Clinical Rotations: Life as a PA Student
- Sasha Philen
- Apr 6, 2015
- 4 min read
Most Physician Assistant (PA) programs are relatively short, that is, 2-3 years compared to 4 years that an average Medical Student spends. In my case, our class had an intense 1 year didactic year, after which we get our first long-term exposure to the US medical system, and more specifically, clinical rotations.
The weeks leading up to my first rotation in Urgent Care, I was more nervous than excited. Thoughts of self-doubt, lack of self-confidence and worrying about misdiagnosis were constantly rushing through my head as I was preparing to cram everything I learned in 1 year to put into clinical practice. Many of my classmates had their first rotations at large hospitals with entire days dedicated to orientation and making you feel at home. This was not my case. My Urgent Care was a small clinic located in the Inland Empire, and my supervising physician/preceptor rushed me through a 10-minute tour of the clinic, before telling me to go see a patient and start charting in the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system, one which I had never seen before.
My anxiety level reached an all-time high and thoughts of running out the building while ripping off my scrubs were high on the list, but I was not going to let this minor situation get the best of me. My history and physical examination skills were somewhat fresh, yet needed some polishing, to say the least. As time went on, I started working with several PAs in the clinic, all who had a different method of teaching, charting, and even treating. One provider even said that what we learned as the most “up-to-date” information might not always be useful in all settings. It is up to you to determine which antibiotic to prescribe, considering resistance in the geographical area, and what asthma inhalers are covered by the patient’s insurance. These trials and tribulations are what make you a unique and respected provider, rather than one that is able to spit out sentences from the internet.
Within a week, I was comfortable charting in EMR, providing my own diagnoses and differentials, working with the Medical Assistants (MAs) and Imaging Techs in evaluating lab results and X-Rays, and learning how to really listen to patients while focusing in on their specific problems in a fast-paced Urgent Care environment. By the end of the 4-week rotation, I was truly sad to be going. The connections I formed with my preceptor, PAs, and staff were one-of-a-kind. The praise I received from patients truly let me know that I had chosen the correct career path, and to take every challenge, no matter how big or small, with the best attitude possible.
"By the end of the 4-week rotation, I was truly sad to be going. The connections I formed with my preceptor, PAs, and staff were one-of-a-kind."
I am now in my 8th rotation working with a General Surgeon who utilizes DaVinci robotics to repair incarcerated hernias and remove gall bladders.
Below are some tips for you who may have some worries about starting your own clinical rotations, regardless of being a PA, MD, DO or Vet student!
Be the first on site and the last to leave
Take every opportunity as a learning opportunity, even if it wasn’t a pleasant one
MAs and nurses make the place run smoothly – get on their good side and offer to help in any way you can and they will be more than glad to do the same for you
Not every preceptor is going to be your favorite – some will drop everything they’re doing to teach you while others may be so busy that it will be up to you to learn on your own
Every patient is seeing the doctor for their own reasons, so don’t be so quick to judge without listening to the whole story
Be humble and have a thick skin – don’t take everything personally, many providers are working much longer shifts than you and balancing family life along with anything else
Don’t feel entitled to anything – as a student, you will always be on the bottom of the totem pole. The more open-minded you are to doing anything that is asked of you, the more trusting your preceptor will be in the future
Sasha Phillen is a 29-year old Russian immigrant who’s had a passion for all things medicine since a very young age. After graduating with a B.S. in Biopsychology from UC Santa Barbara, Sasha took some time to build up his Health Care Experience before applying to Physician Assistant schools across the US. Now that he is accepted into his first choice, Western University of Health Sciences, he plans on working as a Neurology and Urgent Care PA. When Sasha is not pulling 14-hour hospital shifts and preparing to take over the world, he enjoys going to concerts, filming his adventures with his GoPro, and mixing some of the best Moscow Mules this side of the Western Hemisphere.
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