Accepted: Jeanine - James Madison University

Undergraduate education: B.S. Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience and a Minor in Medical Anthropology from the University of Michigan.

Overall GPA: 3.4

Science GPA: 3.2

GRE: 315

Total PCE hours: ~1500 (at time of submission): EMT-B as an ER Technician

Total HCE hours: 300

Shadowing hours: ~50 hours (Oncology PA, Ortho PA, Vascular Surgery PA, Trauma PA, Sports Medicine MD)

Other Volunteer hours: ~400 (Philanthropy through sorority in undergrad, volunteering at homeless shelter in Ann Arbor, one month abroad in Ecuador working in Diabetes clinic and teaching nutrition to women/children)

LORs: 1 NP and 1 Nurse Manager from ER I work at and my Microbiology professor from post-bacc class

How many times did you apply?:  1

Age: 27

Gender: Female

Why PA? This is a second career path for me. It took some introspection and research to really decide what healthcare profession would fulfill my different desires. I chose PA because I wanted to be a healthcare provider that had a lot of patient interaction but also the chance to use hands on skills and make autonomous clinical decisions. The other main reason is to be able to have the lateral flexibility between specialties. I know myself, and being able to constantly grow and learn between specialties is something that NP or MD wouldn’t be able to exactly provide. Finally, I really wanted to be able to have a work life balance. Coming from a 5 day a week 9-5 job, I appreciate structure for my fitness and cooking routine!

How many programs did you apply to? 9

How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes? 1 interview and 1 acceptance

Where will you be attending? James Madison University! It has an international rotation and a real cadaver lab which were two really important things for me to have in a program.

Anything you found surprising about interviews? How relaxed and comfortable I felt! I was definitely nervous about this being my first and only MMI style interview, but they definitely did not try and intimidate us. There were current students there to ask questions about the program before the interview which definitely allowed for some tension to be released. Also, during the actual interview, I definitely felt as if the interviewers wanted us to succeed! For the role play sections, they didn’t ask any questions to try and stump you but just to direct you to an answer that was truthful and honest.

Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, apps) you used to get through prerequisite courses, the application or interview process? I used Magoosh for GRE review and was able to raise my score by 6 points. They did a really good job of breaking stuff down and making you see similarities between questions. For the interview, I mainly used ”Physician Assistant Interview Guide: Tips, Tricks, and Techniques to Impress your Interviewers”. I wanted a book that specifically reviewed MMI but also how to generally think and prepare for an interview. I felt confident with my preparation from there and obviously, something worked! :)

Any other advice for other pre-PA students? Do not give up! I made the decision I wanted the go the PA route 2 years after my undergrad. I had 4 outstanding prerequisites, a 2.9 undergrad science GPA, and ZERO patient care hours, but I knew this is what I wanted to do. Slowly but surely, I took night classes after my 9-5 job, got my EMT license, then I was finally able to get a job in a level 1 trauma center. It felt like it was never going to happen. I was completely prepared to have to reapply next year, as I realized that my low patient care hours might not outweigh my lower science GPA. I was retaking Gen Chem 1 (because it expired) when I found out I got in! If this is something you truly want, then do not look back. Keep taking classes to boost your science GPA, keep volunteering, keep shadowing, and keep breathing until it happens!

Where can we find you? @jaberboo if you have any questions!

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Accepted: Brianna - University of Dubuque

Undergraduate education: Cornell College - BA in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with minors in Philosophy and Psychology

Overall GPA: 3.5

Science GPA: 3.2

GRE: 314 (160 - Verbal, 154 - Quantitative, 5.5 - Analytical Writing)

Total PCE hours: 2,095 as a home health aide and as an attendant on a volunteer ambulance service

Total HCE hours: 3,198 as a medical scribe and as a student health center receptionist

Shadowing hours: 86 hours (50 with physicians, the rest with PAs)

Other Volunteer hours: 1,650 (American Cancer Society, volunteer trips, Crisis Text Line, etc.)

LORs: 5 (1 former manager from a healthcare job, 1 committee letter from Cornell College, 1 Chemistry Professor, 1 director of the ambulance service where I volunteered, and 1 PA I worked with as a scribe).

How many times did you apply?:  1

Age: 25

Gender: Female

Why PA? I love the horizontal flexibility of profession because it would allow me to change specialties if my interests change or to help cover a gap in the healthcare of my local community. I also felt the profession helped to facilitate collaboration with other health professionals, which is what I want in my career.

How many programs did you apply to? 13

How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes? 6 interview offers (went to one and was accepted; declined the rest of my interviews) 1 interview waiting list 1 waitlist (that program doesn't conduct interviews) 3 rejections

Where will you be attending? University of Dubuque

Anything you found surprising about interviews? How welcoming and relaxed the faculty and staff tried to make it. I had heard several other applicants or current PAs/PA students say that about their interviews, and I didn't really believe it. While the interviews still made me nervous, I honestly had fun getting to know everyone because everyone was so incredibly nice.

Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, apps) you used to get through prerequisite courses, the application or interview process? For my application, I used the Dimensions Center from Cornell College as well as The PA Platform's pre-pa assessment to review my strengths and weaknesses. I continued to use the Dimensions Center and their Health Professions Committee for my personal statement and other written materials.

For interviews, I had a mock interview with The PA Platform (shout out to Jourdyn who did my assessment and my interview) and with someone from my college. I also read Savanna's book.

Any other advice for other pre-PA students? To remember that you are more than your stats. While you need good numbers, you have a personal story and journey that is unique to you. Showcasing that and showing your passion for this career is just as important as your GPA and GRE. Put hard work and revision in your written materials in order to do that!

And lastly, don't forget to celebrate any milestone/accomplishment during this process! It can be hard to keep up stamina while you are working towards applying or on your application. Celebrate getting that new job or certification, celebrate finishing your degree or prerequisites, celebrate hitting submit on that last assignment or your application. Any completed step is progress!!

Where can we find you? On Instagram @briannarolf

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Successful First-Time Applicant - George @george.shian

George is a current PA-S attending SUNY Downstate’s Physician Assistant Program and will be set to graduate in 2021. He had an incredibly successful first-time application cycle and sat down with us to detail his experience in applying to PA school, give advice, and much more! 

How many schools did you apply to? How many schools did you hear back from and receive interviews from? How many acceptances did you receive?

This is the most common question! I thought I was going to get nothing. I applied to 10 schools. I got 9 interviews, but I did not attend 2 of them because there was no point. I got 7 acceptances. Pretty crazy! This whole year was crazy for me; the whole experience this whole year was crazy for me. If you asked me last year if I would have 7 acceptances, I would be like, “yeah, okay… where?!” It’s a huge blessing to be able to make a decision, to be able to choose between schools. It's such a great advantage. I know a lot of people pray to even get into one school. I'm really, really happy and just very blessed. 

Why did you choose to attend SUNY Downstate over other programs?

There are many factors such as distance and my personal goals as a PA. I want to work as a PA in Brooklyn, in the city, with a particular patient population. I just felt like SUNY Downstate would do a better job at preparing me since their hospitals are primarily in Brooklyn and in New York City. I felt like the best way of preparing myself for my actual career is just literally working with the same patient population that I'll be working with the rest of my life.

