Dejected to elated – one PA-C’s story
Another email from a person who certainly shouldn’t have been struggling and was nonetheless. She found PAER, became a scholars’ member, and turned everything around. She did all the work. She got the help she needed. She put the time in to learn new skills, and she ultimately passed PA school and her PANCE.
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Hello Brian,
I passed and I could not be more thrilled! I am so grateful that I learned about you. You most definitely had a hand in getting me to this point. I listened to your podcasts while in my car going to and from clinicals most days and polished my studies up with The Final Step.
I had a rough start to my PA schooling. I learned pretty darn fast that the way I studied before PA school was not going to work anymore. I went into panic mode and trying to learn on the fly on how to learn sent me spiraling. My anxiety level went through the roof. Our program had made some changes to the curriculum and we were the first class to “try it out” on.
More than half the class failed the first microbiology exam. I failed it too miserably. At that point, it became a numbers game. I ended up not being able to catch back up as I missed the cutoff by 1 point. 1 freaking miserable point. In hindsight, I didn’t study for that exam barely at all. I thought it was going to be much easier than what it was. Most the class felt that way.
I had a couple of choices; 1) take a cumulative test of micro. If I passed, I’d continue on. If I failed that would be 2 failures of the same course and that would mean no continuing at all or 2) come back the next year and audit the classes I passed and retake micro.
The first option was too risky so opted for coming back the next year. I was so embarrassed and ashamed. 2 others in my class were in the same predicament which helped to soften the blow by making not feel so alone. When I came back, my anxiety was horrible. Especially my test anxiety. That failure did a number on my psyche and would spend a great deal of time learning to ground myself before exams. Enter PAER and you. Not only did I learn a great deal about the content but the study tips and thoughts you gave became my template to mimic. It was the key to unlock what would become my success. I learned what to focus on, when to not stress over certain details, how to study, and so much more. I am forever grateful for you and the work you are doing and continue to do. I hope you are still around when I get ready to take the PANRE because I know that is where I’ll go to prepare.
Thank you again!!
Sincerely,
[redacted]
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Amazing right?
I’m telling you I get these emails every week. Right alongside the “I failed the PANCE” emails. I don’t put these out there to scare you. I put them out there so that you realize you’re not alone, so that you realize that good, smart people are struggling. I put them out there so that you can see that there’s a solution and a better way.
Join me. Let’s upgrade your skills.
Physician Assistant Exam Scholars
Brian Wallace
