When PA students finally make it through the didactic year and get to clinical rotations, they’re usually fired up about leaving the classroom behind and heading to clinical practice. It’s such an exhilarating feeling to finally put those hours of hard work to use! An even bigger bonus? No more weeks with two, three, or four exams. Instead, there’s just one large exam you’ll need to pass at the end of each clinical: the PAEA End of Rotation exam (EOR).
While some students find this to be a nice change of pace, many others are overwhelmed by the thought of their fate being determined by one test. In reality, though, preparing for and passing each EOR actually helps you in the long run, since studying for them is perfect preparation for the PANCE!
With that being said, you’re probably wondering how to balance 40 hours (or more) of work, plus rotation exam prep? This is where we can help! Here’s our best advice on how to prepare for your upcoming PAEA End of Rotation exam.
1. Study during your 40 hours of clinical work.
Your end of rotation exam will be based on the clinical rotation you’re in. My first piece of advice is to make sure that during those 40 hours of clinical work each week, you’re studying for your exam. This doesn’t mean sitting in a corner doing flashcards. Rather, you should be with your preceptor, asking questions, and soaking up every experience possible.
Each patient you see is an opportunity to quiz yourself on history, physical, workup, and diagnosis. Be sure to take notes during your rotation for areas you need to study further and review these at the end of the day.
While not everything you see on your rotation is “testable” material, everything will be helpful for building your foundation as a practicing provider—no matter which PA specialty you choose. These experiences are crucial to not only performing well on your exam, but also excelling as a new graduate PA!
2. Become familiar with each PAEA End of Rotation exam blueprint.
I recommend that you know the blueprint for the exam provided by the PAEA, which includes the potential topics. Not all of these topics will be on the test, but they’re all fair game and you should know them well. The exam blueprint is an excellent resource provided by the PAEA, and it’s important to utilize it.
👀 Did you hear? The PAEA surgery EOR blueprint is getting a major overhaul in fall 2024! Be sure to review the updated topic distribution to make sure you’re still on track for your surgery EOR.
3. Keep an eye on the PANCE while studying for EORs!
Remember that while you need to study for each PAEA End of Rotation exam, you also need to be preparing for the PANCE. While the material on the end of rotation exam is of course pertinent to the PANCE, there’s more that needs to be reviewed. This means keeping the PANCE blueprint provided by the NCCPA alongside your end of rotation blueprints.
4. Create a study plan.
To make sure your studying is deliberate and organized for each end of rotation exam, I recommend creating a study plan. This helps you stay on track and avoids wasting time on deciding what to review.
When I was studying for my end of rotation exams on top of the PANCE, my study schedule looked like this:
- Women’s Health: Reproductive System PLUS Genitourinary System
- Psychiatry: Psych & Behavioral Health PLUS Musculoskeletal
- Internal Medicine: Cardiology PLUS Dermatology
- General Surgery: GI PLUS Endocrine
- Family Medicine: Pulmonology PLUS Hematology
- Pediatrics: Pediatrics PLUS EENT
- Emergency Medicine: Neurology PLUS Musculoskeletal
- Elective: Infectious Disease PLUS Renal System
- Elective: Cumulative Review (based on areas of weakness identified on the PACKRAT)
The above served as a guideline for what topics to study at what time, and helped ensure I got through all the material. From there, I utilized the end of rotation topic blueprint from the PAEA and the PANCE blueprint to direct my studying for that month. I would try and study for two hours per night on most nights during the week, while always taking Friday nights off. I would also spend the majority of the day on Saturday and Sunday studying, but usually take weekend evenings off as well.
Be sure to take your strengths and weaknesses into consideration when creating your generalized study schedule, and utilize any break time between rotations to catch up if needed.
If you need some extra (and personalized) help balancing your unique schedule with EOR studying, PANCE prep, rotation schedules, and your personal life… you’ve come to the right place!
Check out Blueprint’s “smart” PA study planner (for FREE!) and automatically balance your calendar & deadlines with the click of a button. 🪄
5. Use a variety of study materials.
I often used a mix of review books and question banks for my study materials. Then, I utilized my classroom lectures to review areas I needed further explanations on. For example, I remember spending a long time reviewing resource books and classroom lectures on glomerulonephritis, a topic I didn’t easily grasp. Review books I used and highly recommend are PANCE Prep Pearls and A Comprehensive Review for the Certification and Recertification of Physician Assistants.
As for question banks, I primarily used Blueprint (formerly Rosh Review)’s Rotation Qbanks with 250 questions per specialty!
I loved that with this Qbank, I could select questions that matched my specific study areas, while also having end of rotation mock exams that included all the topics on the PAEA End of Rotation exam blueprint.
As I always say, test-taking is a skill in and of itself. Just like any other skill, you have to work on it. Doing practice questions will help you prepare for exams, see where you’re at, and identify areas that need further review. You can use practice question results to guide your studying and avoid wasting time on material you already know.
6. Make adjustments when necessary.
Of course, preparing for an EOR while on clinical rotations isn’t an exact science because your availability can vary greatly. Make sure when you get your preceptor’s schedule for that rotation, you reassess your planned study blocks and tailor them to fit your availability.
Certain rotations will give more flexibility, while others such as general surgery are notorious for having longer, more unpredictable hours. If there are any areas of study you’re really struggling with, I recommend asking to repeat that rotation as your elective. This will give you more exposure to the material and allow you to review it in real-life situations.
Remember, each PAEA End of Rotation exam brings you closer to PANCE success!
While this time in life may feel overwhelming, remember to be excited about all of the opportunities ahead of you. You will have the chance to learn, to make mistakes, and to grow as a provider over the next year of your life. In addition, you are only one year away from your dream of practicing as a PA! Now that’s something to celebrate—and we’ll be cheering you on here at Blueprint every step of the way. 💙
