Ask a PA Admissions Director

[paadmissions]

@camha92 Thank you for your questions. There are some programs that use a ranking system for the undergraduate college or university attended. However, not all programs use a ranking, but may recognize that some institutions tend to have more rigorous curriculum than others; and some programs may not even consider the undergrad institution to be important.

I also look at this question from the standpoint of where you're taking your prerequisites: a 4 year school vs. a community college. Our program prefers to see the majority of prerequisites, especially in the sciences, to be taken a 4 year institution, rather than a cc. Again, going back to my earlier point, not every program has the same approach and may not have a preference of where you take the prerequisites. I hope this helps!

[smatovich]

I have been looking at schools and some specifically want "hands on clinical experience" and not volunteer hours or shadowing hours. Well, I don't know where to even begin. Nobody is going to let me even put a bandage on somebody without some sort of CNA or other certification.

 

What do you recommend I do? Where do I even start?

I called nursing homes to see what I could do (answer: supervise field trips). I checked with the hospital where I am already volunteering (waiting on answer).

 

Do I just need to go to take another year of classes and start working on a medical assistant certification or a phlebotomy cert?

Is there anything I can do to get this hands on certification, without a certificate? (I'm not opposed to the school, it's just that I'm getting older and would like to be able to have kids, before it's too late.)

 

Surely, not everyone is an EMT or RN, what are the other people doing that I haven't thought of?

 

Also, I finally found a sweet PA to shadow. How many hours of shadowing is recommended? It was so hard to find her. I'd hate to wear out her kindness.

 

Thanks for the help.

[paadmissions]

@smatovich Thank you for your questions. Not everyone is a EMT or RN, but the majority of matriculating students with hands on experience do have a certification of some sort (CNA. phlebotomy, medical assisting, physical therapy aid, surgical tech). The "fastest" way I've heard of people getting a CNA certification, if that's the route you want to pursue, is considering a CNA challenge test. Some states have that option to take the certification exam without going through a training program, NC being one of those states. We had several current students say they challenged the test and were able to get certified that way. If you're outside of NC I would encourage to contact the organization that oversees nurses' aids or do a google search about your state. If you are considering other options that I mentioned, a lot of these certifications, not all, could be completed in a 6-8 week course at a local CC depending on how advanced you want your certification to be. Hope this helps!

[zoopeda]

Dear Admissions,

 

I keep hearing the advice that sometimes (usually when a lower GPA is involved) it's a good idea to "re-take any pre-reqs that received less than an A grade." As I understand, CASPA does not use grade replacement (the way DO medical schools do). As a post-bac student (with over 100 credit hours and a 3.1 cGPA in my history), would it help to retake any of the sciences I received Bs in, even though such a small increase in one class will hardly increase my overall GPA? I can see how this might raise my sGPA a bit more dramatically, so perhaps that's the reasoning? Thanks for any thoughts you might have...

[K-Gill]

I have heard there are PA schools that do not require a B.S. do you know where I can find a list of PA schools that do not require a B.S.?

[arosswoods]

I have one school that I am really set on getting into. How can I increase my chances of standing out to them? I have a 4.0 GPA and have 2000 hrs HCE. It sounds like I'm a competitive applicant but I really want my name at the top of the list for sure when I apply next year. Any suggestions? I was thinking about sending them a letter ahead of my application, or is that too pushy?

[paadmissions]

@zoopeda Thank you for your questions. I tend to encourage applicants to consider retaking all, or the majority of required prerequisites for the program(s) you're applying to if you have a lot of grades of C in the prerequisites. You also have to keep in mind if you have all Bs in the prerequisites that's only going to equal a 3.0 prerequisite GPA. So, the suggestion of retaking the ones you've scored Bs in is advice worth considering if you're in that situation. If you're in the ballpark of 3.4-3.6 with your prereqs and have a few Bs, I usually don't make the recommendation that the applicant go back to get straight As. Is it nice to see a 4.0 prereq. GPA? Yes, but students who are in the range I mentioned above, perform just as good (sometimes better) than your perfect 4.0 student.

You are also correct that CASPA does not recognize grade replacement when calculating GPAs. From our program's standpoint, that's our job to calculate our own prerequisite GPA based on your highest grade. As you've probably read in the thread, not all programs approach it that way and may average the original and retake together. Some schools even go as far as recalculating the overall GPA and don't use CASPA's calculations. It all depends on who you're applying to.

I hope this helps and respond if you have any further questions!