The campus is just 20 minutes away if I drive, and it saves me a lot of money. Overall, when I went to the interview, the location, the vibe, it just felt like home. Honestly, I was like, “wow, I feel home.”

Something else I really liked is that SUNY Downstate starts off slow-ish, and then they pick up the pace. The first semester is summer semester, and I only had three classes then it picked up. You don’t just jump in, like some of the new programs here in New York start in the Fall with 9 classes. In addition, I'm actually saving $50,000 in terms of loans! My tuition for SUNY Downstate is about $40K for the entire program.

Everyone wants to know how you got in! Give us a rundown of your stats please.

For undergrad, I went to City University of New York, Brooklyn College. I was a psych major and a chemistry minor. My overall GPA was 3.51. My science GPA was 3.47. I didn’t transfer schools. I took all my prerequisites there, and I think that shows consistency. I took every single science class that Brooklyn College offered. When I was a sophomore, I had a D in Orgo Chem 1 Lab and a C+ in Orgo Chem 2 Lab. I knew that on interviews, I would get asked about those, but I wanted to get it together and show them I am ready for the intense coursework of PA school. I took every single science course that I could as a prerequisite, I took all of those and I got really good grades in them. My last six semesters I was a 4.0 student. So I think that looks really good because you have that upward trend. In addition, I did not retake those classes that I got a C and a D in.

When I was about to start my junior year in college is when I realized that I wanted to be PA. That was the first summer that I started volunteering. That's when I met a PA for the first time and I did my research. I realized that that is what I want to do. Having that sense of direction and being goal driven; that certainly gives you the push to get it together and do what you have to do to get to your goal. That’s exactly what happened to me. 

In terms of hours, I had 630 hours of volunteering in general as HCE (health care experience). With PCE (patient care experience), I had about 4,500 plus hours. I spent three years working nonstop at different jobs. I submitted my resume to about 50 clinics. Then I became a medical assistant at a vascular interventional radiology clinic. Finally, I became a medical assistant at a pain management office. 

I also did research at Maimonides Medical Center. I didn’t like research at all; it wasn’t for me. I went around asking, “What else should I do?” I networked and found this research position. I did research for only 38 hours because it wasn’t for me. I had a total of 8 letters of recommendation, and I know that CASPA only allows 5. However, the other 3, you can take them to interviews with you because that’s allowed. Most of the schools took them. At the end of the interviews, I told the schools that “I have other letters of recommendation – these 3 over here. These are also like people that I worked with.” Most schools shouldn’t have problems with that. I think that’s it!

I just want to clarify that you got a C and a D on your transcript, and you still got so that many acceptances. That’s one of the main questions I get is, “I have a C in this class. Can I still get into PA school?” 

Yes! These grades definitely came up in the interviews, and I was prepared to answer the questions. I was very honest because honesty is always appreciated. I told them that I was lazy. I didn't do what I was supposed to do. I was late to class, I didn't do my assignments. 

They like honesty. You know, I didn't sugarcoat it. I just told them the way it was. I wasn't prepared for like the intensity of the class at that time because I didn't have the right study habits to tackle the science classes. And I was not the right kind of student. Then as I went on, as I became more driven, I definitely develops strong study habits and was able to prioritize academics over everything.

Would you say those grades were the most concerning part of your application? Are there other things that you are worried about?

Yeah, those grades were the most concerning part. They were the biggest red flags of my application. 

Did you take a gap year? 

Yes I did!

One of the questions we had is that people feel like they aren’t ready to apply. My rule of thumb is that you can prepare your application forever, but if you meet the minimum requirements for a program, go ahead and apply. How did you deal with just feeling like you weren't good enough, or knowing that you were ready and competitive enough to apply?

That's a great question. I was actually asked with myself. I thought I was going to apply back in 2017 but I didn't. I still didn't take some prerequisites. I had four classes that were still outstanding. I literally just didn't feel like I didn't feel confident. If I had applied back then, I don’t think I would have gotten in. 

This time, it took me like 6 months to work on my personal statement. It took me a while to get my hours together. I think I made the right decision back in 2017. I improved my GPA from a 3.4 to a 3.5. I think overall it’s a feeling that you feel, if you feel confident in your application and if you meet the minimum requirements. If you just feel good about what you are putting out there, just go for it! 

What would you say made your essay stand out? Did you use anything to help you prepare? What resources did you find helpful?

Actually, every single day, I was on the PA Platform website. There’s so much information on there. I was on Ashley Kay’s page all the time! She helped me a lot. I also attended your IG lives, and I would take notes. For the personal statement, I talked about how my life has changed from living in Armenia, experiencing loss, and then coming to a whole different country and starting over. I talked about how that experience back home sort of influenced me to go into medicine, have that interest in medicine, how that experience back in home sort of influenced me to go into medicine, and how I came about choosing the PA profession.

I knew that I wanted to be in the medical profession, in the medical field. I just didn't know which career path to choose. Those are really the same exact words I use in my personal statement. Then after shadowing, working with all these difference healthcare professions, you kind of figure it out for yourself. That’s what I did. 

You have to like discuss these things briefly because you are only given 5,000 characters.

You have to really spend time on it. It took me a while because you have a very limited amount of words, and you want each character, each word, to really make sense in your personal statement. Each word really counts, so you have to choose your words wisely and use them well.

You have to connect your life story plus how that led you to the PA profession. For the conclusion, you bring it all together. You have to keep it short and sweet because the admissions committee reads thousands of letters. You have to ask your friends, people with better grammar skills than you, to read it. 

Let's talk about interviewing. One question was, how did you afford to go to your interview? Did you plan for that?

I worked throughout my college career, so I saved up some money. Also, I applied to schools only in New York State and one school in New Jersey – Rutgers University. All my interviews were around here. That's why it was easier for me to because I didn't apply to schools in California. At a lot of the schools I went to for interviews, other applicants were from Alaska, California, Texas. I remember I went to Cornell for an interview, and we had a girl there from Hawaii. Thankfully, I didn't have to pay for hotels and have to pay for flights. It was very convenient.

As far as interviews, what was the hardest part? What is your best advice for interviews? 

Interviews are exhausting because you have to maintain yourself. You have to be smart, and you have to be super nice. You want them to like you, and you have to dress nicely. It’s stressful. I was worried about my accent and worried if I would articulate myself properly.

For the Stony Brook interview, I remember they were super nice. That’s the one thing that was surprising to me. They’re all super nice and trying to get to know you. They’re not trying to intimidate you. They’re just trying to get to know you and have a conversation. It's just that simple and you talk to them like you’re talking to your friends, but a little more professionally. The interview season wasn't the toughest. For me, it was the application part that was tough for me.

The Physician Assistant School Interview Guide by Savanna Perry was basically my Bible. As long as you try your best and are being truthful, the admissions committee sees that, and they really like that. I liked interviews. You sit there and talk about yourself! 

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Do you consider yourself a traditional or non-traditional student?

Traditional. 

I think so too. So how long did it take you to fill out your application? And when did you submit?

