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Last week I got my first official application decision of the cycle. Opening the email, I scanned the words frantically until I found the sentence I was fearing the most. It read, “I regret to inform you of the program’s decision not to pursue your application further.” These words translate much more simply to “rejection.” For a moment I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I knew that I would be receiving rejections throughout the cycle, but had hoped and prayed it wouldn’t be from this school. Not only was this program one of my top choices, but it is also the only school in my home city. The realization that I would not have the opportunity to interview hit me like a ton of bricks. With GPAs well above the program’s average and my state residency giving me a leg up over other applicants, I felt that I would likely secure an interview. I was wrong. After the news, I began to question my application strategy entirely. I chose to apply more intentionally to a handful of carefully selected programs landing on the lower side of things - 6. As the September 1st deadline for many programs was only a few days away I sent my GRE scores off to an additional school that I was going back and forth on, hoping that they would arrive on time. I was relieved to have everything complete with one other program, but I still questioned if 7 would be enough to land me an acceptance or even an interview. At this point I was doubting myself, my personal statement, my clinical experiences… everything. I wondered if there were red flags in my application or if I said the wrong things in the answers to the supplemental questions. I tried to stay optimistic, but I was disappointed and feeling insecure. My first rejection was certainly humbling, planting seeds of doubt that were becoming overwhelming. And then I saw it. I was eating my lunch and scanning my email when I suddenly read “Invitation to Interview” in the subject line of an email from my top choice. My heart started racing and my palms were sweating. After seeing the date provided, only 3.5 weeks away, I could barely focus enough to read about the interview details. I was ecstatic. Their initial email contained a typo and in a follow up email with a correction the admissions director revealed that I was the very first applicant to be offered an interview. I couldn’t believe it. This school was my reach, and I certainly wasn’t counting on being offered an interview, let alone the first one. I was over the moon. Here I am now, in the midst of the cycle with one interview scheduled and one rejection. Things are still up in the air, but I feel that I am at least back in the game. The ups and downs of this roller coaster ride will continue, and I couldn't be happier. Thus far, this process has been unpredictable. Although I have heard this repeated many times here by those wiser than myself, this experience has definitely shown me that there is no such thing as a sure thing when applying to PA school. Don’t be so quick to count yourself in, but also don’t count yourself out.

Writing a personal statement is one of the most difficult parts of the application process. For some, it may be the single most daunting and intimidating aspect of applying to PA school. The personal statement is something I have discussed here before, with previous articles addressing what the personal statement is and the best way to go about writing it. If you already have a solid understanding of the purpose of the personal statement and have an idea of how you will approach the writing process, you may be thinking about what pitfalls you should try to avoid. After reading and critiquing nearly a hundred personal statements over the last year, I’ve learned that most applicants are all making the same mistakes when writing their essays. In a two part series over the next two weeks, I will be sharing the biggest mistakes applicants are making when writing their personal statement. Here are the first five: 1. Forgetting the Question at Hand - This one is huge, and I tend to make comments about this concept on almost every essay that I read. The purpose of the personal statement is to explain who you are while answering the question, “Why PA?” It really is that simple, and because of that it’s so easy to lose sight of why you’re writing in the first place. I get to the end of so many essays and think, “I have no idea why you want to be a PA.” Which is a huge issue. My advice is to make sure you aren’t getting so caught up in the details of sharing your story that you forget the question at hand. When speaking about your experiences, work to explain how they furthered your interest in the PA profession. Continue to speak directly to that idea throughout the entirety of your essay. 2. Speaking in Generalities - Many applicants write about how they’re interested in medicine or healthcare… but there are so many careers that allow you to work in medicine and healthcare! Be sure that your essay is addressing the PA profession directly. Don’t say that you want to work in healthcare, or that your goal is to be a great provider. Say that you want to be a PA, and tell the reader explicitly why. 3. Telling too Many Stories - Applicants often tell too many stories centered around other people in their personal statement. Often times, each paragraph is a patient story, or a story about a provider they shadowed or have worked with. Your personal statement should not be a series of observations about others. Tell one or two stories about other people, max. Make sure sure that your essay is still about you. And be certain to share your insights on how these experiences furthered your desire to become a PA. 4. Not Telling a Coherent Story - Oftentimes I read through an essay and find that there is nothing that is connecting each of the individual paragraphs. The essay will feel disjointed and scattered, creating a big distraction for the reader. One remedy for this is to identify a theme. You don’t necessarily need to construct a dramatic literary device - a theme can be subtle. Having some kind of running thread throughout your essay that can provide a backbone to relate all your stories helps with continuity. Overall, a theme can make an essay much easier to read. 5. Transitions - This is my absolute, number one personal pet peeve. Seriously, it kills me. I would say that in about 80% of the essays I read I end up writing, “How does this paragraph relate to the last? These are two completely unrelated ideas and you’re in need of a transition.” I find that applicants will regularly paste five paragraphs into a document, with each paragraph having no connection to the next. Starting a new paragraph is NOT a transition. Transitions are so important, as they’re the glue that will hold your essay together. Do not abandon basic grammar and writing rules just because the personal statement is a format that you’re uncomfortable with. Be sure that each paragraph feeds into the next. Much like a theme, transitions create flow throughout an essay and they’re integral to creating a seamless, easy to read personal statement. Keep these common mistakes in mind throughout the writing process. Check back next week when I will share five more of the biggest mistakes that applicants make when writing their personal statements.

How to Prepare for PA School Interviews Each leg of the PA application process comes with its own unique kind of stress. First, there’s the chaos of preparing and submitting your CASPA. You have to round up letters of recommendation, order and input all of your transcripts, send out GRE scores, perfect your personal statement and keep track of supplementals for each program. After submitting, there’s an eerie quiet that settles over. You patiently wait to hear back from schools… or you check your email repeatedly hoping for news. Same thing, right? Some schools will get back to you in days, others may take weeks or months. Eventually the madness culminates in an interview invitation, which brings on a new kind of stress. This is the moment you’ve been waiting for, but how exactly do you prepare for the next step in the process? Research interview questions. There are many lists of PA school interview questions that you can find with a quick google search. Some major categories to focus on are behavioral, ethical, situational and standard PA interview questions. There are also books about the interview process with commonly asked questions. A good starting point is “How to Ace the PA School Interview” by Andrew Rodican. Brainstorm and practice! It was helpful for me to create a working document with a list of the questions I found. I brainstormed with each question in mind and made bullet points of things I could touch on in my answers. Often times these points were in reference to specific situations I found myself in or relevant experiences that I had. I was careful not to write out word for word answers. It’s important to maintain authenticity and some degree of spontaneity in your answers - you want to avoid sounding too rehearsed. I then made it a point to review my list and practice answering each question out loud. I would do this with friends or colleagues, but oftentimes I would just practice by myself when I was driving in the car. Research the program. When walking into an interview, you should be well informed about the program and faculty. Scour the website, reach out to alumni or current students and try to become as educated as possible. There are many things to keep in mind when researching a program, but here are a few things to consider: Is there anything unique about the curriculum format? How long is the program? Is the program well established? Is there a cadaver lab? If so, are cadavers prosected or are they dissected by students? What kind of opportunities are there for early clinical exposure? When researching, keep a list of questions that come up. Make notes of interesting aspects about the curriculum and clinical rotations. This will prepare you to ask thoughtful questions on your interview day and will ensure you don’t forget to ask about something that is important to you. If possible, arrange a mock interview! This is one of the best ways to prepare yourself for the interview process. It’s an excellent way to work through the nerves associated with interviewing and it can help you understand your weak spots. Mock interviews can be done with colleagues, peers, friends, family, professors and even through paid services online. My undergraduate institution offered free mock interviews for students, so be sure to check with your university to see if this is an option. Stay up to date about the PA profession. Be informed about issues facing the profession. Understand the role that PAs play in healthcare - be sure that you can articulate exactly what a PA does and how that can differ from NPs and physicians. Understand any state specific laws about practice. Know your application. This is a big one that can easily be overlooked. Know your application inside and out! The details should always be fresh in your mind. Maybe you worked on a research project sophomore year and the details are now long forgotten. You may have written your personal statement months ago, and it’s easy to forget what you chose to emphasize when talking about yourself. Anything you put on your application is free game, and you should be ready to answer questions accordingly.

