Pre-Physician Assistant The Ultimate Getting Started Guide

WELCOME FUTURE PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS! Hi, and welcome to this special section of the PA life website designed specifically for future physician assistants. Im happy to help you as you get started on this journey! Be assured that you are certainly not alone and that I too once walked in your shoes. I assume you already know what a physician assistant is, so I am not going to cover that here. What I am going to cover are time-tested steps that will help you get from point A to Z on your PA school journey. Let's Get Started: Can you Tell Me What a PA is? PAs are nationally certified and state licensed to practice medicine and prescribe medication in every medical and surgical specialty and setting in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and uniformed services. PAs are educated at the graduate level, with almost all PAs receiving a masters degree upon graduation from a PA program. By 2020 all PA school will be required to offer a masters degree upon graduation. In order to maintain national certification, PAs are required to complete 100 hours of continuing medical education every two years and to recertify as medical generalists every 10 years. Do you Want to be a Physician Assistant? Why do You Want to be a Physician Assistant? You will be asked many different times: Why? Why do you want to become a Physician Assistant? Why dont you just go to medical school? You will make more money as a physician. You will command more respect as a physician. Your response to those questions and your final decision to apply to a physician assistant (PA) program will depend on how well you research answers to these same questions. This blog can provide you with the information you need to answer such important questions. Posts to Read Dave, the self-proclaimed PA coach helps you answer that all important question of why do you want to become a PA? Why Are So Many Women Becoming PAs? Heres One Mans Answer! Posted: November 15, 2018 Although the physician assistant profession began as a male-dominated workforce, women now comprise over 72 percent of physician assistants (PAs) in the United States. In fact, in the 51 shortyears since our careers inception, it was only the first 20 that saw a male-led majority. In 1972, five years after the inaugural class of PAs [] 2 comments The Top 5 Reasons People Choose to Become a PA: Put To The Test Posted: October 16, 2018 What are the most important considerations for a career path after PA school for PA students and future PAs? Here are the top 5 reasons PA students give for choosing PA school Work-life balance Availability of jobs Stable, secure future Ability to pay off debt Relationship with supervising physician For those answering the most recentPhysician [] 0 comments 20 Answers to The Question: Why Do You Want to be a Physician Assistant? Posted: October 17, 2017 Why Do You Want to be a Physician Assistant? You will be asked many different times: Why? Why do you want to become a physician assistant? Why dont you just go to medical school or NP school? You will make more money as a physician; you will have more prestige and recognition as a physician. [] 0 comments I Want to Know if I am Making the Right Choice to be a Physician Assistant? Posted: November 7, 2012 Let me guess, youre asking yourself . . . Am I am making the right choice of becoming a physician assistant over a doctor? Am I letting myself down? Am I selling out? Am I letting my family down? Am I giving in? Am I taking the easier road? I know how important these questions [] 9 comments Why not just become a doctor? The Great PA vs. MD Debate This is one of the most commonly searched terms on the blog. Can you put your life on hold for 8 to 12 years or does 2 or 2.5 years sound better? PhysicianAssistant As a PA you can change specialties with an ease that physicians cannot You also (unless you want to) will not have to manage the challenges that are associated with running a medical practice Your training will cost less than half that of a physician You can complete your training in a little more than two years Medical Doctor 4-years of medical school education 3 or more years of postgraduate residency and fellowship The cost of medical school is nearly double that of a PA school education In this video Sundance, a former medical student, describes her choice to become a physician assistant student (PA vs MD). Posts to read: Torn Between PA or MD? Heres How You Decide! Posted: December 5, 2017 Are you struggling to decide between PA or MD, NP or PA, pre-nursing or biochem, new job or comfy job, CNA vs. MA, or scribe vs. EMT? One day you favor option A and the next day you flounder back to option B or worse, you start looking at option C. Wouldnt it be great [] 7 comments Infographic: PA VS MD Understanding the Differences Posted: May 3, 2017 Physician Assistant vs Medical Doctor A comparison of what it takes to get in (GPA, MCAT, GRE scores, prerequisite coursework, and clinical experience), years of training