Ask a PA Admissions Director

[paadmissions]

@patobe123 Thank you for your question. If you have a choice I would go with the medical assisting position because you'll have a lot more exposure to PAs and the hands-on experience will help. There are some PAs who will go the optho. route, but the medical assisting position would be better preparation for PA school. However, we have had several optho techs in our program and they have done very well.  Hope this helps!

Hello!

 

I will make this short and sweet -- if looking at two applications, one person who's an optometric/ophthalmic technician (assisting with lasik surgery, performing exams, etc -- definitely direct, hands-on care) vs. a medical assistant position working with a dermatologist (also assisting with exams/procedures, patient history, etc) which one would have more weight over the other, and by how much? I'm positive that I will get hands on experience in both positions but I'm not sure whether working in optometry/ophthalmology is less preferred/less valued -- what would be the case for your program? I appreciate you taking the time to answer everyone's questions, thanks in advance!

[ppatel428]

hi,

i wanted to know if you can apply to PA schools even though you are not a US citizen or permanent resident?

 

Thanks

[JEW UNIT]

@jew unit Thank you for your question. First, I would encourage you to make it very clear in your personal statement on why you withdrew from pharmacy school and to make it clear that you were not dismissed. This needs to be a very brief mention of it in your personal statement. Also, you'll need to find quality experience (paid experience) with PAs that will demonstrate to the admissions committee that you've exposed yourself to PAs as much as possible. It's hard for applicants who may have only pharmacy tech (or similar) hours to "prove" to an admissions committee that they want to be a PA when they don't have any other experience except in the pharmacy.  My biggest advice would be to seek quality medical experience with PAs to enhance your application. You are on the track to increase your GPA, which would be something I would also recommend. Hope this helps!

 

 

Thank you for the input. I really appreciate it =)

[paadmissions]

@cbarna Thank you for your question. I would recommend retakes in your chemistries to be more competitive. Our program puts a lot of emphasis on the chemistry requirements, in particular the upper level courses. I would recommend that your GPA Chem I and 2, Org I and 2, and Biochemistry exceed at least a 3.2 GPA. Performances especially in Org 1 and 2 and Biochemistry tend to be good predictors of success for our students. I hope this helps!

Hey, I've really struggled with the Chemistry pre-req's (C+ in Gen Chem 1 & 2, and C in Orgo).  Im about to start the second semester of my sophomore year and my GPA is a 3.0.  I still have Biochem. next semester but, I already have my friends notes who got an A as well as a tutor set up.  I think that by the time I graduate I can get it up to to like a 3.3- 3.4 but I am mortified that the will see those chem grades and just toss my application out.  

 

I'm also a certified EMT in the state of Delaware and work on a student run ambulance service.  Any advice will be appreciated, I need to figure my life out ASAP!!!!!

 

- Thank You! 

-

[paadmissions]

@san1405 Thank you for your question. I'll approach this as if you were applying to our program. If you were to submit your application to our program we don't mind if you send in additional information to support your application. Typically, that's done with a simple email to the program and it is added to your file. I assume that would be ok with other programs, but it doesn't hurt to follow up with them prior to submitting your application. Hope this helps!

Hi!

Thank you so much again for making this thread. I really appreciate all your insight and help!

 

I have a quick question for you, if you don't mind.

I applied this year for admission to quite a few schools with a January start date. Unfortunately, I was rejected almost everywhere, waitlisted for an interview, or have not yet heard anything back yet. Between when I applied (June) and now (December), I have gained quite a bit more HCE and have gotten a few certs as well. I was thinking of applying to other schools with a later deadline but I can't change my CASPA. Would it be seen as poor if I were to send my application in with an update email? Or would it simply be better for me to wait for the next round?

 

Thank you so much again! I really appreciate all your time!

