Applying for the PANCE and Starting my Internal Med Rotation

A very scary reality came to me a few weeks ago when I paid the money and scheduled my date to take the PANCE. I cannot believe that I am so close to becoming a PA-C! (assuming I don't completely fail the test and have to retake it) However, I am thinking good thoughts and assume that I will pass the first time I take it... 

So let me explain the process:

•  When I was officially 90 days away from graduation my program submitted my name and info to the NCCPA. 
• I was then able to create an account with the NCCPA. (It took a few days after creating the account for the PANCE test to show up in my "Dashboard" before I could apply for it)
• When the test finally showed up in my account, I signed up and paid the fee for the PANCE.
• I waited a few days for my application to be processed and receive my "official test acceptance email". 
• I was then able to schedule my exam with Pearson VUE. (They have testing locations all over) I picked a date and time and its now officially scheduled!

So there is my process so you can know what to expect when the time comes for you to do the same. I scheduled my PANCE as soon as possible after I graduate (the earliest that someone can take the exam is 1 week after graduation). So the end of August is when it is scheduled. I'm excited, nervous, and scared to death!... but its the next step and I can't wait.

I just started at the Prison in Texas and so far have just been exposed for only a few days of prison life. Lets just say its not as exciting as I kind of imagined it would be. Its not the crazy inmate fights and altercations you think you would see on TV. This location is basically a big infirmary. Prisoners come here for recovery from surgery, management of chronic conditions, or hospice care. I basically am doing the history and physicals for the incoming prisoners and following up and doing progress notes on the patients I have worked with. This is my first time really writing out inpatient notes and working in an inpatient setting. It is a little intimidating, however it is a great learning environment and my preceptors are all willing to be patient and teach me.

This rotation is typically done with 2 PA students from our program completing the rotation together. However, for some reason, I am the only one here for this rotation. My preceptor said it is the only time he has had only 1 PA student. But I see it as a good opportunity to learn, because I am not splitting up the patients, I get to see all of them the easy and the difficult patients.  

Like always this rotation will fly by and I will be onto my final rotation in a level 1 trauma center! I may be way too busy to blog during those final 5 weeks, but i'll try my best to keep everyone up to date.