Last month, I wrote an email about test-taking speed. I commented that I’ve always been a fast test-taker. The point was to tell you that test-taking (and studying) are skills, and I can teach them. I can get you moving a lot faster.
This response came in:
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WELL THANK YOU FOR gloating over how fast you are. That makes us those of us last-in-the-classroom feel real good. Way to go. Maybe consider just a LITTLE sensitivity?
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I get it. It can make you feel bad and anxious to finish just as the clock is running out. That puts you out of control.
I reached out to this individual, and we hit it off great. She wound up signing up for Physician Assistant Exam Scholars, and she’s working on some new strategies.
Here’s the point:
Be careful comparing yourself to others. They may be better at certain things, but I’m sure you can beat them in other areas. My son throws harder than anyone on his baseball team. You’d think that would make him the best pitcher. Nope. It doesn’t work that way. He’s good, but just throwing hard isn’t enough.
The other pitchers on his team might be better at spotting their pitches. They may be better at throwing breaking balls or off-speed pitches.
There are lots of places to be great. If you live your life comparing yourself to others on what they do best, you’re going to be unhappy most of the time. Instead, look for how you can learn and improve.
I’ve said it 1,000 times. Being a fast test-taker doesn’t matter except in one place: it helps to ward off anxiety. It doesn’t make you smarter or better. What it does is give you a little breathing room and sense of control. It certainly doesn’t make you a better PA.
No one has ever asked me for my PANCE score, let alone my time on the PANCE.
But, if you want to speed up for the right reasons, then key terms will help.
The June issue of the Physician Assistant Exam Scholars Newsletter is going to explain exactly how to do just that. We’re going to up your game. You’re going to love it.
Click that link right there and let’s get started:
Physician Assistant Exam Scholars
Brian Wallace
