From Large and (Sometimes) In Charge Patients to Itty Bitty Patients

School is still just as crazy (and just got WAY crazier in an unforeseen tragedy), but the past month has been a breath of fresh air as far as my rotations go. This semester, our program has us in what they call the Lifespan Rotation. We literally see patients from birth to death. One month is spent doing volunteer work since they like to emphasize that PAs are supposed to be involved in service in their community. One month is spent in a short Parenting class so we can learn how to give advice on the common issues of having a child (sleeping, tantrums, potty training, etc). Two weeks is spent in a Long Term Care setting. Two weeks is spent in the Newborn Nursery. One month is spent visiting patients in hospice. All in all, a lot of stuff.

This past month was the month I spent in the Long Term Care and the Newborn Nursery. Surprisingly to me, I absolutely loved the Long Term Care setting. This patient population is absolutely not my cup of tea, but my preceptor really taught me a lot as far as what it's really like to be a PA. It's really easy to lose focus on the end goal when you're stuck in the mire of rude professors and seemingly silly projects. This preceptor allowed us to view charts and then examine the patient all on our own. It was a great learning opportunity with no stress; I could examine a patient, practicing my exam skills and then practice my charting skills. I was able to build confidence and to critique myself, thinking about what I could do different next time. It was like really being a PA (he rechecked the patient after us, just so you know we're not on the loose!). He didn't treat us like students, he treated us like colleagues. He's a pretty impressive PA himself; he owns his own business and actually employs his supervising physician. I thought that something like that wasn't ok in CO, but apparently it is!
After Long Term Care was the rotation I was looking forward to the most. I was SO excited! Finally, the Newborn Nursery. But our preceptor was sick the entire first week, so it ended up being a very different experience than the rest of my classmates got. However, I will most definitely try to get a rotation there my 3rd year. It was really nice to feel the confidence again at examining this baby without feeling overwhelmed or lost. Babies are one of my favorite things in life and it's nice to be able to calm an upset newborn down so that I can listen to their heart or lungs. It's nice to know what I'm doing and to feel comfortable examining this incredibly tiny person. And as much as I'm trying to not seek the praise of my preceptors (it's just not healthy for me), it's nice to have a preceptor tell me that I have "the touch for pediatrics". It's just nice.
So far this semester, these rotations have picked me up from getting bad exam scores and helped me to see that I just might be a good PA one day; and I know more than I think I do! I certainly know more than those test scores show. Heavens, they're not great! I'm learning to accept the fact that I know the material, even if a number on a piece of paper doesn't reflect that. It's hard, but hopefully I will get there.