How I got into Physician Assistant School
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- Опубліковано 17 кві 2021
- This video focuses on how I got into Physician Assistant School as a first time applicant. In this video I speak about my journey as a pre-PA student applying to CASPA and now soon to be PA student. I talk about my major, GPA, clinical experience, and my interview experience. This videos includes some tips on how to apply to physician assistant school. I will continue to post physician assistant school vlogs, how to get into physician assistant school, and about the physician assistant career as a whole.
As a side note, this is my first video & I am still learning how to speak to a camera and the editing program so please give me some grace haha.
My video on How to get into PA school:
The resources that I speak about in the video:
1. BeMo's Ultimate Guide to CASPer Test Prep: www.amazon.com/BeMos-Ultimate...
2. How To "Ace" The Physician Assistant School Interview
www.amazon.com/How-Physician-...
3. Multiple Mini Interview (MMI): Winning Strategies from Admissions Faculty
www.amazon.com/Multiple-Mini-...
The views expressed here on are my own and not those of USC/KSOM. - Навчання та стиль
Thanks for sharing so much insight into your application process ❤️ Excited to hear more about your PA journey!
One of the most clear and professional videos I've ever seen 🍓🍊🍉
Congrats on being accepted and thank you for sharing your experience, really helpful! Looking forward to future videos and watching this new journey
Super informative video! It’s nice to finally know what to expect when applying! Thanks for sharing!
So informative! Can’t wait for more content. Thank you!
loved this video! it was so straightforward and helpful!
you are actually very well spoken and did a great job explaining your cool story! thank you for sharing and helping me on my own pa journey. i hope you are loving your life today and enjoying the PA profession!
thank you!! Goodluck on your journey! 💛
could totally relate with the interview nerves!! looking forward to more PA content videos :)
aww thank you! I hope you do as well, we can compare and contrast hahah ☺️
👏👏👏 congrats... can't wait to see more❤
This was so helpful!!!! Thank you so much
SO HELPFUL 😍❤️
I think that you should have mentioned the school with the bad interview experience. Simply saying you had a bad interview doesn’t really help others. Transparency is the only means to help others. Less emphasis should be placed on “offending” students who attend the school or the school itself. Why protect the offender? Nothing changes when things are shielded. Actual change can only take place through transparency.
Congrats!!!
Congratulations!! I can’t wait to watch more of your videos as you go through PA school! I’m hoping to apply next cycle and am already getting nervous about interviews and writing a PS 😆 just wondering about your timeline- did you apply in senior year or before?
Awww thank you! 🤩 And I totally understand the feeling! I applied 1 yr after my senior year because I was trying to get more clinical experience so I could apply to more programs/be as competitive as possible! But I know of a couple people that did that but they focused on programs that didn’t require as much/if any hours! ☺️
So helpful! I didn’t even know UPenn had a PA program!!
omg I am so sorry I meant to say university of Pennsylvania 🙃
Congrats!!!🎉😊❤️
thank you!!! I love watching your videos 🤩
This is really helpful, I plan to also apply for PA school and it's very informative on where to start
When are you thinking of applying?
@@angelayejinshin before the third wave of covid
Great video! I'm in high school and am totally considering becoming a PA.
You definitely should!! Let me know if you have any questions about the profession🥰
Thank you so much!
Congratulations on your acceptance!
Congratulations on becoming a PA student! This was such a helpful and informative video 💓 I am a sophomore in college rn and I have been doing well in my classes up until this semester. I am afraid that my GPA will take a fall (mainly bc of bio and ochem) and it would look bad on my transcript. Does your GPA matter a lot in the app process and would PA schools take into account where you got your degree? My college is known to be a relatively hard and competitive school where grade deflation tends to exist.
