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You are here: Home / Physician Assistant Stories / A Physician Assistant’s Guide to Becoming an Epic Failure

A Physician Assistant’s Guide to Becoming an Epic Failure

November 11, 2013 By Stephen Pasquini PA-C 35 Comments

A Physician Assistants Guide to Becoming an Epic Failure

Success is a Very Poor Teacher

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm"  - Winston Churchill

We learn the most about ourselves when we fail… so don't be afraid of failing.

Failing is part of the process of success. You cannot have success without failure. Unsuccessful people are people who never fail. 

Obstacles to Successful Failing

Obstacles 2

We must fail when it counts

One of the hardest parts of PA school training is that we must fail when it counts and often we must fail on somebody else.

It's hard enough to fail on ourselves, the fear of failing our patients can cause one to lose sleep at night. I know because I have had many sleepless nights.

In school, you're given the lessons first. Once you begin clinical rotations (or life in general) you're given the mistake first and then it's up to you to find the lesson.  

Since most people have not been taught how to make mistakes and learn from them, they either avoid mistakes altogether, which is a bigger mistake, or they make a mistake but fail to find the lesson from the mistake.

Whether it is passing an NG tube down the wrong hole, pulling out a Foley catheter without deflating the retention bulb (true story), missing the vein for the 3rd time while trying to start an IV, or unleashing a tape load of pubic hair onto your attending physician (I will have to tell you that one sometime)... I have failed more times than I can count.

I have failed to make the correct diagnosis, I have failed to write the correct name on my patient's prescriptions and I failed on my first 3 application attempts to PA school.

I have failed on digital blocks, and pap smears (my claim to fame is the airborn speculum). I even failed high school calculus. I have crashed this website more times than I can count, I have crashed my bike, fractured my face and broken bones on many failed attempts at pushing physical limits.

Many would look at this list and feel... well, a sense of failure.

But not me, this list is what I am most proud of. I wish I could put my failure list on my resume (in fact this may be a very good idea).

Ever wonder why teaching institutions have some of the best success in patient outcome rates?

Is it because they have the lowest failure rate? Or is it because doctors can learn by admitting their mistakes?

We have been conditioned to believe that failing is bad for us

Sadly, those most prophetic teachers are often the most unsuccessful failures. This could be our parents, teachers, friends, and family. We are conditioned to avoid failure by medical institutions themselves.

My mom was an excellent student in school.  She rarely made mistakes, which is why she had such high grades. But, she is an unsuccessful failure and because of this, she has missed out on countless experiences in life. She is a kind, generous, and wonderful person, who has had quite a bit of success in life, but she is very bad a failing beyond her comfort zone.

My dad, on the other hand, is one of the most successful failures I know. He could have written a book on it, in fact, he has written several... books that is.

Some people choose to see successful failing as a failure to succeed. I believe that once you have come to the boundaries of what you know its time to make some mistakes. 

My dad has had a rich and meaningful life, one that has taken him places only true failures will ever get to go.  Is it impossible to live without failure? Absolutely not, it's called the fate of the tireless masses.

Our ego is fragile from years of over reassurance

We all know the person on American Idol that was told by the judges that they sucked and they look shocked.

This is a perfect example of somebody who's never failed who has chosen to do so on national television.

This does not make them a failure. In fact, I admire anyone who is willing to put themselves out there like that.

It's what happens after they receive the critique that will determine their aptitude to grow and their potential success as a failure.

Ego "Dementors"

dementor

My supervising physician of six years used to refer to certain patients as "dementors." This was not meant to be demeaning, it is a  Harry Potter reference, one talking about how certain people can literally suck the life out of you.

During my general surgery rotation as a PA student, I had my first real exposure to a hardcore "ego dementor."

Just looking at this man (appropriately named Dr. Dick) would demoralize even the most steel of heart.

Dr. Dick would create opportunities for students to fail and then skilfully rub salt into the wound.

It made students sweat buckets while frantically skimming pages of surgical recall prior to entering the surgical suite.

I used to hate scrubbing in with Dr. Dick, yet it seemed to be a recurring theme while on my surgical rotation. At the time I looked at him with contempt, as I write this 11 years later I realize the only thing that ever hurt in those 6-hour pimping sessions was my ego.

