This is an email I received from one of our mock interview clients in March 2022. He describes in detail the elements of his PA school interview and how he successfully approached each portion. I am sharing it with you here so you can see firsthand what a PA school interview in 2022/2023 may entail. […]
About Stephen Pasquini PA-C
The Ultimate PA School Applicant Logbook – Track HCE, PCE, Volunteer Hours, Schools, Costs (and more!)
As applicants to PA school, we have a lot on our plate. Between prerequisite coursework, health care experience requirements, shadowing, volunteering, and more – it’s a lot to keep track of! This is where The Ultimate PA School Applicant Logbook comes in. This logbook was designed by PA school applicants (who know the process intimately!) […]
Personal Statement Panel Review (Replay)
We successfully launched our first large group live event on April 28, 2022, to celebrate the opening of CASPA! Just as AdComs are not uniform in how they react to personal statements, neither is our team! In this personal statement panel review, we analyze essays from clients who have been accepted into PA school to illustrate […]
PA School Reapplicant Personal Statement Checklist
Are you reapplying to PA school and wondering if you should update or rewrite your PA school essay? There are a few reasons to update your personal statement as a reapplicant. For one, AdComs at the schools where you’ve previously applied can compare your essay with the prior year’s personal statements. Secondly, after a year […]
PA School Reapplicants: How to Rewrite Your PA School Essay for Guaranteed Success
Are you reapplying to PA school after not gaining acceptance last round? What will you do with your old personal statement? Toss it completely? Change a few details and cross your fingers? The answer is somewhere in the middle. What should you do with your original PA school personal statement as a PA school reapplicant? […]
Physician Assistants: What We Are and What We Are Not
Physician assistants are not assistants to doctors or just nurse practitioners with a different title. In this article I outline what PAs are and what we are not. How we differ from other medical professions and our similarities. Learn all about the PA profession and see if maybe it’s right for you.
How to Squash PA School Interview Day Stress (4 Simple Steps)
A four-step plan to ease your mind and boost your confidence ahead of the big day. Imagine you’ve landed an interview at your dream PA program. But once you enter the interview room, you freeze up. Your mind goes blank, and you lose access to all those thoughtfully crafted answers you’ve prepared. Needless to say, […]
How to Choose the Best Undergraduate Major to Get into PA school
You already know that the best PA programs want applicants with an excellent GPA and a solid background in healthcare and science. But if you’re not sure what major to choose, this guide will help you decide!
The Real Cost of Applying to PA School
PA students will encounter a number of costs along the way to enrolling in physician assistant/associate (PA) school. Here’s a look at what these costs are and some ways you can save money on your PA school application.
Podcast Episode 90: Ten PANCE, PANRE, and Rotation Review Questions
Welcome to episode 90 of the Audio PANCE and PANRE Physician Assistant/Associate Board Review Podcast. Join me as I cover ten PANCE, PANRE and EOR review questions from the Smarty PANCE Instagram/Facebook page and the smartypance.com board review website. Special from today’s episode: Follow Smarty PANCE and The Daily PANCE Blueprint on Instagram Follow Smarty […]
Little Big Men: The Rise of Kenya’s Clinical Officer
This is part ten of a ten-part docuseries of PAs around the world. Today we travel to Kenya and meet the dedicated pioneers and healthcare heroes who would become Kenya’s first Clinical Officers (CO).
Podcast Episode 89: Ten PANCE, PANRE, and Rotation Review Questions
Welcome to episode 89 of the Audio PANCE and PANRE PA Board Review Podcast. Join me as I cover ten PANCE, PANRE and EOR review questions from the Smarty PANCE Instagram/Facebook page and the smartypance.com board review website.
How to Be a Better PA Part 2: Medical Staff, Administrators, and Supervisors
This is part two of a special three-part podcast series by Joe Gilboy PA-C on becoming a better PA. In part two we cover essential strategies on how to stay off the medical staff radar and get the medical staff, administrators, and supervisors on your side.
The 4 Most Common Reasons PAs Quit Their Jobs
According to a new AAPA research article (August 2021), the four most common reasons PAs quit their jobs are: Better work/life balance (16.8%) Moving to a new location (16.7%) Better management/leadership/environment (reasons related to a toxic/abusive environment) (13.6%) Better compensation/benefits (11.9%) Other reasons PAs left their jobs included Better professional/clinical opportunities (6.6%) Corporate or external […]
The Wealthy PA Part 3: Long Term Disability Insurance (and How to Buy it)
If you lost the ability to work as a physician assistant, how would you pay for anything?