[paadmissions]

@seabird Thanks for your question. I think your pathophysiology class would count towards a Biology course...at least I would view it that way. I agree with CASPA's classification of your Nutrition course as it's not viewed as a Biology/Chemistry type of course and should not count towards the science GPA. Other courses that may be of benefit to take rather than Nutrition and IF you haven't already taken them are courses like:

- Medical Micro

- Cell Physiology (one of the better courses to prepare you for PA school)

- Cell Bio

- Developmental Bio

- Genetics

 

If I were advising you to apply to our program, I would lean more towards recommending the courses above over a nutrition course. Hope this helps!

 

Greetings paadmissions,

 

I am an applicant for the current cycle, and was fortunate to have been interviewed at one of the schools I applied to, having a low sGPA of 3.02, and only 100 hours of HCE. While I still am waiting to hear back from the school I interviewed at, as well as other schools that I applied to, I am nonetheless preparing myself to reapply by gaining more HCE by working as a full-time hospital CNA, and I intend to take a few classes during the spring semester. 

 

So I have two questions in regards to the classes I will be taking:

 

1) I will be taking a 3 credit Pathophysiology course at the nursing school associated with my hospital, Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences to be specific. I just want to make sure that this class will count toward my sGPA, even though it is a biology class geared towards nursing students, as opposed to typical academic students. 

 

2) I was also going to enroll in Nutrition, which is also considered a biology course at this same school. However, I was only interested in taking this course for the sake of my sGPA, but I realized that nutrition would fall under CASPA's "other science category. Does this mean that it won't actually contribute to my sGPA at all?

 

Thank you so much for your time! As always, your input is highly appreciated!

[paadmissions]

@ppatel428 Thank you for your question. I believe there are programs that would accept you, but I recommend that you do extensive research to find these programs and familiarize yourself with their policies. All programs have different policies for foreign students and there are some that do not accept foreign students (i.e. state supported schools that may be mandated to accept only NC students). Hope this helps.

hi,

i wanted to know if you can apply to PA schools even though you are not a US citizen or permanent resident?

 

Thanks

[paadmissions]

Hi everyone! I will be on my holiday break through January 5th. I'll try and check the forum throughout the break so there will be a little delay on my responses. I appreciate your patience. Happy Holidays!

[PAHopeful16]

Hello PA Admissions,

 

I am a 31 year-old who is looking for a career change into the medical field. I graduated from college with a B.S in Chemistry in 2005 and have been employed as a Research Associate, Chemist, Lab Analyst and currently R&D Lab Technician in the Biotechnology and Petroleum Industries.

 

Additionally, I have recently completed my coursework for a M.S degree in Biology and my degree will be awarded upon completion of a comprehensive examination in June of 2015. Unfortunately, my overall GPA for both degrees is 3.39 and 3.33 respectively.

 

I have about 6 months of shadowing a PA on the weekend from (2010), which I plan on updating. Moreover, I am also considering getting my CNA and phlebotomy certification and would like apply to PA school in the next application cycle.

 

Furthermore, I am currently volunteering as a Grant Writer for a Healthcare alliance and plan to take the GRE as well.

 

My question is from an admissions standpoint would I be viewed competitively? Or would it be more realistic to sit this upcoming application cycle out and apply the cycle after this one? Additionally, is having healthcare experience a heavy factor in determining a student's ability to become a PA? Or are older students with life and career experience encouraged to apply?

 

Sincerely,

 

PAHopeful16

[paadmissions]

@PAHopeful16 Thank you for your question. If your prerequisite GPA is in a range of 3.3-3.5, I think with your academic background you may be competitive. Having a master's degree, especially in biology, enhances your application. I would research the programs that interest you further to determine what kind of healthcare experience they're looking for. Shadowing is always a great way to gather more insight, but some programs want to see more hands-on experience like what you would gain through working as a CNA or phlebotomy. If you have a good relationship with the PA you're shadowing, see if they can train you on the job to perform duties similar to a medical assistant. A lot of times our applicants are able to be trained on the job to assist the providers with patient care, which means they don't have to take a certification class for CNA, etc. All programs have different philosophies about patient care. From our standpoint we tend to see those students who have more hands-on experience before PA school adjust and perform better once in the program. I would probably use the next cycle to gain more patient exposure if the programs you're interested in require more hands-on experience. If your GRE scores come back strong and you gain more patient experience I think you'll have a more solid application. Hope this helps!  

