Undergraduate education: I received my Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science from the University at Buffalo.
Overall GPA: 3.82
Science GPA: 3.82
GRE: I chose to not take the GRE
Total PCE hours: At the time of application: ~2500 hours as a Medical Assistant and Phlebotomist at a primary care office.
Total HCE hours: At the time of application: ~60 hours as a hospital volunteer.
Shadowing hours: ~110 hours shadowing a PA-C working in primary care.
Volunteer hours: I have some teaching experience: I worked approximately 100 hours as a teaching assistant for a human anatomy course during my undergraduate career.
LORs: 2 from D.O's that I have worked directly under through my job, 1 from the physician assistant I shadowed and worked with, and 1 from my office supervisor.
How many times did you apply?: Once!
Age: 23
Gender: Female
How many programs did you apply to? 11
How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes? I received 8 interview invitations. Of those 8, I attended 5 of them and in the end I was accepted to 4 programs and waitlisted at 1.
Where will you be attending? Stony Brook University
Anything you found surprising about interviews? I was very surprised at the great effort the programs put in to make everyone who was interviewing feel more at ease. They truly just want to get to know you!
Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, apps) you used to get through prerequisite courses, the application or interview process? To prepare, I used the PA Interview Guide by Savanna Perry, which I definitely recommend. I also watched some interview practice videos on Youtube, which were helpful as well.
Any other advice for other pre-PA students? Clinical experiences are very important. Don't be afraid to take a gap year if you need to! At your interviews, ask as many questions as you can. I met some of the current PA students at all of the programs I interviewed with and asking them about their experiences (what they liked/disliked about the program, their classes, professors, clinical rotations, living situations, etc) really helped me in making my decision! Also, most importantly, I know this sounds cliché but BE YOURSELF! :)
Where can we find you? @arianitaalmonte
