Relax :-)

Hello my fellow readers ,

Break is lovely so far. Its something about waking up at noon without any worries of studying or wondering did I forget to turn in an assignment or attend a meeting. Its the simple things in life that make me smile like SLEEP :-)....Im happy to report that I did pass the semester with All A's and 1 B (in statistics)....See you all it can be done :-).... My happiest grade is my A in anatomy because I worked extra hard to get that A :-)

One funny thing that keeps happening to me is I'm having countless "real" 1st years ask me should I be studying for anatomy, should I start Clin Med over break what about Neuroanatomy is it hard. I just tell them relax take this time off and actually take A BREAK. I suppose I can't blame them for being eager and ready to learn cause I imagine I was the same as they were when I went through the program for the 1st time. However, this time for some reason I'm just relaxed and ready for the next step. I'm certainly not even considering looking over any material at least for the first 2.5 weeks of my vacation thats a promise lol....Im going to take my little brother's advice and BELAX yes I spelled that just like he told me, " Sister just Belax" lol haha..Kids are so cute I tell ya!

On a different note I really do enjoy my new class. I was on the phone with a Physician Assistant AKA a recent graduate (2009) of Shenandoah and she asked me how I liked my new class. So I sat and thought about it and just begin realizing just how much I truly enjoy them. Rachel, Licia and I instilled in them early on that PA school is about coming together as a family and just being there for each other and doing this together. We all have the same goals and we all want to get to the same place in life. After we had a few talks like that with our class, they quickly took to it and it has been smooth sailing ever since. We all hang out together, we have study groups/cooking times together, we are there for each other, we laugh with each other & we just pick each other up by the boot straps if one is falling down. Its such a beautiful thing to witness all over again. I belong here with this class :-)

So those are some random thoughts for the day, Ill be back in a few weeks to talk a little more about school. By that time I will be getting prepared to return for the Spring semester so I wont be in such a happy cheerful mood :-)...

Thanks for reading,

The PA student that could :-)

Taneisha!

Back Home and it feels so good :-)

(T) Studying everything for finals!!!

(B) Drawing the blood supply and innervations

Hello readers,

This blog is going to be a real quick one. Well class of 2011 has finished their first rounds of finals for the year HOORAY...We are all SUPER excited and happy that it is finally over and we can return home to our families.

Im currently back at home with my family and it is just what the doctor ordered :-).....So although you fall in love with all your classmates its always good to come home to your family and realize what you're working so hard for :-)....Ill be back to write some more later..

P.S. Congrats class of 2009..YOU GUYS ARE OFFICIALLY PAs as of Friday December 18th. I may not be there with you walking across the stage, but I will be there in the crowd cheering each of you on. I love you all TREMENDOUSLY!!!!!

Toodles

Signed,

The student who is so happy to be finished with the first re-semester...Ugh :-) :-)

Just keep swimming, Just keep swimming...

Who would have thought that a little fish in a Disney movie could be so inspiring, right? "Just keep swimming" is probably a major theme in the hearts and minds of many of my classmates; it certainly is for me. We are nearing the end of our didactic year, and we are exactly one month away from clinical rotations. Tomorrow is our last final, and I just need a break from studying, so here I am.

The last few weeks have been rather exciting. As Taneisha mentioned, the class of 2010 (my class) just recently finished the Physician Assistant Clinical Knowledge Rating and Assessment Tool (PACKRAT), and pending a few more final grades and a couple clinical skills practicals, we will be set free from the confines of the classroom, and we will venture into the clinical world. For the past semester, we have periodically attended pre-clinical meetings, bought our PDAs to track our patients, and now all we have to do is wash our white coats. :-)

You may be thinking - that's a lot of talk about exams and practicals... Do you ever have fun? Well, the best part of passing any portion of the didactic year is the celebration that ensues afterward. Every major milestone in the PA program becomes a cohort birthday party. For our celebration, we, of course, had to start appropriately with food at a local restaurant. Then, we went to one of Winchester's finest new attractions: The Alamo Drafthouse. It's a movie theater and restaurant all in one, and we basically had an entire section of the theater taken up by a majority of our class. It was a great time. After the movie, we headed to the walking mall to dance and have drinks. We met up with even more members from our class and even some fellow physical therapy and pharmacy students. Never fear, where's there's an exam... there's a celebration for passing that exam.