When I applied, CASPA opened April 24. I submitted mine May 12th or May 13th. I prepared beforehand. You have to prepare for this! The first day, I would really just to enter your grades and make sure it's correct and start to get your letters recommendation. Be on top of that! It’s the only part of your application that you’re not in control of; you’re waiting for other people to submit it for you. I submitted it within 2-2.5 weeks. 

What else do people have to know?

I have this rule, the 75:25 rule for your PCE and HCE. When entering your information on CASPA, I say 75% of your job is PCE and 25% of your job is HCE. That’s how I divided it, and it worked for me! For example, for my medical assistant job, I was mostly with my patients and taking care of them. There's 25% of the job where you're doing correspondence, calling prescriptions, talking to other doctors, setting up appointments and scheduling, and all of the administrative aspects of the healthcare setting. I actually was keeping track of my hours because when I got a paycheck, it says how many hours I worked. I would just like add them up, and I would keep my pay stub. I didn't overestimate, which was fine. 

In terms of shadowing and asking, you are going to have to be prepared for rejection. You have to just take it, and try your best. My advice is just don’t get discouraged!

Contact George on Instagram here: @george.shian

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Accepted: Tallie - University of Utah

Undergraduate education: Microbiology at Brigham Young University

Overall GPA: 3.79

Science GPA: 3.68

Total HCE hours: 4,300

Shadowing hours: 65ish

Other Volunteer hours: 350ish

LORs: 4: 1 from a PA I showed for 40+ hours, 1 from a professor, 1 from a supervisor, and 1 from a co-worker

How many times did you apply?:  1

Age: 23

How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes? I was offered 8 interviews and I went to 4 of them. 2 acceptances, 1 waitlist, and I withdrew the final app after accepting my spot at my #1 pick.

Where will you be attending? University of Utah

Anything you found surprising about interviews? Everyone says it but honestly the interviewers really just want to know who you are as a person. They’ve seen you on paper and know you’re capable of succeeding in the program. Now they just want to see what your personality is like and if you mesh with their program philosophy. It’s okay to be nervous but don’t let the nerves over power how hard you’ve worked to be there!

Any other advice for other pre-PA students? It’s okay to slow down and enjoy the process! I zoomed through school while working full time and was super busy. I personally like that environment but it’s okay if it takes a little longer to graduate and accumulate hours to make your application stellar! The goal is to become a PA-C, it doesn’t matter how fast or long it takes!

Where can we find you? instagram - @talliealder

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Accepted: Danielle - South College - Knoxville

Undergraduate education: Ohio State University- Major: Neuroscience, Minor: Criminology

Overall GPA: 3.62

Science GPA: 3.45

GRE: 310

Total PCE hours: ~2800 as a PCA at a children’s hospital and a medical volunteer at a free medical clinic

Total HCE hours: 141 as a volunteer at a hospital

Shadowing hours: 151 shadowing PAs in urgent care, ER, and primary care

Other Volunteer hours: Sorority, service trip to Nicaragua, psychology research study volunteer

LORs: Urgent care PA I shadowed, my work manager, a volunteer coordinator

How many times did you apply?:  1

Age: 23

Gender: Female

How many programs did you apply to? 14

How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes? 5 interviews, 3 waitlisted, 1 denied, 1 acceptance

Where will you be attending? South College-Knoxville

Anything you found surprising about interviews? How different each school conducted interviews. At some the interview portion was all of ten minutes, others it was up to an hour, so it really varied.

Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, apps) you used to get through prerequisite courses, the application or interview process? Savanna Perry’s Interview Guide book, The Ultimate Guide to Getting into PA School by Andrew Rodican, The PA Platform mock interview service and all the blogs and podcasts!

Any other advice for other pre-PA students? It was especially hard to keep motivated after interviewing with nothing to show for it the first few invites, but it wasn’t until my very last interview that I finally got the acceptance! So to those who feel like they blew their chances or feel like accepting defeat don’t get discouraged! Continue to take every opportunity to make your dream a reality and you will achieve it!

Where can we find you? instagram - @daniellehams11

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How COVID-19 Will Affect PA School Admissions 2020

As if applications aren’t stressful enough, the uncertainty of COVID-19 affecting PA school admissions can make this even more challenge for pre-PA students. This entire situation is outside of everyones control and something worth addressing.

Disclaimer: These thoughts and opinions are strictly my own; they are not thoughts and opinions of any specific program. If you listen back a couple episodes to when we talk to admissions committee members and admissions directors of different programs (Meghan from @emergencymedmentor and Jed Grant, admissions director at University of the Pacific), they both touched on COVID as well. Today’s opinions are strictly my own, so I could be completely wrong. However, I've talked to enough admissions members and looked at enough websites to have a good idea of what they think. 

Please be graceful with programs right now

I know that you have a lot of questions and to be perfectly honest, they probably do too. Everyone is trying to figure this situation out. Programs need to juggle their clinical year students who may have been kicked off of rotations and need to graduate. A lot of the programs that started in the summer are trying to figure out how to move their didactic portions online. Plus, they're trying to figure out what to do with the whole application process and what changes they're going to need to make.

The people who are running the PA program jobs just got a lot harder trying to juggle everything that is going on. If a school takes a little time to respond to you or don't give you a very distinct answer, just know that they are trying their best! They will figure it out, one way or another.

I'm am giving my personal opinions on how I think this will affect the application cycle for this year. A lot of questions I've been getting are: 

Do you think that schools are going to change their requirements or bend their prerequisite requirements to allow students to apply if they don't meet the requirements? Especially for applicants who have been unable to secure additional shadowing, volunteering, and working hours. 

Personally, I don't see those requirements changing very much. All this COVID stuff started happening around mid-late March, and that's really only a month before CASPA opens. I think the way PA schools view it is that someone who is ready to apply to PA school should have all of those boxes checked ahead of time and already have everything done.

When it comes to the applications coming in, the schools are still going to have plenty of qualified applicants to choose from; there's not going to be a shortage of applicants. Around 30,000 people apply to PA school every year, and there are not nearly that many spots available. It may actually make their lives a little bit easier because maybe they'll get less applications this year. I still think there will be enough qualified applicants to fill their classes with what they're looking for. So I don't think we are going to see any need to change those requirements. 

When it comes to coursework and prerequisites, some schools have been giving the option for students to choose Pass/Fail instead of receiving a letter grade, especially the classes that have moved to online. From what I’ve seen, when it comes to Pass/Fail classes, the majority of programs still do not accept a Pass/Fail class as a prerequisite requirement. They still want to see a grade for those prerequisite classes.

If you are taking a “filler” type class such as English or Dance to fulfill your university’s requirement, the program you plan on applying to will not care as much if those type of classes are P/F as they are not incorporated into your GPA when CASPA calculates it. I've seen a few programs that have said that they will take it on a case by case basis, especially if you weren’t given a choice to switch to Pass/Fail. However, if you choose to make a prerequisite Pass/Fail, I think you need to plan on retaking that class for a grade for a future date.

In regards to online classes, from what I’ve seen, most programs are accepting classes and labs that have moved to an online format. That is not something you could have predicted or signed up for, and you don’t really have a choice. Since the semester is over, if the majority of your class and lab was in-person, the PA schools are being a bit more flexible with their requirements in regards to this.

