Ask a PA Admissions Director

[turboman]

Thanks!

[paadmissions]

@turboman Thank you for your question. I would encourage you to reach out to the programs you're interested in to see if they can do an unofficial evaluation of your transcripts. They may be able to tell you if you should retake classes and/or if you are competitive with the applicant pool. Usually sending unofficial transcripts via email is the best way to approach it. I would say you're in decent position with your overall GPA and may not have too many retakes to consider, but it all depends on what is required for those programs and how you performed in the required coursework. Some programs may factor in GRE scores so be prepared for that. Hope this helps!

Hi paadmissions,

 

I currently just graduated with my BS in Biology and graduated with an overall GPA of a 3.34, with a science GPA of 3.35. I'm currently prepping to take the GRE. Work experience wise I have been working at the Stanford Hospital as:

 

Health screener (taking vitals)-1,200 hrs

Clinical Research Lab Asst- 500hrs

 

I also shadow two Physician Assistant and have accumulated over 100 hours, which have reinforced why I want to become a PA. My third year in college I got diagnosed with an Arrhythmia and was in and out of the hospital for over two months, since I was trying to get cleared because I participated in collegiate athletics. That semester my GPA was fairly poor and it had an impact on my overall GPA. I did finish my last two years with a GPA of around a 3.5-3.6. I'm still a bit hesitant on applying because I don't know if  I'm a competitive candidate, would you advice me to work on any specific area?

 

Thank you @paadmissions

[enochy]

Do most or all schools look down on online classes? even if they have a lab?

Thank you for your response.

[emily3491]

Hi, I am wondering what schools think of research experience. Right now I have about 500 hours of patient care, but I am working full time as a research assistant. I am published several times and am one year out of undergrad. I graduated with a BS in kinesiology and a 3.5 GPA. I am wondering if I need to get more direct patient care experience or if I am in good shape for applying next cycle. Thanks!

[paadmissions]

@enochy Thank you for your question. Our program strongly discourages any of our prerequisites to be taken online, especially in the sciences. You'll find in the classroom courses will better prepare you for PA school curriculum. Every school will probably have an opinion about online courses, but I'm confident most would prefer to traditional style learning. Hope this helps!

Do most or all schools look down on online classes? even if they have a lab?

Thank you for your response.

[paadmissions]

@emily3491 Thank you for your question. The answer to that may vary from program to program. I haven't run across many programs that put a lot of emphasis on research, rather they put more emphasis on patient care experience. Depending on which program you're applying to your hours may suffice for their requirement or it may not...it depends on how many hours, if any, they require. I feel if you're 100% committed to going into PA school I would encourage you to consider turning your focus to patient care to help better prepare you and/or to accumulate more hours if you need to. Hope this helps!

Hi, I am wondering what schools think of research experience. Right now I have about 500 hours of patient care, but I am working full time as a research assistant. I am published several times and am one year out of undergrad. I graduated with a BS in kinesiology and a 3.5 GPA. I am wondering if I need to get more direct patient care experience or if I am in good shape for applying next cycle. Thanks!

[Ejsmith829]

Thank you for all of your help! I have a question I'm not sure has been asked yet.

I interviewed at a program on 10/10, and haven't heard anything back yet. They did not give us a very specific timeline as to when we would hear. All I was told was "you will know by February." However, I know from years past that some people hear back in a couple of weeks. At what point is it considered okay to follow up with the program? What is the etiquette for this kind of thing? Do admissions staff hate this? Thank you!

 

 

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[Hedgehog24]

paadmissions, thanks for initiating and maintaining such a valuable thread. If you don't mind answering, I do have a question for you. Generally speaking, is it common for the admissions staff at PA programs to actually call the individuals who have been listed on CASPA as your employers, references, etc.? The reason I ask is because several of my volunteering and shadowing experiences occurred several years ago, and even though I still know specific pieces of information regarding the number of hours (as well as tasks/duties performed) spent doing each activity, I'm not sure if the references themselves will remember me having spent the same amount of time doing them -- if they even remember me at all. Additionally, one of my volunteering experiences occurred about 2 years at a local nursing home that experienced an upper-level management shake-up (followed by a mass exodus of staff members) several months after my volunteering sessions ended, and the lady who handled volunteering matters was one of the individuals who left. 

 

Since these various experiences account for well over 200-250 hours of activity, I'd like to include them on my CASPA application. However, my only concern is that the PA programs I apply to will attempt to contact my references, only to be informed by the references themselves that they recall me only having completed X hours instead of my stated Y hours -- or worse, that they don't remember me at all. If there is any possibility that this may occur, do you advise students to include a note in the CASPA application that this may occur? But wouldn't that also look suspicious?

