Introduction

Summary

Podcast Summary: AAPA Rotation Crash Course – Introduction

Host: Hippo Education (Katie Iverson & Vicki Pittman)
Date: April 14, 2021
Episode: Introduction
Podcast Description:
AAPA Rotation Crash Course is your guide to excelling on day one of clinical rotations, packed with faculty wisdom, real-life stories, and actionable advice to reduce anxiety and help you thrive, not just survive, your PA student year.

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Episode Overview

This introductory episode welcomes listeners to the Rotation Crash Course, setting the stage for an engaging, practical, and supportive journey through each core PA student rotation. Hosts Katie Iverson and Vicki Pittman share personal stories, highlight universal anxieties and excitement faced on first rotation days, and introduce their mission: to share collective wisdom that helps PA students feel prepared, confident, and supported. The episode combines humor, veteran faculty advice, and heartfelt encouragement to demystify the clinical year.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction of Hosts and Show Purpose

• Meet the Hosts:

  • Katie Iverson (Faculty at University of Iowa's PA program) and Vicki Pittman (Faculty, preceptor, USC grad).
  • Fun rapport established by discussing Vicki's “need” for a Katie at work.
    • [00:18] Vicki: "I made it part of my hiring contract at Hippo that I had to have a Katie with me wherever I go..."

• Show Mission:

  • Breakdowns of each core rotation: EM, Pediatrics, General Surgery, Outpatient, Family Medicine, Inpatient, Internal Medicine, Psychiatry, Women's Health.
  • Common mistakes to avoid, pro tips, survival advice.
  • Aim to make students feel more confident and competent from day one.

2. The Emotional Rollercoaster of the Clinical Year

• Shared Anxieties and Excitement:
  • Universal pre-rotation nerves (“sweaty palms”).
    • [01:16] Vicki: "Sweaty palms are sort of a universal truth."
  • Student questions about what to expect, how not to “look like a doofus”, and what’s on the test.
  • Often moving to new places—logistical and emotional stress.

3. Personal Rotation Stories

• Katie’s Rotation Year:

  • Moved every 2-6 weeks around Iowa, sometimes out of town/state.
  • Lived out of car (“Legolas”).
  • [04:05] Memorable first day: “I remember vividly two things from my first day. We saw a patient with neurofibromatosis... and I also met my spouse that day.”

• Vicki’s Rotation Year:

  • USC grad; rotation assignments started least-desired first (hers was ER).
  • Faced her fears, brought donuts for the team – “First pro tip: bring donuts.”
    • [04:43] “Bring donuts on your first day. That’s the first pro tip of this series.”
  • Was told to abandon professional attire for scrubs in the ER—embraced the experience and fell in love with emergency medicine.

• Memorable Preceptor Car Rides:

  • Vicki: Learning surgical terminology in a preceptor’s sports car—humbling and formative.
    • [07:17] “When I stumbled over words like tenodesis...he would have to correct me every time. It was an incredibly humbling experience.”
  • Katie: Family practice in rural Washington, daily coffee shack stops, strong sense of place and memory.

4. The Importance of Being Prepared

• Key Practical Tips:
  • [10:14] Vicki: “Even better than showing up with donuts, make sure you know where you’re going in the morning...Lay out your outfit tonight and pack your bag...set your alarm 30 minutes before you want to wake up, then set a second alarm and then double check that both are set for AM and not PM.”
  • Vicki recalls 3:30/4:00am alarms for early surgical rounds.
  • Katie: The stomach-drop moment when you set an alarm for PM instead of AM.

5. Building Lasting Memories and Support Networks

• Fond Memories:
  • Hosts stress the importance of the friendships, stories, and support built during rotations.
    • [09:33] Katie: “I still exchange holiday cards with the retired gal that I lived with on that rotation in Washington...these are the things that make the clinical year the best.”
• The community of PA students and graduates who’ve walked this path before – listeners are not alone.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Vicki Pittman [01:16]:
  “Sweaty palms are sort of a universal truth.”
• Katie Iverson [01:53]:
  “There’s so much unknown as you start your clinical year and then you move from place to place...I actually had no rented apartment and lived out of my beloved car whose name was Legolas.”
• Vicki Pittman [04:43]:
  “Bring donuts on your first day. That's the first pro tip of this series. You’re welcome.”
• Katie Iverson [04:05]:
  "I remember vividly two things from my first day...and I also met my spouse that day. But here's a spoiler alert. I did not marry Mark, and I obviously did not marry my very demanding preceptor."
• Vicki Pittman [10:14]:
  "Make sure you know where you're going in the morning...set a second alarm and then double check that both are set for AM and not PM."
• Katie Iverson [11:08]:
  “Setting an alarm for PM when you mean for AM just makes my stomach feel anxious talking about it and gives me butterflies because I've done it.”