I have also seen that some schools are putting a limit to this online classes/labs policy i.e. just spring semester or spring/summer semester. You have to triple check with the PA program websites, especially as these changes are occurring in real time with a lot of discussion around them. If you have been on the Pre-PA Club Facebook group, there is a lot of discussion about this on there as well. Members have been great and updating our posts as soon as they hear things from different programs, which has been very helpful.

Let’s talk about testing. 

I know some students have been unable to take the GRE or PA-CAT because your tests got cancelled. I'm hoping these testing centers will be opening up soon, but they have started an at-home test taking option. Some schools are actually waiving their GRE requirement for this cycle, and some schools are still requiring it. You technically should still be able to take it. Yes, it is more difficult, and scheduling is a huge issue, but that is something many programs are still requiring. Make sure you are double-checking the websites and whether the school is requiring the GRE/PA-CAT or not. 

What about applicants who are unable to obtain hours now due to cancellation of shadowing, volunteering, or working opportunities/positions? 

When it comes to working, depending on what your job is and your qualifications, you can certainly be looking for new jobs. I know a lot of people, even a lot of PAs, have been furloughed or fired. It is actually very difficult to find PA jobs right now because patient census numbers are low across the board. If you are looking for a position, see if there is anywhere you can help and as soon as things get back to normal-ish, there will be a need for people in every single position. Some people who lost their jobs during this time may even figure out that they don’t need that position and do not want to go back to work. Be on the lookout and start researching positions now. 

With volunteering, as soon as you can go back, do it. I have had some people tell me that they have been making masks and if they can put that down as volunteer hours. You could, but I personally would not. I will get into that a bit later. Unless it is a formal volunteer event/organization with a supervisor that you can list, I typically would not place that in the volunteer section in CASPA. 

It has been more difficult to get those shadowing hours as well. Even med students and PA students have been unable to complete their rotations because of lack of PPE and safety of students. Shadowing opportunities will come back. Unless the programs you are applying to have changed their requirements, I would probably only apply to those schools for which you meet the minimum requirements.

If a program only has a recommended requirement or no requirement at all, go ahead and go for it. There likely will be some leniency there, and you would want to go to a program who is looking at everything that is going on right now and taking it into consideration. You just need to go with what you got and make the best of it. 

You can also use this “downtime” to really work on things. You can use this time to really work on your personal statement, your experience details, organizing your information, ordering your transcripts, and just getting everything together for your application cycle if you’re applying this year. That will decrease your stress when it’s time to go back to work or volunteering too! 

What about letters of recommendation? How are you suppose to ask for a LOR during this weird time?

Just ask! You don’t know what that PA is going to say. A lot of jobs have a lot of downtime right now, so maybe they will be able to write you that letter, unless they are in one of those really busy areas or specialties. You never know until you ask. If they do say that they are unable to write you a letter at this time, the sooner you ask, the more time that gives you to find a back-up/another option. 

How you ask mostly depends on your relationship with that person. Just think about how well you know that person and which method they would be the most receptive to. In general, you should always have some backup letter writers in mind just in case something falls through. I’ve even heard of an applicant who asked someone for a LOR and that person unfortunately passed away. You always want back-ups in mind! You want to ask those people who know you best but also fulfill the requirements for the programs you are applying to. If you have a question about any of the schools requirements, reach out to them!

Now let’s talk about CASPA’s COVID essay. 

This is new this year. My personal opinion is that they created this essay so that everyone’s personal statement wouldn’t just be talking about COVID. So this is an optional COVID essay, which is 2500 characters without spaces. This is what it says on CASPA:

Please describe how COVID-19 has impacted your pathway to becoming a physician assistant. The questions listed in the application can help you get started, but you do not need to limit your responses to only these considerations.

1. ACADEMIC:

   1. Did your school move to an online only curriculum? 

   2. Were you able to interact with your professors?

   3. Did you have to learn an academic program stateside or abroad? 

   4. Did your school require you to move to the Pass/Fail grading system?

   5. Did your original GRE exam get cancelled or delayed? 

   6. Were there other academic barriers? 

2. PROFESSIONAL:

   1. Did you have to go out and seek new job opportunities?

   2. Did you lose a job? 

   3. Were there other financial or professional barriers that you faced personally? 

3. PERSONAL:

   1. Did you have to move out of the house or dorm?

   2. Did you have to cancel travel plans?

   3. Did you modify your planned experiences related to healthcare or volunteer opportunities?

   4. Did you seek out volunteer opportunities that arose from the crisis?

A question I get a lot on Instagram is, “Will I be thought of poorly if I don’t write this essay?” I am a firm proponent of using every space, given on your application.

I think it's worth using that space to at least address something! At the very minimum, this has shown us a lot about healthcare and either hopefully reassured your passion for wanting to be in medicine (because this is real medicine happening right now!) or maybe it’s the opposite. Maybe it has made you a little bit scared to be in medicine, and that is something you are going to have to look at and kind of evaluate yourself. I would at least put a paragraph in there about how this has affected you because I do think it has affected all of us in some way or another. 

I would not personally use this as a place to make excuses. I would focus on it being a very positive essay, more about how you made the most of this time and what you got out of it. If there is something that happened as far as limiting your job, hours, academics, or anything, I would just state that very clearly with how it affected you. For example, “I had to leave my job as a CNA because there was no need for me anymore, but I've learned XYZ about this whole process. It's made me more grateful.” Really take the time to self-reflect on that and figure out what this has meant to you personally.

How will interviews be affected? 

Some schools have already moved to an online interview format, especially the ones that were still interviewing in March and April. I can see that happening more and more.

As an applicant, that's going to cut down on costs for you with traveling, and maybe schools will see that that's a viable option. Unfortunately, you won't get to actually see the program. I think schools will have to adjust their interview cycles, maybe push them out a little bit more, maybe think about where they're interviewing people from and try to stick to people who can drive versus fly. It is hard to say exactly how this will affect interviews. 

I do think you should be prepared to get asked about this, similar to those questions that are on the COVID essay, like how it has affected you. I could see some ethical questions coming up about ventilator uses, as that's been a hot topic. It’s something that you need to be aware of, somewhat well versed in, and definitely need to think about a little bit. 

Overall thoughts:

My biggest piece of advice is, just make sure you're double and triple checking websites for each program. Just stay on top of it as much as you can. Ask questions! I'm also happy to try to find you answers or point you in the right direction. Feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or ideas. Thank you for reading! 

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A Guide to the GRE - Guest Post by Sandra Oh

**This GRE guide is completely for information only! Sandra made this to share her own experience.** 

Background: My prep may look a little different from yours. I prepared extensively for the SAT/ACT before going to university, so I still remembered a lot of concepts that overlapped on the GRE. 

