How To Survive PA School: Resources
Question of the day: A 65-year-old male with a PMH CKD stage 2 and HTN presents to the emergency department with generalized weakness. He takes lisinopril 20 mg PO qd. On examination, his blood pressure is 150/90 mm Hg, pulse rate is 90 bpm, and respiratory rate is 18 breaths per minute. EKG shows tall, peaked T-waves and a widened QRS complex. The initial laboratory results reveal a serum potassium level of 6.7 mEq/L. What is the most appropriate first step in managing your patient?
A) Discontinuing lisinopril
B) Administering intravenous calcium gluconate
C) Starting hemodialysis
D) Initiating insulin and glucose therapy
E) Administering oral potassium supplements
Know the answer? Scroll down to check it out. Today’s Newsletter is about helpful resources to navigate PA school.
Navigating the PA School Odyssey: Everything You Need to Know About Surviving PA School
Introduction: Embarking on the challenging yet rewarding journey of PA school requires resilience, dedication, and a strategic approach. This guide unveils the key aspects of surviving PA school, offering insights, strategies, and practical advice to thrive in this transformative period. I know for a fact that PA school is no doubt challenging. I am taking time to pass on any helpful resources that have helped me thrive in PA school on to the next generation of upcoming PA students. Again, these Newsletters will contain a mix of Practice Questions for the boards as well as tangible reads that I beleive can impact you more than scrolling through Tik Tok or Instagram. I hope you enjoy.
- Time Management Strategies: Master the art of time management, a critical skill in PA school. Set alarms. Mark up your calendars. Be organized and plan ahead. You can study but also set aside time for your health, exercise, friends, and social life.
- Study Techniques for Success: Navigate the vast sea of information with proven study techniques tailored for PA school. Spaced repetition through Anki served me well. I also used Rosh and UWorld to bolster my knowledge.
- Clinical Rotation Preparation: Prepare for clinical rotations with confidence. You don’t need to know everything the night before your rotation. This was my fear before every new rotation. Go in with a positive mindset and I promise you’ll come out the other side.
- Mental Health and Wellness: Prioritize mental health and well-being during the rigorous PA school journey. Uncover coping mechanisms, stress management techniques, and the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance. I do this through exercise immediately after work/clinic to separate my day from my night. My nights after exercise, dinner, and a shower are for Lofi and study sessions..
- Building a Support System: Forge connections with peers, faculty, and mentors to create a robust support system. Your friends from didactic are your best friends. Clinical year may create some gaps and lulls in between your usual day to day interactions you have curated during didactic. But I guarantee you will make time for your cherished friends throughout your clinical year too.
- Exam Strategies and PANCE Preparation: Prepare strategically for exams and the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE). Explore effective review techniques, resources, and approaches to excel academically and succeed in the certification process. Definitely check out pacethepance.com I use this resource because it has all the content organized based on the blueprint. It includes practice questions, infographics, and PACE The PANCE Pearls throughout the entire website.
- Professional Development: Lay the groundwork for a successful career beyond PA school. Keep up to date with your resume/CV. Attend conferences. There is a lot to explore outside of routine of didactic and clinical year content.
Notes: Embarking on the demanding journey of physician assistant training is akin to sipping from a fire hose, as described by PA students. The intensity is justified as PAs are entrusted with diagnosing illnesses, prescribing medications, and serving as primary healthcare providers. I listed a few more specific resources down below for you.
1. Navigating the Study Landscape: PA classes introduce an overwhelming volume of material. Overcome the initial panic by employing effective study strategies. Utilize flashcards, a favorite among PA students, to actively engage memory. I liked to use Quizlet. Visual learning, through charts and diagrams, aids in understanding complex subjects like pharmacology. Explore efficient note-taking methods, whether digital or handwritten, and consider note-taking apps like Notability and Evernote.