Hello PA Admissions,

 

I am a 31 year-old who is looking for a career change into the medical field. I graduated from college with a B.S in Chemistry in 2005 and have been employed as a Research Associate, Chemist, Lab Analyst and currently R&D Lab Technician in the Biotechnology and Petroleum Industries.

 

Additionally, I have recently completed my coursework for a M.S degree in Biology and my degree will be awarded upon completion of a comprehensive examination in June of 2015. Unfortunately, my overall GPA for both degrees is 3.39 and 3.33 respectively.

 

I have about 6 months of shadowing a PA on the weekend from (2010), which I plan on updating. Moreover, I am also considering getting my CNA and phlebotomy certification and would like apply to PA school in the next application cycle.

 

Furthermore, I am currently volunteering as a Grant Writer for a Healthcare alliance and plan to take the GRE as well.

 

My question is from an admissions standpoint would I be viewed competitively? Or would it be more realistic to sit this upcoming application cycle out and apply the cycle after this one? Additionally, is having healthcare experience a heavy factor in determining a student's ability to become a PA? Or are older students with life and career experience encouraged to apply?

 

Sincerely,

 

PAHopeful16

[Empowred]

Dear Paadmissions,

 

" Happy New Year"

 

Thank you for helping us with our questions.

 

I wanted some input regarding my application status. I have been in contact with the admission counselor of the school I am interested to join and thought I got positive response from her . She encouraged me to finish most of my prerequisites before applying which I followed and applied little late to the program in mid September , and the deadline was in Oct 1st. I thought I had a very strong application. I am an International Medical Graduate with more 3000 hrs of HCE , I got very good LORs from the Physician and the nurses I work with. I thought I had a very good personal statement . My overall GPA is 3.64. I haven't heard any thing back from the program. They have 3 dates one was in Dec and the rest in end of Jan. When I contacted the admissions I did not get a specific response. So my question is are my chances for this year over? Is my application considered very late? This is the only college I applied to due to personal and family reason. No response either positive or negative has been very nerve wrecking. Usually are the interview slots filled my early applicants? Are my chances over for this year?? I would really appreciate if you can throw some light regarding this . Thank you so much for your time.

[VaderSurgeon]

Hello,

 

I have my first (and so far only) PA interview next week for a January 2016 start. I really need to nail it because I've been a home health aid for 9 months and every other medical job I apply for rejects me. It does not look like I will be able to enhance my application with job that has more responsibility or patient contact...I have all my shadowing, score and grades as high as I think I can get them. 

 

Do you have any questions I might not expect but should be prepared to answer?

 

Thanks so much.

[rvpatel]

Hello! 

 

I am a junior in college. I am going to start my 2nd semester of my Junior year soon. I recently decided to pursue PA path and I am extremely confused. I don't want to take a break between my undergraduate and graduate schooling - do you think that will still be possible even though I decided too late? I do have 125 hours of health care hours - 25 hours of shadowing and 100 hours of volunteer so far. My goal is to work as a Medical Scribe this coming summer as well to gather some patient hours. Will it be ok if I mostly have just volunteer and shadowing hours? What should be my goal for my hours? 

 

Also, when should I start working on my application for PA school? I heard mixed things - some people have said that it is like medical school and need to start a year early while others have said I can do it in spring if I want to start college in fall. Which one is true? 

 

Thank you for all your help! 