[paadmissions]

@arosswoods Thank you for your question. Yes, on paper you would an ideal candidate for an interview. To avoid appearing to be over-eager I would recommend the following:

1. Consider visiting that program if they have an open house. If not, I accommodate prospective students to sit in on a lecture if they request that in advance. This way you can get a feel if you really like the program and if you would fit in. This allows you to also meet the admissions people or faculty/staff members who may be in charge of reviewing applications. I tend to encourage people to attend sessions if they're able to, but it varies from program to program.

2. Apply well ahead of the deadline. As I've said many times in the thread, deadlines can be misleading so don't procrastinate submitting your application and other required materials.

3. When you do submit your application, be patient. I know the next step is PA school and applicants are very anxious about "what's going to happen next?" Allow the program to take it's natural course with contacting you about your application and an interview. I'm probably preaching to the choir, but it's a red flag for applicants to continuously call and email to check on their application. I would allow at least 7-10 days for a confirmation email or letter that they've received your application. If you don't hear anything, it may be worth calling just to follow up to make sure you didn't miss their email, but tread lightly on the number of contacts you make after that.

4. Most importantly: PREPARE FOR YOUR INTERVIEW as much as you prepared your application! Perfect on paper is one thing, but the interview secures your spot in most programs. If you're hard to read, not engaging, don't understand the role of a PA, and have poor communication skills it's hard for a committee to get to know YOU and how you'll fit in with the program and the profession.

If you're applying for next year, remember the CASPA application is open now. If you're delaying one more cycle, April 2014 is when the application opens. Hope this helps!

[paadmissions]

@K-gill If you visit the CASPA website (google search CASPA participating schools) a large list of schools will come up and it provides a little blurb about each program and their website address. You may also view accredited programs through the ARC-PA website and filter by state. That may be a better place to start since not all programs participate in CASPA. Hope this is a start for you.

[sjkiestler]

Hello, I would like to thank you for starting this thread. It is very helpful information. I am a senior in college applying for this cycle to start PA school as soon as I graduate from undergraduate. I have a 3.7 GPA and a 3.6 Science GPA. I scored a 307 on my GRE. Although I have no direct patient care hours, I do have roughly around 500 hours shadowing a few physicians and PAs. First off, based on these information I feel like I am a competitive applicant for the schools I am applying to (non require direct patient care hours or HCE). Do you think that my stats are competitive?

 

My main struggle right now is around my personal statement. After reading all the threads on the personal essay sections, I feel like 90% of the essays are some dramatic/somewhat sob story about what made them want to become a PA. Is this what an adcom is looking for? I have been compassionate to become a PA all throughout undergrad and through my volunteering and hard work feel that I can easily express my overwhelming desire to become a PA and why I would make a good fit. Is this enough for a personal essay, or do I need to think of some dramatic experience that made me want to be a PA? I want my essay to stand out but I feel like those with these sad stories stand out way more.

[kw118]

Thank you so much for all your input! This thread is a huge help. I also had a question for you.

 

I graduated magna cum laude with a BS in Biology this past May. According to CASPA, I have a 3.81 overall and 3.65 science. I have almost 1500 hours of direct HCE. I shadowed a physician for almost 100 hours (I originally thought I wanted to pursue medical school), 25 hours shadowing a PA, and hours from working as a direct care counselor with developmentally disabled patients, an internship as a medical assistant (taking vitals, medical histories, EKGs, etc), volunteering as EMS (I want to take an EMT course during my gap year now), and I currently work as a chiropractic assistant treating patients. I received my first interview invite for next month, but I would still like to make myself as a more competitive applicant for the other programs if I am offered an interview (hopefully!). Should I continue to shadow a PA more while waiting for interviews? Also, do you think there is anything else I can do to improve my chances? I have my heart set on one particular school and am waiting to hear back from them for an interview. Thank you in advance for your time!

[arosswoods]

@smatovich I am a nursing assistant in a hospital and they trained me for my job. I know that if I were to try to work as an aide or tech at a nursing home I would need a CNA cert. but, at least in TN, hospitals can train their own as long as you can pass a skills check-off at the end of orientation. I had to agree to do clerk work in addition to tech work to get the training, but that's been a good thing as I get to interact with the docs and other departments more than the other nursing assistants. Check with the hospital in your area.

