Yesterday we talked for a minute about rotations and confidence. Today I want to shift gears just a little. The majority of students on rotations do everything they can to blend into the walls. They don’t want to be seen. They want to make sure they don’t get in trouble or make anyone angry.
That’s playing for a tie. That stinks.
Play for the win.
You’re thinking, “that’s easy for you to say; I don’t want to get noticed.”
Most PA’s first jobs come from networking during rotations. It’s the easiest way to get your foot in the door and meet people. You’ll earn more and have better networking opportunities if you do get noticed. Of course, you have to get noticed for the right reasons.
Listen, I never hear anyone talking about how overbearing and annoying a student is.
Here’s what you do. You do exactly the opposite of what everyone else is doing. They’re all dialing down their personalities. You’re going to dial your personality up. You’re not going to be fake. You’re just pushing yourself out there. If you’re normally happy and outgoing, be happy and outgoing, only a little more. If you’re usually a hard worker and very serious, be a hard worker and very serious, only a little more.
Dial it up, and people will notice you. Yes, some people may not like you, but others will resonate with you and take you further then they’d take a bump on a log.
Don’t love the idea? Here’s the beauty of it. If you’re on rotations, you get to test it out every 4-6 weeks. Try it; if it doesn’t work, start again at the next place. If it doesn’t work there, try something new.
Use your time in school to test things out. It’s a perfect time for it. Of course, you might get asked questions if you stand out, and that’s ok. That’s how you start a conversation. I loved surgical recall on my surgery rotation for learning how to answer short questions. That book was the inspiration for The Final Step, the 1,200 questions I wrote that helped me pass my PANRE twice and thousands of other PAs get and keep their “C.”
Take a look here:
Brian Wallace
