Week two

This week has been very exciting and fast-paced. They keep telling us that the PA program is very intense and nobody outside the program really understands how it really is. So far that is spot on.

We have Physiology lecture every morning for two hours. Mimi is a great lecturer and a physiologic genius. She moves at the speed of light and we have covered homeostasis, blood, the endocrine system and half of the nervous system. In undergrad that would have taken 6 week and been divided into three tests. We have our first Physiology exam tomorrow. Wish me luck.

We've had three lectures on Genetics. One was by Antoinette Polito, one of our faculty. She lectured on the family pedigree and how to draw it. The other two were by two Genetic Counselors in women's health. They spoke more on the basics of genetics and the fundamentals of genetic physiology. We also had a standardized patient (an actor) come in and our teaching fellow interviewed her to get a family history. We get to draw out her pedigree map.

We've had two lectures for Family and History Diagnosis on skin, head, neck, nose, and throat. Followed by two small group sessions where we practice our skills. We got to break out some of instruments and actually use them on each other.

We've had a few Anatomy lectures on the skull and face. Every Friday we have Anatomy lab at the hospital. We have about 7 or 8 cadavers that we get to dissect in groups of 5. This week we had a little orientation and we "met" our cadavers and dissected the head, identifying specific structures. I really enjoy the lab. It is a great break from the classroom and the "hands on" dissection is a great way to learn.

We had an introduction to the Diagnostic Methods class where we will learn about the different diagnostic tests and lab work. Included in the class is a wet lab, the first being this Wednesday and is the Phlebotomy. That means that we get to poke each other and bleed all over the place. I'm really looking forward to that ;-).

Well, that sums up the week. I have put in many hours of study already. I get home from class and study until dinner, then study so more until 10:30 or so. I get up at 6 am and get to class around 7:00 class starts at 8:10, so that gives me an hour to study or to get ready for class.

As I said, we have our first Physiology exam tomorrow, then our Genetics exam on Tuesday. I have spent about 90% of my study time on Physiology, so I am somewhat concerned about the other classes. I guess we'll see how it goes.