Also, you may be relieved to know that the fall semester isn't all studying and clinical medicine. As you probably know, Shenandoah's program is a Master's degree program, and part of our curriculum includes a Humanities course where we talk about bioethics, debate hot topics and discuss alternative therapy as they relate to life, the PA profession, and clinical practice. The final project in the course is "Exploring Medicine through the Arts," where you are given the chance to display your artistic talent and explain how your creation, whatever it may be, will influence you as a physician assistant. A lot of times people stress about the project because everyone is afraid that they will be judged for their lack of artistic talent. Trust me when I tell you that I have absolutely zero talent when it comes to drawing, painting, or sculpture, but art has a very broad definition and many interpretations. One girl from our class actually sang while playing the guitar - very impressive. There were a number of very interesting projects and all of the interpretations were pertinent, and the project turned out to be very fun and in some cases, therapeutic. Just a little reminder for those of you who may be worried that everything in PA school is all business.

Well, pharmacology/therapeutics is calling my name, so I should get back to that. Next post, I will talk a little more about what kind of breaks you get in PA school, some general advice for success in the didactic year, and hopefully some pictures!

Almost time for the holidays!

C'mon give me a break...I was studying :-)

Pictures: (Left Top) Martini/ Welcome back Night with Mac, Chelesa, Elizabeth; (Right) Jess, Mac and Angela; (Left bottom) Halloween party that PTs threw ( too many to name)

Hello my fellow readers,

Its been a little while since I've written a blog, but I have been SUPER busy with classes and things of that nature. But Im back now and here to share a few things with you. OH by the way be on the look out for pictures here soon; I haven't figured out exactly how to post them yet, but when I do figure it out you will be very pleased :-)....So 1st congrats to the class of 2010 for passing the PACKRATS Hooray. As you will find out after you get accepted to a PA program, a packrat is test that students must take at the end of their didactic year before they go to clinical rotations. Is pretty much set up like a the PANCE exam which is what you will have to take in order to be a certified Physician Assistant. So anyway the class of 2010 passed and are now officially on their way to doing clinical ( VERY HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT :-) )....

So my class (2011) is currently getting ready for the 1st round of finals. This semester went by so fast I can hardly believe it. It must be just me being ready for it to be over, but to me it seems like I just started and already we are about to be finished. That just means we are all one step closer. Man it's about time......I know its weird but I think I am going to miss cadaver lab after next semester. Its something about the going into someone's body and learning hands on what it is that gives you an appreciation for this profession in general. Its funny to me because I used to HATE anatomy, and now when my mind is clear and able to actually focus on it I have come to Love it!

On Saturday, one of our classmates threw a fire pit party at his house and that was so much fun. We sat around and talked all night, had some hotdogs, apple cider, smores, and just relaxed for once. It was a good time to get to know people on their relaxed days. Most of the females raved about how much they either loved New Moon or couldnt wait to see it and all the guys grumbled at the thought of heir wives or girlfriends forcing them to take them to it lol :-)

After the party it was right back to work. Everyone had to study anatomy, do last minute projects, finish write ups for interviewing, and just get our minds right for the massive amount of test that are about to hit us. We are all just ready to get it over with and enjoy the one month break that we all so desperately deserve FOR SURE :-)

It was so exciting to actually get to go home for Thanksgiving. Sometimes you don't realize how much you are neglecting your family until you get to the end of the month and realize that you have only seen them once or twice. Personally thats hard for me to grasp, but I know it has to be done in order for me to do well in school and to get on with my life. Besides its only 2 years of neglect and the rest of my life spent with my loving family :-) I think I can deal with those odds!