Dr. Dick was the king of pushing limits and causing one to make calculated "mistakes."  The first thing that happens after you make a mistake is that you become upset. Everyone I know gets upset. That is the first indication of a mistake.  At this point of upset, you find out who you really are.

I remember those sessions well because they were full of epic failures and harmless yet demoralizing "mistakes." It will come as no surprise that I did very well on my surgical rotation exit exam.

Thank you, Dr. Dick!

Why you should become good at falling failing

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that learning how to fail may be the single most important thing you do on your road to becoming a successful PA or PA student. Failing is the only true "guru" and some of the biggest failures I know are people who never failed.

How to become an epic failure

  1. Be on the lookout for new and interesting ways to fail:
    • Always be looking for new ways to fail. If it is on your clinical rotations look for new procedures, you haven't done, find opportunities that others are too afraid to attempt, ask questions when the timing is not perfect and the attention will be on you, present for grand rounds, start a blog and talk about your failures. ?
  2. Stand up and volunteer to fail:
    • One of the most successful PA students I have ever rotated with was always the first to volunteer to fail. He failed more than anyone I have ever known, he has gone on to be one of the most successful PAs I have also ever known. While he was volunteering to fail, I was usually relieved to have the attention directed firmly away from me. But, while he was learning something I was seeking confirmation that I was not a failure. And in turn, I lost out. So volunteer to fail, be that girl or guy with their hand up always eager to jump in and try something new. You will never fail in this case, because you will be learning, growing, and sharpening your skills at the right time.
  3. Keep a list of upcoming or desired failures:
    • I like to call this my bucket list. Why is it the same as a failure list?  Because almost everything on my bucket list are things that will challenge me. Things that will make me a  better person, things that will help my children or others to be better people. And, as we have seen, to do this right I am going to have to subject myself to failure.
  4. Let go of your need not to fail:
    • This may be one of the hardest parts. Learning not to fail has been so drummed into us that we are "failure averse." So we need to wake up each day and remind ourselves why we want to fail. We need to let our ego take a beating and realize that we are stronger because of it, that our ego will repair itself, and just like scar tissue it will grow back even stronger. It may be different, but it will be resilient and so you will be too.
  5. Be Glad to Fail:
    • Too many people live in a diminishing world because they continue to say, ‘I'll never do that again’ instead of saying, ‘I’m glad that happened because I learned this or that from the experience.’

It is Okay Not to Know

confused

In fact, it is much better to admit you don't know than to pretend you do.

Accept that you don't know what will happen. Then embrace all that does happen as it unfolds.

Ignorance is an opportunity to learn, to experience, to see what is truly there rather than what you merely think is there.

When you stop denying your ignorance you start allowing your enlightenment.

Authentic genius arises from sincere humility. Let go of the fantasy that you have all the answers and you'll begin to actually find some.

In knowledge and wisdom, there are many possibilities. In mystery, there are infinitely more.   Allow the mystery, with confidence. And discover a whole new beautiful world.  

Let's Fail Together

Today, in response to failure, instead of saying, “I'll never do that again,” say, “I’m glad I did fail and learn because I am grateful for the wisdom I gained.” And then say, “Let’s do it again."

Instead of fear and resentment, there is excitement and fun. Instead of being afraid of failing,  know that making mistakes is the way we were all designed to learn. If we fail to make mistakes, or make them and do not learn from them, the magic goes out of life.

Life goes backward and gets smaller, instead of expansive and filled with magic.

If you have had an epic failure tell us in the comment section below, the bigger on the fail scale the better! Be proud and own it.

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About Stephen Pasquini PA-C

Stephen has been a family practice PA since 2004 and is the creator of The PA Life and Smarty PANCE Board Review websites. A National Health Service Corps Scholar and a graduate of The University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ (Rutgers) PA Program and the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. Stephen's goal is to provide one-of-a-kind online resources for those interested in or practicing in the PA profession, to promote better access to healthcare for all, and foster universal recognition/awareness of the PA profession. Read more about Stephen.