Study materials: 

1. Magoosh* (highly recommend) 

a. They have their own study plans for your anticipated test date! This is helpful whether you’re in a time crunch or have 6 months. Staying on track while self-studying is not easy!

b. I appreciate how it keeps a running tally of your estimated score for verbal and math.

c. Their question bank is extensive, and if you have your practice questions on “practice” mode instead of “quiz” mode, you get lessons on how to do the problems.

d. Each practice question has a “how-to” video and text-only guide that tells you how to do the problem, both verbal and math. It explains why certain answer choices are right and wrong. For the math section, it also teaches you new concepts and shortcuts that might help you solve the problems more quickly and save you some time!

e. They have practice tests that give you a relatively close estimate of your score. My practice exam score was off, so my actual score was higher (I’m not complaining!). I’ve seen that generally people do better on the actual ETS exam. This could be because I wasn’t in “exam mode” during my practice exams, so try to take the exam as you would a real exam!

f. Their website layout is similar to the actual exam, so it forces you to get used to taking an online exam and using the calculator provided!

2. Manhattan Prep 4th Edition Detailed Guidebooks 

a. I would recommend this if you are looking for something truly foundational. The books are thorough, helpful, and easy to read and go over.

b. There are 8 books total that break down the whole exam. If you have the time and are committed to learning the ins and outs of the exam, then you will learn so many helpful concepts! 

My 5-Week Study Plan (Disclaimer: Do what works for you! Everyone studies a bit differently.): 

● Weeks 1-3: Do as many practice problems as possible. I prioritized math, so I always did more math problems than verbal a day. This might seem like a lot, but math is practice and repetition. Always know why you got something wrong. You can flag questions for review and practice on Magoosh. I personally finished almost all of the ones available from Magoosh (700+problems, each subject). Do as many as you can! 

○ Time studied per day varies. Self studying at home is hard, because you have to stay focused! I aimed for about 3 hours of intentional, focused learning a day. Don’t be discouraged if some days you can’t- if you feel overwhelmed or burnt out, reduce the time studied per day or take a day off! Time put in reflects on your score, but it’s also important to take care of your mental health. 

● 10 days prior leading up to the day before my exam: I took 5 practice exams, 1 day on/off. I reviewed the practice test from the day prior, looking over words and concepts that I got wrong and making sure I understood why so I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. I didn’t do many practice problems within this period.

○ Avoid burnout! Use this time to get into “exam mode”- it’s important that you’re able to get focused and stay focused for the entirety of the exam. The breaks are meant to be a breather, but do your best to stay strong throughout the exam! 

● D-1: Relax. Review words and formulas that you might forget like simple/compound interest. Cramming 1 day before the exam will not help and will probably make you more anxious! If you’re taking it at home, do an equipment check with your computer and make sure that it meets ProctorU guidelines to save yourself some stress before your exam. Get a good night’s rest! 

● D-Day: Wake up early and wake up your brain! Go on a walk or do some sudoku. Eat a good breakfast and don’t stress! 

Tips:

• The first thing you should do is take a diagnostic test. You want to have a ballpark of where you’re starting! 

• Work with your weaker section first. Remember that your diagnostic score is just your starting point! Don’t get discouraged if it’s not what you thought it was, set a “dream” score and work to achieve it! 

• If you’re in a time crunch (~1 month or less), prioritize math. Memorizing vocab words and trying to “figure out” reading comprehension takes more time, especially if you’re really trying to boost your score. 

• This may vary, but I think that math is easier to improve compared to verbal. Like any standardized test, the math section on the GRE is composed of repeating concepts displayed in different forms. If you’re able to practice enough problems and recognize the patterns within math, as well as figure out the conceptual shortcuts, your score should improve greatly. 

• Make a dictionary (or flash cards). I made a small dictionary out of an old notebook and looked up every word I didn’t know from my practice problems and practice exams. I made mnemonics and tried to review the words when I could. I did see some on the exam, so don’t skip learning words that you don’t know! 

• Use “cheat sheets” for formulas! Try not to use them in practice exams for the most realistic score. Magoosh has one for math that compiled all the necessary formulas you need on the exam. 

• Learn how to use the tiny calculator! I know I was stressed when I figured out I had to use the limited on-screen computer. It can recall values though, so that can be helpful with large numbers/long decimals! 

• Review the essay topics before your exam! All the essay topics are available on the ETS website. You can glance over it and get a feel for what to expect on exam day. 

Stats: 

*I always did better on quant than on verbal on my practice exams, but I found exam quant to be more difficult. 

Hope you found this helpful! Good luck! 

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Accepted: Andrea - Lake Erie College

Undergraduate education: Health Sciences Pre-PA with minor in Biology

Overall GPA: 3.97

Science GPA: 3.98

GRE: 297

Total PCE hours: 600 as caregiver at an assisted living home

Total HCE hours: 1,500 as pharmacy technician

Shadowing hours: 110

Other Volunteer hours: 100

LORs: 5 total - 1 from PA who I shadowed, one from mentor who is NP, one from head pharmacist (my boss), psychology professor, and the program associate from my medical brigade trip to Honduras

How many times did you apply?:  1

Age: 21

Gender: Female

Why PA? I wanted to become a PA since high school. I like the fact that I didn’t have to be in school for a long time because I want to be able to start a family. I like the flexibility of being able to go into any specialty and having almost the same responsibilities as a doctor.

How many programs did you apply to? 9

How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes? I received 7 total interviews but only attended 3. I got accepted to all 3 that I interviewed with.

Where will you be attending? Lake Erie College

Anything you found surprising about interviews? You can really tell what a school is like based off of their interviews. You can tell if a school actually wants to get to know you or not.

Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, apps) you used to get through prerequisite courses, the application or interview process? The Pre-PA Club on Facebook, the Physician’s Assistant School Manual, The PA Platform Instagram, and How To Ace The PA Interview Book

Any other advice for other pre-PA students? Make sure you write a good personal statement and be yourself during the interviews. Once you get to the interview portion, they already know your stats and experiences, now they want to know you as a person outside of school.

Where can we find you? instagram - andreeagrecu_

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Accepted: Finley - Midwestern University

Undergraduate education: Bachelor's in Global Health from UC San Diego

Overall GPA: 3.79

Science GPA: 3.7

GRE: 317

Total PCE hours: 345

Total HCE hours: 1,400

Shadowing hours: 70

Other Volunteer hours: 110

LORs: 1 from my PA mentor, 1 from my anatomy professor, 1 from my supervisor, and 1 from an internship coach.

How many times did you apply?:  1

Age: 22

Gender: Male

Why PA? I stumbled upon the profession while exploring the healthcare field. All of the normal perks of the job looked nice on paper, but once I shadowed a PA I knew it was right for me. Never before have I met such friendly, caring, confident, and curious people. I was also very lucky to be mentored by a PA where I worked in clinical research. With his help I was able to understand the profession and a PA's role in healthcare.

How many programs did you apply to? 9

How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes? 2 interviews with 1 denial and 1 waitlist where I was later accepted.

Where will you be attending? Midwestern University, Glendale

Anything you found surprising about interviews? No matter how hard you prepare there will always be something that catches you off guard. Be ready to adapt and be flexible. Also, you'll be told this so many times, but be honest. They want to know you as a person.

Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, apps) you used to get through prerequisite courses, the application or interview process? In finding schools I found the The Applicant's Manual of Physician Assistant Programs very helpful. In preparing for the interview I would highly recommend using the programs' websites and physicianassistantforum.com for insight to the process. Savanna's book the Physician Assistant School Interview Guide and the PA Platform's mock interview service were also very helpful for my confidence.

Any other advice for other pre-PA students? If becoming a PA is as important to you as it is to me you are more than capable of getting in. Just remember to do your research, take time to make your application shine, and to try not to get too stressed. Use others' stats only for reference, not as a means to compare yourself. You and your experiences are unique. Use them to your advantage.

Where can we find you? @finn.shea.the.pa on Instagram

Accepted: Rachel - Wayne State University

Undergraduate education: Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration

Overall GPA: 3.62

Science GPA: 3.62

GRE: 299

Total PCE hours: ~9800 upon submission

Total HCE hours: ~2500 hours upon submission

Shadowing hours: 32

Other Volunteer hours: 31 upon submission

LORs: 1 PA, 1 MD, 1 Supervisor, 1 Undergraduate Professor, 1 Clinical Coordinator

How many times did you apply?:  1

Age: 31

Gender: Female

Why PA? My story is very layered and my path has been non-traditional, but, PA has been my end goal since I realized what a PA is. This has been my dream for a decade! Medicine is my passion and my goal is to provide a safe place for patients and to instill relationships with trust.

How many programs did you apply to? 2

How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes? 1 interview (other school's deadline hasn't hit yet), acceptance to school interviewed at.

Where will you be attending? Wayne State University

Anything you found surprising about interviews? Not really- I say this because I prepared for months from the time I submitted my CASPA in July until I received my interview invitation in October. Also, Wayne State provided a basic outline of what to expect at an interview.

Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, apps) you used to get through prerequisite courses, the application or interview process? YES! The PA Platform Instagram page, the Pre-PA Club podcast, Pre-PA Facebook group, several YouTube videos, and Savanna's Interview book!

Any other advice for other pre-PA students? Never give up if this is your goal! Put in the work now and it will pay off if you believe in yourself and give this your heart and soul!

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Accepted: Alyssa - Arcadia University

Undergraduate education: Old Dominion University

Overall GPA: 4.0

Science GPA: 4.0

GRE: 108

Total PCE hours: 33 (had just started as an MA when I sent my application!)

Total HCE hours: 612 (ER scribe)

Shadowing hours: 4 (only one opportunity)

Other Volunteer hours: 469 + a lot of involvement in the Filipino organization at my school! :)

LORs: 3 (1 PA, 1 Professor, 1 Mentor)

How many times did you apply?:  1

Age: 21

Gender: Female

Why PA? After seeing PAs work (ER & gastroenterology), I really loved that they were able to bridge a gap in healthcare, helping more patients be seen while still providing high-quality care to all. Not to mention, they can spend more time with the patient, which can really help a visit feel more personable. I also love the lateral mobility aspect of the profession; I'm not exactly sure what speciality I want to go into yet, but I know that I will be able to find one that I really enjoy.

How many programs did you apply to? 4

How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes? 2 interviews, 2 acceptances

Where will you be attending? Arcadia University

Anything you found surprising about interviews? Both programs I interviewed at (Pace & Arcadia), had such wonderful environments. Although the candidates were technically "competing" for spots, everyone was so kind and supportive of each other. The interviews were more relaxed than I anticipated, which really helped ease my nerves and allowed my true personality shine through.

Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, apps) you used to get through prerequisite courses, the application or interview process? Savanna Perry's PA interview book taught me all the strategies I needed for the interviews. I also reached out to my school's Biology advising department to do 2 mock interviews, a 1-on-1 and a group interview, which really helped me work on articulating answers.

Any other advice for other pre-PA students? If you're a younger applicant still finishing up your undergrad but want to keep the ball rolling, don't hesitate to apply! Especially if you've been working towards your goal while in school! I didn't think I had enough or *good* enough healthcare hours, but most of the alumni that I talked to encouraged me to apply anyways. Definitely glad to have listened to them!

Also, don't just apply to random programs. Really look to see what makes each program unique. I'm so thankful my friend told me about Arcadia; they are highly involved in their community and have amazing international opportunities which have me extremely excited to attend! So, definitely find a program that fits you. :)

Where can we find you? instagram - @lyssachi

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Accepted: Keeley - Nova Southeastern University

Undergraduate education: Bachelor’s in Biology from University of Florida

Overall GPA: 3.6

Science GPA: 3.6

GRE: 150 qualitative, 153 quantitative, 5 on writing

Total PCE hours: 640 at time of applications being submitted

Total HCE hours: 0

Shadowing hours: About 30

Other Volunteer hours: 0

LORs: One from my nursing manager, one from my A&P professor, one from a professor and mentor for the PhD program I was in before, one from an MD I shadowed, and one from the PA I shadowed

How many times did you apply?:  1

Age: 22

Gender: Female

Why PA? I was in a PhD program right after graduating undergraduate and started to lose focus of the big picture and why I was spending hours in the lab getting very little data. I took a leave of absence and became a CNA where I fell in love with the patients and decided on PA school after remembering my many interactions as a patient with type one diabetes and a patient’s family member who had stage four colon cancer.

How many programs did you apply to? 12

How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes? 4 interviews (I’ve only been to 2/4 and got accepted to both)

Where will you be attending? Nova Southeastern University in Jacksonville, FL

Anything you found surprising about interviews? How different my two interviews were was really surprising as well as how sweet and supportive the other interviewers were. Someone even drove other interviewers back to the airport to help them out.

Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, apps) you used to get through prerequisite courses, the application or interview process? 100% Savanna’s book (I tried another book before hers and hated it) along with her website and podcast! I also decided on a mock interview with Ngan who was amazing at calming my nerves and helping me perfect my interview a few weeks before my first one. I also used the pa forum to see if any old students left some advice before interviews.

Any other advice for other pre-PA students? I had a family member ask me a few interview questions almost every night leading up to my first interview. I also wrote down most of the questions I was asked during my first interview and analyzed them afterwards to see how I could improve for the next one. But I also just want to say don’t give up! I was basically told to expect not to get in this round but I still gave it my all and was pleasantly surprised.

Where can we find you? instagram - Keeleysarah97

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Accepted: Ariel - UT Health Science Center San Antonio

Undergraduate education: Biology - UIW

Overall GPA: 3.93

Science GPA: 3.94

GRE: 300

Total PCE hours: 3,500

Total HCE hours: 2,000

Shadowing hours: 260

Other Volunteer hours: 1,000

LORs: PA, previous professor, and current supervisor

How many times did you apply?:  1

Age: 27

Gender: Female

Why PA? Growing up with a P.A. as a father, I was introduced to the professor at an early age. My mother was an ultrasound technologist too, so I grew up in the medical field. I always knew I wanted to be a medical provider, because it combines my love for medicine and science with my passion for education and helping people. I always looked up to my father and saw how much he truly enjoyed his job and the flexibility that it provided him, so after shadowing him (along with other medical professionals) my decision to follow in his steps and become a P.A. myself was solidified.

How many programs did you apply to? 9

How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes? 7 interview invites, attended 2 of them, accepted at both of those 2.

