There is a narrow window when you are functioning at peak performance. Not that you can’t do well all the time, but you can’t do YOUR best all the time. Your 80% may be better than my 100%, that’s perfectly fine. That’s not what I’m talking about. What I’m talking about is doing YOUR best.
Last night Tampa Bay was on the ropes. Down 2-1 in a 5 games series in the playoffs to the amazing Astros. The Astros decided to throw their best pitcher on shorter than usual rest in game 4. They wanted to shut down the series quick and start planning for the Yankees.
The normally steadfast and dominant Justin Verlander gave up 3 runs in the first inning and was pulled in the third inning. It’s not that he wasn’t great. He was great but lose just 2 miles an hour off your fastball, and you’re a different pitcher. Miss your strikes by even an inch, and your no longer the best pitcher in baseball. You’re good, really, really good, but not the best. It turns out the Rays can hit really good pitching.
When you go into your exam, your World Serie start, do you go in at your best? Or have you been up all night studying and restless? Do you in there with a barely functioning brain?Again this week, I got an email from someone detailing me everything they’d done to prepare for the PANCE.
Their question for me, “What else should I do this week.”
My response, “Sleep.”
Really that’s it. If you are prepared, you don’t stay up cramming. You get the rest you need so that your brain can do its thing. Worse than waisting time cramming is going into an exam on less than normal rest. And a functioning brain is the key to passing tests. Not that you’ll listen, but that’s my two cents for today.
There’s plenty more to say on this topic and lots of others. Good news, I’ve written it all out for you. For almost two years now, I’ve been writing the Physician Assistant Exam Scholar’s Newsletter and pouring into it the most important ideas and tactics I’ve found or thought up for PA students. I’ve made that newsletter the conversations I’d have with you if I had the time to sit down and talk with each and every one of you. In those pages is where you can see how to become a great test-taker, studier, and the like.
Until the end of PA week I’ve got the first 10 issues on sale. I’ve never sold back issues before. Usually, those precious pages are only available to those who are members at the time of printing, but I’ve had a lot of requests, so this week, I decided to open up the vaults. (It may never happen again)
If your interested in taking peek here’s where to look
https://wallacedm.lpages.co/paes-1-10
Brian Wallace
P.S. This package is only available until Saturday 10/12/2019
