Optional COVID-19 Essay - should I write it?

[jjr731]

I don't feel like I was super adversely affected by COVID-19, personally. I still got good grades after going online, I didn't have to do pass/fall, and I already had decent shadowing experience. It really had no impact on my application overall.  Yet, I still feel like I could/should answer the question by talking more generally about public health and how the pandemic (slightly) impacted my role as a CNA and how I will apply this new knowledge/experience as a PA. However, I don't want to seem all grandiose, and I don't know if this is the kind of response they are looking for. But if I don't answer it, I'm afraid they will think I'm lazy or have nothing to say about COVID-19, which is not true at all. Does anyone have any suggestions? What are other people doing?

I'd appreciate your input. Thanks!

[KuchiKopi]

COVID impacted me so it was easy. I honestly feel like it is only pertaining to how it directly impacted your application process. That is just how I understood it, but I can agree that I would hate leaving it blank. I have also heard from some schools and past applicants that going the grandiose route can be seen negatively.

If it was me, I would make a quick write up that you were not significantly impacted, I would state you transitioned to online schooling and still did well, your job was not impacted, and other things along that line. Literally just a few sentences, and I am not sure if that is correct but it is what I would do.

[cee2021]

I talked about my understanding how it affected everyone differently, how my immunocompromised patients were scared, and the adjustment period. While it didn't significantly impact my application, it did change my outlook and ability to adapt to change.  Even if you did well in your classes online you can talk about how you learned to adjust to a new style of learning and overcame the stress of change. It may have also changed your perspective or outlook on the world and different industries. 

[secondroundbestround]

On 5/22/2020 at 2:48 PM, jjr731 said:

I don't feel like I was super adversely affected by COVID-19, personally. I still got good grades after going online, I didn't have to do pass/fall, and I already had decent shadowing experience. It really had no impact on my application overall.  Yet, I still feel like I could/should answer the question by talking more generally about public health and how the pandemic (slightly) impacted my role as a CNA and how I will apply this new knowledge/experience as a PA. However, I don't want to seem all grandiose, and I don't know if this is the kind of response they are looking for. But if I don't answer it, I'm afraid they will think I'm lazy or have nothing to say about COVID-19, which is not true at all. Does anyone have any suggestions? What are other people doing?

I'd appreciate your input. Thanks!

Never leave a section blank! Many pre-PA mentors have DRILLED this in my brain. Just think of something. Keep it positive. Discuss how you've seen healthcare change/change in perspective like you mentioned. Make it unique! Another chance for them to hear your heart. Good luck! 

[jjr731]

I appreciate everyone's feedback! In case anyone was wondering, I talked to a pre-health advisor at my university (UW Madison), and she told me to definitely write something, but to keep it brief. She said a few sentences or short paragraph should be sufficient. She said it is not the place to convince them of your adaptability to change or anything like that. However, this is just one person's advice. 

[TNat97]

Where did you find the COVID essay? For some reason, I can't seem to find it on my caspa portal/application. 

[KuchiKopi]

18 minutes ago, Tnguyen342 said:

Where did you find the COVID essay? For some reason, I can't seem to find it on my caspa portal/application. 

I think it's under the supporting information section.

[TNat97]

1 hour ago, TylerV said:

I think it's under the supporting information section.

I don't know if I'm tripping but I swore I saw it when CASPA first opened but now it's gone. And it isn't even on CASPA website. 

[jjr731]

It's under Personal Information --> Other Information --> then scroll to the bottom 

[TNat97]

19 hours ago, jjr731 said:

It's under Personal Information --> Other Information --> then scroll to the bottom 

Thank you!

[MMDr808]

Hi all!

I would like your opinion on the following: 

I don't think that I was significantly impacted due to COVID19, but right as the pandemic started here in the US, I was facing my own medical dilemma: I was looking at the potential of a total hysterectomy, chemo-radiation for 3-6 months and likely NOT applying to PA school this cycle after a very abnormal finding was noted on imaging I had done. Most thankfully no malignancy was found and I have recovered very well from surgery! It was an incredibly stressful time, but neither it or COVID had an impact except in the amount of volunteering/shadowing hours I could have continued to accumulate.

Is it inappropriate to use this section to discuss that--these two major events in tandem of each other? My personal statement does NOT include any of the above as I have written about other motivators that have led me to the profession--long before the scary finding on my own imaging. 

Thank you all for any advice 

[KuchiKopi]

13 hours ago, MMDr808 said:

Hi all!