and time in school, job duties, cost of education, average salary, job satisfaction, divorce and burnout rates all compiled into this (very shareable) image. Share this Image On Your [] 12 comments PA VS MD: The Life and Salary of a Military Trained Physician Posted: September 20, 2015 As part of the ongoing MD vs. PA discussion, I like to feature comments on the blog from both PAs and MDs. Its a chance to learn more about what life is really like working in the trenches. Todays post comes from Doctor B. an active duty military internist. Dr. B. explains how he went [] 13 comments A Surgeon Speaks: 7 Reasons Why You Should Choose PA Over MD Posted: June 14, 2015 I am a fellowship-trained surgeon. Besides the financial aspect, the following 7 points will make your decision of PA vs. MD easy: 1. It takes on an average at least 15 years (after high school) of head in the sand (books) to complete fellowship and reach the $200,000 debt figure that you are quoting. 2. [] 31 comments Competition for PA school is more intense than the competition to get into medical school Most PA programs require students to have a year or more of direct patient contact experience. Often applicants have worked as emergency room volunteers, patient care technicians, phlebotomists, CNAs, medical assistants or medics on ambulances. Although a good grade point average is important, life experiences, maturity, and determination also make a good impression on the admissions committees. Your personal statementshould reflect all the influences that have brought you to the application process. RELATED POSTS Who Gets Into PA School? Heres What You Need to Know The #1 Trait to Determine Long Term Success as a PA THE AVERAGE PA STUDENT IS Female and 27 years old (74% are female) Has 1.88 years of hands on patient care experience Has a 3.49 overall GPA Lives in the suburbs Has an SAT score of 1000 Has a 25% chance of getting into PA school if she applies to only one school and a 49% chance is she applies to 12 or more Do you Know the History of the PA Profession? In the World War II era, Dr. Eugene Stead Jr. developed a curriculum model to fast-track the training of physicians in a 3-year time frame. During the years from 1961 to 1972, the PA concept came more into focus when Dr. Stead established the first PA program at Duke University, in 1967. He used much the same model that he had used to train World War II physicians. He saw the need for midlevel health practitioners to complement the services and skills of physicians. This need was even more apparent in remote areas of the United States, where the medical profession had historically underserved populations. The opening of more PA programs during the ensuing period prompted the development of the PA professional organization, the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), in 1968. In 1970, Kaiser Permanente was the first health maintenance organization (HMO) to employ PAs. In 1971, Montifiore Medical Center established the first PA postgrad surgical residency program. In an effort to maintain consistency throughout PA programs, the American Medical Associations Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation developed training program guidelines in 1971 and implemented the program accreditation process. In 1973, the AAPA held its first conference. The first certifying exam was given in 1973, even before the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) had been incorporated, in 1975. The NCCPA was established to ensure the public that certified physician assistants meet established criteria and continue to meet those criteria every six years by taking a recertifying examination. The first recertification exam was given in 1981. Also, much state legislation has been implemented concerning the practice of PAs and their prescriptive privileges. National legislation also has been implemented to address PA reimbursement. By 1985, the ranks of PA had grown to more than 10,000 nationally, prompting the development of National PA Day in 1987. By 1988, the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants was first published, complementing the fields first official journal publication in 1977, Health Practitioner (later called Physician Assistant). In the 10 years after 1990, misconception and prejudices about PA privileges continued to fall away, allowing for an expanded role for PAs. The number of PA programs doubled. Discussion and implementation of masters-level programs began to take place. In 1993, there were 26,400 PAs in existence, but that number grew to 45,000 by 2002. RELATED POSTS How much do you know about the PA profession: Take the PA History Quiz Interactive PA History Timeline RELATED VIDEO PAFlix:History of the PA profession Do you Have What it Takes to Get into PA School? What do PA Programs Look for in Applicants? Passion: Your desire to become a physician assistant. Not a medical provider in general, but specifically a physician assistant. Academic ability and test scores: You dont need to be a straight A student. You do need to show