What are the most important considerations for a career path after PA school for PA students and future PAs? Here are the top 5 reasons PA students give for choosing PA school Work-life balance Availability of jobs Stable, secure future Ability to pay off debt Relationship with supervising physician For those answering the most recent Physician […]
Pre-Physician Assistant
Mock PA School Interview With Pre-PA Kassidy Anthony
Welcome to the second video in our Mock PA School Interview Series: Ten blog posts featuring ten amazing Pre-PAs who have graciously shared their recorded mock PA school interviews with one singular intention: To help you achieve success on your path to PA school and be more confident on the day of your PA school interview. Today’s […]
Mock PA School Interview With Pre-PA Lily Boyle
Welcome to the second video in our Mock PA School Interview Series: Ten blog posts featuring ten amazing Pre-PAs who have graciously shared their recorded mock PA school interviews with one singular intention: To help you achieve success on your path to PA school and be more confident on the day of your PA school interview. Today’s […]
Mock Physician Assistant School Interview With Taylor Hill Pre-PA
Ever wanted to know what a mock PA school interview looks like? Thanks to Taylor Hill and ten other remarkable Pre-PAs just like him you are about to find out. Welcome to the first video of our Mock PA school Interview Series. Ten blog posts featuring ten amazing Pre-PAs who have graciously shared their recorded […]
Life as a Single Mom in Physician Assistant (PA) School
Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Jennifer of The PA Cafe. My name is Jennifer, a United States Army Veteran, single mom and currently enrolled in both the Master’s of Public Health and Master’s of Medical Science (PA program) in Davie, FL. The journey through PA school has been both challenging and humbling […]
How to Become a Physician Assistant (PA) in 8 Easy Steps
So, you want to become a physician assistant? Congratulations, you have taken the first step on a lifelong journey filled with many joys, significant struggles, and a lifetime of free pastries. Becoming a PA is relatively straightforward: Complete the required prerequisites and healthcare experience Apply to and be accepted to any one of the of […]
The Ultimate Guide to CASPA Character and Space Limits
Does this sound familiar? That essay you’ve spent countless hours revising, run through grammar check over and over, asked your readers to proof it so many times they stopped answering your calls, and had your computer read it back to you aloud for a final check, is done. You upload it into your CASPA application […]
The Ultimate PA School Personal Statement Starter Kit
If you are struggling to write your PA school personal narrative, then this message is for you. Here’s why . . . PA school admissions teams have an uncanny ability (honed on the job) to detect when an applicant’s essay rings false. And you need to realize that there is a cost to writing a […]
The #1 Mistake PRE-PAs Make on Their Personal Statement
What’s the #1 mistake that potential PAs and pre-physician assistant students make while drafting their PA school personal statement? A failure to outline and plan! Outlining your personal statement is like following a proven recipe. Although strong personal statements do not all follow the same format (nor should they), there is a certain formula for success that will […]
The Pre-PA Advisor Series: Patient Contact Hours and Healthcare Experience
The Pre-PA Advisor Series Welcome to the PA Advisors Series – a special series of posts where PA school applicants like yourself ask the tough questions and admissions directors from top-ranking PA schools provide the answers. Today We Will Discuss: Patient Contact Hours and Healthcare Experience Requirements for PA School Here are some of the questions […]
The Perfect PA Program Picker: PA School Search, Sort, Match, and Apply
PA School Admissions and Requirements Table Search and sort through all accredited and developing PA school programs by healthcare experience, resident and non-resident PA school tuition, PA program duration, GRE requirements, overall GPA, prerequisite GPA, and science GPA requirements. Search by PA program accreditation status, CASPA participation, PA school class size, five-year PANCE pass rates, […]
Made by PA: The Applicant’s Manual of Physician Assistant Programs
The 2018 Applicant’s Manual of Physician Assistant Programs The Applicant’s Manual of Physician Assistant Programs written by Mark Volpe, MPH, MMSc, PA-C and Brittany Hogan PA-S, provides prospective PA program applicants with detailed information regarding all accredited PA programs in the United States. The book also provides helpful tips for applicants to improve their chances at success during […]
2018 Physician Assistant School Tuition and Fees: Cost Comparison Table
Tuition, Costs, and Fees of Resident and Nonresident Tuition For All 256 US PA Programs How Much Does it Cost to Go to PA School in 2018? Average cost of resident tuition + fees to graduate from an accredited physician assistant program in 2018 is:Â $79,941 This is an increase of 11% from 2017 Average cost […]
PA School Prerequisites: Admissions Directors Answer Your Burning Questions
As you probably know by now, if you want to get into PA school, you must complete the necessary prerequisite coursework. I have discussed this in detail in a previous post Prerequisite Coursework: How to Design the Perfect Pre-PA School Curriculum. Today, we are going a step further by giving you answers to some of the […]
How to Pay for Medical Mission Trips as a Broke Pre-PA
I have always found the dichotomy of time and money interesting. Either you have all the time in the world to do things like when you’re a student and have summer break, or you’re working and have a paycheck but no longer have the time to take off. If you’re the former and are interested in […]
Going Midlevel Midlife: Michelle’s Story of Becoming a Physician Assistant in her 40’s
After 16 years of teaching high school wellness, Michelle Roush felt ready for a greater challenge to leverage her interest in health. After much planning and preparation, she is now studying to become a physician assistant, and loving the journey. Tell us a little about your background… I am a married, 41-year-old mother of two […]
