Just about done with 2 semester didactic. I am fairly successful on my exams and my grades are fine. I am learning everything I need to finish didactic. But then when we try to do practice cases (patient actors, reviewing old/fake cases, working up a CC, etc.) or write up SOAP notes/treatment plans, I feel like my knowledge isn't actually applying to practice. I can say every detail about a diagnosis and all of the possible tests to run and all of the possible treatments, but the actual diagnostic & treatment plan--what happens start to finish at their visit--doesn't seem clear to me. Sometimes I feel like I'm wasting (fake) resources ordering every possible test, and I never know where to start a real treatment plan.

Any advice for taking my textbook knowledge (just feels like answers to trivia questions) and applying it clinically? How did you change your study habits to make it more applicable to clinical practice? Please let me know if this feeling is normal/how to overcome it and prepare for clinicals!

I am so incredibly defeated in my program and am already thinking I’ll have to withdraw by the end of this semester. I’ve been having one of my worst months in PA school and I don’t know if I can keep this up. I’ve talked to faculty and advisors, have had multiple meetings, I’ve tried changing my study habits, and reaching out to people. I feel so hopeless. I’m already considered an at-risk student and to think I’ve worked myself up to this just to come crashing down has been having a heavy mental toll on me. I don’t know what else to do

I failed my surgery EOR, and I am so scared for the second retake. Does anyone have advice on how I can do better?? I have used ROSH, Smarty Pance, and Hippo Ed so far. I am worried that the retake is going to be harder 😢

Hi, I wanted to know if anyone has taken the new EOR for peds and how they felt about it. I’m going to take mine soon and I’m nervous bc it’s a new blueprint and everything. Thanks!

I LOVE whoever’s notes these are!
I found these on Pinterest but I would love the pdfs and all of them tbh
Anyone know where I can find them?!?

Hi everyone! Has anyone used the 4-day Blueprint prep course to study for the PANCE? I’m considering signing up and would love to hear about people’s experiences and if the cost was worth it. Thank you!

I’m a PANCE retaker. Failed my first attempt. I didn’t have accommodations my first attempt. But my question is would it be considered an accommodation to have the computer lights adjusted (brightness and night shift (the light to make the screen orange))????

I remember having a raging headache half way through the exam and I felt like sitting in an office space with computer screen in front of me contributed to that.

If this does count as an accommodation would that mean I would have to take the PANCE in two separate sittings?

I failed my Family Medicine EOR, and I’m honestly feeling extremely discouraged and kind of freaking out.

Looking back, I know I didn’t start studying early enough, and my score definitely reflected that. Now I only have a week until my retake, and to make things worse, I just started a new rotation. It all feels overwhelming.

I reviewed the topic list from my score report and have been focusing on the areas I missed. I’ve also been doing Blueprint practice questions, but I’m only averaging around 60%, which has me feeling like I’m running out of hope.

I guess I’m just looking for reassurance. Has anyone else been in a similar situation and still passed their retake? If so, what did you do during that last week that made the biggest difference?

Hi everyone,

I’m currently in the process of preparing for Physician Assistant (PA) school and, honestly, I’m feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. I’ve heard plenty of stories about the "firehose" of information, and I want to hit the ground running as much as possible.

For those who are currently in a program or have already graduated, I’d love to get your insight on a few things:

1. **Pre-PA Preparation:** Is there anything specific you recommend doing (or reviewing) in the months leading up to the start of the program? Should I brush up on Anatomy/Physiology, or is it better to just rest and recharge?
   
2. **Academic Success:** What were your "holy grail" study habits? Did you find success with active recall, Anki, group study, or something else entirely?
   
3. **Tips & Tricks:** Are there any specific resources (Pance Prep Pearls, Osmosis, etc.) that you found indispensable?
   
4. **Balance:** How did you manage to maintain a decent lifestyle/mental health while keeping up with the rigorous grading standards?

I really want to set myself up for success and develop the right mindset before day one. Any advice, no matter how small, would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

I just took my first PACKRAT at the end of my didactic year. There's onky a tiny bit more content that we have to cover but I got a 175. I reviewed the score report and know what I should review. Is that good, bad, or average score and like how does that correlate to actual PANCE score and passing?

