PA school - All done, time to get to work

[bakerhillpins]

Ok interesting couple of days. Nothing to exciting yesterday until about 2:30. I have a hospital phone that my attending can reach me on. Stat call to C3, which turned out to be a c-section room, for delivery of twins. Now I'm just a student, I'm supposed to stay out of the way, but when I'm called I'm expected to go as long as I'm not busy doing something else. That said, I never was all that good at being furniture so if I can make myself useful I will. I ended up helping the nurses get the babies ready to see mom, which was super cool. I also supported dad for a minute, he got a bit emotional. Understandable. 

Not long after leaving the OR, we got a call that one of the twins wasn't breathing well. Glucose was a balmy 31 (that's really low) and hypoglycemia in these newborns can definitely make breathing labored. So we took him to the nicu where I stayed with him, helping the nurses hook him up to the monitors and just offer a helping hand with the million things they needed to do. I'm happy to report he's doing much better today!

Fathers appreciate that sort of thing. Trust me. James came out 2nd and he arrived still and quiet. They rushed him over to some special table to "do what ever they do" (and just about everyone else in the room followed) and I had to keep my wife distracted with Alex (1st out of course) because she new something was up and I needed to keep her from getting overly involved and upset before she needed to. Fortunately he came around and we have been good ever since. Was quite the ordeal for me to keep both of us cool until there was something we had to be concerned about.

I have to ask you about this, are the parents in the room during the circumcision? what age do they do this? is how soon after they are born?
i am trying to have a son and was wondering.

Luke

Don't know about Dino's experience but I was there for both the boys. Was within 24 hrs IIRC. Having twins was a blur for a LONG time.

[Dino]

Thanks Dan!   

Second day doing inpatient peds and it's way more quiet than I thought it would be. Luckily I haven't seen any deathly ill kids but I was present to witness my first (and hopefully last) circumcision! Damn that was nasty. I'm gonna have ED for a while after this one!   

I sat next to the kid and fed him drops of sugar water to keep them happy (as if that's an option when someone's cutting down there). When the doc said sugar water, all I could think of was Edgar from MIB.   

I have to ask you about this, are the parents in the room during the circumcision? what age do they do this? is how soon after they are born?
i am trying to have a son and was wondering.

Luke

No parents present no. It's usually done within 24 - 48 hours after birth. It doesn't take long to do either.

[Dino]

Woah it's been a while!

Rotations have been keeping me a bit busy and during down time I need to study. It never ends...   

So I ended with OB/GYN, I then spent 4 weeks at a family practice office out in the country. Small community and the PA there was the only provider. He did a ton of small procedures and injections as well so I got a ton of practice. After that I spent 4 weeks in the emergency room here in Detroit which was pretty nice. Did some sweet laceration repairs but most of the care was pretty much uneventful. I really dislike variable shift work so I will not be pursuing a career there! I just started my psych rotation which so far is going well but it's only day 3 so I'll need a bit more time to decide if this is for me or not.

[BDF]

Hang in there, & good luck to you!
I somewhat remember my father's residencies (MD) 

[Dino]

Thanks!   

Psych ended up being a sweet rotation! I would not mind working in the field but it won't be a first job. I would lose much of the medical knowledge I have gained if I don't continue to use it.

I just finished up my interal medicine rotation which was totally awesome! Saw some really cool stuff and it felt like a normal job. I'm trying to convince faculty to let me go back there for my 6 week receptorship that starts in March.

Monday I start my general surgery rotation. I don't mind it but I'm not jumping for joy either. I find surgery quite dull much of the time. Oh well, it'll all work out.

3 more months and I'm done!

[Dans 68]

    Good to hear!

Dan!

[lukedukem]

I don't know why but I think of that show scrubs when I read this thread

Luke

[Dino]

Never seen Srubs...I should!

Halfway through my last rotation. It's general surgery so at times it's interesting. Most of the time I'm bored and annoyed though. Kinda what I expected.   

We have a few more practical exams to go through, one more written exam, and then early March I start my 6 week preceptorship. Basically it's a longer rotation where you have more responsibility. I requested to go back to internal medicine at Henry Ford and just got it so I'm very happy about that. If that place offers me a position I will very likely take it... unless it's night shifts, screw that!

I'm really struggling right now to get back on track though. I have severe university senioritis and I just want this program to end. I'm so exhausted I just cannot catch up. I am constantly tired. But i have to fight it and get through these exams. I can chill out once I'm back at Henry Ford.

I'm so tired of the program that I will likely not go to the white coat ceremony in April. That's the last thing on the agenda, but it's a bunch of bs to me. Just mail me my diploma and leave me alone!   

Almost there...

[Chad L. Magee]

Keep your eyes on the prize.  It will be worth it.  That is what you have to tell yourself to get to the end of the program....

[b5blue]

Take care of yourself, soon you'll be Dr. Dino! 

