Regret to inform you letter...Advice for next year?

[cody_71]

Well... I got the letter that no one wants to get. Not going to lie the heart sank a little. But time to get back on the horse. I need to start getting ready for next year and give myself a better chance of getting in.

 

I applied and had an Oct 4th interview to the Seattle campus. This is my first time applying and was thrilled to just get an interview. I work as an ER Tech and plan to keep doing this for the next year for my HCE. I would gladly accept any advice that people are willing to give on my situation.

 

Congrats to all those that have already been accepted and will be accepted this year. I hope one day we can all be alumni of the MEDEX program.

 

Thanks again for any advice you can give me to make it next year.

[HopefulPA]

Your best bet is to contact the program and asked them what they thought you were weak in.

[Doc Savage]

Having your life together is a major thing. In school there is not a whole lot of time for any issues you do not have settled prior to the intense, mind melting, didactic blur or clinical beating you will be taking. Paying for school is another one! You really should not work at all in PA school, but some people squeeze in a few shifts during breaks from school. I worked during the quarter breaks and holiday breaks. So they do not just look at your numbers and how you interview, but also your support system and your challenges. You can be the perfect applicant but the timing may be wrong. They want to make sure that you will succeed in school. No one will ever be 100% ready to ever take on anything... but going into something ill prepared just hoping everything will work out is a fools errand.

 

MEDEX looks at the whole applicant... so other than life issues, I would continue to save money, get experience, and try to broaden your experience. Also think about doing some community service or volunteer work if you are not already.

 

Good Luck!

[just_me]

definitely contact them to see what areas you were weak in....how can you fix them if you dont know right?

 

MEDEX I hear is big on hce (I could be wrong but that seems to be a consensus that Ive seen over the years in the forum) so being borderline on hours may play a significant part in that

 

personally regardless of the program I would take some higher level sciences to show what Im capable of academically and maybe some health services type courses (epidemiology, ethics, healthcare delivery systems etc)

[ToppDog]

Okay... I've gotten two of those letters from MEDEX in the past, & I'm hoping not to get a third, but here's my take on it. You must have been a pretty darn good applicant on paper to have gotten the interview on your first try, so just keep working on the things that got you that far to show improvement, such as continuing your HCE, continuing to take basic medically related science classes one at a time so you can get really good grades, continuing with volunteer work, & maybe try continuing to shadow PA's that work in differing areas of medicine that interest you.

 

Having said all that, since you were already a strong applicant on paper, & doing the above will only reinforce that, you should internalize how you did during the interview portion & see if there is room for improvement there. You've been through it once now, so you'll have a better idea of what to expect the next time around. Work on & practice those things that you did during the interview so you will be better prepared & more confident. Dress to impress as long as it's within the recommended attire. Remember that you are being interviewed at every interaction with staff & faculty, from info sessions, to every email & phone call, to the entire day of the interview including all the breaks, etc. And, above all else, be honest, humble, & be yourself. They want to get to know you, not just how much you know.

 

The good news is that MEDEX loves re-applicants. They like to see that you are committed & willing to continue working hard towards this goal.

 

GOOD LUCK!!!