20 Answers to The Question: Why Do You Want to be a Physician Assistant?
Why Do You Want to be a Physician Assistant? You will be asked many different times: “Why?” “Why do you want to become a physician assistant?” “Why don’t you just go to medical school or NP school?” “You will make more money as a physician; you will have more prestige and recognition as a physician.” […]
PA School Mock Interviews: Prepare with a LIVE, Recorded Video Interview
Why do you want to be a PA? We have helped hundreds of PA school applicants just like you answer this question (see just some of our many testimonials). We offer affordable, recorded mock interviews in a safe and supportive setting. Our current PA school mock interview status (): Accepting Appointments Schedule an interview At this […]
300 PA School Interview Questions You Should Be Ready to Answer
So, you have an upcoming PA school interview. Congratulations you’re almost there. Now, of course, there is another hurdle to cross, and that is sounding as amazing as you appear to be on your CASPA application. This isn’t hard because YOU ARE as amazing as you appear to be on your CASPA application, so the […]
Applying to PA School with a Low GPA: Admissions Directors Answer Your Questions
How to Get Into PA School With a Low GPA PA school administrators from ten top-ranking PA programs answer your questions on how to get into PA school with a low GPA. A low GPA is probably the hardest area to improve. This makes sense – it was years in the making, and can’t be […]
7 Tips for Addressing Shortcomings in Your PA School Personal Statement
What makes the perfect PA school candidate? Someone with stellar grades from a top university, loads of patient care experience, countless shadowing hours, and a long list of community service endeavors, right? Oh, and Ms. Perfect Candidate probably also speaks four languages fluently, has had her research findings published in peer-reviewed journals, and travels abroad […]
Book Review: Atul Gawande The Checklist Manifesto
The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right in a World of Increasing Complexity e live in an era of gratuitous inventions and negative improvements. Consider the DaVinci Robo surgeon, for example, a drool-inducing twenty-second-century $1.7 million remote-controlled machine designed to help surgeons do laparoscopic surgery with more maneuverability inside patients’ bodies and fewer complications. […]
Physician Assistant: Resume, CV, and Cover Letter Editing and Revision
Our resume/CV revision and editing services are specific to practicing PAs, PA students, and Pre-PAs We will help you create a winning resume/CV tailored to the needs of pre-PAs, PA students, and practicing PAs. If you are a practicing physician assistant/associate, a PA student finishing clinical rotations, or a Pre-PA making your way through the […]
Use VisualCV to Create a Stunning Physician Assistant Resume
I have a confession to make. For many years I have had a copy of my physician assistant resume posted here on the website, available for download as a guide to help you structure and organize your own physician assistant CV. It has helped 100’s (if not 1000’s) of practicing and new graduate PAs like […]
5 Things I’ve Learned Going Into My Fourth Physician Assistant Application Cycle
Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up – Thomas Edison I will be honest; this is not an article I ever thought I’d be writing. I submitted my first PA school application immediately after finishing my undergrad, and here I am, three […]
101 PA School Admissions Essays: The Book!
You’re slaving away at your personal statement but can’t help wondering if anyone will read past the first line. A troubling thought, isn’t it? A Great Personal Statement Does Matter It’s what makes you different from the millions of other applicants hoping for attention from the Admissions Committee. After all, everyone is cranking out healthcare […]
Finding a Physician Assistant Mentor: The Foolproof PA Shadowing Guide
Let’s face it, finding a PA to shadow is no easy task. When I first contemplated a career as a physician assistant, I was hard-pressed to find a PA to shadow. I was dying to connect with a PA and pick their brain, hear about everything they did, and shadow for a day or two. […]
PA School Ranking by PANCE Pass Rates
ince 1998 US News has been publishing the only known ranking of PA programs. Their rankings are based on subjective peer assessment surveys of PA program faculty. These peer assessment surveys are sent to deans, other administrators, and faculty at accredited physician assistant programs. Respondents rate the academic quality of physician assistant programs on a scale of […]
Secrets of Successful PA School Letters of Recommendation
Your essay is your voice about yourself. A recommendation letter is someone else’s voice about you. Whether we like it or not, other people’s opinions matter. A good letter of recommendation can make your day; a great letter of recommendation can change your life. Whether it is a dating review on Tinder, a restaurant recommendation […]
Physician Assistant Postgraduate Residency and Fellowship Programs: The Ultimate Guide
Postgraduate PA School Residency and Fellowship Programs As a new or even experienced PA, it is normal to feel uncomfortable with the thought of jumping into a medical specialty. Often, we have had little more than 30 days of training in a particular field, and we join a team of specialists who may expect us […]
