2020 Yale Online Application Cycle

[Janieg78]

Those with Interview invites....If you feel like sharing what day you have it, I'll add you to my Good Vibes/Prayer list! (or you can DM)
I know that "Thoughts and Prayers" can seem empty sometimes....but both can be mighty powerful too. We're all in this together!
[emoji3590]
 

Awesome! Thank you! I am on the 6th and the 10th [emoji3526]


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[madi.loruss]

3 hours ago, CLBluebonnet said:

Those with Interview invites....If you feel like sharing what day you have it, I'll add you to my Good Vibes/Prayer list! (or you can DM)

I know that "Thoughts and Prayers" can seem empty sometimes....but both can be mighty powerful too. We're all in this together!

 

Thank you! I have mine July 8th!

Love this group and the support in it!

[AJO0603]

3 hours ago, CLBluebonnet said:

Those with Interview invites....If you feel like sharing what day you have it, I'll add you to my Good Vibes/Prayer list! (or you can DM)

I know that "Thoughts and Prayers" can seem empty sometimes....but both can be mighty powerful too. We're all in this together!

 

Thank you so much for the support!! Mine is on July 14th

[AJO0603]

To @Abhowe89 @Krystalized and the others who have been accepted, are there any resources that you found really helpful for your interview or tips and tricks that you would suggest for those who are interviewing soon? 

[PAgoalgetter]

5 hours ago, CLBluebonnet said:

Those with Interview invites....If you feel like sharing what day you have it, I'll add you to my Good Vibes/Prayer list! (or you can DM)

I know that "Thoughts and Prayers" can seem empty sometimes....but both can be mighty powerful too. We're all in this together!

 

@CLBluebonnet July 7 & 9 

[Guest mands]

7 hours ago, Arelyy21 said:

I’m from Chicago Hello !!!! 

Haaayy! I live in Aurora! We're like neighbors, but also not!  Born and raised in Huntington Beach, CA - Moved to New York for my Master's Pub Health & Post-baccalaureate, now i wound up in the suburbs of Chicago : ) Next is (fingers crossed) a suburb of New Haven  Love my nomadic life. 

 

OK SO no updates from me today and yesterday so far. Tomorrow is when I get to talk to my counselor about the happenings. Woohoo!

[Guest PA4day]

3 minutes ago, mands said:

Haaayy! I live in Aurora! We're like neighbors, but also not!  Born and raised in Huntington Beach, CA - Moved to New York for my Master's Pub Health & Post-baccalaureate, now i wound up in the suburbs of Chicago : ) Next is (fingers crossed) a suburb of New Haven  Love my nomadic life. 

 

OK SO no updates from me today and yesterday so far. Tomorrow is when I get to talk to my counselor about the happenings. Woohoo!

3 minutes ago, mands said:

Haaayy! I live in Aurora! We're like neighbors, but also not!  Born and raised in Huntington Beach, CA - Moved to New York for my Master's Pub Health & Post-baccalaureate, now i wound up in the suburbs of Chicago : ) Next is (fingers crossed) a suburb of New Haven  Love my nomadic life. 

 

OK SO no updates from me today and yesterday so far. Tomorrow is when I get to talk to my counselor about the happenings. Woohoo!

I’m originally from Illinois! I have lived in Florida and now Louisiana. Still waiting on an update as well.

[Guest mands]

2 minutes ago, PA4day said:

I’m originally from Illinois! I have lived in Florida and now Louisiana. Still waiting on an update as well.

Jealous! I would love to live in Louisiana, but my mom is very against it because of the natural disasters and lack of prepardness in some areas (basically the areas that I, myself could afford). I love the french quarters with my whole heart and soul. 

[Krystalized]

2 hours ago, AJO0603 said:

To @Abhowe89 @Krystalized and the others who have been accepted, are there any resources that you found really helpful for your interview or tips and tricks that you would suggest for those who are interviewing soon? 

