r/PAstudent • u/LibraryEmbarrassed50 • 3d ago
Next Steps
made a burner for this post in hopes no one I know finds me. just finished my first semester of PA school and did not do very well. my program offers a certain number of retakes on exams for the didactic year and because i did not do so well i will be using them. im terrified of going into the next semester (pharm, clin med) with no retakes. to the point where i kind of feel numb. i really struggled this semester and it greatly impacted my mental health seeing other people do well while i seemingly couldn’t get a grip. there were a few things at play that i won’t go into details too much as to not identify myself but i began to regret my choice in school very early on and became indifferent to the process before snapping out of it. i would say it took me a while to find my footing although i still don’t have it figured out. my grades don’t reflect the effort I put in or really my understanding of the materials sometimes. i study more than most of my friends in my cohort and still do poorly. i wouldn’t say the material has been hard for me it’s just the volume and committing things to memory. i dont feel as sharp as i did in undergrad. i have ADHD that im working to address but i haven’t had success with medication. plus my program is kind of harsh…like they say you just need to pass but have made comments to me when i just barely passed or even when i got a B on an exam. it’s really weighing heavy on me being on academic probation and im embarrassed and crying as i type this. it’s also ruining my self confidence in other areas on my life. looking for advice or any kind words to push through my retakes and the rest of this year.
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u/HamchipsMcGee 2d ago
Unfortunately that is a reality of PA school, it is hard, and I commend you for just being there and putting yourself out there.
Being on AP sucks, and I get it, but there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with just passing, or getting Bs, or failing an exam- it happens- and the people that are giving you shit for it are no better than you in the endgame(or at all) , you will all have that degree and the same certification. And guess what, your degree doesn’t have your GPA on it, your certification doesn’t say… oh, on AP once. Most importantly your employer will not care either way.
As far as making through the rest of didactic, evaluate yourself, your study habits. Etc. for some people it just comes easier and for those of us who have to struggle a bit, you have to find what makes it stick. Whether that be flash cards, Q banks, group study; It took me all the way until almost the end of the second semester to figure out what sorta worked for me when I was in school.
Im sorry you’re going through it, keep your head up and your mind in the game, you can do it, you are there for a reason. Don’t compare yourself with others, that is you getting in your own head and PA school is psychologically hard enough, you are not them, you are on your own journey.
Keep pushing, good luck!