End of spring session and cannot believe the work load just to get through this semester of 10 hours, work, family commitments and earning decent grades. I am finishing the last of the required prerequisites to East Carolina (ECU) and EVMS' PA programs. My brain needs a rest.
I still have three final Exams and I have been studying yesterday and all day today and believe I deserve a small break right now. Organic Chemistry final tomorrow and Microbiology Lab Practical to be following by the Microbiology final in a few days.
The onset of spring fever is like I have never had before. It is beautiful outside and I am stuck in here at my desk trying to focus and retain this subject material which is definitely difficult for me the non-medicated, highly functioning ADD person that I am. I respond to any noise or bird that flys by the window, really bad. I have only to make it through the next 18 hours and I will relax my mind for a couple of days of fun in the sun.
Its hard to believe that I started this prerequisite journey two years ago in the fall of 2009. My time in school (2 schools) has literally flown by and I cannot quite grasp that I am nearing the end of this portion. I guess when it is over I will relax a bit.
Right now, I am missing my wife and two boys, they are having a good time on vacation but they too deserve this time, the only downside is that they are without me and I miss them. I will be joining them tomorrow night once I have completed my self inflicted torture. I realize that when I get into PA school there will be many days without seeing them, since I will be living a few hours away. I know this will be difficult and I don't know how I will do it, but I know other people go through this and survive, so can I. I realize that they are one of the reasons for my commitment to this future in medicine.
Well it is back to studying. Contact me if you have questions about this career path or my progress. Happy to share my experience.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Saturday, April 9, 2011
The process is a mystery.....why?
In my office tonight after putting my two young boys to bed, I am preparing for exam week with Organic Chemistry and Microbiology. This is shear punishment, not just to pass but to make an A. I was just reflecting on my journey and how difficult it has been thus far and still how uncertain the end goal is still for me. I have invested 24 months in added education and have even retaken course work from my previous BS from 1994. I know that I am not alone there are a few of us out there.
I don't understand why there is no clear cut path for the returning student to make a major change in their career to become a Physicians Assistant. There seems to be a hundreds of ways to do it incorrectly, but only one right way and every school has different qualifiers. They seem to change on a semester by semester basis. Is it possible to find the person that can unlock the information safe for this process? Had I not been persistent in finding out information on my own, I would not have gotten this far. I am not sure if what I am doing is in fact the best or worst way to go about this process of getting into a PA Program. It seems odd, while the health care industry claims there is a enormous need for many qualified and caring people in the filed, it is next to impossible to get a straight answer from anyone on how you can complete the process.
There appears to be certain highly subjective opinions about course work, qualifications and experience necessary to matriculate into the limited spaces in PA programs. You could literally spend several years in the trenches taking your prerequisite course work with 3.5 GPA or higher and not get in to a PA Program. How can this be?
The typical non-traditional (older) student must make a higher level of commitment to get these things done with all their other responsibilities associated with being...... well older. Providing for a family, maintaining your job, children and other commitments to juggle and no one will give you the straight answer to the question; If you complete this you are ready and we will accept you. Why the mystery? It is like showing up for a job everyday with the expectation of getting paid in time and finding out you might not.
My current experience is in the business environment, if you want something, you set your goals and you work toward this and it is black and white you can attain the goal, at least that is how it has been. I have personally spoken to several academic advisors and they have been less than complementary and far from encouraging in our meetings. In two of the meetings they actually asked if I would consider something else that was being offered at there school. What is this? How should I feel when I leave this meeting, how would that make you feel? If you do all these things we are asking, then you might get in. What?
Why should this be so difficult, a person works hard and organizes their time upholds the highest standards and they are being turned away or discouraged from the applications process because it is "very competitive". I don't know what the decision makers are doing and how they are rationalizing their selection decisions for students of their PA programs......what is the big secret? Let us know and we will rise to the occasion. I believe it is more difficult for the non-traditional student than the younger lesser experienced students. The panel of decision makers should include in their selection process of an applicant what has been accomplished (in other fields) and what the students have to give up in order the make this happen? There are many areas that are affected; First, the loss of income, secondly, the time that you spend studying and not being with your family is gone forever, all for the hope that we will get the chance to go forward?
Why would a 23-28 year old student that has done only school or has minimal life experience be a better candidate than someone in their 30's or 40's? These mature students who have shown success in other fields perhaps and have experienced life, love and loss. They have been developing their people skills and isn't this what also makes an excellent care provider? When at bedside of a patient this will be their most important attribute when comforting the sick or scared. Ultimately, the patient wins.
This path needs to be clearer and not full of so many obstacles.
I don't understand why there is no clear cut path for the returning student to make a major change in their career to become a Physicians Assistant. There seems to be a hundreds of ways to do it incorrectly, but only one right way and every school has different qualifiers. They seem to change on a semester by semester basis. Is it possible to find the person that can unlock the information safe for this process? Had I not been persistent in finding out information on my own, I would not have gotten this far. I am not sure if what I am doing is in fact the best or worst way to go about this process of getting into a PA Program. It seems odd, while the health care industry claims there is a enormous need for many qualified and caring people in the filed, it is next to impossible to get a straight answer from anyone on how you can complete the process.
