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-Physician Assistant
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 […]
PA School Tuition Trends: How Much Costs Have Risen Since 2013
See how PA school tuition has changed since 2013, compare historical and current costs, and use live program data to budget beyond tuition alone.
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.
A Better Way to “Cram” for your Next PA School Exam
Study blueprint topics and quizzes integrated with real patient video cases I have partnered with ReelDx™ to give you exclusive access to over 700+ video cases with ultrasound, imaging, and lab data plus 1,000+ topics captured by providers in the ER, exam room, ambulance, and the developing world. These cases are integrated directly into the NCCPA™ […]
10 Reasons Why You Should Become a Physician Assistant
Why should you become a physician assistant? Here are ten good reasons why you should choose to be a PA: 1. You get to help people every day and get paid to do it: Honestly, I could stop here. Every day I wake up to go to work I look forward to the work I […]
PA Resume and Cover Letter Templates with Quick Create Studio
The PA Life Application Studio Physician assistant résumé templates & samples—built by a PA. Craft a beautiful New Grad or Practicing PA résumé in minutes with the PA Life Application Studio—the recommended way to build, tailor, and print your résumé without blank-page stress, template wrestling, or formatting guesswork. Prefer Microsoft Word? Download the template bundle […]
The Future of Physician Assistant Education: Stop Stealing Dreams
Have you heard of Seth Godin’s free education manifesto Stop Stealing Dreams? In this manifesto, he discusses the history of education in America. How it was tailored to create “cogs in an industrial machine” rather than the much-needed linchpin’s necessary to drive future innovations. “School has become an industrialized system, working on a huge scale, […]
My PA School Interview: The Journey of a Lifetime
It seems like just yesterday. Like Gene Kelly in the 1952 classic “Singing in the Rain,” there I stood, rain-drenched, under an iconic cast-iron streetlight, holding a soggy white letter in my hand. The letter that said: “You have been accepted for a PA School Interview.” I was living in Seattle at the time, two […]
How to (Really) Get Into the PA School of Your Choice!
verybody’s journey to becoming a PA is a bit different. We all have different lives, different upbringings, different barriers to overcome to reach our goals. We have different paths that have led us to want to become a physician assistant. No single formula will assure you a golden ticket to PA school (I am sorry to […]