2. The Power of Study Groups: A recurrent theme in PA school survival discussions is the potency of study groups. Collaborating with peers enhances understanding, provides mutual support, and challenges each student to excel. While not mandatory, joining a study group can significantly contribute to academic success. Consider this option once you’ve gained some familiarity with the material.
3. Storytelling for Memorization: Leverage the innate power of storytelling for memorization. Create narratives around challenging content to enhance recall. For example, remember the areas of the heart with the mnemonic “All Pigs Eat Too Much” for Aortic, Pulmonic, Erb’s Point, Tricuspid, and Mitral. Some of my classmates made the strangest/concerning mnemonics that it helped stick for the exam.
4. Study Apps and Technological Allies: Technology proves a valuable ally in PA school. Explore apps like Osmosis for videos and test questions, Medscape for disease information, UpToDate for clinical insights, Picmonic for visual learning, and Quizlet for personalized flashcards. These tools transform the learning experience, providing convenient access to resources and facilitating effective study practices. I also liked Ninja Nerd on youtube for tutorial videos.
https://www.uptodate.com/home
https://www.picmonic.com/pathways/physician-assistant
Conclusion: Surviving and excelling in PA school requires a multifaceted approach. This guide, enriched with expert insights and practical tips, is your companion through the challenging yet rewarding journey of physician assistant training.
Answer:
B) Administering intravenous calcium gluconate
This patient presents with signs and symptoms of hyperkalemia, such as generalized weakness, palpitations, and ECG changes, including tall, peaked T-waves and a widened QRS complex. The initial laboratory result shows a significantly elevated serum potassium level of 6.7 mEq/L.
The management of hyperkalemia focuses on stabilizing the cardiac membrane and shifting potassium from the extracellular space into the intracellular space. Intravenous calcium gluconate, as chosen in option B, is the initial treatment for hyperkalemia. Calcium gluconate helps to stabilize the cardiac membrane potential and can be administered rapidly to counteract the cardiac effects of hyperkalemia.
- Discontinuing medications that contribute to hyperkalemia, such as lisinopril, as mentioned in option A.
- Administering agents like insulin and glucose (option D) to shift potassium into the cells.
- Starting hemodialysis (option C) for severe hyperkalemia, especially when associated with kidney disease.
- Avoiding oral potassium supplements (option E) as they would worsen the condition.
A) Discontinuing lisinopril: Lisinopril is an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, commonly used to manage hypertension and other cardiovascular conditions. ACE inhibitors can lead to hyperkalemia by reducing the excretion of potassium in the kidneys. Discontinuing lisinopril is an appropriate step in managing hyperkalemia if it is the suspected cause of the elevated potassium levels. However, in this case, the patient needs immediate intervention to address their life-threatening hyperkalemia, so stopping lisinopril alone is not sufficient.
C) Starting hemodialysis: Hemodialysis is a crucial intervention for severe hyperkalemia, especially when associated with kidney disease. However, in the clinical scenario described, the patient needs a more immediate intervention to stabilize their cardiac membrane. Hemodialysis may be considered if other measures are ineffective or if the hyperkalemia is chronic and associated with renal failure.
D) Administering insulin and glucose: The combination of insulin and glucose therapy is used to shift potassium from the extracellular space into the intracellular space. Insulin drives potassium into cells by stimulating the sodium-potassium pump. This intervention is a vital part of managing hyperkalemia but may take some time to achieve its full effect. In a patient with ECG changes and severe hyperkalemia, more rapid interventions, such as calcium gluconate, are preferred initially.
E) Avoiding oral potassium supplements: This option is important for long-term management of hyperkalemia but is not a suitable immediate intervention for a patient with a potassium level as high as 6.7 mEq/L. Avoiding oral potassium supplements is advised to prevent hyperkalemia in individuals at risk, but it will not acutely lower potassium levels in a patient with severe hyperkalemia.
If you’re interested in pacethepance.com send me an email and I will personally send you a 20% off coupon for accessing the website. Restrictions apply.
+