Hii! Thank you! Sooo I think gpa is pretty important but there are things that can help to offset a “lower” gpa- clinical hrs/volunteering etc. I wouldn’t let a low gpa hinder you from applying but I think it prob is the most important thing to focus on while ur in undergrad so that you won’t have to take additional class/postbac! And don’t think pa schools really focus on where you attended college - but not 100% sure - and there are some schools that are “feeder” schools aka they prefer people graduate from a certain school! Buttt I wanna say don’t be afraid that your gpa will fall 💛 biochem/ochem are hard but you can do it!!! (Also i am not sure if you are for 100% sure you want to go to pa school but a lot of schools don’t require biochem/ochem)
You know what? I like you! very well articulated.
Thank you so much for this! I'm a sophomore undergrad and just recently decided to go pre-PA. I have no idea where to start! How do you recommend reaching out to shadow health professionals and begin getting PCE hours?
Aw thank you for watching!! I will make a comprehensive guide how to get into pa school soon, so hopefully that will help! ☺️ Right now due to COVID-19 I think it’s hard to find healthcare professionals willing to have students shadow. But some common ways I know people have gotten some hrs is by cold emailing, asking their own FM provider, and asking a friend of a friend/neighbor/family member. In addition, some hospitals have shadowing programs & if you volunteer at a hospital/clinic you can try to get to know the providers and see if they would be willing to have you shadow! In regards to getting PCE -> some common jobs ppl do are MA/CNA/EMT/PT AIDE/SCRIBE (but I know for many programs they count scribe as HCE instead of PCE). For finding these jobs there are some pre-PA FB groups post job opportunities, indeed, & Craigslist(but obv please be very careful w/ this & cross reference the email/tell people where your going etc.). Hope this helps! Don’t hesitate to ask any more questions! 🥰
@@catpa-s3387 Thank you so much for all this info :)!! At my university, there aren't many pre-PA students (everyone's pre-med) so it's really great to hear from someone who's recently gone through the admissions process
Of course!! I know the process can be a bit confusing bc it’s streamlined!! If you have anymore questions just let me know ☺️
hi! just subscribed! thank you showing your insights and your experience i really appreciate it. i’m a junior in college right now and i’m hoping to apply to usc as well but i heard about the spanish requirement and i took french in college/hs so i think i might have to look somewhere else :(
hii thank you for subscribing 🥲☺️
regarding the Spanish requirement i am not sure if this applies to you but if you know Spanish you can test out of the requirement! I am currently taking Spanish rt now to fulfill that requirement @ a local CC, so you can always take it while applying ☺️ I hope you apply to USC but if you don’t there are lotsss of amazing programs so I am sure you’ll be happy!!
@@catpa-s3387 thank you for responding! would that be only one quarter, or how many quarters do we need to have?
of course! it is an entire yr so it would be 3 quarters :(( I heard at UC’s (@ least at UCR) Spanish is very intensive but at my CC it’s not too bad
LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, CONGRATS!
Congrats on your acceptance and I was wondering what program you used/ did for your medical mission?
thank you! i used global medical brigades!
Hi Cat, I am a freshmen rn on a pre pa track. I am getting my cna license this summer and hoping to start gaining patient care hours soon. Do you have any advice on how to be prepared for Pa school application and just things that you wish you could’ ve done when you were a freshman or throughout your undergrad in College? I would love to know
Hi first off that’s amazing that you are already starting on your pt care hours already!! My advice is to focus on doing well on your classes (I think each yr PA school is becoming more competitive & have a strong gpa will always help). In addition to this I would encourage you to participate in clubs, get some leadership positions (if possible), & volunteer! I know that’s a lot to do esp since you are planning to work so just try to find a balance and don’t expect yourself to do it all :)
I would also look into the schools you are interested in. PA school prerequisite courses/requirements vary from each school so that could also help you better navigate what you should do these next few years! I hope this helps! Don’t hesitate to reach out again if you have any additional questions ☺️
@@catpa-s3387 thank you so much ❤️I really appreciate your input and I am rooting for you ☺️☺️☺️I hope pa school goes smooth for you !! One more question haha, what did you major in ? (If you don’t mind sharing :) )
@@ydrukpa2226 Thank you, I sooo appreciate it!!! 🥰 I was a bio major! Your major doesn’t really matter but I enjoyed it bc my major requirements & the pa prereqs aligned well!
