Day to Day

Hello everyone! I received a letter from one of my readers the other day, which brought up some interesting questions. He asked me about our schedule, part-time work, and the scheme of quarters 1 to 4 specifically. I think everyone could benefit from hearing the answers, so here we go!

Scheduling
Like other medical programs--allopathic, osteopathic, naturopathic, dental, etc.--you will be in classes between 30 and 36 hours per week. This is related to the number of credit hours allocated to the particular term, meaning that a student here takes the credit-hour equivalent of an entire year of undergraduate work every 11 weeks. Unlike undergrad, however, school here becomes a student's full time job. The schedule is essentially Monday through Friday 7:30am to 4:30pm with some breaks. Here is a link to the current quarter schedule: http://www.palmer.edu/uploadedFiles/Pages/Academics/_pdf/Florida_Campus/Winter_2011_Curric_Schedule.pdf Because each student is prepared for this scholastic experience to be his/her job, everyone seems to adjust to the schedule quite well.

Working
On the tours I give, I usually recommend that people not have jobs, even in a part time capacity. Because of the scheduling I mentioned above, each student already has 30+ hours of "work" every week. Additionally, studying will take up a large chunk of time, as will exercising, errands, eating, and sleeping. By the time all these are added, there is very little free time remaining. All this being said, some students do manage to keep a few hours a week open for work. One student in my class teaches anatomy lab at Daytona State College, another student works one night a week in retail. A more popular option is work-study. These jobs take place on campus for between 4 and 10 hours per week. These jobs are usually administrative in nature, but can also include working in the cadaver lab, or becoming involved in student government/campus guides association, etc. These jobs won't pay your bills, but they will certainly give you a few extra dollars a month.

Quarters 1-4
Despite how it might seem, quarters 1-4 actually encompass more than one complete year of academic study. Due to the way our schedule is structured throughout the year, each three quarters = one academic year. So quarters 1-3 are very similar. They include the study of the spine, the neuroanatomy of the spinal cord and brain, and introductory classes in embryology, histology, physical exam, and manipulative therapy. Once this is completed, quarters 4-6 include the rest of the body systems from the abdominal cavity to the distal extremities. The schedule for all six of these quarters (these first two years) is quite similar. 5 days per week, 8-ish hours per day, for 11 weeks at a time. Even the third year, quarters 7-9, has a similar schedule. The real difference comes in the last year of the program when students are in the clinic.

So what does all this mean?
Are students here tired? Yes.
Are students here stressed? Yes.
Are students here happy? YES!
Despite the challenges of attending school here--or attending any graduate healthcare program--students are typically pleased with their education. By the time the end of the quarter comes, some people are near falling apart, and I have felt that way myself... but somehow I always make it through and now, looking back from 10th quarter, the pain and stress has all melted away from my memory. Luckily, humans have a very short memory for pain.

The Bottom Line
This program is challenging, but it's completely doable. If you're excited about what you are studying and if you're driven to do well, you will be absolutely fine.

Keep reading and keep asking questions! :)
--Christabella