One Year Ago

I can still remember how life was just one year ago. Finals were coming up and I was studying furiously while trying to juggle future living arrangements for Pittsburgh. Stress levels were high and I couldn’t wait to put down the books for once and use my hands. So how does life during the first year compare with this year?

   

I can say on behalf of all my classmates that not having three tests every week was a very welcome change. Whereas before I would spend a number of hours every day studying, this year I study according to my own schedule. For self-motivated students, being able to study when you want provides convenience and comfort. I can remember last year before many tests I would try and find a good studying spot. Many times that meant that I had to get bundled up in heavy winter clothes and brave the elements by walking to school or hopping onto the PRT to get to the library. This was all while freezing rain or snow was pelting my umbrella and body. I had to keep myself moving before the biting winds of the arctic tundra froze me in place. Now, our once monthly tests feel like a divine respite. With fewer tests we are at our leisure to study an hour here and there for the first and second weeks and then we ramp up our studying as the test date nears. It feels like a steady jog rather than an all-out long distance sprint. Stress from tests has definitely decreased during this second year compared to our first.

There are some other stresses that fill the stress meter, but they generally aren’t to the same degree as last year. There are times where work can be stressful such as when you are bombarded with specimens and you are rushing to complete them all on time before they have to go on the processors. But, generally, the stresses encountered at work can be left behind at work. At home, it is great to not have to worry about what may happen the next day until the next day actually arrives. Like in my first year, when I had one test coming up on Thursday and another test coming up on Friday, there was no way to truly relax from Monday to Wednesday, even at home.

This year, moving around from town to town was admittedly a bit of a pain, but after one day of packing and one day of settling in life would resume as normal. This year I moved a total of seven times between Morgantown, Pittsburgh and Charleston. That was more moves than all of my previous life. But, as I said before, once you have your place of stay all planned out, the moving step itself is not too troublesome. I knew that I’d be moving a lot so I purposefully packed light and all of my possessions can fit into two suitcases and a backpack.

Speaking of moving, one of the more stressful parts of last year was trying to find a place to stay in Pittsburgh. Each location has their own strengths and weaknesses whether they are related to price, distance from rotation sites, local crime, access to supermarkets and so forth. I was fortunate to be able to move together with a classmate to share the burden of rent and utilities. We decided on a place just outside of the downtown area and just west of the river. Our apartment complex has a couple of good things going for it. The price is relatively cheap compared to living downtown ($695 rent + utilities with free heating), there are supermarkets located nearby and the neighborhood is low crime. Commuting is a bit difficult for getting to Shadyside, but the other rotation sites are accessible. As I’ve mentioned earlier, I don’t drive in Pittsburgh so I carpool with my classmate and we save money by paying half and half for gas.

As the year has gone on, I have admittedly been feeling the pinch of tightening money supply. Debt only builds up the longer that one is in this program, so by the end, I have found myself doing silly things to save money. If there is free food offered at a conference for example I will fill my plate up as much as possible to save money on dinner. The bus system in Pittsburgh is unfortunately very expensive and so I don’t take trips to downtown, even though I would like to explore it. There is a great supermarket called Aldi’s where I go to buy groceries, even though it is farther away than the more convenient Giant Eagle. Admittedly, I do go to the occasional restaurant, but only for cheap buffets where I can eat a whole day’s worth of food in one meal. When new clothes are needed, Gabriel Brothers and sometimes K-Mart  are cheap places to go and shop. It’s necessary to micromanage your finances to alleviate the cost of living as the year progresses.

The amount of free time for relaxation and recreation that I’ve had this year has varied depending on each rotation site. On average, I would come home at around 5:00 PM and have the rest of the evening to do as I please. During the first year, classes may have sometimes finished by 2:00 PM or 3:00 PM, but with the amount of studying done after school the amount of time for relaxing was actually less than this year. This year, on some of my longer rotation sites when I came home at 6:30 PM or so I’d be too tired to do much so I would just make dinner, take a shower and head to bed. Still, in general I’ve had more time to relax and take life easier this year than last year.

Compared to last year, of course, I’ve become much more competent as a future pathologists’ assistant. The movements of grossing have almost become second nature, now. One interesting thing that I’ve noticed is that I’ve become much more ambidextrous than at any other time in my life. For example, I used to only be comfortable holding a scalpel and forceps in my left hand, but now, it’s just more convenient to work with a scalpel in my left and forceps in my right. Sometimes I even work with a scalpel in my right and forceps in my left. There has been a kind of rewiring in my brain such that the tools that I use are becoming extensions of my fingers. I’m sure that everyone else in my cohort is experiencing something similar.

A lot has happened this past year, but with good planning everything has gone relatively well without any major problems. Enjoying the second year in PA school isn’t hard to do. All it takes is to try your best at work, learn as much as you can from your PA mentors, don’t bring home with you stress from work and do some logistical planning in finding living arrangements. One year ago things were looking up, and I’m happy to say that things are still looking up.