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You are here: Home / International Physician Assistant / Trials and Tribulations of the Liberian Physician Assistant

Trials and Tribulations of the Liberian Physician Assistant

October 15, 2019 By Stephen Pasquini PA-C Leave a Comment

The Physician Assistants of Liberia

This is part five of a nine-part series by documentary filmmaker Adam Halbur on the PA model around the world.

View all posts in this series
  • As Good As You Can: The PA Model Around the World Part One
  • American Cheese: The Origin of the U.S. Physician Assistant
  • PAs in the Netherlands: The Dutch Physician Assistant
  • Why We Really Need PAs in the UK: The British Physician Associate
  • Meet The PA Pioneers of Israel: The Israeli Physician Assistant
  • Trials and Tribulations of the Liberian Physician Assistant
  • South Africa’s Clinical Associate (Clin-A): The PA Model Around The World
  • The Indian Physician Assistant (PA): Past, Present, and Future
  • The Australian Physician Assistant: The PA Model Around the World
  • Laos: The Birthplace of the U.S. Physician Assistant?
  • Little Big Men: The Rise of Kenya’s Clinical Officer

Liberia PA Quick Facts:

  • Name: Physician Assistant
  • Can US PAs practice in Liberia: Yes
  • Liberia PA Salary: 169,000 LRD/yr
  • Number of PA programs: One
  • Number of PAs practicing in Liberia: ~1000+
  • Prescription rights: Yes! PAs in Liberia are allowed to do all medical activities with the exception of surgery
  • Liberia Professional PA Association: Liberia national Physician Assistant Association (LINPAA)
  • Liberia PA certification exam: State Board Exams administered by the Physician Assistant Association Board of Examiners and licensure
  • Liberia PA Certification Maintenance: Unkown

As God Would Have It

When I visited in 2017, Liberia was celebrating 150 years since its founding by Christian American slaves in 1867.

It is the only country in the world that has had advanced care practitioners called “physician assistants” as long as the United States. Rebecca Scotland, the headteacher of the PA program at Tubman National Institute of Medical Arts (TNIMA), Monrovia, said close to 1000 PAs have been trained since the beginning in 1965.

PA graduates in Liberia train for three years in both theoretical and clinical activities and are allowed to perform all medical activities with the exception of surgery.Click To Tweet

Trials and Tribulations

Many of those PAs who have gone through the three-year program have been lost—due to leaving the profession for other pursuits, due to the Diaspora mainly caused by two civil wars from 1989 till 2003, and due to the Ebola outbreak of 2014, during which doctors, nurses and PAs perished.

Liberia has faced all the trials and tribulations a god could put before the staunchest believer, making it difficult for PAs to stand by their own profession.

During the civil wars, some PAs moved to the United States and took up other professions, such as church minister. Others remained. Dr. Nyaquoi Kargbo, registrar general of the Liberian Medical and Dental Council, recalled working with PAs during the last war, when medical care was more about attending to wounded:

"At the time our war started, there was a mass exodus of health workers. So when the Ministry was looking for a team to go into Nimba County to look at the internally displaced population as well as those externally displaced into parts of Guinea, just approximately on the Liberian border, I chose to form a team—two doctors, two physician assistants, two nurses; there were roughly 10 to 12 on our team…. There was another event where a military plane shot, fired at some civilians, and people were severely wounded. I took another group of PAs along with me, and when we got there, we thought we were going to work and return the same day. But unfortunately, the work was so much, we had to sleep overnight. And what we did at that time, they helped to assess the cases that we needed to assess and treat there and those cases that needed to be shipped, transferred back to Monrovia. For minor cases, like a gunshot wound that didn’t hit the bone, we only took out the gunshot when applicable and then we kept the wound open and the people were treated with anti-tetanus and antibiotic shots and stuff like that. But these were people who were on the field doing it. I mean, I was the single doctor there; I couldn’t see every patient. And even in the field hospital in Monrovia at the time of the war, there were so many PAs working with us. And they performed very well."

According to Dr. Kargbo, not as many PAs as doctors left the country, but the Diaspora hit Liberia hard because the country was already resource-poor.

“Even a single physician or physician assistant exiting means a lot to the country,” he said.

The Road to PA in Liberia

At the same time, the war inspired others to pursue medicine, such as PA Jerry Kollie, who recounted growing up in a refugee camp:

"I went through a lot of difficulties. My mom fell ill when I was 12 years. She was very ill. And unfortunately, I was 5 years when my mom and my dad separated. So my dad had a different wife and my mom was ill—she was not in a position to really help. I grew up in difficult situations, especially during refugee days because I was a refugee in Guinea, the Republic of Guinea. I was in Guinea during the 14 years of civil crisis in Liberia. I was a refugee in Guinea. So being a refugee and having your both parents are no longer together, so many a time things were very difficult."