that you have completed the necessary prerequisite coursework, that you have shown a general aptitude for the sciences, that you can handle difficult coursework. If you have some bad grades in the past you must demonstrate an upward momentum. If you are applying to schools that require the GRE then you are going to have to take this exam and do well-enough. Standardized test scores come into play only if youve scored exceptionally high or extremely low, and they serve to validate the rest of your application. Medical experience: While not all school require it, most school requesta minimum of 1,000 hours (1 year) of direct, hands-on, patient care experience. Paid experience is the most desirable and will provide you the greatest opportunity to get your hands dirty. Understanding of the PA profession: You need to have experience shadowing PAs or working directly with a PA so that you understand the profession to the best of your abilities. What do PAs do, how is this different from an MD, NP, RN etc. You must demonstrate a thorough understanding of the profession and its history. Maturity:The mean age of a matriculating PA school students is 27 while the mean age for practicing PAs is 41. I have worked with all types of providers and the truth, as probably already know, is that age doesnt indicate a persons maturity. The common trait that most mature applicants share is the ability to exhibit a youthful energy coupled with practical life experience. PA school applicants come from diverse backgrounds and possess a variety of life experiences. Some of the most interesting candidates have careers that are totally unrelated to healthcare at the time of application. A typical applicant pool may include an attorney, a schoolteacher and a dance instructor. Students range from 21 to 61 years of age. Ask Yourself: Can you be empathetic, yet assertive? Can you handle stress under fire? Will you know when to call for help? Can you make quick decisions? Will you require constant supervision? I have began researching programs and understanding their requirements ***To learn all about every PA program in the United States using a visual map visitwww.paschoolfinder.com One of the most important points to consider is this: If you apply to one PA program you have a 25% chance of getting in. If you apply to 12 programs (or more) you have a 49% chance of getting acceptance.It is important to note that if you apply to more than 12 schools your chances of getting an acceptance letter do not increase. So what does this mean? It means you should definitely apply to more than one PA school, and if you can, make it 12 PA schools! Yes, it is expensive and yes, this may mean that you need to increase your range of geographical prospects but let me tell you this: When I applied to PA school, as a native Californian, the last place I thought I would end up was in New Jersey, but that is where I found myself and I am so glad I didnt limit my options to my home state. I have been going back and forth between PA and MD, and as I enter my senior year at UCLA I have decided that being a PA is the best choice for me. I checked various PA schools, their pre-reqs, rankings, etc. Many PA schools have different pre-reqs, granted some classes are the same such as Anatomy, Physio, Microbio. There are major distinctions between the PA schools though, whether that be some dont require Chem/O Chem, Biology, etc. Victoria, Pre-PA Posts to Read How Much Does it Cost to go to Physician Assistant (PA) School? Posted: August 28, 2015 So you are considering PA school? Great, now how are you going to pay for it? With the average undergraduate education debt prior to PA school at $36,300 and the average anticipateddebt load from PA school at $75,000-$124,000its probably time to ask the next logical question: How much does PA school cost? Like most college [] 11 comments Physician Assistant Program Tuition and Costs Comparison Table Posted: February 22, 2013 Below is a cost comparisontable of most PhysicianAssistant programs in the United States. *This table has been updated, please visit the2017 PA School Tuition Comparison Table. PA Program Tuition and Cost Data Tuition and cost data of resident and nonresident tuition including length/duration of the PA program. Keep in mind that these are estimatedcosts and [] 65 comments PA Schoolfinder The Ultimate Physician Assistant School and Program Directory Posted: September 15, 2013 Watch this introductory videoto see the website in action Are You Trying to Find The Perfect PA School to Fit Your Needs? Are you interested in attending PA school, but you have limited resources and no idea where to begin? Do you worry about the program requirements and waste countless hours going from [] 13 comments Physician Assistant School and Program Directory eBook Posted: July 28, 2014 Are you Looking for a good end of the summer read? I am so happy to offer my newly compiled PA Programs eBook to you for FREE. The Physician Assistant School and Program Directory is a complete list of every accredited Physician Assistant