Are you reapplying to PA school after not gaining acceptance in the 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 […]
Pre-Physician Assistant
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
There is no single best major for PA school. Compare your interests, degree requirements, and PA program prerequisites to choose a course plan you can do well in.
How Much Does It Cost to Apply to PA School? (2026–27)
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.
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.
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 […]
How Long Does It Take to Become a Physician Assistant/Associate?
How Long does it take to become a PA? It’s a common question and one that I am often asked, so let me try to answer it. Whether you are in undergrad, figuring out your career path, or looking into your second career, thinking about becoming a PA can be overwhelming. There are so many […]
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 […]
PA specialties: what can a physician assistant specialize in?
Short answer: almost any area of medicine. PAs work in family medicine, emergency medicine, surgery, dermatology, psychiatry, oncology, critical care, and dozens of subspecialties. You do not choose one permanent specialty in PA school. PA school gives us broad medical training. Most of the specialty learning happens after graduation, on the job, with continuing education […]
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 + […]
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 […]
117 PA School Applicant Statistics: GPA, GRE, HCE and PCE
Compare 117 self-reported PA school applicant profiles from the 2020–21 CASPA cycle, then see current PAEA GPA, science GPA, and matriculant benchmarks.
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 […]
3 Things to Do the Night Before Your PA School Interview
It’s one of the biggest moments you have been waiting for, your PA school interview. Nerves, excitement, and curiosity are running through your head. You have spent days, weeks, even months preparing for interviews, but what about the night before? You’ve prepped for the interview day but what about the night before jitters? Here are […]
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 Get Shadowing Hours During a Global Pandemic
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. […]
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 […]
PA Programs with a 100% 5-Year PANCE Pass Rate
A handful of PA programs in this country have gone five straight years without a single student failing the PANCE on the first try. Here’s who they are — and why I’d think hard before letting that number pick your school. You found a program with a 100% PANCE pass rate, and something in your […]
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 […]
How to Write the Perfect PA School Supplemental Essay
When you’re faced with a barrage of PA school supplemental essay prompts, it can feel overwhelming. Here are five essential tips to ensure your essays stand out and align with each program’s specific goals and values.
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
What are Three Things You Wish You Could Say to Your Pre-PA Self?
Life is full of regrets because life is full of choice. I have collected a few regrets over the years, and if I were a betting man, I would guess you have some as well? Regrets come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes it’s insignificant like choosing the wrong entree at a restaurant. Sometimes it’s […]
What’s Your #1 Personal Statement Struggle?
Are you afraid your essay doesn’t stand out, it’s over the character count, or worse yet, it doesn’t even answer the simple question: “Why do I want to be a PA? Well, you are not alone! This year, as part of our PA school collaborative essay submission process, we asked those submitting essays to share […]
How to Write the Perfect Physician Assistant Cover Letter
Whether you are applying to PA school, to your first PA job, or you are a seasoned PA interested in an exciting new career possibility, you are likely worried most about constructing an effective resume. But, one of the most overlooked and underrated components of the application is the cover letter. Like the PA school […]
You Have 625 Words and 2.5 Minutes to Get Into PA School: Use Them Wisely
The average person’s reading speed is about 250 words per minute. The CASPA personal statement allows a 5,000-character count (about 625 words). Therefore, a full-length statement would take an average of 2.5 minutes to read. If a PA program received 1,000 applications meeting or exceeding minimum screening qualifications, reading all of these personal statements would […]
7 Rules You Must Follow While Writing Your PA School Essay
You know you’re in a war, right? PA school, once a bastion for rebels looking to buck the normal medical school model is now more competitive than ever. The CASPA application is full of standard metrics like GPA, GRE scores, prerequisite requirements, and college transcripts which make it hard to differentiate yourself from the pack. […]
