As part of the PA School application process, I urge all applicants to join both the AAPA and their local state constituent chapter of the AAPA. To make the research process a bit easier, I have created a clickable map of all 56 AAPA State Constituent Chapters including direct links to their websites. You can […]
Pre-Physician Assistant
Healthcare Experience Required for PA School: The Ultimate Guide
Patient Care and Healthcare Experience for PA School Today we are going to tackle step 2 of my 5 steps to PA school series by taking a very detailed look at healthcare experience requirements for PA school. Included, in this discussion is a side-by-side comparison of healthcare experience requirements of all PA programs in the United States. PA is different from […]
Prerequisite Coursework: How to Design the Perfect Pre-PA School Curriculum
* To compare top ranking PA schools and download your FREE PA School Prerequisite Worksheet click here This post is part of my 5 steps to PA school series to go from zero to PA school hero: Complete the necessary prerequisite coursework Obtain the required medical and hands-on patient care experience Successfully prepare for and take the GRE (or avoid […]
2015 Physician Assistant Program Tuition and Cost Comparison Table
Updated 2015 Physician Assistant Program tuition and cost comparison table. Tuition and cost data for resident and nonresident tuition including length/duration of the PA program. Based on this 2015 data table: Average cost of resident tuition for a two-year physician assistant program is: $65,564 Average cost of non-resident tuition for a two-year physician assistant program is: $76,134 *For […]
Physician Assistant School and Program Directory eBook
Are you Looking for a good end of the summer read? I am so happy to offer my newly compiled PA Programs eBook to you for FREE. The Physician Assistant School and Program Directory is a complete list of every accredited Physician Assistant Programs in the United States. And best of all: It’s been fully […]
Do You Recognize These 7 Common Mistakes in Your Personal Statement?
You’ve written your essay. You know what you want to say. But will the admissions committee get your message? You’ve read through countless PA school essay samples. You’ve chopped and changed the order of the paragraphs. You’ve polished each sentence. After all that hard work, you’re still not sure whether your essay flows along nicely. Will readers […]
Which State Has the Largest Number of Physician Assistant Programs?
Hint, You May be Surprised (Or not) Programs in these four states make up more than one-third of all programs, roughly (34%) I am a native Californian who traveled 3,000 miles East (the day after I got married) to attend PA School at Rutgers University in New Jersey. If you are trying to make it […]
Physician Assistant Programs Offering Part-Time Options
Are you looking to be a PA on the DL? While updating the PA Schoolfinder Physician Assistant Program Database, I was surprised to learn that there are only three Physician Assistant Programs in the United States offering part-time options. Physician Assistant Programs Offering Part-Time Options Rutgers University Physician Assistant Program – New Jersey University of Detroit […]
Who is the Ideal PA School Candidate? Surprising Lessons From Olympic Ice Skating
I love Olympic figure skating. It is the ultimate test of human grit. Here are people who have spent four years and countless hours practicing for what comes down to a life-changing two-minute event. This is a lesson on life, it is a lot like preparing for your PA school interview, finally pressing submit and […]
My PA School Rejection Letters – How to Turn Your “Set Back” into a “Set Up”
If I fail more often than you, I win! I have written before about the importance of becoming an epic failure and how this is a fundamental part of becoming an epic success. I was cleaning out some of my old file cabinets today and came across my PA school application documents from 2001. I will be […]
Trying to Decide if You Want to be a Physician Assistant? Then “OOCH!”
Trying to Decide if You Want to be a Physician Assistant? Imagine a “hypothetical” student, Steve, who has decided to go to physician assistant school. What makes him think that’s a good option? Well, he spent months toying with other possibilities —medical school and even law school— and he eventually decided PA school was the best […]
PA School Finder – The Ultimate Physician Assistant School and Program Directory
Watch this introductory video to see the website in action Are You Trying to Find The Perfect PA School to Fit Your Needs? Are you interested in attending PA school, but you have limited resources and no idea where to begin? Do you worry about the program requirements and waste countless hours going from […]
The Physician Assistant Essay and Personal Statement Collaborative
Are you ready to get started? Choose your package, and we will begin today! Single Edit One-on-one Service Supplemental Essays Your success is our passion. (See just some of our 100’s of testimonials and comments below). We are ready to help. Our current PA school essay editing service status (): Accepting New Submissions (Photo: Me circa 1987, […]
How to Find The Direct Patient Care Experience You Need to Become a Physician Assistant
Read on: But you may also be interested in my newest post Healthcare Experience Required for PA School: The Ultimate Guide I could probably summarize this entire blog post with the following sentence: “THE MORE HANDS-ON PATIENT CARE EXPERIENCE YOU HAVE, THE STRONGER YOU WILL BE AS A PA SCHOOL CANDIDATE.” How many healthcare experience hours […]
The Physician Assistant Interview: Thank You and Follow-up (With Sample)
Many people forget the post-interview work that needs to be done during the PA job search. They assume the interview happens, they either get the job or don’t get it, and it’s over. But in many cases, the interview is not the end and specific and strategic follow-up can make the difference in getting hired. […]
The Physician Assistant Job or PA School Interview – Email Etiquette
mail is unequivocally the number one technology you must be brilliant at if you are to succeed throughout the PA school interview or job application process. For that reason, you need to be VERY careful when you use email as part of a job search effort or part of your PA school application process. It […]
Use this Interview Hack to Get The Physician Assistant Job of Your Dreams!