Programs in the United States. And best of all: Its been fully [] 2 comments Iunderstand the life of a PA student, the prerequisite requirements and have completed (or am in the process of completing) them Posts to Read The Perfect PA Program Picker: PA School Requirements and Admissions Tool Posted: March 13, 2018 2018-2019 PA School Admissions and Requirements Table Search and sort through all 256 accredited and developing PA school programs by healthcare experience, resident and non-resident PA school tuition, PA program duration, GRE requirements, overall GPA, prerequisiteGPA, and science GPA requirements. Search by PA program accreditation status, CASPA participation, PA school class size, five-year PANCE pass [] 15 comments Applying to PA School with a Low GPA: Admissions Directors Answer Your Questions Posted: August 22, 2017 How to Get Into PA School With a Low GPA PA school administrators from nine top-ranking PA programs answer your questions on how to get into PA school with a low GPA. A low GPA is probably the hardest area to improve. This makes sense it was years in the making, and cant be [] 16 comments 5 Things Ive Learned Going Into My Fourth Physician Assistant Application Cycle Posted: April 18, 2017 I will be honest; this is not an article I ever thought Id be writing. I submitted my first physician assistant application after finishing my undergrad in 2014, and here I am three years later preparing to submit my fourth PA application when the cycle starts at the end of the month. The PA application [] 7 comments 80 PA Schools That Dont Require the GRE Posted: August 22, 2016 Are you like me and looking to dodge the GRE? Does the thought of studying for the GRE exam make your palms sweat and your heart flutter? Wouldnt it be great if you could find PA schools that dont require the GREand simplyavoid the GRE exam altogether? Well, you are in luck! Out of 256 [] 0 comments Prerequisite Coursework: How to Design the Perfect Pre-PA School Curriculum Posted: November 24, 2014 * To compare top ranking PA schools and download your FREE PA School Prerequisite Worksheetclick here This post is part ofmy5 steps to PA school seriesto go from zero to PA school hero: Complete the necessary prerequisite coursework Obtain the required medical and hands-on patient care experience Successfullyprepare for and take the GRE (or avoid [] 72 comments I havethe necessary direct hands on patient care experience How muchhealthcare experience you will need depends entirely upon the program(s) to which you will be applying. A good rule of thumb is at least 1,000 hours (one full 40-hour per week year) of paid employment with direct hands on patient care experience.People ask me all the time what kind of non certificate or volunteer programs are available to complete the necessary health care experience hours? The hard truth is that there really arent many good options. You are going to have to take the steps necessary and make the time commitment to get the kind of high quality healthcare experience that will get you an interview. Whatsthe difference between patient care and healthcare experience? Posts to Read The Perfect PA Program Picker: PA School Requirements and Admissions Tool Posted: March 13, 2018 2018-2019 PA School Admissions and Requirements Table Search and sort through all 256 accredited and developing PA school programs by healthcare experience, resident and non-resident PA school tuition, PA program duration, GRE requirements, overall GPA, prerequisiteGPA, and science GPA requirements. Search by PA program accreditation status, CASPA participation, PA school class size, five-year PANCE pass [] 15 comments 5 Things Ive Learned Going Into My Fourth Physician Assistant Application Cycle Posted: April 18, 2017 I will be honest; this is not an article I ever thought Id be writing. I submitted my first physician assistant application after finishing my undergrad in 2014, and here I am three years later preparing to submit my fourth PA application when the cycle starts at the end of the month. The PA application [] 7 comments No Experience Required! 84 PA Schools That Dont Require Healthcare Experience Posted: October 17, 2016 Are you looking to get into PA School fast? Then skip the healthcare experience! Belowis a list of 84 PA programs in the United States that do not requirepatient careexperiencefor PA school admissions. I use require lightly because many of these schools which claim no healthcare experience requirement do strongly recommend or prefer PA school [] 11 comments Healthcare Experience Required for PA School: The Ultimate Guide Posted: February 2, 2015 Patient Care and Healthcare Experience for PA School Today we are going to tackle step 2 of my 5 steps to PA school seriesby taking a very detailed look at healthcare experience requirements for PA school. Included, in this discussion isa side-by-sidecomparison of healthcareexperiencerequirements of all PA programsin the United States. PA is different from [] 140 comments How to Find The Direct Patient Care Experience You Need to Become a Physician