Answering a very common PA school interview question: “Tell us about yourself.” Over the years I’ve done hundreds of Mock interviews with PA school applicants from all over the country. It is amazing how many applicants do not know how to answer one of the most frequently asked questions they’ll encounter at their interview. When an interviewer asks you “Tell me about yourself,” the interviewer wants you to provide examples of the qualities you have that would make you an excellent candidate for their program, and for the PA profession. Many applicants answer this question in the following manner: “My name is Sandra and I’m from Oklahoma. I have three beautiful children and a wonderful husband. My husband owns a successful business in town. My children have reached the age where I can now focus on “me” and my education, and I am excited to be on the path of pursuing a career as a PA.” There are a few problems with this answer. The applicant gives too much personal information. The committee surely knows the applicant’s name, so there is no value in providing that information in the answer. The applicant has three children. Will she be missing class frequently? How about clinical rotations? She also mentions the fact that her husband owns a successful business in town. Will she be willing to move out of the area? Move the children? Focus I am very big on infusing Qualities into every question you may be asked at the interview. I provide specific examples of how I do this on my website, under the Interview tab. Start by listing five qualities (you can demonstrate) that are pertinent to becoming a PA student/PA. Sandra has strong communication skills. She has many years of clinical experience as a medical assistant (MA.) Her real strength is her ability to be a team player. She prides herself on being employee of the year, for two years in a row. Follow Your Script Prepare a script that includes the information you want to convey. Begin by talking about past experiences and proven success. “I have been a medical assistant for the past seven years. My most recent experience has been in a multidisciplinary group of family practitioners, cardiologists, gastroenterologists, and pulmonologists. One reason I particularly enjoy this position, and the challenges with it, is the opportunity to connect with patients and various clinical providers. In my last job, I formed some significant patient and provider relationships and I was voted employee of the year, two years in a row.” Next, mention your strengths/qualities and abilities: “My real strength is my ability to learn quickly and collaborate with all of the specialists in my office.” Conclude with a statement about your current situation: “What I am looking for now is a career that will allow me to use my qualities and skills in a newly enhanced role, being able to diagnose and treat patients, while being an effective member of a health care team.” Practice Practice with your script until you feel confident about what you want to emphasize in your statement. Your script should help you stay on track, but you shouldn’t memorize it—you don’t want to sound stiff and rehearsed. It should sound natural and conversational. Even if you are not asked this question at your interview, this preparation will help you focus on the qualities you have to offer. You will also find that you can use the information in this exercise to assist in answering other questions. The more you can talk about your qualities, the better chance you will have as being a great fit for the program and the profession. For more information on the PA school interview, visit my website at andrewrodican.com Andrew J. Rodican, PA-C

This week, I am continuing my series on the most common personal statement mistakes. If you didn’t catch part one, check it out here. Below, you can find five more mistakes that applicants make when writing their personal statements. Writing About Something That Makes You a “Good Applicant” - Referencing being a “strong applicant” in a personal statement is not something I am a huge fan of. Your goal throughout your academic and clinical experiences should be to build a foundation that will make a better PA student and a stronger PA. It should not be about checking off boxes just because you think that it's what adcoms want to see. Don’t list off your extracurriculars in your personal statement, including things because you feel that they make you a “more competitive” applicant. This essay is not a resume. Instead, write about experiences that you’ve had that are central to your decision to pursue this profession, not about those that you think adcoms want to hear about. Addressing Difficult Topics the Wrong Way - To include or not to include… that always seems to be the question. Whether it’s bad grades, mental health issues, struggles with addiction or other life tragedy, it’s hard to know what should be addressed in a personal statement. I find that when applicants choose to include difficult topics, they focus too much on the negative without emphasizing the positive while including lots of unnecessary details. They often don’t even mention how their experience was relevant to their journey towards the PA profession at all. The big takeaway here is if you are going to touch on a difficult topic in your personal statement, make sure that it's an integral part of your journey before dedicating characters to it. If you have decided to include it, the best thing you can do is be concise about shortcomings/difficult subject matter/etc. Don't dwell on the negative. Instead, emphasize how you addressed the issue whether it's mental health, grades, chronic illness or whatever other issue or circumstance you experienced. Did you grow from it? Did it push you towards the profession more? Did it motivate you to change something? Explore that. Forcing the Reader to Read Between the Lines - I can’t tell you how many times I highlight a sentence and make the comment, “Why?” Applicants will often say something like, “Being a paramedic/scribe/MA/EMT made me want to become a PA. It was a great experience.” But, why?! What exactly was it about this experience that drove you to pursue your goal of becoming a PA? When sharing your experiences, make sure you say exactly what you want to say. Don’t force the reader to make inferences about your feelings and insights. Using Passive, Questioning Language - This one seems minor but it can change the entire tone of your essay. Let me give you an example - “Some of my grades in my undergraduate career were not stellar, but I think that with my recent successes I am likely more prepared to take on PA school. I know it will be a challenge but I feel I could be ready.” Try to avoid using terms like, “I feel… I think… Could… Would... Probably… Likely…” when projecting your future success. Be certain of yourself in your language and your tone. Reframing this and emphasizing some stronger language - “Although I occasionally struggled early on in my undergraduate career, my more recent successes are a reflection of my true academic ability. PA school will be a challenge, but I know that I am ready and more prepared than ever to take it on.” In this iteration, you’ve said that your recent successes are reflective of your abilities, not that “they might be.” You have said that you “know” you are prepared to handle PA school as opposed to just “thinking” you could be ready. Flowery Language - Last, but definitely not least, flowery language. This one is an essay killer. “The morning was crisp and bright when I stepped out my creaky, old door. I noticed the beautiful, pink rose sprouting from the green bush, covered with dew droplets on petals that were as bold and stunning as they were fragrant.” This is drowning in unnecessary descriptors. Please, don’t do this. Adcoms don’t want to read this. You probably don’t even want to read this. It’s all filler. Tell an engaging story but avoid using flowery, overly descriptive prose that says absolutely nothing while taking up an offensive amount of characters. Be concise and intentional with your writing.