[68 BENGAL R/T]

Hey Dino,
         Just getting caught up on your PA adventure. Wow, where did those 8 months go - sounds like you've been so busy and exhausted, no wonder
    you have senioritis and have lost focus on your car for a while.  Take a deep breath and focus on the important things that need to get done in the
    next couple months - and try to enjoy them! Soon you'll be back into a better, more normal life that will allow you to get back into the things you
    use to enjoy and you'll have many new and exciting opportunities to explore with your new career.
        My daughter will be finishing her 1st year at Wayne State PA program in May. It has been a lot of work but she seems to be surviving. Any advise
    to make it through the clinical's?
        I'll be looking to hear about the celebrating in a few months. Keep up the good work!
Chris

[Dino]

Thanks guys!   

I did manage to get my butt back on track and ace those last exams and assignments. I may still have to do a few osce's (Short practical exams) but those are fine. Looks like I'll be able to enjoy my time doing actual work during my preceptorship for the next 6 weeks. Heck, I'll even go to the damn ceremony in April! For a little while... 

Chris, yeah time flies alright! I can't believe I'm almost done. When I graduate it will have been a grand total of 8 years taking classes. That's a long ass time but it sure is worth it!

Some people do great in the first year and some do great in the second. Rarely both for the same student though. My second year was so much better than the first, there's just no comparison. I'm 44, I'm real tired of studying and being surrounded by 25 year olds. During the clinical year I could do what I do best and that's taking care of people. Nobody gives a damn if you don't have all the answers to questions they ask, but they care how you interact with people. For some younger students who did great in the academic year, this year has been a struggle. And if that's how it goes then just work your way through it. It'll work out in the end.

For the clinical year you just need a few rules to follow: always be on time, don't complain about anything unless it threatens the safety of people, be nice. That's about it. If you can make a preceptor laugh here and there then you're golden. Every student is afraid of being pimped but you really don't have to be. Nobody expects you to know it all, or even some of it.

Most of my class found that during year 2 you tend to forget a lot of stuff learned in year 1 so keep going over the basic stuff. Forget the rare stuff, you won't see much of that outside of a classroom. But if you know how organ systems work and you can explain it in a few lines, then you're way ahead of the game. Remember she'll be seeing a ton of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, sleep apnea, and things like metabolic syndrome just in a family med setting. Internal med and surgery will be looking at those plus renal disease, cardiomyopathies, coagulopathies, and loads more. You can't know every little detail, but knowing the big picture patho of these disorders will make you a star!

[Dans 68]

Nice to hear about your great progress! 

Dan

[Dino]

Thanks Dan!   

[68 BENGAL R/T]

Thanks Dino,
        I'll pass on your words of wisdom - I'm sure she will find value in your learning experience.
       As always, continued success in your program and can't wait to congratulate you when you
       finally complete it and find your place in the workforce.
Chris

[Dino]

3 more 12 hour shifts and this journey is over! Tuesday is my last day in my preceptorship. Friday is my last official day on campus but I have to go back for an hour in the week after to redo a quick practical exam that I missed by a point. Dammit....

Ceremony is April 22 and that's it! I'm taking my 5 hour board exam on May 2nd so now it's time to go look for a job.

I still can't believe it's almost over. It's been quite the ride!

[Finn]

That is crazy! I feel like you just started this all a couple months ago. Congratulations!

[Q5XX29]

Yes, that time sure seemed to fly by, probably more for us here, than for you! Congratulations on the major accomplishment!

[PlainfieldCharger]

Great Job Dino! Great job staying with your desire to change your life direction... Good Luck on your exams and job search!! You now can go anywhere in the country and be in demand...

[Chad L. Magee]

Congratulations on finishing PA school!   Now comes the really hard part: balancing life with work.  Make sure you make room for your hobbies or  will happen with time...

[Dino]

Thanks folks!   

Don't you worry, I'll have plenty time for hobbies. After two intense years I don't have many hobbies left though!

I'm hoping a day position will open where I just did my preceptorship, but they only have a night position at the moment so I sent a classmate in who got the job. Even if I get hired today, I have to go through the credentialing process which will take months, so hello vacation!   

I did my last exam, and passed, and now I'm waiting for Sunday's ceremony. I'll do my boards on 5/2 and that's the final test.

Now if only I can get some interest back in this old car of mine, we'd be getting somewhere!

[Troy]

Troy

[funknut]

Huge congrats on a major milestone!

[Dino]

Thanks! 

Well this is it! I took my board exam yesterday. The exam consists of 5 blocks of 60 questions, giving you 60 minutes to complete each block. I was prepped well and all my practice exams indicated that I would pass. And like just about everyone else who does one of these, I feel I bombed it.

I will likely get the result a week from today, so I'll get back to you guys. If I pass then it's time to start looking for a job AND take a long and well deserved vacation. If however I did not pass, I cannot retake the exam until 90 days have passed from the initial attempt, which means I need to break out all the tools and study my tail off to pass it the second time around. And defeated as I will feel, I will try again and succeed.

I STILL cannot believe I am nearly done...

[birdsandbees]

If you think you bombed you should be good Dirk ! Our Daughter called right after she wrote her three exams for her architects licence (after 7 years of University and then 4000 hours of "intern" work) and stated "I sure F'd that up"! and a week later her official licence came courier !