Where will you be attending? UTHSCSA (UT Health Science Center San Antonio)

Anything you found surprising about interviews? Both were MMI format. One of the schools had a “meet and greet” dinner the evening before, which I really enjoyed because it helped calm my nerves as well as allowed me to meet several of the staff members, current students/Alumni, and other applicants in a more relaxed environment before the actual interview day.

Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, apps) you used to get through prerequisite courses, the application or interview process? Savanna Perry’s interview prep course as well as her interview prep book from Amazon. Listening to the Pre-PA Club Podcast also helped a lot!

Any other advice for other pre-PA students? Just be yourself! Try to practice techniques ahead of time that can help you calm your nerves and allow your true personality to shine through. Whether it be guided mediation, self help books or podcasts, herbal supplements, power poses or deep breathing exercises, and positive mantras/affirmations, all of these things helped me to train myself to keep my nerves under control enough to feel comfortable and confident on my interview days!

Where can we find you? instagram - @PA_Leira

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Accepted: Lauren - Yale School of Medicine

Undergraduate education: University of Connecticut, B.S. in Medical Laboratory Science

Overall GPA: 3.86

Science GPA: 3.8

GRE: 325

Total PCE hours: 2,100+ Patient Care Associate on a Med Surg floor

Total HCE hours: 2,500+, Medical Technology Generalist

Shadowing hours: 130 - Shadowed different PAs in Ortho, Neurology, OB/GYN, Internal Medicine, and Vascular Surgery

Other Volunteer hours: 100+ - Red Cross Blood Drives, Children's Hospital Fundraising, Women's Center

LORs: 4- Nurse Manager, Lab Manager, PA Mentor, Undergrad Program Director

How many times did you apply?:  1

Age: 23

Gender: Female

How many programs did you apply to? 19; way too many, my thought was that I didn't want to risk going through the application process a second time, but I definitely went overboard

How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes? Invited to interview at 17 schools and I attended 7. 4 acceptances (Yale, Duke, Tufts, Sacred Heart), 1 waitlist, 1 rejection, and 1 that I haven't heard back from.

Where will you be attending? Yale School of Medicine (On Campus)

Anything you found surprising about interviews? My first interview was rough! It was my only interview that had an MMI session and it was a really long 8-hour process. I was rejected but I used that experience to improve myself for future interviews. I did a mock interview with the PA Platform and used the Physician Assistant School Interview Guide to sharpen up my skills. They were both amazing resources!

Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, apps) you used to get through prerequisite courses, the application or interview process? Physician Assistant School Interview Guide, How to "ace" the Physician Assistant School Interview, PA Platform mock interview, CASPA application review service, ect

Any other advice for other pre-PA students? Don't be afraid to take your time to get all your ducks in a row before you apply. I took 2 years off after undergrad to pay off my undergrad loans and gain experience before submitting my CASPA and it was worth it for a better financial situation and an acceptance at my dream school. Keep up the hard work!

Where can we find you? Feel free to message me on instagram for any advice! @laurenmasay

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Prepping for PA School Applications as a Freshman in College

Today’s guest post is written by Ashley Koch, a second semester freshman in college who is pursuing a career as a physician assistant and has been working towards making her dream a reality since she was in high school. Follow Ashley’s journey at @akoch_coke

I have always known I wanted to be a PA. As a freshman in college, I knew that I wanted to start doing everything I could to prepare for my PA school application. Even though the application process was so far away, I was still dedicated to doing anything I could to start preparing myself for PA school and I will be sharing how I began this journey at such an early stage in my life!

 I realized pretty early on that I wanted to pursue a career in the medical field; throughout my childhood it seemed as if at any time someone got injured, I was always the person called on to help them. With this desire of helping others continuing on as I grew older, the only dilemma I faced was deciding between pursuing the career of either a nurse or a doctor (at the time I was unaware of the PA profession). I felt as if there were pros to both careers, but there wasn’t one that was peaking my complete interest; I was instead desiring a career that was ideally a perfect combination of a nurse and doctor. From this interest, as soon as I discovered the Physician Assistant profession, I knew that it was in my path.

Toward the ending of my freshman year of high school, I was introduced to a program at my local Northside Hospital called “Volunteen.” This program gave teenagers the opportunity to not only experience what working in a hospital environment felt like but also determine if this environment was one they could picture in their dream job. After going through their application and interview process, I was accepted! During this experience, my love for medicine only grew stronger. I spent every remaining summer of my high school career volunteering at Northside Hospital in their Family Centered Care, Women’s Surgery, and Baby Photography positions. Along with my experience as a Volunteen, I was at the same time researching more about the Physician Assistant career in order to further confirm my desire to pursue it.  

When it became time for me to apply to colleges, I made the decision to only apply to universities that also had the Physician Assistant Master’s Program. With my home state being Georgia, I had a couple of options to choose from and ultimately decided on attending Augusta University! 

Within my first couple of weeks in college, I immediately sought out and joined my university’s PA club; this action alone has provided me with a greater understanding of not only the Physician Assistant career, but also all of the details surrounding the application process. After learning about the basic requirements for most PA schools, I dedicated my Christmas break to creating a spreadsheet of various PA schools and their specific course and healthcare experience requirements in order to set my goals of what I want my PA school application to look like. Currently, I am scheduling my shadowing experience along with more Northside volunteering over this next summer, along with planning my sophomore year schedule around beginning undergrad research and getting my EMT certification through a program my university offers.

Whether you are currently in high school or just beginning college and pursuing a career that extends beyond undergrad, even though the application process may be a decently long time away, don’t feel discouraged about preparing for the application because of time. Instead of viewing the several years before applying as several years of waiting, view it as several years of preparing and pushing yourself to not only have the ideal application you want but also to become more experienced and ensured that this program is meant for you. It is always a great idea to get a head start and it is never too early to start working toward the career that is calling your name.

Join The PA Platform’s Pre-PA Club Facebook Group, a community of thousands of Pre-PAs!

Accepted: Shannan - Medical University of South Carolina

Undergraduate education: Computed Tomography

Overall GPA: 3.85

Science GPA: 3.8

GRE: 301

Total PCE hours: Over 10,000

Total HCE hours: Over 10,000

Shadowing hours: 45

Other Volunteer hours: 50

LORs: 2 MD, 1 Clinical Instructor

How many times did you apply?:  1

Age: 25

Gender: Female

How many programs did you apply to? 10

How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes? 3 interviews, 3 waitlists, 1 accept

Where will you be attending? Medical University of South Carolina

Anything you found surprising about interviews? The faculty wanted to know about me personally, not my accomplishment but what you wouldn’t know based on my application.

Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, apps) you used to get through prerequisite courses, the application or interview process? I feel that having as much hands on, critical thinking experience is what made me stand out. I’m not your typical PA applicant. I had a career before applying and wanted to further my education.

Any other advice for other pre-PA students? Get all the actual hands on/critical thinking experience you can get. I had the benefit of working in radiology for 5 years before applying. This not only exposed me to how the healthcare system works but many diseases and treatment that has helped make PA school much more manageable.