My PA journey started a while back… all the way back in 2021. I was in a program and of course because it was during the pandemic, learning was completely virtual (except on lab days). I struggled tremendously in anatomy and eventually withdrew from the program due to my low average in the class. I moved back home defeated and ashamed, but ended up graduating with my masters in 2022.

PA was my dream and ultimate goal so I put the time and effort into the daunting journey that is the application process. From CASPA to interviews to finally getting that acceptance email all feel like ages ago.

I started my new program in 2023.

27 months of stress, tears, and unlimited medical info. My grandmother passed a week before finals, I had an expected surgery three months later, even failed two EORs. What can I say, life be life-ing… even in PA school. But I made it to graduation. That’s the end right?!?! Absolutely not!

I took the PANCE in July and I can be honest and say that I didn’t prepare the way that I needed. PA school had worn me out more than I had expected and I was tired of looking at books. I wanted to enjoy my last few weeks before I moved back home without the guilt of academia. I got my score report back and I didn’t pass. I was CRUSHED. Once again, embarrassed and ashamed.

Test anxiety had a grip on me so tight that I delayed scheduling my second attempt for months. I knew I had to bite the bullet and eventually retest. Second time around, I improved my score but still DID NOT pass.

I was convinced that my third testing attempt was going to be my absolute last one. I locked in for months, got a tutor, and was determined to understand things that I did not beforehand.

This time I am overjoyed to say that on my THIRD attempt, I PASSED!!! I am now a certified physician assistant.

Please let my journey be a testament to what is possible when you don’t give up on yourself. Your journey may not be as easy or speedy as others. But it’s perfect FOR YOU and everything will work out the way it is intended.

Student Nurse here

I just got worked on my Obstetrics exam today. Passing is 76% for a test avg. overall. I got a 78.7% today. I’m super exhausted and feeling fatigued af not going to lie. Two exams ago I got a 76% , I keep feeling like I’m burning my chances at going to PA school or even NP at this point. Any advice from those who have made it through?

Are you able to highlight and cross out answers on the pance. Are all the questions in a block available on the side or to go back do you have to individual press the questions. How is it taking it on the Pearson computers.

Hey everyone, so we have our first ever OSCE coming up soon and it’s the end of our didactic year. I have been practicing with some classmates and online resources as well but it’s not going well since we can’t seem to get the diagnosis correct or remember the orders/treatment. Does anyone have advice for this? I’ve been reviewing my own notes/charts and ones I found on Reddit and online. Also trying to memorize the rubric to make sure I get everything down but getting the diagnosis correct is not happening and it’s just scary bc the oral presentation and soap note is based of that….

failed my EOR -for family medicine last wk and need to retake it in about a week. for reference - I did all the blueprint Qs and hippoEd Qs and reviewed the explanations for Qs I got wrong . i definitely feel like i could have done more content review or maybe reviewing things I got wrong more thoroughly on smartpance or PPP. i was just genuinely running out of time to study and im just wondering two things :
1. how similar was the retake from the original EOR ? ( my school takes all PAEA exams )

1. any advice ?!!

thank you so much in advance ! im just a bit nervous because i need to pass this next one, or else i need to repeat the entire rotation

Hey everyone! I took my PANCE a few weeks ago and found out that I passed on my first try! I always promised myself I’d make a post if I passed because I’ve been a long-time lurker here. I was definitely a below-average test taker in PA school, and I truly believe test anxiety played a big role in my performance. I tried so many different study methods, but my EOR scores always seemed to stay about the same.

Ironically, I was a 4.0 student throughout high school and undergrad, so struggling academically for the first time was incredibly difficult. I tied a lot of my self-worth to my grades, and not performing the way I was used to really took a toll on my confidence.

I finished didactic with a 3.1 GPA and graduated with a 3.4 GPA. Walking into the PANCE, I was extremely nervous because I knew I was considered high risk for failing based on my scores. I also felt like I got one of the harder versions of the exam with long clinical vignettes, so I walked out preparing to retake it 3 months later.

For studying, I mainly used PANCE Prep Pearls and UWorld. I finished 92% of the UWorld question bank with a 70% average.