[mosteriousPA]

Dear PA Admissions,

I applied for the current cycle and thankfully received an interview at one of my top schools I'd like to attend however, I was waitlisted and denied for two others and haven't heard anything back from the other 3.

 

I have a 3.5 GPA, bachelors in Biology, was on a full soccer scholarship, have 120 volunteer hrs at kaiser, 45hrs PA shadowing and 2700 direct patient care hrs as a phlebotomist. I recently changed employers and am now a medical receptionist with no direct patient contact.

 

I realize the reality is I may need to reapply. With that being said, do you think my direct patient care hours as a phlebotomist are not competitive and could be the ultimate reason for me not gaining acceptance this cycle? Also should I be concerned with my current employement situation? Should I start looking into phlebotomy employment once again?

 

Thank you for your advice and help,

Monique

[Sharpie]

Hi paadmissions, 

 

I posted this in another thread but I would like to get your opinion from an admissions stand point

 

I am a recent graduate of a 4-year institution that offered anatomy and physiology as three separate courses - Anatomy, Human Physiology I, and Human Physiology II. Before graduating I enrolled (and obtained A's) in Anatomy (& lab), and Human Physiology I (& lab) as my last classes so I could have a fresh memory of the material. I figured that I could return as a non-degree seeking student and finish the Human Physiology II class, however, I have recently moved to another state where all the institutions around me only offer the traditional Anatomy and Physiology I & Anatomy and Physiology II combined courses. 

 

Given that I don't have much of an option I don't mind having to retake the classes despite the redundancy, however, I am concerned for admission purposes that this will draw a red-flag. Have you seen similar situations with student transcripts, or could you provide input into this dilemma? My major concern is that admissions may look at it as "padding" my GPA. 

 

Thank you for taking the time to reply, this is a wonderful thread!

[Empowred]

Hi Paadmissions,

 

Just wanted to update my status that I got invited for the interview and is scheduled for Feb 7th. Thank you for your help. I am really excited.

 

Any guidance for interview is highly appreciated.

[paadmissions]

@empowered Thank you for your question. I would assume that the interview slots for January may be filled since we're in the month of January now...however, I hate to speak on behalf of another program because I'm not sure that they would operate like our program does inviting applicants 3-4 weeks out from an interview. I would also assume that they would contact you at the close of the considerations if you are not invited in for an interview. But again, processes are very different. If this year is not an option I would encourage you to reapply next cycle which opens April 22nd. It is not uncommon for applicants to have to apply  more than once to a program. Hopefully getting in your application earlier and having completed more of the prerequisites at the time of application will make your application more competitive. I would encourage you to change up your personal statement slightly if you reapply. Adding what you've done to improve your application and maybe what a year off has offered to you. CASPA saves your information if you reapply so filling out the application should be quicker the next time around. I hope this helps and best wishes!

Dear Paadmissions,

" Happy New Year"

Thank you for helping us with our questions.

I wanted some input regarding my application status. I have been in contact with the admission counselor of the school I am interested to join and thought I got positive response from her . She encouraged me to finish most of my prerequisites before applying which I followed and applied little late to the program in mid September , and the deadline was in Oct 1st. I thought I had a very strong application. I am an International Medical Graduate with more 3000 hrs of HCE , I got very good LORs from the Physician and the nurses I work with. I thought I had a very good personal statement . My overall GPA is 3.64. I haven't heard any thing back from the program. They have 3 dates one was in Dec and the rest in end of Jan. When I contacted the admissions I did not get a specific response. So my question is are my chances for this year over? Is my application considered very late? This is the only college I applied to due to personal and family reason. No response either positive or negative has been very nerve wrecking. Usually are the interview slots filled my early applicants? Are my chances over for this year?? I would really appreciate if you can throw some light regarding this . Thank you so much for your time.

[paadmissions]

@empowered CONGRATS!!! You can disregard my last post! I should've read down further. The biggest advice is that you will need to prepare for your interview like you would prepare for your application. Know how to talk about the following topics:

- Yourself- strengths and weaknesses; how you handle stress or a disagreement with an instructor, preceptor or coworker/supervisor.

