10 Most Helpful Study Tips for Physician Assistant Students

10 Most Helpful Study Tips for First Year PA Students

The way you studied in undergrad may not always be the most effective or efficient way of studying while in PA school, as I have learned. As you begin your journey, or if you are already well on your way, you might find a few of these study tips helpful to increase the breadth of knowledge you are able to digest.

Anytime I get bogged down in the amount of material we are required to know for an exam, or how uneventful a lecturer may make your Friday morning at 8:00 AM, I just remember that I am learning this information to help save someone’s life one day. We can never forget that. What may seem unimportant or like “useless” information will probably be the most important thing you’ll learn your entire career and it could potentially mean the difference between life and death for a patient. The day that you decide that it is acceptable to receive poor grades in a course “as long as you pass” is the day you have failed your profession.

Certificates of Added Qualification (CAQ) Exams for Physician Assistants

Specialty Certificates of Added Qualifications (CAQ) Exams

CAQ exams for physician assistants are utilized for one purpose: to receive recognition for having obtained advanced clinical training and skills in your specialty. Since September of 2011, these exams have been given by the NCCPA just like the PANCE, and awarded to those who perform exceptionally. The CAQ emphasizes that PAs are grounded first in generalist medicine and then pursue additional qualifications in specialites. It serves as excellent documentation of knowledge, training, and experience in specialty practice. It also helps to avoid the confusion of any new PA “certification” program or any new specialty certification designation, as this credential is achieved in addition to the PA-C. According to Janet Lanthrop, old CEO of NCCPA, there were two desires in producing this exam: to have documentation to show hiring physicians that PAs were knowledgeable in specialty areas and to give hiring physicians assurance that the PA had experience in the specialty to come in at a certain level of acuity than your typical newly hired PA.

Private Scholarships, Grants, and Fellowships for Physician Assistant Students

Greetings readers,

Below you will find a list of scholarships, grants, and fellowships that PA students (and some PA-C) may apply for. Most of them are for students in graduate programs, so I apologize if you are seeking a bachelor’s degree, associates, or certificate and do not find these useful. However, there may be a few scholarships you can apply to if you are not enrolled in a Master’s degree program, just check them out to be sure. I listed a few UTSW specific scholarships at the bottom. If you have any to add, please leave them in the comments section or e-mail me at mymathtutoraustin@gmail.com.

I appreciate all of you reading and keeping me on my toes.

Private Scholarships for Physician Assistant Students

AAPA African Heritage Caucus Scholarship

• Must be a PA student currently enrolled in a PA program
• Must be in good academic standing
• Must be a member of African Heritage Caucus
• Must submit transcripts with application
• Must obtain 2 letters of reference (one from faculty advisor or program director)
• Must complete essay (500-750 words)

Hematology List of Most Commons for Physician Assistant Students

Most Commons in Hematology

• Iron Deficiency Anemia - most common cause of anemia
• Anemia of Chronic Disease - most common cause of normocytic anemia
• Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency - most common RBC enzyme defect
• More common in males
• Highest frequency among Mediterranean regions, Africa, and China
• Most commonly seen in tropical geographic areas prevalent for malaria
• G6PD “A-” is the most common variant
• Sickle Cell SS disease - most common and most severe of the sickle cell disorders
• Warm-antibody AIHA (autoimmune hemolytic anemia) - most common of all AIHA
• Immune Hemolytic Anemia - commonly DRUG related
• Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP)
• Acute ITP - most common in children, preceded by viral illness, self-limiting
• Chronic ITP - most common in adult women (20-40), idiopathic, not self-limiting
• Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP)
• Most commonly acquired due to an inhibitory antibody that blocks ADAMTS 13 activity
• Hemophilia A and B - most common in males
• X-linked recessive bleeding disorders

Am I A Competitive Physician Assistant (PA) Applicant?

What Makes a Competitive PA Applicant

Last Updated: 08/03/2015

“Am I a competitive PA applicant?” is a question thousands upon thousands of applicants ask themselves each year while applying. It is a question every admissions committee will be asked during a prospective session, and a question all PA coaches can be expected to be asked by their students. There is a lot to learn from our peers, including organizations like Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA), who has recently re-instated the Matriculating Student Survey (MSS) data collected from first year PA students to gauge their academic background, application and admission experiences, including a multitude of other characteristics I will cover shortly. The surveys were conducted in September of 2013. If we do the math, this was PA students who matriculated (entered) PA school in 2013, so these are students that are one year above my current PA class.

Second Semester at UT Southwestern

First off, thank you all for reading. I started my blog about one year ago with the intention of keeping myself updated about current events in the PA profession as it is rapidly changing with our developing healthcare system. While I have yet to write many articles that have needed writing since the beginning of this semester, I plan to write a lot while I have a one month break this winter. Thank you for reading my blog and for helping me reach 200k views! -Paul

We finally completed our second semester (Fall I) at UT Southwestern. It was a doozey. Much harder than I had expected. It made summer semester seem like a breeze!