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…
CASPA: Everything You Need to Know about the Experiences Section
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…
Why Should I Consider Allied Health Careers?
If the road to medical school seems too long, or you have financial constraints that prevent you from applying, you might want to consider a career that offers many of the same experiences a physician has but without the extensive (and expensive) schooling. Weighing your options: Pros & cons of allied health careers While the…
How to Get into Physician Assistant Programs [Episode 515]
Dr. Valerie Wherley, Accepted consultant and past Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and Career Development at William Beaumont School of Medicine, and former Director of Pre-Health Advisement and Director of the Pre-Health Postbac Certificate Program at Sacred Heart University, speaks in depth about the path to becoming a physician assistant. [Show Summary] Healthcare is a…
Writing Your PA School Personal Statement with Impact [Including a Bonus PA Personal Statement Example]
Becoming a physician assistant (PA) has become a hot career goal, and it’s getting hotter all the time. Over the past several years, applications have more than tripled at some of the most competitive programs, and acceptance rates have dipped to as low as about 30% – lower than the acceptance rate at many medical…
MD/PA/NP/DO/DDS/MPH: What Do They Require? [Episode 499]
Discover the differences between and how to get accepted to common healthcare admissions tracks [Show Summary] Accepted consultant Dr. Valerie Wherley has an impressive and extensive background in pre-health, having advised thousands of students to acceptance at their dream schools and programs. In this highly informative podcast interview, she distinguishes the differences between common healthcare…
How To Get Accepted To the University of Iowa’s PA Program [Episode 462]
What is the U. of Iowa’s PA program all about [Show Summary] The role of Physician Assistant was introduced less than 60 years ago and the University of Iowa’s Physician Assistant Program has been at the forefront since day one. Tony Brenneman, the Program Director shares what the program offers and how applicants can gain…
Temple University’s Postbac Programs: A Plethora of Possibilities [Episode 435]
Learn how to increase your chances of acceptance to medical school or another health professions school. [Show summary] Caleb Marsh, Admissions Director of Temple University’s CST many postbac programs explores the robust opportunities available to students preparing for medical educations and careers. How can Temple University’s postbac programs help you reach your career goals, and…
All About Duke’s Top-Ranked PA Program [Episode 416]
What is Duke’s physician assistant program looking for in applicants? [Show summary] April Stouder, Associate Program Director and Chair of the Admissions Committee for Duke’s PA program, explores what’s unique about this top-ranked program and what applicants can do to be competitive. A focus on primary care makes Duke’s PA program unique [Show notes] Are…
A Medical School Admissions Expert’s Guide to Postbacs and Med Schools [Episode 376]
Could a postbac program boost your chances of acceptance to medical school?[Show summary] Dr. Barry Rothman, an Accepted consultant with 19 years of experience in health professions advising, shares his expert guidance for applicants considering postbac programs and medical school. Learn how this admissions cycle will differ from other cycles, and how you can best…
How to Prepare for a PA School Interview
Physician Assistant program interviews are similar to medical school interviews. There are three possible interview formats: traditional, MMI (multiple mini interview) or a hybrid of these two. Traditional interviews involve any combination of students and interviewers, with up to 3 students being interviewed by up to 3 interviewers. If a school uses a traditional one-on-one…
Which One is Right for Me? PA vs. NP vs. Medical School
Why do you want to become a Physician Assistant (PA)? Why not a nurse practitioner or physician? To help you answer this question, what follows is a direct comparison of these three educational and professional options, focusing on three specific programs. Using information from the top ranked programs from U.S. News and World Report for…
Why Should You Consider Becoming a PA?
Most of the clients I work with are dead set on becoming doctors. I believe this mindset exists because doctors have such a visible role in patient care historically, and are represented in the media as being at the very top of the healthcare hierarchy. The physician assistant (PAs) profession is a relatively new member…
What to Look for When Selecting a Physician Assistant (PA) Program
One of the keys to choosing the right physician assistant (PA) program for you is program data, including information on the programs’ matriculants. Unfortunately that’s more difficult to come by for PA applicants since the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) does not provide data on applicants or matriculants for individual PA programs, but…
5 Qualities to Highlight in Your Physician Assistant Program Application
In addition to identifying students with academic promise, physician assistant programs are looking for students who have a wide range of specific personal characteristics. Based on the criteria for the most competitive PA programs, there are five general areas in which students are evaluated. What character traits make for a stand-out physician assistant applicant? Academic…
How to Get Accepted to Physician Assistant (PA) Programs
Physician assistants (PAs) are similar to doctors in many ways and serve as important members of any healthcare team: They improve the ease and speed with which patients are able to see a healthcare provider; they take on most of the same activities as doctors in patient care; they see patients to diagnose, treat, and…
U.S. News Releases 2021 Best Physician Assistant Programs
U.S. News released its 2021 ranking of physician assistant programs. These rankings are based on peer assessment surveys completed by deans, other administrators and/or faculty at accredited degree programs or schools. All schools surveyed were sent an identical number of surveys. Survey responses were on a scale of 1 (marginal) to 5 (outstanding). There was…
Can You Graduate PA School With Little or No Debt? Daniela Did.
Learn how real students navigate their way through the graduate school admissions process and grad school itself with our What is Graduate School Really Like? series. Meet Daniela, a new PA and fitness enthusiast who shares how to achieve your dreams without breaking the bank. Daniela, thank you for sharing your story with us! How…
How Did This Successful PA Applicant Get Accepted? [Episode 349]
Interview with Erica Cousins, entering PA student [Show summary] Erica Cousins, PA school reapplicant, shares what she did differently the second time around to get admitted to several programs. A soon-to-be PA student shares tips for gaining acceptance to physician assistant programs [Show notes] Our guest today, Erica Cousins, is happily anticipating the start of…
Macy’s Journey Through Yale’s Online PA Program
Learn how real students navigate their way through the graduate school admissions process and grad school itself with our What is Graduate School Really Like? series. Meet Macy, a student in a uniquely flexible, Ivy League PA program Macy, thank you for sharing your story with us! Was there a particular person or experience that inspired your…