You may have been wondering, what material are you really learning anyways?
Well, our three main classes are basically:
1) Pathology
2) Anatomy w/ lab
3) Anatomical Techniques
But just by looking at a course name doesn't really tell the whole story. I'll describe what to expect in these types of courses in PA school.
1) Pathology
Textbook: Pathologic Basis of Disease
http://www.amazon.com/Robbins-Cotran-Pathologic-Basis-Disease/dp/1416031219/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1301242683&sr=8-6
This class has been the most traditional of the classes that I've had so far. If you're familiar with the style of lectures that you've had during your undergraduate years, then the only thing different is the material. Think of a large lecture hall where the teacher gives a presentation, you'll have power point notes or a study guide on hand, material on the test can be found completely in the notes and lecture, you study the textbook when you're unclear about a topic, tests may be multiple choice or fill in the blank, etc... I'm sure many of you are familiar with this style of class.
Studying pathology is similar to studying many other subjects such as microbiology, immunology and ecology. Sure, there is a good amount of memorization, but grasping the concepts is also just as important. You won't be having to solve complex chemical reaction problems such as in organic chemistry nor will you be identifying parts of things in a picture like in histology or anatomy. It's using your base of memorized knowledge to link together why and how a disease works.
For example, how might esophageal varicosities (vericose veins surrounding the esophagus) and cirrhosis of the liver be related?
Well, we know that when liver tissue becomes replaced with fibrotic tissue, less blood will be able to get filtered through. That would cause blood to get backed up. Blood that can't go through the liver would be forced through other routes (collateral circulation). Blood gets diverted through the esophageal veins, causing them to become larger and the walls of the veins can become dangerously weak. So there you go! Now you can answer a hypothetical question such as:
Which of the following is most likely to cause esophageal varicosities?
a) chronic bronchitis
b) renal failure
c) cirrhosis of the liver
d) deep vein thrombosis
The first part of pathology covers topics that are the 'think big' topics such as clotting and blood pressure. The latter half of pathology moves on to the 'think small' topics that focus on organ systems, such as diseases of the kidneys or heart. Here's a basic outline of topics that you can be expected to cover:
cell injury
cell death
inflammation (very big)
healing
fibrosis
edema
hemorrhage
thrombosis
infarction
shock
blood vessels - atherosclerosis, hypertension, pathologies of blood vessels
heart - congestive heart failure, ischemic heart disease, infarction, valvular diseases, congenital diseases, etc...
lungs - atelectasis, obstructive lung diseases, restrictive lung diseases, embolism, infections, tumors, etc...
kidneys - glomerular diseases, tubular diseases, cystic diseases, renal stones, renal tumors, etc...
GI tract - esophageal diseases, stomach ulcers, tumors, inflammatory diseases of the small and large intestine, polyps, cancers, etc...
etc... etc... etc...
2) Anatomy w/ lab
http://www.amazon.com/Clinically-Oriented-Anatomy-Keith-Moore/dp/1605476528/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1301246363&sr=8-2
My classmates seem to like this book but I hate it. I'd rather use wikipedia than try searching through that tome.
Anatomy was specially made for those individuals with photographic memory. There's no getting around it. This class is 90% memorization. You'll be memorizing names of things that you didn't even know had a name. I can just imagine each early anatomist combing through a cadaver with a magnifying glass, obsessively scrutinizing every little tiny bump and crevice so he could engrave his name into the scholarly pantheon of posterity. I wouldn't be surprised if anatomists of the 17th and 18th century showed symptoms of OCD.
The memorization intensive nature of anatomy has one advantage. It is a subject that you can easily study for even before classes start. Sure, you'll need diagrams and pictures to strengthen your ability to remember names, but these can be readily found online.
In class, you'll probably be given a set of notes or power point lectures to study off of. Tests may be multiple choice or fill in the blank. I highly doubt any essay questions will be of any significant length. You'll be asked questions such as, "name the four muscles that make up the rotator cuff", or "what part of the thalamus is the primary processing center for visual information from the retina".
What makes anatomy difficult is the volume of memorization you need to do in a short amount of time. That's why it's so imperative that you take advantage of any free time before entering into a PA program by studying anatomy. Some areas of memorization that will be expected of you:
know all of the bones of the body and the names of all their bumps and grooves
know all of the muscles of the body, be able to name their origins and insertions
know most of the arteries and veins in the body, know their locations and what they supply
know most of the nerves of the body and what organs and muscles they innervate
know all of the organs and the names of each of their important landmarks
The order in which you study the body may be different between each school, but here at WVU we have pretty much covered in order:
back
arms
armpit
breast
neck
face
skull
pharynx
eye / ear
vertebra / spine
brain
thorax
heart
lungs
esophagus
stomach
intestines
liver
etc... etc... etc...
This course also has a laboratory component with its own tests and grades, but getting a hands on experience really reinforces memorization. The best way to learn is by doing.
3) Anatomical Techniques
Textbook: Surgical Pathology Dissection
http://www.amazon.com/Surgical-Pathology-Dissection-Illustrated-ebook/dp/B000PY3QPM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1301249503&sr=8-3
This could be the most useful class that you take. That is because this class is specifically designed to teach us how to work as pathologist assistants. It uses our knowledge of anatomy to teach us how to handle a specimen, describe it, ink it and dissect it. The first classes were geared towards new terminology and autopsies, but just as with pathology, the subject matter narrows down to 'think small' and concerns how to handle each and every kind of specimen one could possibly receive from the operating table. Each specimen, whether it be a larynx, a tonsil or a brain, has their own protocol on what to do.
This class also requires a good amount of memorization, but unlike anatomy, it's intuitive. For example, if a mandible is plopped in front of you, there are a number of things you'll need to do, including describing it, looking for any tumors or lesions, measuring it, fixing it, inking it and cutting it. Some questions on a test might be, "which fixative will you use if electron microscopy is ordered" or "how would you describe this tumor". Because of the nature of the subject, these tests are bound to have plenty of essay questions.
The course material follows the anatomy class for the most part. Some weeks the anatomical techniques class will be ahead and some weeks it'll be behind.
Fortunately, at least at WVU, the test materials often tend to overlap, so you might be studying about the lungs in pathology, anatomy and anatomical techniques all at the same time. A triple whammy of lectures means that it sticks with you much better and studying isn't (as) overwhelming.
Now you know a little bit more about what to expect in PA school. It's intimidating, but if you study more than you play you'll be fine. Chances are, if you're applying to graduate school, you already fit the bill.
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