I would like your opinion on the following: 

I don't think that I was significantly impacted due to COVID19, but right as the pandemic started here in the US, I was facing my own medical dilemma: I was looking at the potential of a total hysterectomy, chemo-radiation for 3-6 months and likely NOT applying to PA school this cycle after a very abnormal finding was noted on imaging I had done. Most thankfully no malignancy was found and I have recovered very well from surgery! It was an incredibly stressful time, but neither it or COVID had an impact except in the amount of volunteering/shadowing hours I could have continued to accumulate.

Is it inappropriate to use this section to discuss that--these two major events in tandem of each other? My personal statement does NOT include any of the above as I have written about other motivators that have led me to the profession--long before the scary finding on my own imaging. 

Thank you all for any advice 

My short and sweet opinion. I feel like the imagining fingings are important, but they do not pertain to the COVID essay because they happened at the same time of the year. COVID would have impacted volunteering and shadowing either way, so I'd talk about that. I personally try to stay within the parameters of the questions because admissions gets enough tangential responses from people now this is just my opinion. Will my opinion work in my favor? Who knows!

You can answer however you want! Good luck I think the finding and surgery are more PS or supplemental app information. Hopefully more will respond.

[MMDr808]

57 minutes ago, Kirby219 said:

My short and sweet opinion. I feel like the imagining fingings are important, but they do not pertain to the COVID essay because they happened at the same time of the year. COVID would have impacted volunteering and shadowing either way, so I'd talk about that. I personally try to stay within the parameters of the questions because admissions gets enough tangential responses from people now this is just my opinion. Will my opinion work in my favor? Who knows!

You can answer however you want! Good luck I think the finding and surgery are more PS or supplemental app information. Hopefully more will respond.

Hey  --

Thanks so much for the response! Yes I agree that it will be information that would be better to divulge with a different "question stem" so to speak.  As you said,  I don't want to be tangential and I was definitely getting the gut feeling that I was crossing over that line! I appreciate the thoughts and good luck to you as well!

[Studygeek]

Hey guys, I had my COVID-19 essay reviewed by someone and they told me it was completely wrong. Though it does state in the prompt “professional hardships”. I talked about how it affected my teaching career and the struggles of needing to make sure students were up to par with the material. It also changed my daily routine for work as well. What’s yalls take on it? Does it have to be 100 percent related to PCE/volunteer/shadowing hours??

[MMDr808]

@studygeek  why did the reviewer think it was completely wrong? Did they give you specific feedback?

Let's refresh ourselves of the prompt: "describe how COVID-19 has impacted your pathway to becoming a Physician Assistant."

A way *I* looked at the prompt is: were prerequisites and/or requirements (letters of rec, PCE, volunteering) needed for PA programs hampered by COVID-19? Will missing those impact your pathway? The pandemic could have impacted people positively too!

No doubt you experienced a lot of change with teaching and your daily routine--however did that impede your path to becoming/applying to be a PA? As far as I can tell from what you wrote--no... but that's maybe because I'm not seeing the relationship between your work changes and your PA trajectory. I see there is a part in the paragraphs below the prompt stating "professional barriers that you faced?" --which you detail, but how does it connect with your pathway to becoming a PA.

I hope my outside perspective enlightens you in some way. 

[Studygeek]

3 hours ago, MMDr808 said:

@studygeek  why did the reviewer think it was completely wrong? Did they give you specific feedback?

Let's refresh ourselves of the prompt: "describe how COVID-19 has impacted your pathway to becoming a Physician Assistant."

A way *I* looked at the prompt is: were prerequisites and/or requirements (letters of rec, PCE, volunteering) needed for PA programs hampered by COVID-19? Will missing those impact your pathway? The pandemic could have impacted people positively too!

No doubt you experienced a lot of change with teaching and your daily routine--however did that impede your path to becoming/applying to be a PA? As far as I can tell from what you wrote--no... but that's maybe because I'm not seeing the relationship between your work changes and your PA trajectory. I see there is a part in the paragraphs below the prompt stating "professional barriers that you faced?" --which you detail, but how does it connect with your pathway to becoming a PA.

I hope my outside perspective enlightens you in some way. 

They basically said what you said. Maybe I should transform my essay to saying how covid-19 made my job more time consuming which prevented me from shadowing on the weekends/volunteer.  Are you a current applicant? 

Edited July 9, 2020 by Studygeek

[NatiM]

Since March, my floor has been a covid unit. I would say it has influenced me greatly being on the forefront of this pandemic, especially seeing patients rapidly decline and pass while in my care. These past couple of months have taught me many valuable lessons & most importantly, they’ve further confirmed that being a PA is what I want. When writing my PS, I didn’t mention covid at all because I was planning on writing about all of this in my supplemental essay. Would it be appropriate to do so? In terms of impeding my shadowing, volunteering, etc. it didn’t really have any effect because I had all my hours completed prior to March.