Where can we find you? instagram - shannan.dieselberg

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Accepted: Paige - Trine University

Undergraduate education: Allied Health Science

Overall GPA: 3.6

Science GPA: 3.75

GRE: I don’t remember totals but 4.5 on writing

Total PCE hours: 1,500 as direct care worker and medicine passer

Shadowing hours: 400 with internal medicine PA

Other Volunteer Hours: 15 at various orgizations

LORs: 3 (one from internal medicine PA, one from chemistry professor, and one from supervisor at assisted living facility)

How many times did you apply?:  Once!

Age: 21

Gender: Female

Why PA? My cousin was diagnosed with osteosarcoma my senior year of high school. I knew I had to help patients like doctors, PAs, nurses, etc. helped her!

How many programs did you apply to? 9

How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes? 1 interview, 1 acceptance!

Where will you be attending? Trine University

Was there anything you found surprising about interviews? It was a long day, but a lot less stressful than I was anticipating. It was fun! I loved meeting so many people passionate about the same thing as me.

Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, apps) you used to get through prerequisite courses, the application or interview process? The pre-PA club at my undergrad university was great at giving us all the resources we needed! I used the interview guide for my interview.

Any other advice for other pre-PA students? Be yourself always. I compared myself to everyone during the application process. Once it came to the interview, I was ready to shine. Our stats didn’t matter anymore, they wanted to see us for who we are!

Where can we find you? instagram - @paigejonites

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Accepted: Sydney - University of Washington

Undergraduate education: BS: Biology

Overall GPA:2.8, last 90: 3.95

Science GPA: 3.05

GRE: 296

Total HCE hours: 18,000

Shadowing hours: 212

Other Volunteer Hours: 100

LORs: Fertility medicine PA, OB/GYN Doctor, and Research professor

How many times did you apply?:  2

Age: 30

Gender: Female

Why PA? Patient care, lateral mobility, filling a healthcare need, shorter schooling.

How many programs did you apply to? 7

How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes? 2 interview invites: 1 acceptance, 1 interview not attended

Where will you be attending? University of Washington

Anything you found surprising about interviews? I had so much fun at my interviews. Everyone was so kind and relaxed. It truly was just conversational.

Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, apps) you used to get through prerequisite courses, the application or interview process? Resources I used were: Savanna Perry's PA school interview guide, How to Ace the PA school interview, and 2 mock interviews through the PA Platform. All were incredibly helpful and I would be so happy to pass my like new books along.

Any other advice for other pre-PA students? In general, do not give up. Stop comparing your stats to everyone else. Everyone has a story and no two people's paths are the same. Embrace your uniqueness. At the interviews, be yourself, let your personality shine. You worked your butt off to be there. Be confident.

Where can we find you? instagram - @sydney_nicole_06

Accepted: Kendall - Sacred Heart University

Undergraduate education: Simmons University

Overall GPA: 3.6

Science GPA: 3.4

GRE: 298

Total HCE hours: 10,000

Total PCE hours: 7,000

Shadowing hours: 50

LORs: 4

How many times did you apply?:  2

Age: 24

Gender: Female

Why PA? 1. Career versatility 2. Team based care 3. Giving back to the community

How many programs did you apply to? 21

How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes? 6- 1 acceptance, 3 waitlist, 2 rejections. Haven't heard back from 15 programs yet.

Where will you be attending? Sacred Heart University

Anything you found surprising about interviews? How much the interviewers wanted to know about my personal life and the how I like to enjoy myself outside of work and school. Most notably everyone commented on my dog being named Tyrion from Game of Thrones.

Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, apps) you used to get through prerequisite courses, the application or interview process? 100% the PA Platform! I utilized the pre-PA assessment, Mock interview and used My PA Resource for personal statement help. It was a hugely helpful in maintaining confidence throughout the arduous waiting game of applying.

Any other advice for other pre-PA students? Treat your fellow interviewees like they are already your classmates! I believe what sealed the deal for me was my interaction with not just my interviewer but those who I was also interviewing with because it allowed me to SHOW not just TELL how I would be as a member of their program.

Where can we find you? instagram - @kennnelll

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Writing a Resume for PA School

Although not necessarily required by CASPA, it is important that you have a professional resume prepared when you are in the process of applying to PA School. A resume for PA school is clean, simple and professional. It highlights your education, healthcare experience and volunteering hours. To help get you started, I have created a FREE resume template download!

Why do you need a resume for PA school?

1. For letters of recommendation

   When asking for letters of recommendation, you want to make sure your recommender has all of the pertinent information they need to write you a strong recommendation. Although you should include a personalized letter that explains why you are asking for a recommendation from this specific person, it is helpful for the writer to know where else your experience comes from.

2. As part of your supplemental application for the program you are applying to

   The committee reviewing your application is also reviewing the applications of thousands of other students. A resume is a quick and effective way to understand who you are as a professional. Not every program will ask for a resume, but it does occasionally come up.

Resume vs Curriculum Vitae (CV)

For the majority of people applying to PA school, there won’t be a huge difference in the resume and CV. Thing of a resume as a snapshot of your experience and qualifications, while a CV is a more detailed look into the various components included in your resume.

For example, if you’ve done research or writing, you would provide more information on the CV in regards to what the focus of your content was. A CV will usually be longer than a one-page resume because there is so much more detail included. Don’t worry about the differences too much.

What should be on my PA school resume?

Your resume should highlight who you are as a candidate for PA school. This is not the place to highlight every job you have had since you were 16. Focus on the experiences that make you the ideal PA student. Your resume should include the following: (p.s. all of this is set up for you in my FREE resume template download!)

• Your Education

• Work Experience (PCE, HCE, other related work experience)

• Volunteer Experience

• Shadowing Experience

• Leadership Experience

• Research Experience

• Certifications

• Achievements/Honors

• Affiliations/Memberships

Don’t worry if you don’t have information to fill in all of these topics. Feel free to omit any sections that don’t pertain to you specifically.

PA School Resume Tips

Similar to a resume for a job, your resume should be clean and concise. Here are a few tips for you to keep in mind when writing your resume:

• Make it ONE page — no exceptions! Committees have access to your entire application in CASPA — this is just an overview of your experience. You can always elaborate on your experiences when it comes to your interview.

• Use an easy to read font such as Times New Roman or Arial. This is not the time to experiment with fun and creative fonts. You don’t want someone to stop reviewing your resume because they can’t read it. There’s a current trend of resumes with graphic design elements, but keep your audience in mind. Most of the PA faculty are traditional, and you’re applying for a professional program.

• Make your fonts a legible size. It may be tempting to use tiny fonts and margins to squeeze in ever bit of information you want to share but again, they can read more into who you are on CASPA.

• Don’t write in complete sentences. For example, if your PCE includes your experience as a paramedic, instead of…

  During my time as a paramedic, I assessed the condition of patients and determined a course of treatment

  say….

  Assess a patient’s condition and determine a course of treatment

• Make sure to read, re-read, and ask others to proofread! The last thing you want is for your resume to have a typo in it! Don’t rely on your computer to catch all of your mistakes either!

What questions do you have about your Resume for PA School? Ask them below in the comments!

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