TW's Journey to a PA: Another year gone.

Ok, so I let another three months go by without an update. *hangs head in shame*. I don’t have a real good reason other than I have been extremely busy at work, and when I go home I workout, shower, eat then sit down/piddle around the house for an hour and go to bed. I usually update the blog at work (when I have a few minutes) because that is when I feel the most creative and in the writing mode, but I have been pretty swamped lately and haven’t had any free time during the day. Bad excuse, I know, but it’s the truth. The other reason I haven’t updated much, as I have stated in the past, is not a whole lot is going on. I’m ok with that. A simple life is better than a hectic drama filled one any day. I follow other bloggers and read about all the neat things they get to do and experience and how they don’t have to work because their blog is doing well and allows them to “work” from home. I would love to be able to do that, but alas, I have no blog-worthy talents. So I will just continue to bore my small audience with stories about my uneventful life and dream of being accepted into PA school. :o)

Since our last meeting, I have continued to work every other weekend at the rehabilitation house as a C.N.A, and for the most part I enjoy it. It’s more the getting up early on a weekend to work part that I dislike than the actual job itself. I really enjoy helping the patients heal and progress with their therapy so they can go back home to their normal lives. There is still a lot for me to learn in this role, and so much to remember, but I am enjoying it and hopefully will only have to do it for another six months.

I received my interview invitation and will be interviewing on January 6^th, so if anyone applied to WSU and has an interview on that date, maybe I’ll see you there! In order to prepare I had a mock interview with one of my co-workers and her PA husband, which I already blogged about, but yesterday I had another interview with a former PA chair. THIS WAS SO AWESOME! He asked me questions like they would in an interview, I would answer and then he would tell me what to make sure to include in my answers or not include. He asked me what questions I remembered from last year and then told me what they were looking for when they asked those questions. For example, they asked me to name something I recently learned to do, and to explain how I learned to do it. He said that they are looking for an analytic thinker, and to include words like analyze and examine. He was so helpful, I cannot stress enough how important doing a mock interview is! I am really kicking myself that I did not do this in preparation for my previous interviews as I think this could have changed a few things for me. “Not the best science grades, that’s ok, she was persuasive and confident enough and explained very well why she is a good fit and that she can make it. “ This was not me. The interview really is the biggest factor in getting in – don’t let anyone fool you.

Brad is doing well in his recovery. He is now able to lift 20 pounds and has started to work out on a regular basis. He should be released from work-comp in a month or two. He was also able to find a job selling insurance, so he has been studying up for the licensing exam, and once he has that he can begin training. This new phase in his life will be an adjustment for both of us. He has been gone during the week for most of our relationship, so to have him home every day this past year has been nice. I am an independent person, so I miss my alone time a little bit and having free reign over the tv remote, but it’s nice to have him home and to be able to do things during the middle of the week. I am really hoping this new job will work out for him and that he enjoys it. Especially if I am going to be in PA school next year and not working, he pretty much has to do well or we will lose the house and starve to death. No pressure. ;o)

Thanksgiving passed, and we didn’t do anything. I had to work and Brad was studying, so we just stayed home and chilled. We will be going to his mom/dad/grandma’s house for Christmas and will spend a day or two with them, then come home so I can work that weekend. Yay- Not! I’m just thankful that things are better this year for the holidays than last year.

And last but not least, I thought I would end this post with some candid photos of me at Halloween. I was dressed as Jim T. Chur – get it? Get it? gym teacher! Funny right?! Har har.

Every year at work we have a soup and chili cook off where

people can bring in their best soups and chili for us to vote on, as well as a Halloween costume contest. It is a lot of fun and the food is always delicious! and this year I thought I would dress up. It was fun!