The Tubman National Institute of Medical Arts (TNIMA)

The only good that came out of the situation, according to Kollie, was that he was able to get a free education. He also witnessed the respect the doctor in the refugee camp commanded and was inspired to get a white coat of his own, and after graduating high school, putting himself through vocational school and saving money working as a mechanic, he entered The Tubman National Institute of Medical Arts (TNIMA ).

“As God would have it, I didn’t have any hindrance during my time of study,” he exclaimed. “So in 2009 I managed to graduate from TNIMA as a physician assistant.”

Established in 1965 (to present) the TNIMA Physician Assistant Program has graduated roughly 1000 PA students.  It is a three-year PA program with six months of classroom and skills lab followed by clinical work. The program is free with the stipulation that all PAs graduating from the program must serve under a Liberian governmental contract for three years.

The Ebola Outbreak

Kollie met his next great challenge as president of the Liberian National PA Association (LINPAA) during the Ebola outbreak, when he struggled to keep PAs working and to get personal protective equipment to protect them. “Sometime in March 2013, the Ebola virus disease hit Liberia,” he recounted.

"I was in the position of doing advocacy. I was advocating on behalf of healthcare providers in general to the international community to provide personal protective equipment for healthcare providers to be protected while they are providing care to the patient. I was also advocating to the international community to provide incentives and better compensation for those healthcare providers who are risking their lives on catering to the Ebola patient. And I was also involved in visiting a lot of healthcare institutions, making sure that healthcare providers who are there are actually on job and taking care of patients. So it was a very hectic situation for me. Many days I didn’t sleep at home. I was always in the dark, moving from one health facility to another health facility, moving from one radio station to another radio station, advocating and ensuring that healthcare providers stay in their very hospitals and health facilities to cater to the patients."

When I asked Kollie if he was scared at that time, he chuckled and said that the most difficult times were when his colleagues called him to complain that they weren’t getting their salaries and needed him to talk to the government.

“You would not believe that sometimes, 2-3 months, they would not get salary. So they were actually stranded,” he said. “My lines were … always had people calling, ‘Jerry you need to talk for us. There is no food. There is no money to pay our rent. We need to see the patients. There are no drugs in the health facilities.’ And it was a very hectic situation.”

The Voice of The Workers is Never Heard

With people in Liberia desperate to get ahead and others seeking to maintain their hold on power in an environment of general lack, it is easy to see the challenges PAs face but also how they could be culpable, too, of the same jockeying for position. That said, Ebola was a major challenge, according to the PAs, with a public who were suspicious of the origin and spread of the disease and with healthcare providers the ones most affected.

“If you were to go into the isolation centers right now,” proclaimed George Williams, a nurse and secretary-general of the National Health Workers Union of Liberia (NAHWUL), “the voice of the workers”at a rally recorded by the Associated Press, August 2014, “you will see the number of our colleagues, health workers, who are now lying in isolation centers dead from the electra [sic] Ebola virus. How many have died?” When I talked to Williams, he said that their “masters” or “bosses” do not listen to them because they do not want things to change because they are the ones who are supposed to provide training, in-service training for the workers. They are the ones who are supposed to supply the necessary working conditions. They are the ones who are supposed to supply the tools and everything that makes working easy. But they are not doing that because they know if they allow us to speak, then the people will know exactly that these things are supposed to be done and they are not being done by the government.

According to him, the government makes it looks like everything is fine, when it is not, which left Liberia ill-prepared to deal with Ebola and resulted in the high death toll among healthcare providers. A poster that hung in his office named a total of 279 health workers who died during the outbreak, which included individuals from neighboring countries such as Sierra Leone.

The Faces of Ebola

Among the dead were also survivors. Of the two I talked two, Alvin Davis and Korlia Bonarwolo both faced the same stigmatization from their communities and the same hurdles in getting diagnosed and treated. Bonarwolo, who developed symptoms of Ebola after contact with a nurse who died of the disease, was brushed off by his superiors.

“After 10 days, I started experiencing, you know, those constitutional signs—fever, joint pain, abdominal pain. I mean the temperature continued to go up, up to 40, 41,” he recalled. “I called my supervisor and said, ‘I think I need to go to the ETU [Ebola treatment unit].’ And he said to me, you know, ‘You need to take some malaria pills and you’ll be OK.” Davis was told he probably had malaria, too, and even tested positive, which further delayed his being diagnosed for Ebola. “I started experiencing weakness after taking the malaria medicine and the headache was still consistent. So I wanted to go to one of the Ebola treatment units to get tested,” he said. “But each time, I would bring the idea, I would suggest the idea to my parents, I mean, they would flinch it away because the issue of Ebola at the time, the stigma was so very high.” Bonarwolo explained that if a family had a member with Ebola, community members would shun them, calling the infected Ebola man, Ebola woman, Ebola girl or Ebola boy. Deciding not to wait for an ambulance, which could take up to a week to respond, Davis chartered a taxi to a hospital, only to be turned away. “Yeah, I was downhearted, but what could I do?” he said. After four days, he went back to the same ETU and was redirected to one run by the United States government, where he received treatment for two weeks, just cheating death. Bonarwolo was treated at John F. Kennedy Hospital. “For me, I was admitted on the 28th of June, at the JFK, you know, at the all-chloride unit—we had a chloride unit here,” he said. “And I was actually released from that area on the 16th of July 2014.”