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Comments

  1. Purple says

    January 13, 2020 at 12:44 pm

    Hello,
    I would greatly appreciate some input into a recent true failure. I am greatly struggling with how to make this a success for my career. It is great to put yourself out there in order to learn, but what about other failures that are not exactly that “cookie cutter”?? E.g. termination from healthcare job due to a toxic and chaotic work atmosphere, HIPAA violations, and a manager’s personal vendetta? How could that ‘failure’ be explained as a success to a future employer? Should other reasons provided as “Reason for leaving” In order to avoid being turned down for future employment? I am leaning towards yes. I should have put in my notice when things became critical. Lessons learned. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

    Reply
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Joe, Pre-PA

I was very pleased working with Duke on my personal statement. I’m currently in the middle of applying to PA school, so I haven’t heard back from the programs. I’m looking forward to the experience though.

John R. Pre-PA

Sarah was amazing from beginning to end. Her listening skills are just superb. She edits in a manner that captures your story in a raw format and complete format. I loved my experience.

Vivian, Pre-PA

Lisa Tepper reviewed my personal statement and her edits were incredibly helpful. By asking me many specific questions and responding to my answers, she helped me add much-needed context to my personal stories that I didn’t even realize was missing. And she made a few subtle suggestions in my conclusion that really tied the essay altogether. I am very pleased with how my essay turned out and it is such a relief to turn in a statement that I am proud of.Thank you so much.

Kaitlin Emmerling, Pre-PA

I am so happy I used your service. It really took all of my frustrations and anxiety about my personal statement away. I am really happy with the final product. While Maura did a great job with editing my grammar and making my essay sound better overall in my first edit, Sue did an amazing job turning my essay into a story that flows in my final edit.

Marissa Pre-PA

Susan did a fantastic job of editing my essay! She guided me and gave me suggestions for strengthening certain sections and equally took out weak parts. After I followed her recommendations, I really felt like I had an essay where every sentence mattered and reflected who I was. Thank you so much Susan for your help. I feel that I have a stronger essay because of your honest feedback and your help!

Amanda, Pre-PA

I wanted to give you an update and thank you. I just received my first acceptance and at the interview, they commented on how well written my personal statement was. I appreciate your hard work and working with me to create such an awesome piece! Hopefully, this won’t be the last time we talk- maybe our paths will cross again one day!

Janne Kim, Pre-PA

This was an extremely helpful process! I still have work to do on my essay but Sue was very helpful by giving me criticism I needed to hear from an unbiased source as well as being very fast responding! I think this will help me moving forward and having a strong application!

Morgan Rial, Pre-PA

SUPER friendly and so helpful! I would recommend this service to everyone if I could 🙂

Gabby, Pre-PA

I LOVED the suggestions Carly made for my essay. Not only was she thorough with her edits, but she also provided a lot of quality feedback that really made my essay shine. Carly took my unedited, messy essay and helped me better convey what I was trying to say. I have nothing but positive things to say about this experience and feel this service was worth every penny.

Rachel, Pre-PA

I thought that the service was very helpful in helping me with my personal statement. Duke was always prompt with responding to emails and made himself very available throughout the process. He was also good and helping, but also making sure that I was the one doing the writing. I think that the structure of the service helped me put in enough time to come out with a very good finished product.

David H. Pre-PA

It was an absolute pleasure working with Sarah. She was prompt to respond, professional, and kind. Sarah is an excellent writer. I was consistently impressed with her edits and suggestions for my personal statement. After working with Sarah I feel confident that my final essay will be well-received schools and help me stand out as a candidate.

Leah, Pre-PA

Awesome service. Duke did a great job editing my personal statement – his feedback was top-notch. For the 2014-2015 cycle, I applied to one school. I was selected for an interview and yesterday I received an offer of admission … which I quickly accepted. I know my Personal Statement played a huge role in my success. I highly recommend this service.

Nikki, Pre-PA

Sue Edmondson was VERY thorough in her editing of my essay, as well as the promptness of her responses to me. She not only took the time to edit the grammar of my essay but helped me remove a large portion of it to focus on the important aspects of it and draw in more details. Overall, a fantastic service!

