So you just started PA grad school and you hit the ground running. In PA school you jump right in and there is no time wasted. After all, it's basically medical school squished into half the time. You feel like you haven't developed a system to study, but don't worry this is normal in the beginning. The more important question becomes, How do I study for didactic?!
I get this question all the time, so I decided to write a post I can refer people to instead of writing the same monologue of tips for success each and every time. I truly want to help as many people as possible so when people ask me I just forward them this post.
Step 1
Check out the PANCE Content Blueprint-NCCPA here
It's a list of the important medical conditions organized by organ system. The list isn't all-inclusive of what will be on your exam, but it will have all the high-yield (and most of the low-yield) diseases and disorders. It's important to study what you learn in class, but also study these conditions because they might be on the exam as well.
Step 2
Know the following things about each of the disease on the Blueprint
- What population is most commonly affected by the condition.
- What the symptoms are and any possible complications.
- Physical exam findings, if any.
- Diagnostic tests that can be used to identify the condition, esp any gold standard tests
- Treatments - know if they are definitive or not. Also learn any preventive measures for the condition.
Step 3
Visuals, videos, and audio! I am a visual learner and videos were a key component in my education. They help reinforce more difficult concepts and allow you to learn at your own pace.
-Videos: I used Osmosis for pathophysiology but for clinical diagnosis I used OnlineMedEd. OnlineMedEd offers free videos on their website, you can also purchase a subscription which will have more helpful content. I followed along with PANCE Prep Pearls then highlighted the important info and added a few notes from class into the book
- Visual associations: If you like to associate pictures with facts, Picmonic , Med Comic, and Sketchy Med were good for this. Med Comic was my favorite because the pictures were memorable with important facts that are often on the test and can be found online. It’s also a great way to compare and contrast things that are difficult to distinguish (i.e. the types of viral exanthems).
- Audio: Another great way to reinforce the material is to listen to podcasts while driving. One of my favorites is Brian Wallace’s Physician Assistant Exam Review. He does a good job of summarizing and discussing a variety of topics that are commonly found on the PANCE. He even has practice questions and study tips at the end of each podcast.
-Videos: I used Osmosis for pathophysiology but for clinical diagnosis I used OnlineMedEd. OnlineMedEd offers free videos on their website, you can also purchase a subscription which will have more helpful content. I followed along with PANCE Prep Pearls then highlighted the important info and added a few notes from class into the book
- Visual associations: If you like to associate pictures with facts, Picmonic , Med Comic, and Sketchy Med were good for this. Med Comic was my favorite because the pictures were memorable with important facts that are often on the test and can be found online. It’s also a great way to compare and contrast things that are difficult to distinguish (i.e. the types of viral exanthems).
- Audio: Another great way to reinforce the material is to listen to podcasts while driving. One of my favorites is Brian Wallace’s Physician Assistant Exam Review. He does a good job of summarizing and discussing a variety of topics that are commonly found on the PANCE. He even has practice questions and study tips at the end of each podcast.
Step 4
Review, review, and review some more!! Smarty PANCE has a page for each condition. I would recommend buying a subscription overall it is on the cheaper side. They have pearls for each condition and a few example questions relating to the medical condition. Review these pearls and complete the practice questions at the bottom of the page to review the material.
Step 5
Practice, practice, practice.
Half the challenge is knowing the material and the other half is understanding how to take these exams. The questions are written in a way to trick and/or confuse people who aren't the best test takers. If you are not a good test taker then you need to practice taking tests! What better way to do that than with practice exams.
There are a variety of sites with practice questions, but the ones I found to be the most helpful were Rosh Review and Smarty PANCE. Both have full practice exams for each body system and topic. Rosh Review even allows you to specify what type of questions you get, which is helpful if you know what your weak or strong suits are.
**Learn wording of the questions**
Definitive test / Best test = Gold standard test (theoretically the best test, but not always next best step in real life)
Next best step = what would be done next in real life (not same as Best test)
Other Tips
EKG practice here & here
Study in groups to learn from others or even teach a subject
Draw especially things like anatomy
Use a white board
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