After their release, Davis and Bonarwolo were traumatized and yet, believing they were now somewhat immune, went back to provide psychological support to people undergoing the same ordeal they had just undergone and to educate the general public to understand the disease.

JFK Hospital, where I interviewed Bonarwolo and Davis, was eerily empty of people and equipment as it was undergoing a prolonged renovation since its use as a vantage point in the civil war. There, I was also shown a room of TNIMA PA students, who seemed to have just donned immaculate lab coats for the occasion, sitting at desks before a lone chalkboard.

Three Years of Service

Three students, Alfred, Joylina, and Yanguri spoke positively about the government-funded diploma program, which is free as long as they work at a rural affiliation. I asked them what they would do after fulfilling the three years of required service.

“You know, now, in Liberia livelihood is one of the major problems,” Yanguri replied. “So, if my three years expire with the government, I would still be willing to work if they provide the environment for me to work because they have provided the opportunity for me to learn. So, in order to serve my country and that of my people, yeah, the environment provided, I can work.”

The Problem of PA Reimbursement in Liberia Costs Lives

“The issue of incentive, the issue of motivation becomes a problem,” said LINPAA president Theophilus Hampage.

"So, I graduated in 2009. If I don’t have a bachelor’s and I’m practicing in an area, even if I’m the clinical supervisor, if a nurse graduates today with a bachelor’s, she earns more than me. So they don’t pay by experience, they pay by degree. So that is one of the main reasons for staff attrition. So I would like to foster my study to also get a bachelor’s to earn more. So I would prefer leaving the clinical setting to come back to school or go into the private sector. So the concentration of health workers in Montserrado, or Monrovia, the capital, is huge."

Hampage went on to relate his own efforts trying to save a rural woman in childbirth, which failed because of limits on his scope of practice, lack of available doctors, medication shortages and poor ambulance services. Kollie noted that because of attrition, including nurses, there are only nurse aides in some facilities in the bush, where PAs outnumber doctors. Even Kollie left practice to attain a bachelor’s in Monrovia and a master’s in public health in Uganda, and he now desires to earn a PhD abroad.

PAs in Liberia Are Essential to the System

I talked briefly to Dr. Catherine Cooper, assistant minister of Curative Services, Ministry of Health, and asked her to describe the PA’s importance. She reiterated the same message coming from the PAs themselves:

"You see the physician assistant providing service in areas where many doctors would not want to go, in remote areas, in very low resource areas. Without the PAs in our system, we would really have a major challenge. They are very dedicated and committed to what they do. So they are very essential to our system."

She also recognized the difficulty in supporting the PA. Often, support comes from outside the country, as during the Ebola crisis, when international aid groups finally provided personal protective equipment, and Hampage noted that the Carter Center was assisting with training in mental health care.

The Baptist College of Missionary Physician Assistants

Then, Kollie, who was my guide for my stay in Liberia, took me to the town of Gbanga, where American PA Steve Trexler in 2012 opened The Baptist College of Missionary Physician Assistants, an associate degree program approved by the government.

“They slammed their hands down and said ‘We’re happy to tell you your program has been accepted at the associate’s degree level. Well, I was so thrilled that it was accepted I wasn’t going to argue with them,” he said and added. “Now I’m happy actually, to be honest. I think it was from God that it was an associate’s degree because all the students who graduated in the first class, none of them that I know of had any college. If it was a bachelor’s degree program, none of them would be able to get into the program.” Most of Trexler’s students come from the area and get experience working in a clinic attached to the school.

The Future of the Liberian Physician Assistant

While Trexler, the Carter Center and foreign governments provide much-needed assistance, such aid, if institutionalized, can come to be detrimental to a country trying to build an independent healthcare system.

Trexler’s college was somewhat more problematic that in addition to PA training, the students also have Bible classes, which could affect the type of care graduates make available, such as abortions, contraception, and services for those who often suffer discrimination, such as homosexuals.

Knowing that many Liberians continue to be quite religious, I did not clarify Trexler’s stance at the time. However, it remains clear the country will only be able to create a stable national healthcare system if it can, as God would have it, build an infrastructure and retain a stable workforce of providers such as the PA while at the same time meeting international standards on human rights and regulation in collaboration with, rather than in reliance on, neighboring nations, the African Union and the international community at large.

About the Author

Adam Halbur is a writer and teacher living in Tokyo, Japan. A short version of his film As Good As You Can, As Professionally As You Can premiered at the 11th annual conference of the International Academy of Physician Associate Educators. Watch the “American Cheese” segment of the longer version here. Watch a short of the 50th AAPA Conference with interviews from Ruth Ballweg and David Kuhns here. Halbur is entirely self-funded, so if you appreciate his work, please consider making a small contribution to his feature documentary on the Kenyan clinical officer.