 

Thanks in advance for your assistance; your advice is much appreciated. 

 

[paadmissions]

@ejsmith Thank you for your question. I would wait at least a month to see if you've heard anything. If you know for a fact others have heard back within weeks of their interview and the fact they've given you such an open window I don't see why it would hurt to follow up with a very polite email to inquire if any decision has been made. If they have not made a decision, I would stick with inquiring only once about your status unless you've been offered another seat in another program. If you are offered another seat and now have options, its best to approach them to see if any decision has been made because you may have a deadline with the other program to accept or decline the offer.  If you are not offered another seat in a program from now until February I would only inquire one time. I hope this helps!

Thank you for all of your help! I have a question I'm not sure has been asked yet.
I interviewed at a program on 10/10, and haven't heard anything back yet. They did not give us a very specific timeline as to when we would hear. All I was told was "you will know by February." However, I know from years past that some people hear back in a couple of weeks. At what point is it considered okay to follow up with the program? What is the etiquette for this kind of thing? Do admissions staff hate this? Thank you!


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[paadmissions]

@hedgehog24 Thank you for your question. I know from our standpoint we don't have the time to follow up with supervisors, etc. for applicants. I think this is probably true with the majority of programs. I have, however, followed up with people who have written letters of recommendations that may have been a little questionable; but it's rare that we do that one multiple occasions.  My advice to you is to be honest with your experiences and make sure you document them in the most accurate way.  Hope this helps!

 

paadmissions, thanks for initiating and maintaining such a valuable thread. If you don't mind answering, I do have a question for you. Generally speaking, is it common for the admissions staff at PA programs to actually call the individuals who have been listed on CASPA as your employers, references, etc.? The reason I ask is because several of my volunteering and shadowing experiences occurred several years ago, and even though I still know specific pieces of information regarding the number of hours (as well as tasks/duties performed) spent doing each activity, I'm not sure if the references themselves will remember me having spent the same amount of time doing them -- if they even remember me at all. Additionally, one of my volunteering experiences occurred about 2 years at a local nursing home that experienced an upper-level management shake-up (followed by a mass exodus of staff members) several months after my volunteering sessions ended, and the lady who handled volunteering matters was one of the individuals who left. 

 

Since these various experiences account for well over 200-250 hours of activity, I'd like to include them on my CASPA application. However, my only concern is that the PA programs I apply to will attempt to contact my references, only to be informed by the references themselves that they recall me only having completed X hours instead of my stated Y hours -- or worse, that they don't remember me at all. If there is any possibility that this may occur, do you advise students to include a note in the CASPA application that this may occur? But wouldn't that also look suspicious?

 

Thanks in advance for your assistance; your advice is much appreciated. 

 

 

[jakejospeh]

I haven't heard back from any schools. Should I work for another year and reapply? Or get my masters in public health, or biomedical sciences, and then try again?

 

Long story short, I retook two classes (calculus and physics) in an attempt to raise my two C's to B's. Unfortunately, CASPA has to add all the grades that are on my transcript, and they do not replace grades for courses that were repeated. If both grades were on my transcript they would calculate both. This means that the C's were also added into my gpa putting it at 0.04 points less than what it really is.

 

According to my transcripts at UIUC, my GPA is exactly a 3.0. CASPA standardizes its calculations and calculated mine to be a 2.96. 

 

Currently I'm working as a research assistant at the University of Chicago's Eating Disorder Program. Through our studies, I take vitals for the patients then conduct patient assessments. Afterwards, I present these patients at our team meetings, and determine the best course of treatment with doctors, the psychiatrist, and therapists. So far I have about 500 patient contact hours. 

 

Sadly I haven't received any interviews yet. I am considering applying for a masters in public health. Ideally, I do well and reapply. 

 

I guess I'm not sure if I should work for a second year and gain more patient contact hours, or get my masters and aim for a higher GPA?

[frenchy]

Is membership in PA societies or associations helpful to have on applications to PA schools? 

