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You are here: Home / Pre-Physician Assistant / CASPA Application / Who is the Ideal PA School Candidate? Lessons From Olympic Ice Skating

Who is the Ideal PA School Candidate? Lessons From Olympic Ice Skating

February 23, 2014 By Stephen Pasquini PA-C 7 Comments

graci gold

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 2-minute event.

This is a lesson on life, it is a lot like preparing for your PA school interview, finally pressing submit and sending off your CASPA application, committing to a two-year plan to complete your PA school prerequisites, and it is a lot like preparing for your PANCE or PANRE Board exams. 

Lots of preparation time for what is often a huge, life changing, over-in-a-second event.

Falling Flat on Your Face

What I love most about Olympic ice skating is also what is the most painful to watch: Setting up for the triple lutz and falling flat on your face.

The best part of the Olympics is watching experts do this, which makes me feel better about myself. I often think to myself "Hey if they fall and they have professional coaches then I am not so bad."

The actual winners pick themselves up from the ice, finish their skate, thank the crowd, and then come back and kick ass in the long program.

In my last post, I wrote about some of my failed application attempts to PA school.

I received quite a bit of feedback from this post. One of my favorites was a comment on Facebook from a very well-intentioned pre-physician assistant who said, "It's helpful to hear success stories from people who are not the "ideal" applicants."

Which begs the question:

Who is the "ideal" PA School candidate?

This year's Olympic ice skating was not without big surprises and lots of controversies. The Russian skater who was not even invited to compete in the team skating event ended up winning Gold.

We see this type of result beyond the sport of skating.

In the Olympic half-pipe, instead of flying tomatoes, we got rotten tomatoes and a gold medal winning iPod!

This proves the point that the ideal candidate may not always be the one who looks the best on paper. It could be, but often it goes back to a theme you see me write a lot about on this blog:

Grit:

  • It is about falling and getting back up.
  • It is about skating a gold medal winning performance when you made it on the team as an alternate.
  • It is about preparing like a champion because you know you are a champion.

Therefore, the gold medal winner is you if you are up for the challenge.

We are looking for empathic and caring students with a strong desire to care for others. We value service to others and a desire to treat the underserved and underrepresented communities. Our students come from a variety of backgrounds and we value diversity so students can help each other. - Case Western Reserve University PA Program

Relentless Practice

Nobody is going to hand you your gold medal, just like nobody is going to hand you a valuable spot in their PA school.

It may be true that if you are an exceptionally brilliant valedictorian with stellar scores and an abundance of honors and awards under your belt, or if you are a snowboarder with lots of media attention you may have an easier path. But, as we saw in the Olympics, even the most celebrated athletes can fall on the half-pipe.

So, you must prepare and expect to win the gold.

When I was in college, I took the premedical track at the University of Washington, which just happens to have one of the best medical programs in the country.

I was surrounded by Sean Whites and Bode Millers, and I felt a lot like a big loser.

The premedical track is one of the biggest weed-out programs in the world. Designed with the sole intention of making you quit.

The curves are demoralizing, people fail all around you, the first year alone is like opening the ships in Normandy on D-day. You are met with a constant barrage of gunfire, and it is painful to watch your colleagues shot down.  These are people you know and love laying there, bleeding in the trenches, people who you often considered to be much better warriors than yourself.

But I chose to do the premedical track because I knew it was the biggest mountain, I could climb on the way to PA school.

Yes, as you can see from my rejection letters, I graduated with a 2.76 math/science GPA. What you didn't see is that I did this while taking the hardest science and math classes our university had to offer, working at the University Hospital, and volunteering for various organizations. I even made it on the Dean's List.

Yes, it was more than a bit painful along the way, it even came with its obvious setbacks. But it was training for a spot on the podium, nothing less.

Going for gold

I guess you can decide what you want for your life. You can add jumps into your short program while in bonus to earn extra points or you can play it safe.

You can challenge yourself, or you can take it easy and just try to get the best grades possible with the least possible effort.

But to win at the Olympics, you need more.

The Sean Whites and the Gracie Golds of this world know this. While they failed to medal this year, they are competing in Sochi, while the rest of us are at home watching it on TV.

