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Reflections of a PA Student

You Can 'Have A Life' in PA School

Published November 3, 2009 11:32 AM by Timothy Loerke
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One of my roles at school is to be a student ambassador. I team up with a couple of my classmates to host prospective students on their interview day. We take them out to lunch and lead them on a tour across campus. Along the way, they ask me questions and I do my best to answer. Recently, an applicant told me a story of a third-year PA student who was married with kids. She asked me, "In PA school, do you have a life? Because I talked with a third-year PA student who said he was a ghost to his kids and wife while in PA school. He said he watched his life pass before his eyes as he fully devoted his time to PA school." I smiled and answered honestly. "That is ridiculous," I said.

In orientation, just about every faculty members says some version of the same thing: "Kiss your wife and kids goodbye, because you are mine for the next 34 months." I realize now that this was only a scare tactic to readjust priorities. However, many pre-PAs and, unfortunately, PA students take that statement literally. The reality of PA school is that YOU WILL HAVE A LIFE!  Come on people!  It is ridiculous to cut off the outside world and do nothing but school. The obvious approach is to find balance. You must constantly evaluate your time, commitments and relationships. Priorities shift throughout PA school. As a married man, my opinion is that your spouse always comes first. This does not mean that you neglect studying to spend time with your wife. The key is to communicate with your spouse when it is necessary to study rather than spend time with her. You are not saying that studies are more important than her. This is a matter of disclosing needs and expectations (another topic altogether).

PA school takes up less than three years of your life. This does not give you a license to neglect your responsibilities to yourself and others. How you handle your time in PA school will affect how you handle your time as a PA. You must learn to balance life while in school. If you have no life in PA school, you are probably dying. Rant over.

posted by Timothy Loerke
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6 comments
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Students in PA school encounter many opportunities to participate in community outreach events. Participation
November 10, 2009 1:32 PM

I found a document on the PAEA website with 2008 statistics of each program across the nation.  Interesting enough, the mode for program length is 30 months.  With that said, most PA schools are 30 months long.  Also, 13 out of 151 schools have a part-time option.  Just some thoughts.  Gregg, thanks for challenging my mind.  I appreciate the opportunity to have a better grasp on what is happening in PA education.
Timothy Loerke, Student - PA-S, UNTHSC November 8, 2009 11:59 AM
Dallas TX

Gregg, the average length of most programs is around 28 months.  As far as I know, they are all full-time...at least mine is.  My purpose for the original post was not to imply that PA school is a part-time job that can accomodate additional jobs.  Some people have to work to stay in PA school, but that is beside the point.  The main idea was that students can use PA school as a cop out to tend to more important things in life...marriage, kids, and physical health.  I believe that PA students can by mislead by the original intentions of faculty who are simply trying to communicate that PA school is tough and requires balance.  PA school is a full-time gig...regardless of the length of a program.
Timothy Loerke, Student - PA-S, UNTHSC November 8, 2009 8:54 AM
Dallas TX

Most MS-PA programs are 24 months, so being in a part-time program for you, like me, frees up a lot of time. I worked full-time and had a baby during school.

Good Luck
gregg bartle, none - student, none November 7, 2009 7:58 PM
arkansas city KS

Heh, that's cute. Good for you two
h lr November 5, 2009 1:07 AM

beloved, i'm so grateful for the way you have balanced pa school with the rest of the things that you are passionate about. thank you for always putting our marriage first and for getting up early to study. by doing so you've freed up our evenings to go on walks, tag team dinner, help lead a pre-married's class, and of course, have crazy awkward dance contests in our living room. you are a man i respect greatly and i'm thankful that you've continued to invest in your friendships to get you through a demanding three years. i love you to the moon! rant over.
Emily Loerke, Wife to Mr. Loerke November 3, 2009 12:49 PM
Dallas TX

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