PA Surgical Residency

[uscgirl]

Hello all,

I’m a PA student with a strong interest in surgery and doing a surgery residency after school. I’ve already started preparing and submitting applications. Any tips to make sure I am the best candidate possible?

 

thanks

[Navy_PA]

Hopefully you have taken the opportunity for surgical rotations, even if electives. If you're still in the didactic phase, shadowing is good. Reflect on your shadowing and rotational experiences to think about what it is that draws you to the surgical PA profession. Find a way to align your aspirations with the overarching goal of patient care, and with a team-based approach.

Also consider the various roles represented by the surgeon and the PA, as well as the anesthesia provider, nursing, surgical tech, etc. It's a team sport and it is important for the surgical PA to function as a member of that team, as well as to coordinate care and to liaise between the surgeon and the team. There's also a good deal of peri-operative care involved, so it can be helpful to look at the clinic, the PACU, and the surgical ICU.

As a student and an applicant, it's good to just be aware of these.

Also, have you looked at the student resources on aaspa.com?

https://www.aaspa.com/resources/tips-for-your-pa-application

You've already made it into PA school, so you've been successful at prior application and interview processes, but is still good to read over the kinds of tips offered there, as well as to ask your colleagues or faculty to review your application materials.