Choose today

The point is: there is no "ideal" candidate.

The only ideal candidate I can think of is the one that shows up every day, who has a burning desire and a passion for making a difference. The one who challenges themselves despite the potential for failure, who believes in themselves because they believe in others, who is never afraid to do what is right because it is what is right, regardless of the potential consequences.

If you are planning your career path to PA school, don't forget this. Don't opt for the easy path because you think it is going to make you look good.

Challenge yourself, because when you do make it into PA school, all those challenges will be the tool belt you need to be wearing when you are later making life and death decisions.

The easy road is a fool's game. It is a "fool's gold" it may look good, and attainable but, like most things in life, the harder the climb, the stronger you will be when you reach the top of the mountain.

Just ask Adelina Sotnikova.

- Stephen Pasquini PA-C

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About Stephen Pasquini PA-C

Stephen has been a family practice PA since 2004 and is the creator of The PA Life and Smarty PANCE Board Review websites. A National Health Service Corps Scholar and a graduate of The University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ (Rutgers) PA Program and the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. Stephen's goal is to provide one-of-a-kind online resources for those interested in or practicing in the PA profession, to promote better access to healthcare for all, and foster universal recognition/awareness of the PA profession. Read more about Stephen.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kristen James says

    May 3, 2017 at 7:32 pm

    I absolutely love this blog! Gives me so much hope! I have always felt that my GPA was too low to get in! This blog helps me understand that my past is my past! Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

      May 3, 2017 at 9:55 pm

      Thanks, Kristen,

      I love the saying – If you want the things that others don’t have you have to be willing to do the things others don’t do. This means that if you have a GPA on the lower side, there are still about a million things you can do that other haven’t (or are too afraid to do) that can make you stand out as an applicant. Seek these things out… it is the path to success.

      Stephen

      Reply
  2. Carmen says

    March 3, 2014 at 11:58 am

    I love reading your blog postings! They are always so inspiring

    Reply
    • Stephen says

      March 3, 2014 at 1:52 pm

      Thank you Carmen, that means the world to me!

      – Stephen

      Reply
  3. Duke says

    February 23, 2014 at 5:49 pm

    Stephen, this is an excellent article and demonstrates everything we talk about when we provide help and guidance to those who choose to have us help them write their essays.

    I find out more about you every day and marvel at your ability and what you bring to the written page and into your life. You are right about taking the hard path. Our muscles can only become stronger if we workout. Our minds only become strong if we work them out. We learn more about ourselves and how to be successful from losing, not from winning. Because if winning taught us so much, then the winners would always win. And as we found out in this years Olympics, this is not true.

    You did a great job of creating good images by comparing getting into PA school with the Olympics. I’m very proud of you.

    Reply

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Sarah was amazing and so helpful with thoroughly explaining her edits! I was so impressed with the first edit. She really took my theme to the next level and really helped tighten the flow of my essay. During our first phone call, I was amazed by how quickly she incorporated my new ideas/suggestions. Sarah is extremely clever with re-wording and cutting down unnecessary words, allowing you to elaborate more on important things. I can’t say enough good things about Sarah! I am so thrilled with my result!

Khanhi, Pre-PA

Sarah was a tremendous help to me and provided me with thoughtful edits that really made my personal statement stand out from the crowd. She was very easy to work with and really seems to care about each of her clients. I really enjoyed working with her and highly recommend her as an editor. As of today, I have 3 interviews scheduled, including one at my top choice school! Thank you!

Andrew, Pre-PA

I absolutely loved working with Sarah! She provided the best feedback to my personal statement, while also being sensitive to the details regarding personal family trauma. At the end of our sessions, I always felt confident in the statement and knew that Sarah would help me best articulate into words what I wanted to say. My statement now is something I can be completely confident in, and know that Sarah has been able to help me achieve a statement that prospective schools will pay attention to. Thank you, Sarah (and The PA Life) for everything!

Elizabeth, Pre-PA

Sarah did such an excellent job editing my personal statement that I wanted her expertise for my supplemental essays. I’ve had multiple interview invites so far. I’m so glad I used this service, and I’m so glad I had Sarah’s help! She really took my essays to a whole new level and had good suggestions. I’m recommending her to my peers.

