Clinical Rotations: How to Excel Rotations have begun & I am so excited for you! HANDS DOWN, MY FAVORITE MOMENTS OF PA SCHOOL HAPPENED HERE- LETS DIVE IN: Regardless of how you performed in didactic, clinical rotations are a stark contrast to the settings you’ve experienced in schooling to date. This is your beginning. A new chapter. A fresh start. Clinical rotations will essentially compose the first layer of foundation to the type of provider you’re going to be…Not only for yourself, but your patients + preceptors too. I encourage you to seek daily improvement and take the reigns ..read more

  I had never scrubbed a vascular surgery operation until my first day on the job.I know I know, quiteee the leap of faith to say the least… While I did shadow with the group i’d be working with prior to accepting my position, this was still new territory to me by a large margin. Regardless of the specialty, making the jump from learning by the book to practicing medicine IRL can be intimidating. But here’s the thing, being a new provider comes down to knowing that you have the tools to succeed, but being eager enough to utilize these tools in the most efficient way will make or break yo ..read more

  Clinical year… the light at the end of the tunnel for every didactic student. So many mixed emotions when it's time to put on that white coat, head out the door, and make your way to that first rotation. Do you know enough? Will you be pimped? Will your preceptor like you? You've heard from previous students how to prepare for each rotation, but do you know exactly what your preceptor is looking for? As a women’s health preceptor to clinical PA students for the past 6 years, I can tell you a few things you definitely want to make sure you do on rotations. First, know that yo ..read more

  Imagine: You’re out to dinner with friends feeling nothing out of the ‘norm’, in a comfortable environment…and within a matter of minutes you’re attempting to convince friends to call 911 from the rush of the ‘impending doom’ feeling that just flooded your body, paired with a constrictive sub-sternal chest pain… you’re completely soaked in sweat, tingling hands & feet that result in numbness, and blacked out vision. You sit there – you close your eyes. You regain your breath & symptoms subside. Aside from the ringing in your ears & a residual tight airway – you feel relieved ..read more

  Is the work-life balance just a hype? Is it just something medical bloggers like to talk about to make their highlight reel even more of a sparkling + perfect feed? Well… statistics say our millennial generation finds it to be not just a hype- but a necessity. But it’s not like there have been major domestic tasks & responsibilities that have actually evolved to accommodate this. Just a change in perspective… This perspective of ‘balance’ may imply that when at work we’re actually dissatisfied with our work life when that’s not really the best way to stay ‘balanced’, am I right? Ph ..read more

  The overall experience of my Women’s Health rotation was definitely a top favorite! This had MANY factors playing in to it that I can’t wait to share with you all. But before I get started, don’t miss out on the 2nd part of this Women’s Health segment written by one of the coolest PA’s I know (I kid you not she’s GOALS). Stephanie Howard, a Physician Assistant here in Knoxville, TN who ALSO precepts PA students on their Women’s Health Rotation- she’s going to give you the scoop! So let’s start with the basics: Location: Florida Hours: My hours were all over the place, this is because m ..read more

It’s been awhile since my last update about our wedding plans and our engagement overall!  After our engagement in November 2019, we wanted to completely enjoy the engagement season without the pressure of making plans ASAP. For those new around, here’s a link to our St. Lucia engagement!  If you’ve been following since the engagement, then you know I originally wanted to elope! Crazy to think about now since none of us have really traveled this past year, especially internationally…  A little background for those new here:  To me, having a wedding meant having h ..read more

All of the photos you’ve been waiting almost ONE YEAR for; showing some of the most memorable moments of our trip to St.Lucia. Jared and I began by planning with a vacation that would be appropriate and enjoyable in November, but also wanted a location that wouldn’t be too chilly. We still wanted a coastal experience without needing our coats and scarves... When we booked our flights to St.Lucia we were determined to make our 4-day vacation memorable and rest assured each day was well-spent. Except, little did I know Jared had plans to make it THE MOST memorable vacation yet ..read more

Clinical Rotations: How to Excel YOUR ROLE ON ROTATIONS So rotations have begun! Whether you’re placed in outpatient or inpatient medicine – it’s important you continuously set your own goals throughout the clinical year on your rotations. Unlike didactic where you were tested via several exams per week, you will only have one EOR (end of rotation) exam to keep you accountable for studying and staying on top of your material throughout each specialty. Don’t sleep on this responsibility!  Forget about the way this year is going to be graded and get ready to learn A LOT! The expe ..read more

PREPARING FOR CLINICAL ROTATIONS  If you’re reading this then you know as well as I do that the way of life prior to COVID no longer exists. Similarly, the medical landscape is no different and has changed in just about every aspect. Unfortunately these changes have delayed or impacted you/students either by shortening the length of duration at rotation sites or even worse + a canceled rotation + forced to learn patient encounters virtually.  Now it’s become such a time of complete uncertainty for you and nerve-wracking to say the least for those of you really hoping to get som ..read more