Let me guess; you are struggling to find shadowing hours during the COVID-19 pandemic. Trust me, you are not alone. Many Pre-PA students looking to apply in the next 1-2 years have an extra challenge than those in past years, COVID-19! The global pandemic has changed the way applicants can volunteer, finish prerequisites, shadow, etc. […]
Archives for 2020
5 Best Ways to Give a Memorable PA School Interview
Congratulations! You’ve been invited to interview for a PA school. That email sprang into your inbox, and you responded faster than lightning. You saved the date, updated your Zoom video settings, placed a copy of When Breath Becomes Air in your visible background, or (if you are reading this post-pandemic) purchased your plane tickets. Now you […]
How to Be a Better PA Part 1: Nurses, Lab Techs, and X-Ray Technicians
This is part one of a special three-part podcast series by Joe Gilboy PA-C on becoming a better PA. Part one is all about building amazing relationships with our nurses and ancillary staff. You may be thinking to yourself, “Hey Stephen, I thought this podcast was about the PANCE and PANRE.” “How does talking about […]
PA Programs with a 100% 5-Year PANCE Pass Rate
When deciding which PA school to attend, PANCE pass rates often enter the discussion. Although I agree that five-year PANCE pass rates reflect well on a PA program, I don’t believe they should be the most important part of your PA school decision matrices. Many factors can affect a PA programs PANCE pass rates, and […]
How to Celebrate PA Week Every Week of the Year!
Another amazing national PA week has passed us. What is PA week? The first National Physician Assistant Day was on October 6, 1987. This date commemorated the 20th anniversary of the first graduating class from Duke University’s’ PA program. I am always ecstatic to educate others on the PA profession during PA week…Okay, let’s be […]
PA School is Like Drinking From a Fire Hose – Exaggerating? Definitely not!
In the first week of PA school, I remember being told that, “PA school is like drinking out of a fire hose.” Am I exaggerating? Definitely not! PA school is a crazy journey, unlike any other. Every PA program is slightly different, but the didactic year requires that you absorb A LOT of information. Anatomy, […]
Don’t Make This Critical PA School Interview Mistake!
Practice, practice, practice, for your PA school interview! But whatever you do, don’t sound rehearsed. We all know how important practicing is before interview day, but make sure you remember that memorizing answers is the kiss of death! In many ways, practicing is about confidence. When you’ve seen and heard the questions before, you’ve considered […]
Laos: The Birthplace of the U.S. Physician Assistant?
This is part nine of a ten-part series by documentary filmmaker Adam Halbur on the PA model around the world. Today we go back to where some may say the PA profession first got its start. The country of Laos. Reincarnation: Returning to the Birthplace of the U.S. Physician Assistant This blog will be brief, as was […]
Podcast Episode 85: Ten Mixed Multiple Choice Questions
Welcome to episode 85 of the Audio PANCE and PANRE PA Board Review Podcast. Join me as I cover ten PANCE and PANRE Board review questions from the SMARTYPANCE course content following the NCCPA™ content blueprint (download the FREE cheat sheet). Special from today’s episode: Download your copy of the Free Trello Smarty PANCE NCCPA™ Blueprint […]
How to Write the Perfect PA School Supplemental Essay
So you finished writing your amazingly perfect PA school personal statement that shows Admissions Committees your passion for patient care and interest in the PA profession. Now you are faced with a slew of supplemental essay prompts that must be addressed concisely and specifically. What is a Pre-PA Applicant to do? First, take a deep […]
Who’s Your Average PA? Here’s Everything You Need to Know
Meet Melissa Mean. She is a 38-year-old female physician assistant working in New York State, earning $123,080 per year. She holds a master’s degree in physician assistant studies with a bachelor’s of science in biochemistry from Penn State University. She works 40.3 hours per week in an office-based family medicine practice. She is not bilingual […]
Cardiac Pharmacology Part One: The Audio PANCE and PANRE Episode 84
Welcome to episode 84 of the Audio PANCE and PANRE PA Board Review Podcast Today we welcome back PA board review expert Joe Gilboy PA-C as he covers the exceptionally important topic of cardiac pharmacology. Below you will find a downloadable audio version of this podcast as well as links to resources mentioned in today’s episode. […]
Why Choose PA Over NP? Here’s the Perfect Answer
A common PA school interview question that stumps many well-intentioned PA school interviewees is “Why did you choose PA over NP?” This is a classic question that you must be prepared to answer. Do you have an answer? How to answer the PA vs. NP interview question without being offensive Here is a clip from […]
How Much Money do Physician Assistants (PAs) Make?
Physician Assistant Salary and Compensation “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill How Much do PAs Make? According to the latest NCCPA data, the average salary of certified PAs in 2021 is $115,470 per year ($113,186 in 2020), and the median annual salary […]
31 (NEW) CASPA PA School Personal Statement Examples
Several years ago, I published a blog post titled 31 Physician Assistant Personal Statement Examples, which has been viewed over half a million times. The chance to read other people’s PA school essays proved so enticing that we even wrote a book about it. It’s called 101 CASPA PA school personal statement examples and is […]