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Resources and References from This Post

  • Close to 1000 PAs
  • PAs mean a lot to the country
  • A lot of difficulties
  • The position of doing advocacy
  • The voice of the workers
  • Those constitutional signs
  • The three years
  • The issue of motivation
  • The essentials
  • I think it was from God
  • As Good as You Can as Professionally as You Can - Mini documentary
  • As God Would Have it (Liberian mini-documentary)
  • The Tubman National Institute of Medical Arts (TNIMA)
  • The Baptist College of Missionary Physician Assistants
  • Show your support
View all posts in this series
  • As Good As You Can: The PA Model Around the World Part One
  • American Cheese: The Origin of the U.S. Physician Assistant
  • PAs in the Netherlands: The Dutch Physician Assistant
  • Why We Really Need PAs in the UK: The British Physician Associate
  • Meet The PA Pioneers of Israel: The Israeli Physician Assistant
  • Trials and Tribulations of the Liberian Physician Assistant
  • South Africa’s Clinical Associate (Clin-A): The PA Model Around The World
  • The Indian Physician Assistant (PA): Past, Present, and Future
  • The Australian Physician Assistant: The PA Model Around the World
  • Laos: The Birthplace of the U.S. Physician Assistant?
  • Little Big Men: The Rise of Kenya’s Clinical Officer

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Excellent service! The editor did a great job of working with me to write my personal statement as I wanted. They also provide some pointers and tips on how to write which is good for supplemental essays and writing prompts.

Ryan, 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

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

I wanted to update you and say I’ve been accepted into two programs (waiting for two more responses) with Jefferson University (my program of choice) being one of them. Thank you for all your help and your tips and for making this a genuinely joyful 2022!

Yejin (Future PA)

Thank you so much for making the personal statement process less stressful! Although I had been planning and brainstorming for months, the process of writing my journey in 5,000 characters was just daunting and overwhelming. Thank you so much for your kindness, flexibility, and your patience that helped me through this process. I appreciate how you listened and incorporated my feedback to make my personal statement a work of art that is truly representative of ME! I would highly recommend your services to any aspiring PA students who feel lost or overwhelmed by the process. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Cintia, Pre-PA

I am so thankful that this editing service exists. The personal statement is incredibly important which is why I was so nervous about it. It took me two weeks to even get started because I was so nervous about writing the wrong thing. After Carly helped me with my essay, I am now so much more confident in it. Her edits were very thorough and showed that she had a really good understanding of what is important for a PA personal statement. Her email detailing her overall impression of my essay also showed she understood every single point I was trying to make and what kind of feeling I was trying to give to people reading my essay. This has been the most reassuring thing.

Angela, Pre-PA

I am amazed by what Deanna was able to do in helping me get my supplemental essays in shape. I had hit a serious roadblock and she was able, and in an incredibly quick manner, help me remove those blocks. I am very grateful!

Lily, Pre-PA

Carly did a fantastic job helping my personal statement create fluid and concise writing to help convey my experience! I highly recommend using this service even if you think your statement is solid because they will help make it better than you could have imagined! Thank you for everything.

Kelsey, Pre-PA

I wanted to let you know I got accepted into the PA program at Mercy College and have another interview at Pace University PA program next week. Thank you so much for guiding me through this process. I just want you to know I really appreciate the time you put into working with me.

Alex (Future PA)

This is Tyler. I hope you remember helping me with my essay back in May. As promised, I wanted to update you with news of my PA school journey and I am excited to tell you that I was accepted to Stony Brook’s PA program!! THANK YOU VERY MUCH for helping me write an essay that was truly reflective of who I am as a candidate and as a person! It played a pivotal role in this whole nerve-racking process and has helped me achieve a major life goal. You are a godsend to Pre-PA students.

Tyler, PA-S

I wanted to send you a quick life update and another BIG thank you! I received my acceptance at the University of Utah’s PA Program on Monday and couldn’t be happier. Thank you for all your help with my essay and interview prep. Both of these services that you provided were so helpful in my success. I will highly recommend you to any future PA student.

Lily, Pre-PA

This is my third time applying to PA programs. With my first two attempts, I only had close friends, family, and peers help me with my personal statement. I never even thought about going through a professional personal statement review service until after I had failed to get into PA programs my second time around. My prerequisites are expiring soon and the thought of going through the entire process of applying a fourth time terrifies me. I was hesitant to purchase the one-on-one service but after going through it, I am so glad that I did. Sarah was my editor and she is incredible. She genuinely understands how frustrating yet exciting this process is. I submitted my initial personal statement to her and within a day, she had already gotten back to me with detailed feedback. She even goes as far as telling you how many characters she wants you to add in different parts of your essay – this was extremely helpful for me because I tend to be a little wordy sometimes rather than succinct. Sarah helped me to highlight my strengths, experiences, and reasons for why I have spent so many years pursuing the PA career. This is an incredible service and I highly recommend that you take advantage of it! I am still in the process of completing my supplemental applications but I am more confident now than I have been with my first two attempts!

