Why did you choose PA over Medical School?
I choose PA school because I wanted a better balance between medicine and a family. I wanted to be done with school at a relatively young age and have the opportunity to travel and start making money early. Medicine is my passion, but I didn’t want it to consume me and make me miserable. While I worked with many physicians I didn’t see them happy. I also feared that I was going to match into primary care because I know I am not the best test taker, and doing something I am not truly passionate about and being matched into a residency that is not your top is scary. I didn’t want to be stuck doing that my entire life. While being a PA I have the freedom to explore what I really enjoy and switch specialities whenever I want.
How did I get my patient care hours?
I got my patient care hours in various ways. One of the main ones is from clinical during an LPN or practical nursing program in high school. I had to do about 2,000 hours for clinicals in the hospital and nursing homes in Naples FL, and there I gained a ton of patient care experience. I was even able to shadow open heart surgery and that was the first time I saw a PA-C. I also completed a medical assisting course during college and worked in various specialities thorough college and after graduation. I volunteered in a local hospital in Tallahassee and participated in a medical mission trip. I also volunteered abroad in Rabat, Morocco for my last semester of college and worked in an orphanage caring for children with physical and mental disabilities. I don’t remember the total amount of hours I had but probably around 3,000.
What is an average GRE?
I think what most PA schools want is a 300. However I don’t think you should focus mainly on having an average GRE. Even if you score below average I will consider applying. There are many other factors PA schools look at in your application and making sure other things will stand out can still help you get in. I personally had a below average GRE and I was able to get in my first time applying, so don’t let that discourage you.
How many schools did you apply to?
I applied to about 17 schools, about 5 were in Florida and the rest were in different states. I mostly applied to schools that did not require the GRE except the ones in Florida. Because I had just taken the MCAT and my plans changed very suddenly, I was on a time crunch. I didn’t really study for the GRE and submitted my applications kind of late in the process. My main priority was turning in my application to FSU because that was my top program and I knew I had a great chance at having an interview there. I only heard back from FSU and was invited for an interview and got rejection letters from all other programs.
How do you approach medical offices to request shadowing a PA?
I personally had no shadowing hours when I applied to PA school. I had tons of clinical experience, but I had 0 shadowing hours. I would say find medical offices or hospitals that have PA-Cs that are willing to allow students to shadow them. I would call them and ask what the process is and then personally show up and show your interest. Many times, these places are busy and have a lot of things to do so just simply calling won’t do it. It’s better to show your face, show how interested you are and show that you are committed and dedicated to shadowing their PA-Cs.
How to find scholarships?
So there are many resources to find scholarships. I simply just always browse and look for things online. I know the AAPA website is a great resource for national scholarships. Also if you are a PA student in Florida you can search scholarships through FAPA. Also looking at national scholarships like the one I just received, the National Health Service Corps. I pretty much just google scholarships and just browse and search through local and national organizations and just find applications that I qualify for. Just remember there is always free money out there if you are willing to put in the time to apply.
Here is a super helpful link to find scholarships for PA students
https://beaphysicianassistant.com/blog/32-pa-school-scholarship-sources
How to balance being fit and studying?
This is a question I get often and it’s honestly not as hard as people may think. I am not the type to wake up at 6 am every morning and make sure my workouts are done, and I am also not the time to slack and never show up to the gym. I just do it when I can and I just keep it consistent. I plan my weeks and make sure my meals are always done and whenever I don’t have a crazy exam week, I try to work out once or twice during the week. I try to work out mostly during the weekends in between my study time as a break from school work and as way to relieve some stress and regain energy to keep me going.
Should I get my Medical Assisting License or Certified Nursing Assistant?
A lot of people have asked me how to gain their patient care experience and I think getting a certification is a great start if you are able to. They can be costly, but they can really help you get amazing jobs where you will get tons of experience. I personally have both of these, but I never worked as CNA. I would recommend getting your MA license instead just because you will work more with patients, PAs, Physicians, and can have the opportunity to work in various specialties and network with medical providers. You can get lots of hands on experience like: perform EKGS, give vaccines, sutures, and many other procedures. As a CNA, you still get patient care experience, but its more bed side care. You will help patients with their daily living activities such as: bathing, grooming, going to the rest room, feeding, etc. It depends what you want. To get your MA license you must do a course, mine was about 1 semester long and only 4 hours one day a week, and then another semester we had an internship with a physician. You take a national exam at the end and once you pass that you receive your licence. Ohers can be one year long and can also be very expensive. I received a scholarship from FSU college of Medicine to pay for mine through an organization I was part of called USSTRIDE, but the cost is $1,200 if you pay it out of pocket. The CNA course can be offered as well, I am not sure of the price, but I know some people in my class actually attempted the exam without doing a course and they passed.
How did I participate in medical missions?
There are many organizations out there that travel to third world countries to provide care to less fortunate. I would search local organizations in your school and see what the requirements are. Sometimes there are applications required or sometimes you simply pay and register. I went through a national organization called MEDLIFE and anybody can register for this, they average to about $1,200 and I actually payed this out of pocket. I used leftover money from scholarships I had received. I have a separate blog if you are interested on my service trip to Rabat, Morocco.
What is a CMI interview?
This interview is basically a scenario based interview. It’s like about 10 stations and you have about 2 minutes to read each question. Instead of asking the regular interview questions such as why do you want to be a PA? What are your strengths? What motivates you? Etc, during this interview they present scenarios to you and ask you specific questions. It tests your character and your behavior and there is no right or wrong answer. They evaluate you as an individual. It’s hard preparing for these type of interviews, but a great tip is to be yourself and show them who you are in every question.
