Physician assistants are the unsung heroes of the healthcare industry who back a doctor in every stage of patient care. They treat patients under the supervision of a physician and thus are aptly called physician’s assistants or PAs. While PAs and nurse practitioners come from philosophically the same training, PAs focus on the treatment model, and NPs pay attention to improving patient care.
A PA is well versed in diagnosing illnesses, developing treatment plans to assist the main physician, and often specializing in the same area of the doctor they assist.
To be a PA one has to clear the PANCE exam before one can start working in this space. The study and preparation for the exam can be stressful if not planned. With new and improved approaches, aspirants can complete their preparation and revision without letting the stress surmount weeks before the main exam.
Any person who wants to work in the direct line of treating patients but is not looking forward to going to a medical school can consider being a physician assistant.
The demand is always there for qualified assistants and they are welcome on board with good perks and great pay. Healthcare human resources are always looking out for empathetic qualified PAs who have the flair for communicating with compassion to their patients without making them feel depressed about the situation while not increasing their hopes beyond the required level.
It is a tough job and one that needs dedication like any other healthcare profession. PAs can come from diverse backgrounds like emergency and military medic technicians. They have astute communication skills and pass on positive experiences to their patients about their healthcare episodes.
Handling basic cases, ordering diagnostic tests, and overlooking treatment plans independently are possible for PAs. Complex cases that need the intervention and expertise of a doctor are handled by them while a PA assists them further.
Step-Guide To ACE PANCE
The Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam is popularly known by its acronym PANCE. It is a pivotal exam for anyone who wants to work in direct treatment of patients but is not looking to attend a med school and give USMLE to become a doctor.
It’s an exam that tests the aspirant’s knowledge, competency, and readiness to practice medicine. Acing this exam requires dedication, a strategic approach, and the right study techniques. Here’s an exhaustive guide with ten key tips to help you conquer the PANCE:
-
Design A Study plan
Any task that needs comprehensive preparation has to begin with a plan that becomes the roadmap or a guiding principle. You know your typical day and scheduling study hours as per your timetable is the primary step towards planning. Schedule a time for everything and set alarms so that you don’t miss a schedule while completing previous work.
-
Collect Resources
While there are many avenues to study with technology making things easy for students of every sphere, it is important to keep rotating and sharing some of the books. In this manner, you will not overspend on stuff that you do not need. You can borrow a Rosh if you already have a Kaplan with a friend and be helpful to each other.
-
Work on Areas of Weakness
When you focus on a weakness and try to fix it, it turns out to be a strong point in the future. Taking a practice exam to evaluate your weak areas will help you identify them early on during prep and give you enough time to revise those topics. You can supplement the learning with extra quizzes and ask your friends to test you on the topic.
-
Realistic Goals
Remember SMART goals which are simple, measurable, accurate, realistic, and time-bound win in any task. If you set a goal such as no break till 12 hours of study is completed, your burnout is more, and your assimilated value is less.
Rather than that, using the pomodoro technique and studying for twenty-five minutes and a 5-minute break is more fulfilling without crashing you mentally and physically.
-
Use Active Learning Methods
Writing down important terms helps you retain the concepts for a longer term. Using flashcards to quiz each other in a study group will help in quick recalls. Paraphrasing a text that you read in a short paragraph will help not only comprehension but also actively help you remember the concepts for a long time. Create mind maps with visual learning and diagrams while studying complex medical and physiological topics.
Mnemonics help students remember long terms that are otherwise difficult to remember in a fun way without deviating their cause from the main subject. Apart from popular mnemonics one can even create their stuff and write it down a couple of times so that they can share it with their friends.
-
Never Miss Practice Exams
Practice questions at the end of the textbooks and question banks will help in understanding the set of problems you will be facing on the exam day. If you solve them by simulating exam conditions and time, you will increase your ability to finish important sections of the exam within a given timeframe.
Regularly answering practice exams is an imperative step in your preparation and it is recommended to at least give two full practice exams to mimic the real exam day. Set a timer and finish these with the same frame of mind as you would give an actual exam.
-
Review Performance
Check your answers and understand where you lacked in the practice sessions. Work those neglected and weak areas till you can measure up in the second practice exam. In the bustle to set right what was wrong, don’t neglect your strong areas and forget to revise them completely.
Conclusion
While preparing for the exam do give importance to destress by relaxing your mind and body. Rejuvenation is necessary from time to time so that we can recharge and get back to doing what we love about our job. Exams are important but fear will not help you tackle them. Only the right frame of mind and approach will turn you into a winner who can ace PANCE.