Emily Crenshaw, Pre-PA

Thank you so much for helping me with my physician assistant program application essays and interview! I am so excited to let you know that I received multiple PA school acceptances and have decided that I will be attending Cornell University’s PA Program in New York City. The program begins in February 2019 and I cannot wait to begin!  I truly appreciate all your help and encouragement throughout my PA application process.

Christine Chen, PA-S

I just wanted to update you that I got waitlisted for Drexel but accept to Dominican University of California. I still have other interviews coming up. Thank you for your help!

Karmen Wu, Pre-PA

I have been accepted to my first-choice program!! UC Denver, I don’t have to move! I have also received three other interviews so far. Thank you so much for your help with my personal statement. You eloquently helped me state my desires and strengths for the career. I am beyond thrilled and thankful.

Nika (Future PA)

I was accepted into PA last cycle and am currently in my second semester! I am a part of the inaugural class at Keck Graduate Institute. Your services really helped me during the application process. I enjoyed working with Sarah on my personal statement. She helped me view my experiences from a different perspective, making my personal statement more unique and stand out amongst other applicants. The mock interview was also very helpful and prepared me for my one and only interview. I was given great pointers and feedback on how to refine my answers. Thank you again for your services!

Michelle Chen, PA-S

I just wanted to let you know that I was accepted in the UW MEDEX program at my home campus in Anchorage, AK. After the long journey I’ve had, I finally was accepted to my top choice! It still seems surreal and I couldn’t be more excited! Thank you so much for the help and insight you gave me. I truly believe it helped prepare me and not be as nervous. I will definitely recommend you to anyone I know who is applying in the future.

Melanie, PA-S

I have recently been accepted to a program that was one of my top choices, and I also was waitlisted with two other schools. I wanted to thank you again for all your help Duke.  Not only am I grateful for your knowledge of writing and grammar (which were invaluable), but most importantly your kind word and motivation, which I needed so much at the time.  You’re a great person!

Alex Taylor, PA-S

I finally have amazing news. So first of all, in total, I was offered 13 interviews. I was just offered a seat at Nova Orlando! I am finally going to be a PA and a big part of that was from all of your help with my personal statement. So thank you very much for helping me succeed during this round.

Jennifer, PA-S

Loved this service and working with Sarah. She was super helpful and easy to talk with. Will definitely recommend this service to others.

Diana, Pre-PA

I just wanted to email you and let you know that 3 weeks post-interview with Gannon, I was accepted into the class of 2023! I am so excited and thrilled and I know that your help, helped me. So, thank you!

Cailin, PA-S

The service provided was excellent. I really appreciate Duke taking the time and reviewing my essay multiple times and at that same time, making sure I am comfortable with the wording. Thank you for all your help!

Foram Patel, Pre-PA

I am pleased to tell you that I have been accepted to PA school, starting in 2-weeks.? I appreciate everything you have done for me, from helping with my personal statement to preparing me for interviews. You have been with me since the beginning of the application process and I really wanted to thank you.

Shane, Pre-PA

I truly appreciate the ideas and comments Deanna provided for my personal statement. Without her expertise in having an understanding of what PA programs are looking for in a personal statement, I would have gone in a completely different and possibly wrong direction. I highly recommend this service!

Victoria, Pre-PA

Carly was excellent! Not only did she make my essay much more compelling, but she understood the deadlines I wanted to reach and helped me do that! 10/10!!

Jesse Cordova, Pre-PA

Sarah helped to condense my detailed thoughts into a powerful essay. Over the phone, she was careful to collaborate with me before making any changes so that the piece remained under my control and in my voice. She served as a guide and insured the essay brought out my strengths and reasons for pursuing the PA profession. Overall, I’m incredibly happy with the service!

Julie, Pre-PA

Carly did a great job helping my personal statement flow from paragraph to paragraph. She truly helped me show throughout the essay why I wanted to become a PA. What I really appreciated was she explained why each change was made; comments and reasons which not only helped with this one time essay but for all my future essays as well. Definitely was worth it!

Kathleen, Pre-PA

Very helpful. I needed help figuring out what to cut and Sue was great at showing me what could go without sacrificing what I was trying to convey.