Well I would love to write more and really get into some things but I must study for finals...I promise though I will be back soon to share exciting new stories with you and hopefully some nice pictures for you to laugh your socks off about :-) Thanks for reading my blog it makes me so happy :-)

Yours truly,

The" recycled" one :-)

Finding Family away from Family :-)

(L top)- The whole PA school gang introducing " The Ugly Christmas Sweater Day :-) "

( L mid) Sushi night for Jess's bday

( L bot)- Diversity thanksgiving with 1st years, 2nd years and faculty :-)

Hey readers,

So Im not due to write another blog just yet, but yesterday was a reminder as to why the lasting friendships you will acquire here at Shenandoah's PA program are so wonderful & such a blessing.

So the other day one of my classmates saw that I was kind of feeling down in the slump a bit and definitely not my happy self, so she invited me over to her house. We ordered pizza and wings, drank wine and watched funny movies. It was just the touch I needed to change my mood. I guess my slight depression (aka in the slump feelings) kicked in out of nowhere because for one I live alone for my first time EVER and coming from a large family, you tend to like it at first ( for the peace of mind) but then you quickly begin to miss the love and closeness of having family and/or friends around you. Its like you actually miss the noise, chaos and the having someone in close proximity just in case you need a hug or just a ear to talk off. But even more than that my down mood could be attributed to the random thoughts of my first classmates graduating in a few weeks. I guess it's reality slapping me in the face and letting me know just how close I really was, that I was right there. However, I can't dwell on the past. I do know for a fact that once they graduate I will be in a much better mood. Seeing them is a constant reminder that yes its for real, Im not walking on that stage with my PA family that I started out with. Im so happy to have met them though and some of them will be my friends forever and that alone gives me a lot of peace. Im super excited to see every one of them graduate because in all honesty I can't pick out one person in class of 2009 that wouldn't make a fantastic PA for different reasons. So no I'm not jealous or mad at them for any reason, I actually love them to death. It's just hard for me sometimes which I think is understandable considering the circumstances. Thanks to the pizza and wine and movie though because I am in a bad mood no longer and hope it stays that way for a long time :-) :-)

The second thing that got me to thinking about friendships, family and the importance of them is that my friend and I went over to one of our classmates house the other night. She had just lost a loved one and is typically one of the most bubbly, sweetest and fun people I know. However, for the past week she had not been looking very happy at all. So when I saw her looking sad I immediately began to wonder what I can do to bring a smile to her face. It's in my nature to want to help people who are not in the best of situations. I don't know why, but it just comes natural to me ( Im sure I get that from my Mama). I wouldn't be me if I didn't always want people to smile. So anyway one of my classmates Rachel Sparks Miller ( yes I had to give her a shout out :-) ) mentioned that she was going over to help her cook food for her grandfather so he could freeze them and have them whenever and not have to worry about cooking; especially after losing his significant other. I automatically knew this was my way to help because hello anyone who knows me knows I LOVE LOVE LOVE to cook especially for other people :-). So Rachel and I went over and just laughed and helped to cook different foods that she told us he would like and made jokes and of course had a lil bit to drink and even studied some anatomy. It was definitely a strange mix of events, but at the end of it all there was a huge smile on her face and that was what was important. Her two room-mates even came down and joined in on the fun. Situations and circumstances like these are so dear to my heart because at times when you feel you have no one because your family and friends are so far away, you can find new friends that share the same stresses & experiences as you and quickly consider them as your new family away from family. Such a refreshing thought to me :-)

Both of these situations just made such a difference for me & changed my less than desirable mood I was in. Every moment, whether good or bad, is so worth it for me. The devil can never get me so far down that God can't find a way to pick me right back up. Sigh...I sure wonder how people live and survive without faith.

If you are asking yourself what does this have to do with PA school, well Ill tell you like this. Shenandoah's program or any program for that matter, is impossible to pass and remain happy unless you find at least one other person in the program that you can count on when you need them. PA school is about much more then learning knowledge about anatomy and disease states and pharmacology. PA school is a life lesson that teaches you about yourself and about others, way more than a book alone could ever teach you!!!....

Tune in again for the next one :-)......TOODLES!....