Megan Hunstad, Pre-PA

Carly from The PA Life was amazing as I knew she would be based on her bio! She touched base with me when she received my personal statement and gave me a turnaround timeframe that she stuck to. In fact, she completed it earlier than expected. I am beyond satisfied!!!! Thank you, Carly, and The PA Life!

Pamela, Pre-PA

Carly did an absolutely amazing job editing my essays. From my personal statement to my supplementals, she was thorough and methodically made them into stronger essays. I am glad I was able to work with her. With her edits, I am more confident about the essays I am submitting. I would gladly recommend her to anyone!

Jacob, PRE-PA

Sue did a wonderful job. I know this is an extremely busy time of year as CASPA is accepting applications and Sue was great about responding to my initial submission and getting back to me. She provided thoughtful feedback and quality editing. Fingers crossed for an acceptance to PA school!

Jo Lynn, Pre-PA

I rarely give all “Excellent” ratings, but this was exceptional work. Beth was quick, personable, and transformed my essay beyond expectations. I banged my head against a wall for months and was still unhappy with the final product, but reading her edit, I felt like PA school was within reach. I’d absolutely recommend this service to anyone who wants a glow-up for their personal statement.

Adam Johnson, Pre-PA

I am not sure if you remembered me, but you helped me exactly a year ago with my PA essay. Well, I got accepted into Barry’s PA program! I start this Monday. You were part of my journey and I wanted to say THANK YOU!

Catalina Bulla, PA-S

This past June, you helped me formulate my personal statement for my PA school applications. After our video chat and countless hours editing my CASPA information, I submitted my application and was then given the opportunity to interview at five PA programs. To prepare for my interviews, I would read my personal statement over and over again to remind myself of why I wanted to be a PA. This helped me succeed in my interviews. I was accepted to a few schools, but have I have made my final decision to matriculate into the University of Texas Medical Branch PA program in July! I wanted to follow up after I made my final decision to thank you for helping me with an important step to achieve this amazing life goal. Several of my friends are applying this upcoming cycle, and I will definitely be passing along your information. Again, thank you so much!

Kylie, Pre-PA

Sarah from The PA Life was an incredible resource for editing my personal statement. Her edits took into account the big picture of the message of the statement and helped guide me when writing additional content my statement was lacking. Her edits and responses were both prompt and thorough, and I truly feel that she made a huge positive impact on my personal statement.

Travis, Pre-PA

Duke and I worked really well together. Seeing my first draft in comparison to my final draft was like night and day. I really appreciate all the help!

Kenzi H. Pre-PA

Thank you so much for making the personal statement process less stressful! Although I had been planning and brainstorming for months, the process of writing my journey in 5,000 characters was just daunting and overwhelming. Thank you so much for your kindness, flexibility, and your patience that helped me through this process. I appreciate how you listened and incorporated my feedback to make my personal statement a work of art that is truly representative of ME! I would highly recommend your services to any aspiring PA students who feel lost or overwhelmed by the process. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Cintia, Pre-PA

A couple of months ago you worked with me on improving my personal statement. I wanted to reach out and let you know that it worked out! I got 5 interviews and so far have been accepted to 2. I am so so thankful for all your help as I don’t think it would have worked out without your amazing editing skills. Thank you for all you do! Not just me but for all the applicants you helped get accepted this year!

Matthew B. PA-S

I used the personal statement editing service with Deanna Matzen (April/May 2021) and the mock interview service with Mary Jones (June 2021). Both were exceptional to work with and helped me to achieve my goal. I applied to three schools and received interview invites from all three (I’m a first-time applicant). I was waitlisted at one in June and later accepted in November, received early acceptance to my top choice in November (UTSW), and I chose to decline my third interview scheduled in December. Thank you for your services!

Rachelle, Pre-PA

I am so glad I chose The PA Life to edit my personal essay. They polished my personal statement that was lacking in some areas into an essay I am confident with now. Everything was straightforward and prompt. Thank you, The PA Life! 🙂

Winnie, Pre-PA

Loved this service and working with Sarah. She was super helpful and easy to talk with. Will definitely recommend this service to others.