There appears to be certain highly subjective opinions about course work, qualifications and experience necessary to matriculate into the limited spaces in PA programs. You could literally spend several years in the trenches taking your prerequisite course work with 3.5 GPA or higher and not get in to a PA Program. How can this be?
The typical non-traditional (older) student must make a higher level of commitment to get these things done with all their other responsibilities associated with being...... well older. Providing for a family, maintaining your job, children and other commitments to juggle and no one will give you the straight answer to the question; If you complete this you are ready and we will accept you. Why the mystery? It is like showing up for a job everyday with the expectation of getting paid in time and finding out you might not.
My current experience is in the business environment, if you want something, you set your goals and you work toward this and it is black and white you can attain the goal, at least that is how it has been. I have personally spoken to several academic advisors and they have been less than complementary and far from encouraging in our meetings. In two of the meetings they actually asked if I would consider something else that was being offered at there school. What is this? How should I feel when I leave this meeting, how would that make you feel? If you do all these things we are asking, then you might get in. What?
Why should this be so difficult, a person works hard and organizes their time upholds the highest standards and they are being turned away or discouraged from the applications process because it is "very competitive". I don't know what the decision makers are doing and how they are rationalizing their selection decisions for students of their PA programs......what is the big secret? Let us know and we will rise to the occasion. I believe it is more difficult for the non-traditional student than the younger lesser experienced students. The panel of decision makers should include in their selection process of an applicant what has been accomplished (in other fields) and what the students have to give up in order the make this happen? There are many areas that are affected; First, the loss of income, secondly, the time that you spend studying and not being with your family is gone forever, all for the hope that we will get the chance to go forward?
Why would a 23-28 year old student that has done only school or has minimal life experience be a better candidate than someone in their 30's or 40's? These mature students who have shown success in other fields perhaps and have experienced life, love and loss. They have been developing their people skills and isn't this what also makes an excellent care provider? When at bedside of a patient this will be their most important attribute when comforting the sick or scared. Ultimately, the patient wins.
This path needs to be clearer and not full of so many obstacles.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Time flys when your having fun
I have now been on the schooling trail for two semesters and this is the third. The class loads are heavier each time, just trying to push my mind. I was told that going to PA school is like trying to get a drink of water from a fire hydrant. That scared me enough to want to expand my mind.
I am diligently working to keep the GPA high, 3.75 or higher is the goal and this time it is looking good for a strong finish.
I was asked to register for classes today and there is such a variety of classes that are available both online, and on the two campuses that are within an hour of my home. The remaining classes I am looking for are Genetics, Microbiology, Organic Chemistry and Anatomy & Physiology.
I cannot believe that the semester is almost over and I am still having fun, although it has been busy. I have to make some quick decisions on courses, it does not look like I should take all these at one time. This would likely be academic suicide, not this guy. I had hoped to finish these by the spring 2011 semester but the intensity is a little scary. Now that I have gotten started, I have registered at three different universities and colleges so that I could take whatever course they offered when I needed it. ECU, ECSU, and College of the Albemarle all offer either online or lecture classes for the many prerequisite classes I need, I have just a couple days to figure it out. Will keep updating information.
My current schedule has been with three classes, medical terminology, nutrition, Anatomy and Physiology with lab. Busy this time, but time is flying by almost over. Still being pulled into work about 20-30 hours a week, it is great to be able to do both but sometimes it is overwhelming.
I am diligently working to keep the GPA high, 3.75 or higher is the goal and this time it is looking good for a strong finish.
I was asked to register for classes today and there is such a variety of classes that are available both online, and on the two campuses that are within an hour of my home. The remaining classes I am looking for are Genetics, Microbiology, Organic Chemistry and Anatomy & Physiology.
I cannot believe that the semester is almost over and I am still having fun, although it has been busy. I have to make some quick decisions on courses, it does not look like I should take all these at one time. This would likely be academic suicide, not this guy. I had hoped to finish these by the spring 2011 semester but the intensity is a little scary. Now that I have gotten started, I have registered at three different universities and colleges so that I could take whatever course they offered when I needed it. ECU, ECSU, and College of the Albemarle all offer either online or lecture classes for the many prerequisite classes I need, I have just a couple days to figure it out. Will keep updating information.
My current schedule has been with three classes, medical terminology, nutrition, Anatomy and Physiology with lab. Busy this time, but time is flying by almost over. Still being pulled into work about 20-30 hours a week, it is great to be able to do both but sometimes it is overwhelming.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Second Career as a PA, what are you doing?