Christian S. Pre-PA

My editor was quick and responsive with her emails. Her explanations on how to improve my personal statement were detailed and organized. I’m very glad I chose The PA Life to help me with my personal statement and point me in the right direction. Thank you very much!

Phillip, Pre-PA

Sarah was a joy to work with! She was extremely helpful and patient with any questions I had for her! 10/10 recommend using this service!

Lori, Pre-PA

Thank you for taking the time to edit my paper! The feedback was constructive and very helpful. I liked how you highlighted all the strong points in my essay. It made me feel reassured that my essay was heading in the right direction. I also liked how you told me exactly what I needed to add to make it stronger.

Juliana, Pre-PA

AMAZING EDITS. Really opened my eyes to a new perspective of what a personal statement should really be like!

Jasmine, 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 applicants success at heart. Thank you!

Madison Holtz

After receiving two edits from Carly I feel extremely confident in my personal statement. She not only fixed grammatical error and syntax, but helped me better organize my thoughts into a competitive essay. To other Pre-PAs looking to submit their essays: I know it’s a bit of an investment but the peace of mind, comfortability, and confidentiality is so worth it! Thank you The PA Life!

Elizabeth, Pre-PA

Sarah was amazing! She completely transformed my essay and helped include other important key points that I was previously missing in my essay. The editing process was simple and it was easy to collaborate on google docs. I would 100% recommend The PA Life editing service to my friends and people who just need that extra help to make their essay stand out to admission committees. I look forward to this application cycle with my new essay!

Myriam, Pre-PA

Carly was incredible! Her prompt edits were extremely helpful, and I will definitely provide updates on the status of my application later down the line!

Audrey, PRE-PA

Deanna gave me excellent feedback on my personal statement, and I couldn’t be more grateful. She was very articulate and gave examples for me to work with on the rewrite. What I struggled with most was the organization of my writing, and Deanna helped me structure my paper so that it was easy to read. I would 100% recommend this service to a friend applying to PA school. Thank you so much!

Daniela, Pre-PA

I am so happy to have gone through this editing process! I did not think you would take so much time to not only give me great feedback but also to edit and revise my paper like you did. I am so happy with my new revised paper and will definitely tell my friends!

Eric, Pre-PA

Well worth the money. I consider myself a decent writer but found I was stuck on a few key points of my personal statement. After a few edits on my own and with a few people I trust, I decided to submit my essay for editing through ThePALife to make sure I was really on the right track. I am supremely satisfied. The essay I wrote turned out to be a solid base, but Sarah went to work, and every change and suggestion had a logical place. She polished it up and made it shine. Thank you so much!

Conor K. 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

Deanna was very opening to helping me with my essay. Although I had the material, the way she edited gave it a very nice and easy flow for the reader. She gave me her critical suggestions and comments that I would have otherwise missed. I am so glad I chose The PA Life revision services for my personal statement for PA school.

Yana, Pre-PA

Having my essay edited proved extremely helpful. I was having trouble connecting my thoughts, and the edit helped so much. I haven’t found out about acceptance yet. I’m just now about to submit my application!

Amber, 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)

My editor did an excellent job with my essays. I struggle with writing emotionally and she took my material and really personalized it. I feel very confident sending in my essays after having her look at them. She promptly returned my essays and did a stellar job. Thank you!

Danielle, Pre-PA

This review is long overdue, but my gratitude for how much The PA Life has helped me will never fade. Ms. Schultz went above and beyond to help me tailor my personal statement to my unique stories and qualities. She was open to my suggestions and often thought from my perspective instead of imposing her thoughts on my essay. I appreciate the time she took to help me create a personal statement that expressed my thoughts clearly and concisely. I am happy to report that I have been invited to interviews, and I’m on the waitlist for one of my top schools. If I don’t get in this cycle, I will be using the editing services again. Big shout out to Ms. Schultz!! Thank you for all your encouragement, patience, and support! I am honored to have the chance to work with you. 🙂

Amy, Pre-PA

Thank you so much for your assistance with perfecting my personal statement. This service is truly helpful. They were able to easily edit and help to convey exactly what was in my heart onto paper. I was accepted to my first choice PA program this week!!

Vincent, PA-S

I am writing this because I wanted to share with you that I have been accepted to the University of Iowa PA program.  I would like to once again thank you for your insight and guidance while writing my personal statement, it came at just the right time.

Eugene V.PA-S

I have used The PA Life services throughout my application process this year and I am 100% satisfied! Sarah helped me with my personal statement and mock interviewing. As a second time applicant, she really helped me strengthen my statement to convey my story of why I wanted to be a PA. I felt very confident in submitting my statement thanks to her review and was later invited for my first interview! The mock interview service was EXTREMELY helpful. Sarah provided excellent feedback during our session on how I could better rephrase my responses to make them stronger, but still, sound natural and true to myself. The session eased a lot of the interview nerves I had that come interview day I felt pretty confident. I’m proud to say that after my first interview, I was accepted! Thank you, Sarah, for all of your help throughout my PA journey!

