Here we are, at the end of the first year of graduate school, of the WVU pathologists’ assistant program!
Updates:
The white coat ceremony was fantastic! It accomplished its main goals of celebrating our first year of hard work, and inspiring us to work hard in the year to come. The ceremony is only possible because of contributions from program alumni and other affiliates, so I feel very grateful to have had the opportunity to celebrate this milestone with my classmates and the faculty. It felt more personal and more inspired than any graduation ceremonies I’ve had in the past, and this wasn’t even a graduation!
Logistically, These past months have been a challenge. The hope is that I can set myself up for success next year by securing housing, getting all my paperwork in, and trying to take care of every little thing that might pop up next year and try to distract me while I’m in rotations. For the most part, I’ve been able to attend to all of those things. However, there are only two weeks left in December and I still am not 100% sure where I’m going to be sleeping in January, so it's not perfect. I’m sitting in the Pittsburgh airport right now, waiting for my flight home to see my family and friends. Meanwhile I’ve fully prepped my apartment in Morgantown so that I can move out the day after I get back. If I had any housing advice for future classes it's this: When you first get to Morgantown, find a half-year-ish sublet, then from there use Furnished Finder so that you can be extra-flexible when it comes time for rotations and won't have to worry about renewing a lease or sub-letting.
Reflection:
If I’m totally honest, this year didn’t feel like a year. It felt like five years. Most people have been saying “it went slow AND it went fast”. Not for me, I feel like I’ve aged in so many ways that there is no way it could have happened in the span of just a year. I’m trying to not reflect too hard at the moment. It’s been more valuable for me to stay in the moment and just DO what needs to be done. I can’t wait to see what rotations bring me, both inside the lab and out. I have been promised education, and I feel confident that I’m going to be getting it in abundance. I feel prepared for rotations, as much as I can be anyway. Knowing your stuff from the first year definitely plays into that preparation. Even more important, in my opinion, is just being able to relax and know that this is a learning experience. If you can find the balance between working hard but staying mentally/emotionally relaxed and flexible, then you are golden.
Disease of the Day
-None for today, because I am on vacation!!
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