Top Qualities for Physician Assistant Applications
The Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) is an online platform where prospective students can apply to multiple physician assistant (PA) programs with one application. Competitive CASPA applications highlight both hard skills and soft skills learned, applied, and demonstrated in a variety of settings.
For many PA applicants, showcasing hard skills – or skills that are quantifiable, specific, and measurable – is easy. These tend to be skills learned in a clinical setting, during accumulation of patient care experience hours, and/or while completing a healthcare-related license or certification. Examples include taking vital signs, administering medications, performing CPR or wound care, and managing electronic health records.
However, PA programs also scrutinize applications for evidence of soft skills that are equally important in a healthcare setting. Soft skills are generally defined as interpersonal attributes, personality traits, and work habits. The ability to highlight these in your CASPA personal statement, as well as in the description/key responsibilities of the “Experiences” section of your application, will give the adcom insight into your ability to communicate, collaborate, and receive feedback.
So, what soft skills does a standout PA applicant have?
Table of Contents:
1. Teamwork
PAs function in a team-based model. Vital skills include communicating effectively with a supervising physician, respecting the roles of nurses and allied health professionals, and adapting to ever-changing team dynamics. In the CASPA application, applicants should give examples of working in a team-based situation and be sure to discuss the role they played (i.e., president, captain, general member, contributor).
Remember: a “team” doesn’t have to be classically defined like a sports team with a captain, co-captain, and teammates (although it’s great if you played on a team!). An extracurricular club, a fraternity/sorority, a group at work, or a volunteer group are all examples of teams.
2. Resilience
Given that PAs can encounter trauma, death, ethical dilemmas, and high patient volumes, it’s not surprising that one-third of PAs experience at least one symptom of burnout according to a recent study. It is important that PA applicants can provide evidence of overcoming obstacles in their own journey to PA school that resulted in the development of both personal and emotional resilience. Emotional resilience can be demonstrated, both on CASPA and in a PA school interview, by revealing how you process stress in healthy ways – such as knowing how to ask for support when needed – and explaining how you have maintained compassion during times of extreme fatigue.
3. Communication
The main types of communication are verbal, nonverbal, written, and visual – with listening often included as a fifth type. PAs must be able to effectively communicate clearly using all of these communication modes. Why? PAs treat patients of all backgrounds; work with a variety of physicians and supervising providers; are part of a team that includes nurses, techs, social workers, and pharmacists; and must convey important information to families in crisis. Thus, a PA must be able to explain complex medical information simply, be an active and engaged listener, ask the right questions, and deliver news with compassion.
How can you describe your “communication” skills on your CASPA? Tell the adcom about a meaningful conversation between you and a patient (be sure to maintain confidentiality), describe a time when you asked critical/insightful questions, or share the specifics of navigating a difficult conversation.
4. Empathy and Compassion
While a PA’s role involves taking histories, performing exams, making diagnoses, developing treatment plans, ordering tests, prescribing medications, and assisting in surgery, it also includes having keen medical acumen. It takes empathy to truly connect with patients, which can help clarify their chief complaint – leading to a more effective treatment plan. PAs must be able to recognize patients’ emotions and respond with compassion; stay attuned to patients who may be fearful, frustrated, or overwhelmed; and maintain professionalism while still showing warmth. How can you demonstrate these soft skills on your CASPA? Describe a time when you validated someone’s anxious feelings, comforted a fearful patient, or performed ongoing social advocacy work.
5. Cultural Competence
Cultural competence is the ability to understand, appreciate, and effectively interact with people from different cultural backgrounds by recognizing, respecting, and adapting to their unique values, beliefs, and communication styles. PAs work with diverse populations, so they must be able to respect different backgrounds, beliefs, and identities; avoid making assumptions; recognize biases; provide equitable care; and build rapport across cultures. Why does cultural competency matter? When PAs understand their diverse patient population, patient outcomes are improved, trust is built between provider and patient, and communication is enhanced.
When completing your CASPA, be sure to draw upon your clinical, volunteer, and leadership roles that have given you experience working with culturally diverse populations where you have examined and been honest about your own personal biases.
To make your CASPA application as competitive as possible, be sure to equally highlight your hard skills and soft skills. Adcoms will appreciate your quantitative expertise as well as your qualitative expertise!
Related Resources
- The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Physician Assistant, a free guide
- How to Get into Physician Assistant Programs [Episode 515], Accepted’s Admissions Straight Talk podcast
- Common Mistakes PA Applicants Make, an Accepted YouTube video