Dave, Pre-PA

Sarah Morris Schultz was my PA statement editor and she was absolutely fabulous! She helped to shave my original 4-page long, winding PA statement down to a 2 page impactful, poignant, moving statement that lead me to get accepted to a Doctor of Medical Science program in Physician Assistant Studies. She has such a gift for writing and knowing how to say things in just the right way and use the right words! One of the DMS PA program committee members started off my video conference online interview by stating that my PA statement was the best he ever read, not “one of the best” but THE BEST statement. My heart leapt. My PA statement years ago had caused me NOT to get accepted to the school that I had hoped. I did get accepted to a good PA school, got my degree, and started practicing in this field that I love. However, this time I decided to humble myself and get help writing a good statement. Praise God, it paid off. I am so grateful for the PA Life service and fee for the one-on-one service is worth every penny! I recommend everyone get Sarah Morris Schultz. She’s the bomb.com! I love you, Sarah 🙂

Sonja D. PA-S

Sarah from The PA Life was an incredible resource for editing my personal statement. Her edits took into account the big picture of the message of the statement and helped guide me when writing additional content my statement was lacking. Her edits and responses were both prompt and thorough, and I truly feel that she made a huge positive impact on my personal statement.

Travis, Pre-PA

I’ve had several people look at my essay in an effort to gauge whether the content was strong and to help clean it up and cut characters – none were as helpful as Carly. Carly’s editing truly helped make a difference in the quality of the essay, and while there’s still quite a bit of character cutting I have to do, I am more prepared now than I was before. I am so happy I chose to work with The PA Life.

Kristen, Pre-PA

Sue was extremely prompt and thoughtful in providing her comments, edits, and revisions. My essay had a good start but she helped me write it with admissions committees in mind. I will keep you updated on if I get interview invitations.

Kirsten, Pre-PA

I received an acceptance call from USC! I’m going to be a PA! ??‍⚕️ I’m so overfilled with joy and gratitude!! All of my experiences led to this, and I can’t help but feel immense gratitude for every single person that was part of this journey. You were a huge component of this journey, and I am so appreciative of all of your help. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Cintia Chávez, PA-S

I just wanted to share some amazing news with you! I have been accepted into the MEDEX PA program in Seattle!!! I can’t thank you enough for all your help!! I am beyond excited and still can’t believe it is actually happening! Thank you again from the bottom of my heart!!!!! 😀

Pavitra, PA-S

I was so glad that I chose to have Duke look over my essay, he turned it from long, rambling, and scattered to a much more concise, well written essay. I really feel as though it represents me well! Duke always responded quickly and I felt as though I got a lot of value for the money. Thank you!

Jennifer B. Pre-PA

Sue Edmonson has been a great help in ensuring my personal statement made sense and fit what information I was trying to convey. Her ability to find the pertinent parts in an essay and gain more information about me to make the essay seem relative to my pursuits was truly a Godsend. Would recommend her and your company to others. Thanks!

Christopher Ohsie, Pre-PA

Deanna (my editor at The PA Life) is the GOAT. She went so far above and beyond all my expectations. My jaw was on the floor reading my personal statement after she worked on it.

Austin, Pre-PA

I am so happy with the service Sarah provided! My personal statement turned out exactly how I was hoping it would!

Jennifer, Pre-PA

Working with Sarah felt like working with an old friend. Her thoughtful insight made the revision process easy. She had great advice for improvements to make while remaining within that difficult 5,000 character limit. Thanks, Sarah, you helped a ton!

Ryan, Pre-PA

Mr. Pasquini was very patient, accommodating and direct in his editing/advice. He was honest, in a way that I needed due to the importance of the letter. I even picked up a few tips to enhance my writing from our meetings. Great experience and will definitely recommend him to others!

Alana P. Pre-PA

I was extremely stressed out about writing my personal statement, and finally decided to search the internet for advice and assistance. I came across the personal statement editing service on the PA Life, and decided to give it a try. I received a response within a day, and my stress was instantly relieved. I worked personally with Duke to edit my statement, and he is a phenomenal writer. He didn’t change the content of my statement, but rather helped me tell my story in a way that is much more desirable! I cannot recommend this service enough to others seeking help on their personal statement. Duke was friendly, sincere, and definitely experienced! I felt 100% confident in his editing abilities, and we worked together the entire time so that we were both pleased with the results! Thanks again, Duke, for all of your help!

