 What's up you guys? It's the down and welcome back to my channel. So I wanted to give you guys like just a little bit of light, breezy news because I know we've all been dealing with like the drama of political stuff for the past week. So I wanted to come on here and talk to you all about how I've been doing. Just give you a quick update about me being a PA over these last, I would say eight months. Now I've been working as a PA for eight months and I've actually been like, I was hired at nine months. So if you have any questions or comments for me, please leave them in the comment section below. I do look at your comments, you guys. So please do that because I get info for other videos from those comments and also like this video. I know you're going to like it and subscribe. All right. So with that being said, I've been a PA for about eight months now. Well, no, I've been a PA for almost a year, but I've been working as a PA for about eight months now. So, um, it's actually, it's, it's cool. You guys, you know, it's interesting. Um, I'm getting a lot more comfortable, uh, seeing, you know, the consults and stuff because I don't know if you, you know, how my job works, but I am a trauma PA. And so being a trauma PA, what happens is that there are typically three of us on at a time. And then there'll be two people on the floor, one person in the trauma bay and some of it, like the people on the floor will take consults. The people in the trauma bay also takes consults, but it's typically like trauma related consults. So let's say somebody came in with like a wound to their leg and it's like a really, really bad gas or something like that. You know, that may need to go to the OR to be washed out. They would do a trauma consult and then the one who's in the trauma bay will go and see the patient to see if it should be upgraded to a level two trauma or if it's something that the general like main side ED can handle. So when it comes to consults, you, it's your, your, it's what you learn in PA school, right? You have to go and you do your HPI and you get all this information from the patient. Like, Hey, when the, this thing happened, you know, what were you doing? How long has the pain been? If it's something pain related or how long has this bulge been there? If it's like a hernia or something like that. And you just kind of go through the motions. And so I've been getting really like used to that. I wouldn't necessarily say like, Oh my gosh, I'm so good at it or anything like that. But, you know, we've been seeing patients throughout our clinical year of PA school. And then now into actually being a PA, you're just kind of seeing patients more. And it all depends on the type of job that you have, like how you're going to actually work that whole HPI thing out and get all the information, the pertinent information for your patient. But that is one thing that I've been getting a little bit more used to my hospital is not like super COVID overrun like it used to be, which is cool. So it's not that we're a lax or anything like that in terms of the, the restrictions that we have in the hospital with respect to COVID. However, it's a lot nicer not having to go to a COVID floor, which is cool because that's what I was doing like early on in my, in my PA career. There were several COVID floors and we had patients on all of them. So a little bit nerve wracking, but as cases are spiking up, I would probably assume that we're going to start getting a lot more cases. A good thing or like, I guess maybe not so good. And I don't know. So it's like good that people are asymptomatic, but not so good at the same time because then they can spread the virus to others. But I do see a lot of patients that come into the, the trauma bay as traumas, like motor vehicle accidents and various things like that. And to be on the floor, you have to have a COVID test. So we cannot chance you to the floor unless you have a COVID test, because that determines where in a hospital you are going. So a lot of people come in, there are traumas and then all of a sudden it's like, oh, you have COVID, but they're like stone cold, normal, like asymptomatic. So that's been something that's been happening, but I haven't really been seeing like really sick COVID patients, which is great. Other than that, you know, I have been going to the OR. So I've had to go to the OR a couple of times with some of my attendings, because at night, you know, I work a 24 hour shift and typically we may have residents throughout the day that would go to the OR because they need to get like their surgeries in and get practice because this is going to be their job. But at night, we don't always have a resident that is on call with us. And so with that being said, what that means is that we, me, whoever is on has to go to the OR with the attending. And so there is where like I like I'm good with, you know, suturing and things like that. Like I think I do pretty well with that, but like being in the OR, you guys is like a whole nother beast, right? So I feel like I'm not as useful as I could be. And I mean, obviously that's just because I don't have enough experience in the OR. But I definitely want to get more experience so that I'm helpful. You know, you want to be you want to be worthwhile or helpful, useful in whatever job, whatever job you go to. And so for me, that's one thing that I'm definitely going to work on. They are actually going to give us a little bit of training. And one of my attendings like told me about this book that I could order on Amazon to just kind of see like how, you know, what certain surgeries are, what certain like maneuvers are and procedures are. So I'm really excited about kind of like delving into that and just learning a little bit more because the more knowledge I know, the more valuable I am as a PA, especially in the OR. So, but yeah, you know, there's a lot of like retracting, suction this, definitely a suturing. I have this one attending who is amazing. He's amazing, you guys. And he is like the best