11th hour of Application

Applying to Physician assistant school is exciting, but also surprisingly stressful.

Why should an intelligent and accomplished clinician, with a history of excellent grades feel stressed?
Because I'm a non-traditional applicant. I can not go back in time and finish high school instead of obtaining a GED. I can't realistically take yet another psychology class before June because the three psych classes I took are slightly too old. And I'm just starting on a statistics course. Had I planned to become a PA years ago, had I researched it years ago, I may have made choices to make myself a traditional candidate.

There should be a place for clinicians with a strong clinical background in a PA program, irregardless of minute details like psych classes being slightly too old. An appeal to sense and reason... inspiration even, is what I hope for. I've earned my stripes getting all those A's in all my classes, Getting into and thriving in a competitive Respiratory program. I clearly have the intelligence, drive, and the humanity required to thrive in a challenging and competitive PA Program as well. What better background for a Pulmonology PA than an RRT?

Mindsets which might be called "inflexible" I've grown to respect in some ways. Those who abide with exact rules and no exceptions. Beneath my improvisation-heavy approach to everything there is a traditionalist rule follower. My entire childhood is a testament to that. So though I respect those black and white points of view, I'm truly hoping to God that the PA Program admission people and U Of T are different. I hope they want strong clinicians who've dealt with serious care situations, rather than a radiology tech with good grades. Hopefully they want a nerdy RT who loves science, teaching, learning, caring for patients, is cool under pressure, and absolutely determined.

I'm a sure bet and I hope they see that.

Based on their admission criteria seeming a fair bit less stringent and more flexible, I can have some real hope in that. They must be looking at other qualities. Honestly there aren't great plan B's for me. Other than This PA school I could try 'maybe' a few others... unless I want to take 5 years taking math classes and retaking all my prerequisites. There's the "fly off to another country like Australia for med school" option, there's the "Surrender my hopes and go into management" option..

One of those people who actually like tests.. and waking up early.

I'm certain the title of this post would come as no surprise to any of my friends.
I really, truly do enjoy reading text books, studying, and taking tests. My class would unanimously say I was the class nerd. It's interesting how few of the details I memorized have been useful. It's skill in clinical assessment and knowledge of equipment that I really rely on. I use nerd knowledge for physician interaction only.(speaking in their language works much better)

Anyways:

The NBRC has developed a new exam for our profession and word got to me that they were paying RT's $200 to take the test. One of my friends just took it an achieved what would seem to be a passing grade- without studying. Her reasoning for not studying was to use the exam as diagnostic for how much she remembers from school.

I Just now applied to take this exam. Getting paid for it would be nice as well. Should I use it as a diagnostic of how much I remember from school? or be sensible and study at least a little for it, to get the best score I can, on the most completely irrelevant exam of my life? (most likely what I'll choose)



So I've been applying for various jobs, So I can work again in the light of day. All the health research I've read about working the night shift, as well as everything decidedly non-night shift people have said about the night shift, has all proven true. It's a little vexing that my half year working contingent at one place overlapping the 8+ months now working 40 hours full time in critical ICUs at another, is still not sufficient for the "1 year 20 hours exp+, 3 months critical ICU" requirement many positions have. The chronological year of banishment from light is the price new grads pay for admission. Well in three months we shall see. I'll be able to mark 'Yes' on those questions.

It's been awhile since I made a post here. It was easy to lose track since I'm currently working two jobs and going to school for my bachelors.

I was incredibly fortunate to not only get a job at a major hospital, but to also get a full time job at one. Even more so that it's a very fast paced high workload, acute care environment with ornery inner city patients. In a few months I've grown immensely. My bedside manner, helping upset patients and family, dealing with equipment shortages, Managing very acute ICU floors with several ventilator dependent patients. My coping strategies have grown immensely. Even in hospital wide emergency situations as I recently found out. The first month was really rough, the second was getting into my groove, now I'm thriving. I still have a lot to learn but I'm doing great where I'm at right now. I've made friends throughout the hospital- Nurses, fellow therapists. It's great to face the various challenges that come up as a team. People who rely on me and also tell me if I could do something better.

Working at my other job with patients who are long term is a wonderful experience as well. It allows a much better rapport with patients if you take care of them for months.
Using what is essentially home respiratory equipment is also a blast. Portable suction machines, LTVs, Oxygen concentrators, you name it.

The only major negative for me right now, is being so far from my family in CA. Also the oranges here are really truly awful. I wouldn't recommend them.