Congrats! Lucky you get to stay in Cali haha. You said at the time of applying you had 2k hours of clinical experience, so I was wondering if you took a gap year or how did you spread that many hours out?
Hahah yes we love Cali!! 🌸🥳 I wasn’t sure that I wanted to be a PA during undergrad so I didn’t focus a lot on obtaining clinical hours! I did get around 500 via COPE health scholars & going on medical missions to Mexico and Honduras! After college I took a gap year and worked as a CNA & PT Aide and that’s where I got the majority of my hours!
Hi! It was so so much helpful looking through all the videos you uploaded:) I have a question..! I am currently an upcoming freshman in CUSF. Do you think its better to get good grades and graduate early in CSUF or transfer to one of the UC after 2 years? and then apply to a PA School? Do the admissions care a lot of about what university attended when I apply to the PA schools?
Oooo first off congratulations on getting into/deciding on CSUF!! That’s a huge accomplishment! 💛 And yay I am glad the videos are helpful! I personally wouldn’t transfer for that sole reason because I don’t think admission cares where you attended(there are some schools have pipeline connections though-> ex I believe western has a pipeline program with Cal Poly Pomona(I am not 100% sure if they still do though)). I would personally just get good grades/graduate early (if you want) and then apply! Bc it saves money(& grad school is so expensive 😢) & I think staying on one campus helps you build connections therefore allowing you to get involved with your community a bit easier! Of course if you don’t like CSUF then that’s a diff story! Side note: I haven’t met all my classmates but several of the ones I have went to CSU’s!!
@@catpa-s3387 Aww thank you for your sweet and kind response! Yay your response helped me a lot!! I decided not to transfer and get good grades and try to graduate early:) Btw not kidding ur videos r really good though so I hope I can see your beautiful and fun journey as an excellent PA!!:)
Yay I am glad to here that I was able to help! And thank you so much 💛 I am planning to vlog my pa journey but might not be super often just cuz school is a lot haha! But I soo appreciate you supporting me 😭💛
hello! do you believe that majoring in biology aided you throughout your PA journey? I am currently a health science major and I want to double major as well.
Hii so I haven’t officially started pa school yet so I will definitely have to get back to on this! But I have heard differing responses on this. I have only meet several classmates so far and I am the only one with a bio/ “hardcore” science background. To be honest I think it will be helpful, not necessarily because I will remember all the information I learned as a bio major(although it might be easier for me to understand some things since it would be my second or third pass at it) but because I will be use to learning this type of information & having a lot of weights placed on exams. But also I am not sure how other majors are like since I haven’t done anything else! I personally would advise you to just major in whatever you enjoy learning about while also thinking about the prereqs required for the pa schools you are interested in! I am sorry I couldn’t give you more info but I will update you after a couple months into pa school & let you know! ☺️
hi, I am currently a senior in HS and to get medical hours, I wanted to become a phlebotomist at 18 and use that to gain hours and possibly the opportunity to shadow a PA or physician! Do you recommend this? If not, what do you think would be good to gain the medical hours or experience needed prior to applying to PA school?
hii! I personally don’t know anyone that was a phlebotomist for their hrs, but I know that would be a super helpful skill! I would look at the schools that you would be interested in going to and seeing their list of what they consider “hand on experience ” is bc they all vary!! (when I was looking at schools I know some of the schools had phlebotomy on their list!) I personally think scribing would be really helpful buttt I know a lot of schools don’t count it as hand on experience (they count it has clinical experience- which is not preferred) so prob not the best! I also know alot of people did ER tech/EMT for their hours which is widely considered as hands on experience! Hopes this helps!