Hi!!! Welcome and I wanna wish you luck during your interviews! For me I did a mock interview with the PA Platform and also some with another student. Both of these helped calm my nerves the most in my opinion. I think the number one thing you are gonna battle is your nerves so I would focus directly on calming them. 
First figuring out what location you want to do your interview is key. I have kids so this was tricky for me but I finally settle on a space and made sure to call people on FaceTime and zoom to check what the surroundings looked like. I.e. what items on the wall can you see! 
Next I practiced organizing my thoughts. I did this by talking to myself out loud while doing mundane tasks and recording myself on video to watch for over used words and mannerisms. 

Lastly, I focused on BEING myself. I know my personality and know that if they reviewed my app as much as in believe they did they understood and wanted me. So that’s what I gave them. ME. Be yourself. They already want you enough to interview you. There are a tons of apps for this program so they are not gonna interview someone they wouldn’t really consider giving a seat to.

As I posted when I received my invite. Be honored. Be humbled. And don’t screw it up lol!!!  

[Medic2PA23]

Application under review on June 20th now we wait.... How many people are accepted.to a cohort? 

Good luck to all :).

[Shae220]

26 minutes ago, Furrowd said:

Application under review on June 20th now we wait.... How many people are accepted.to a cohort? 

Good luck to all :).

I read that it’s about 60 in a cohort. Supposedly they’ve been increasing the number each year. 

[Guest mands]

1 hour ago, Shae220 said:

I read that it’s about 60 in a cohort. Supposedly they’ve been increasing the number each year. 

me even though the class size is 2x the normal class size:

also me when they yale doesn't say anything to me for an hour:

[AJO0603]

2 hours ago, Krystalized said:

Hi!!! Welcome and I wanna wish you luck during your interviews! For me I did a mock interview with the PA Platform and also some with another student. Both of these helped calm my nerves the most in my opinion. I think the number one thing you are gonna battle is your nerves so I would focus directly on calming them. 
First figuring out what location you want to do your interview is key. I have kids so this was tricky for me but I finally settle on a space and made sure to call people on FaceTime and zoom to check what the surroundings looked like. I.e. what items on the wall can you see! 
Next I practiced organizing my thoughts. I did this by talking to myself out loud while doing mundane tasks and recording myself on video to watch for over used words and mannerisms. 

Lastly, I focused on BEING myself. I know my personality and know that if they reviewed my app as much as in believe they did they understood and wanted me. So that’s what I gave them. ME. Be yourself. They already want you enough to interview you. There are a tons of apps for this program so they are not gonna interview someone they wouldn’t really consider giving a seat to.

As I posted when I received my invite. Be honored. Be humbled. And don’t screw it up lol!!!  

Hey thanks so much for the advice i really appreciate it. I will definitely look into using those resources and into those tips. Did you by any chance look at common PA school interview questions? and if you did, did you find that helpful when the interview came?

[CLBluebonnet]

@AJO0603 

I agree with what @Krystalized posted. I'd go as far as picking your outfit, know what you're going to wear, and have it ready. Check the lighting in the place you pick....I did this with FaceTime to make sure it wasn't dark and grainy. 

Know your "WHY." Be able to tell your story. Yes, they have your application, but they don't know what ties it all together. What your experiences have taught you, what motivates you. All that. I'd practice answers to common questions (you can google plenty), and then get your answers to a manageable length. 

It's hard for me to give a simple answer, so I practiced cutting down to what I really wanted to say without going off on tangents. 

If you can, come up with a pre-game plan. About 5 minutes before my interview, I was ready to go and just practiced breathing deep breaths. 

Last...you know all the answers to any question they'll ask. Be you. Be confident. Don't panic!

 

[AJO0603]

1 minute ago, CLBluebonnet said:

@AJO0603 

I agree with what @Krystalized posted. I'd go as far as picking your outfit, know what you're going to wear, and have it ready. Check the lighting in the place you pick....I did this with FaceTime to make sure it wasn't dark and grainy. 

Know your "WHY." Be able to tell your story. Yes, they have your application, but they don't know what ties it all together. What your experiences have taught you, what motivates you. All that. I'd practice answers to common questions (you can google plenty), and then get your answers to a manageable length. 

It's hard for me to give a simple answer, so I practiced cutting down to what I really wanted to say without going off on tangents. 

If you can, come up with a pre-game plan. About 5 minutes before my interview, I was ready to go and just practiced breathing deep breaths. 

