Research PA schools
It is important to know that every PA school is so different and they all have unique requirements. Some might require shadowing hours, some might require up to 2000 clinical hours, some require unique courses such as genetics or biochemistry, some schools require GRE and some do not. Knowing where you stand will help you apply to schools that have higher standards such as your dream schools or schools that require less and you might have a higher chance of getting in.
Doing your research of the schools you want to apply is a must before starting your entire application process. You will be surprised of all the things you will find out and determine if you are a qualified applicant for that specific school or not before wasting tons of money applying. This also helps you narrow down the schools and keep dates, requirements, and other important things in mind. Do not leave this “research of schools step” to do right before the application opens, this takes more time than what I had originally expected and because some PA schools have enrolling admissions the sooner you apply the better.
Plan ahead
Keep a log of all the schools you want to apply, what their mission is, when their CASPA and secondary application is due, and anything else that you need to be aware of. Having all of these deadlines in mind will help you stay focused to have everything in on time. Something very important to do is to constantly check your CASPA application for any updates, missing information, any responses from any schools or something unexpected. This website will become your best friend during the process.
The cost
Applying to PA schools is expensive, I think the first application is $175 and every application after that is $45 that’s why it’s important to know exactly which schools you want to apply to and make sure you are a qualified applicant because you do not want to waste any unnecessary money applying. Sending GRE scores to every school is also an additional cost. I applied to about 17 schools which was a little excessive, but in reality the more you apply the higher chances you have getting an interview. If you plan on applying early and submitting your application early, I encourage you to look over the fee assistance program CASPA has. It’s based on first come first serve, therefore the money they have is limited, but if you are one of the first people to apply, you can save a lot because they give you waivers to a certain number of applications.
Getting your letters
Your application is not complete until everything is turned in and this includes all of your recommendation letters. Make sure you ask for these in advance to not delay the completeness of your application. They allow you to submit up to 5 letters from anybody. Each school might require a specific type of letter such as one from a PA, this is why it’s important to research each school and their requirements. Make sure the people you are asking for letters know you on a personal level and they can write a strong letter about your character and your aspirations. Having quality letters is better than having quantity letters, always remember that.
Try to be sure of what you want
This is something I personally did not think about throughout the entire application process. I was unsure if I wanted to go to medical school, DO schools, attend medical school in the Caribbean, or attend PA school or even getting a masters in health sciences. I was at that point where I was kind of desperate to get into a program and start working towards my goals. I decided to apply to EVERYTHING all that same application cycle, let me tell you, I did not have a life. When I say everything I mean applying to MD, DO, Caribbean schools, PA schools, and even masters programs. I would work on personal statements, applications, recommendation letters, gathering all the paper work necessary, calling different schools, and it was nonstop.
It was a very stressful time and I spent so much money applying to different things. I guess I wanted to have many options when it came time to deciding what to do. I wish I would have had the time to sit back and really think about what career path I wanted to take instead of stressing myself out. If you are experiencing something like this right now and you just want to apply to everything to see where you get in, I don’t blame you. Before this happens try to prevent it and really see what makes you happy, being a doctor or being a PA. I will talk more about why I choose PA school over medical school in another blog.
Networking
This is something I did not do when applying to PA school. Because originally I was a pre medical student, I had a lot more network and connections with people in medical school and not with PA students. I did reach out to a couple of friends from undergrad that were in PA school, but now looking back I wish I would have followed Physician Assistants in Instagram, joined a PA forum or blogs, and just be overall more involved in the PA life. I highly encourage you to take advantage of all the social media we now have available, like these blogs, asking other students for advice or Instagram, joining a forum, local PA-Cs in your community and getting as much information as possible.
We are all happy to help you guys get into PA school and follow similar steps we took to get here. Do not hesitate to message somebody or reach out for advice and help, the worst thing they can say it’s simply a “no”. The mentors and role models I had throughout my entire education are very significant in my success. One advice I have is to always find somebody doing or being that person that you want to become. Find out what their work habits are, what their characteristics are, how they manage it all, what advice they can give you, learn from them, and ask them exactly how they got there. You would be surprised how much you can learn from interacting with mentors and having people show you the way.
Best of luck to all of you applying to PA school this cycle, just remember that one letter of acceptance will be so worth it. If you have any questions or want advice, I’m always happy to hear from you
<3 Dani