Assistant Posted: August 25, 2013 Read on: But you may also be interested in my newest post Healthcare Experience Required for PA School: The Ultimate Guide I could probably summarize this entire blog post with the following sentence: THE MORE HANDS-ON PATIENT CAREEXPERIENCE YOU HAVE, THE STRONGER YOU WILL BE AS A PA SCHOOL CANDIDATE. How many healthcare experience hours [] 75 comments I haveTaken the GRE I placed a checkmark here, because57% of PA programs require that you submit a GRE score. The GRE is a tool used by PA schools to clarify any possible discrepancies such as an applicant with below average grades in this case a wonderful GRE score may reassure the admissions committee that you are capable academically. A very low score could hurt you if you have a substandard GPA to begin with. Otherwise, an average GRE score (or even a little below average) is not going to hurt you as long as your application looks good. A very high GRE score probably wont carry that much weight either, it will just reaffirm what the admissions committee already suspects you are a good PA school candidate. If you had a poor freshman and sophomore year of undergrad (like many applicants) a stellar GRE score may help. In general, if you are going to take the GRE, I recommend a score of 300 + (150 + 150) overall, 3.5 in writing, and 50% in each section. Pre Physician AssistantGRE Advice The GRE and PA School: The Pre-PA Advisor Series Posted: March 10, 2019 The Pre-PA Advisor Series Welcome to the PA Advisors Series a special series of postswhere PA school applicants like yourself ask the tough questions and admissions directors from top-ranking PA schools provide the answers. Today We Will Discuss the GRE and Your PA School Application Here are some of the questions answered in this [] 0 comments 80 PA Schools That Dont Require the GRE Posted: August 22, 2016 Are you like me and looking to dodge the GRE? Does the thought of studying for the GRE exam make your palms sweat and your heart flutter? Wouldnt it be great if you could find PA schools that dont require the GREand simplyavoid the GRE exam altogether? Well, you are in luck! Out of 256 [] 0 comments Looking for great GRE Prep? If you do get "stuck" and there is just no way out of it, I am a big fan of the GRE study prep at Magoosh.com and the Kaplan GRE Prep Plus Book Kaplan GRE Book Magoosh GRE Prep GRE study prep at Magoosh.com. Try the 7 Day Free Trial today! I have shadowed a PA (or a few) This is the elephant in the room. Everybody says just find a PA to shadow. I have even caught myself saying it, but the truth is, it is getting increasingly hard to find willing participants. Hereis a wonderful video by Kelly at pre-physician assistant student HELP that outlines the process she used. It is the same one I used, and it proves an important point: The squeaky pre-PA gets a turn. Posts to Read Finding a Physician Assistant Mentor: The Foolproof PA Shadowing Guide Posted: March 28, 2017 When I first contemplated a career as a physician assistant I was hard-pressed to find a PA to shadow. I was dying to find a PA and pick their brain, learn about what they do, possibly shadow for a day or two. But, the question is where do you start? Every single PA I know [] 32 comments I haveat least three solid letters of recommendation As part of the application process, you are required to provide at least three letters of recommendationin support of your application. Be sure to pay strict attention to detail about each schools specific requirements for references. For instance, some schools may allow you to choose your own personal references. Other programs specify that you should have letters from a PA, a physician, and a former supervisor. When you are considering potential candidates to provide you with a great letter of reference, be sure to include at least one PA. After all, you are applying to a PA program, and the committee would like to know that youve impressed another PA significantly enough to support your application. The PA profession is relatively small, and most of us (PAs) would not cosign a potential students application if they didnt think that he or she would make a great PA. To some, this rule is quite obvious; however, plenty of applicants fail to grasp this simple concept. Applicants write about shadowing or working with PAs in their essay but then fail to obtain a reference from such a valuable resource. Many applicants are under the false impression that the bigger the name or position of a person, the more weight his or her letter of reference will carry. Nothing could be further from the truth. The admissions committee includes some pretty sharp people, most of whom are PAs. The committee will favor a letter from a fellow PA over some big shot on any given day. If you dont know any PAs, dont fret. Get busy locating some local PAs and ask to shadow them for a day or two. Most PAs will jump at the chance to help you. Keep in mind that a good letter of recommendation has four important features: It shows that the writer truly knows the individual and