Many people think they are adequately covered through their work but here is a newsflash – you’re probably not.
State Disability is temporary and Social Security Disability is notoriously difficult to get approved for and only covers a fraction of your income.
The supplemental disability insurance offered by most employers is often short-term, covering only months of living expenses.
This is why you need to purchase your own long-term disability insurance either through your employer or an independent agent.
Meet the World’s Sexiest PA School Applicants
From GPA to GRE, PCE and HCE check out the latest PA school applicants you need to meet this application cycle. Learn what makes PA school ADCOMs swoon and want to “swipe right” on these PA school applicant CASPA profiles.
The Wealthy PA Part 2: The Three Student Loan Repayment Strategies
With soaring tuition costs, student loans are now one of the largest sources of consumer debt outside of mortgages. The average PA student graduates with $100,000 – $200,000 in student loan debt. For comparison, the average student loan debt is $57,520. Not only do we PAs carry 3x-5x more in debt compared to other professions, […]
Physician Assistants: In Whom We Place Our Trust
As PAs, we are entrusted with the care of sick patients and their families. Things don’t always go as planned. Here’s my story of loss and how I was able to get back up when I let my patient (and their family) down.
The Wealthy PA Part One: Are PAs Wealthy?
Having a PA degree confers wealth status. With the average annual salary of certified PAs estimated at $115,000 and a median annual salary of $105,000, as a PA, you will be in the top quartile of earners in the United States. So, it came as a surprise that while I was a student on rotations, I noticed […]
Does Attending Community College Hurt Your Chances of Getting into PA School?
If you’ve got your heart set on becoming a physician assistant, then you’re probably anxious to get started on the application process. The only problem is that you’ve heard rumors that attending a community college can hurt your chances of getting into PA school. Does that mean you shouldn’t even bother going to community college […]
Apply for the PAEA Student Health Policy Fellowship and “Be the Change!”
Apply for the PAEA Student Health Policy Fellowship program! Up to 20 PA students are selected to participate in this special program designed to develop leadership and advocacy skills for the physician assistant profession.
Podcast Episode 87: Ten Internal Medicine EOR Questions
Welcome to episode 87 of the Audio PANCE and PANRE PA Board Review Podcast. Join me as I cover ten internal medicine rotation EOR content blueprint questions from the SmartyPANCE, PANCE, PANRE, and EOR board and rotation review website. Special from today’s episode: Check out the updated Smarty PANCE Internal Medicine Rotation (EOR) Review Course […]
Should You Write Physician Associate or Physician Assistant on Your PA School Essay?
On May 24’th, 2021, the AAPA made an “earth-shattering” announcement when they proclaimed that “the AAPA House of Delegates (HOD) passed a resolution affirming “physician associate” as the official title for the PA profession.” For many, like myself, who took the AAPA name change survey in 2019, we breathed an instant sigh of relief. This certainly […]
The Ultimate PA School Applicant Cheat Sheet With 7 Quick Tips for Getting into PA School
Here is my ultimate PA school applicant cheat sheet with 7 quick tips for getting into PA school. Do these seven things for the best chance of getting into PA school and becoming a physician assistant! 1. Shadowing: Get one hundred hours of shadowing experience across various specialties. 2. GRE: Aim for a score of 300 + (150 + […]
The Big List of PA School Applicant CASPA Statistics (cGPA, sGPA, GRE, HCE/HCE, etc.)
On your path to PA school, it’s essential to know where you stand compared to others. The only way to do this is to do a bit of research and compare your path to others on a similar journey. Which is why we have compiled this big list of CASPA application statistics from 117 PA […]
How the Heck Did I Get into PA School?
Believe me when I say I was not the perfect PA school candidate. I had a less-than-desirable GPA. I avoided the GRE like the plague that it is. I got an “F” in high school calculus. But despite all of this, I still got into PA school… a top 10 PA school! All the haters […]
The Ultimate PA School Application Timeline
Here is the ultimate Physician Assistant Program Admissions Timeline for applying to PA school. When you should apply (start early) along with a monthly PA School application to-do list for guaranteed CASPA application success
3 Things Everyone Should Do Before Starting PA School
If you have three, four, or even five months until you start PA school, here are three things you can do right now to make sure you are prepared for when you walk in the door.
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 […]