Well this is interesting....you have been working in the real estate sales industry for 15 years and have loved it, I could not imagine another field that I could love as much as being a real estate broker in a resort market. I have had some life changing experiences that have tugged me in a new direction and it is now time to create a new me. The future prospects are exciting and to tell you the truth, I was scared as hell. Many of my friends ask the question, "What are you doing man?" I am changing my life and creating my new future.
When you get older or well out of college and decide to return to college, there is no easy way to do it. Now we have children, spouses and the many commitments of life, family responsibilities, money matters, bills to pay and you decide to return to school. This is not an easy chore, there are two years of prerequisites staring me in the face and then 27-30 months of medical school. Right there you could psych yourself out and stop you dead in your tracks, don't let the thought scare you.
Physicians Assistant is the new career I am pursuing and I will try to convey some of the thoughts and experiences that I encounter on my path to becoming a PA . This will take me the next few years, so hopefully it will be helpful to anyone wanting to change their station in life as I am doing.
My new career choice came to me as a result of losing my mother to a brief and fatal battle with ovarian cancer. I spent the good part of 3 weeks in the hospital with my mother as her advocate, getting to know and understand how important it is to ask questions of the doctors and nurses. How to have the medical professional explain thoroughly the medical condition, tests being performed, diagnosis and treatment options. I think that patients and their families should not go through these tough times alone, but many do. The feelings as if they do not have choices or not being sure what is going on. From this personal experience I realize that people really need a caring health care provider and advocate for themselves and their families when going to the hospital. This is my main reason for going into medicine, I want to be that professional that can explain in lay mans terms, the complexity of medical problems, treatment options and prevention.
From my research I have found several schools that offer Physician Assistant programs and I have gone to interview the guidance counselors for the PA programs at each of these schools. The meetings were extremely helpful and I have come away with much information regarding the needed prerequisites, GPA's and other medical opportunities. In some cases I have felt as if I was being pushed to do other programs because of the competitive nature of the PA school program. They were just being helpful, but it felt as if I was not a good candidate for their program and with over 900 applicants and 60 spots I can see their reasons. I can tell you that my mediocre GPA (2.5) from Business School did not impress the faculty, nor did the fact that I have had minimal science coursework from my bachelors degree. I came away with a long to-do list of courses that I need to take prior to being able to make application. I realized I am just a babe in the woods so to speak, and life is like that, those decisions we made along time ago always show up when we don't want them to.
Since those meetings I been taking courses at night and online to move towards my goal. I was told that I needed to make all "A's" so that is also my goal and it has been paying off too. The analogy I was told by my wife is that I am now building my new house of bricks and mortar not straw and sticks. You know I was always told "if it doesn't kill you it will make you stronger", this is one of those times.
When you get older or well out of college and decide to return to college, there is no easy way to do it. Now we have children, spouses and the many commitments of life, family responsibilities, money matters, bills to pay and you decide to return to school. This is not an easy chore, there are two years of prerequisites staring me in the face and then 27-30 months of medical school. Right there you could psych yourself out and stop you dead in your tracks, don't let the thought scare you.
Physicians Assistant is the new career I am pursuing and I will try to convey some of the thoughts and experiences that I encounter on my path to becoming a PA . This will take me the next few years, so hopefully it will be helpful to anyone wanting to change their station in life as I am doing.
My new career choice came to me as a result of losing my mother to a brief and fatal battle with ovarian cancer. I spent the good part of 3 weeks in the hospital with my mother as her advocate, getting to know and understand how important it is to ask questions of the doctors and nurses. How to have the medical professional explain thoroughly the medical condition, tests being performed, diagnosis and treatment options. I think that patients and their families should not go through these tough times alone, but many do. The feelings as if they do not have choices or not being sure what is going on. From this personal experience I realize that people really need a caring health care provider and advocate for themselves and their families when going to the hospital. This is my main reason for going into medicine, I want to be that professional that can explain in lay mans terms, the complexity of medical problems, treatment options and prevention.
From my research I have found several schools that offer Physician Assistant programs and I have gone to interview the guidance counselors for the PA programs at each of these schools. The meetings were extremely helpful and I have come away with much information regarding the needed prerequisites, GPA's and other medical opportunities. In some cases I have felt as if I was being pushed to do other programs because of the competitive nature of the PA school program. They were just being helpful, but it felt as if I was not a good candidate for their program and with over 900 applicants and 60 spots I can see their reasons. I can tell you that my mediocre GPA (2.5) from Business School did not impress the faculty, nor did the fact that I have had minimal science coursework from my bachelors degree. I came away with a long to-do list of courses that I need to take prior to being able to make application. I realized I am just a babe in the woods so to speak, and life is like that, those decisions we made along time ago always show up when we don't want them to.
Since those meetings I been taking courses at night and online to move towards my goal. I was told that I needed to make all "A's" so that is also my goal and it has been paying off too. The analogy I was told by my wife is that I am now building my new house of bricks and mortar not straw and sticks. You know I was always told "if it doesn't kill you it will make you stronger", this is one of those times.
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