Undergraduate education: University of California, Merced
Overall GPA: 3.00
Science GPA: 3.06
GRE: N/A
Total PCE hours: 2000+. I worked as a medical assistant at an allergy & asthma clinic, then at a pulmonology clinic.
Total HCE hours: 500+. I accumulated my HCE from working in the front office as a medical assistant, as well as assisting in the billing and administration department at the pulmonology clinic.
Shadowing hours: 150+ hours. While volunteering at the VA, I was also allowed to shadow PAs at the same time. I also would ask the PAs I worked with if I could shadow them during my free time while working as a medical assistant.
Volunteer hours: 300+ hours. I accumulated my volunteer hours through volunteering at a nursing home, the VA, my local free clinic, and with American Red Cross
How many times did you apply?: 1
Age: 26
Gender: Female
Why PA? I was always interested in a career in the medical field, like many, I contemplated nursing, medical school and even becoming a pharmacist. However, I felt most aligned with the PA profession because of my involvement in several club leadership positions in college. At one point, I became vice president of two organizations and once I found out about the PA profession, it made me realize how much more I didn't want to become a nurse or a doctor. Being in those leadership positions allowed me to be a person with autonomy and influence among others, but part of it also allowed me to be able to lean on the other leaders in the group and work closely with the president. It was something I felt pride in and excelled in during my undergraduate years. After shadowing and working with several PAs, I confirmed that the PA profession was similar to what I had been involved in, which is having the autonomy while working closely with colleagues such as other healthcare workers and especially the supervising physician.
How many programs did you apply to? 7
How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes? I interviewed with 1 school, became waitlisted, and then accepted at that same school 2 weeks before the first day.
Where will you be attending? I currently attend Dominican University of California's MSPAS Program, Class of 2023
Anything you found interesting about interviews? I only interviewed at one school during the COVID-19 pandemic and it was through zoom. It was a standard interview, and I was surprised at how welcoming the program is and how straightforward the interview process was.
Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, webinars, etc) you used to get through prerequisites courses, the application or interview process? The PA Platform definitely helped me organize everything I needed in order to complete all my prerequisites and get to the application process. After completing an assessment, I was able to create a path and plan that included all the courses I needed to take, the hours I needed, and other areas of the application to work on. I also used www.myparesource.com for personal statement editing. Other resources I owe my thanks to is James Kim on Youtube and @jazminek_pa on instagram.
Any advice for other pre-PA students? You can still get into PA school with a failed class! I did. However, I spend a great deal of my time (3 year gap after undergrad) retaking all the science courses I received a C grade or lower, as well as additional courses to boost my GPA. Coming from a low GPA applicant that had an undergraduate GPA below a 3.0, I can tell you that it won't be easy but it is possible! Meanwhile, make sure you always work on the rest of your application, which may be your volunteer hours, PCE, leadership roles, and personal statement. Those are some areas that should also stand out. Stay motivated and inspired! Surround yourself with like-minded people, working PAs, and PA students, in real life and on social media. Doing that for myself really kept me going. Good luck! :)
Where can we find you? (Instagram, TikTok, Website, etc) - Instagram: @treeshmae (Feel free to DM me with any questions you may have!)