Diana, Pre-PA

Deanna was so amazing! She was really thorough and strengthened my essay in one edit! I feel so confident submitting my essay and I have high hopes for interviews! Thank you for providing these services to those of us with stories that need help being told. I would definitely recommend this service to everyone who wants to apply to PA school!

Valeria, Pre-PA

Deanna was professional, prompt, and easy to talk to. I truly enjoyed working with her one-on-one for my personal statement. Her suggestions elevated my writing, and I appreciate all the work she put in my essay.

Jamie, Pre-PA

I just wanted to share some amazing news with you! I have been accepted into the MEDEX PA program in Seattle!!! I can’t thank you enough for all your help!! I am beyond excited and still can’t believe it is actually happening! Thank you again from the bottom of my heart!!!!! 😀

Pavitra, PA-S

Thank you so much for editing my essay and for your kind words. Your edits have definitely made it a stronger PS and I am proud to have it as a part of my application. Thank you for alleviating my stress on arguably the most nerve-wracking part of the CASPA app. You are incredibly talented and well-spoken, and any person that has you edit their essays is incredibly lucky! I will let you know if I have any questions, but I think each one of your edits are meaningful and super clear. I appreciate you shortening it and making it flow better. Thank you again!!!

Karina Kapani, Pre-PA

Duke really pushed me to write from the heart and explore my true reasons for applying to PA school.  I was very pleased with the outcome.  I haven’t yet received an interview, but my fingers are crossed!

Emily P. Pre-PA

Just found your site today while trying to update my resume. Also, I have to recertify next year so your tests are great for a refresher course. I was in a specialty area of medicine so I now realize how much I forgot in the past 5 years. Thank you very much and I will pass on to other PAs.

Pattie Solomon PA-CNorTh Miami Florida

Duke helped me write a great personal statement. I won’t know if I’ve been accepted to the program until Christmas/New Year’s, but I feel that it was worth every penny!

Alicia C. Pre-PA

I had an overall great experience working with Duke. He was open to my suggestions and provided great feedback on my essay. So far I haven’t gotten any interviews yet, but it is still early in the process. I will keep you updated when I get interviews. Steve

Steve Koehler, PA-S

Sue was very quick to edit my essay and give feedback. Any questions were answered very promptly. I am very pleased with the service provided.

Brandon, Pre-PA

My editor was amazing! She took everything I asked and did editing that was above and beyond. She was also great at communicating and taking my comments/opinions into consideration. 10/10 would recommend!

Ravee, Pre-PA

I just wanted to share that I got into USC! Woohoo!!! They just called me to share the good news. I’m feeling pretty shocked since that interview did not go as well in my head. I can’t believe I got into school during my first round of applications. This would not have been possible without you, and I really appreciate all the support you gave me throughout this process. ?

Tiffany, PA-S

I love Deanna! She was incredibly helpful and encouraging. I liked the way she constructively gave me feedback and I liked her ability to really strengthen my own ideas instead of dismissing them like other services. She is amazing at seeing things from different angles and that way rearrange and enhance my narrative. I did get an interview from the top choice and an offer a week later. Thank you so much and I will definitely recommend ThePALife to future prePAs.

Klam, Pre-PA

I am so happy to have gone through this editing process! I did not think you would take so much time to not only give me great feedback but also to edit and revise my paper like you did. I am so happy with my new revised paper and will definitely tell my friends!

Eric, Pre-PA

I just wanted to let you know I got accepted to Yale!!!! I’m so pumped. I can’t wait to talk more in-depth with you about my experience. For now I just wanted to say thank you!!!! You really were SO helpful.

James Hennessy, PA-S

I wanted to reach out and thank you for all of your help throughout my entire application process — your words, advice, and support made a world of a difference to me, and I’m sure everyone who has had the pleasure of working with you feels the exact same way. I thought I’d let you know that after my Stanford and Duke interviews over the past couple of weeks, I received acceptance to both programs! I’m still on cloud 9 and I don’t believe I’ll be coming down anytime soon. And as of early this week, I officially committed to Stanford University’s PA program and I begin in August!!! Thank you again for everything you’ve done to help!

Celine, PRE-PA

Very prompt response and turnaround time. While I did not speak with Duke over the phone, his team’s edits were thorough, clear and very helpful. Highly recommended.

