It's only a week and a half into my Spring semester of PA school and I'm already exhausted! So far, we've already taken a Rheumatology and Pharmacology exam, and we're now knee deep into orthopedics. Everyone tells you before you start PA school that "it's like drinking water from a fire hose" and really there's no better analogy! We learn whole specialties a week at a time and I often find myself deciding on which lectures to just cut my losses and get a few hours of sleep before an exam. Not to mention, unlike most PA Programs, C's don't get degrees at LHU. So there's the added stress of maintaining at least a B average. While it creates a complex of stress, anxiety, and sleep deprivation for me, it's great for all of you out there that I might be treating someday (as long as I don't have a mental breakdown before then)! With all that being said, I must say that I love what being a PA has to offer and in the end it's going to be worth every minute of lost sleep and stress!
Thankfully, I have a lot of wonderful people on my side that keep me positive and pushing on! While my parents, Scott's parents, and some other friends and family have been great supporters - they haven't had to actually live with me during this process. So the biggest supporter award can only go my husband, Scott, and I'm so grateful to have him. He always seems to be able to put things into perspective and keep me focused on that end goal of reaching my dream and of course paying for my own gas =)! Not only is he there for emotional support, but he also gets to be my practice patient for physical exams, CPR, and whatnot. Last semester he showed the ultimate commitment (other than our marriage of course) when he helped me research for hours on health disparities in the Native American Indian population for a final paper. I had finished all my final exams and the last thing standing between me and that winter break was a 10 page paper. I finally broke down and cried, and he tried to stay very serious and bring me back but he couldn't help but laugh. After a few rebuttals of "I can't do it", "I don't even know any American Indians", and "it's not funny," I couldn't help but join the laughter.
Having someone to laugh with everyday - now that's happiness =)!