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00 – 01:33: Welcome, host intros, and rapport ("The Katie and Vicki Show").
• 01:33 – 02:47: Reflecting on rotation anxieties and excitement.
• 02:47 – 04:05: Katie and Vicki share their own varied rotation experiences.
• 04:05 – 06:31: First day stories—humor, donuts, unexpected beginnings, and falling for EM.
• 06:31 – 09:33: Preceptor car rides and rural vs. city rotation adventures.
• 09:33 – 10:14: Lasting memories and lasting relationships from rotations.
• 10:14 – 11:08: Best pre-rotation advice—logistics, preparation, and alarms.
• 11:08 – End: Closing encouragement and setting the tone for the series.

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Final Encouragement & Takeaways

The hosts conclude with enthusiastic, heartwarming encouragement—students will face anxiety, but also “make amazing memories.” The Rotation Crash Course team is “excited to be on this journey with you,” promising support, stories, and practical advice with every episode.

"You’re going to do great and you’re going to learn so much and you’re going to have tons of stories and I can’t wait to hear all about it."
— Katie Iverson [11:08]

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For Those Preparing for Rotations

This episode is a reminder that your journey is shared, your anxieties are normal, and there’s a team of experienced, caring PAs cheering you on, ready to help you grow—and maybe encourage you to bring a box of donuts.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign. Hi there. I'm Katie Iverson, a PA here at HIPPO Education, and with me today is my Hippo PA bestie, Vicki Pittman. Here's a fun fact. Vicki has a twin sister named Katie. So it was faith that we'd work at Hippo together.

[B]

That's right, Katie. And I don't think that you know this, but I made it part of my hiring contract at Hippo that I had to have a Katie with me wherever I go, including at work. It's just sort of a necessity for me.

[A]

Yes, you travel with your Katie and Vicki show all the time.

[B]

All the time.

[A]

So on that note, the Katie and Vicki show would like to welcome you to the PA Rotation crash course brought to you by Hippo Education and aapa. We're going to break down each of your core rotations for you. Emergency Medicine, Pediatrics, General Surgery, Outpatient, Family Medicine, Inpatient, Internal Medicine, Psychiatry, and Women's Health. I'm on faculty as well at the University of Iowa's PA program, and I have been for over 10 years. During that time, I've mentored hundreds of PA students successfully from Orientation day all the way to graduation day. Being on their educational journey with them is one of the best parts of my job. And Vicki and I can attest to the fact that the clinical year is the most fun, but also can be the most stressful part of that journey.

[B]

Yes, Katie, I have to admit that my palms start sweating a little bit when I think about my clinical year. Not because of the actual rotations themselves, but because I can almost immediately feel the sort of anticipation associated with starting a new rotation, the excitement of finally getting to put all of that knowledge that you gained during your didactic year to use in, like, a really hands on, practical way. But also the anxiety of sort of not knowing what to expect and feeling maybe a little insecure about wanting to impress even on that first day. I've precepted PA students for almost a decade, so I've sort of witnessed that that first day. Sweaty palms are sort of a universal truth.

[A]

Every year as my students get ready for their clinical rotations, I feel myself giving the same advice and always calming the same set of excited and anxious nerves. What are my rotations going to be like? And how do I not look like a doofus on my first day? What kind of questions are they going to ask me? And of course, the classic student question, what's going to be on the test? And, I mean, I don't blame them. I remember being in their shoes. I had all the same questions and all the same fears and all the same excitement. There's so much unknown as you start your clinical year and then you move from place to place. I not only work at Iowa's PA program, but I graduated from there as well. And during our clinical year at Iowa, you move every two, four or six weeks and it could be to a new town or even to a new state. My rotations were mainly around the state of Iowa in different small towns or what we would consider small cities. I actually had no rented apartment that year and lived out of my beloved car whose name was Legolas. So Vicki, besides remembering sweaty palms, tell us more about your rotation year.