Dave H. Pre-PA

I had an excellent experience with this service. Deanna was thorough, attentive to my essay, and very easy to contact. She did a great job and I would highly recommend this service to anyone.

Grant, Pre-PA

Hi, I am beyond words to express how I feel, I got accepted, contingent on background check which I think is a formality. I want to say boldly that I am going to be a PA, thanks to you. You will be always blessed for the wonderful service you provide.  You were very kind and worked beyond what I thought could be offered. Thanks again!

Pavithra, Pre-PA

Sarah Morris Schultz was my PA statement editor and she was absolutely fabulous! She helped to shave my original 4-page long, winding PA statement down to a 2 page impactful, poignant, moving statement that lead me to get accepted to a Doctor of Medical Science program in Physician Assistant Studies. She has such a gift for writing and knowing how to say things in just the right way and use the right words! One of the DMS PA program committee members started off my video conference online interview by stating that my PA statement was the best he ever read, not “one of the best” but THE BEST statement. My heart leapt. My PA statement years ago had caused me NOT to get accepted to the school that I had hoped. I did get accepted to a good PA school, got my degree, and started practicing in this field that I love. However, this time I decided to humble myself and get help writing a good statement. Praise God, it paid off. I am so grateful for the PA Life service and fee for the one-on-one service is worth every penny! I recommend everyone get Sarah Morris Schultz. She’s the bomb.com! I love you, Sarah 🙂

Sonja D. PA-S

I am so happy with the service Sarah provided! My personal statement turned out exactly how I was hoping it would!

Jennifer, Pre-PA

The service provided was excellent. I really appreciate Duke taking the time and reviewing my essay multiple times and at that same time, making sure I am comfortable with the wording. Thank you for all your help!

Foram Patel, Pre-PA

I wanted to tell you that I interviewed with MEDEX on Friday, got the call yesterday that I’m accepted! I also interviewed with Pacific University on and I felt that went VERY well too. I should hear from them any day now. I will keep you in the loop. I appreciate all your help and support!

Norah, PA-S

Sarah was fantastic to work with. She is excellent at her crafted skill and can help any thought or sentence come to life, fast!

Jessica D. PRE-PA

I wanted to reach out and thank you for your help with my personal statement. I received compliments about my essay at every interview I had. I also wanted to let you know that I will be attending Duke’s PA Program – my top choice. Your help was amazing! Thank you so much again!

Kelli Tseng, PA-S

This was my third time applying to PA school and I wanted it to be my last so I figured getting help with the essay would make a difference in my application. Paying for the one on one service was the best idea I’ve had to date. Sarah was great in that she literally combined three different essays I had written into one phenomenal essay! I literally have no idea how she did it. Sarah helped me focus all of my thoughts and experience down into one concise, yet personal essay. I truly think this will help me get into PA school!

Anna M. PRE-PA

Thank you so much for your assistance with perfecting my personal statement. This service is truly helpful. They were able to easily edit and help to convey exactly what was in my heart onto paper. I was accepted to my first choice PA program this week!!

Vincent, PA-S

Holy cow! I wanted to let you know I have been accepted to PA school.  I will be attending the Franklin Pierce Physician Assistant Program, Class of 2019 in West Lebanon, NH. I cannot thank you enough for being part of my journey.

If you are reading this you might have been like me skeptical and trying to find a way to write a stellar essay for your PA application.  I want to share with you my exceptional experience using this service.  First, do yourself a favor and BUY the eBook, “How to Write Your Physician Assistant Personal Statement.”  I read it twice. Once before I started my essay draft and then again during.  I cannot stress how helpful the book was in clearly stating what the Admissions Directors are looking for in an application essay.  Next, the book reviews how to formulate a proper essay with clear instructions, easy reminders of the writing process, and excellent examples of good and bad writing choices.  After several drafts of my essay, I made an appointment to work with Duke Pasquini, one of the authors of the guide, through the internet and via phone to help with editing and my length issue.  Duke’s professional experience and kind and straight forward demeanor allowed me to create a winning essay that was an authentic representation of me.  Not only did I receive an interview from my top choice of PA school I was accepted a week later into their Physician Assistant Program, Class of 2019.  Thank you, “PA Life” for being a part of my journey.

