OU Physician Associate Class of 2020

Updated entrance stats for my class & the inside look at my first two weeks of PA school.

The new stats for my class have been posted to the OUHSC PA Program website in the online advising presentation. (I highly encourage you to check the websites of the programs at which you are applying for the most accurate and up to date information.) This year, my program accepted a few more students who had recently graduated from undergrad so our average age decreased significantly from 30 to 25 years old. My class had an average GPA of 3.74 and over 80% of us are from in-state. That being said, each year the program is evolving and improving. The program faculty and staff work diligently to make sure our program exceeds the standards.

My program is in the College of Medicine, but there are six other colleges located on the OU Health Sciences Center campus, as well as the OU Medical Center, OU Physicians, The Children’s Hospital at OU Medical, and The Stephenson Cancer Center to name a few. My first week on campus was mainly getting oriented so I knew what resources the campus offers, how to find my way around, and getting to know my classmates. Orientation usually lasted from 8am-3pm each day, but that included my Foundations of Medical Science I course. My class was given lectures on professionalism, study tips, and staying healthy throughout what will be a few of the toughest years of our lives. We also had a mentor party, ordered all of our required medical equipment, got fitted for our white coats, took composite photos, received our student IDs, and met faculty and staff. It was a very busy week and all of us were nervous about the high expectations set for us in such a well-established program.

After surviving my first week of PA school, I was ready to get started for real. The second week was when it finally set in that I was a PA-S1. I got to put away my business attire for now and switch over to scrubs. Anatomy lectures and cadaver dissection lab are Monday-Friday and our Foundations of Medical Science I course is on Tuesday and Thursday. The foundations class is basically biochemistry, genetics, microbiology, and medical terminology combined. So, in other words, what I learned in a whole semester of undergrad is taught in a matter of a few weeks or less. My daily routine so far is waking up and walking to the Health Club to work out at 6:30am, showering, then eating a quick breakfast on my walk to class. I have Anatomy lecture with OU Dental students from 8am-10am and dissection lab from 10am-12pm. PA students have access to specific modules with desks, lockers, and a kitchenette in the classroom building where our lectures are held. We typically congregate here for lunch and studying between classes. Students in the gross anatomy course have access to the cadavers 24 hours a day, so if needed, I go back to study any structures I didn’t get down during lab. After class, I go home to study in intervals until it’s time for bed and to do it all over again. We have a TON of material to cover. Our classes are hard and fast, but it is a challenge I enjoy because I know that I will use this information to help treat my patients one day.

Best,

Destiny