Accepted! Advice #3 - Helen C.

This is a special post dedicated to students who have been accepted to a program but have not yet started. Recent graduate Helen Chow shares her advice to help you prepare for PA school! -AS

Congrats! You’ve gotten into PA school. You’re one step closer to becoming a PA

1. Don’t buy books until you get to school. Often, schools use powerpoint slides to tell you all you need to know. They do a great job paring things down to simplify what you need to know. Especially when you’re already broke from CASPA applications and interview flights/hotels. Many of my classmates spend hundreds of dollars on books just for them to become fancy paper weights. Unless your school says absolutely required, wait until you actually get to school and they tell you exactly what you need. You can wait a few days without a book if you really need it, especially if you have Amazon Prime.

2. You are going to make incredible friendships. You, however, will not be best friends with everyone. I know that everyone says you are now going to have 50 new best friends but realistically, that’s not possible. You will, however, make some of the best friendships you will ever make in one of the most rigorous experiences you will ever go through. Find those people in your class because you will need them to support you and you will support them. No one else knows exactly what you’re going through except your classmates.

3. Good resources: EKG videos, Khan Academy/online med ed, PANCE Prep pearls

   1. Khan Academy – black board style teaching: https://www.youtube.com/user/khanacademymedicine

   2. Online Med Ed – white board style teaching: onlinemeded.org

   3. EKG – more advanced but great video series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do3fOMVLZ2M&t=2s

   4. PANCE Prep Pearls – condensed summary of all topics including buzz words and things to look out for, well organized, bolded, italicized, easy to read.

1. Get to know your faculty. They are there to help you and because you’re in a much smaller class than undergrad, you can actually get the attention and help you need. Faculty are usually really awesome people who are still practicing and have tons of interesting, crazy patient stories to tell you.

2. Take time for yourself!!! This is so crucial! You can only study for so many hours in a day. Workout, cook, hang out with friends, explore the city you’re in. Have a life outside of PA school, just not too much of a life because you are still in PA school.

3. Need a laugh? This Tumblr with the best GIFs was made solely for PA students. http://captaincantaloupe24.tumblr.com/

Good luck in PA school! This is the beginning of your life long career and hopefully the last schooling you’ll ever have to do. You’re about to become obsessed with medicine. I look forward to you becoming my new colleague. If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out to me at helen.h.chow@gmail.com.