Hi everyone, and welcome back to From Panic to Pass. I’m Katy Martinelli, certified Physician Assistant, and yes, it’s been a while. Almost a year, actually. Life and work got busy, but I’ve missed these conversations, and I’m so glad to be back behind the mic.

I couldn’t think of a better way to restart the show than with a familiar voice. If you’ve been with us from the beginning, you might remember Ariane from Episode 5 last November, when she shared what it was like preparing for her end of rotation exams. Today she’s back with an update: she passed her PANCE! It took her two attempts, and she’s here to talk openly about what that journey was really like.

We’ll get into what happened the first time, what she changed, how she handled the emotional side of a retake, and what she’d tell anyone who’s staring at a score report that didn’t go the way they hoped.

Ariane, welcome back.

For over two decades, he’s been the definition of endurance—both in medicine and in sport.

A seasoned Emergency Room PA-C.

An Ironman athlete.

Someone who knows exactly what it means to push through pain.

But nothing could prepare him for the moment everything changed.

Last year, he experienced a life-altering injury that challenged not just his physical limits—but his identity, his purpose, and his outlook in a way that rivals the devastation many feel after failing the PANCE.

This episode is about what happens when resilience is no longer a choice—but a necessity… and how community, perspective, and mindset can carry you through the moments that feel impossible.