- The PA/physician relationship

- Know your academic strengths/weaknesses, your learning style

- Ethical scenarios

- Healthcare issues we're facing today

- What would you do if PA school wasn't an option

 

These broad topics may only be specific to some programs but they are broad enough, in my opinion, that it's a start and can help you to a self check prior to your interview. Hope this helps and best wishes!

Hi Paadmissions,

Just wanted to update my status that I got invited for the interview and is scheduled for Feb 7th. Thank you for your help. I am really excited.

Any guidance for interview is highly appreciated.

[paadmissions]

@vadersurgeon Thank you for your questions. In my post above this response are topics I think are good to prepare for. If your HCE counts for the program you're applying to (which I'm assuming it down if you've gotten an interview) I really don't know any specific concerns the admin. committee would have. You may want to think of how your experience has prepared you for the profession rather than seeing it as such a negative. If they do question your HC position be honest and say that you've attempted other positions and they have not worked out. Be confident, not defensive or arrogant, in your response no matter what the question may be. Sometimes faculty can ask questions to ruffle your feathers and to see how you react. Hope this helps!

Hello,

 

I have my first (and so far only) PA interview next week for a January 2016 start. I really need to nail it because I've been a home health aid for 9 months and every other medical job I apply for rejects me. It does not look like I will be able to enhance my application with job that has more responsibility or patient contact...I have all my shadowing, score and grades as high as I think I can get them. 

 

Do you have any questions I might not expect but should be prepared to answer?

 

Thanks so much.

[paadmissions]

@rvpatel Thank you for your question. If the programs you're considering require a lot of healthcare experience hours I would probably tell you to delay your application one cycle and work on that part of your application if all other factors are strong (i.e. GPA, coursework, GRE). The application each cycle opens in April of each year (April 22nd for this next cycle). I would encourage you to first narrow down the programs that you feel are a fit for you and look closely at their requirements and averages. Determine if you  fit into their "mold" of students. You can always visit the programs or request feedback on whether or not you should apply or wait. It never hurts an applicant to wait before applying, rather than having to rush to apply. You may find that you're not only deficient in hours, but maybe coursework or that you'll need to go back and retake a few courses to be competitive.  Applying in April can be almost a year for a lot of programs. For example, it's 16 months in advance of our start date, but some programs have a January start date so it may not be that far out for some. I hope this helps!

Hello! 

 

I am a junior in college. I am going to start my 2nd semester of my Junior year soon. I recently decided to pursue PA path and I am extremely confused. I don't want to take a break between my undergraduate and graduate schooling - do you think that will still be possible even though I decided too late? I do have 125 hours of health care hours - 25 hours of shadowing and 100 hours of volunteer so far. My goal is to work as a Medical Scribe this coming summer as well to gather some patient hours. Will it be ok if I mostly have just volunteer and shadowing hours? What should be my goal for my hours? 

 

Also, when should I start working on my application for PA school? I heard mixed things - some people have said that it is like medical school and need to start a year early while others have said I can do it in spring if I want to start college in fall. Which one is true? 

 

Thank you for all your help! 

[Maynard]

Dear Ms. Mish,

 

What do you think about using humor in an interview? I feel like humor always carries the potential (especially in situations like interviews) for making one appear unprofessional, immature, and lacking in seriousness and I wonder if these risks outweigh the potential reward of ingratiating oneself with an interviewer who might actually appreciate some lightheartedness. If an applicant can make people laugh in an interview, does it generally play to their advantage? Or is it better to be safe and conservative?

 

Many thanks once again for your tireless help.