[paadmissions]

@jakejospeh Thank you for your questions. I would first make sure to evaluate the requirements (coursework and hours) for the programs you're applying to. If you were applying to our program I would evaluate your performance in the required coursework and recommend your prioritize future coursework by retaking prerequisites before jumping into a master's program. A MPH degree is helpful to understand the inner workings of medicine (it's a very interesting field), but many MPH programs do not have upper level biology and chemistry courses that may be required for a lot of programs. Don't get me wrong, I do think a master's degree demonstrates your ability to handle graduate coursework, but it's equally as important to show academic success in prerequisites (at least from our standpoint). The number of hours you've completed and may need to complete could meet the requirements for the programs you're applying to, but since I don't know those programs I would encourage you to make sure you're meeting and/or exceeding requirements. It never hurts your application to go above and beyond what is required. You'll find that most class averages are exceeding required/recommended selection factors. I hope this helps!

 

I haven't heard back from any schools. Should I work for another year and reapply? Or get my masters in public health, or biomedical sciences, and then try again?

 

Long story short, I retook two classes (calculus and physics) in an attempt to raise my two C's to B's. Unfortunately, CASPA has to add all the grades that are on my transcript, and they do not replace grades for courses that were repeated. If both grades were on my transcript they would calculate both. This means that the C's were also added into my gpa putting it at 0.04 points less than what it really is.

 

According to my transcripts at UIUC, my GPA is exactly a 3.0. CASPA standardizes its calculations and calculated mine to be a 2.96. 

 

Currently I'm working as a research assistant at the University of Chicago's Eating Disorder Program. Through our studies, I take vitals for the patients then conduct patient assessments. Afterwards, I present these patients at our team meetings, and determine the best course of treatment with doctors, the psychiatrist, and therapists. So far I have about 500 patient contact hours. 

 

Sadly I haven't received any interviews yet. I am considering applying for a masters in public health. Ideally, I do well and reapply. 

 

I guess I'm not sure if I should work for a second year and gain more patient contact hours, or get my masters and aim for a higher GPA?

 

[paadmissions]

@frenchy Thank you for your question. From our standpoint, it's not something that makes or breaks an application. It's nice to see involvement in organizations like the AAPA, for example, and I'm sure most programs would encourage students, once enrolled in PA school, to get involved as much as they can in local, state and national PA organizations. If you decided to join the AAPA, it could offer good networking for you, but again, it's not something we weigh heavily. Hope this helps!

Is membership in PA societies or associations helpful to have on applications to PA schools? 

[frenchy]

Thanks for the reply.

[Hedgehog24]

paadmissions, thanks for answering my previous question. Since I'm already on the topic of references, I would like to ask one more related question. Should we only choose an individual to be a reference if we are confident that they will give us a "perfect" recommendation? I understand that the CASPA reference form requests that individuals serving as references objectively rate an applicant in several categories (in addition to the subjective essay portion), so I was just wondering if it necessarily looks bad to have a reference rate an applicant's "XYZ ability" at a 9/10 or an 8/10 instead of a perfect 10/10. Do most competitive applicants apply with references who have evaluated them with perfect scores?

[Aggiegirl06]

I have  a quick question. I am hoping to apply for the next application cycle (first time!) and my gpa is a 3.35. by the end of the summer I am hoping to have it up to a 3.45. and I have around 600 hours of working in a clinic. Upon finding this forum I became incredibly nervous! Applications are expensive so I am wondering what I should do, apply this cycle, or get my GPA up and apply the next cycle? I do not have any bad grades, all As and Bs. Just more Bs than As! 

Thanks!

[Jon9]

paadmissions, thank you for answering everyone's questions in this forum. I have read with alot of interest and really appreciate it. This is my first time to write....and it could have been asked before. I have read and heard that a possible interview question could be about Obama Care. From your perspective what are they asking. Is it more related to how will Obama Care will help/hurt the physician assistant profession? Or would it be more about Obama Care in general and our take of the program. Any input on this topic would be greatly appreciated!

[paadmissions]

@hedgehog24 Thank you for your question. We see a lot of 10s on letters of recommendation, but those who evaluate an applicant with an 8/10 or 7/10 should not be viewed as a bad LOR.  I think the letter can sometimes mean a little bit more if he/she is actually taking the time to recognize that the applicant is not perfect in every category, but can still recommend you "without recommendation." For example, if a professor or supervisor evaluates an applicant on most categories from "superior," "excellent" or "good" in the areas listed below (these are actually on CASPAs LOR page) it's a more accurate picture of the applicant.:

• Intellectual Ability
• Written Communication Skills
• Oral Communication Skills
• Emotional Maturity
• Adaptability
• Team Skills
• Dependability
• Conflict Resolution
• Interpersonal Skills
• Awareness of Limitations
• Reaction to Criticism
• Patient Interaction