[alatriel]

Greetings one and all! I am new to the forum and the general concept here, so bear with me... I graduated five yrs ago with BS. in Bio, with minors in Chem & Philosophy- GPA 3.69. My HCE is not bad and equates to about 5.5 yrs working as an M.A. (uncertified though) and I do spend about 40hrs a week working directly with an M.D. doing direct patient care and some light administrative work. Also have spent about one night a month for past 2.5 yrs volunteering with same M.D. at a free clinic and have shadowed a P.A. I put off taking the GRE, a decision I'm now regretting as I have taken it twice within the last 2.5 months and can't break 154 on VR and 151 on QR. Really want to apply this year- does anybody think I have a shot with such poor GRE scores? OR throw in the towel and try next year? Thanks :)

[HM2PA]

@paadmissions, as always - thank you for your time and advice! Recently I contacted a PA working autonomously in a very rural clinic near my home town in order to set up a day to shadow. We had a wonderful phone conversation at the end of which he mentioned that he is a preceptor for my 1st choice program and part of the admissions faculty. Would it be a conflict of interest to request a LOR (4th letter for supplemental from him at the end of the day, and would that be completely inappropriate after just 8 hours of shadowing? I contacted this clinic for the simple reason that it is rural, near my home town, and has a PA working with his SP 30 miles away. I had no idea that the PA has any connection to the program I am applying to. Do you see any other ethical issues with shadowing here?

 

Thanks You!!!

[paadmissions]

@sjkiestler Thank you for your question. I think your GPAs and GRE scores are competitive, but make sure your hours are consistent with what programs you want to apply to. I do have to say that your PS comment about "sob stories" is a spot on critique of what our program does not want to hear. We would prefer to see an analytical or insightful view of what you think a PA's role is within the medical field. The statement that "you want to help people" is very generic and 500 other applicants want the same thing. Recognize that being a PA is not a "cake walk" job and it takes a lot of dedication and preparation to be a provider. I hope this helps!

[paadmissions]

@hm2pa Thank you for your question. No, from our program's standpoint, I don't think that is a conflict of interest. Preceptors can sometimes give a good perspective on you and the type of student they desire on a clinical rotation. Hope this helps!

[paadmissions]

@kw118 Thank you for your questions. You're desirable on paper, but make sure you continue your HCE (shadowing and medically assisting). Some programs start interviews later than some so I would think your profile may afford you more interviews than one. Some programs may extend those interviews late than some. Make sure to prepare for your interview as much as you prepared for your application. I hope this helps!

[paadmissions]

@alatriel Thank you for your question. I don't see many academic factors that would prohibit you from being a competitive applicant so I wouldn't throw in the towel without attempting one application cycle. Hope this helps!

[aerten]

@paadmissions...

 

Hi... This question is somewhat embarrassing, but I am going to ask it anyhow.

 

How deep do admissions offices dig when they go about verifying the aspects of your history? My HCE hours took place in a hospital where I had a wonderful working relationship with the medical director of our department, but quite a bit of friction with the department coordinator. I plan to get one of my letters of reference from the medical director, and I'm sure that it will be glowing. She still works at the same hospital, but she no longer directs the department where I worked. The coordinator, however, is still there. Is it likely for admissions offices simply to call my former medical director at her current phone number? Or is it likely that they will also call my former department and speak with my former coordinating manager? Thanks!

[paadmissions]

@aeten Thank you for your question. I know from our standpoint, we don't follow up on clinical experience positions for applicants unless there is something that realllly jumps out as being strange, and that rarely happens. I assume that most programs don't have the time to that...I know we certainly don't. Hope this helps!

[paprospect24]

In your experience do admissions scrutinize whether or not a student waives their right to access their letters of recommendation?

[Timon]

1,000!

 

Thanks so much for everything you do PAadmissions!

[paadmissions]

@paprospect24 Thanks for your question. There are some programs that do consider whether or not an applicant waives their rights to the LORs to be of value. Our program does not get too bent out of shape about this. I've heard it on more than one occasion that an applicant was truly unaware that whether or not they waived their access would count for or against them. In those instances, I usually tell the applicant to follow up via email to the program to let them know that you waive access to the letters, although you indicated differently. I've gotten responses that programs are accepting of this admission. It's something to consider and will depend on which program you're applying to. Hope this helps!

[pglaser01]

Good morning!

 

I'm sorry I just wish to follow up on paprospect24's question. I'm not sure I understand in what way would a program could hold it against you if you had not waived your rights to LORs? I guess I'm wondering why would it really matter whether you waived that right or not?

 

Thank you

[justme]

Very valuable info and much appreciated. I have a question some may view as silly, but is it ok to call a program and inquire about the status of an application and possibility of whether one was being considered for an interview if you will be going to that area for an interview with a different school. We are not talking about a couple of hundred miles but rather almost 1800 miles and the cost to fly and rent a car and hotel add up. Would it be viewed as rude or presumptive to call and inquire about the chance of an interview during the time you are in the area? Thanks so much!!