PA Fanatic

Some people dread it, but it's a necessity. Where to find PAs to shadow : There's a bunch of different ways to find PAs to shadow. I admit, I struggled a little finding PAs to shadow because they either had a contract with a specific high school or could not have students shadow due to HIPAA laws. If you look hard enough, and ask enough PAs, you will find one who will let you shadow them! I first started with googling PAs around my area and would then either call them or go directly to the practic and bring a resume with me.  I definitely recommend starting with this method, but if you can, I really encourage you to show up to places in person. Make a day of it and just have copies of your resume and lists of practices to go to. Also, make sure you also proofread and update your resume beforehand! I would also reach out to other relatives, especially grandparents, and ask if any of the doctors they attended had PAs and if I could shadow them. Trust me, I'm sure at l...

If you're anything like me (writing is not a strength), this may be a harder task for you, but fear not! If I can do it you can too! CASPA opens in just 12 days! If you're applying this cycle and hoping to submit early, it's crucial that you start your statement now. I'm going to be honest, a lot of PA applicants look good on paper. It's hard for the admissions committee to differentiate between each applicant, but your personal statement is the one thing that you can use to bring your application to life and talk about all the unique qualities that you have! As I've said in many posts before, the book "How to get into PA school" by Andrew J Rodican was super, super helpful to me when writing my personal statement. Highly recommended 10/10. Make a list of things you want the admissions committee to know about you : Whether it's traits or accomplishments, this gives you a good starting point and something to start writing around. For me, I kne...

As promised, I've put together a list of the most common interview questions I was asked! I would prepare your answers to these questions ahead of time if you can. For the most part, my interviews were either 1-3 faculty members (or a PA student) to 1 interviewee. I also had a tour with a PA student that I took as a mini interview and another chance to impress the admissions committee. I never had a group interview or an MMI. There are many different types of questions you will be asked. Some will be straight foward, some will be situational. It's important that for every question you articulate and fully answer the question while still being concise. For situational questions, I was told that schools just wanted to see how you acted for "on the spot scenarios" and to see what your thought process was. Before each interview, I jotted down a list of things I wanted the admissions committee to know about myself before I finished my interview. That way, I had examp...

You worked hard, you applied, and you did it! You got an interview! A weight is lifted off your shoulder, you can relax. The important thing to keep in mind here is that the admissions committee already likes you and just wants to get to know you better! Prepare right, appear confident and your goal is in sight! There are a few things you can do to prepare for your interview:  First, make sure you have all of your travel arrangements lined up. If you don't have to fly or take a train, make sure you have directions to the building and have made arrangements for a parking pass. Always plan to get there half an hour before the interview starts. If anything, you can just sit in the parking lot because the worst thing you would want is to be rushing to get to the interview because of traffic and get there all flustered and nervous before your interview. If you don't already, make sure you have the appropriate attire for an interview. Everyone has different styles, but I th...