There is a ton of scientific evidence that proves the importance of NONVERBAL CUES that govern how we think and feel about ourselves. We tend to ignore the importance of these nonverbal cues in favor of other, more conventional ideas. But this research has broad implications for everyone, especially people who suffer from feelings of […]
Pre-PA Hack of the Day: Use Volunteering to Gain Essential Experience as a Physician Assistant
Most people think of volunteering as something that can only be done for nonprofit organizations. What you may not realize is that you can volunteer virtually anywhere (although in hospitals and clinics this can be limited). You’ll find that few people turn down the offer of free help. And it is in here that lies […]
The Physician Assistant and the Frog: Kiss Many a Frog Before you Marry a Toad
Every night before bed my wife and I take time as a family to read to our kids. I love fairy tales as teaching tools. I particular love the story of the princess who had to kiss a frog in order to find her handsome prince. There is a moral here: “You have to kiss […]
Stop Making Comparisons on Your Road to Becoming a Physician Assistant
One of the biggest sources of discontent is comparing yourself to other people. Or comparing your life to what you see others doing (Instagram) or what you’ve accomplished compared to what others have done. “I wish I was more like him.” “Look at her! Why can’t I be more like that?” “Ugh, I just wish […]
The #1 Trait that Determines Long Term Success as a Physician Assistant
“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” – Sir Winston Churchill I’ve come to realize that it’s not the best genetics, the highest GPA, or the most relevant healthcare experience that produces the most success, especially when it comes to being a PA or trying to […]
The Physician Assistant Applicant Attack Plan: Personalized Goal Sheet
Do you remember your New Year’s resolutions from January 1st? It probably went something like this: After waking up slightly (or seriously) hungover, you said to yourself, “this is the year I’m going to get into PA school!” or “this is the year I’m going to finish all my PA school prerequisites.” Maybe it was “I’m […]
Physician Assistant Program Tuition and Costs – Comparison Table
Below is a cost comparison table of most Physician Assistant programs in the United States. *This table has been updated, please visit the 2017 PA School Tuition Comparison Table. PA Program Tuition and Cost Data Tuition and cost data of resident and nonresident tuition including length/duration of the PA program. Keep in mind that these are estimated costs and […]
The Top 46 Physician Assistant Applicant Interview Questions
Physician Assistant school interviews are extremely challenging. Here is a comprehensive list of forty-six high-frequency pa school interview questions you will likely encounter. This list of the “Top 46 Physician Assistant Applicant Interview Questions” is adapted from Andrew Rodican’s excellent book “The Ultimate Guide to Getting Into Physician Assistant School,” Christina’s helpful video post from […]
Overcoming Obstacles on Your Path to Becoming a Physician Assistant
Life is full of obstacles. They can be as simple as getting out of bed in the morning or as arduous as writing the perfect PA school application essay. Most of the time, the biggest obstacle is ourselves (affiliate link). The excuses that we create to avoid doing the things that matter most. This is […]
I Want to Know if I am Making the Right Choice to be a Physician Assistant?
Let me guess, you’re asking yourself . . . “Am I am making the right choice of becoming a physician assistant over a doctor?” “Am I letting myself down?” “Am I selling out?” “Am I letting my family down?” “Am I giving in?” “Am I taking the easier road?” I know how important these questions […]
Physician Assistant Application Letter of Recommendation Samples: Applying to PA School
PA School Letters of Reference Here are two letters of recommendation I received when applying to PA school. I am not posting them here to fluff my feathers but merely to serve as an example of what I included as part of my actual PA school application. A great letter of recommendation weighs heavily in your favor. […]
Why Do You Want to be a Physician Assistant?
Have you spent hours thinking about your answers to why you want to be a PA? Do you have the perfect pre-formulated answer just waiting to deliver; hook, line, and sinker? Or, maybe you are approaching this question as I did: You have a pretty good idea of what you want to say and figure, “the […]
How Clay Aiken and Reality TV Helped Me Ace My PA School Interview
am embarrassed to admit: I am a big fan of reality TV. I don’t watch much TV but when it comes time for a new season of Survivor, So You Think You Can Dance, or dare I say The Bachelor (I can’t believe I just admitted that) I can’t stop myself. I justify this to […]
How to Write the Perfect Physician Assistant School Application Essay
Want to write a PA school essay that gets you an interview? Learn from my mistakes and avoid the common pitfalls that many applicants make. Read my real essays (the one that got me accepted and the one that didn’t) and discover how to create your perfect PA school personal statement.
