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USC SOM PA Program


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On 8/3/2018 at 8:02 PM, rayofsunshine94 said:

Hello everyone! I am new to the thread! I was accepted into the program 7/3/18.

Congratulations! I'm interested in USC and programs in South Carolina and neighboring states as well. Do you mind sharing your stats and advice to future applicants, like what made you a strong candidate in their eyes, and anything else we might find helpful? Mine (according to CASPA) are: Science & Math GPA: 3.92, Cumulative GPA 3.71, Hands On Patient Care Hours (CNA): Over 3,800, Medical Volunteering: Over 300 hours, Shadowing with PA's: Over 80 hours. Also, I have a Bachelors in Humanities and my pre-requisites are all completed in the past 4 years, some at the university, and some at a two year college. I was considering getting an additional BS to coral all my prerequisites under a BS.Thanks!

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Hello,

I believe that your grades speak for you academically, however all students who get the interview are seen by the committee to be able to perform well academically. My stats and your stats numerically will be different, however to all candidates I think it is important to focus on WHY DO YOU DESERVE AND WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE A PA. I capitalize those because that is most important. I cannot speak on why the committee chose me, however during the interview I was true to myself. My journey to become a PA took place when I graduated high school. I worked in a variety of medical setttings and sought mentorship from PAs both in the Army and Civilian sectors. I also sought mentorship from my friends who are currently in PA school, they helped calm my nerves and gave great advice during the process. Your recommendation letters are also important. Make sure to choose mentors/teachers etc. who know you best, know your strengths, how you interact with patients, can speak of your character in the committees eyes speak volumes. Leadership roles and experiences are also very important. Although the PA profession is centered around teamwork, a substantial section of the CASPA app gives you the space to detail leadership roles that you have had. We all have unique stories, some may have had poor grades on your app, maybe you did not hold a lot leadership roles, maybe you did not do much volunteer work, however your weaknesses do not define you. Capitalize your strengths and always stay true to you. It is so easy to compare yourself to other candidates however, to all of you, YOU are unique. There is not another you. What kind of asset will you be to the medical field? Also once you get the interview you are ALMOST there. It is easy to make the interview itself stressful, however it is important to understand that you want to choose the school that is the best fit for you. I myself have interviewed at several programs, however each program was unique. You may think the first program you interview with is awesome (I did) but then I went on my second interview and fell in love with the second program! Take the time to chat with the students, they will give you a lot of insight. Be observant of how the cohort before you interacts with each other. The current class at USC is truly a family. I interviewed one on one with a faculty member and I could tell he had a genuine interest in ensuring that we would be not average but exceptional PAs. If anyone wants to chat more one on one you can inbox me. I hope I helped! 

Background Info About Me:

NC Resident, Female, 23 Years of Age, Army Medical Officer, Biology Major Undergrad

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51 minutes ago, rayofsunshine94 said:

Hello,

I believe that your grades speak for you academically, however all students who get the interview are seen by the committee to be able to perform well academically. My stats and your stats numerically will be different, however to all candidates I think it is important to focus on WHY DO YOU DESERVE AND WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE A PA. I capitalize those because that is most important. I cannot speak on why the committee chose me, however during the interview I was true to myself. My journey to become a PA took place when I graduated high school. I worked in a variety of medical setttings and sought mentorship from PAs both in the Army and Civilian sectors. I also sought mentorship from my friends who are currently in PA school, they helped calm my nerves and gave great advice during the process. Your recommendation letters are also important. Make sure to choose mentors/teachers etc. who know you best, know your strengths, how you interact with patients, can speak of your character in the committees eyes speak volumes. Leadership roles and experiences are also very important. Although the PA profession is centered around teamwork, a substantial section of the CASPA app gives you the space to detail leadership roles that you have had. We all have unique stories, some may have had poor grades on your app, maybe you did not hold a lot leadership roles, maybe you did not do much volunteer work, however your weaknesses do not define you. Capitalize your strengths and always stay true to you. It is so easy to compare yourself to other candidates however, to all of you, YOU are unique. There is not another you. What kind of asset will you be to the medical field? Also once you get the interview you are ALMOST there. It is easy to make the interview itself stressful, however it is important to understand that you want to choose the school that is the best fit for you. I myself have interviewed at several programs, however each program was unique. You may think the first program you interview with is awesome (I did) but then I went on my second interview and fell in love with the second program! Take the time to chat with the students, they will give you a lot of insight. Be observant of how the cohort before you interacts with each other. The current class at USC is truly a family. I interviewed one on one with a faculty member and I could tell he had a genuine interest in ensuring that we would be not average but exceptional PAs. If anyone wants to chat more one on one you can inbox me. I hope I helped! 

