How to Stay Sane in PA School: 5 Real Tips

By: Savanna Perry, PA-C

TL;DR

PA school is intense and will pretty much become your life for 2 plus years, but you do not have to lose yourself in it. Build a strong support system of classmates, stay active, keep one or two hobbies, give yourself permission to not study every waking minute, and learn to enjoy where you are. Those habits make the whole experience more bearable and more human.

Last Updated: June 12, 2026

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Why is PA school so hard on your mental health?

If you are just applying or just starting a program, it may not have hit you yet how intense PA school is. When people say the program will become your life for the next 2 plus years, they mean it. You are looking at multiple tests per week and a relentless pace, and that takes a real toll if you do not build in ways to take care of yourself.

The good news is that staying sane is mostly about a few small, repeatable habits. None of them are complicated, and none of them require quitting school to backpack across the world. They are about protecting little pockets of normal life so you can keep going.

In this post:

How do friends and staying active help you survive PA school?

Find some friends! You are going to meet a lot of people who are a lot like you, and you will become fast friends quickly. A strong support system of people who get exactly what you are going through is so important. You will spend hours together, study together, take breaks together, and yes, sometimes cry together. Some of my best friends came from PA school, and it helps to have someone who can truly empathize.

Stay active too. It is easy to feel like every second should go to studying, but movement helps you relax and reset. I do not love working out, but my friends would drag me to the gym and I am so glad they did. You are probably already paying for a gym membership in your fees, so use it, and intramurals are fun if your school offers them.

In Our Experience

In our experience coaching pre-PA students, the ones who thrive in school are not the ones who study the most hours, they are the ones who protect a little balance. I know, easier said than done, but do your best! A couple of close friends and one non-school thing you love can carry you through the toughest weeks.

Is it really okay to not study every minute in PA school?

It is, and you will probably go a little crazy if you try to. One of my biggest regrets early on was turning down every invitation during my first 2 semesters, even quick dinners with my parents or going to church. By the second half of didactic year, I realized PA school is not my whole identity, and I hope you figure that out sooner than I did. I am also a big fan of recreational reading in school, because that is something I really missed.

Keep your interests alive and get involved. If you loved volunteering before school, do it when you can. A few classes above mine started a free monthly screening clinic in an underserved area downtown, and it is still going strong. Finally, enjoy where you are. Some classmates spent the whole time wishing they were back home, and it just made the experience harder than it had to be.

Every Pre-PA Should Know...

PA programs typically run 2 plus years of intense full time study with multiple exams per week, so a sustainable routine beats heroic all nighters every time.

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