Update + My Top 3 Tips for Clinical Year!

Long time, no post! Since my last post, I have graduated from my PA program and passed the PANCE! I am now a PA-C! It still doesn't feel real! I am currently taking a much needed break at home with my family while looking for a position in dermatology.

As I was brainstorming post ideas, I thought that tips for clinical year could be very helpful. I wish that someone had told me these tips before I started my clinical rotations!

Pediatrics Rotation | My Experience + Tips

I just finished my pediatrics rotation, and I thought I got through it without catching something…but nope. A day after finishing my rotation, I came down with a cold! A gift from the little kiddos, I suppose…ha! 

Source: cdc.gov

I didn’t think that I would enjoy my pediatrics rotation, but I did. There were so many cute babies (but also annoying kids and parents)! It was cool to see the pediatric illnesses and conditions that we learned about in person. I saw patients with Fifth disease, impetigo, nursemaid's elbow, molluscum contagiosum, pinworms, erythema toxicum, and mongolian spots. I also gave a lot of vaccines, which was great since I was never able to do that during my previous rotations. There is a CDC Immunization Schedule app that you can use to quickly look up which vaccines are due. I didn't personally use it because I memorized the CDC immunization schedule for the EOR exam anyway. 

Behavioral Health Rotation | My Experience

I just finished my Behavioral Health rotation (my 7th rotation...just 3 more to go!) and I wanted to write a little about my experience and how I studied for the EOR exam. I did my rotation at an inpatient mental health facility with adult, adolescent, child, and dual (psychiatric illness + substance abuse) units. I worked with the adults for the majority of my rotation. To be honest, I was pretty nervous in the beginning, especially since the patients were acting out more than usual during my first week there...screaming at hallucinations, punching holes in the wall, banging heads against the wall, etc. As time went on, I became more comfortable working with the patients. It was a great experience and I learned a lot! I learned how to redirect patients who were easily distracted and deal with difficult substance abuse patients. You need to be careful because some patients can be very manipulative!

Emergency Medicine Rotation | Tips and Helpful Resources

via Google Images

I finished up my Emergency Medicine rotation a little over a week ago. It was definitely overwhelming at times, but I saw and learned a lot. Here are some tips and resources that I found helpful during my rotation!

1. Follow the residents around! // This depends on your rotation site of course, but I found that most residents, physicians, and PAs would be so busy that they forgot I was there. I learned to just follow them around everywhere, so I didn't miss out on anything!

2. Good pediatric resources // One of the residents I worked with showed me these two websites that are helpful when dealing with pediatric patients. Bonepit.com shows you normal x-rays for different ages. CHOP's Clinical Pathways are also very helpful. You can click on "Emergency" to limit the clinical pathways to only emergency medicine related clinical pathways.

Surgery Rotation | How to Prepare + Tips

I can't believe I'm already about to start the 2nd week of my 4th rotation (Emergency Medicine)! My previous rotations were two family medicine rotations and surgery.  A lot of students, including myself, are nervous for their surgery rotation. I actually really liked my surgery rotation, except for the early hours (I had to wake up at 4:15AM every weekday morning). During my surgery rotation, I was able to scrub in on many surgeries (laparoscopic appendectomies, lap cholecystectomies, bowel resections, gastric bypasses, lipoma excisions, etc.), suture lap port sites, and maneuver the camera during laparoscopic surgeries. It was a great experience! Here are some tips and things you can do to prepare for your surgery rotation:

1. Brush up on your suture skills. // Practice simple interrupted subcuticular and running subcuticular sutures since those are most likely the types you will use to close lap port sites. Make sure to practice suturing while wearing gloves to mimic the real thing!

2. Practice tying surgical knots. // Make sure you can tie one-handed and two-handed surgical knots. Again, wear gloves while practicing! I used this video to learn two-handed knot tying and this video to learn one-handed knot tying. You can start out by practicing with shoe strings and then move on to sutures. You just need to tie the shoe string or suture to something stationary. 

Cold Weather Skin Care

It is becoming colder by the minute and the cold, dry air can lead to dry, irritated skin even if you are prone to oily skin. Here are some ideas to keep your skin more hydrated this fall and winter season!

1. Switch up your skin care products! // Switch from foaming cleansers to milk, cream, or oil cleansers. I've been using La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermo-Cleanser and it leaves my skin feeling hydrated, but not greasy! It can be used with or without rinsing, but I prefer to rinse it off. As for moisturizers, try a richer cream or balm. La Roche-Posay Toleriane Riche Soothing Protective Cream works great for me and doesn't cause any breakouts. I also like to use La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 Soothing Repairing Balm on any areas that are especially dry.

 2. Increase your intake of healthy fats. // Eat foods such as avocado, salmon, walnuts, and olive oil or take omega-3 supplements. Healthy fats and omega-3s can help boost your skin's hydration level and decrease inflammation.

5 Tips for Better Sleep!

Getting adequate sleep is one of the best things that you can do for your body. If you aren't getting enough sleep, you can get sick more easily, have trouble losing weight, or break out in acne. The amount of sleep needed varies from person to person, but it usually falls between 7-9 hours a night. I'm doing my Family Medicine rotation right now and difficulty sleeping is a complaint I see often among my patients. Here are several tips that can help you get a good night's sleep! (Of course, there are many sleep disorders out there. If you try these tips out and still find yourself having trouble sleeping, see your primary care physician.)

Image via Pexels

1.) Stick to a schedule. // Try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day, even on the weekends. This will help to regulate your body's internal clock and help you to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night. 

Gluten/Nut Free Banana Granola | Recipe

This granola is literally the best! It tastes great added to yogurt, cereal (I like to add it to my Cheerios in the morning to give it more flavor), or even just by itself. You can easily switch this recipe up - you can use different seeds, honey, maple syrup, etc. (I adapted the recipe from this one, so I can't take the credit!)

Ingredients:
1 cup sunflower seeds
3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 cup unsweetened banana chips
1 ripe banana
1/4 cup agave nectar syrup
1/2 Tablespoon coconut oil
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt