I just got the perfect email from Alyssa. An email that just opens the door for me to better explain something that may help those of you sitting squarely on the fence.
Maybe you can relate.
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Mr. Wallace,
Good morning! My name is Alyssa. I am a current PA-S1, and I recently started listening to your podcasts! I’m still trying to find a good study groove, so I was just wondering if your Exam Scholar program is beneficial during didactic year, or if I should wait for clinicals/getting closer to taking the PANCE. I have never in my life been a good test taker, so I find myself really struggling. As you know, the life of a broke PA student is rough, but I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get better test scores and retain the information better! I just don’t want to purchase the subscription now if it won’t be beneficial until later on in my PA program (I start clinical in September). Thank you for all you do in the PA community! I look forward to hearing from you.
Have a great day!
Alyssa
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Alyssa, if it were up to me Physician Assistant Exam Scholars would be mandatory reading starting on day one of PA school. On second thought, your first issue should come with your acceptance letter.
Here’s why. In the newsletter, I take the most important things you need to get through PA school and teach them in a way you’ve never seen or heard before.
I cover some medical topics, but the majority of the information is on studying, retention, memory, understanding medicine, rotations, the job hunt, the PANCE and on and on.
The reason the newsletter has been going for almost 4 years (April marks the four year point) is that it’s different from anything else you’ve seen. Your schools teach you what to learn, but now how to learn. They assess you by taking tests, but they don’t teach you how to take tests.
Why not? They don’t have time. Your job is to already know how to learn and already know how to take tests, but from my experience most people aren’t great at either one. Most people learned one or two ways to study and then use brute force and sheer brain power to handle the rest. So when it comes test taking… well let’s just say most people are awful at it.
The problem is that people miss out on opportunities to excel. People lose confidence. People slide into thinking they aren’t smart enough or can’t hack it. When in reality they’re plenty smart – they just haven’t been exposed to the skill they need to get to the next level. That’s where PAES comes in. I teach those skills. In the February issue, I show you how your brain works so that you can use that information to study in a specific way to retain more of what you study for longer. Then once you’ve got it, you then use what you’ve got to build and hold more information. It’s really cool, but most people have never been exposed to this way of thinking or studying.
In my humble opinion, the sooner you could learn something like that the better.
Now let me sweeten the pot a little. I’m adding in two new major features to the scholars’ program in April, at which point I’ll be raising the price. Members stay at the same price for as long they are members.
Today is the last day to get the February issue. The March issue will build on the February issue, so if you’re waiting until March to join, I’d recommend you start today. Every issue stands alone, and you’ll get a lot out of it, but the way they work together makes them more than the sum of their parts.
Hope that answers your question. Best of luck.
Physician Assistant Exam Scholars
Brian Wallace