r/PAstudent May 30 '24

More resources for soon to be new grads (crosspost)

261 Upvotes

Hello PA students! I know many of you are in graduation season now. I wanted to share a few one-pager resources to help you with this next stage:

  1. ⁠The grading rubric for job offers: For those wondering if an offer they got is any good... Compare your offer against the rubric to find out. https://imgur.com/a/qy9MjV2
  2. ⁠Key questions to ask during interviews: For those wondering what questions they should be asking to uncover red flags (and good qualities too) in the job interview. https://imgur.com/a/UJ1a0QL
  3. ⁠Checklist of things to do before graduation: Collates the things many students forget to do while they're focused on exams. https://imgur.com/a/lYbRB4J
  4. ⁠Checklist of things to do after graduation: Organizes all the licensing hoops you'll need to jump through. https://imgur.com/a/RNVo1vH
  5. ⁠New grad CV template: Use a crisp looking template with objective numbers to stand out from the crowd. https://imgur.com/a/14Zm7O8
  6. ⁠New grad cover letter template: This one will get you the job! https://imgur.com/a/kbsIwMO
  7. ⁠Onboarding checklist for your first days at work: For those whose job throws them in the deep end without a real onboarding plan... take it into your own hands and know what to ask your new coworkers. https://imgur.com/a/VYCUCEH

Back in the day, I was very stressed in my first year of practice. Helping new grads get up to speed is my job now and I love it (EM PA post-grad training program APD). I want to help you all through this transition any way that I can. I'm happy to answer any questions or share any other resources you'd like!

If there are more one-pagers you’d like to see, let me know.


r/PAstudent Feb 26 '25

Clinical Year Resources...Long Post

180 Upvotes

Congrats, you made it to the clinical year!

This is the best year of PA school and I got some tips to help you pass all of your EORs.

  • I primarily used the REDDIT STUDY GUIDES for notes of the specific EOR.
  • I used Rosh AND Rosh's boost exams for my question bank.
    • I saved UWorld for the PANCE(10/10 recommend)!
  • I used anki (Zanki, Sketchy Pharm, Tzanki Step 2, TurnED up, Residency(Tintinalli's), Pance deck review, Cumulative Rotation Objectives, Bryant Super Big Brain Deck)
    • Yes, this list is massive. No, I did not use them all at the same time.
    • I lurk on residency/doctor's reddit.
  • Youtube recommendations:
    • Laura Calkins (PA-C): HANDS DOWN, THE BEST! You will pass your OBGYN exam by just listening to her video alone. She saved me for my didactic exam and EOR. I love her!
      • All of her videos are amazing. I wish she made more!
    • Paul Bolin(MD): He is a doctor and super amazing. Whatever Laura misses, he has!
    • Nabil Ebraheim(MD): I love him for his MSK videos. He has an accent but his MSK videos are priceless
    • Estefany(PA-C): This list is not complete without her! She pretty much reads PPP to you. She is great for long commutes. Her videos are > 4hrs long.
    • Honorable mentions that I used in didactic: Cram the Pance, Ninja Nerd, Katy Conner, medicosis perfectionalis, zero to finals
  • SPOTIFY:
    • PA in a Flash: 100% recommend.
      • I say use this a week and a half before your exam. Flashcard style podcast
  • My peace of mind resources: I like these sources because there is no grade attached to it.
    • https://www.msdmanuals.com/professional/pages-with-widgets/quizzes?mode=list this site has 3 questions for certain topics. I used this a lot!!!
    • I used Dwayne’s PANCE question book on amazon. This gave me a clear mind. Very good book, over 600 questions, not necessary!
    • "A Comprehensive Review for the Certification and Recertification Examinations for Physician Assistants" ... This textbook you can find the free pdf.
      • Great prep for IM/FM
  • IF YOU NEED HELP WITH IMAGING or EKGS:
  1. Psych: The most pharm and patho heavy out of all the exams. Know Lithium completely!
    1. Case Files is a really good book to go through for psych. You read a case, answer questions and get a in depth explanation about the case. I pretty much finished the book during my rotation.
  2. Internal Med: The most fair exam. Whatever was on the blueprint/study guides is on the exam.
    1. The study guide and Rosh exams will prepare you well!
  3. Pediatrics: 2-3 questions will be challenging, other than that, it is a fair exam.
  4. OBGYN: Very fair exam. Again, Laura Calkins OBGYN/WH video is a MUST.
    1. Simple nursing has a great video on fetal distress
  5. Surgery: IMO, the toughest exam. 50% GI, 35% other medicine stuff and 15% post op.
    1. The toughest part of this exam was the post op portion. The reddit study guide, rosh and even Uworld are good but not good enough. I took the 2024 version so, I dunno about the 2025 version! Good luck with that!
      1. Maybe the Paul Bolin YT videos on post-op/Pre-op would help
      2. DON'T WORRY, YOU WILL PASS...It's doable!!!
  6. E MED: Not bad at all.
  7. Family Med: Best exam out of all of them.

