Just over a year ago I took a road trip before beginning a much longer journey. That longer journey is about to hit a major milestone: the transition from PA-S1 (Physician Assistant-Student 1st year) to PA-S2. The only thing standing in the way is a comprehensive exam this coming Wednesday.

I’m sitting here in my pajamas and in the middle of mixed emotions.

I’m excited to be almost done with my first year. I’m thrilled I did as well as I did. I’ve mentioned in the past that my undergrad GPA wasn’t very good. I’ve said that I’m proof that one could graduate in the bottom 10% of ones class and still be successful. And I like to think I’ve been successful in IT for the past 3 decades. And yet, I’ve still felt a bit of shame over that GPA. And I had been convinced for decades that it meant I’d never be able to get a Master’s degree. Even after getting into PA school, I had some doubts. I still feel that while undergraduate GPA can often be a predictor of ones success in grad school immediately after getting an undergraduate degree, I was pretty confident that it didn’t fully define me 3 decades later. However, convincing most schools of that is impossible. I’ve mentioned in the past that the vast majority of PA schools have an absolute cut-off at 3.0. This ruled out a number of schools for me. So I was grateful when Arcadia took a chance on me. So I’ve spent much of the past year proving to myself I was better than my undergrad days and showing Arcadia, that they had made the right choice.

And now my GPA (I’m still waiting for a few minor adjustments) shows I was right in thinking I could do better and proves they were right to give me a chance an

But I also feel a bit lost right now. While I need to and will study for that comprehensive, the pressure is mostly off. Today feels a bit weird. For the first time in about a year, I’m not worried about my next grade.

And I’m aquiver with anticipation. I start my first clinical rotation in about a month. That’s a whole new thing. I’m feeling pretty confident about it, but it will be a very different experience with different grading criteria.

I’m also feeling a bit bittersweet. Because my first rotation will be remote, I will be leaving my apartment for possibly the last time on Wednesday. It seems weird to have basically setup a home here for nearly a year. It’s not much and not a place I’d want to live forever, but it’s still been a home to me. So there’s that.

So here I am. Year One of PA school basically over and my emotions are all over the place.

But I’m sitting here with a smile. I’ve made it this far. I’m one step closer to becoming a PA.

Today was my last in-person lecture of my didactic year.

There’s a couple of key qualifying words there.

In-person: I still have a few recorded lectures I have to work through

I also have one more live, but Zoomed lecture to attend.

And we have a few on-campus items like Clinical skills I have to attend, but those are skills sessions, not lectures.

I have as of writing this, four exams (well they call one a quiz, but it’s basically an exam) for four classes and then a comprehensive exam that covers everything I was supposed to learn in the last year.

That’s my long, complicated way of saying I’m extremely close to being done with my didactic year!

My biggest risk right now is “short-timer’s” disease and getting sloppy.

So back to the books for me!