Following Healthy

Hi guys! I can't believe I am about to say this, but we have finally come to the end of didactic year! -- only 22 more days and we are out from under all those books and endless powerpoints and into the hospitals and clinics with patients. For those who don't know, didactic year is the first year of PA school, where we learn all the body systems, take classes on how to diagnose and treat patients, practice physical examinations, and much more. I also want to throw in a plug for Jefferson PA program in Roanoke, Virginia because I love our faculty and also feel like they picked a pretty dang good class full of awesome people that I am super glad I have had to go through this with. Also--Roanoke is an awesome place with lots of good hiking and weekend adventures (check out Smith Mountain Lake and hikes like Dragon Tooth and Devils Marbleyard and of course the notorious McAee Knob --pronounced Mac-a-fee-- and really fun laid back people! Definitely a place to check out.

unity.  we're not made to do life by ourselves. deep down we all desire connection. we all want acceptance. we need each other. we each have our own story filled with a life of our own experiences. we're all human.  and the thing about that is we live in a broken world. no one is perfect, and certainly no one person is going to fix that. it takes everyone.  give a smile. lend a hand. listen.  say sorry.  do something without expecting something in return.  spend time.  reach out.  share. accept differences. lift each other up. love your neighbor.  we're in this together.

So here is an analogy for you. A few years ago, my friend gave me this explanation of school: It's like taking spaghetti and throwing it on the wall and seeing what will stick. Now imagine this: there's a giant DUMPTRUCK of spaghetti and the truck is literally taking the spaghetti and catapulting it towards a wall. Now that is PA school. There are so many things we have been learning! Which is very exciting but somewhat terrifying because honestly I don't even remember what I ate for breakfast yesterday. I just think my brain is making room for other important things. I have noticed this in other ways too, for example: I have this urge to abbreviate EVERYTHING. My spelling has gone downhill? Writing on paper, you bet my hand is vigorously writing, and I feel for the poor soul that has to attempt to read that masterpiece. Yikes. You know you are in PA school when Quizlet is on your laptop and phone and also on your most visited sites. The second someone says they have

Hey! So here is this week's episode of LIFE IN PA SCHOOL. Buckle your seatbelts. It is approximately week 4 of school and I think it feels like I have been here for half a century. Do I feel like I have learned a thing or two? Maybe. Do I remember what I have learned? I guess we will see!! Our professor today was SO stifled when he asked us about a disease we learned five days ago and saw a classroom of glazed looks staring back at him..had to ask us if we EVEN remember who our OTHER professor is that gave us the lecture. Yes. Safe to say, I think we are all a little exhausted. At least, I am. SO, here's some inspiration, ya'll.  :)  I am so excited right now for some pretty amazing reasons. Tomorrow we get to sleep in!!! AND we have a half day tomorrow!!! What?! Is this real life? Pumped. Also,, it is my birthday tomorrow, humble brag, and my friend is coming in to town! woop! Fun Fact: You can indeed wake up still buzzed from coffee. Thank you Starbucks. I did ge

Hey guys!                                             Wow, what a whirlwind it has been. I'm still alive, and surviving PA school.. so far. :) It is now our third week and we have jumped right into Neurology. (sink or swim, right?) I am also in Virginia (37 hours later driving from Boise, Idaho) and 2 hours time difference from Mountain and 3 hours from Portland (cough cough people you need to set a timer if you want to catch me before I go to bed). End rant, just joking but I love you all, please keep calling and thank you for your calls and support!! SO, I thought I would write a little bit about what I am learning so it can be another way I can remember it (so sorry about all the med terms you non med people- so follow the FUN FACTS)  and because this stuff is pretty cool and interesting. I just hope to not gross anyone out when I talk about anatomy and cadavers- Sorry not sorry! This weeks happenings: Performed a laminectomy on our cadaver. AKA we chiseled out the spine

In my medical assistant class, I have enjoyed the opportunity to be surrounded by people from all walks of life, different experiences and backgrounds. I have really appreciated the dynamic that it brings to the class as a learning environment, one where we can help each other expand our knowledge of the medical field through sharing our experiences and insight.  Recently, I was conflicted with my knowledge on vaccines and autism. While I am bringing up this subject, it is widely debated and I am not trying to stir the pot or bring this topic to be debated... The most important thing I learned this past week was to accept other people's views no matter how much you disagree with them (and to do your research to decide your personal view). It sounds really stupid writing it out because I feel it is a no-brainer, but I really think that it is easy to forget when you're in the moment. You don't realize you are doing it, and in the end, you feel terrible. I felt really ba

As many of my friends and family know, a lot of changes have happened in my life lately! Not only have I graduated college, I moved back to Oregon to be closer to family and started a new job as a caregiver/med aide in an assisted living facility to gain more experience in a healthcare setting. This time in my life is kind of like ... I'm a boogie boarder so I'll relay it to that... it's like sitting there far away from shore and you can see a great wave in the future and you're positioning yourself just in case so that you can ride that wave all the way back to shore. .. but in those moments you are still waiting for that wave... Being 22 is a weird stage in life.. a lot of people have accomplished great things at 22 or even younger! I was disappointed in the interviewer as I sat in the chair in Alabama as he commented at my age "How old are you?! 12?? " umm... nooo.. and I felt funny saying it but sorry sir, "I think I have accomplished a lot for