I ALMOST GAVE UP DURING THE FIRST MONTH OF PA SCHOOL

It was the first day of PA school. We were seated in our soon-to-be classroom. Our program director was giving us advice about handling the stress of PA school. She told us a story that I brushed off... Every year she had at least one student come to her office during the first month to tell her that they wanted to drop out of PA school. Year after year, she talked the student out of it and they undoubtedly excelled after they had enough time to adjust. I vividly remember thinking 𝐇𝐀 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝗪𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐁𝐄 𝐌𝐄. I had always felt like school was my only "talent" and the one thing that I predictably excelled at. I thought I had it down to a science. ⁣

⁣

Much to my surprise, 𝐈𝐓 𝗪𝐀𝐒 𝐌𝐄. About 2 weeks into the program, I found myself sitting across from my program director with tears in my eyes, telling her that I couldn't do it. I felt distracted and unable to concentrate. I remember looking at a PowerPoint and not being able to comprehend the words on the slide. I'd never had a problem focusing or comprehending material. This was foreign and terrifying to me. ⁣

⁣

Luckily, my program director was a pro at her "suck it up, you're not dropping out" speech and she was able to give me the motivation I needed to push through. She assured me that PA school is an adjustment for everyone, even the best students. ⁣

⁣

A week went by and suddenly, I felt like myself again. I was able to read and concentrate without difficulty. I was confident in my capabilities. Once I developed a solid study plan, it was pretty simple to replicate it for each module. The volume of the material was actually the most challenging aspect, not the level of difficulty. ⁣

⁣

I'm not insinuating that PA school is a breeze by any means. I'm just saying that it is manageable once you figure out a method. Adjustments are hard. Stress can take a toll on your mental acuity. Be kind to yourself. You can and will make it through PA school. When you feel like giving up, just keep drinking from that fire hydrant. ⁣

⁣

I know I’m not the only one. When did you keep going when you felt like giving up?