Amanda B, Pre-PA

Sue was great to work with. Very prompt in responding to my submission. Asked good questions and incorporated my responses into my essay nicely. I appreciate the work.

Mary Peterson, 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

My editor knew exactly what kind of edits I was looking for and addressed all of my questions/concerns I had about my essay. I will definitely be recommending this service to my club members and friends.

Stephanie, Pre-PA

Sarah was so helpful, accommodating my needs, and I would highly recommend her to a friend/peer. I love this company and the people that work here!

Erin Felter, Pre-PA

Deanna was an amazing editor and provided wonderful feedback to my personal statement. I was very hesitant and nervous prior to approaching an editing service, but I do not have any regrets. Deanna not only critiqued my personal statement, but also gave guidance and reasoning behind her critiques. I now feel confident and excited to fully present my self on paper to admissions. I highly recommend her and the services provided for any future applicant. I hope to receive an interview and acceptance this year for next fall. Thank you!

Alexis, Pre-PA

Sue was a huge help with my essay. Her edits made my essay sound much better grammatically and she pointed out some content problems I completely missed. She prompted me to write a few more paragraphs before her edit and added the information into my essay. That made a big difference. She was very knowledgable about what PA programs were looking for. I am really happy with your service. Worth every penny, THANKS!

Megan Stephenson, Pre-PA

Sarah is the best! She gets me and puts all her efforts for my message to come across in a clear and concise way. Obviously, her editing skills are superb! But she also has a very sweet and pleasant way of being. I highly recommend Sarah and the PA Life Personal Statement Collaborative. I have not yet received an interview, but keeping my fingers crossed!

Raquel Poliwoda Pre-PA

Hope everything is going well! I just wanted to let you know I’m 2/2 so far with receiving interviews. I know your help with my essays has played a huge part. I just wanted to update you and tell you how grateful I am for all of your help!

John, Pre-PA

I had an overall great experience working with Duke. He was open to my suggestions and provided great feedback on my essay. So far I haven’t gotten any interviews yet, but it is still early in the process. I will keep you updated when I get interviews. Steve

Steve Koehler, PA-S

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

I just want to thank you again so much for being so awesome and helping me perfect my statement. I promised you that I would let you know if I got into any programs, and I was offered interviews at all the five universities I applied to. And I got offered positions at my top two school choices shortly after I interviewed. I am so ecstatic to say that I will be going to my number one school choice. I know multiple factors contributed to this opportunity being offered to me and the personal statement was surely a big one. Thank you so much for all that you do. It was really a great investment to have you edit my paper. I hope you have a fantastic rest of your day!

Elisa, PA-S

I thought that the service was very helpful in helping me with my personal statement. Duke was always prompt with responding to emails and made himself very available throughout the process. He was also good and helping, but also making sure that I was the one doing the writing. I think that the structure of the service helped me put in enough time to come out with a very good finished product.

David H. Pre-PA

I felt our mock interview was an absolute necessity to prepare for the Academic and Personal interviews from Yale School of Medicine PA Program Online. I felt the calibre of questions you had asked me, in addition to the coaching and post-question feedback, really helped me understand what an ideal response looks like and gave me time to reflect and prepare my responses for the formal interview just two days later.

During my interviews I was asked plenty of questions I didn’t have a prepared response to (and I had combed through tons especially in the days following our mock interview!) I can say that I answered each question genuinely, authentically, and showed both interviewers the best version of myself. I didn’t stammer or lose my place, and I felt confident in my words and expressions. I don’t think I would have been as comfortable, calm, or confident without having accepted your guidance and feedback and learned from our time together.

Gratitude for your words, encouragement, and support is an understatement. Thank you, Sarah!

Best Regards,
Jacob

Jacob, PRE-PA

Beth, my editor with The PA Life, truly made my essay feel impactful and, most importantly, expressed what I have to contribute to the PA profession. The one-on-one editing session we had was the most beneficial advice I have ever received, and her ability to work with my essay and make it so powerful was incredible. She is a professor, and her teaching methods were so easy to follow and guided me through how to write such a meaningful essay. I finally feel like an immense weight has been lifted off my shoulders after having her help me with the writing process and how to make what I have written even more high impact. I am forever grateful for this service. It has provided me with Beth, the sweetest and most insightful editor ever, a woman I admire and will be an essential factor in my journey to attending PA school. I currently feel confident in my abilities to receive an interview after working with her.

Sophia, Pre-PA

Duke helped me with my personal essay writing for PA school. He was very patient and helpful with me. I made lots of mistake on my Essay, but with Duke’s help I was able to write a sensible essay which was good enough to get Interview calls. I highly recommend his service.