Before the Interview This article contains information on six important steps every applicant should consider before the PA school interview: 1. General Preparation 2. Types of Interviews 3. Do’s and Don’ts for the PA School Interview 4. Dealing with Anxiety 5. Silencing the “Inner Critic” 6. Final Preparation GENERAL PREPARATION You’ve done all the work necessary to get your CASPA application completed, and submitted. You wait in anticipation to hear back from the PA programs you applied to, and then one day you open your email and see that your top choice PA program has sent you a response. You hold your breath, your heart starts pounding, and you quickly click to open it up. You read, “Congratulations, we would like to extend you an offer to interview at XYZ PA program.” After you jump up and down, call your friends, and soak up the moment, it’s now time to prepare for the final, and most difficult, piece of the PA school application process. Your job has just begun. You should be very proud of yourself for a job well done. Go out and celebrate, then be ready to come back and do the work of preparing for your PA school interview. You look great on paper, but now it’s time to prepare to show the admissions committee that you look the part in person too. That means you must begin preparing for your interview long before you stand tall before the admissions committee. Sleep Hygiene If you are used to keeping erratic hours, going out with your friends to late in the morning, or just not getting the recommended 8 hours of sleep per night, now is the time to get on a regular sleep schedule so you can be fresh every day, and have the energy to do the upcoming work necessary to give the performance of your life-time on the day of your interview. Take Care of Yourself If you don’t already exercise, start slowly with an exercise routine that will energize you daily. What is the best exercise? The one you’ll do! Cut back on your caffeine use. At this point, you should be on a natural “high” anyway. Start eating a healthy diet, low in sugar and high in protein. Get your body running like a well-oiled machine and by the time your interview comes, you’ll be happy, healthy, and confident. The night before the interview, be sure to arrive to your hotel early (if you’re traveling.) I strongly recommend that you do a “dry run” and either walk, or drive, to the exact location of the building, and room, where you will be interviewing the next day. Check out the traffic conditions and the length of time it will take you to get there. Anticipate the worst-case scenario, and leave early in the morning. You can always go to a restaurant for a small breakfast if you have a lot of spare time. Don’t forget to carry the phone number of the program, just in case you hit a traffic jam, or for some unforeseen reason, you are going to be late. Be sure to eat well the night before your interview. Have a light dinner, and don’t eat anything that may linger on your breath. Absolutely no alcohol that night. You certainly don’t want to smell like you just came from the bar before your interview. Take out your suit (yes, wear a suit!), shirt/blouse, belt, socks, and shoes. Try everything on BEFORE the interview. Make sure everything looks impeccable; shoes shined, no stains on your clothes, and place everything in a space where you don’t have to go searching for any items in the morning. You will be nervous enough and you don’t need to be frantically searching for your belt for fifteen minutes on the morning of your interview. Next, take fifteen to twenty minutes sitting quietly in your room. Close your eyes, and visualize your entire interview. See yourself impeccably dressed, confident, answering all the interview questions with ease. This technique is powerful, and it’s used by many professional athletes before a big game. A basketball player may visualize herself making every shot she takes, stealing the ball on defense, and grabbing rebound after rebound. This is the equivalent of doing a dry run in your mind. I always advise bringing a small mirror with you to the interview. You may want to take a close look at your face, teeth, hair, etc. before your interview. Sometimes PA programs offer food and drinks during the day. Having mustard on your face, or a piece of broccoli caught between your teeth will certainly not score you any points. And believe me, I’ve seen it all. The Day of the Interview Set your alarm clock to go off early, and ask the hotel front desk to provide you with a wake-up call as a back-up. Have a small breakfast before getting dressed. Take a good look in the mirror, and keep your jacket on a hanger while traveling to the interview. Be sure to check yourself again in the bathroom mirror once you’re ready to go. Do not overdo the perfume or cologne, and please; no nose rings, tongue rings, or bright pink hair. Now is not the time to “express yourself.” I recommend that you arrive at least fifteen minutes early; no sooner, no later. If you are very early, sit in the car or a restaurant, and practice your answers to the questions I will prepare you for. Some applicants like to meditate to calm the nerves. Others like to make a call to some of their friends, or a significant other to get some extra support. DO NOT bring a cell phone into your interview. You will be too tempted to check text messages, or perhaps sneak in a phone call. Even worse, you don’t want your cell phone to ring in the middle of your interview. Be sure to greet everyone at the program as if they are evaluating you, and have a decision on your outcome. If you say the wrong thing to the receptionist, she is likely to pass on this negative experience to one of the committee members that she works with every day, and that will not help your chances. Be friendly, and smile at everyone. TYPES OF INTERVIEWS Many of you will have no idea what to expect when showing up for your PA school interview. I’m not just talking about the questions and answers; I’m talking about the various types of interview formats that you may encounter during this critical phase of the application process. Each program utilizes a format to assess you as an applicant, depending on what values and qualities they look for in the applicant. You must prepare for each of these formats to give a peak performance. Let’s look at the most common formats that you may encounter. The Solo Interview The one- on- one interview is the traditional interview format. Your solo interview is typically conducted by a high-level program faculty member. This member is going to have a critical role in the decision-making process, so it goes without saying how crucial this stage is. This solo interviewer will have a key set of qualities and traits she values, and this is your chance to show her how perfectly you match what she is looking for. Once you finish reading this chapter, you will feel very comfortable in this traditional interview format. Before you know it, you’ll be trying to see where your seat is in the classroom. The best way to do this is to follow infuse the qualities the program values into all your interview answers. Check out my website at andrewrodican.com and click on the Interview tab for more information on qualities. The Panel Interview Imagine walking through the door and there are three smiling faces staring back at you (or maybe not smiling.) This interview format is certainly a bit more anxiety provoking, but not to worry. There are several reasons why a program uses the panel interview format, but the main reason is to eliminate any bias that one interviewer may have towards an applicant. It also ramps up the pressure a little bit on the applicant, allowing the interviewers to see how well you handle pressure and deal with authority. To relieve some of the pressure and be prepared for this interview format, try to find out beforehand if a panel interview is on the agenda, how many people will be on the panel, and get their names if possible. If the program provides the names of the interviewers, be sure to do some research and find out as much information about each member. Perhaps one of them won a specific award, or was past president of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA). Maybe you went to the same college as one of the members, or you both played the same sport. Also, be prepared for the panel to change members on you. Perhaps the three people you’ve researched conducted an interview with the first applicant of the day, but the panel switches out with three other members for your panel interview. Don’t panic! If you’re well prepared with quality answers to the most common PA school interview questions, you’ll be fine. One suggestion I have—no one strong recommendation—is to make eye contact with each member on the panel. For instance, if the interviewer on the left asks you a question, begin answering the question by making eye contact with her for five seconds, then adjusting your gaze to the middle interviewer for five seconds, and next to the interviewer on the right for five seconds. Repeat this process until you’ve fully answered the question. It is very important to engage everyone at the table, or you risk alienating one of the committee members who may develop a subconscious resentment toward you. One applicant told me that she was in a panel interview, and one of the interviewers got up in the middle of the session, took a seat behind her, and started asking her questions from a position behind her back. Perhaps this is a technique to see how you handle stress. If this happens to you, remember that eye contact is the key to gaining credibility and trust. So, turn your chair sideways, and look to your left or to your right so you can establish eye contact with everyone. The Multiple Applicant Interview In my opinion, this is one of the most stressful interviews you will face. You’re sitting in a room with other applicants who want your seat in the program. PA programs love teamwork; it’s a trait that is necessary if a class is going to “gel” and help each other through an intense program. This type of interview is a great way for the members to see if you play well with others. Are you going to be a team player willing to help others, or a loner who can’t be bothered by students who may be having difficulties? This group interview is not a time to be passive or shy. You want to be assertive, but not aggressive. The interview should create a win-win situation. This is a time to be balanced in your approach. You don’t want to be the person who says nothing, and appears to be intimated by the other applicants. On the other hand, you don’t want to be the aggressive, chatty, know-it-all who thinks he will score high by dominating the competition and not allowing them the time to speak. If you want to ace the multiple applicant interview, show your leadership skills by knowing when to speak and when to listen. If someone gives an answer to a question, perhaps you can interject by saying, “I think Sally makes a good point, and I might add…” Do not use the word, “but,” because it really means you don’t agree with Sally. The Mini Multiple Interview (MMI) A multiple mini interview consists of a series of short, structured interview stations used to assess non-cognitive qualities, including cultural sensitivity, maturity, teamwork, empathy, reliability, and communication skills. Prior to the start of each mini-interview rotation, candidates receive a question/scenario and have a designated period to prepare an answer. Upon entering the interview room, the candidate has a short exchange with an interviewer/assessor. In some situations, the interviewer observes while the action takes place between the applicant and an actor. At the end of each mini interview, the interviewer evaluates the candidate’s performance while the applicant moves to the next station. This pattern is repeated through several rotations. The questions asked are usually situational questions that touch on the following: · Ethical decision-making · Critical thinking · Communication skills · Current health care and societal issues Although participants must relate to the scenario posed at each station, it is important to note that the MMI is not intended to test specific knowledge in the field. Instead the interviewers evaluate each candidate’s thought process and ability to think on her feet. As such, there are no right or wrong answers to the question posed in an MMI, but each applicant should look at the question from a variety of perspectives. The Student Interview The student interview usually consists of two or three first or second year students, asking you questions in a more relaxed format. But don’t be fooled by the conversational nature of this interview. The students will have a say on whether they like you or not, particularly evaluating you as someone they would like to have as a classmate. Treat the students with the utmost respect. Look at this interview as a great opportunity to let them sell you on why you should attend their program. You are not likely to be asked traditional interview questions in the student interview, but be prepared to discuss the qualities that you have that make you a great fit for the program and the profession. Be sure to visit the student society website, or blog, to find out what special events or projects the students are involved with. Students are very proud of their program and the events they participate in. Perhaps a group of students went on a mission trip to South America to provide vaccinations to children in isolated regions of a country. It would be nice to know this information ahead of time. Take the time to do your homework and let the students know that you have the same values and qualities as they have. DOs AND DON’T’s FOR THE PA SCHOOL INTERVIEW Now that you know how to prepare for the various PA school interviews you may encounter, let’s take a list of DO’s and DON’T’S. DO: Your homework (research.) Learn everything you can about the program(s) where you will be interviewing. Start early. The program’s website is the first place to start. Leave no stone unturned. View every page and link on the site. Don’t forget about social media, either. Check out the program on Facebook, Google, Blogs, Student sites, and YouTube. For example, I found the following information about the Barry University PA Program using Google: No More Tears Charity Golf Tournament (1) by Barry University PA Program EVENT DETAILS A group of motivated, civic-minded Barry University Physician Assistant Students have committed to raising money and awareness for the No More Tears Project. No More Tears’ is a 100% not-for-profit organization that is operated entirely through the selfless efforts of volunteers and donors whose mission is to rescue the victims of domestic violence and human trafficking. How many applicants do you think will know about this event come interview day? Can you infuse these qualities in some of the answers to interview questions at Barry? The qualities are listed. DON’T: Continuously call the program and become a nuisance. Don’t ask questions that you should know from searching the program’s website. DO: Invest in a new suit if you don’t have one. You may be able to rent a suit also. The point is, always lean toward overdressing rather than underdressing. DON’T: Come to the interview with nose rings, tongue rings, flashy jewelry, low-cut blouses, unkempt hair, or a wrinkled outfit. Dress for success. You want the focus to be on you, and not your attire. DO: Eat a simple, well-balanced meal the night before your interview—and a good breakfast the morning of. DON’T: Eat a bunch of spicy food, or junk food, the night before your interview. You don’t want to have acid reflux first thing in the morning which will make you feel miserable. Do not drink alcohol before your interview to calm your nerves. I will teach you a much better way to deal with anxiety later in the chapter. DO: Get a good night’s sleep the night before. DON’T: Stay up all night stressing over the interview, or cramming information into your brain. Reassure yourself that you are prepared, watch a movie, and relax as best you can. DO: Take a shower, brush your teeth, and spend the time to look your best. The visual component can make you or break you! DON’T: Smoke before your interview; your clothes will smell of tobacco and being a smoker is not the best way to show that you are an advocate for health. DO: Arrive early to your interview, renew your notes, and practice the anxiety relieving technique that I will teach you in the next section. DON’T: Be rude to anyone you meet at the program, including the other applicants. For example, if the receptionist asks you, “Did you have any trouble finding us?”, your response should be: “Absolutely not, you gave excellent directions, thank you.” You want to start things off on a positive note. DO: Be a real person. In other words, do your best to be likeable, trustworthy, and credible. DON’T: Panic. Remember, it’s not about you, it’s about them. Get out of your own head and shut off that inner critic. You are prepared for this interview. Remember that the committee wants you to solve their problem—finding the perfect applicant who has the qualities they are looking for in the Perfect Applicant. Here is a technique to quiet your mind and relieve the anxiety that you are likely to feel on the day of your interview. DEALING WITH ANXIETY As soon as you open your eyes on the morning of your interview, I can assure you that your heart will start racing, your breath will be shallow and rapid, and you will probably have a knot in the pit of your stomach. Don’t panic! What you’re experiencing is healthy anxiety. Your body’s physiology is acting appropriately. The challenge is to avoid panicking. As an example, think about the following situation: You come out of your friend’s house and begin walking to your car. You suddenly hear loud barking and a huge dog, foaming at the mouth, is making a B-line right toward you. Your physiology begins to go into fight-or-flight mode; your pupils immediately dilate, your breathing becomes rapid and shallow, and your heart rate goes through the roof. I think it’s safe to say that at a time like this, it’s not exactly the best moment to figure out your taxes. So, if you want to be able to think clearly, particularly on the day of your interview, you need to control your physiology, because you’re likely to be in fight-or-flight mode when you enter the building. If you are not prepared for this on the day of your interview, your plan is to “wing it.” This plan is going to cause a lot more anxiety, and you will be in the fight-or-flight mode throughout the entire interview process. You will have a very difficult time answering interview questions if you can’t change this physiological response. Dr. Eva Selhub, a mind/body expert, resiliency coach, motivational speaker, and executive coach teaches a powerful technique used to instantly reduce a person’s stress and anxiety level. Her technique is to put up your SHIELD. You can use this technique while waiting to be called into the room, and nobody will have to know that you’re using it. The acronym stands for: Stop Honor the feeling Inhale Exhale Listen Decide Author of The Love Response, (2) Dr. Selhub promotes a simple philosophy: At its best, stress motivates. At its worst, stress annihilates. Good leaders motivate. Bad leaders annihilate. The choice is yours to decide how stress will influence your leadership. If you find yourself in an anxiety-provoking or stressful situation (like the PA school interview), you can use the SHIELD technique to instantly change your physiology. As a result, if you utilize this technique, your breathing will slow down, your heart rate will decrease, your pupils will return to normal size, and you will be able to think much more clearly. Here is how the technique works: Once you feel your anxiety level becoming too high, stop what you are doing. Then, honor the feeling. Are you anxious, afraid, feeling less than? Next, inhale and exhale ten times in a row. (When you breathe in, imagine filling an empty balloon in your belly with your breath. When you breathe out, imagine deflating the balloon.) Repeat the breaths ten times, and you will notice a soothing, calming effect. By this time, your adrenaline is dropping, and you will be able to think clearly and focus on the task at hand. So, listen to your mind and become aware of your thoughts and feelings. Finally, decide to do something different than ruminating, which is counterproductive. Now, your body is out of fight-or-flight mode. You can repeat the above technique as many times as necessary to help you relax and focus. SILENCING THE “INNER CRITIC” In a variety of stressful situations, we become our own worst enemy. I can remember arriving for my interview at Yale and meeting all my “competition.” Everyone in the room had a master’s degree, except for me. My inner critic came alive. “I’m never going to get in!” I was being very hard on myself and extremely judgmental. Negative self-talk only serves to perpetuate the anxiety and make things worse. Here are some things your inner critic may shout at you on the day of your interview: · “I should have prepared more.” · “Everyone here is more qualified than I am.” · “I’ll never get accepted.” · “I’m a loser; I don’t belong here.” · “I’m going to blow this interview.” Don’t wait until your interview to address your inner critic. Here are some steps that you can take to deal with your inner critic weeks or months before your interview: 1. Monitor your thoughts. Becoming aware of your inner critic’s voice-if you will- is the first step. You can achieve this by simply being mindful of those thoughts. Just notice when and where the thoughts occur, and then write them down on a piece of paper or in a journal. You may become acutely aware of certain patterns in your thinking. Once you master being mindful and get the negative thoughts on paper, you can begin to silence the inner critic. 2. Notice your judgments. Instead of making judgments, try describing your thoughts or feelings. For example, you may be having a conversation with a fellow student about a class you are both taking. You may really like the professor, and during the conversation, you might say, “Professor Jones is a great teacher.” Your classmate might not agree with you and say, “I think he’s a terrible teacher.” Both of you are making judgments and probably putting the other person on guard to defend his or her decision. If you said instead, “I appreciate that Professor Jones always comes prepared to class. It makes it easier for me to stay focused.” You are not being judgmental; you are simply describing the way you feel about him. Nobody can dispute that, not even your friend. The point is that when we are being judgmental, especially of ourselves, we promote more intense feelings of negativity. And at the interview, we want to stay positive. 3. Challenge your automatic negative thoughts. Feelings aren’t facts! Once you practice mindfulness and become good at documenting your thoughts (judgments), it is time to challenge those negative thoughts with the facts. You may feel like you don’t have what it takes to be accepted, but if you look at the facts, you may change your mind. For example, if you were to review your CASPA application, you would see that you’ve worked hard to complete the requirements for PA school. The fact that you received an offer to interview means that you’ve already beat out several hundred applicants to get the interview. So, although you may certainly feel like you don’t have what it takes to get accepted, the facts prove otherwise. Try to challenge all your negative thoughts with the facts. Chances are you will find that you are beating yourself up for no reason. 4. Practice, not perfection. The goal of practicing mindfulness and keeping your judgments in check is to achieve awareness and make gradual changes. Becoming aware of the problem is the first step. However, if you are in denial about how your judgments and negative thoughts affect your mind-set; you will not be able to make any progress at all. It takes constant vigilance to achieve improvement with being mindful. 5. Reevaluate your values. Make sure that whatever you are beating yourself up over is worth striving for. Some goals, like kindness, integrity, and being self-disciplined, enhance the meaning and quality of life, whereas others only feed into your sense of defectiveness. Some people think, If I only went to a better school, I’d have more self-esteem. By the way, the best way to increase self-esteem is to do estimable things! I feel like I’m starting to sound like Dr. Phil! FINAL PREPARATION Remember—your job at the interview is to help the interviewers job easy by showing her that you have the qualities and values she is looking for in a perfect applicant. It’s not about you, it’s about them. Your interviewer is not out to trip you up. She’s a regular person, with a family, worries, and insecurities just like you. In fact, she may be just as nervous as you are. Be prepared for multiple interviews. I recommend that you call the program beforehand to see if they will tell you how many interviews you will have, and perhaps even who will be your interviewers. Find out if they use traditional questions, behavioral questions, or a mini multiple interview (MMI) format. From the time you enter the building, until the time you exit the building, you are being evaluated. Maintain a professional appearance and persona throughout the entire process. Greet everyone with a smile and a handshake, from the Dean of the program, to the janitor vacuuming the floors. Remember that although you may only be there for one day, these people spend forty hours a week together, just like in any other job. They’re like a small family, and they’ve seen a lot of candidates come and go. If you say something negative or controversial in front of the receptionist, don’t be surprised if she passes that information on to the committee members. You’ve done too much work to be here, it would be a tragedy to be rejected because you insulted one of the staff. Finally, be sure to treat the student interviewers with the utmost respect. Don’t let your guard down because you think students don’t have much of a say with respect to scoring your interview. Take advantage of the opportunity to let them tell you what they like most about the program. What qualities the program values. Your goal should be to convince the students that you’ve worked hard to be here and that you would make a great classmate. You must be likeable. I hope this article is helpful. For more information on the PA school application process, visit my blog (paschoolapplicant.com) or my website (andrewrodican.com.) Best of luck! Andrew J. Rodican, PA-C