What was the application process for National Health Corps Scholarship like?
This application opens sometime in February or March, you can visit their website and sign up with your email to get a reminder when the application opens. Everything is completed online. They require a recommendation letter, an acceptance form or good standing form from your PA program, resume, an essay, and just your general information. It can be lengthy so if you plan on applying, start early. You submit your application around the end of March and they notify you if you are a finalist in August and awards are sent out sometime between August and September. You can apply as a first year PA student or second year. However, I think most of their funds are used for second year students. I only say this because I applied my first year before starting PA school and I was awarded, but they ran out of funds and the second year students took priority. It is a much better deal if you get it your first year because they will pay all of your PA school loans and give you a stipend for your entire PA school. You will still have to work for them 2 years but your award is much bigger. In my case they will only pay my next 4 semesters of PA school and I will get a stipend during those next 4 semesters and I will still have to give them 2 years of service even though they only payed for about 1.5 years of PA school. It’s still a great opportunity and a way to have all of your loans payed for.
Is it possible to manage a long distance relationship in PA school?
Yes, honestly anything is possible as long as you are committed and want it bad enough. It will be challenging and hard but it’s definitely doable if both are on the same page. You will be so busy, school will consume you, but having that special person’s support can get you a long way. You can also use your small breaks and the very few weekends you will have off to spend time with your significant other. In my case, it was pretty challenging, but I was used to a long distance relationship for a while during undergrad. This time it was worst, my boyfriend at the time lived in Cancun, Mexico and we barely saw each other. He was focused playing baseball in major leagues and I was focused in PA school, our careers were so different and I just felt like I was not happy anymore. Everybody’s situation is different, but you can definitely make it work. As far as many of my classmates, many of them are married and their husbands stayed in different cities and they moved away for PA school and I see them making it work. I have also seen some bad breakups because PA school can consume the hell out of you, so I would say both of you need to be strong and really support each other’s goals to make this work.
Should you live alone or with roommates in PA school?
When people ask me this question I laugh, because in my case I live with 17 undergraduate girls and I don’t even know how I do it. It’s pretty crazy to be honest, but I choose to do it this way because I want the least amount of debt possible, so I live in a scholarship house. If I had to do it all over again I would probably live alone. You need so much peace, so much space for yourself to relax and study, go to sleep whenever you want, and just do what makes you happy. I realized everything bothers me now, snoring (I can’t stand it), people watching TV, people just being loud and making noises, everything bothers me. I don’t know if it’s because I am 25 now or because school can be stressful and demanding. But if you are this type of person I would definitely recommend having your own place in PA school. However, coming home to 17 other girls and a roommate can be comfortable as well. I always have people to talk to and I never feel lonely. If you are the type that need people around you, I would probably get an apartment with other roommates. Your mental health is important, so making sure you are happy and have a support system thorough school makes a big difference.
How can I travel so much during PA school?
I honestly have no choice, but to travel. My family all lives in Colombia so I always travel here when I have breaks. I also love traveling so whenever possible I make plans with my friends. The fact that I do not have my own apartment and that much loans gives me a lot of freedom to do what I want and travel often. Traveling is what gives me motivation to get through my tough semesters, so I always make sure I reward myself even if it’s a small trip. You don’t need that much money to travel, you just have to be smart and know how to save up and limit yourself on living a luxurious life during school so that traveling can be an option. Look for cheap flights, stay in air bnbs or hostels, travel with friends, and just find ways to save money when traveling.
How do I stay motivated?
Having a trip booked after finals week is my main way to keep me motivated through the entire semester especially through finals week. Going to the gym gives me daily motivation between my study breaks and helps me gain some energy. I also started looking up salaries and jobs when I feel like I am loosing focus or not feeling motivated in the middle of my studying. I try to plan study breaks, hang out with my friends, go out to eat, and do different outdoor activities to make sure I feel like I have a life outside of the library.
Should I use the private transcript companies for the CASPA application?
I personally did not use this service. You can easily input all of your transcripts by yourself. It will be a bit time consuming, but I don’t think you need to pay somebody to do this.
When should I start working on my personal statement?
This can vary for different people. I know some can do it over weeks and others it’s a working progress. For me, it was a summer working progress. I had applied to medical school the year before so my personal statement was done. Because I decided to apply to PA school, I had to change many aspects of it and I wanted to make sure it really told my story. So I would work on it occasionally and visit my school’s career center, they were able to help me.
How to gear your application to FSU?
If you want to attend FSU’s Physician Assistant program, I would make sure you understand their mission and that you align with it. Make sure your application and resume tells a lot about you and how you can fit their mission, such as working with underserved populations and minorities. I would also make sure your personal statement reflects your passion to the underserved and explain why YOU should be offered a position. FSU looks at the entire application, so don’t get too bogged down if your GRE or GPA are not the most amazing, make other aspects of your application stand out.
What it’s like being the first graduating class for a PA program?
Being part of the first class can be hard just because you have no idea what to expect or have anybody to ask questions or to help you out. However because my school already had a medical school established and I went there for my undergrad I was pretty familiar with it. I knew the type of faculty that worked in the medical school, their mission, knew how supportive and student focused they were. That’s what drew me to attend this PA program regardless if it being new. Because I knew deep down what they were all about and knew what they were doing. Yes of course, there are things that need to change, things that need to be improved, but overall the program is way above my expectations, the curriculum is tough and I am sure I am being prepared to be an amazing practitioner.