Michele Williams, PA-S

Thank you for taking the time to edit my paper! The feedback was constructive and very helpful. I liked how you highlighted all the strong points in my essay. It made me feel reassured that my essay was heading in the right direction. I also liked how you told me exactly what I needed to add to make it stronger.

Juliana, Pre-PA

This service was very helpful. My essay was edited and returned to me within a few days of me submitting it. The feedback was thorough and detailed. I am already planning on sending my essay for a second edit!

Sabrina, Pre-PA

Sarah was a joy to work with! She was extremely helpful and patient with any questions I had for her! 10/10 recommend using this service!

Lori, Pre-PA

This review is long overdue, but my gratitude for how much The PA Life has helped me will never fade. Ms. Schultz went above and beyond to help me tailor my personal statement to my unique stories and qualities. She was open to my suggestions and often thought from my perspective instead of imposing her thoughts on my essay. I appreciate the time she took to help me create a personal statement that expressed my thoughts clearly and concisely. I am happy to report that I have been invited to interviews, and I’m on the waitlist for one of my top schools. If I don’t get in this cycle, I will be using the editing services again. Big shout out to Ms. Schultz!! Thank you for all your encouragement, patience, and support! I am honored to have the chance to work with you. 🙂

Amy, Pre-PA

Hope everything is going well! I just wanted to let you know I’m 2/2 so far with receiving interviews. I know your help with my essays has played a huge part. I just wanted to update you and tell you how grateful I am for all of your help!

John, Pre-PA

My editor did an excellent job with my essays. I struggle with writing emotionally and she took my material and really personalized it. I feel very confident sending in my essays after having her look at them. She promptly returned my essays and did a stellar job. Thank you!

Danielle, Pre-PA

Sarah Schultz was a great editor and was easy to communicate with. She answered my emails very promptly and made great suggestions while also helping me cut down and condense my essay to be in the character limit. She made me feel more confident in my work and helped me develop an essay that I am proud of. I would definitely use this service again!

Katie, Pre-PA

Very detail-oriented and took the time to explain the process, so our expectations were on the same page. Excellent editing and feedback on the content. Helpful comments on how I could maximize limited character count to make the most impact on the reader. I very much would recommend this service!

Esmeralda, Pre-PA

I was very pleased with this service. Writing has never been my strongest area. While I had the ideas that I wanted to convey I wasn’t able to articulate them as well as I’d hoped. Carly provided comments and suggestions without altering my central thesis. Any questions that I had were answered quickly and thoroughly. Any grammatical mistakes were also addressed which put my mind at ease. I would recommend The PA Life personal statement essay revision service to anyone applying.

Keith G, Pre-PA

I am amazed by what Deanna was able to do in helping me get my supplemental essays in shape. I had hit a serious roadblock and she was able, and in an incredibly quick manner, help me remove those blocks. I am very grateful!

Lily, Pre-PA

I received an admission offer from Kansas State University PA program. Your input was essential in getting this offer. Thank you so much for your help and all you do!

Sibiya Sabu PA-S

Ms. Edmondson was incredible! She provided great feedback and answered all of my follow up questions. I will keep in touch as to my interview offers.

Ashley, Pre-PA

Your services have eased the stress and anxiety that results from guessing whether or not your essay contains the content that many PA programs are looking for. Your services were prompt and genuine. It is clear that you have the applicant’s success at heart. Thank you!

Madison Pre-PA

I just want to follow up and let you know that I have been so fortunate enough to have conducted 3 interviews and received 3 acceptances, and I have decided to continue my educational journey at the OHSU PA program. I can’t thank you enough for all the help you’ve provided me, from helping me with my personal statement to mock interviews. I couldn’t have done this without your help, thank you.

Yomiyu Gafesu, PA-S

Carly did more than help revise my grammatical errors and flow. She was able to show me the strengths and weaknesses of the concepts of my essay. She was able to tell me what it was missing as well as praise me for what I did correctly. It gave me confidence in my writing, and I truly believe it will make an impact on the way PA programs view me.

Sherry, Pre-PA

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