[BeatlesLVR]

@Paadmissions,

 

Please assist!  I was wondering what do PA schools do if you have TWO bachelor degrees (each attained at different times)?  For example, my first BA was back in 2000 with a very low cGPA of 2.5.  I completed a second BS last year with a cGPA of 3.85.  I'm not ready to apply to PA schools just yet as I am currently living overseas, deployed, and I will not be back for another ~4 years; I am also still working on my pre-requisite coursework.  I would like to know WHICH GPA should be listed as my primary undergraduate GPA, I've been advised to list the most current one of 3.85 in order to get my foot in the door (otherwise I'll never be looked at with the 2.5 GPA). 

Of course, I will still list my first BA's GPA, but since I would be plugging in data in chronological order I'm assuming it does not have to be listed as the PRIMARY undergraduate GPA… is that a safe (and admission-worthy) assumption?  Also, I have achieved a 3.9 GPA on one AsSc degree (Psychology), a 4.0 GPA on another AsSc degree (Intel Ops), and I am thinking of undertaking a Master's of Public Health degree starting in the fall.

[paadmissions]

@Maynard Thank you for your question. I tend to be a pretty laid back person so I love jokes and laughing, but you have to remember that humor is always a good thing when used appropriately. It is nice to let people see the softer side of you, but you want to be "funny" only when you feel the time is right. For example, the one applicant who's main focus is to show how laid back he/she can be the entire day and do nothing but "crack jokes" or act so smooth to show that they're not really that nervous can be perceived as thinking they've got the interview in the bag and can be a turn off. That applicant who has a good balance of professionalism and letting their personality peek out at the appropriate time are what I think most programs would look forward to seeing. Hope this helps!

Dear Ms. Mish,

 

What do you think about using humor in an interview? I feel like humor always carries the potential (especially in situations like interviews) for making one appear unprofessional, immature, and lacking in seriousness and I wonder if these risks outweigh the potential reward of ingratiating oneself with an interviewer who might actually appreciate some lightheartedness. If an applicant can make people laugh in an interview, does it generally play to their advantage? Or is it better to be safe and conservative?

 

Many thanks once again for your tireless help.

[paadmissions]

@beathlesLVR Thanks for your question. Actually, you will have to enter all coursework that you've done at the undergraduate level so your previous work will be considered along with your most recent work. I would encourage you to visit CASPA's FAQ page about coursework and GPAs because it explains how the GPAs are calculated. Programs hopefully will see your significant improvement the second time around and if you complete a master's degree it should enhance your application. I hope this helps!

@Paadmissions,

 

Please assist!  I was wondering what do PA schools do if you have TWO bachelor degrees (each attained at different times)?  For example, my first BA was back in 2000 with a very low cGPA of 2.5.  I completed a second BS last year with a cGPA of 3.85.  I'm not ready to apply to PA schools just yet as I am currently living overseas, deployed, and I will not be back for another ~4 years; I am also still working on my pre-requisite coursework.  I would like to know WHICH GPA should be listed as my primary undergraduate GPA, I've been advised to list the most current one of 3.85 in order to get my foot in the door (otherwise I'll never be looked at with the 2.5 GPA). 

Of course, I will still list my first BA's GPA, but since I would be plugging in data in chronological order I'm assuming it does not have to be listed as the PRIMARY undergraduate GPA… is that a safe (and admission-worthy) assumption?  Also, I have achieved a 3.9 GPA on one AsSc degree (Psychology), a 4.0 GPA on another AsSc degree (Intel Ops), and I am thinking of undertaking a Master's of Public Health degree starting in the fall.

[thecrazycelt]

Stupid question time. 

 

How early do I apply for PA school? I have my 2 year degree done and will be starting on my Bachelors work this summer. I anticipate being done with my Bachelors in the next 1.5-2 years. By the end of the next Fall semester I will have all of my pre-reqs completed for my top choice of schools. I have also seen posts on this site for that schools 2017 program. I don't want to be done with my Bachelors and have to sit around for 1-2 years waiting to start PA school, but I don't want to apply to early and screw anything up.