Time Management Is Critical
TIME MANAGEMENT ⏳ ...BOY, OH BOY, DO YOU NEED THIS!
Time management is the most critical skill you need in PA School. If you have yet to manage to learn time management before PA School, don’t worry. You will catch on very quickly.
Most students only know if they have time management skills once they are in the 1st semester.
You Are Not Alone!
Depending on the school you attend and the professor’s schedule, you will have multiple classes every day from 8 am until 7 pm. I remember when I was in PA School 2 days out of the week, I was in school from 8 am – 9 pm. YES, 9 pm! Things may have changed now, but regardless of how long the classes are, you will still need time management.
You may be asking what class was until 9 pm. Well, Physiology was the class taught by an incredible woman Dr. Garvey. She knew the Guyton Physiology Book word for word, even the figures in each chapter. She taught so many people at City College, and I must take this time to appreciate her coming after work to prepare us for 3 hours two times a week. That is no small feat! I am sure any PA who has had the opportunity to learn from her has my exact sentiments.
You will be taking a significant amount of courses each semester. You do not pick your schedule. The schedule is set and pre-made. Everyone in your cohort will follow the same schedule.
You must learn to manage your time because your schedule is jammed pack. Plus, you may have outside responsibilities to take of while managing your course workload, such as family, marriage, children, or job (if you even have time).
First Semester Courses:
The MAJOR COURSES in the 1st semester that will be overwhelming are:
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Pharmacology
- Physical Diagnosis
I learned to plan out my days and weekends. This way, I could read and review each course daily because there was no time to read everything. This was NOT fun, and with all the planning…studying, and staying up late would be my life for the next 2.5 years.
Keep in mind everyone learns differently, whether it be studying alone or in a group…YOU WILL RELY ON GROUP STUDYING! There is so much information to retain in a short period that working in a group will be your saving grace because it will save you time⏲.
Study Methods
Different ways to study:
- Alone
- Group
- Alone to review, then join a group
- By teaching others, if you learn by talking about the topic
- Listening to recordings of the class
- Making notes of each chapter, then reviewing class notes
In PA School, I was good at reading a topic picking out the main points and talking about it to my friends to reinforce what I learned. Also, breaking down the subject to my friends helped with memorizing information primarily for the exams.
To give you an idea💡 of how I took notes 📝, see the photo below 👇🏾:
Breakdown of Notes:
- Name of Diseaase
-
Most Commons = Things you MUST Know!!!
- Etiology
- Risk Factors
- Signs/Symptoms
- Diagnosis/Labs
- Treatment (Outpatient/Inpatient/ER)
******MUST KNOW THE MOST COMMONS FOR EXAMS******
You won’t have time to read everything. You will have to read different topics for multiple courses simultaneously. You may have to create an outline and gradually add on with time. That is why time management is essential.
Good Luck! If you need any help or tips, feel free to contact me.
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