Over my 15 years + as a PA I have had been lucky to work with some incredible physicians. Physicians who get what I do, treat me like a colleague and understand my utility (both to my patients and to the practice). The best working relationships are the same as those that make a great […]
Search Results for: https://www.hab.cl/buy-aciphex-baikal-pharmacycom-rtlx
To be a Great Physician Assistant Focus on Patients not Numbers
ast night, was a late night in the clinic. It was also a very long day. If you looked at my “numbers” you may wonder why. But nothing bothers me more than converting patients into numbers. It goes against everything I signed up for when I chose to become a physician assistant. In order to do […]
Free PANCE and PANRE 120 Question Exam with Interactive Q&A
This PANCE and PANRE practice exam is designed to enhance your learning process. It is 100% free and makes a great review for both the PANCE and PANRE. There are in question answers and hints which provide test takers with immediate feedback. This is an excellent exam for board review and to introduce topics for […]
20 Answers to The Question: Why Do You Want to be a Physician Assistant?
Why Do You Want to be a Physician Assistant? You will be asked many different times: “Why?” “Why do you want to become a physician assistant?” “Why don’t you just go to medical school or NP school?” “You will make more money as a physician; you will have more prestige and recognition as a physician.” […]
The Mind Body Prescription
Dr. John Sarno’s book “The MindBody Prescription: Healing the Body, Healing the Pain” is invaluable and is one of two books by Dr. Sarno that should be required reading for all medical school and PA school students, as well as all practicing medical providers. Dr. Sarno has written a gripping and extraordinarily truthful account of psychosomatic back […]
7 Rules You Must Follow While Writing Your PA School Essay
You know you’re in a war, right? PA school, once a bastion for rebels looking to buck the normal medical school model is now more competitive than ever. The CASPA application is full of standard metrics like GPA, GRE scores, prerequisite requirements, and college transcripts which make it hard to differentiate yourself from the pack. […]
Is Physician Assistant (PA) School Hard?
Is PA school hard? Here is a question I get asked all the time: Is PA school difficult? Of course, in many ways, it is equally as rigorous as medical school. The didactic part of PA school (your first year) is made up of traditional academic classes. In many ways, it is like studying for […]
PA Link Love: From PA Study Guides to a Dermatological Instagram
{Every now and then, I publish a series of cool links. Enjoy!} PAs On The Web A PA Tumbler blog with a hidden gem of great study guides (look at the links in the sidebar) I have compiled his study guides into my own dropbox folder to simplify the process. It includes things such as […]
Thanks For Subscribing
Thanks For Subscribing! I appreciate you signing up for the newsletter here at thepalife.com. The purpose of the newsletter is to provide you with the latest, up to date information when new things come about. I will make each email to you worthwhile, because I know your time is very important, and the last thing […]
13 Provocative PA School Personal Statement Expressions
Highlight Your PA Shadowing Experience in your CASPA Personal Statement How do you know you’ll be a good PA unless you’ve seen one in action? By shadowing – taking the time to follow a physician assistant through her day to observe what her work is really like. When we interviewed admissions directors for our book “How to Write Your Physician […]
Are you a PA Practicing Medicine by Design or by Default?
Default is the status quo. It is cookie cutter medicine. It is flowchart medicine. It is brainless medicine. Default medicine is continuing to prescribe Paxil when studies show it to be no more effective than a sugar pill, default is telling a diabetic patient to increase whole grains when you know it should be no grains, […]
Physician Assistants: In Whom We Place Our Trust
As PAs, we are entrusted with the care of sick patients and their families. Things don’t always go as planned. Here’s my story of loss and how I was able to get back up when I let my patient (and their family) down.
Healthcare and the Hunger Games – Tributes and Patients
The reality of inequality is actually far worse than depicted in the movies and books. Courtesy of Lionsgate Tributes and Patients In Suzanne Collins wonderful series we are presented with a grim depiction of a future world. A world in which people are selected randomly to become participants in a game: A Hunger Game One in […]
PA School Prerequisites: Admissions Directors Answer Your Burning Questions
As you probably know by now, if you want to get into PA school, you must complete the necessary prerequisite coursework. I have discussed this in detail in a previous post Prerequisite Coursework: How to Design the Perfect Pre-PA School Curriculum. Today, we are going a step further by giving you answers to some of the […]
Thank You for Subscribing: Here is Your FREE 65 Page PA School Interview Workbook
[genesis_column size=”one-half” position=”first”] [/genesis_column] [genesis_column size=”one-half”] 300 PA School Interview Questions Workbook All 300 + interview questions with space provided to write your answers. I recommend you print this eBook and answer every single question. You don’t have to make it perfect, just come up with a reasonable answer and jot down your thoughts. This […]
Almost Done . . .
