have this secret goal that all of our residents love their burn rotation. Hopefully I’ll develop the materials and technique to help everyone be a success, myself included. 

[totipa-s]

r/physicianassistant - White House FPA (full practice authority) Petition

0 votes and 2 comments so far on Reddit

Currently at 9K. A long way to go, but we can get there. We aren't fighting for independence, we are fighting to eliminate red tape and improve the availability of quality healthcare across America and our ability to pivot during a crisis!! We love our MDs/DOs and the collaboration we have with them. Their time is valuable and their patients need them as well! Their time shouldn't be needlessly spent reviewing charts/signing orders/signing paperwork if our docs/hospital admin don't think it is necessary (meaning we aren't under review or other need for supervision). This is to optimize team practice and allow PAs to practice at their full scope not eliminate current collaborative relationships!

White House FPA (full practice authority) Petition

The time is now. There are highly qualified PAs who are being forced to sit on the sidelines because they're current SP doesn't work in Emergency Medicine. This is ridiculous.

Let's do what we can to set our profession up for success (we all know this is needed). But more importantly, to remove barriers that prevent us from treating patients in a time when healthcare providers are needed more than ever. PAs have always been collaborative, and a legislative requirement will never change that. Let us take responsibility for our license and practice to our scope of practice.

Here is the petition. It currently has 6,000. Needs 100,000 to get a response. It might not be much, but it's something.

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/grant-pas-full-practice-authority-function-licensed-independent-practitioners-federal-jurisdictions

Grant PAs Full Practice Authority to function as Licensed Independent Practitioners in Federal jurisdictions | We the People: Your Voice in

Grant PAs Full Practice Authority to function as Licensed Independent Practitioners in Federal jurisdictions | We the People: Your Voice in

Here is a NYT video recently put out that does a great job describing the regulatory burden that is placed on PAs and forces willing and qualified PAs to sit on the sideline.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/04/opinion/physician-assistants-hospitals-coronavirus.html

Opinion | An Outdated Law in Florida Is Preventing Me From Saving Lives

We need to get physician assistants off the sidelines and into the emergency rooms.

Please sign!

@emedpa

@populationpensive

@mrspediatricpa

@cranquis

@digiti-minimi

@brooklynpa-c

@hangrypa

@livingthepadream

@mynotes4usmle

@pa-c

@physicianassistantstudents

Please share, up vote, and make any comment to make this thread relevant.

[prettyandpa]

White coat pictures

I highly advise EVERYONE take their white coat pictures on a day other than your actual white coat ceremony. Here’s why...

-white coat should be enjoyed baby!!! It’s not good for your soul to stress about finding that perfect insta worthy pic on this momentous occasion

-for me white coat was literally nestled in between exams (🙀)! I know that’s not the norm as most PA programs have white coat at the beginning-ish of the first year. Irregardless I was so RELIEVED to not be spending those precious hours trying to capture the occasion and instead be able to celebrate with friends and family stress free! I believe I scheduled my photo session like one or two weeks before my actual white coat ceremony

-is your school not serving the photo backdrop you DESERVE ??? Do we want our future linked in defaults to have our school auditorium’s chipped paint in the backdrop of our pics??? I think not !!!! When we schedule our photo session ahead of time, we can avoid spending our special day traveling to more desirable locations (for me it was the Brooklyn bridge)

-consider hiring someone. I know. I’m not normally this crazy. If my roommate or boyfriend can’t take a good photo within three tries I’m over it. But hear me out: White coat is a big deal! This is your first step into the medicine profession. Years from now you will be so happy you documented it professionally! I was the only one in my class to have a paid photo session before hand and I was so shocked more people didn’t do it so I feel like I should share this! It’ll also take away a lot of stress because let’s be honest your mom doesn’t always know the best angles

-wear the same outfit you plan to wear to white coat in your photos. Post photos after white coat. No one knows the difference !!! You sneaky lil thing

-appreciate this time with family and loved ones!! They’re so proud of you and have hopefully been your support system through this entire journey. This day is for them as well! Spend your time taking photos/celebrating with them and taking it in!!! You deserve it <3

[dontgetattached]

What a life...

woke up at 4:30AM: too much on my mind to remain asleep, too much to fall back asleep (I try anyway)

6:00 get up & begin my day

7:30-8:30 drive to campus/finish up the case study for Public Health and Management lecture

8:30AM-6:30PM on campus for anatomy theory lecture, pharmacology lecture (so many new drugs to memorize omgggg), public health and management lecture. thankfully, my group for the paper decided to meet later this week

7:30-9:30 review anatomy theory

9:30-10:30 review for principles of science exam

10:30-12:30 review pharm, get ready for bed

12:30-? Try to sleep, try not to think about all the people I am missing. My sing me to sleep playlists sure don’t help.

[lochtayboatsong]

An introvert’s lament:

I am barely three weeks into PA school, and I am already exhausted from having to have my “approachable, professional, and definitely not awkward or internally screaming” persona on all the time. God help me.

[becomingpre-pa-red]