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PA Student Didactic Year Essentials (Study Tools & Daily Must-Haves)
16
items PA school didactic year is no joke. These are the study tools, apps, and daily essentials that help me stay organized, keep up with lectures, and power through long study sessions.
Sections
5
Study Apps and Digital Tools
Note-Taking and Lecture Tools
Study Supplies
Everyday PA School Essentials
Best Study Resources for PA School
Study Apps and Digital Tools
These apps help me stay organized and study more efficiently during didactic year. They make it easier to review lecture material, memorize information, and keep all my notes in one place.
Quizlet is one of my go-to tools for studying during didactic year. It’s great for quickly reviewing concepts, memorizing terms, and testing myself before exams. I also like that you can access flashcards on your phone when studying on the go.
Quizlet
Anki flashcards are amazing for memorizing large amounts of information during PA school. The spaced repetition system helps reinforce concepts long-term. I still like quizlet though!
Anki - powerful, intelligent flashcards
Rosh Review is one of the most popular question banks for PA students. It helps you practice exam-style questions and understand the reasoning behind the answers, which is really helpful when preparing for exams.
Physician Assistant Exam Review - Full PA Journey Test Prep
This remote is really helpful when reviewing Anki flashcards because it lets me go through cards without constantly touching my keyboard or screen. It makes studying faster and more comfortable during long review sessions.
Anki Remote Clicker
Note-Taking and Lecture Tools
These are the tools I use during lectures to take notes, annotate slides, and keep my study materials organized throughout PA school.
Notability is one of my favorite apps for organizing lecture notes during PA school. It allows me to import PowerPoint slides, write directly on them, record lectures, and keep everything organized in one place. It makes reviewing material for exams ...
Notability
The Apple Pencil makes it much easier to annotate lecture slides and write notes directly on my iPad during lectures.
Buy Apple Pencil (2nd generation)
My iPad is one of my most used study tools during didactic year. It makes it easy to organize lecture slides, take notes, and review material all in one place.
Buy iPad Pro
Study Supplies
Even with digital notes, I still rely on a few classic study supplies for writing notes, highlighting important information, and staying organized during long study sessions.
These are some of my favorite pens for taking notes during lectures and study sessions. They write smoothly and are comfortable to use when you’re writing a lot of notes during long class days.
Ballpoint Pens
Everyday PA School Essentials
Didactic year involves long lecture days and even longer study sessions. These are a few everyday essentials that help me stay comfortable, focused, and hydrated.
Staying hydrated during long lecture days and study sessions is important, and having a large water bottle helps me drink enough throughout the day.
The Quencher H2.0 Flowstate™ Tumbler | 40 OZ
Sticky notes are great for marking important pages in textbooks, writing quick reminders, or summarizing key concepts while studying. I use them a lot when reviewing material or organizing my notes during exam prep.
Sticky Notes
This helps keep my laptop at a comfortable height during long study sessions. It makes studying at a desk much more comfortable and helps with posture.
Standing Desks
These help reduce eye strain when I’m staring at screens for long periods while studying or reviewing lectures.
livho High Tech Blue Light Glasses
These are great for focusing during study sessions, especially when studying in busy environments like libraries or coffee shops. If you are like me, I can't hear everyone's opinion after tests, these help me focus and block out the noise!
Shop Noise-Cancelling Headphones
This backpack is great for carrying my laptop, iPad, notes, and study supplies during long days of lectures and studying. It has plenty of space and keeps everything organized.
Medical Backpack
A good stethoscope is one of the most important tools in healthcare training. I use this during clinical skills practice, and it has really clear sound quality. It is relevant for labs and practical's!
3M Littmann Classic III Stethoscope
Best Study Resources for PA School
Smarty PANCE is a great resource for reviewing PA school topics and preparing for exams. It breaks down complex topics in an easy-to-understand way and includes practice questions to test your knowledge.
Smarty PANCE