This week I’m learning the value of “being thrown into the fire” so to speak, as we often are as PA students in our second year. The rotation I am on now is notorious for being overwhelming, due not only to the great expectations of the students performance here, but also because of the sometimes 80 hour weeks, and lack of direction in ...

With the last week of family medicine just ahead, I wanted to focus on the top 10 lessons learned from this rotation: 1. Lifestyle modification begins with us. We are not perfect by any means, but our patients look up to us. I have noticed how difficult it can be to counsel a patient about diet and exercise when the PA/NP/MD/DO is not ...

Last weekend and into early this week, I had the opportunity to travel to Atlanta for the AAPA annual PA Conference with my classmates and a few of my professors. Aside from getting the chance to bond with my peers and connect with my mentors on a personal level outside of the classroom, I was able to attend several seminars and conference events ...

This weekend, several of my classmates and I are making the trip down to Atlanta, Geor., for the start of the AAPA's 38th Annual PA Conference. As Saturday approaches, I'm finding myself more and more excited to have the opportunity to get out of the classroom and learn about so many different and interesting topics from a variety of knowledgeable ...

With 95% of my class entering a new rotation this week, I will be returning to the same clinic for part two of my family medicine rotation. I have said it before that I was surprised by how interesting family medicine is, and I am excited to go back for more! Last week we had our monthly PASS day, where all of the 3rd year PA students come back to ...

Family medicine will sometimes follow you home, which can be a good thing. Last week my preceptor and I saw a few complex cases without clear causes. Each night I would go home and think about what might explain these medical mysteries. A few days later, the lab results would arrive, which would lead to more questions. Just when we thought the ...

My first week in a family medicine rotation was filled with variety. Sure, there were times when the same complaints seemed to enter the doors, but I was reminded of an analogy I came across a couple of years ago about primary care: Picture a train that is racing through a terminal; your job is to look at the faces that pass by. Many of them look ...