Congratulations!! You have made it so far and are this close to finally becoming a certified PA! When I had 6 months remaining in PA school I did a few things right but I also did a few things wrong. I decided I would make a list of tasks I recommend to everyone about to graduate. These tasks will set you up for success and relieve some unnecessary stress come graduation. A few of these items may be obvious like starting to mentally prepare for the PANCE. Others you probably aren’t thinking about at the moment because you’re too busy studying. Believe me, if you take the time to do this now you will be so thankful you did!!
1. Plan for the PANCE
This one may be obvious. After graduating, this is the only thing standing between you and the ability to start work (besides finding a job of course). While I personally don’t believe it’s necessary to start studying for the PANCE 6 months out I do believe you need to take into consideration how much time you will need to devote to this process. That’s when planning comes into play!
2. Update your resume
Make sure your resume is up to date! Unless you have a pre-existing professional life prior to PA school, your resume will be pretty simple. It should really only have information regarding your rotations and any extra activities you did during PA school such as holding any leadership positions or volunteer opportunities. I also included my work as a dermatology medical assistant in my resume since that was a valuable experience and I wanted to make it clear that I wasn’t completely new to the field of dermatology. A few months prior to graduating I found out I was graduating with honors. This was an easy addition to my resume.
3. Gather references
This is fairly straightforward but definitely should be done in advance. Ask your preceptors and professors for letters of reference. Keep their names, email addresses, cell phone numbers, work phone numbers, and work addresses all in one place so you can easily reference them when asked by potential employers and licensing committees. Keeping all of this organized will save you a lot of tedious work down the road.
4. Start the job hunt early
This is the one thing on the list I am so happy I did. I made it a mission to start emailing out my resume and cold-calling offices 6 months in advance. My goal for myself when I first started PA school was to have a job lined up before I graduated. The only reason I was able to succeed with this goal is that I did the work early. My story was a little different than most. You can read more about how I was able to secure employment 6 months prior to graduation here. I was one of a small handful of my classmates that was able to secure employment prior to graduating and let me tell you, that was such a weight lifted off my shoulders at the time!
5. Sell your belongings
This one is dependent on your situation. For me, my plan from the beginning was to purchase inexpensive furniture and then sell it when I left since I was moving in with my husband after school. I highly suggest reaching out to the incoming class to see if anyone is interested in furniture and/or your textbooks! If you’re the first person to reach out then you’ll likely have some eager beavers ready to take action. This will save you time and headaches around graduation when things are going to be hectic and busy.
6. Research licensing requirements for your state
One of the mistakes I made was not preparing well for this. I did not research all that was required to become a licensed medical provider and my goodness… Why do they make obtaining state licenses so difficult?? Not only do you need to get your license you also need to apply and obtain your NPI number, DEA number, and depending on which state you’re working in there may be other requirements. For example, the state of Maine required that I take an online exam on state rules and regulations. It was easy, but just another thing that needs to be done prior to being able to practice. Be prepared to spend money on all of this. I recommend trying to negotiate license fee reimbursements with your employment contract. If your new job agrees to that then keep a file of all receipts! Believe, me these fees add up quickly. There are also a lot of hidden fees you won’t think about such as having documents notarized, obtaining copies of your birth certificate, copies of your diploma, copies of your transcript, etc.
Well, there you go! These are the 6 tasks I recommend for anyone that has around 6 months remaining in PA School. I highly encourage you to do all of these things as soon as possible to save you added stress down the road. Are you a recent graduate that has other tips to share for students with 6 months remaining in PA school? Comment below with your suggestions!
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