can comment about the applicants qualifications. It shows that the writer knows enough about the applicant and can make comparative judgments about the applicants intellectual, academic, and professional abilities in relation to others in a similar role. It provides supporting details to make the statement believable. It is short, yet concise and sincere. Rodican, Andrew J.The Ultimate Guide to Getting Into Physician Assistant School Posts to Read Physician Assistant Application Letter of Recommendation Samples: Applying to PA School Posted: November 3, 2012 PA School Letters of Reference Here are two letters of recommendation Ireceivedwhen applying to PA school. I am not posting them here as a way to fluff my feathers but merely to serve as an example of what I included as part of my actual PA school application. A great letter of recommendation weighs heavily [] 21 comments I have written an amazing personal statement Without a doubt, this is the most time intensive and important part of your entire CASPA application. For many the PA school essay is the barrier that separates them from a PA school acceptance letter. Writing an effective personal statement isnt all that hard. You simply need to be honest and organize your thoughts in an intelligent and cohesive manner. A great essay is seamless, its smooth, its fluid its like a country road that rolls over the hills and bends through the turns like the landscape has known nothing else. It feels effortless yet, it is anything but. An effective essay requires revision, it takes time and it cant be hurried. We interviewed PA school administrators from across the country. Here is what they had to say Posts to Read How to Write the Perfect Physician Assistant School Application Essay Posted: July 26, 2012 Over at Inside PA Training Paul wrote a wonderful blog post about the common pitfalls that many PA school applicants fall victim to while preparing their PA school essay. CommonPhysician Assistant Essay Pitfalls Clichs Lack of Specificity Weak Conclusion No Theme Boring Introduction This is an excellent listbecause eight years ago while I was applying [] 101 comments The Physician Assistant Essay and Personal Statement Collaborative Posted: September 6, 2013 Are you ready to get started? Choose your package, and we will begin today! Single EditOne-on-one serviceSupplemental Essays Your success is our passion(see just some of our 100s of testimonials and comments below). We are ready to help today. Our current PA school essay review service status 25% OFF: () Accepting New Submissions (Photo: Me [] 1,295 comments Do You Recognize These 7 Common Mistakes in Your Personal Statement? Posted: June 30, 2014 Youve written youressay. You know what you want to say. But will the admissions committeeget your message? Youve read through countless PA school essay samples. Youve chopped and changed the order of the paragraphs. Youve polished each sentence. After all that hard work, youre still not sure whether your essay flows along nicely. Will readers [] 6 comments 7 Essays in 7 Days: PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 1, A PA Changed My Life Posted: April 14, 2015 In this special week-long introductory session of thepersonal statement workshop, we are pulling essays submitted from the comments section through our free essay submission process and providing you, and our users, with a more thoroughanalysis of their essays. Since examples often make better teachers than words, pay close attention. You may find just the advice [] 0 comments I have joined my State and local PA chapter As part of the PA School application process, I urge all applicants to join both the AAPA and their local state constituent chapter of the AAPA. To make the research process a bit easier, I have created a clickable map of all 56 AAPA State Constituent Chapters including direct links to their websites. You can view a full-size version of this map and the associated links by clicking here. Recommended Reading Throughout the didactic and clinical years, you will have plenty of time to read dense textbooks. I recommend you avoid most academic material in the months leading up to the start of PA school. However, some books can contribute to your outlook and perspective on medicine and patient care. These books, often focusing on the humanity side of medicine, are worth a read if you find a few extra hours before school begins. The List An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End Survival of the Sickest: The Surprising Connections Between Disease and Longevity Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World PAFLIX (Physician Assistant Video on Demand) Learn all about PAs doing fascinating things, such as this video of PA David Carnes who shares his international experiences and his timeworking as a physician assistant in the white house. Learn about physician assistants working in all different types of specialties. Check out videos that are specific to pre-physician assistantslike yourself: PA shadowing PA school interview techniques Learn about PA schools