My practice exams:
- NCCPA Practice Exam A (4 weeks before): 80% red, 20% yellow
- NCCPA Practice Exam B (4 days before): Low green

My scores:
- Didactic PACKRAT: 93 (didn’t study)
- Family Medicine EOR: 369 (first EOR and barely passed)
- Pediatrics EOR: 411
- Internal Medicine EOR: 380
- Psychiatry EOR: 398
- Emergency Medicine EOR: 392
- Surgery EOR: 400
- Women’s Health EOR: 391
- End of Curriculum Exam: 1443

PANCE: 380

I wanted to share this for anyone who feels discouraged by their scores. Don’t compare yourself to everyone else. While standardized tests were never my strength in PA school, every one of my preceptors commented on my clinical skills and told me I was going to be a great provider. Your worth is so much more than a test score.

Believe in yourself, trust the work you’ve put in, and have faith that everything will work out. If you’re putting in the effort, you absolutely have a chance. Wishing everyone studying for the PANCE the very best. You’ve got this! Please feel free to reach out with any questions!

Am I the only one who thinks some of these outfits look more like “going out” outfits than something you should wear for a professional event where you are about to start your career? I see tick tocks with people’s stomach showing and it looks really uncomfortable when a middle aged male faculty member has to put their white coat on them. I want my faculty to view me as a professional, not young and immature. Also it’s a bad look for the profession.

On my last rotation and doing EOC/PANCE studying but I feel like I know nothing. I am so burnt out and tired, I can barely focus. Anyone else experience this? Any tips?

I’m getting ready to start clinicals and everyone is saying to get Blueprint or Uworld. I already have access to Hippo through my AAPA membership and I have PPP V5 and I’ve been using osmosis throughout didactic. I also was planning on resubscribing to UpToDate mainly for helping me come up with an assessment/plan while I’m clocked in on rotations. Throughout didactic I used Osmosis primarily for the videos, but sometimes for their practice questions (though rarely), or their new AI feature because it can answer my questions directly and link sources. I was planning to resubscribe to Osmosis and use that, PPP, and Hippo as my primary modes of studying. I’ve never struggled in didactic with exam stamina or clinical application of the knowledge I have, only thing would just be a lack in my depth of knowledge if I didn’t study enough. (I’ve only ever remediated once because I forgot the exam was coming up.) With that being said, I never really used practice questions during didactic as I didn’t feel that I needed them, and relied largely on Quizlet for memorization. Has anyone used Osmosis as their primary driver (specifically their Q bank) and would u say the questions were helpful in preparing you for your EOR’s/EOC/PANCE? I really don’t want to get a bunch more subscriptions so if the general consensus is that it truly is inadequate I’ll probably switch to either Uworld or Blueprint but I just wanted some insight before making these expensive decisions

Since in didactic year and haven’t taken an EOR anymore. Is it possible to go to concert the week before ( a half a day commitment)? I’m not sure what the studying schedules look like, but just thinking ahead because I know a lot of people on this thread have experience! Thank you!

I'm midway through clinical year and don't really have drug dosing down at all. Thankfully I don't get pimped on it much on rotations so far, but I am growing concerned that I will graduate in December without a real clue of med dosing. What has your experience been like on rotations with this? Do you feel like you can dose meds pretty well at this point?

Hey everyone just took my pance on 07/10 and got graded 07/16.
I took 3 weeks of dedicated pance studying and got to a point where I just wanted to take it so I loved it up to the 10th (originally going to take on 16)
Just passed PANCE with 428
As you can see I’m a pretty average (even below average) student and I was able to pass the pance. When I took it, ngl I was blessed with my version of it and felt ok taking it. I knew I passed it.

Uworld average 60% with 100% completion
(I took notes on qs and reviewed heavily)
Katy Connor Half Pance version B (the harder one) projected at 450
Nccpa practice test A mostly yellow tiny bit of green
Used deficits on both of those and watch cram the pance and looked into specific things not everything in the system

Grades;
Packrat 1: 127
EMED: 414
Women’s Health: 395
Surgery: 405
IMED: 415
Psych: 435
Peds: 439
Packrat 2: 140
GERI: 89%
EOC: 1487
Family Medicine: 412
Ortho: 89%

I post this to say.. you can do this. You’ve gotten this far and you need to trust yourself and trust your training. Breath in and out and take the bull by the horns and take that exam with confidence

SELLING UWOLRD 100 dollars. One reset left. Expires 08/03