PACKRAT and Clinical year

Wow, I didn't realize it had been so long since I had blogged.  I started the clinical year in August 2012.  I've been through 3 rotations so far.... internal med outpatient, internal med inpatient, and mental health.  I'm about to head into my elective rotation... advanced mental health.  So far, the rotations have been tough at times, but very enjoyable at times.  Patients have touched my heart and I hopefully have touched some of theirs.

We took the PACKRAT (Physician Assistant Clinical Knowledge Rating and Assessment Tool) a few days ago.  It's supposed to have a correlation on how we will do on the certifying exam, the PANCE.  This time was our first time taking the PACKRAT, and I believe we take it again a little further on in the year as well. You basically get a raw score number, and then there is some formula that translates to what you would get on the PANCE.  For instance, I got a 161 this time, which apparently converts to a 636 on the PANCE.  Passing score on the PANCE is a 350, which is around a 111 on the PACKRAT.  Anyway, this time doesn't mean so much... it's more for us to know which areas we are weak in and should concentrate on.  My highest was GI and my lowest was neurology, so I especially need to be studying neuro in my spare time.  And then hopefully on the next PACKRAT I can bring up my neuro area, and also be better able to answer the questions on the PANCE after I graduate.  :)