[B]

First of all, I just love that you had a car named Legolas. It says a lot about your nerdiness and I love it and I am here for it. Katie so I graduated from the University of Southern California PA program. Fight on to my fellow Trojan pas listening right now. Most of my rotations were in the Los Angeles area, but I did travel outside of the state for a few of them When I was at usc, one of our rotations had to be at LA county usc, which is a big county hospital in East Los Angeles. And you either had your ER or your surgery rotation there. And that was always a favorite of mine and my classmates because you'd see some really interesting stuff. And looking back, I would have loved to have those answers to those burning questions that you brought up. Katie what to expect when I go into a new rotation? How do I not look like a doofus? So on this rotation crash course, we have gathered the collective wisdom of dozens of practicing PAs, PAs who precept students, PAs who are on faculty at different programs, and new grad PAs, all about the clinical year. For each rotation we're going to discuss what makes this particular rotation unique, what are some of the common diagnoses you may see, and what are our most high yield survival and pro tips? We can't make you an expert before you even start, but our goal is to make you feel more confident on day one. And speaking of day one, Katie, I bet you remember yours like it was yesterday.

[A]

Yes, Vicki, just like yesterday. I remember my first day. It was an outpatient internal medicine at RVA here in Iowa City. In it was a semi notorious rotation in my program because it had a very demanding preceptor. I started that rotation with a classmate named Mark, and I remember the two of us just shaking in our short white coats, hands in our pockets, and that first day in the staffing room Waiting for it to start. And I remember vividly two things from my first day. We saw a patient with neurofibromatosis because I was asked about a Cafe Olay spot, and I had never seen one before. And I also met my spouse that day. But here's a spoiler alert. I did not marry Mark, and I obviously did not marry my very demanding preceptor.

[B]

It might have been more fun if you had married Mark, Katie. So I started my clinical year in emergency medicine. So to put this in context, when I was at usc, and I'm not sure if they still do it this way, but before we got to our clinical year, we would rank rotations based on which ones we were most interested in to what we were least interested in. And then what they would try to do is put you in the rotations that you were least interested in at the beginning of the clinical year. So that way, by the end, you had already had seven rotations under your belt before going into your top choice. So I had ranked ER at the very bottom because I did not think I was cut out for the ed. So that was my very first rotation, and I was extra nervous on my first day. I showed up with donuts, because who doesn't love donuts? And for those of you that are rotating at Mission Community Hospital in Panorama City, there is a Wenchel's Donuts, which is only the best donuts in Los Angeles. That's all on your way to the hospital. Like, you literally have to pass Wenchel's in order to get to the hospital. So there's no excuses. Bring donuts on your first day. That's the first pro tip of this series. You're welcome. So on my first day, I showed up in my super bright white coat, in my professional clothes. I had just been given this white, kind of blingy watch for Christmas. So I had that on. I had my wedding ring on. And I remember my preceptor sitting down to kind of give me the ins and outs of the rotation. And pretty quickly into the conversation, he was like, all right, you gotta ditch the white coat, ditch the professional clothes, get rid of the jewelry. This is the er. We're gonna get down and dirty, so tomorrow you're gonna show up in scrubs. And I just remember thinking, oh, my gosh, I'm really gonna like this rotation. And by the end of the day, I had fallen in love with the emergency department. And emergency medicine totally blew apart any preconceived notion of what I thought it was gonna be. And I ended up spending most of my career in the emergency department. Go figure out.

[A]

But Vicki, did you meet your future spouse that day? I love donuts and I love the emergency department. But I think that my first day may have been better than your first day.

