Skip to main content

Resiliency: PA School During a Pandemic

I saw this article on Facebook and it really hit home for me: "Your 'Surge Capacity' is Depleted -- It's Why You Feel Awful." I strongly encourage you to read the whole article yourself, but a few things stuck out to me that I feel compelled to share. 

First, what's surge capacity? It's your adaptive abilities for dealing with acute stress. The problem with a pandemic is that it isn't really acute in the same way that a massive tornado or other disaster might be. We're in this for the long haul, and if you're like me, those adaptive abilities have worn thin. 

For me, this has looked like feelings of helplessness and exhaustion. I've spent a lot more time on my couch watching bad reality TV than I'd like to admit. But with school starting in up in less than a week, that really isn't going to fly. So how does a student (in an intensive graduate program) keep moving forward?

"Both-And" Thinking
One of my favorite lessons from this article was the idea of using "both-and" thinking. Used in ambiguous situations, it allows you to say "this is terrible, but it also might not be terrible. As a student, this might mean saying, "Online learning isn't the experience I wanted, and this my opportunity to chase my dream of becoming a PA." Or, "I'm a goal-getter and badass student, and I'm being patient with myself and understanding not every day is going to feel great."

Self Care, but Different
I've said in the past how important self-care is during PA school. That's especially true now, but it may look a little different than the pedicure or dinner with friends you may have had before. For me, I've been trying to prioritize being outside (whether I'm biking, hiking with friends, or better yet, socially distanced at the beer garden!). Your time is limited in PA school, and you'll be tired, so thinking of safe and enjoyable ways to spend that bit of free time may not be easy. But it's so, so important. 

Healthy Habits
Speaking of being tired, self care also extends to your day-to-day habits. Going for a run or a walk. Eating healthfully. Getting enough sleep. These things all help to reduce stress and help you feel more resilient. If you don't take care of yourself, you'll be more likely to burn out. 


 

This has been one heck of a summer. Kudos to the students who have managed to balance everything so far! PA school has always been a tough road, and now we just have a few more roadblocks to navigate now. But we're all highly capable people! As always, lean on your support system -- your classmates, faculty, family and friends. Be patient with yourself. You've got this. 


Thanks for reading,
Olivia

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Distance Year 1: My daily routine

Over the summer, I wrote about my daily routine . Remember, at that time I was living in a tiny studio apartment and doing school full-time on campus. As expected, the transition to life as a part-time student, part-time dietitian has been challenging. I'll say this upfront. I knew PA school, even in a part-time program, was going to be difficult. But this has, well, exceeded those expectations. When people tell you that you'll be studying basically all the time, they weren't kidding. But I'll let my daily routine help you see that! Work Day Schedule I work three days a week (generally W-F), and I have quickly realized that I can't slack off on these days. If I do, I definitely get behind! 5:15 - Alarm goes off. My small dog Milo somehow takes up the whole bed but I try to sneak out of bed without disturbing him too much. He's lazy so he'll sleep most of the morning. 5:30-6:30 - Watch a lecture while sipping on my coffee and eating a simple...
Post a Comment
Read more

PA School Interviews: 35 Practice Questions and Tips for Zoom

Getting ready for PA school interviews? Congratulations! And while interview season may look a little different this year (Zoom calls, anyone?), the importance of being properly prepared is still the same! I used to work in advertising and public relations, and sometimes I would prepare experts to talk to the media. What was the most important thing for the experts to do? Know your key messages. There's going to be topics you know will likely be addressed in an interview, so be prepared to speak to those specific things.  Same goes for PA school interviews. Yes, I've heard of programs asking some off-the-wall questions that you probably wouldn't see coming, but generally speaking there's a variety of likely topics that will come up. My advice? Think through how you want to answer those questions ahead of time. For me, this looked like an 11-page Google doc with sample questions I prepared answers for. It forced me to think through scenarios I'd want to share and my ...
Post a Comment
Read more