Blog
The Truth of Clinical Year of PA School

The Final Stretch: Unveiling the Truths of Clinical Year in PA School

1. It’s not didactic

…obviously. But seriously, the two years are very different. In clinical year, you will no longer be tested as frequently, and it kind of feels like you “made it past the hardest part”. There is a sense of relief with this, and a pleasure in finally doing what you will be doing. You get to essentially mini-perform the job you’ve been aspiring towards. This is an accomplishment and can come with a lot of gratification.

2. There will still be unique challenges

Despite the last point, it’s not all smooth sailing. There will still be challenges and stressful times. This can vary in form based on the individual and what situation you are in. Whether it is imposter syndrome, the fear of being inadequate, the pressure of being graded, being in a new place (potentially away from family and friends) – you may encounter differing stressors as compared to the prior year. This is normal, so try to embrace the experiences in light of any challenges.

3. Network

Networking is very valuable for getting a job in medicine. Any preceptor could be your future colleague. Treat each rotation like a job interview. You should not only try your best clinically, but you should put in effort to be personable with your preceptor and staff alike. If you have a good relationship, it is good to try to keep in touch with the connections you make while out on rotations.

4. Away rotations

Some programs may have away rotations, or where you travel far for multiple rotations (–this was my experience). I personally loved traveling for my rotations, seeing new places and treating a variety of patient populations. However, an away rotation can be a large point of stress or exhaustion for some. Be aware of both of these sides so you are mentally prepared on the off chance you experience this yourself.

Use code “PATIPS20” to save 20% on your subscription to myPAbox

5. Find your niche

While on rotations, you will be working in a variety of settings. This can be broad in terms of inpatient vs. outpatient and adults vs. children. However, the settings differ in specific ways as well in terms of the particular area of medicine or specialty the rotation is in. This is an awesome opportunity for the undecided or thought-they-were-decided to discover where they want to be in medicine, what interests them, and where their passions lie. Many people think they know what they enjoy working in, and after clinical year, those ideas have completely evolved. Keep an open mind and you never know what new area you may enjoy.

Check out our other article on PA school rotations “PA School Tips: Surviving your Surgery Rotation”

Follow my instagram account @rebeccawestcoastpa

Follow myPAbox instagram account @mypabox

Follow myPAbox YouTube channel at @mypabox

Follow myPAbox on TikTok @my_pa_box

Other Blog Post

This Post Has 0 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back To Top