shalom Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 Hello. I had two interviews for this cycle, and I was rejected to both programs. I prepared for the interviews for two weeks and I answered to the questions without any struggles. I may not have answered in a way the interviewees wanted. I had very low undergrad GPA (just little above 2.0); however for past 5 years, I did post bacc and have over 4000hr of HCE. I know that they invited me to the interview to get to know me little more; however, I have feeling that b/c of my undergrad GPA, I think I got rejected. Do they invite someone to the interview knowing that they will reject this person? Or staff select candidates just based on the interview after invitation to the interview? Thank you for your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeanjo87 Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 Hello - I wondered if I could get an opinion about the need for PAs with a research/public health background. I have a B.S. in Biotechnology and will complete my MPH this spring. I worked as a research technician (bench science) for 3 years before moving to my current job, where I work as a study coordinator. I have really enjoyed the patient care aspect of the coordinating position much more than I expected, and am interested in pursuing PA school with hopes of combining clinical practice with my public health degree. Ideally, someday I'd like to work as an EIS officer with the CDC. Is there a need out there for PA/MPHs? Would a PA school consider the MPH to be an asset? Would my position as a study coordinator count towards HCE? Thank you for your guidance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris123 Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 Paadmissions- I really appreciate you taking the time to answer all these questions and providing us with helpful information. Applying to PA school can be confusing, especially since it is very specific and many deadlines to remember. However I had a question.... I will be interviewing at PA school in a couple weeks and was just notified that it will be a profithr- MMI multiple mini-interview process. I looked up to see what type of interview this is as I have never heard of it before. Thus far, it looks very intense and I want to be well prepared for it. I was wondering if you could provide me with information of how to prepare and what kind of questions/sanarios I may expect. I'm afraid if there are questions that will be well above my "medical" knowledge to suffice in doing a good job in the interview. Thanks again! I look forward to hearing from you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris123 Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 Paadmissions- I really appreciate you taking the time to answer all these questions and providing us with helpful information. Applying to PA school can be confusing, especially since it is very specific and many deadlines to remember. However I had a question.... I will be interviewing at a PA school in a couple weeks and was just notified that it will be a profithr- MMI multiple mini-interview process. I looked up to see what type of interview this is as I have never heard of it before. Thus far, it looks very intense and I want to be well prepared for it. I was wondering if you could provide me with information of how to prepare and what kind of questions/sanarios I may expect. I'm afraid if there are questions that will be well above my "medical" knowledge to suffice in doing a good job in the interview. Thanks again! I look forward to hearing from you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HM2PA Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 G'Day paadmissions, Thank you for investing so much time on this forum - I have gleaned an incredible amount of information!!! I would like your opinion on programs you think might be a good fit for me. SHORT BIO: I'm 25, married w/ 2kids, from Washington state, conversational in Spanish, 5 years active duty Navy Corpsman (anesthesia tech and general corpsman on a ship working with a PA) + 8 months as Lab Assistant (Phleb/EKGs) and now facilitate a patient care simulation lab. I have my bachelors in general studies (ministry/healthcare). Undergrad GPA ~ 3.0 between now and summer I will have taken 6 sciences with an anticipated science GPA of over 3.7. After I am done with my pre-reqs my comGPA will be about 3.2. MY PLAN: MEDEX and Duke are by far my first choices, George Washington, USC, and Stanford are my next top choices. (maybe Wake Forest and Emory) MY QUESTION: What other programs do you suppose might be a good fit. I want to cast my net far enough to absolutely maximize getting in somewhere. What programs, perhaps less competitive than the above mentioned, would highly value my military medical experience. Remember my GPA is low and my science GPA will be high. By the time I apply I will have taken: Intro to CHEM, 1st qtr of GEN CHEM, Intro to OCHEM/BIOCHEM, 1st qtr of BIO, A&P I and II, MICRO, STATS, PSYCH, and Lifespan PSYC. (NOTE: for USC I plan to CLEP as many Spanish classes to meet that requirement) I realize I am fighting an uphill battle with my GPA and so I am pouring my soul into getting a 4.0 on my pre-reqs. That said I am nervous about getting in somewhere... your opinion would be supremely helpful! Thank You!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paadmissions Posted March 11, 2013 Author Share Posted March 11, 2013 @sumarachi I just responded to your personal message. Again, sorry for the delay..this time of year is rather busy with recruiting trips and applications. Thanks for your patience! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paadmissions Posted March 11, 2013 Author Share Posted March 11, 2013 @aerten No problem! Glad it could help you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paadmissions Posted March 11, 2013 Author Share Posted March 11, 2013 @chris123 Thank you for your questions and sorry for the delay. I actually was in a PAEA session this past November that talked a little bit about the MMI format. The program that presented this session spoke about how the process works. I only know a little bit about this type of format so please forgive my ignorance on not being 100% familiar with it. From what I gathered you will have upwards to 8 mini interview teams. They have one scenario, but every team has a different quality they're looking at...meaning they ask different questions to evaluate qualities such as ethics, values, critical thinking, interest in primary care, etc. Each team will score your interview based on a rubric and at the conclusion of the interviews they total up the points. Be prepared that your lowest score you'll get out of all the interviews will probably be your first interview bc you're nervous and getting used to the format. Don't let that discourage you as it happens with any type of multi-team interview. I'm hoping this is how it's set up, but don't hold me to it if it's different when you get there. I don't think there will be medical questions to evaluate your medical knowledge.. at least I don't think that would be a fair way to judge someone's desire to enter into a training program. Since I'm not all that confident in the above information be prepared for anything. Hope this helps and best wishes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paadmissions Posted March 11, 2013 Author Share Posted March 11, 2013 @HM2PA Thank you for your question and there are several programs that have taken the initiative to make special room for veterans. Consider signing up through the Health Career Prep website. These folks help connect active duty and veterans to to health professions programs. I've heard great things about their services and this may be a great way to help you connect to other programs that you haven't thought about. On that note, I would be silly not to recommend our program at Methodist. Being near Ft. Bragg, NC we do a lot with Womack Medical Center and understand the importance of the military influence in our area. We have had several medics who have gone through the program, are in the program, and a few set to enroll this August. I think your profile that you've outlined for me in your post presents a competitive applicant with a dynamic background. Veterans bring a lot to our program as far as work ethic, life experiences, maturity, the ability to work as a team,and the willingness to listen and learn new techniques. Just last week I was fortunate to meet the head person in charge of the Navy medics...what a wonderful opportunity for our program to be present and I hope this information and website provide can streamline you to a program that you feel would be a great fit. Best wishes and thank you for your service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgancrandall Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Hello! I am a current undergraduate senior and am thinking about taking a year off to accumulate PCH so that I can be more competitive. However, I would also like to teach english in a foreign country for 3-6 months. I think this is an awesome opportunity and that it just shows that I have other interests (I do come from a private liberal arts college, so maybe I'm a little bit biased towards the "well-rounded student") Anyways, I was wondering if this would hinder my application; maybe admissions committees wouldn't find me serious in my efforts to become a PA? If so, it's not something I am DYING to do and I would much rather keep working as a CNA to acquire many hours in hopes to fulfill my dream in becoming a PA. Thank you for your time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paadmissions Posted March 13, 2013 Author Share Posted March 13, 2013 @morgancrandall Thank you for your question. I think it's important for you to experience something like that if it interest you. You certainly won't have a life in PA school so to be able to travel now would be an awesome opportunity. If it delays you getting patient hours, so be it. I think real life experience is valuable to many who enter PA school and you've got time when you get back to work on the hours. Best wishes with your decision and have fun if you go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shalom Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Hello. I had two interviews for this cycle, and I was rejected to both programs. I prepared for the interviews for two weeks and I answered to the questions without any struggles. I may not have answered in a way the interviewees wanted. I had very low undergrad GPA (just little above 2.0); however for past 5 years, I did post bacc and have over 4000hr of HCE. I know that they invited me to the interview to get to know me little more; however, I have feeling that b/c of my undergrad GPA, I think I got rejected. Do they invite someone to the interview knowing that they will reject this person? Or staff select candidates just based on the interview after invitation to the interview? Thank you for your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paadmissions Posted March 14, 2013 Author Share Posted March 14, 2013 @michma Thank you for your questions. From our standpoint, we typically try to invite applicants in for interviews if we feel they have shown the academic willpower to be successful in the program. There are a few applicants who may be borderline with their grades and the interview does tell us a lot about if we think they'll be able to handle the rigors of PA school. Sometimes, on a few occasions, we deny them based on a combination of their borderline grades and interview. We now make the recommendation for them to consider going back to retake classes if that is the case. However, there are some borderline applicants who have a phenomenal interview and have demonstrated why they should be in our program. These