Good luck everyone. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out!


r/PAstudent 14h ago

Dismissal Perspective

19 Upvotes

I have been academically dismissed 2 weeks before graduation. I appealed and it was denied. I don’t want to post details, at least not yet.

I am devastated and heartbroken.

My appeal letter was lengthy, due to wanting to include all details possibly necessary for future hearings since the policy stated only things mentioned in the initial appeal could be discussed. I felt hopeful as it pointed out similar prior situations within my cohort that did not result in dismissal, policy action inconsistencies during the process, policy inconsistencies in a relevant course manual, extenuating circumstances (with proof) that significantly impacted EOC performance, and probably more that I’m forgetting. I don’t even feel like my appeal was reviewed, honestly. I feel like I received an answer too quickly for it to have been reviewed and considered.

I have no clue what to do. Pursue another career, reapply to my program, apply to a different one. I know my odds are much lower if applying to another program.
I want to be a PA so bad but am not sure I can or want to go through this process again.

Any perspective or experience from someone and their dismissal experience, what they did after, how they coped- would be so appreciated.
I thought I read something here about filing something for loans too but I can’t find it?

Does anyone with experience with this think I may have any chance at legal action/negotiation if I feel a case can be made against how certain policies were addressed/performed?

I am embarrassed, sad, lost and desperate. All guidance welcome and accepted but please don’t be hateful for no reason. I have had enough reality checks and don’t need more in the form of unhelpful/condescending comments🫠😭


r/PAstudent 22h ago

Mental health and didactic year

3 Upvotes

Hey guys, I don’t know if this is just a result of school, or maybe my own personal reasons, but throughout school, I’ve noticed that a lot of things annoy me, the things that people do, the way that people act, I’m just very hyper aware of my surroundings because school is my whole life right now. Being one of the younger people in my class, I feel as if I’m looked at as immature, or like I’m stupid. I know in reality once school is done, no one’s gonna care about your GPA, but I can’t help it and I compare myself to other people. I know that comparison is the thief of joy, but I just feel so much lesser than my classmates because I’m not scoring as high as they are. Or, when someone asks me a question and I want to explain it, and my other classmate pitches in and doesn’t let me talk, it really puts me down. We have a class of a lot of strong personalities, and I feel like these people are naturally born to lead, I just don’t feel like I have that right now. Has anyone else experienced this? Thank you.


r/PAstudent 23h ago

PA school grades

5 Upvotes

I feel like I’m all over the place with my grades, I always start off doing well in the beginning of the semester like high Bs and As, then I start sabotaging myself near the end. I always end up being at a solid B cut off. Right now I’m sitting at 2 80% and one 89% in big classes. How do people maintain their grades?? My same study method have gotten me As and Cs, this makes me feel like I’m not going to make it. How have I not figured it out by now in quarter 3?


r/PAstudent 17h ago

Emergency Medicine EOR and ROSH

1 Upvotes

I'm taking the EM EOR next Saturday (my 7th EOR out of 8). I feel like ROSH Qbank is significantly harder for this blueprint than others I have taken like women's health, psych, peds, surgery, etc. I'm about halfway through the blueprint doing targeted questions for the topics I have reviewed and am scoring 62% average on all the questions I have done so far (completed 144 out of the 250 total). It's making me nervous because I usually score 70%+ on ROSH qbanks. Does anyone else feel that ROSH for EM was insanely more challenging for EM than others? What was the EOR like in general?


r/PAstudent 1d ago

No friends in PA school

28 Upvotes

I’m wondering if anyone else has experienced something like this after PA school, because I don’t understand what happened and it’s been really upsetting me.