Stay tuned for Halloween pictures :-)

Taneisha

P.S. I'm so excited that alot of people including a few family members have told me that they read my blog...Oh my watch out I'm on my way to my own reality TV series. Round 2: My life as a PA student AGAIN lol haha :-).....Hey a girl can dream right :-)

Can you handle the truth?...I just keep it real :-)

Hello to all of my fellow readers,
My name is Taneisha and I am a First Year Physician Assistant student at Shenandoah University...well sort of, but I will get into that a little later. I plan to take you through a journey of my hectic and chaotic life here at PA school and offer you some insight. At times you will read my blogs and literally LAUGH OUT LOUD, and sometimes you will read it and think WOW PA school is really no joke. No matter the mood I am in when I am blogging, I will tell you this ahead of time. All the horrible times, the late nights studying, the crazy amount of material that needs to be learned, the conflicts with classmates or even faculty, all of it is SO worth it in the end. Mainly because all those bad things are countered with better things like lasting friendships, new perspectives, FUN times, & ultimately the accomplished goal of becoming a Physician Assistant and trying to make a difference in the world and lets be real also make some good money :-)...So sit back relax and enjoy the ride :-)

Now earlier I said I'm sort of a First year student, well the reasoning behind that is because I was a PA student in 2007 at SU and actually went all the way through the didactic year right before I was to take the PACKRAT & start clinical. Unfortunately I had to take a leave of absence and take care of unforeseen family affairs. I tell you this not to scare you and think, "oh my you can get that far and have to start from the beginning", its really to show you that many things in life can't be controlled and if you really want anything in life, you have to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and do everything possible to follow your dreams. Its all about ambition, FAITH and dedication and I do believe that this type of life changing experience will make me a wonderful & better PA. So if you are looking at my picture and saying to yourself man she does look familiar its because I was also a blogger in 2007 so therefore you might have read some of my previous experiences.


Although its a huge adjustment coming back after having done all of these classes already, I find myself actually enjoying things more. When I first started in 2007, there was a sense of urgency, and nervousness and DEFINITELY anxiety. Plus I had things going on at home, and that alone came with tons of distractions. Now, I have such a new perspective on life so I find myself actually enjoying going to anatomy and cadaver lab, & I love learning about what it means and what it is to be a PA. I don't know I guess when you have time to reflect you realize the importance of certain things and you learn to appreciate them more.....BUT lets not be fooled there are definitely times throughout the week where I am thinking OH MY GOODNESS I AM SO OVER THIS....But those feelings quickly go away because I realize that its an opportunity and a blessing for me to even be able to come back to the same Physician Assistant program & basically sit in on classes and relearn things without having to take it for a grade. I actually talked to a Physician Assistant (my ex boyfriend might I add lol) the other day, and he told me that although he wouldn't want to go through the stress of school again, he can see ALOT of benefit in retaking most of the classes. He also told me that I will be a better PA because of it. I can't say I got much out of that relationship, but those words of wisdom are something that I will always remember.

So stay tuned if you really want the truth about what goes down in PA school. I'm the most honest person I know, and sometimes I laugh to myself and think are they sure they want ME to write blogs for the school cause I'm going to tell you EXACTLY like it is :-) :-).....So if you want the truth tune in every now and again and check out the pics and the blogs that I will provide for you.

HERE GOES MY LIFE AS A PA STUDENT ROUND 2......

Taneisha :-)

That thing you won't have until you graduate - Money!

Tired of being a part of the work force? Well, I can assure you that being a PA student is a very legitimate reason to be unemployed. One of the troubles that I have had while being in the PA program is trying to balance finances. I remember being very nervous about the whole financial aid process that I would have to go through as a graduate student, and I remember wondering whether or not I would have enough money to cover all of my bills since I would be jobless for over 2 years while in the program. When you begin your journey as a PA student, the first thing you have to do aside from getting a place to live in Winchester and getting your personal life in order is to deal with money. At orientation, you will learn all of the essential steps that you have to go through to get federal loans and the graduate plus loan if you feel that you will need it. For most students who need financial aid, the federal Stafford loan and the graduate plus loan will take care of your cost of books, rent, food etc in addition to helping you obtain your beverage of choice, which will be the first order of business after your first anatomy exam. Essentially, the government loans are disbursed directly to the university to pay for your tuition and whatever is leftover gets sent to you as a check. Depending on how much you decide to borrow, the refund checks usually range from $5,000.00-$8,000.00 each semester. In addition to loans, there are a number of scholarships and grants that the faculty and staff always encourage students to apply for. Like I said, these resources are usually sufficient enough to cover all of your needs from semester to semester; however, when I came to PA school, I brought a car payment and some credit card bills with me. So, I have personally struggled a little with finances. Recently, some of our faculty was contracted with a company to do some employee testing with Valley Health here at Winchester Medical Center, and knowing that we could all use a little extra cash, they extended the offer to us as students. I think I was the only student in the program to actually take on the job, but it was nice having the opportunity to work again and earn some extra money. Normally, working is discouraged because it's hard to adjust schedules around exams and you should really be spending your extra time studying, but luckily for me, the faculty knows my situation and were very accomodating this past week even moving an exam for me, so I could make a few extra dollars. Ideally, you don't want to work while in PA school, but if your loans just aren't cutting it, the faculty and staff in the PA program here at Shenandoah will do what they can to help you out - at least they have for me! Not to worry though as CNN money has just rated the Physician Assistant career as the No. 2 job in the country!