The only concern I would have is if there were below average "check marks" for these categories and the evaluator just "recommends" or "recommends with reservation." What they write in the actual letter will support their evaluation of the above characteristics. If there are several check marks in average or below average for these listed above, it is a red flag. Hope this helps.

paadmissions, thanks for answering my previous question. Since I'm already on the topic of references, I would like to ask one more related question. Should we only choose an individual to be a reference if we are confident that they will give us a "perfect" recommendation? I understand that the CASPA reference form requests that individuals serving as references objectively rate an applicant in several categories (in addition to the subjective essay portion), so I was just wondering if it necessarily looks bad to have a reference rate an applicant's "XYZ ability" at a 9/10 or an 8/10 instead of a perfect 10/10. Do most competitive applicants apply with references who have evaluated them with perfect scores?

[paadmissions]

@Jon9 Thank you for your question. If we asked that question, we would be looking for 1- if you had a general understanding of how it will change healthcare in the US; 2- It's affect on primary care; 3- How beneficial PAs and other mid-level providers are needed to meet the demand, particularly in primary care, and how they can "help" the overhaul (from a cost standpoint, the number of PAs/NPs that would be needed, etc); 4- Other than your opinion of whether its a good or bad thing, what areas or particular population may in the most need of providers and why (i.e. medicare, rural areas).

 

By considering these topics be able to sufficiently form a response that is insightful and not just a superficial "definition" of Obama Care. It may be worth researching the laws for PAs in your state to see if their are limitations that may hinder effective healthcare from the standpoint of a PA (i.e. prescribing laws, scope of practice limitations, etc.). If you're shadowing a PA ask him/her what they may see as pros and cons. Hope this helps.

paadmissions, thank you for answering everyone's questions in this forum. I have read with alot of interest and really appreciate it. This is my first time to write....and it could have been asked before. I have read and heard that a possible interview question could be about Obama Care. From your perspective what are they asking. Is it more related to how will Obama Care will help/hurt the physician assistant profession? Or would it be more about Obama Care in general and our take of the program. Any input on this topic would be greatly appreciated!

[Jon9]

@Jon9 Thank you for your question. If we asked that question, we would be looking for 1- if you had a general understanding of how it will change healthcare in the US; 2- It's affect on primary care; 3- How beneficial PAs and other mid-level providers are needed to meet the demand, particularly in primary care, and how they can "help" the overhaul (from a cost standpoint, the number of PAs/NPs that would be needed, etc); 4- Other than your opinion of whether its a good or bad thing, what areas or particular population may in the most need of providers and why (i.e. medicare, rural areas).

 

By considering these topics be able to sufficiently form a response that is insightful and not just a superficial "definition" of Obama Care. It may be worth researching the laws for PAs in your state to see if their are limitations that may hinder effective healthcare from the standpoint of a PA (i.e. prescribing laws, scope of practice limitations, etc.). If you're shadowing a PA ask him/her what they may see as pros and cons. Hope this helps.

Thank you so much! It helped more than I could ever tell you. I wasn't sure if the question was asked what to expect. You are a tremendous help to all of us!

[Ng432]

Looking for guidance and a recommendation as to the next step. I have a bachelors

In Health Science from NSU with a 3.12. On top of completing that I have also additionally taken bio1/lab, chem

1&2 with lab, A&P 1&2 with lab, micro, patho w.lab and completed my associates in science with studies in surgical

Technology graduating with a 3.68 and as the president of the Surg tech club for the campus. I have my ACLS, BLS and have been a certified surgical technologist for 4.3 years. I am currently 75% completed with organic chemistry online through UNE. My first

Year as a CST I rotated and learned every surgical service since we had a 12 OR facility and worked side by side with PAs and ultimately was asked to join the open heart team and was on the Cardio thoracic team for a half of a year. For the past 3.3 years I have been the director of the OR and the hospitals only Surg. Tech. I basically act as the physicians PA by seeing the patient, writing the orders for them, speak to the family, obtain consent, and perform the surgery with just myself and the physician. After completing he surgery I sterilize all the instruments, complete the charting, order new supplies and when there is not a

Scheduled surgery I go back on the floor and assist the nurses, radiology techs in taking x-rays And CT's, help the PT's walk the patients and learn how OT's guide patients on learning to regain strength back to perform daily tasks when out of the hospital.

When applying to CASPA I was also studying for GRE, completing Bio1/lab and chem2/lab this past summer which was condensed to 12 weeks instead of the average 16 weeks and working full time as the surgical director. Unfortunately I received a D+ and a D for my last 2 courses because of the work load of driving 55 miles to campus after working in surgery all day.