Background Info About Me:

NC Resident, Female, 23 Years of Age, Army Medical Officer, Biology Major Undergrad

As someone else who was accepted to this program, I absolutely 100% with what @rayofsunshine94 said!!! After going through the interview day at USC SOM, it’s so clear that the faculty is looking for candidates that are true to themselves, professional, and would overall fit into the “family” at their school- which the current students demonstrated! There are no set values that will get you into the program, applicants I talked to on interview day fell into a huge range! The best gage stats wise is looking at the USC SOM PA program website, they’ve listed the averages for current classes, however everyone is unique and brings something different to the table regardless of stats so there’s always a chance ? 

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9 hours ago, rayofsunshine94 said:

Hello,

I believe that your grades speak for you academically, however all students who get the interview are seen by the committee to be able to perform well academically. My stats and your stats numerically will be different, however to all candidates I think it is important to focus on WHY DO YOU DESERVE AND WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE A PA. I capitalize those because that is most important. I cannot speak on why the committee chose me, however during the interview I was true to myself. My journey to become a PA took place when I graduated high school. I worked in a variety of medical setttings and sought mentorship from PAs both in the Army and Civilian sectors. I also sought mentorship from my friends who are currently in PA school, they helped calm my nerves and gave great advice during the process. Your recommendation letters are also important. Make sure to choose mentors/teachers etc. who know you best, know your strengths, how you interact with patients, can speak of your character in the committees eyes speak volumes. Leadership roles and experiences are also very important. Although the PA profession is centered around teamwork, a substantial section of the CASPA app gives you the space to detail leadership roles that you have had. We all have unique stories, some may have had poor grades on your app, maybe you did not hold a lot leadership roles, maybe you did not do much volunteer work, however your weaknesses do not define you. Capitalize your strengths and always stay true to you. It is so easy to compare yourself to other candidates however, to all of you, YOU are unique. There is not another you. What kind of asset will you be to the medical field? Also once you get the interview you are ALMOST there. It is easy to make the interview itself stressful, however it is important to understand that you want to choose the school that is the best fit for you. I myself have interviewed at several programs, however each program was unique. You may think the first program you interview with is awesome (I did) but then I went on my second interview and fell in love with the second program! Take the time to chat with the students, they will give you a lot of insight. Be observant of how the cohort before you interacts with each other. The current class at USC is truly a family. I interviewed one on one with a faculty member and I could tell he had a genuine interest in ensuring that we would be not average but exceptional PAs. If anyone wants to chat more one on one you can inbox me. I hope I helped! 

Background Info About Me:

NC Resident, Female, 23 Years of Age, Army Medical Officer, Biology Major Undergrad

Wow, thank you so much for your thoughtful and thorough response, that was very considerate of you! I'm reading over it again and I'm looking forward to using this as some very useful guidance. Two other questions came to mind after I posted last time: how much shadowing do people generally recommend getting, and what are some good examples of leadership activities I can get involved in. Thank you again for your response!

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8 hours ago, RushSoccer05 said:

As someone else who was accepted to this program, I absolutely 100% with what @rayofsunshine94 said!!! After going through the interview day at USC SOM, it’s so clear that the faculty is looking for candidates that are true to themselves, professional, and would overall fit into the “family” at their school- which the current students demonstrated! There are no set values that will get you into the program, applicants I talked to on interview day fell into a huge range! The best gage stats wise is looking at the USC SOM PA program website, they’ve listed the averages for current classes, however everyone is unique and brings something different to the table regardless of stats so there’s always a chance ? 

Hey, congratulations on getting in as well! Did you just get accepted recently? I'm interested in how much shadowing people are going for and also what are some leadership opportunities I might look into? Thanks!

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On 8/7/2018 at 8:21 PM, ArtemisAndHerHounds said:

Hey, congratulations on getting in as well! Did you just get accepted recently? I'm interested in how much shadowing people are going for and also what are some leadership opportunities I might look into? Thanks!

Hey! I personally had around 60 hours of shadowing, however I felt that this was on the lower end of the spectrum. As for leadership opportunities, follow your passions/interests and get involved! Clubs, fundraisers, and volunteer work (to name a few) are all awesome to be a part of. Generally, most of these extracurriculars have the opportunity for leadership roles through being a part of the Executive Board or running events. Another option is looking for local Non Profits and seeking opportunities through them! Lots of options, just make sure you like what you're doing with those options!!

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