The Five Steps to Writing a Strong Personal Statement By Hannah Turner The process of writing a personal statement is so overwhelming… Where do you start? How do you say so much with so few characters? In the beginning, it all feels so unattainable. Many applicants struggle with writing their personal statement, and I certainly struggled to write my own. In the end I utilized a five step process that allowed me to produce a strong personal statement. Below I have detailed each step. Step 1: Start Early + Free Write First and foremost, start early. Not “give yourself a couple months” early, but “start thinking about this in the year before applying” early. Create a working document on your computer, keep a running note on your phone, carry around a notebook to log your ideas - whatever you need to do to keep track of your thoughts, DO IT. This is the most simple form of free writing. It’s low stakes, no pressure, and it allows you to write when the experiences are fresh in your mind. So, what should you write about? Anything that answers the questions, “Why PA?” and “Who are you?” is a great start. It doesn’t have to be logical or organized, just keep track of things that feels important. For me, I would often be at work and something would happen and I would write it down. Other times I would be out and about or at home and think of sometime interesting that I wanted to convey and I would add that. Keep track of experiences with providers, memorable patients and breakthrough moments in your journey. This will make your life SO much easier when you sit down to formally write your personal statement. Step 2: Organize + Trim the Fat Now that you’ve got your material, it’s time to start organizing. Put all your notes into a word or google document and bullet each idea/statement/paragraph. At first everything, will feel unrelated and you’ll have much more to work with than what you will use. That’s okay. Start sifting through everything and identify the weak points. Get rid of anything that feels unimportant or trite. This is where you really start trimming the fat. This is also a good time to expand on those ideas that resonate with you and really communicate who you are. Step 3: Create a Story After editing each bullet, begin to arrange things in a way that feels more like a story. I personally arranged my thoughts along a timeline allowing things to progress in chronological order. This can naturally lead to flow as your journey towards the PA profession happened in real time. There are other ways to create a story, like by identifying a common theme which can give your essay a backbone. Find what works for you. Here you will continue to trim the fat and keep paring everything down. Keep those big questions in mind, “Why PA” and “Who are you?” This will allow you to find the main points that you want to get across about yourself and why you are pursuing this profession. Step 4: Finishing Touches At this point you should have some kind of working draft. Now you should concern yourself with adding some finishing touches. Make sure that there is flow within each paragraph and between. Add transitions so that each idea will feed into the next. Polish your introduction and conclusion, making sure that each are strong and interesting. Things do not need to be perfect right now. This is a draft. Keep telling yourself this, and don’t worry that it’s not exactly how you want it. Don’t feel discouraged as your personal statement is still a work in progress. Step 5: Editing Step 5 is editing, and it’s crucial. It will make or break your essay, so take it seriously. Once you have a draft you need to get other eyes on your personal statement. After working your material over and over there are flaws that you can no longer see. To remedy this, reach out to current or former professors, PAs, friends, the writing center at your school or even this forum for editing. From here, take it all in and just keep making edits. Each comment on your draft will provide you with a jumping off point to rework or change an idea. I went through at least 3 or 4 drafts, maybe more. Remember, your personal statement doesn't need to be perfect from the very beginning, so please don't be discouraged! Writing is a process and everyone's first draft kind of sucks. That's why editors exist. Bonus Step: Keep the Faith Eventually you will be done editing, and it’s kind of a strange feeling. There will be no more comments and you will be satisfied with what you’ve created. It’s hard to see the point from the beginning, so you have to resign yourself to taking the writing process one step at a time. The most important thing that you can do is start, having faith that at some point it will come together. Start making notes, start writing, and don’t get discouraged when you don’t get it right the first time. If becoming a PA is your passion, a narrative will come through if you devote your time to this.