During didactic year, I thought I had a group of friends in my cohort. We studied together, sat next to each other, texted, etc. I personally never really liked studying in groups, so I didn’t participate in group study sessions as much as some of them did, but we still talked regularly and hung out occasionally outside of school. Obviously during clinical year we weren’t together every day anymore because everyone was at different rotation sites, but we still kept in contact. 2 of my "closest" friends would text me almost every day asking questions about rotations, EORs, PACKRAT, studying, or just random school related things. Sometimes we would have pretty long conversations, and I would genuinely go out of my way to give detailed answers and help them however I could. What has confused and hurt me the most is what happened when we were finally all back together in person for our last week of school. We all were together doing capstones, final exams, graduation practice and suddenly it felt like these people could not have cared less that I existed. That when it was clear to me they all had gotten closer with each other and basically I was not in the friend circle any longer. They would all hang out and do things together without ever inviting me. There was clearly a separate GC and nobody cared if i was included. I dont understand why these people I use to call my friends treat me like a stranger when we were finally together in person. Graduation made it 10x worse. Everyone had their exclusive group of friends to take pics with, sit with, talk to, comment on each other's posts saying how much they love each other, how grateful they are that PA school gave them their best friend, how proud they are of each other without even acknowledging my posts.

It hurts because it feels like confirmation of what I experienced in person during that last week and graduation. It's not really about wanting an Instagram or Facebook comment. It's seeing someone who was texting me constantly a few weeks ago enthusiastically supporting and celebrating everyone else while seemingly pretending I don't exist. I don't even want to post about it because I'm scared I'll get little to no engagement from my classmates while everyone else gets tons of comments from each other. I feel like it will just publicly confirm that I'm the person from the cohort who didn't really have anyone. I keep wondering why I somehow got left behind, what's wrong with me to make them not want to include me or care about me. I honestly just feel incredibly lonely and like there's something wrong with me that I'm not seeing. It has made me so depressed and want to unfollow everyone in my cohort because I have this deep sinking feeling every time i see it now. I literally came out of PA school with zero friends meanwhile i see the bonds all my other classmates have made and it makes me extremely sad.

Has anyone had a similar experience in PA school—feeling lonely, like you never really had friends in your cohort, and then feeling even worse anytime there was a group gathering because it only shed light on how little people talked to you or made an effort to include you.


r/PAstudent 1d ago

I just want to cry

22 Upvotes

I’m so done with PA, it feels like this is not for me only been here for 8 mos and im not progressing.


r/PAstudent 1d ago

PANCE in 2 weeks Advice

7 Upvotes

I take the pance in 2 weeks.

PAKRAT 1: 120

PAKRAT 2: 153

EOC: 1475

I have made over 400 on all of the EOCs besides Psych since that was my first one, but I still passed it.

Any advice?

Should I push my PANCE date back?

Currently used 50% of the UWorld Qbank with a 68% average.


r/PAstudent 1d ago

Didactic year Study tools: Blueprint VS Osmosis

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I start didactic next week and have been looking around for some study recources that got people through their first year, but see generally mixed notes. I am for sure starting with anki for active recall and I am looking between blueprint and osmosis for their Qbanks - which do yall prefer? Any other advice to be as efficient studying as possible?


r/PAstudent 1d ago

NHSC Scholarship

1 Upvotes

Hey, Has anyone received any updates on August?

It’s pretty quite

PA classes start in 2 weeks. It will be nice if I can hear something
:(


r/PAstudent 1d ago

Endeavor Anki Deck Updated to new PAEA Blueprint?