students are accepted. I think I'm safe to say they probably had a sincere interest in you and is why they wanted you to come in and meet with them. Interviews aren't intended to make applicants look bad, but allows you to show your good side. I don't think they had a "premeditated" plan to reject you, that's usually not what we consider fair admissions practices. Some programs offer feedback after the interview and I don't think it's out of line for you to reach out to the programs to see if they can give you some reasoning behind their decision. It may be more about your interpersonal skills, and not so much on academics. You don't know until you ask and the worst they can say is "no." I hope this helps and best wishes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desdes Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 I am currently taking some online courses due to the fact of where I am located at Ft. Irwin will online courses be looked down upon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asterlington Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 I think that it is really nice that you are all willing to take the time to participate in this forum discussion, thank you!! I interviewed this last cycle and was not accepted, which I really feel okay about considering the volume and quality of applicants out there. I was thrilled to be invited to interview. I am in my late 40's with several years of hce, I quit my job to go back to school with the intention of attaining my bachelors degree and PA certification and have completed all of my pre-req's with a decent GPA (3.2 in science and 3.7 overall). I believe that I have excellent inter personal skills, I have always related well others, I am a team player and feel confident in the references and support I received from my employers, mentors and medical community. I believe in my heart that I have what it takes to be a good PA and I would be over joyed to be given the opportunity. All that being said, I have to be realistic, I am not getting any younger, and sooner rather than later I am going to need to go back to work. The program that I interviewed with is not in a position to provide individual feedback and I just wonder what the real chances are that I will ever be accepted? I did my best in trying to be myself and really have no idea if there is something about me specifically that isn't a good fit or if there is an area that I can work on, reconsider and or evaluate etc..... I am applying again this year and am taking seriously all of the information offered to us in our "status letters" (sounds better to me than rejection) : ) and look forward to seeing how it will all play out. Any feedback and/or suggestions you might have to offer is greatly appreciated. Most Sincerely ~ Andriene S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahb Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Hi! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer questions on here! I've been reading through and have found a lot of answers, but have a few questions I am hoping you can answer. 1) I am a senior at UC Berkeley right now, graduating in 2 months. I have taken most pre-reqs for PA school here, as well as additional human health/ecology courses. I have received B+ and above in all my pre-req courses, but received a C- in general biology. For a school that requires Anatomy/Physio + 2 extra science classes (for example), will they look at the upper division courses I have done well in (i.e. Human Reproduction and Immunology and Genetics) or will they hold it against me that I barely based a general biology course? (Sorry if this sounds confusing!) 2) Should I retake this general biology course mentioned above at a community college to improve my GPA? (I think right now I have a science GPA of around a 3.5 and an overall GPA or around a 3.6). 3) I plan on taking 1 or 2 years off before PA school. I have already obtained ~500 hours as a PT aid over the years and have volunteer work, so do you think it is more important for me to gain more HCE hours of improve my GPA during my time off? Thank you in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yaklloyd Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 thanks so much for your feedback. this is such a great place to post. i am starting school in two months now, cant believe i am going to be in PA school soon. anyway, my question is, what is the best way to take notes during class? writing notes? record? laptop? any suggestions for optimal note taking success? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paadmissions Posted March 15, 2013 Author Share Posted March 15, 2013 @desdes Thank you for your question. From our program's standpoint, if you have to take online courses, we would encourage you to only take general education requirements (i.e. maths, psychologies, medical terminology) online. It's hard in our opinion to replicate labs that go along with the sciences. Also, we don't feel online classes benefit your application or your preparation to handle the curriculum. I hope this helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paadmissions Posted March 15, 2013 Author Share Posted March 15, 2013 @asterlington Thank you for your question. I wish I could have some strong words of advice for you about how to improve your interview, but without feedback from the program it's hard for me to elaborate. I guess one question I have is, in the status letter did they ask you to reapply for next year? The reason I ask is because you may also want to keep your options open by considering other programs. I don't know how feasible it may be for you to go to another program, so my advice my not be fitting to your situation. I know it's hard for some applicants to see that just because one program (usually the number choice of program) may not find you a good fit, others may. Academically, I would assume you're meeting the selection factors for the programs that interest you since you received an interview? That may be one thing to evaluate further as you prepare for the next cycle. I wish I could offer my advice, but wish you the best! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paadmissions Posted March 15, 2013 Author Share Posted March 15, 2013 @yaklloyd Congrats on getting to this point!! You've got a challenging few years ahead, but have confidence in your ability to do well and it will be over before you know it! In response to your question about note taking, that will all depend on what works best for you. Many (almost most) of our students take notes on the laptop. A lot of our instructors teach with a power point so most students take notes on the slides since they usually (not all the time) have access to the ppt. prior to class. Some students have been known to record lectures. Before you do that, make sure you talk with your didactic year coordinator to ensure recording a lecture is acceptable. Most of the time it probably is, but there may be some instructors who don't allow if for one reason or another. My biggest advice is to make sure you READ any of the assignments given to you before class. Not everything on a test will be covered in a ppt. and you're expected to read ...it can only help you stay ahead. Also, remember preparing for an exam is different than undergrad..meaning you can't cram the night before...so time management will be very important. Best wishes on the next leg of your journey..it will be well worth it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asterlington Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 Thanks so much for getting back so quickly!!! I applied to MEDEX and yes, we are all encouraged to keep applying. I wish that I had the flexibility of casting a wider net (although the UW would still be my top pick), at this time I am limited simply because I haven't completed my bachelors degree. For now I am continuing to move forward. Thanks again for your feedback! Cheers ~ Andriene S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dilemma84 Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 Hi PA Admission Director again, Thank you so much for answer my question at previous posts. I have another question to ask: I am graduating this May but I have not taken A&P and microbiology yet, I am planning to take all my prerequisites this coming fall and spring semester 2013. I am getting certified as CNA and will be working full time summer and part time (when school starts), so i calculated my hours to approximately 1000hr CNA and about 500hrs shadowing PA and MD's. Since all applicants apply for the enrollment of the next coming year, I hope to apply next summer 2014 and hopefully get accepted for the class coming in summer 2015. With my GPA (3.4) and science (3.3 : before some prerequites) and the above hours, do you think I should apply the next summer or even take 2 years off to get more HCE before applying? THe reason I am asking is because if I wait for 2 years from my graduation date, I will not be enrolling (if accepted) into the school for the next 3 years. So is my statistics good enough to give a try next summer? or should I still hold it off? Thank you so much for your time ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekhamidova Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 Dear PA Admissions Director, thank you very much for your help! i got wait listed by the only PA school i applied to (was at the last interview session). Needless to say this year i'll be reapplying to more than one PA school. My question is regarding my narrative: do i need to rewrite it? After all, it got me an invitation to the interview. Looking forward to your answer. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meganschulz0502 Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 Hi PA Admission Director, I am currently a senior at CSUF and gearing up to apply for the next cycle for various PA school. My issue is the definition of "clinical experience." I have worked in a private practice for about 3 years now as a Behavioral Interventionist/ABA therapist working with children and adults with various neurological disorders (down syndrome, aphasia, traumatic brain injury, autism, and dysarthria). I would think this would be considered "hands-on" patient contact however, typically I rarely see my field listed as "approved health care hours." My goal is to focus on neurology which is why I pursued this avenue of experience. So my question is, would these hours count at all since it is a little out of the ordinary for healthcare hours? Or should I seek other avenues of healthcare hours? I also have hours in shadowing both an MD and PA aswell. Thank you so much for answering my question, I hope to hear from you soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paadmissions Posted March 18, 2013 Author Share Posted March 18, 2013 @ru2013 Thank you for your questions. If you're able to knock out the outstanding prerequisites with solid grades to boost your science GPA, and within the calendar year, I think next summer would be an option for applying. However, be sure to keep in mind deadlines for coursework and hours. For example, make sure you can apply if you're in the process of completing coursework, etc if you still have outstanding coursework left to complete. Some programs want all things done at the time of application and some allow you to be in the process of completing prerequisites. You may also want to note the average number of clinical hours for the programs you're applying to to make sure your 1000 hours of CNA work and 500 hours of shadowing are in line with the applicants who have matriculated into the program. I would assume you should be ok, but as you're well aware every program has different requirements. I hope this helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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