Put the Highlighter Down and Nobody Gets Hurt By Hannah Turner You’re sitting in class, pulling out your notebook and pencil when you see her. She’s sitting in the front row, right in the center of the classroom. It’s highlighter girl, and she has her game face on today. Her laptop is open and sits to her left, the lecture slides are printed out sitting directly in front of her, pens, pencils and erasers are ready to go on her right, and she has every color highlighter imaginable at her disposal. Class starts and highlighter girl stays true to her name, adding color to nearly every line of text on those printed slides, switching between markers rapidly as she goes. She seems like she really knows what she’s doing. You look down at your notes and can’t help but feel inferior, like you’re missing something. Weeks later, the class gets the first test back. When students are comparing scores you’re surprised to find that highlighter girl didn’t do very well… Maybe you weren’t missing something after all. One of the most important things you can learn in undergrad is how to streamline the note taking and studying processes to allow for maximum learning in a minimal amount of time - you have to learn how to be efficient . Everyone seems to have their own method, and many students tend to complicate the process with no real return on investment. Throughout my college career I have had to find ways to increase my studying and note taking efficiency to create more time for myself. Between upper level science coursework, extracurriculars, part-time and often even full-time work, more time is something that I desperately needed to be successful. Below are a few of the things I learned along the way that allowed me to maintain a 3.9 cumulative GPA and a 3.97 science GPA with a busy schedule in a science heavy major. Put Your Pack of Highlighters Down It’s easy to be enticed by underlining and highlighting the text on those lecture slides, but in reality you aren’t accomplishing much. The idea that these methods are useful in a note taking capacity comes from the Von Restorff Effect, which states that differentiating text by using color makes it stand out against other words on the page, aiding in memory recall. The problem here is that the information on a lecture slide has already been summarized and contains only the most salient, concise points, so you’re often tempted to highlight much of the text on the slide. If the majority of the text on a page is highlighted, you are defeating the purpose of highlighting entirely. Another issue with highlighting and underlining is that these methods are largely ineffective for actively processing information compared to other note taking methods. Writing out your notes forces you to condense and summarize information in your own words, allowing the learning process to begin. If you instead only pick up your highlighter and move it across the page, you’re accomplishing much less. Don’t take the bait! Actively take notes in lecture and put your highlighters away. Consider keeping one highlighter or pen out to make note of extremely important information, and resist the urge to colorize. Note Taking, the Better Way The better way to retain information is to actively take notes, and to take them by hand. Studies have shown that those who used laptops in class had a more shallow understanding of lecture material and performed more poorly on tests, especially with conceptual questions. This is even worse when students are multitasking with their laptops during lecture, creating a distraction for themselves. Although with a laptop students are able to take more notes, there is little processing involved in transcribing the material. Due to the time constraints associated with taking notes by hand, students are required to actively condense and summarize information throughout lecture while focusing on the most relevant pieces of information. This means that the learning starts from the moment the pen hits the paper, building a solid foundation for studying in the future. I believe that for nearly every undergraduate level course, note taking by hand is the superior method, as the speed at which the material is delivered tends to be fairly manageable. When considering graduate level coursework, I do feel that courses move at a more rigorous pace and typing can become a necessity. The moral of the story here is to use your best judgement and prioritize taking notes by hand whenever it is possible. The Next Step Taking notes is important, but this will only build the foundation for learning. What you do with your notes will determine how successful you are in your courses. My next article will address the most effective ways to study and provide tips for the best methods to utilize for different prerequisite courses.

