My Favorites

   In honor my my 26th birthday passing a few days ago, I figured I'd share something fun 😊!

     Growing up, my mom LOVED making scrapbooks. It included pictures of old friends, school work, sports, and so many other memories for each year of my life. Yes, there are many embarrassing photos that exist that I won't be posting today 😅. But the effort that went into creating these scrapbooks is incredible and I'm so happy my mom spent the time to make them. I wish I was able to share them with you, but this was before the digital age and everything in these books was hand-cut, hand-made, meticulously crafted on paper and placed into a binder.

     Each birthday my mom asked us to fill out a list of our favorites things for the last year. This year, I thought it would be fun if I found an old list and compared that to my favorite things today! To see how I have changes, and also to see how much things around me have changed. I made this new list blind, not reading my year "8" list initially, so I could have some fun comparing the final results!

     For those who knew me as a kid, I've grown up A LOT!! Since I was 8 years old, my career goals have changed, inflation hit hard, but everyone knows my favorite singer has always been T. Swift! The Backstreet Boys phase was only due to growing up with two older sisters and never getting to control the music, I swear...  My career choice change countless times until I settled on becoming a PA-C. I love who I have become and I am truly blessed.

     I'm curious if any of your parents did this growing up, let me know! How have you changed over the last couple decades? I was living in Louisville, KY when I was 8 and had just recently moved from Alaska.  My biggest concern was perfecting my Taekwondo and playing Super Smash Brothers. At age 26, I am a full-fledged Physician Assistant working in Spartanburg, SC in foot/ankle reconstruction and orthopaedic trauma surgery. I still love playing Super Smash Bros when I get the chance, so I haven't changed too much!

	Age 8	Age 26
Favorite Colors	Red, White & Blue	Red & Black
Favorite Dinner	Lasagna	Chicken & waffles
Favorite Treat	Donuts	Ice Cream
Favorite Book	Magic School Bus	My textbooks….
Favorite Movie	Pokémon 3	Fight Club
Favorite Stuffed Animal	Teddy bear	CJ, my childhood teddy bear
Favorite Animal	Grizzly bear	Dogs
Favorite Activity	Arcade	Working out
Favorite Thing to do with Mom	Play games	Talks about life
Favorite Thing to do with Dad	Go out to a baseball game	Hike/Travel
What I want for Christmas	Scooter & skateboard	To have my family together in one place
What I want to be when I Grow Up	Teacher	A PA-C, then a Senator
What I would buy with $100	A new Gameboy advance	a % of my rent
What I’m Thankful for	Jesus & God	Everything in my life
Who do you Love	My Family	ELE; everybody love everybody
Best Quality	Tae Kwan Do	Always willing to help
Worst Quality	Jump spin heel kicks	Speaking before thinking
Favorite Singer	Backstreet Boys	Taylor Swift
Favorite Song	Bye bye bye	Piano Man

- **IMPORTANT NOTE: I'm still no good at jump spin heel kicks**

Love y'all, stay safe out there!!

How to Study in PA School

     Everyone knows that PA school can be one of the most stressful times in your life, but it can also be the most rewarding.  The key is to try and find a work-life balance (easier said than done, I know)!  You spend all day on a clinical rotation, come home to study for the EOR (end-of-rotation) exam, complete the assignments for that rotation, and then you have to try and find time to eat... all this while still trying to prepare to the PANCE!  It can seem overwhelming at times 😓.  Hopefully I can ease your conscious some by providing some resources you can pull from to aid your current study habits.

     My classmates always knew I was "extra" when it came to studying.  I enjoy making study guides, printing them out, and then handwriting notes on top of them.  All while jamming to the Halo soundtrack; Michael Salvatori was my #3 Spotify artist of 2019 behind NF and Taylor Swift.  While this worked for ME,  it may not be a method in which you feel you can succeed.  There are COUNTLESS options available to help you succeed for your EOR examinations, and eventually the PANCE.  Options both myself and fellow University of Kentucky classmates utilized, included:

1. Paid subscription courses from Rosh Review or HIPPO Education
1. These sites provide sample questions, study guides, video education and more!
1. *you can share an account login, but you didn't hear this from me*
2. Educational video through my BOY, Dustyn Williams at Online MedEd, or otherwise.
1. This man has helped me with so much.
3. Texts such as CMDT (Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment) 2020, "The Green Book", or PANCE Prep Pearls
1. CMDT was my go-to, but it definitely isn't the most user-friendly textbook.
4. The University of Kentucky had access to UpToDate, which was a game changer!  They also has access to various literature review sites as well.
1. This was probably my BIGGEST resource in PA school.  Having quick access to the most current information on my computer or smartphone.
5. Lastly my personal study guides found here at PA School Study Stuff.  I hope you can find them helpful!!
1. These are based on the EOR guidelines for each rotation: Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Women's Health, Emergency Medicine and General Surgery.
2. The study guides are a mix of all the resources found above and all credit goes to the original authors and publishers.

     As an indicator of performance, I did well on each EOR exam, finishing above the national average on all but 1 exam.  I then passed the PANCE on my 1st attempt with room to spare!  I hope this information helps.  Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions concerning PA school.  I would be more than happy to help you in your journey to PA school, during PA school, or beginning your job search!

You'll make it through, I promise!  You'll walk across that stage, same as I did.  I just know it!