Last...you know all the answers to any question they'll ask. Be you. Be confident. Don't panic!

 

Awesome advice i totally appreciate this. thank you so much, I really love the help you guys you have been offering. hopefully we will be classmates!!!

[Kikime06]

You can do a zoom test meeting to test the lighting and what everyone will see. It also checks your microphone and audio. Just google “zoom test meeting” and it will bring you to the page. Definitely do this beforehand. It’s way worth it to be over prepared. 

[AJO0603]

1 minute ago, Kikime06 said:

You can do a zoom test meeting to test the lighting and what everyone will see. It also checks your microphone and audio. Just google “zoom test meeting” and it will bring you to the page. Definitely do this beforehand. It’s way worth it to be over prepared. 

@CLBluebonnet @Krystalized Thanks again for all your pieces of advice. I dont know if you guys are able to answer this, on account of the whole secrecy deal, but who conducted the interviews? If you can't answer that i totally get and could you please maybe share how the vibe of the interview was? Was it intimidating or was the mood relaxed and just like a conversation?

[Abhowe89]

7 hours ago, AJO0603 said:

To @Abhowe89 @Krystalized and the others who have been accepted, are there any resources that you found really helpful for your interview or tips and tricks that you would suggest for those who are interviewing soon? 

I loved savanna perrys book and andrew rodicans book, I read each book a few times and did a mock interview. 

[Kikime06]

1 hour ago, AJO0603 said:

@CLBluebonnet @Krystalized Thanks again for all your pieces of advice. I dont know if you guys are able to answer this, on account of the whole secrecy deal, but who conducted the interviews? If you can't answer that i totally get and could you please maybe share how the vibe of the interview was? Was it intimidating or was the mood relaxed and just like a conversation?

We are told to keep the identities of the interviewers as well as their questions confidential.

However, I will say that I felt 100% prepared for my interviews and was very confident going in. I have a lot of interview experience and have been personally coached before. This is what I did beforehand...

My philosophy was to own my mistakes and any weak points on my application and to make sure that if I was asked any questions pertaining to my weak points that I acknowledged my issue and explained to the interviewers how I improved, what I learned, and how I grew. I knew my strengths as well and made sure to always ALWAYS circle back to my strengths no matter what the question was. For example, if I was asked “Do you believe in flying spaghetti monsters?” (obviously I’m making this up) my answer would be “No, but I believe that religion is an important consideration when treating patients because in order to be effective you need to understand the whole person. Let me tell you about patient X ::insert TRUE story about how I did an amazing job with a patient highlighting my compassion, empathy, and intuitiveness::”

Know your strengths. Highlight them every chance you get. Always end every question in a positive way. Have in your hip pocket compelling pieces of evidence or stories that back up your positive qualities and/or show how you overcame your obstacles. I literally made a list beforehand. Be personable. Smile. 

And for the love of all that is holy....NEVER EVER LIE. They will know. 

At the end of the day, who knows you better than you? 

Be yourself. Be confident. Be calm. You got this.

 

[AJO0603]

3 minutes ago, Kikime06 said:

We are told to keep the identities of the interviewers as well as their questions confidential.

However, I will say that I felt 100% prepared for my interviews and was very confident going in. I have a lot of interview experience and have been personally coached before. This is what I did beforehand...

My philosophy was to own my mistakes and any weak points on my application and to make sure that if I was asked any questions pertaining to my weak points that I acknowledged my issue and explained to the interviewers how I improved, what I learned, and how I grew. I knew my strengths as well and made sure to always ALWAYS circle back to my strengths no matter what the question was. For example, if I was asked “Do you believe in flying spaghetti monsters?” (obviously I’m making this up) my answer would be “No, but I believe that religion is an important consideration when treating patients because in order to be effective you need to understand the whole person. Let me tell you about patient X ::insert TRUE story about how I did an amazing job with a patient highlighting my compassion, empathy, and intuitiveness::”

Know your strengths. Highlight them every chance you get. Always end every question in a positive way. Have in your hip pocket compelling pieces of evidence or stories that back up your positive qualities and/or show how you overcame your obstacles. I literally made a list beforehand. Be personable. Smile. 

