CASPA, the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants, is the primary application service for graduate physician assistant (PA) programs. The CASPA application has four primary categories within it: Personal Information, Academic History, Supporting Information, and Program Materials. There are lots of documents you will need to gather, prepare, and write to complete the application, but…
Vet School Personal Statement Examples to Guide You
You’ve done the work you needed to to prepare yourself for vet school. The academic work. The volunteer work. The clinical work. And now you must answer the VMCAS (Veterinary Medical College Application Service) essay prompt “Why do you want to pursue a career in veterinary medicine?” You have just 3,000 characters with which to…
What’s New with the 2025 AMCAS Application?
If you are a medical school applicant with the goal of matriculating in the fall of 2025, it is time to submit your primary application! The American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) opened on May 1, 2024, and fully completed applications can now be submitted (as of May 28, 2024). If you are still working…
How to Write a Compelling Postbac Admissions Essay
One of the most important parts of your application to postbac programs will be your personal statement. This piece of writing allows the admissions committee to get to know you and understand your path to medicine. Three attributes of a compelling postbac personal statement Three important elements can make your postbac personal statement resonate with your reader:…
VMCAS Is Open! What’s New on the 2024-2025 Application?
The Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS) opened on January 23! The final VMCAS application deadline is September 16, which is a mere 237 days away! With advanced planning, knowledge of the new and changed aspects of the VMCAS, and a competitive, holistic application, you will be ready! VMCAS Timeline The following suggested timeline highlights…
Harvard Medical School Secondary Application Essay Tips and Deadlines [2023-2024]
The website of Harvard Medical School (HMS) is a treasure trove of information for applicants. Is HMS right for you? It could be if you are, as the school says, “self-motivated, visionary in …[your] ambition, and compassionate in …[your] approach to the art of healing.” HMS highlights the importance of diversity in its Mission Statement,…
Writing Your PA School Personal Statement with Impact [Including a PA Personal Statement Example]
There are approximately 300 accredited PA (physician assistant) schools in the United States. In the most recent application cycle, these schools received more than 27,000 applications. The matriculation rate for PA schools hovers near 30%, which is lower than the approximate 40% matriculation rate for medical schools. Is becoming a PA a competitive process? Yes!…
Four Tips for High School Students Interested in a Career in Medicine
Today’s high school students have lived through an extraordinary – and extraordinarily difficult – chapter of history: the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly all students missed out on critical in-person class time and fell behind where they would have been academically if the pandemic had never happened. Yet, because of COVID-19, more high school students might be considering…
PharmD Prerequisites
A thoughtfully crafted prerequisite course plan for applicants on the PharmD path is the first step in cultivating a competitive pre-health portfolio. This holistic portfolio, complete with not only academic work but also clinical experiences, shadowing, volunteerism, leadership, and other extracurricular opportunities, will ultimately yield a stellar PharmCAS application. First, let us provide a bit…
Reapplying to PA School: Tips on Polishing and Refining Your NEW Application
An unsuccessful application cycle can feel disappointing. However, the decision to persist, continue working toward your chosen career goal, and apply in a subsequent application cycle is nothing short of the definition of resilience! In this blog, I’ll share some tips and suggestions for physician assistant (PA) reapplicants regarding how to update, improve, and enhance…