Last year, I was cramming skills sheet verbalizations in my head, stressing about anatomy and eager to get to the cadaver lab. Fortunately, our instructors have many opportunities for our class to help out and volunteer with the incoming class. For example, on Thursday I attended the anatomy lab again to help with the dissections and laminectomy! It was so exciting to see the new students handle the bone saws, hammers and other instruments. They were asking so many questions, questions that I asked when I was in their shoes "what are the tests like?" "are they hard?" "what is the summer like?" "what was the worst part?" and many more.
In addition to anatomy lab, we have other opportunities to volunteer with Friday physical assessment lab. I remember being just like them trying to cram all that information in my head and not fully understanding what I was doing. Looking back, I was happy that I memorized those sheets, some of them stuck well and others I forgot completely. But this is why we are constantly reviewing this material and being tested on it. Our Final Clinical Competency Examination CCE III, we need to use the skills that we learned back in that first term, so even though we are volunteering to help them through these awkward first labs, we are also reviewing and benefiting from the experience as well!
I cannot believe that a year ago I did not know all the things that I do now. A year ago I was just an ER tech showing up to PA school classes. Now, it sounds strange, but now I feel like a real PA student...I feel like, in that past year, I earned that title.
In addition to anatomy lab, we have other opportunities to volunteer with Friday physical assessment lab. I remember being just like them trying to cram all that information in my head and not fully understanding what I was doing. Looking back, I was happy that I memorized those sheets, some of them stuck well and others I forgot completely. But this is why we are constantly reviewing this material and being tested on it. Our Final Clinical Competency Examination CCE III, we need to use the skills that we learned back in that first term, so even though we are volunteering to help them through these awkward first labs, we are also reviewing and benefiting from the experience as well!
I cannot believe that a year ago I did not know all the things that I do now. A year ago I was just an ER tech showing up to PA school classes. Now, it sounds strange, but now I feel like a real PA student...I feel like, in that past year, I earned that title.