Undergraduate education: B.A. in Sociology from Spring Hill College in Mobile, AL
Overall GPA: 3.4
Science GPA: 3.3
GRE: 316 - Verbal: 156 Quantitative: 160 Writing: 4.5
Total HCE hours: ~1500 - Worked in medical records for a physician's office in summers from 11th grade through sophomore year in college; went on medical missions trips twice
Total PCE hours: ~3000 - Worked as a medical assistant in the summers at a physician's office from junior year through graduation and then full time through my gap year, in my senior year of college I worked as a triage specialist for a clinic that served patients without insurance
Shadowing hours: 200+ - I shadowed in Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Family Medicine, Critical Care and ER
Other volunteer hours: I was involved in a lot of extracurricular volunteer opportunities through clubs I was in and organizations on campus
LORs: I had one from the physician whose office I worked in from 11th grade - my gap year; one from my mentor who's an internist, one from a teacher I had when I was in medical school (for a year), and one from a PA who I shadowed
How many times did you apply?: This was my first cycle
Age: 24 (almost 25!)
Gender: Female
How many programs did you apply to? 18. (I don't necessarily recommend this - I was told to apply to more schools due to the idea that some schools might reject me right off the bat for having attended medical school previously. Then, I got nervous in November because I didn't have any interviews at that point so I applied to 6 other schools whose deadlines hadn't passed and weren't on my radar before)
How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes? 6; I was accepted to 2 and on the waitlist at the other 4 (also 3 of the schools were ones that I applied to earlier on in the cycle, and the other 3 were schools that I applied to later on)
Any red flags on your application? I spent a year in medical school in the Carribbean, so I'm sure that was a red flag; Also had Cs in 2 classes (but I retook them and received As)
Anything you found surprising about interviews? I was more nervous before going into the room than I was during the actual interview. I think the way the conversation evolved really gave me insight for whether I was a good match for the program. The schools I was most comfortable with were the ones in which it seemed like I was having a conversation rather than being interviewed. Also, I participated in one MMI style interview and it wasn't as bad as I was expecting it to be. I think it's best to get rid of preconceived notions and truly showcase who you are as a person in all of your interviews - In the end, I believe that's what matters the most.
Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, apps) you used to get through prerequisite courses, the application or interview process? I followed and connected with pre-PA, PA-S, and PA-C instagrammers :) For GRE prep, I used Magoosh (and LOVED it) & for interview prep I used The 100 Interview Questions from The PA Platform (thanks Savanna!).
Any other advice for other pre-PA students? YES - STAY POSITIVE! It is so easy to get bogged down with trying to get everything done right, making sure you're competitive and then waiting to hear back about interviews and acceptances. Remind yourself of all of the great things you've accomplished, continue working hard and know that in the end, it will all pay off.
Where can we find you? (website, instagram, etc) Instagram: @livingthatPAlife is where I am documenting my journey through school and eventually in the field. In addition, feel free to email me anytime at amahajan.pa@gmail.com and I will help as best I can.
