Undergraduate education: I graduated from The University of Iowa with my Bachelor's in Radiologic Technology and Computed Tomography.
Overall GPA: 3.91
Science GPA: 3.95
GRE: 292
PA-CAT: N/A
Total PCE hours: I had a total of 4,250 hours of PCE at the time of application submission. My experience was as a nursing assistant in interventional radiology, a radiography student in my clinical internships, and a CT technologist which I still am doing.
Total HCE hours: I had a total of 40 HCE hours. I was a COVID screener at my hospital. I also had around 2,000 hours in my radiologic technology student internship, but I put it under PCE hours and schools accepted it like that.
Shadowing hours: I had 8 total hours of shadowing. I shadowed a Radiologist Assistant. This was great to bring up in interviews for the “Why PA?” question because after shadowing I was able to conclude I wanted to go the PA route. The schools I applied to had no shadowing requirement.
Volunteer hours: I had 57 volunteer hours. In my radiologic technology program, I volunteered as a student representative. Upon graduation, I was also a volunteer for the American Society of Radiologic Technologists providing assistance to undergraduates looking to gain professional experience.
How many times did you apply?: I am a first time applicant.
Age: 23
Gender: Female
Why PA? There was no pivotal moment for me, but rather a culmination of my experiences thus far. I saw and worked with PAs in my clinical internships and while working as an NA. I admired their involvement and role in a patient’s care and working as a team. I realized my clinical scope as a radiologic technologist is limited, and I strived for more involvement in a patient’s care. I considered radiologist assistant and shadowed one and was also mentored by one. I realized I wanted the lateral mobility of PA. I really admired their involvement in a patient’s care and the teamworks aspect as well as being able to work autonomously. Becoming a PA was the logical next step in my healthcare career and I am excited to be a dedicated lifelong learner as a PA!
How many programs did you apply to? 5
How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes? I received 3 interview invites, all virtual. I have two waitlists and one acceptance!
Where will you be attending? Stephens College PA Program in Columbia, Missouri.
Anything you found interesting about interviews? First, virtual interviews can be confusing with the interview day schedule, so don't be afraid to reach out for clarifications! I was surprised that one of my interviews did not ask any traditional questions and were all behavioral questions instead. Prepare for those types of questions by having tons of examples and experiences ready on hand! Overall, all of my interviews were very laid back. They truly want to get to know you as a person, and the program I got accepted to was the interview where I felt most connected with the interviewees. Don’t be afraid to stem off their questions with your own questions.
Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, webinars, etc) you used to get through prerequisites courses, the application or interview process? I used so many resources from The PA Platform; I won a mock interview which was super helpful for my first interview, attended the free webinars, listened to her podcasts and YT videos.
Any advice for other pre-PA students? Keep going. When I had my second round of rejections, I was so close to giving up on PA school. I told myself I'd have one more chance because this was something that I wanted so badly and it paid off. I'm succeeding in PA school and have fallen more in love with the career. If it's something you really want to do, go out and make it happen!
Where can we find you? (Instagram, TikTok, Website, etc) - Insta: @thatemmilygirl