teacher ever. And he always asks if I want to go to the OR with him. And this is not even always for like his recent most trauma cases that came in, but trauma cases that may have came in like this shift before mine or something, but the case was bumped to the shift that I'm on. And so he'll ask me if I want to go. And I mean, of course I want to go. And sometimes I don't always, I'm not always able to go just because we have a lot of traumas that are coming in or I have a lot of floorwork to do. But I get to go and he's like amazing guys. He lets you do a lot, a lot. Okay. In the OR and I learn a lot. So I'm excited about that. Um, apart from that, what else has been happening? I mean, you know, like I've just been enjoying my schedule. So I've been having like weeks off you guys, you know, because I told you, I only have to work, um, three days in a two week period. So there are times when I literally have like eight days off or 10 days off. It's crazy. And that, and those shifts are typically when I'm like back to back to back. Um, but honestly, like I love it because I get to spend so much time with my family. I get to see my kids grow up. Um, I am homeschooling them right now, which is like a whole nother like beast in and of itself being like teacher mom. Um, but I'm not trying to have them go into like in person school right now. So that's fine. Um, but you know, I'm homeschooling them and I have the opportunity to do that. Um, I really am a little sad because I was like, I was excited about being able to travel and just kind of do more stuff. Like outdoorsy and things like that with my schedule and you know, being able to like afford it now as a PA. Um, but I haven't really been able to do that because of COVID. So, um, that has kind of put a damper on things. Like the only time I really get to get out of sweats or scrubs is when I'm making these videos for you guys. I dress up with like no place to go, but you know, I make these videos for you guys and, um, I have a nice shirt on and we can be about our business. So I'm really, I'm really looking forward to what is going to happen. Like in the future, hopefully like things are a little bit lax. I don't know with cases, um, increasing if that's going to be a possibility, but whatever, uh, there are times you guys where it's just like, you're so inundated with stuff where you're like up all night, like fielding calls or taking vascular consults or, you know, seeing patients or maybe a patient is bleeding from like an ostomy site and, you know, it's like what the freak is going on. And so you feel like a little bit overwhelmed, but it's really cool that you're, you're able to like call on your colleagues and be like, Hey, like I don't know what to do. Like you're like, I haven't seen this before. Like what should I do? Um, and you know, you call your attendings. Like our attendings are pretty responsive. And I guess it's just because it's the nature of the beast. It's what the type of job that they have being, um, you know, acute care surgeons, um, and like having that critical care of mine, but, uh, it's cool. It's interesting. It's scary at times, but, um, nerve wracking at times, but actually a pretty good learning experience. So I've been dealing with a lot of that kind of stuff, but ultimately like I'm getting the hang of it. I'm still much a baby PA you guys. So I still have a whole lot to learn and by no means do I think like, I know everything that there is to know in acute care surgery. I'm literally like eight months into this people spend years. Okay. Years doing this, um, learning this, uh, this specialty. So obviously I have a lot more learning to do, but I am like, I'm actually like feeling a little bit more comfortable in my skin. I don't know if a year from now, uh, I'll be like, oh yeah, like I got this or, or what, but you know, we'll see. And I'm still like, you know, looking to see, um, what, what other areas I can like just get some knowledge in and get some wealth. And I've been doing a lot of chest tubes. So putting a lot of chest tubes in, um, you know, put a couple of lines in. I haven't really put a lot of central lines in. So that is something that I'm going to do. I'm going to like talk to some of the ICU PAs and be like, Hey, if you have any, uh, lines that you need to put in, can you call me? And that's really the beauty of being in like a hospital system. And then also like having, um, APPs in that system that you can just be like, yo, you know, like I need to get these lines so I can get my advanced practice skills up. Do you mind calling me because they do lines all day every day. So, you know, to give me a one or two lines is nothing. So I'm excited. You guys obviously like this, this update is just to tell you guys, like I've been doing, um, what I'm excited about, uh, obviously, you know, just kind of still working through this whole 2020 here and seeing how things will go. But I am hopeful for the future. So, um, if you get nothing from this, please get like be hopeful for the future. You know, your journey may not be easy, but it will be worth it. You guys, like I always say this, like at the end of this, all like all those tears that you may have cried over exams or all the stressful, like no sleep nights that you may be having, you know, just know that you will be okay, that things get better, um, that there's a light at the end of the tunnel. All those good feel good cliches. It pertains to you and your studying and this year, right? So thank you guys so much for watching. If you have any questions or comments from me, please leave them in the comment section below. Also, if you haven't heard, like your girl, you know, we started a new platform call, Get That to the University. So if you're serious by getting into PA school or getting through PA school, if you're a PA student, go on over to GetThatToTheUniversity.com right now and sign up to be a part of the platform. Follow me on Instagram and I'm PA and thank you guys so much for watching. I will talk to you guys next time.