Hi thank you for this video I am a junior in high school and really looking into being a pa!! A few questions if you have the chance- I am planning not to take a gap year and I am wondering how it would be possible to get certification during undergrad? Are these programs in the summer or are they balanced alongside school work and everything else? Are there ones you specifically recommend for undergrad? Also, are 27 month pa programs 27 consecutive months or are they over the course of 3 years? Tysm!
There are some certification programs that can be done in a condensed amount of time (ex. CNA, phlebotomy). You could also do PT aide or scribing where ur trained on the job!! I personally don’t have much knowledge regarding 27 months programs but I believe you get a bit more breaks then 24 months programs (one of my friends attended a 24 mo program & had no holiday vaca during clinical yr) & I would guess u could have longer clinical rotations! At USC we have 6 week rotations but I know other programs have like 4-5 week rotations! Goodluck lmk if you have any more questions!! ✨
Great!
hey Cat! my college has a 'pre pa major' that just has you take all the pre reqs for pa. I'm interested in neuroscience and the neuroscience major has all the pre reqs except for three classes(a&p, genetics, and microbio). Should i put in the work to get good grades in the neuroscience major or take the 'pre pa major' and focus on PCE, HCE and voluneering? thanks sm!
Hi sm!! I think their are definitely pros/cons to both! Being a pre-PA major sounds nice because all your classes are streamlined & might not have to take a gap yr(s) to take those additional courses. This also might save you some money. (Side note: A&P is a series so it’s 2 classes & most schools require labs w/ those classes. Also, they might require microbio lab.) In addition, you will be able to meet more people that have similar career goals(connections are so important). But I also I would say if your not 100% sure you want to be a PA then I think something more broad such as neuro might be a better major ( I think you could probably change this later on bc I am sure the required courses are very similar esp for lower div courses).
You should look at the upperdiv courses available for each major and see if you are able to take a lot of neuro courses but it still fulfills your requirement for a pre-PA major or vs. versa(this is what I did as a bio major bc I really enjoyed neuro as well).
I think being a neuro major would be great if you are really passionate/enjoy learning about it. It will make you actually want to study! My friends loved being neuro majors! If I had the option again btw pre-Pa major vs. more general major such as bio I probably would choose bio again but that is because I was unsure of what career I wanted to pursue! I don’t want to tell you what to do but those are some of thoughts I had! I hope this helps & definitely don’t hesitate to reach out again! ☺️
@@catpa-s3387 wow thank you so much! that really helped out! I think I'll shadow a few more PA's this summer to solidify my career path but thank you so much for your insight on this! you gained a subscriber;)
I am glad I was able to help!! Thank you for the support! 🤗
Hi Cat, I don’t see stanford university in caspa
The caspa code is 4510. Here is the link to some of Stanford’s info! med.stanford.edu/pa/admissions/how-to-apply.html
hope this helps!!
Hello! I am looking for your GRE prep that you mentioned. Do you mind linking it? ☺️
Hiii! These are the resources that I used that are linkable! Hope this helps!!! 😊
1. 5 lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems: 1,800+ Practice Problems in Book and Online (Manhattan Prep 5 lb)
www.amazon.com/lb-Book-GRE-Pr...
2.The Official Guide to the GRE Revised General Test, 2nd Edition (GRE: The Official Guide to the General Test)
www.amazon.com/Official-Guide...
3. 500 Essential Words: GRE Vocabulary Flashcards (Manhattan Prep GRE Strategy Guides)
www.amazon.com/500-Essential-...
4. 500 Advanced Words: GRE Vocabulary Flashcards (Manhattan Prep GRE Strategy Guides)
www.amazon.com/500-Advanced-W...
@@catpa-s3387 Thank you so much!!
of course!! definitely check out the magoosh flashcard app! it’s free and there were a lot overlapping words with the flashcards I used from Manhattan prep! goodluck on the exam! 💛
@@catpa-s3387 I appreciate all the help thank you 🙏🏼🙏🏼
How do you get like the require clinical hours before applying to the program?