Welcome

Welcome to the Shenandoah University (SU) Physician Assistant (PA) Program student blog site. We have established this site so you can gain a unique perspective of our program, primarily through the eyes of a student. It will also enable to see how rich SU and the PA Program are in terms of extracurricular activities, service and leadership.

Josh Adili (Class of 2010) and Taneisha Greer (Class of 2011) will be sharing their experiences in the PA Program. I am confident that you will enjoy reading their posts and viewing their photos of PA Program as well as class activities.

If you did not reach this blog through our web site, please check us out at:
www.su.edu/pa

Anthony A. Miller, M.Ed., PA-C
Professor & Director

My First Post!

Well, a number of my friends have always said that I needed to start blogging at some point in my life, which is probably directly related to the fact that I tend to talk too much but whatever. If you're reading this, I guess you know that I am a Physician Assistant student at Shenandoah University in Winchester, VA. I am in the final semester of my didactic year, and our program director set me up with this blogging job to make a few extra bucks. Hopefully if you're reading it, you will find it somewhat entertaining and maybe it will give you some sense of what it is like to be a PA student here at Shenandoah.

The past year has gone by faster than I can really explain. It is very hard to believe that 4 months from now will mark the 2 year anniversary of my interview date here at Shenandoah. But I am sure that many students feel that way. The didactic year is truly a test of character in many ways, and starting this blog after having been through an entire year of PA school kind of makes me wonder where I should start. Instead of going back and reliving the past year of school, I think I will just start with the current semester and go from there. Just keep in mind that there are several milestones and changes that we all go through as students in the first year.

This semester has been a relief after having gone through the very intense summer semester. Although, I had a tendency to like the summer semester because I tend to procrastinate and that isn't an option if you want to do well in the summer term. It just kept me going I suppose. Now, we have humanities class where there are no tests, which is nice, and we spend a lot of our time in class just discussing different ethical issues. Sometimes it gets a little heated, but I think for the most part, we've all remained friends. Our other courses have moved away from learning the facts to using the facts and information to evaluate and treat our patients. We work through cases in one class and talk about the therapeutics in another class. Kind of nerve racking to think that in 2 months, my patients will be sitting in front of me and no longer on a piece of paper. But I know that we will be prepared.

Our weekends this semester are a little less consumed with studying compared to spring and summer, so we have the chance to actually get out and enjoy the fall weather and do some relaxing things. For instance, Shenandoah University has a very good conservatory with lots of talented art and theatre students and we got to go see the musical Ragtime this weekend. The show was incredible. Other students like to go hiking or golfing around the Winchester area, and then there is the night life. Now, Winchester night life is interesting to say the least. If you're coming from an area where you are used to clubs and the very party atmosphere of a college town, Winchester is nothing. It is a much quieter area and the city isn't really highly associated with the college. Nonetheless, we always find something fun to get into whether it is karaoke one night after an exam or finding a DJ at one of the local bars. You have to balance the studying and test taking with fun to avoid getting burned out!

Well, we have some presentations to do today, so I am going to get to work. Hopefully this provides you a little background. Future posts will probably be a little more specific to current events.

Thanks for reading!