How to Prioritize Your Mental Health During PA School

Imagine this: you are waking up at the crack of dawn to finish cramming for an exam that morning. You take your exam and then immediately go to your next class to take a quiz. The next two classes are a blur of information that you know is vital to your education but you’re not sure if you are even absorbing anything. You get a short break for lunch and then two more classes in the afternoon. Your exhaustion leads you to a quick nap after class but then you’re right back to studying for tomorrow’s 2 quizzes. After 2-3 hours you know you should be in bed so you can get a full night’s sleep. The next day you wake up at the crack of dawn to cram and the day repeats itself. Did this story scare you away from applying to PA school? I hope not.

Fortunately, this was not my reality during school but it easily could have been if I had let it be. Whether it is PA school, medical school, or any other graduate program, your mental and physical health should always be a top priority. Self-care will look different to each individual. I am going to discuss 3 vital things EVERYONE needs to do to prioritize their mental health during school. 

Related: 6 Things to Do When You Have 6 Months Left of PA School

THE 3 THINGS EVERYONE SHOULD BE DOING WHILE IN PA SCHOOL TO PRIORITIZE YOUR MENTAL HEALTH 

If you want to succeed in PA school, you need to have a clear mind. I’m here to tell you that studying MORE isn’t always the answer. 

1. EXERCISE. This should be a non-negotiable. You absolutely need to exercise while in school. You are sitting for hours at a time without the normal walking that you did with your hospital or doctor’s office job prior to school. Not to mention, science backs up the fact that exercise can improve not only your physical health but also your mental health. Bonus tip if you can exercise outdoors and get some fresh air. I was fortunate enough to live by an amazing state park that had a long-running trail around a lake. I ran there as often as I could. Whenever the weather wasn’t great I belonged to a gym that was conveniently located directly next to the building where I had classes. Aim to make exercise a part of your daily routine, regardless of if you have an exam the next day.
2. SOCIALIZE. Now, don’t get this twisted. You should not be partying as you did in undergrad. There simply isn’t the time for it. However, you should make sure you are regularly seeing friends or hanging out with classmates outside of school. This will help you feel less alone in this crazy quick-paced PA school experience. Furthermore, make sure you do make time to see family. If you live far away, talk to your parents or significant other on the phone or over FaceTime. Check in and let them know how you are doing. While it’s nice to be able to talk to people that are sharing a common experience it’s also just as nice to talk to people that can distract you from your PA school bubble.
3. HAVE A STUDY PLAN. You should study smarter, not harder. The worst feeling is sitting down with several textbooks and pages upon pages of notes and not knowing where to prioritize your time studying. People almost always default to whichever quiz or exam is next. I don’t always agree with that. In order to do well in school I had a laid-out plan every semester where I broke down the syllabus of each class and prioritized whichever exam or quiz held the most weight. For example, a quiz in one class that makes up 4% of your grade is not nearly as important as a quiz in another class that makes up 10% of your grade. I made sure all exams and quizzes were clearly documented on a large calendar. In the two weeks leading up to said exam or quiz I wrote down what I needed to study on which day. I made sure to cover all of the material so that when there were two days to go it wasn’t my first time reviewing everything. This would allow me in the last two days to really focus my energy on the information I didn’t quite understand. Having a study plan will protect you from feeling overwhelmed. It will also save you energy in deciding where you need to prioritize your focus. Knowing that you have already reviewed all of the material for an exam or quiz when there are two days to go will almost undoubtedly ease your anxiety. 

These are the 3 tips that I hope every PA student takes to heart and practices when in school. I was in PA school during the beginning of the pandemic. During that time, my mental health was at an all-time low as were many around the country. There were things happening outside of my control. I kept coming back to these three points to ensure I was taking care of myself. A few months before graduation I learned I was graduating with honors. I truly believe knowing how to prioritize your mental health will help you excel as well.