Dressing for Interviews After following the PA Forum (physicianassistantforum.com) for two decades, I can honestly say that one frequently asked question is, “Should I wear a suit to my interview?” Maybe it’s because I’m old school, but I just don’t get this question. The cynical part of me wants to respond, “Well, everyone else will be wearing a suit to this professional interview, but you can probably wear jeans and pull it off!” I know that most of you are not considering wearing jeans, but you may want to know if it’s okay to wear a sport coat and dress pants, or a grey suit versus a blue suit. Below I’m going to provide you with a complete list of what to wear to your PA school interview. Remember, there are three components to the spoken message: the verbal component, the vocal component, and the visual component. The visual component counts for fifty-five percent of your message at your interview. When in doubt, dress up! Men Remember that you are dressing for a professional interview and what you wear needs to be appropriate for the occasion. This means wearing a suit! It is not appropriate to “dress down” for your PA school interview, unless you want to give a negative impression as soon as you walk through the door. When in doubt, dress conservatively. Wearing a “suit” means the whole package: a matching jacket and pants, dress shirt (preferably white,) tie, coordinating socks and dress shoes (shined.) A dark-colored suit with a light- colored tie is your best option. You suit should be comfortable and fit you well so that you look and act your best. If your ten-year-old suit doesn’t fit well, invest in a new one. Avoid loud colors and flashy ties. Your clothing she be neat, clean, and freshly pressed. I recommend you keep your suit, tie, and shirt in the dry-cleaning package until the morning of your interview. Be sure to shower, shave, and wear deodorant the morning of your interview. Do not wear cologne or aftershave, and certainly do not smoke before your interview. Make sure you have fresh breath. Brush your teeth before your interview, and don’t eat before the interview. Your hair should be neat, clean, and conservative. Shoes should be well-polished, in good condition, and the appropriate color to match your suit. Be sure to shave before the interview. If you have a mustache or beard, it should be trimmed and neat looking. Women Wear a suit with a skirt or pants. Your suit should be comfortable and fit well. Your suit should be simple and dark in color. Anything tight, bright, short, or sheer should absolutely be avoided. Interviewers notice everything, and if your skirt is too short it could work against you. If you have any doubts about the length of your skirt, it’s probably too short. Knee-length skirts are recommended. Very long skirts are also considered too trendy for an interview. Wear a conservative blouse with your suit. Do not wear bright colors, animal prints, or anything lacy, sheer, or low-cut. Make-up and nail polish should be understated and flattering; shades that are neutral to your skin tone are generally advisable. Avoid bright or unusual colors or very long nails. Keep jewelry and hair accessories to a minimum, and stick to those that are not flashy, distracting, or shiny. Only one ring per hand. Shoes should be conservative and low-healed. They should be in good shape, and well shined. Don’t wear shoes with an open toe or back; any shoes that you would wear on a date or to a club are probably inappropriate. A basic pump is flattering, versatile, and will stay in style forever. Your hose should be neutral (matched to your skin tone.) Carry an extra pair of hose in case you rip the ones you have on. Your clothes should be neat, clean, and freshly pressed. Shower on the morning of your interview. Wear deodorant, but no perfume; your interviewer may be allergic. Brush your teeth in the morning, and don’t eat, drink, or smoke afterward. Your hair should be neat, clean, and conservatively styled. Banana clips, bright colored scrunchies or elastics, and cheerleader-type ponytails look out of place with a suit. You may consider wearing an updo, pull it back into a low ponytail, or wear a barrette. The idea is to look polished and professional, not to advertise what a creative genius your hairdresser is. For more information on the PA school interview process, visit my website at andrewrodican.com Andrew J. Rodican, PA-C

What are my chances? A frequently asked question on the PA Forum (physicianassistantforum.com) is, “What are my chances…” The applicant will usually post their GPA, GRE scores, medical experience, volunteer work, etc, and throw it out to the Forum for feedback. I think the real question being asked should be, “Am I a competitive applicant based on my statistics?” I say this because nobody can possibly tell you what your chances of getting accepted to PA school are without reading your essay and assessing your interview skills. However, for those of you who would like to know where your academic scores and health care experience compare to 2015 first-year accepted students, I am including some statistics taken from the 2015 Annual report on Physician Assistant Educational Programs in the United States. The report can be found on the Physician Assistant Education Association’s (PAEA) website at paeaonline.org. FIRST-YEAR CLASS: GRADE POINT AVERAGES GPA CATEGORY M SD Mdn n(P) Overall Undergraduate 3.52 0.14 3.52 176 Undergraduate Science 3.47 0.16 3.49 163 CASPA Biology, Chemistry, Physics (BCP) 3.42 0.17 3.45 84 Undergraduate non-science 3.54 0.20 3.59 88 FIRST-YEAR CLASS: GRE SCORES GRE SCORES M SD Mdn n(P) Verbal Reasoning 152.2 5.32 153 59 Quantitative Reasoning 152 3.68 152 55 Analytical Writing 3.9 0.28 4.0 50 NOTE: Mean (M) is the average of data values, standard deviation (SD) is the amount of deviation from a set of data values, median (Mdn) is the midpoint of data values (half above and half below), and n(P) is the number of PA programs participating. AVERAGE HEALTH-CARE EXPERIENCE HOURS OF MATRICULATING STUDENTS Health-Care Experience M SD Mdn n(P) Patient contact experience 3,100 3,006 2,325 89 Other health-care experience 1,014 943 713 30 Other work experience 2,001 1.771 1,500 21 Community service 425 480 270 32 Shadowing 144 204 88 45 MEDICAL EXPERIENCE STATISTICS FOR PA APPLICANTS Worked in health-care before applying to PA school 79% Worked less than one year or not at all in a health-care field 27% Worked more than nine years in a health-care field 10% Worked less than one year or not at all in a health-care field with direct patient contact 35% Previously worked as a medical assistant 17% Previously worked as an EMT/Paramedic 9% Worked as a phlebotomist 9% Worked as an emergency room technician 8% Worked in medical re caption/records 7% Worked as a nurse 8% Worked as an athletic trainer 6% Reported “other” as previous health care experience 45% NOTE: Respondents were permitted to indicate multiple previous health-care fields, thus the sum of all fields exceeds 100 percent. AGE RELATED STATISTICS First Year Class: Age M SD Mdn n(P) Age of first-year PA student 26.1 2.51 26 170 Age of youngest first-year PA student 21.4 1.23 21.0 168 Age of oldest first-year PA student 44.1 7.57 44.0 168 Since these numbers are from actual, first-year students, you now have an idea of what (stats) make up a competitive applicant. For some of you who may be discouraged by these numbers, remember that half of the students are above the median (Mdn) and half are below the median numbers. I think a great essay can make for a compelling case as to why you should receive an interview, even if your stats are less than optimal. Additionally, if you make it to the interview, it will be up to you do your homework and present yourself as a likeable, credible, and trustworthy person in order to score high and get an acceptance letter. If you have any further questions, please feel free to email me at andyrodican@gmail.com, and/or visit my website at andrewrodican.com. Regards, Andrew J. Rodican, PA-C

