Saturday, June 16, 2012

First few weeks of school, iPad update!

Alright so the first few weeks of PA school have passed and all I can say is it has gone by very fast. The first week was Intro to Anatomy, and it was a LOT of work. I was at the school pretty much all day from 9:00 until 10:00pm when the campus closed. We had 3 days to remember/memorize all the bones and boney landmarks of the skeletal system. Besides all the other anatomy that we had to know/memorize. We started on Tuesday and had our test on Friday. It was pretty intese to say the least. 



Then we had a week of Genetics, and we just finished Topics in the PA profession. We are also in the middle of Evidence Based Medicine which is every Thursday morning. 


This upcoming week we are starting the meat and potatos of PA school: Intro to Clinical Medicine. It includes a lot of pharmacology, physiology and pathophysiology for all body systems. I am really excited, however I am also scared out of my mind. Our professors assured us that if we are not panicked by the amount of work, then we are abnormal! So it looks like i'll be studying all day long, but I am expecting that.


iPad update!
OK, so for those who were wondering what I think of my iPad to take notes on for class... I really like it a lot! Its so much easier than printing out powerpoint slides and writing on them, and it keeps all of my classes/powerpoints organized and easy to access. I also just ordered a bluetooth keyboard that I think will be very helpful if I want to type in some sections instead of writing (not everyone needs or wants this). I suggest the iPad for everyone in PA school... so if you are debating, just get it you wont regret it.


A look at the keyboard I ordered for my iPad. 


Also, in other news, I got a job! I know... they say don't get a job when your in PA school, but this job is for the school. When the IT guys came and gave us an intro to how to connect to the internet, and how to print ect... they said that they select one person from each class to be a" technology representative" and its a work study position. So I interviewed and got the job! and I work 5 hours/week and get a little extra money each month! Most of these hours are me helping to fix/diagnose problems with peoples Macs and PCs, and at times with the audio/visual equipment in class. (and since im in class all day, i don't really have to go anywhere for work) So its a great opportunity for me to lower my final PA school debt... even if it is just a little bit. 


Study group!


We were assigned study groups/test taking groups at the beginning of class and here is mine. We had fun this week working on assignments together. Yes we take tests together, we already took and passed our first test last week. 

8 comments:

  1. Hey DJ. Still loving your blog. Great job keeping it up to date. Just to let you know, I decided to not get an iPad and got the new MacBook Pro with Retina Display. Wow! It's great. Anyway, could you please put the word out about my blog as well. I'll be starting PA school in a few weeks and am working on a similar blog.

    pa-wannabe.blogspot.com

    Thanks!

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  2. Brian, I had a classmate who got the new MacBook Pro with Retina Display... Very good choice. I have had about 5 other classmates who ended up getting an iPad, and they all have really enjoyed it. You'll find a good study habit that works for you as soon as school starts, i'll keep watching your blog to see how it's going for you, good luck!

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  3. Hi DJ,

    I was reading the PA Forum and came across your link for this blog. I began reading it (enjoyable to read) and saw this picture. I was like, "holy cow," I know her! You're standing next to Betsy, an aquaintence/friend of mine from here in AZ. Small world!

    I've applied to Pacific for 2013 matriculation. I haven't heard anything yet but I've received 2 interview invites so far, so we'll see. Tell Betsy hello for me! :)

    All the best to you in your PA school journey.

    Lisa.

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  4. Lisa! Thanks for your comment! Yep Betsy is my classmate and we are in the same breakout study group. I let her know you said hi, she said hi back! Good luck on your interviews, if you get an interview at Pacific I am a student ambassador and might see you at the interview! Good luck! its very stressful, but its worth it!

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  5. Hi DJ,

    I was curious to know if any of your classmates had a "droid" tablet, and if so what they thought about it.
    Thanks!

    Love your blog!

    ReplyDelete
  6. TW,
    Thank you very much for the complement on my blog. I don't have any classmates who use a droid tablet. The closet thing would be a classmate who has a PC laptop that can be used like a tablet. The screen twists and folds down and it has a stylus to be able to write on it directly. He enjoys it cause its a computer/tablet in one. I am just a big Apple fan, and have now convinced about 10 classmates to also get the iPad because of its ease of use and convenience with storing notes (and may I also add studying from those notes). Let me know if you have any other questions!

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  7. Hey DJ! I start PA school in a month, and I am new to reading your blog (I know it's older now)...What accessories did you get for your iPad? I'm looking into buying soon...

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    Replies
    1. Lauren,
      I used a bluetooth keyboard and astylus as my main accessories. However, you can simply get an iPad and use it during the first few weeks of school and see what accessories would work best for you and your learning style, no need to get everything before PA school starts. Good luck!

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