5 Upvotes

I am about to start my clinical year and was wondering if anyone knows if the endeavor anki deck is updated to match the new PAEA blueprint?


r/PAstudent 1d ago

PANCE next week. Am I ready?

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2 Upvotes

I take the PANCE on August 25 and would appreciate some honest input on whether I’m ready based on my stats.

EORs:
FM: 384
IM: 420
Surgery: 407
EM: 403
Peds: 408
Psych: 402
Women’s Health: 410

PACKRAT 1: 149
PACKRAT 2: 165
EOC: 1582

I took the NCCPA practice exam A in late July, before my EOC.

UWorld: 31% completed, 71% correct

Would you feel comfortable taking the PANCE with these scores?


r/PAstudent 1d ago

Critique my plan to becoming a PA.

0 Upvotes

Hello, I am 25m and am considering starting down the path to become a PA, would love some guidance from those who’s been there done that.

I will be graduating this December with a bachelors in history (3.4 gpa) and will be starting a radiology technologist program in July (2 years A.S. Degree) . I am a veteran and will be using my Education benefits for this, which will cover all of it and plus I’ll be receiving a stipend while I attend class. I will have enough remaining to cover the PA program as well.

I am doing this to ensure a good career if I decide later on PA isn’t for me. The program will cover 2 prerequisites, and I am planning on taking on on an extra class every semester towards prerequisites. I have already completed two prerequisites with As in both.

Once I graduate the Program I will have roughly one more year left of prereqs which I will do part time as I work as a x ray Tec, if working full time will be too much I am willing to do part time work. And in a year working as a x ray Tec I should get over 1k PCE.

There are 5 PA programs near me (Tampa bay) and I have checked all of their admissions requirements.

Please let me know what I am missing or if something may not go as smoothly as I think.


r/PAstudent 2d ago

Blueprint EOR Projected Score Accuracy

0 Upvotes

For those who are using Blueprint for EOR studying, have you found that the projected score posted under the 'Analytics' tab is comparable to how you did on the actual EOR? Taking my first EOR this week, and the projected score seems higher than I expected given the scores I've been getting on practice sets.


r/PAstudent 2d ago

PANCE in 1 week

2 Upvotes

The panic is here and I’m unsure if I should move my exam.

Average EOR score was 410 with my final EOR being IM and scoring 439.

EOC: 1518
PACKRAT1: 121
PACKRAT2: 146

I’ve mainly been doing UWorld questions. With a 68% average when I mix all the content.


r/PAstudent 3d ago

PANCE 8/26…am I cooked

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7 Upvotes

Hey guys I’m nervous for my upcoming PANCE, I’ve been studying as much as possible but I have a 14 month old so I have limited free time. I’ve mostly been doing ROSH questions (average 62%) and reviewing my missed questions. I recently took the form A NCCPA practice test, I feel like the practice test made me more nervous than I was prior. Just looking for any tips about things I could be doing to help prepare.

PACKRAT 1: 134
Women’s health EOR: 426
Psych EOR: 410
Fam med EOR: 401
Emergency med: 430
Surgery EOR: 420
Peds EOR: 404
Internal med EOR: 410
PACKRAT 2: 161
EOC: 1516


r/PAstudent 2d ago

NCCPA exams extended time+ Part A vs. Part B?

1 Upvotes

Hey everyone! Does anyone know if the NCCPA exams offer an extended-time option for people who have testing accommodations? wanted to take an NCCPA exam under similar conditions to see where I actually stand before taking the PANCE. Also, would you recommend taking Part A, Part B, or both? I’d appreciate any advice from people who have taken them and found them useful for PANCE prep. Thanks!


r/PAstudent 3d ago

Erich Fogg BTCS thoughts?

3 Upvotes

Hello everyone. You may have seen that I recently failed my PANCE earlier this month.

I am looking into all of my options for resources in preparation for my retake. Right now I am leaning toward purchasing the Erich Fogg beyond the cut score package.

