Undergraduate education: California State University, East Bay
Overall GPA: 3.55
Science GPA: 3.68
Total PCE hours: 6,500+ hours when I applied, 3.5 years as an EMT on an ambulance & 1.5 years in the ED as an ED tech.
Total HCE hours: 260 hours meals on wheels during the pandemic for my ambulance company.
Shadowing hours: 140 hours. 5 PAs in the ED at work. 1 FNP at an urgent care & 1 Hospitalist MD.
Volunteer hours: 780+ hours. Lead volunteer for a Homeless Lunch Program at a local food bank, children’s hospital volunteer, skilled nursing facility, passed out hygiene bags to the homeless, and a hospital charity event.
How many times did you apply?: 1
Age: 26
Gender: Female
How many programs did you apply to? 12, all in California
How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes? Interviewed with 5, got 8 interview offers. Got into 2, waitlisted at 2, & declined at 1 after an interview.
Where will you be attending? Samuel Merritt University in Oakland, CA
Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, webinars, etc) you used to get through prerequisites courses, the application or interview process? I swear by the book “Physician Assistant School Interview Guide: Tips, Tricks, and Techniques to Impress Your Interviewers” By Savanna. Besides a couple google searches on common interview questions, this book really helped me!!
Any advice for other pre-PA students? You don’t need to get a Degree in science, & you don’t need all A’s to get into PA school. Just try your best to stick out & do more than the minimum requirements in different categories of your application. Try not to compare yourself to others stats, but use it as a gauge to see how ready/prepared you are to apply. Make sure you’re 100% ready to apply, so you don’t waste your money & time. :)
Where can we find you? (Instagram, TikTok, Website, etc) - @dre.the.pa on Instagram, TikTok, & YouTube.
