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My PANCE Study Plan

I'll start by stating the obvious -- the study habits of one person won't work for everyone. I think that by this point in our PA school journeys, we have all realized this! But this feels like an important caveat to mention right upfront when talking about studying for the PANCE. I have spoken to recent grads and read various posts online about studying for the PANCE and if I've learned one thing so far, it's that everyone studies differently ... sometimes a lot differently!

My plan in particular may seem a little too brief for some. But it's important to note that I've had other important studying opportunities throughout clinical year:

PAEA EOR Exams

This is the first year my school has used the PAEA EOR exams (they had previously written their own exams), and many of us were caught off-guard by how challenging these exams were. This isn't a bad thing -- I was forced to amp up my studying and I think I'm better off for having to take these exams. One other important thing to point out is that my school groups together EOR exams. So for example, at the end of one rotation, I would need to take two exams: internal medicine and psychology, family medicine and women's health, and emergency medicine and pediatrics. Surgery was the only stand-alone exam. So this means I had eight weeks to study two large topics at a time, which meant I needed to really stay on task with my studying! But again, I think I'm better off for having studied very consistently throughout clinical year. 

CME Resources Certification Exam Review

My school was also kind enough to provide us with a week-long virtual PANCE review course. And while it was absolutely no fun to feel like I was back in didactic year lectures, it was a really excellent review. We had the opportunity to purchase the biggest binder I think I've ever seen with copies of all of the lecture slides and took short practice exams at the end of each day. We completed this mid-way through our elective rotation and honestly, I wish I could have taken the PANCE right after while everything was fresh in my mind! We did take the PACKRAT at the end of the week, and I was really happy to see that my score had improved by 30 points from when I had taken it at the end of didactic. 


Now, admittedly, after my last round of EOR exams and Summative exams, I was feeling a bit burned out. So I stopped studying. Seriously. I needed a break to spend time with friends and family, deal with some of my house preparations, and enjoy some much needed time on the couch with my dog! And I tried not to feel guilty about it. 

I really think that worked. While it's a little difficult to get back into the swing of things if you're not in the habit of studying daily, I think I'm going into this next month feeling refreshed and ready to go!

PANCE Study Plan

  • April 24 - May 8: Rosh practice questions and Lange Q&A practice questions (while finishing my final elective rotation)
  • May 9 - May 13: TBD; this is my final week on campus, but I'm not sure if I need to be there every day yet ... and May 13 is GRADUATION!
  • May 14: study-free day
  • May 15 - May 24: Topic-based studying; these are going to be my biggest, heaviest days of studying. I'm planning to use PANCE Prep Pearls and my CME Resources binder to focus on individual topics and then complete focused Rosh practice questions at the end of each day.
    • May 15: Neurology and Psychology
    • May 16: Cardiology
    • May 17: Cardiology, again
    • May 18: GI and Endocrine
    • May 19: ENT and Ophthalmology
    • May 20: Nephrology and Urology
    • May 21: Dermatology and Orthopedics (then Charlie Berens show!)
    • May 22: Women's Health and Rheumatology
    • May 23: Pulmonology and Pediatrics
    • May 24: ID, Pharmacology and Antimicrobial
  • May 25: Complete a practice test that I bought from All Things PA-C (it was cheaper than the ones offered through the NCCPA). 
  • May 26: Maybe review a few final things that I need, but otherwise take the day to take care of ME. Get my mind and body ready for the PANCE. 
Yes, this seems like a lot in a very short amount of time. But I'm a person who is motivated by being under pressure! Plus, I think by building in a few fun plans, I'll be able to keep my focus. Additionally, I may use podcasts to augment my studying ("Physician Assistant Exam Review" has been recommended to me by numerous people), and I plan to do a decent amount of studying away from home in an effort to maintain my focus (coffee shops, public libraries, etc). 

Again, no two people are going to study the same. I've learned throughout my three years in PA school what seems to work for me, and I've tried to keep that top-of-mind with building this study schedule. Fingers crossed that it works!

Rest-of-my-life Plan

If the PANCE was the only thing going on in my life, that would be sufficient! But apparently, I like to live in a constant state of chaos, so of course there's plenty of other things to keep me busy:
  • Close on my house early May
  • Have the bathroom completely remodeled in the month of May
  • Move the beginning of June
  • Run away to Canada with my sister on a camping and hiking trip 
  • Start my family medicine job near the end of June, assuming I don't get eaten by a bear!
Thanks to everyone who has followed along with me on this journey. While I'm planning to post some more updates as I graduate, (hopefully) pass the PANCE, and start my job, I'm not entirely sure what this blog will look like in the future. Thanks to everyone who has been great moral support to me along the way! 

Olivia

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