I applied for jobs bc most schools prefer/require paid hours! Also make sure to check what qualifies as clinical hours for each school u want to apply to! Some schools don’t consider scribing or CNA as hands on! hope this helps ☺️
@@catpa-s3387 thank you so much!!!
Does the unmentionable start with a C and end in L?
nope it doesn’t!!
Congratulations 🎊! Can you do a video on how to get patient care hours while in college and if moving far away was easy for you? Like work and school
Thank you!!
hii! Thank you soo much! 🥳
So I don’t have much experience on these topics so I will try to respond rt now! ☺️ While in college I wasn’t sure if I was going to pursue the PA field so I didn’t prioritize gaining clinical hours. I focused on volunteering, leadership, & research opportunities. I gathered around 500 hours via a program called COPE & medical missions to Mexico & Honduras. But most of the clinical hours I gained was after PA school- I was a PT aide & CNA. I know of several individuals who worked part time as a pt aide & was in school. A possible way I would recommend is trying to find a PCH job that is flexible(perhaps has worked with other students) during the summer so you have more time to train & then reduce the number of hours you work to a number you feel comfortable with while in school.
I actually commuted in undergrad to save money & for pa school it’s still relatively close (2ish hrs away- so will be moving nxt month 🥳) so I don’t have any experience moving far away. But I would say if it’s your first time just know it’s understandable to feel homesick- utilize FaceTime/Zoom & try to have an estimated date that know when you are next seeing your family/friends from back home so have a date to look forward. But during your time away try to get involved with communities/activities/clubs you enjoy & it you will probably find people that have similar interests & develops friendships.
I hope this was helpful & let me know if you have any other questions! ☺️
@@catpa-s3387 WOW thank you so much!! Your comment was so helpful and now I’m more confident to move on to my future. I know that in the end, it’ll all be worth it lol. I really hope you have a great experience moving away for PA school and get good grades !! 💜 I love your vids 🎥
@Nancy Neri Aw I am glad it help!!! 😊 Goodluck with everything & definitely don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions! 💕
And sooo glad you like my videos haha! 😅
@@catpa-s3387 thank you for this detailed video. Can you please provide the program in which you did your medical mission. I’m having trouble finding Opportunities that are legit.
@@marleachiamcjunkins1761 ofc ty for watching!! 💛 I went will global medical brigades when I went to Honduras & for the medical mission to Mexico I went with a club called Flying Samaritans
I don't see UPenn PA program. Would you mind sharing the link?
I am so sorry I meant to say university of Pennsylvania!
@@catpa-s3387 Thank you for responding but UPenn is University of Pennsylvania. They don't seem to have a PA program.
med.psu.edu/physician-assistant
I am so sorry for the confusion, I always get them mixed up. I attached a link
@@catpa-s3387 Thank you!
Of course! I am so sorry about that! I always get them mixed up haha!
Have good grades got it
I’m a junior in High school and I’m thinking to go in the pa profession what do you think I should do now to prepare?
hii! i think honestly just exploring the profession more & others alike to make sure you want to do this! A few examples on how you can do this is to try to shadow a PA & volunteer at a hospital! In addition to this, if you feel comfortable balancing school/job you can try to gain clinical hours (ex. working as a CNA/pt aide/ MA). These clinical hours will be helpful regardless of if you are thinking PA/MD(I think probably NP but not 100% sure). Hopefully those things help but don’t stress too much about it since you are still at the start :) best of luck let me know if you have any other additional questions 😊
@@catpa-s3387 thanks for replying! Do you have to take a gap year if I know I want to do this from HS and I can start my clinical hours right flatter HS? Also is it possible to do telemedicine full time like most days a week or something?
@@mnajeebnoor6662 hi of course!! so I don’t think you can do telemed for clinical experience for shadowing I think you can (but it’s preferred to be in person & probably better to do to get letter of recs). Regarding clinical hours I believe you can obtain them any time (but you can double check w/ schools you would potentially like to apply to bc each school is different)!
