Katie is a great example of someone who did everything right the first time! If you're looking for application goals, this is it. Even with an amazing application, she still had some discrepancies to overcome, like a C+ in General Chemistry. Thanks for sharing your story and tips Katie!
Undergraduate education: Bachelor of Science in Public Health, Spanish minor- The Ohio State University
Overall GPA: 3.90
Science GPA: 3.77
GRE: 307 combined. Verbal Reasoning: 157. Quantitative Reasoning: 150 Analytical Writing: 4.5
Total HCE hours: 1,200
Total PCE hours: ~1,000
Shadowing hours: 40
Other volunteer hours: 200
LORs: 4 total. 1 physician, 1 PA, 1 from undergrad academic adviser, 1 academic (public health) professor.
How many times did you apply?: 1
Age: 23
Gender: Female
How many programs did you apply to? 12
How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes? 6 interview invites (I chose to attend them all), 6 acceptances and I will be attending Rutgers University in the fall.
Any red flags on your application? My math GRE score was below the 50th percentile (around the 40th), which I was nervous about, so I applied to programs that did not require the GRE, and to some others that did. Out of the 4 I have been accepted to, two programs did require the GRE, and two did not... so don't let a lower GRE score stop you from applying to programs requiring it!
I also had a C+ in general chemistry 1. A few of the interviewers brought it up, and it was a great chance for me to share with them how much I have grown from that experience as a student and also on a personal level. I spoke candidly about the anxiety I experienced attending my first science course in college and how I grew to overcome that anxiety and prove to myself that I had what it takes to succeed. It also was a great opportunity to highlight that I continued on in the series and received A's in every other science class I took. I think the interviewers appreciated my openness and my response showed them what I have learned and how I have incorporated what I learned then to my school work now.
Anything you found surprising about interviews? How laid back most of them were! I was pleasantly relieved that at 5 of the 6 interviews I attended, I felt that the faculty was truly trying to get to know me. That sounds almost cliche, but it's true. I can't stress enough how important it is to take a deep breath the morning of your interview and just let them see the real you. They already know you'd be a great PA student on paper (that's why you got the interview), but now show them your awesome personality; what makes you, you. It'll be different than the other people you're interviewing with, and that's a good thing. Keep that in mind if you wake up on the morning of interview day and want to just crawl back in bed.
Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, apps) you used to get through prerequisite courses, the application or interview process? I used "The Applicants Manual of Physician Assistant Programs 2017" by Mark Volpe and Brittany Hogan religiously (affiliate link). It outlines every accredited program in the US and gives a sort of "quick stats" 1 page overview of each program, categorized by state. It gives stats over things like program pre-reqs, application deadline, contact info for that specific program, unique program characteristics, GRE requirements, and much more. It's a quick way to quickly recognize and organize all the programs you might be interested in. It even has appendices that will list all of the programs requiring the GRE, and one for those that do not. I can't stress how helpful it was for me, as before I stumbled upon this on Amazon I was making excel spreadsheets trying to compare programs to one another. This made it so much easier!
Any other advice for pre-PA students? When I was applying to PA school, I felt like I'd never get to the other side. There always seemed to be another obstacle blocking my application from being complete. It can be a long process, but I am here (finally) on the other side of it and I can promise you that your hard work WILL pay off. Keep pushing toward your goal, and you will end up where you are supposed to be. Don't let a failed class or a bad GRE score keep you down. Re-take the class, or study for the GRE again (as I had to do), or whatever it is for you that you seem to think is an obstacle toward you obtaining your goal. Because I can promise you that in the end, it IS worth it, and you'll be so proud of yourself for sticking with it.
Where can we find you? Instagram: @wenzel_k
If you've been accepted to PA school and would like to share your story in an Accepted! post, send an email to savanna@thePAplatform.com or use this link to contact us at The PA Platform now.