The Finer Details of the Personal Statement By Hannah Turner Writing is a special form of masochism. You construct something you’re deeply proud of, fretting over the mechanics of each sentence and the placement of every word, only to ask peers and editors to tear it apart completely. You take in their criticisms, ditch the bad ideas and get right back to work on the next draft. Along the way you have to let go of concepts that you were deeply attached to, and it hurts. In the end, the writing process is satisfying in its own right - in search of perfection you can create something really remarkable. The personal statement is an especially challenging form of writing, mostly because it’s so… deeply personal. The ideas and words that you choose to share are reflective of who you are; not only is it difficult to write about and articulate your own personal experiences and feelings, but you then have to submit this material to the editing process, which at times can be brutal. When applying to PA school, the personal statement is a challenging rite of passage that each of us must endure. So, what exactly is the PA school personal statement? At first glance, the parameters appear to be simple - it’s a 5,000 character essay which asks the question “Why are you interested in being a PA?” Although this question seems direct, there are nuances to the essay that are left unstated. First and foremost, implied in any personal statement is the idea that this piece of writing should explain who you are. That means that this is your chance for the admissions committee to get to know you. In addition to answering “Why PA?” and “Who are you?” your personal statement should also chronicle your background, experiences in healthcare and understanding of the PA profession. Although the prompt asks a singular, unassuming question, it quickly becomes a complicated web. A good personal statement will integrate the answers to all of the stated and unstated questions seamlessly. A big piece of understanding the personal statement is recognizing how programs utilize this portion of your application. The admissions committee will have your transcripts, summaries of clinical, volunteer and non-healthcare work experiences, information about awards or scholarships and explanations of any extracurricular activities. Although this is a major part of your application, a lot is left unsaid. They have your resume, but that doesn’t encompass who you are as a person. Are you are deeply passionate about caring for the medically underserved? Do you have a desire to work in primary care so that you can give back to your community? Tell the admissions committee about it! Here is your big opportunity to shine and leave your mark. The personal statement can also give you the chance to discuss any personal issues, discrepancies in your application or bumps in the road. Some applicants choose to address their upbringing or any disadvantages they experienced in their childhood and adolescent years. Others will briefly touch on academic struggles and extenuating circumstances they dealt with that caused disruptions in their coursework. The floor is yours to expand on anything you feel isn’t clear. Writing your personal statement will almost certainly be challenging, but it’s a necessary evil. This essay will allow admissions committees to understand who you are and what has been driving you towards the PA profession. It will give them an idea of what was happening in all of the space between the lines of your resume. Be genuine and get personal, because the personal statement can make or break your application. No pressure. For tips on writing your personal statement, check out this article about the five steps that make the process easier.

New Hampshire Votes on a New Healthcare Provider as March Ends By Robert M. Blumm, MA, PA, PA-C Emeritus In a few short days, one of the northeast states is going to vote on having non-residency medical graduates licensed in N.H. to provide medical care because of their shortage of physicians. There are a plethora of PAs and NPs who could continue to grow and provide this care, but they were not approached. I only wish that the legislature in N.H. would have looked at the FMG program at Harlem Hospital initiated by the wife of the first president of the AAPA, Bill Stanhope, where a test was given before and after their participation in an accelerated PA Program. All participating FMGs failed on both pre and post-testing. During my presidency of NYSSPA, this data led to the State Board of Medicine writing a law into the NYS law: an FMG could not apply for a position as either a PA or physician. The Harlem Hospital study proved the incompetence of this type of provider. Dana Stanhope agonized in putting this accelerated program together, but the conclusion was discouraging, to say the least. New Hampshire will now place their citizens at risk while there is a large supply of PAs and NPs that could fill the needs of their state. This is not unlike us in the infancy of our profession. Physicians said that we could never care for their patients and neither would they accept us. We were formally trained in similar fields and worked feverishly to start and maintain our professional status and today, fifty years later, are a force to be reckoned with. Good luck N.H. and let's see the increase in medical malpractice. Where can these new providers become entangled in medical errors? The main area would be in failure to diagnose. An insurance study was performed on NPs and this was the area they were most implicated in, failure to diagnose cancer and heart disease. My assumption is that if and when these newly minted clinicians become licensed in N.H. that they will be missing a diagnosis in many cancers, many types of heart disease; they will mistake severe back pain for a sprain instead of an aortic aneurysm, a DPT for a leg cramp an overuse injury' abdominal pain for an ectopic pregnancy and abdominal aortic aneurysm for gastroenteritis Oral or dental pain will mislead them from diagnosing a Ludwig's Angina and a SAH will be misdiagnosed as a migraine headache and the patient will never recover. These are just a few of the areas of concern and we could add dermatological diseases and melanomas, ophthalmological diseases and retinal melanoma and retinal detachment, head and neck cancers instead of enlarged lymph nodes and osteosarcomas instead of fractures. How are these clinicians going to be credentialed? What will their limitations be? Will they get prescribing privileges and who will insure them outside of an institution? What will this do to the rates of the hospital insurance carrier and how will it affect PAs and NPs? These questions bring me back to my age-old argument that we, as responsible providers, need to protect ourselves, our careers and our families by purchasing a professional liability insurance policy with our name on the title page. This will be our anchor in a time of a storm. I suggest the AAPA endorsed company, CM&F, who offers both claims made and occurrence and is A++( superior) rated by A.M. Best. Students and first-year clinicians receive discounts and this policy allows the insured to moonlight. What more can we ask for in these days?