Rajni M, Pre PA

Carly did more than help revise my grammatical errors and flow. She was able to show me the strengths and weaknesses of the concepts of my essay. She was able to tell me what it was missing as well as praise me for what I did correctly. It gave me confidence in my writing, and I truly believe it will make an impact on the way PA programs view me.

Sherry, Pre-PA

I can not speak highly enough of Sarah. She was extremely helpful and easy to work with. I think she did an especially admirable job packaging the message I was trying to get across in my essay in a concise format that flows smoothly. Thank you again!

Ian, Pre-PA

I really appreciated Duke and his way of cutting out the unnecessary fluff in my essay. He was extremely helpful and helped steer me in the right direction to better my writing and make me a more competitive applicant. I am currently still applying to programs and will notify you guys once I get an invitation!

Ani S. Pre-PA

My editor was Beth, and she blew my expectations out of the water. She got back to me within 24 hours of submitting my request for edits and helped me so much with the edits she made. If I receive an interview, I am excited to use PA Life to help me with mock interviews.

Haley, Pre-PA

Just wanted to let you know I got into UC Davis! I can not thank you enough for all your help!

Rachael Thomas, PA-S

Sarah was beyond excellent. Her timelines and efficiency provided me with enough time to revise and meet with her again before our final draft. Her comments and edits were extremely effective. I hope to be receiving an interview and will be using this service (requesting Sarah) for a mock interview if that happens!

Kaitlyn, Pre-PA

I got in!! I got into PA school and I can’t thank you enough for your hand in helping me with this process. I received 7 interviews out of 12 applications, I was waitlisted at Jefferson, Salus, and Chatham. And I was accepted at Drexel and Stony Brook. I will be starting PA school in June! Thank you so very much!!

Natalie, Pre-PA

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

Susan did a fantastic job of editing my essay! She guided me and gave me suggestions for strengthening certain sections and equally took out weak parts. After I followed her recommendations, I really felt like I had an essay where every sentence mattered and reflected who I was. Thank you so much Susan for your help. I feel that I have a stronger essay because of your honest feedback and your help!

Amanda, Pre-PA

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

An amazing experience. Glad to have worked with Duke. He did his best, and it was very enjoyable.

Anand T. Pre-PA

My editor with The PA Life was amazing! I am so thankful for her attention to detail and wonderful editing skills. I am thrilled with how my personal statement turned out and can’t thank you enough for all of your help.

Olivia, Pre-PA

Sarah was amazing to work with. I love that she is able to take what I am trying to say and form concise sentences that flow together so effortlessly. Every time I read a paragraph that she ‘cleans’ up for me, my immediate response is “WOAH!”. Simply put, she was a pleasure to work with and I would recommend The PA Life personal statement editing service with her to anyone!

Jamee, Pre-PA

Great feedback and turn around time. Utilizing this feature gave me even more confidence that I was trying my best to be the top candidate.

Kristopher, 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

This was an extremely helpful process! I still have work to do on my essay but Sue was very helpful by giving me criticism I needed to hear from an unbiased source as well as being very fast responding! I think this will help me moving forward and having a strong application!

Morgan Rial, Pre-PA

I rarely give all “Excellent” ratings, but this was exceptional work. Beth was quick, personable, and transformed my essay beyond expectations. I banged my head against a wall for months and was still unhappy with the final product, but reading her edit, I felt like PA school was within reach. I’d absolutely recommend this service to anyone who wants a glow-up for their personal statement.

Adam Johnson, 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

Carly from The PA Life was amazing as I knew she would be based on her bio! She touched base with me when she received my personal statement and gave me a turnaround timeframe that she stuck to. In fact, she completed it earlier than expected. I am beyond satisfied!!!! Thank you, Carly, and The PA Life!

Pamela, Pre-PA

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

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

I got into my first choice program University of Southern California (USC)!!!!  Thank you so much for your help this cycle. I’m forever grateful.

Lanisha Cole, PA-S

Thank you so much for your help with my personal statement. The process was everything I could have wanted and more. You were wonderful to work with and I appreciate very much how you were able to connect to my personal experiences and combine that with the traits that you know make a statement successful. I have applied to my first two PA schools and I owe a big part of that to you! Once again, Thank you very much!

Louis T. Pre-PA

Deanna’s edits and feedback were stunningly thorough and exact, and her revision was more than I could have hoped for! I am very grateful for her patience and encouragement. I cannot recommend her service highly enough in return for her help and support.

Angela, Pre-PA

So far, I’ve received 3 interview invites from Chapman, Drexel, and Tufts!!! I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to Sarah for polishing my PS, supplemental essays and giving me lots of awesome tips for my upcoming interviews!!!

Audrey, Pre-PA

I loved this service!!

Madeleine Zeichner, Pre-PA

Awesome service. Duke did a great job editing my personal statement – his feedback was top-notch. For the 2014-2015 cycle, I applied to one school. I was selected for an interview and yesterday I received an offer of admission … which I quickly accepted. I know my Personal Statement played a huge role in my success. I highly recommend this service.