[B]

That is for sure. The love that you found on your first day is way better than mine. But those donuts really are very, very good. So thinking about memorable moments from my clinical year, I have several of them that involve driving in a car with one of my preceptors on a clinical errand. And the the more that I talk to other PAs and PA students, I think a lot of people also have these sort of memorable moments driving with a preceptor too. So one of mine has to do with the orthopedic surgeon that I was rotating with in Chicago. So this is one of my out of state rotations and we covered a couple different hospitals in the Chicagoland area. So because it was Chicago, I didn't have a car. And instead of taking the L train from one hospital to the next, it was just way more efficient for me to hop in my preceptor's car and, and go on clinical errands with him. So we were driving from one hospital to another in his super nice German sports car, BMW, Porsche, whatever. And we were just flying down the freeway in the Chicago suburbs and we were preparing for a case. So I was reading a chart and I remember feeling like a six year old learning to read again. When I stumbled over words like tenodesis. I can say it now, but back then I just kept mispronouncing it and mispronouncing it over and over again and he would have to correct me every time was an incredibly humbling experience. Do you have any preceptor car stories, Katie?

[A]

Yes, of course I do. One of my favorite rotations was a family practice, one I had in Washington State. It was in a little lumber town northeast of Seattle, right as a North Cascade highway starts. My doctor and I would do lots of house calls and trips to see our patients that were admitted to the hospital, which was called Going Down Below. Anytime you left town, you left the mountain, it was going, quote, down below. He would pick me up and we'd always stop at this little freestanding coffee drive through shack on the way out of town so we'd have caffeine for the trip. It was one of my favorite rotations. Not just because of the interesting patients and my doc, who was really great, but it was actually probably the most beautiful place I've ever lived. It was just amazing to look out the window on the way to work in the morning and see the majesty of the Cascade Mountains kind of all around you. It was really fantastic.

[B]

That sounds gorgeous, Katie. I spent a couple years in the Pacific Northwest after PA school and I think those little freestanding kind of solo worker, teeny tiny coffee drive thru shacks are definitely a Pacific Northwest thing. I miss those.

[A]

And I was coming from Iowan, it was about 20 years ago, so I had never seen anything like it. I was so enthralled by this drive up coffee shack. I think I knew everyone that worked there by their first name before I left that town when my rotation was over. But they have made their way to the middle because we have some now in Iowa.

[B]

Dang. I really hope they make their way kind of further east to eastern Tennessee. I love those. I miss them a lot. A quick update here from Vicki. I am excited to announce that the coffee gods have heard my request and several of these drive thru coffee stands have popped up all over my town in the last couple of years. Okay, back to the conversation with Katie.

[A]

All these stories that we have, all these memories, not only of our patients and our preceptors and running clinical errands and where we got coffee and where we stayed. I mean these are the things that make the clinical year the best. You're going to make the most amazing memories. And I still exchange holiday cards with the retired gal that I lived with on that rotation in Washington, which so every year when her holiday card comes I have these. Just sweet memories of living with her, having dinner with her, going to the coffee shack on the way to clinic in the morning. Our hope is that we can journey with you on your clinical year so that Sunday before you start a new rotation, as you drive to a new town or you do meal prep for the next week, that we can help you prepare for your upcoming rotation and ease some of the expected anxiety of what's to come on Monday morning.

[B]

Here's our first and maybe our best piece of advice for you before you start any rotation. Even better than showing up with donuts, make sure you know where you're going in the morning. If you're in a new town, maybe get in your car right now and drive by the clinic or hospital you're going to be rotating at to make sure that you know how to get there and where to park. Lay out your outfit tonight and pack your bag and make sure to set your alarm 30 minutes before you want to wake up, then set a second alarm and then double check that both are set for AM and not pm. I have such vivid memories from my rotation year. Setting my alarm for 3:30 or 4:00am during my surgery rotation so I could get to the hospital by at least 5am to pre pre round on my patients so then I could be prepared to pre round with the resident and then eventually round with the attending. It was the whole process. But I do remember being extra anxious to make sure that that 3:30 and 4:00am alarm was set for AM and not PM.

[A]

Oh my gosh, Vicki. Setting an alarm for PM when you mean for AM just makes my stomach feel anxious talking about it and gives me butterflies because I've done. It's that worst feeling when you wake up late and you realize what you've done. Y okay everyone, you got this. We are so excited for your clinical year. We hope you will tune into Hippo Education's rotation crash course as we break down your core rotations and help you feel less anxious and more competent for your year of a lot of first days. And like I tell all my students as they head out, you're going to do great and you're going to learn so much and you're going to have tons of stories and I can't wait to hear all about it. We at Hippo Education are so excited to be on this journey with you. So here's to your first day of many first days.