Thanks for signing up! You Must Confirm Your Request By Clicking The Link In The Email I Just Sent You. Warning: Please be sure to “whitelist” or “safelist” my email address. To do this simply add my email to your contacts list: [email protected] You can also use this email to write me anytime or use this contact […]
Welcome to The Daily PANCE and PANRE Board Review Email Series
I appreciate you signing up and I think you will really enjoy this series! The purpose of this email series is to provide you with a daily dose of the very best board review material, to guide your review efforts and hopefully, to act as a reminder that it is time to study. I will […]
Physician Assistant Salary Map: Compare Salary by State
Here at the PA Life, I am always trying to develop tools that make your life (and my life) easier. This might be one of my favorites. Trying to negotiate a salary is hard enough. This becomes even harder when you have to adjust for the never ending list of variables such as previous salary […]
The 4 Most Common Reasons PAs Quit Their Jobs
According to a new AAPA research article (August 2021), the four most common reasons PAs quit their jobs are: Better work/life balance (16.8%) Moving to a new location (16.7%) Better management/leadership/environment (reasons related to a toxic/abusive environment) (13.6%) Better compensation/benefits (11.9%) Other reasons PAs left their jobs included Better professional/clinical opportunities (6.6%) Corporate or external […]
The Daily PANCE & PANRE Question 36
A 6-year-old male is brought into your office for evaluation of his gait. You note that when ambulatory, the medial aspects of his knees are far apart and his feet are unusually close together. Which of the following best describes this condition? cubitus valgus cubitus varus genu valgus genu varum Legg-Calve-Perthes disease Answer: D Genu […]
Get a Life! A Physician Assistant Life
Sign up for The FREE Physician Assistant Life Newsletter Those of us who choose to study medicine are privileged folk. We are privileged because we have the ability to study hard and apply ourselves to a chosen field, often to serve others. We have an inherent duty to act responsibly in supporting our patients medical […]
PA School Reapplicant Personal Statement Checklist
Are you reapplying to PA school and wondering if you should update or rewrite your PA school essay? There are a few reasons to update your personal statement as a reapplicant. For one, AdComs at the schools where you’ve previously applied can compare your essay with the prior year’s personal statements. Secondly, after a year […]
How Clay Aiken and Reality TV Helped Me Ace My PA School Interview
am embarrassed to admit: I am a big fan of reality TV. I don’t watch much TV but when it comes time for a new season of Survivor, So You Think You Can Dance, or dare I say The Bachelor (I can’t believe I just admitted that) I can’t stop myself. I justify this to […]
Why I love being a PA: My letter to a prospective MD
Dear Pre-Med, This is why I love being a physician assistant: I was pre-med for three years and completed my prerequisites as an undergraduate at the University of Washington in Seattle. I graduated with a bachelor’s of science degree in Zoology. While working at the campus health center as a phlebotomist, I met a physician […]
How to Add Virtual Shadowing to Your CASPA Application
In this blog post, I provide tips and resources for finding and completing virtual shadowing experiences and how to effectively include them in your CASPA application for PA school.
PANCE & PANRE Exam Pass and Failure Rates: An Update for 2023
The Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) has been in existence since 1973, and as of 2023, over 168,318 people have taken the exam. In recent years, we have seen some fluctuations in the pass rates, with notable changes following the release of new exam blueprints in 2019. Historical Perspective on PANCE Pass Rates Since […]
Support The PA Life
Your help and contribution is needed to strengthen this website and the Physician Assistant profession Ways you can support Add content, provide feedback, or promote the website. Purchase books, or merchandise or medical gear through the PALife affiliate links. Donate your time, your knowledge, or money.
238 Free Online Science, Math and Pre-Medical Courses
Below is a comprehensive list of over 238 free online science, math and premedical courses. Many of these are geared to the pre-pa student, but there are several courses covering more advanced medical topics, such as the free Stanford Mini Med School, topics in endocrinology, brain and behavior, physiology, global health and genomics. Whether you are […]
How to Find The Direct Patient Care Experience You Need to Become a Physician Assistant
Read on: But you may also be interested in my newest post Healthcare Experience Required for PA School: The Ultimate Guide I could probably summarize this entire blog post with the following sentence: “THE MORE HANDS-ON PATIENT CARE EXPERIENCE YOU HAVE, THE STRONGER YOU WILL BE AS A PA SCHOOL CANDIDATE.” How many healthcare experience hours […]
The Daily PANCE & PANRE Question 42
A patient with known hyperlipidemia, taking clofibrate, presents to your office complaining of severe myalgias and weakness. He has noted a dark color to his urine. The laboratory calls with a panic value CPK of 8500. He was recently started on a new medication, four days earlier. Which of the following is most likely the […]