Chelsie W. Pre-PA

I came into this with a half written personal statement and not a lot of time left. I am beyond pleased with the work Sarah and I were able to accomplish together, and I’m so grateful to have gotten the chance to work with her. She has helped me so much with getting my writing to where I wanted it to be, and has instilled in me a great sense of confidence in myself and my abilities. I highly recommend this service to anyone going through the stress of applying! Keeping my fingers crossed as I submit my applications!

Celine, PRE-PA

Deanna was professional, prompt, and easy to talk to. I truly enjoyed working with her one-on-one for my personal statement. Her suggestions elevated my writing, and I appreciate all the work she put in my essay.

Jamie, Pre-PA

My experience with the PA Life personal statement collaborative was simply remarkable. My editor did an outstanding job making sure that my personal statement reflected my BEST work and addressed all of my concerns regarding the essay and other questions I had about my application. I can’t thank you enough for all the help I received during this process. Thank you!

Erika, Pre-PA

I used the personal statement editing service through The PA Life, and I worked with Sarah. She was AMAZING and made such a difference in both the quality of my personal statement and in my confidence as an applicant. That said, I’m so grateful to say I’ve been accepted into two out of the three programs I applied to and have an interview with the third on Friday of this week. I couldn’t be more excited!

Nikki, PA-S

Sue is so incredibly kind! I needed so much help on cleaning up my personal statement and overall flow of the writing. She provided great insights and explanation.

Laila, Pre-PA

Duke helped me with my essay and he was great! He really helped me fine tune my essay so it’s ready for submission and answered all of the question I had about small details in my essay. He was also great about responding to emails in a timely manner. I definitely recommend this personal statement review service to anyone who’s applying to PA school…even if it’s just as a final read-through before submitting it on their application.

Tyler J. Pre-PA

I really appreciated Carly’s attentiveness to my writing style and working to keep my message and content but working it in a way that reads easier. I appreciate her turnaround time, as well as priority deadlines for programs, are quickly approaching!

Jacob, Pre-PA

Carly was helpful and gave insightful comments while helping me to create more impact within my sentences. I feel confident and at ease knowing that my supplemental application has been reviewed in a thorough manner. Thank you for all your help!

Mina, Pre-PA

Awesome editing service! Everything was detailed, and I could tell that my editor really cared about helping me produce a great personal statement.

Ashanna, Pre-PA

Sue Edmondson was VERY thorough in her editing of my essay, as well as the promptness of her responses to me. She not only took the time to edit the grammar of my essay but helped me remove a large portion of it to focus on the important aspects of it and draw in more details. Overall, a fantastic service!

Megan Hunstad, Pre-PA

Sarah Schultz is such a gifted and talented writer. She is super sweet and is a joy to work with. I could not have asked for a better editor. She was able to articulate all of my ideas and thoughts seamlessly and effortlessly. Although challenging at times, her suggestions and edits were very insightful and necessary into creating a spectacular essay. I am extremely pleased with the outcome. It is now a true work of art. I am so grateful to Sarah for offering her time to helping individuals like myself to write the best possible personal statement. I would not have been able to write such a cohesive and smooth flowing essay without her help. Thank you so much!! I would unhesitatingly recommend The PA Life Essay Collaborative and Sarah Schultz.

Patrick, PRE-PA

I just wanted to give you an update! So far I have had two interviews and been accepted to both! I have three more interviews scheduled as of right now, and still waiting to hear from a handful of schools. Thank you so much for all of your help with my essay!

Jennifer Bidwell, PA-S

I just want to follow up and let you know that I have been so fortunate enough to have conducted 3 interviews and received 3 acceptances, and I have decided to continue my educational journey at the OHSU PA program. I can’t thank you enough for all the help you’ve provided me, from helping me with my personal statement to mock interviews. I couldn’t have done this without your help, thank you.

Yomiyu Gafesu, PA-S

My editor was amazing! She took everything I asked and did editing that was above and beyond. She was also great at communicating and taking my comments/opinions into consideration. 10/10 would recommend!

