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 […]
Essay and Personal Statement
How to Prepare for Your PA School Interview Day Essay
Four tips that will guarantee your PA school interview day essay success. When you imagine your PA school interview, what comes to mind? For most, it’s the idea of a one-on-one interview, group interview, multiple mini-interview (MMI), or the pandemic-inspired (and universally despised) Zoom video interview. But there is another kind of interview in town […]
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 […]
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.
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? […]
How to Write a Personal Statement Intro that Readers Want to Read
You’ve probably heard the advice that you should open your personal statement with a story or anecdote. This story should “grab” your readers’ interest, tell them who you are, and help pivot to the main theme: what brings you to the PA profession. That’s a lot to ask of one anecdote, and choosing the right […]
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 […]
How to Deal with Bad News in Your Personal Statement
Don’t panic. Here’s how to reframe those negatives on your CAPA application as positives. So, your life hit a rough spot or two on the way to this moment in which you find yourself writing a personal statement to get into PA school. Maybe your journey has included a couple of plot twists. You’re wondering […]
Inside Out: How to use Pixar’s Rules of Storytelling to Improve your PA Personal Statement
Want a better PA personal statement? Inside Out can help! We explore Pixar’s rules for storytelling and how you can apply them to a strong personal statement. Riley is an 11-year-old girl whose life is turned upside down when her family moves from Minnesota to San Francisco. Riley’s emotions try to guide her through this […]
Ratatouille: A Pixar Recipe for PA School Personal Statement Success
Today we continue to explore Pixar’s rules for storytelling and learn how you can apply these rules to draft a winning PA school personal statement. If you’re like most PA hopefuls, you’ve been working on your personal statement for months. But do you know what makes a great PA school personal statement? According to the […]
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 […]
Mind Mapping: A Tool for Personal Statements, Supplemental Essays, and Interviews
Are you struggling to come up with ideas for your PA school personal statement or supplemental essays? Are you finding it hard to keep your message consistent as you prepare for your PA school interview? Try mind mapping! Mind mapping is a great way to organize your thoughts and produce new ideas. Plus, it’s a lot of fun! I’ll show you how it works.
Start at the End: Advice for your PA School Personal Statement
Not sure what to include in your personal statement? Start at the End! The conclusion should summarize your entire essay. Consider the structure of an elevator pitch to write the conclusion of your PA school essay and guide the content of your personal statement! Hi, I’m Deanna Matzen, an editor at the PA life […]