Many years ago an infamous general gathered his commanders in a war room and with a quivering finger he pointed to a map and said these words; "There is a sleeping giant, let her sleep for when she awakens, she will shake the world." The giant that Napolean spoke of was China, she has awakened and the world trembles at her footsteps. Today, the PA profession is the sleeping giant. We have awakened, we have become recognized, we have furthered our education, our experience, and our reputation and we are forced to both contend with and to meet the needs of healthcare in our generation. The future is now, the time is ready and we desperately need unity and leadership and vision to make greater changes in the next 50 years. Unity in an organization is no different than unity in a family or military group. There is no room for caring about ourselves in particular but about those with whom we work from day to day and our profession which has been so good to all of us.Unity can be defined as having the same voice as we begin to attack new problems and start new ventures. We can have different opinions but in the boardroom, once an opinion has been voted upon and has passed, it becomes one opinion and we all stand behind it. This is the manner in which an organization is sustained. When cooking outdoors one needs fuel, the natural environment, and flame.When the coals are placed together they produce the necessary heat to cook and thus sustain life whereas when they are separated, they rapidly cool and diminish.We need to stand together and not separate ourselves because of our egos.There is no room for Lone Rangers in a professional organization. Another ingredient that we need is excellence. We have proven our excellence for the past fifty years. We have fought in the trenches, we have formed alliances, we have become a respected, educated group of professionals who know what it takes to succeed and then do what it takes to succeed. We strive for excellence. I can remember as a new PA asking the chief of Otolaryngology at Greater Baltimore Medical Center when he last performed a perfect surgery. This was sort of a stupid question but this man trained me at his home and we performed dissections at 0500. He said;" bob, I have not yet performed a perfect case and when I do, it is time for me to retire because there would be something wrong with my standard." His humility and his response have remained unforgotten for more than forty years.We must all strive to be better than we were the day before. The Election: In a week we will be voting for new leadership in our professional organization. We can vote for old favorites, we can vote based on years of service to the Academy but we can also vote on platforms that indicate the direction in which the new leadership would take us. Like Columbus, we need to seek the new world, we need new goals and we need to fire new enthusiasm in the ranks of this new generation of PAs. We need to vote, we need to pass our customary 5% and we need to become excited again just as we were fifty years ago. It can be done and you can do it.

A Perplexing Presentation of Influenza Robert M. Blumm, MA, PA, PA-C Emeritus, DFAAPA Last month, I was teaching a six-hour suturing workshop for FHEA and had an insightful conversation with one of my associates, Dr Theresa Campo, DNP. Theresa is a well-trained NP and author of two textbooks; she serves as an educator and an emergency department nurse practitioner. While performing her duties in the ER, she encountered a strange presentation on a pediatric patient that required further testing and transfer to a pediatric facility. When working for a hospital emergency room, we are serving under a medical director of the ER. That director can determine if our treatment is correct or whether we really need to triage the patient to another service. In this case, Theresa’s experience and intuition told her that there could be multiple zebras running through the child’s presentation; yet the physician was reluctant to approve the referral. Because of her experience, Dr. Campo realized that she was still the provider and culpable for her decisions. Transferring the patient to provide a safe transition on a difficult diagnosis was strongly indicated. This is a situation that many NPs and PAs will encounter and the correct action is to follow your gut unless the director wants to take over the entire case and disregard your input. Today, an experienced NP or PA in this arena is as capable of making the decision for treatment as the physician and is legally responsible for their actions. The patient in question presented with cough, fever, and rash that started two days prior. She had one episode of vomiting one day prior to her ER visit and none since. She incidentally presented with a subconjuctival hemorrhage in the medial aspect of her left eye, possibly caused by violent coughing. The patient also had epistaxis of the left naris that lasted for one hour and stopped with direct pressure after fifteen minutes. The patient developed a petichial rash of her chest as well as her right and left upper extremities during examination. She tested positive for Flu A, CBC was normal, coagulation profile was normal; but she had blood in her urine with few RBCs on microscopy. While she was in the ED, the rash spread on both upper extremities to her hands, the upper back, and down the midline to the abdomen. Just prior to transfer to their other campus for peds admission, she developed urticaria. This is a formidable presentation and other differential diagnoses are required to form the correct treatment plan. As you can see, this is not an everyday flu presentation. This case demonstrates why Theresa was required to follow her instincts and make the proper transfer. I have discovered that many new clinicians become intimidated by the “oversight” of some physicians. They have a tendency to blindly follow their instructions, forgetting that they are the responsible party if there is a poor outcome. Those clinicians with less experience can often make poor decisions due to lack of experience and failure to diagnose based on conflicting presentations. They fail to demonstrate that they are secure in their diagnosis and fail to realize that, despite working under a facilities' malpractice insurance, they are still a responsible target in a litigation and are at the mercy of the hospital's carrier. It is for this reason that every new PA or NP needs to discover that the most efficacious policy for their practice is a personal liability insurance policy that protects them as the individual clinician and protects their assets and their reputation. A new clinician can pay a fraction of the cost of a policy during the first year of practice. The new clinician will soon discover what it means to have a parachute when it becomes necessary. CM&F has been insuring nurses, PAs and NPs for the past 70 years and has an A++(Superior) by A.M. Best rating and protects their insured. Call them today to add the safety net that is necessary in the practice of caring for patients.

2018, The Unwritten Chapter Robert M. Blumm, MA, PA, PA-C Emeritus, DFAAPA The year 2017 was an amazing chapter in our lives with many changes in leadership, politics, healthcare, the advancement of both the NP and PA professions, tremendously increased knowledge in medical education, the loss of at least twenty-five international personalities and, for a number of us, a year of unprecedented medical litigations due to medical errors, the traps of an EMR, informed consents and failure to diagnose. We have gained much in the ability to enter new fields of interest and to become pioneers in specialties, but all of this has a cost. We always will pay a price to gain a prize. We are now writing the first few pages of a new chapter with the hopes of improving our personal skills, our professional achievements, our outcomes with our patients and our overall success in life and in the marketplace. “The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals.” Melody Beattie In order to set goals, it is essential to know the facts and change the outcomes or the injury created by a faulty outcome. CM&F insures 12,000 NPs and PAs and serves them with diligence, respect, and instant access. With OPA becoming the buzz word for PAs in this new year, it is my hope that PAs with an eye toward future independent practice will become aware of the absolute need to have a personal liability insurance policy as offered by CM&F as the endorsed group for the AAPA. This could have an extremely favorable impact on premiums for PAs. There are so many positive aspects of independent practice for NPs, but payouts for malpractice claims filed against NPs are on the rise, according to a new report. The average payout was $240,471 according to studies from CNA Insurance which covers NP malpractice insurance. The highest area of claims is neonatal, which at only 1% of the claims was $630,411. Obstetrics, another high-risk area, had indemnities that averaged $417,500. The lowest of the three was emergency medicine with indemnities averaging $277,812. Though those three specialties accounted for the costliest claims, the vast majority of closed claims were related to four other specialties: adult primary care, family practice, behavioral health, and gerontology. It is surprising, as well as a hidden trap, that most of these were related to a failure to order a medical test or obtain an address that test result.* As I mentioned earlier, knowledge of the facts can dramatically change the outcome; the meticulous attention of the provider is essential. So my fellow colleagues, how will we write the 2018 chapter of our history? We can all hope for a greater future with less misadventure, fewer litigations, and healthier patients. But we must engage with the conscious reminder that we are caregivers and we are, therefore, vulnerable. Why carry that vulnerability on our own shoulders when the fear, anxiety, and burden can be shouldered by personal liability insurance? How empowering is the knowledge that we are protected from potential errors by specialists who are experienced fighters in this field of litigation? What do you believe? What price are you willing to pay to obtain security and peace? “Beliefs have the power to create and the power to destroy. Human beings have the awesome ability to take any experience of their lives and create a meaning that dis-empowers them or one that can literally save their lives.” Tony Robbins. Let us join hands together and make the latter choice. * Source- CNA and Nurses Services Organization (2017, October). CNA and NSO Nurse Practitioner Claim Report (4th Edition): A Guide to Identifying and Addressing Professional Liability Exposures, page 12. Retrieved from https://www.nso.com/Learning/Artifacts/Claim-Reports/Nurse-Practitioner-Claim-Report-4th-Edition-A-Guide-to-Identifying-and-Addressing-Professional-Liability-Exposures. -- Robert M. Blumm, MA, PA, PA-C Emeritus, DFAAPA Surgical PA, National Conference Speaker, Author, Suture Workshop Director, Former AAPA Liaison to American College of Surgeons, Past President four National Associations, Editorial Board Clinician1.com, Advisory Board POCN., AFPPANP Treasurer

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