 

I am now faced with all my applications I paid for to retake those two courses. I am frustrated because I feel like all the pre reqs keep

Changing with each campus and that no matter how hard I work or experience I put in, it will never be good enough for any campus, as I am competing against 4.0 seniors with zero HCE. I personally get to retract every organ, help stitch it back up then go back on the floor and shadow that physician as to what the next steps are for their care plan. I have Been denied by campus's stating my anatomy "course number" doesn't match up to theirs even though I passed A&P 1&2 with a A- and B- yet they want to see anatomy 200 with a B? With all my experience and course work how does that not work for PA admissions?

 

All guidance and recommendations are appreciated!

Thanks again!

[paadmissions]

@Ng432 Thank you for your questions. I think your experience is beyond solid and will obviously be very helpful in PA school.  That said, there has to be a balance of academics and clinical experience that demonstrate not only the clinical skills to be a successful provider, but the academic potential to get through the program. There's usually no way around it.  A lot of programs will take the path of least resistance by selecting those students who are exceeding academic selection factors. I'm not sure I can comment on how many times requirements for different programs change, but the programs I'm familiar with tend to keep at least their coursework the same with each application cycle. I can agree that the frustrating part for PA applicants is that every program has different requirements and deadlines, making it sometimes difficult to keep everyone straight.  Should you consider to go back and retake courses, a good rule of thumb is to take upper level biology and chemistry requirements through a 4-year institution. That's a safe way of making sure course levels are appropriate and that you have a higher chance of receiving better preparation for PA school.  Surgical techs have been very successful in our program (probably most programs), so if it's an ultimate goal you've got to have the academics to prove it. Hope this helps and best wishes!

Looking for guidance and a recommendation as to the next step. I have a bachelors
In Health Science from NSU with a 3.12. On top of completing that I have also additionally taken bio1/lab, chem
1&2 with lab, A&P 1&2 with lab, micro, patho w.lab and completed my associates in science with studies in surgical
Technology graduating with a 3.68 and as the president of the Surg tech club for the campus. I have my ACLS, BLS and have been a certified surgical technologist for 4.3 years. I am currently 75% completed with organic chemistry online through UNE. My first
Year as a CST I rotated and learned every surgical service since we had a 12 OR facility and worked side by side with PAs and ultimately was asked to join the open heart team and was on the Cardio thoracic team for a half of a year. For the past 3.3 years I have been the director of the OR and the hospitals only Surg. Tech. I basically act as the physicians PA by seeing the patient, writing the orders for them, speak to the family, obtain consent, and perform the surgery with just myself and the physician. After completing he surgery I sterilize all the instruments, complete the charting, order new supplies and when there is not a
Scheduled surgery I go back on the floor and assist the nurses, radiology techs in taking x-rays And CT's, help the PT's walk the patients and learn how OT's guide patients on learning to regain strength back to perform daily tasks when out of the hospital.
When applying to CASPA I was also studying for GRE, completing Bio1/lab and chem2/lab this past summer which was condensed to 12 weeks instead of the average 16 weeks and working full time as the surgical director. Unfortunately I received a D+ and a D for my last 2 courses because of the work load of driving 55 miles to campus after working in surgery all day.

I am now faced with all my applications I paid for to retake those two courses. I am frustrated because I feel like all the pre reqs keep
Changing with each campus and that no matter how hard I work or experience I put in, it will never be good enough for any campus, as I am competing against 4.0 seniors with zero HCE. I personally get to retract every organ, help stitch it back up then go back on the floor and shadow that physician as to what the next steps are for their care plan. I have Been denied by campus's stating my anatomy "course number" doesn't match up to theirs even though I passed A&P 1&2 with a A- and B- yet they want to see anatomy 200 with a B? With all my experience and course work how does that not work for PA admissions?

All guidance and recommendations are appreciated!
Thanks again!

[Dichotomy]

Hello PAdmissions,

 

Thank you for this invaluable informations. I would like to ask about alternate list. How many people on average does a program retains for the list?

(Accepted student: 20) Considering that the program starts in the spring, when is a reasonable final decision day {to be accepted from the alternate list}?

Finally, how does the adcom triage individual from the list? And is it normal that a school will not comment on a candidate's position on the list? If so can you please elaborate the possible reason.

 

Thank you for your time.

[paadmissions]

Hi guys I'm having trouble getting responses posted. Please hang tight.