And for the love of all that is holy....NEVER EVER LIE. They will know. 

At the end of the day, who knows you better than you? 

Be yourself. Be confident. Be calm. You got this.

 

very well said, i will definitely keep this in mind. thanks for the insight i really appreciate it!

 

[CLBluebonnet]

@AJO0603 

 

The interviewers made me feel comfortable. They know it's nerve-wracking and have a lot of grace. It's not an inquisition! So if you blank, or lose your train of thought, or even need a moment to think, just say so. They're human too  

I can't tell you how many times I went back over my interview and thought "Man, I wish I had said this..." or "Did I answer the questions good enough?" "Why didn't I use that other story." TOTALLY normal.  As long as you can say that you did your best at the end, that's a good interview. 

 

[alvarn]

Happy Friday!

One day closer to less stress and getting answers lol  

[Guest PA4day]

2 minutes ago, alvarn said:

Happy Friday!

One day closer to less stress and getting answers lol  

Agreed wholeheartedly

[PrePAABGL]

19 hours ago, Krystalized said:

Hi!!! Welcome and I wanna wish you luck during your interviews! For me I did a mock interview with the PA Platform and also some with another student. Both of these helped calm my nerves the most in my opinion. I think the number one thing you are gonna battle is your nerves so I would focus directly on calming them. 
First figuring out what location you want to do your interview is key. I have kids so this was tricky for me but I finally settle on a space and made sure to call people on FaceTime and zoom to check what the surroundings looked like. I.e. what items on the wall can you see! 
Next I practiced organizing my thoughts. I did this by talking to myself out loud while doing mundane tasks and recording myself on video to watch for over used words and mannerisms. 

Lastly, I focused on BEING myself. I know my personality and know that if they reviewed my app as much as in believe they did they understood and wanted me. So that’s what I gave them. ME. Be yourself. They already want you enough to interview you. There are a tons of apps for this program so they are not gonna interview someone they wouldn’t really consider giving a seat to.

As I posted when I received my invite. Be honored. Be humbled. And don’t screw it up lol!!!  

Thank you so much Krystalized! This is great advice for many of us for the interviews! I love your strategies on calming self down. I found it might be one hardest part of interview is to relax and be yourself. Mock interview is definitely great ideas as well. I have a 6-year-old. I can relate it's not easy to practuce when she comes back every 5 mins .

[PrePAABGL]

On 6/24/2020 at 9:38 AM, CLBlueflower said:

CL bluebonnet here, I created a whole other account at work and hid in a closet to leave this food for thought. Mostly for @bersabeh, but a good reminder for us all. 
 

this might double post because I can’t find what I just wrote.
 

Everything you post is public. We have over 50k views in this thread alone. Many of us lurked long before we chimed in. Do you think schools would do this as well? What about current students that can feed info forward? 

This includes insta-face-tweet-snap as well. Are you encouraging, uplifting, professional? Are you petty, immature, and bring people down? Have you gone through the filter: is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary? Do you perpetuate rumor and speculation? Do you fact check and refer to a primary source for accurate info?

PA school applications are competitive, we ALL look good on paper, we can ALL keep it together for an interview, but what about when we think no one is looking? 

Check yourselves before you wreck yourselves. We try to support an uplift here. We’ve all struggled in our own way. We’ve all though about giving up. We’ve all gotten frustrated..... no one needs more of that from a forum. 
 

As a profession PAs collaborate. We WORK TOGETHER. This is a good place to practice.
 

Marinade on that

 

CLBlueflower, what great words of wisdom and inspiration! Thank you for your comments! I agreed PA application progress can be competitive and stressful. I applied Yale because I believe Yale not only looks for candidates demonstrate academic excellence, but more important they are looking for someone with maturity and compassion as a future health care provider. I can't imagine going my routine check with someone doesn't seem to care or can't advocate for me. 

I feel so grateful and touched to meet so many passionate future PAs here who demonstrate love and caring, then I know I'm in the right place. I remember there is a saying, when you run alone, you run fast, when you run together, you run far. We are all in this together! 

( My response is little late  I usually check the forum in the evening or early morning and love to hear from everybody )