Ravee, Pre-PA

I was very pleased working with Duke on my personal statement. I’m currently in the middle of applying to PA school, so I haven’t heard back from the programs. I’m looking forward to the experience though.

John R. Pre-PA

I’m so happy with the amount of time and attention that Duke and Sue put into helping perfect my essay. I’m extremely fortunate to have come across Stephen’s page and this opportunity- I would have sent in an essay that unknown to me at the time, had issues and needed many improvements. I’m almost to the point where I’m going to submit my application, and will definitely update the team on prospective interviews. I cannot thank you guys enough for having this essay review service available, you definitely make it worth every dollar and more.

Tiffany Ly, Pre-PA

Your services have eased the stress and anxiety that results from guessing whether or not your essay contains the content that many PA programs are looking for. Your services were prompt and genuine. It is clear that you have the applicant’s success at heart. Thank you!

Madison Pre-PA

I just wanted to let you know that the majority of my interviews have gone really well! So far, I’ve received six interview invites and have interviewed for five schools. Midwestern (AZ) just got back to me a bit ago, and they sent me an acceptance email! I am beyond thrilled! I just wanted to thank you so much for your help! Your mock interview gave me a lot of confidence that I was able to carry into my interviews! I appreciated having the opportunity to practice my interview skills with you. I wanted to let you know just how much you’ve helped me with my application process (with my interviews, personal statement, and just my confidence in general)! Thank you so much for all of the advice over the past few months!

Sneh, PA-S

This experience was great. They took my essay and gave great constructive comments that made it an even better essay. Very fast and efficient process.

Gabby, Pre-PA

Deanna was amazing! She really went above and beyond the single-edit that I could afford. I consider myself a pretty good writer, but she helped me focus and ground my story without sacrificing the overall creativity of the original piece. All I can say is wow! If there ever was something worth the money, this service is it!

John S. Pre-PA

Deanna was an absolute joy to work with. Not only was she a wonderful writer and editor, but she helped me develop my thoughts and produce a personal statement I was proud to submit. She helped me refine my ideas, and concise my writing to illustrate my reasons for wanting this career. She was also very prompt in responding to my emails and questions. I am very happy with my personal statement and would recommend this service to anyone who is considering this service or feels stuck in their writing process.

Maddie, Pre-PA

Sarah is an amazing writer. She helped clarify my thoughts and encouraged me on this journey. When/ if I get an interview, it will be because of her amazing writing skills.

Araceli, Pre-PA

I just wanted to let you know that I got accepted into the RFU PA program! Thank you for all your help and support during the application process. Couldn’t have done it without you!

Zakira, PA-S

Ms. Edmondson was incredible! She provided great feedback and answered all of my follow up questions. I will keep in touch as to my interview offers.

Ashley, Pre-PA

I LOVED the suggestions Carly made for my essay. Not only was she thorough with her edits, but she also provided a lot of quality feedback that really made my essay shine. Carly took my unedited, messy essay and helped me better convey what I was trying to say. I have nothing but positive things to say about this experience and feel this service was worth every penny.

Rachel, Pre-PA

I was very pleased with this service. Writing has never been my strongest area. While I had the ideas that I wanted to convey I wasn’t able to articulate them as well as I’d hoped. Carly provided comments and suggestions without altering my central thesis. Any questions that I had were answered quickly and thoroughly. Any grammatical mistakes were also addressed which put my mind at ease. I would recommend The PA Life personal statement essay revision service to anyone applying.

Keith G, Pre-PA

Duke helped me write a great personal statement. I won’t know if I’ve been accepted to the program until Christmas/New Year’s, but I feel that it was worth every penny!

Alicia C. Pre-PA

Very prompt response and turnaround time. While I did not speak with Duke over the phone, his team’s edits were thorough, clear and very helpful. Highly recommended.

Dave H. Pre-PA

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101 PA School Admission Essays

Admissions Directors Know What They Want. Shouldn't You? 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…

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How to Write Your Physician Assistant Personal Statement

What Makes This Book Unique? We have worked with 1000’s of applicants through our Personal Statement and Essay Collaborative and have interviewed PA school faculty and Admissions Directors from 12…

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