@@catpa-s3387 no sorry I meant when you a pa than can you telemedicine?
Oh yesss defiantly! it might depend on the speciality how much you can do telemed but totally an option! actually our first OSCE was telemed 😊 hope that helps!!
Thanks.
Congrats.
How am I supposed to compete with her 🙃
Hello cat! Omg hope you must be busy with courses right now! I am a senior in college and preparing for pa program and i feel like i am getting resources but a bit hesitant with my gpa and healthcare experience i was wondering if it is okay to talk to you separately and help me! 😅
Hi! I actually don’t have any platform to speak separately bc I haven’t really had time to focus on making videos! but if u can definitely message below this and I will try my best to help! ☺️
@@catpa-s3387 oh my god… like thank you for the reply.. i really did not expect it but i am just really in a blank space where i have all the things that i need to do but dont know where to start. Time is really important for me right now in other word i am planning to apply to pa program starting april 2023 and currently i barely have any pce i really want to be competitive in my application. I am currently filling out caspa but i really want to write essay later when i gain my experiences. Will pa program be kind enough to see the application while im gaining my hours? I am gonna volunteer in a hospital for care program as well as volunteering at a. Ambulance corp in my school to get hours and when spring semester start go to emt school to get my license. I dont know if i should apply this coming april but at the same time if i wait and gain my hours and experiences and apply in 2024 april then i will be really late when i go to pa program in 2025 september.. this is my second career and im 28 so i al not sure if i can put my applicatiions in first in april and gain my hours after that.. sorry for such long story..
@@spark43259 first off major props to changing careers and trying to find one that makes you happier/aligns with what you want now, I know that can be very scary at times! I obviously don’t know your entire situation, but if possible I would suggest waiting to apply til the following cycle. My thought process is applying not rushed and kind of putting it all out there. I personally waited a yr and half to apply after I graduated college bc I wanted to gain more hours & mine are definitely on the lower side comparatively to most applicants. But it also depends on where your applying - I know some schools don’t stress hrs as much (but then they generally want higher gpas). Regarding the gaining hours I don’t think they will take that into consideration that much just because everyone else is probably gaining hours just like you but again I don’t know/prob diff for each school.
I just have noticed pa school is really competitive to get into and it just seems like it’s getting harder, even though there are so many amazing applicants, so I just would want you to put ur best foot forward in a sense & not be rushed! I also have noticed that ppl with more hours seem to have a lot more background knowledge that benefits them (vs. me I feel like I am kinda playing catch up with the lack of background knowledge from the clinical hrs)
I would suggest looking into the schools ur interested in and see where you fall along in their stats! Also I think some schools have a minimum you have to meet to apply! But the avgs is probably the best bet to help you determine if u kinda fall within their avg applicant they accept!
@@catpa-s3387 so i live in jersey so i have my top 3 schools near me . I am almost done with pre requisites And all i need prob is the hours since my gpa is in the avg side so your saying wait till applying april 2024 and if accepted start september 2025 right and from your experience what would be most helpful if you had to choose one that helps the most in pa career out of emt cna scribe and ma
wow
wow
Assuming the negative schoo was BYU lol
hahah I have seen the tiktoks but noo it wasn’t haha!
I dnt even have the GPA u had .. no wonder u got in the first try
did you apply last cycle as well? ☺️
is blank school C****** omg
hahah no!
Hey im a PTA also, will be applying to PA school this cycle!! What is your social media??
Hii I don’t have any socials for this account or personally but thanks for asking! If you have any questions though don’t hesitate to ask ☺️ goodluck this cycle I know it’s stressful but u got this!!!
I think I could guess the PA school just by you mentioning that they lacked diversity because I had the same experience. The 2nd letter is H and the 5th letter is M, right?
noo it’s not, I didn’t list it in one of the schools that I applied! I am so sorry you had that experience!!
@@catpa-s3387 oh okay nevermind, was the school in CA though?
it wasn’t!! hope your app cycle is going well!