Undergraduate education: 4-year honours B.Sc degree majoring in Biology
Overall GPA: 3.6/4.5 scale
Science GPA: n/a
Recent 60 credit hour GPA: 3.8 (this is the GPA our program uses)
GRE: n/a
Total HCE hours: 400 hours
Total PCE hours: 1500 hours
Shadowing hours: 16 hours
Other volunteer hours: 400 hours
LORs: 3: One from my manager at the restaurant i work who I’ve known for 3 years.
One from a PA I shadowed and who has been my mentor through this process over the past few years.
One from my honours project lab supervisor.
How many times did you apply?: Two
Age: 24
Gender: Female
How many programs did you apply to? One
How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes? I interviewed with the one and was accepted a week later!
Where will you be attending? University of Manitoba in Canada
Any red flags on your application? I was most concerned about my lower GPA
Anything you found surprising about interviews? I actually had a lot of fun interviewing and it truly was just them getting to know me as a person.
Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, apps) you used to get through prerequisite courses, the application or interview process? I read Doing Right by Philip C. Hébert which was a book on medical ethics that helped with interviews. (Affiliate Link) I also used many blogs and forums focused on PA/Medicine for interviews and MMI’s.
Any other advice for other pre-PA students? I think gaining experience is not only important because the programs require it but it also makes you a well-rounded person and gives you vital life experiences that anyone going into a healthcare profession needs. Between my first year applying (and not getting an interview) and my second year (getting accepted) I gained experience by working with people who had neurological motor disabilities. I found that I learned so much from the experience not only about working with people but also about myself and I feel more prepared and equipped to enter the PA profession because of it.
If you've recently been accepted to PA school and would like to be featured in an "Accepted!" post to share your story and advice with other PA hopefuls, send an email to savanna@thepaplatform.com