Nikki, 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 was a pleasure to work with the entire time. I felt very overwhelmed when I was working on my personal statement on my own, but once I started working with Sarah, she made me feel at ease while getting my personal statement to look its best. Sarah is very knowledgeable, understanding, and professional. One of the things I loved the most about working with her is that no matter the time of the day she was always available and got back to you in a timely manner. The whole time we worked on my personal statement she made sure I felt comfortable with changes that had to be made and I appreciated this as well. Sarah is excellent at what she does and I would recommend her and this one on one service to anyone that needs it.

Odilia, Pre-PA

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

I owe you a lot! Thank you so much for helping me in this important process. God bless you.

Catalina, Pre-PA

We worked on my essays back in summer and oh, how much work it was! But it all paid off because I just got accepted into the school of my first choice! Thank you so much for your time and dedication to my success. I will also be glad to recommend your services to other pre-PA students at my school!

Jennifer, H 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

I read my personal statement again today and got the chills. I am so happy with it and just wanted to thank you for all your help with my PA school essay!

Mikaela, 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

Hi, I am beyond words to express how I feel, I got accepted, contingent on background check which I think is a formality. I want to say boldly that I am going to be a PA, thanks to you. You will be always blessed for the wonderful service you provide.  You were very kind and worked beyond what I thought could be offered. Thanks again!

Pavithra, Pre-PA

This service was invaluable – I felt decent about my essay, but it’s remarkably better. I appreciate the level of detail and courtesy even with my discounted rate. You guys are too great!

Taylor Hamstra, Pre-PA

Susan did a fantastic job editing my essay! She guided me and gave me suggestions for strengthening certain sections and equally took out weak parts. After I followed her recommendations, I really felt like I had an essay where every sentence mattered and reflected who I was. Thank you so much Susan for your help. I feel that I have a stronger essay because of your honest feedback and your help!

Amanda Pre-PA

Sarah was absolutely wonderful. She not only helped take my personal statement to the best level, but she also made it easy to understand why certain changes were better. In the end, she went through and used a highlighting method to show how we connected things to PA and skills that were good. This made it easier to visualize everything. I’d recommend Sarah to anyone applying to PA school that needs that extra push on their personal statements.

Taylor, Pre-PA

Carly was excellent! She was very quick to provide edits and did a thorough job. She really helped me with the flow of my essay. I will be sure to let you know if I receive any interview invitations. Well worth the money! I feel confident in my essay.

Casey, Pre-PA

I wanted to let you know how this application season was going for me so far.

I’ve had two interviews, still have at least three more scheduled, and I received my first acceptance last week.

Thank you again for your help!

Nancy Peterson, Pre-PA

This is just a great service overall, because not only is it an editing service, it is specific to the PA personal statement. Sue did a wonderful job editing my essay, and pointed out important flaws in it that I otherwise might not have noticed. Her edits highlighted the main points that I was trying to get across in a much better way than I had originally written. Overall, very satisfied with the results, and will have to keep you updated about the interviews. Thanks so much!

Sabrina L. Pre-PA

I am mind-blown by my editor Carly’s work. My original essay is like an ill-fitting suit. She hemmed and adjusted it in all the right places and now it looks perfect. I don’t think I’m a bad writer, but I don’t write often and I have spent the past 10 years of my life focused on health sciences. I may have never been able to do this on my own. Thank you thank you, I consider this essay service a bargain.

Rebecca, Pre-PA

Sarah Schultz was a great editor and was easy to communicate with. She answered my emails very promptly and made great suggestions while also helping me cut down and condense my essay to be in the character limit. She made me feel more confident in my work and helped me develop an essay that I am proud of. I would definitely use this service again!

Katie, Pre-PA

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

Thank you for all of your help with my essay. You used my content, but refined it and made it more relatable. I believe due to your help I gained three interviews this cycle! I was accepted to two of the three schools and I will be going to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston this May. Again, thank you for all of your help, it has definitely changed my life.

Lauren Clewley, PA-S

Amazing Resources

  • Best Medical Apps
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  • FREE Daily PANCE and PANRE Email Series
  • FREE Exams
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  • Recommended Reading
  • Save Big on Books
  • State Chapters Map
  • Virtual PANCE and PANRE

Favorites

  • A Physician Assistant’s Guide to Becoming an Epic Failure
  • How to Write The Perfect Essay
  • My PA School Rejection Letters
  • Personal Statement Workshop
  • The #1 Trait to Determine Long Term Success as a PA
  • The Top 46 Physician Assistant Applicant Interview Questions
  • Who Gets Into PA School?

The PA Life Resources

  • PA Schoolfinder PA Program Directory
  • The Daily Eponym – email series
  • The FREE Daily PANCE and PANRE Email Series
  • Smarty PANCE Board Review
  • How to Write Your PA School Essay Book

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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