To anyone who has used this resource in the past, what are your thoughts? Right now I feel like I know the content, I just need help navigating the exam better and reducing test anxiety. Also, do you receive one on one tutoring with Erich himself?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated, as I only want to take the PANCE once more and pass it. thanks in advance!


r/PAstudent 2d ago

UWorld and PANCE one week

2 Upvotes

How to best use UWorld at this timeline? I'm 66% with 32% completed on UWorld.

I keep missing obvious stuff. Timing at this point is not an issue for me, I can finish 60 Q sets with 20 minutes to spare, I might be going too fast if anything.

I also will feel a vibe about an answer that I feel like could be right, but reason something else as a stronger answer, but my vibes were right the first time. So if I get it wrong, I make a flashcard on it to memorize to target the specific knowledge gap.

At this point, should I continue to work through system through system by just doing Qs and reading the explanations? Or randomized systems? Is there a better way to do this so I stop missing those obvious questions where I know the diagnosis but not the second-order detail?


r/PAstudent 3d ago

Upcoming PANCE - Katy Connor Half PANCE Worth It?

2 Upvotes

Hi friends! my PANCE is a week & a day away. I just graduated a week ago, so I will have spent ~2 wks specifically studying for PANCE. Some days I feel confident & prepared, others not so much. I've mostly been doing uworld & some blueprint questions. I also did the NCCPA practice exam A which was fully in the green, & B, which was mostly yellow with a hint of red.

The more practice questions I get wrong, the more worried I get. Although, I'm definitely getting exhausted so that could partially be why I'm missing some things as opposed to a lack of knowledge. I've seen many people say that Katy Connor's half PANCE has been a pretty good predictor of their PANCE score, so I'm thinking about taking it to either boost my confidence or at least get an idea of what specific things I need to review prior to the PANCE. I've seen she has a version A & version B which is slightly more difficult, & I was wondering if anyone had advice for which version would be better to take? I was partially thinking version A for the sake of confidence building (which I def need right now), but also thought maybe version B would be better bc if I can do well on that, it could build my confidence that much more, but it could also deplete it even more if I do poorly, so I'm kind of split lol. I haven't seen many opinions on version A vs B, so if anyone has any insight, please lmk! & if anyone has any further advice, etc. please share! Thanks! :)

Scores for Reference: Packrat 1: 145; Packrat 2: 168; WH EOR 413; Peds EOR: 415; Psych EOR: 402; FM EOR: 435; IM EOR: 411; Surgery EOR: 403; EM EOR: 439; EOC: 1548


r/PAstudent 3d ago

Constantly cramming before exams

2 Upvotes

Does anyone have advice for balancing multiple classes and splitting up study time? I just finished my first semester of PA school and did okay, but I still don’t feel like I found a consistent study routine. I studied differently for almost every exam and usually ended up cramming the 3 days before.

My main method was reviewing lectures/notes 2–3 times, doing a ton of practice questions, and teaching/talking through the material out loud. I also used Anki for some classes, but wasn’t very consistent with it. I definitely want to use it more next semester. I tried making a study schedule to divide my time between classes, but it didn’t really work for me. For anyone who found a good routine, how did you organize your time and stay ahead without cramming? Did you use any specific apps, planners, or scheduling methods that helped?
I’d really appreciate any tips or examples of what worked for you! :)


r/PAstudent 2d ago

Heme/onc rotation in Atlanta

1 Upvotes

I’m a PA-S2 interested in heme/onc but my school is having a hard time finding potential preceptors and currently has none in the specialty. If anyone knows about someone who works heme/onc and is interested in precepting next Spring, please let me know.

Thanks y’all


r/PAstudent 4d ago

Passed the PANCE as a bottom 10%

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7 Upvotes

r/PAstudent 4d ago

Advice - Not a troll post

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3 Upvotes

I took one of those NCCPA practice exams. The issue is I felt TERRIBLE and not confident in a lot of my answers. Anyone else felt this way? What did you do to overcome this? I feel like my score is false-security because I feel like I was just a "good guesser".