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You are here: Home / Pre-Physician Assistant / PA School Prerequisites: Admissions Directors Answer Your Burning Questions

PA School Prerequisites: Admissions Directors Answer Your Burning Questions

December 18, 2017 By Stephen Pasquini PA-C 25 Comments

Admissions Directors Tell All PA School PrerequisitesAs you probably know by now, if you want to get into PA school, you must complete the necessary prerequisite coursework.

I have discussed this in detail in a previous post Prerequisite Coursework: How to Design the Perfect Pre-PA School Curriculum.

Today, we are going a step further by giving you answers to some of the most common PA school prerequisite questions.

And the best part is:

These answers are directly from the PA school admissions committee themselves.

PA School Prerequisite Q&A

  1. Do You Look Down On Community College Prerequisite Coursework?
  2. Do PA School Prerequisite Classes Expire?
  3. Can I Apply With Coursework in Progress?
  4. Do My Prerequisite Courses Fulfill The Requirements?
  5. Do You Accept Online Prerequisite Coursework?
  6. Is There a Minimum GPA for Prerequisite Coursework?
  7. Do You Accept Prerequisite Courses Completed at Different Colleges?
  8. Is Lab Required?
  9. How About Repeat Courses?
  10. Graduate Or Undergraduate Courses?
  11. Dropped Courses?

The following are questions asked by pre-PAs as part of the annual Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) forum, where ADCOMs from thirty top PA schools come together for a weekend and answer your questions. Schools such as Duke, Butler, Penn State College of Medicine, Yale, and Case Western Reserve (to name just a few).

Below you will find the question in bold with the ADCOM (admissions committee) answer in the blockquote. I have provided a summary of recommendations in yellow at the end of each section and an overall summary at the end of this post.

Got more questions or some helpful advice? Please let us know in the comments section.

1. Do You Look Down on Community College Prerequisite Coursework?

What is your take on applicants that take only one required course at a county college?

One or two community college courses is fine. The only time it becomes a concern is if ALL of your science or prereqs come from a community college, or there are multiple community colleges you have attended. - A.T. Still University

How do you view community college classes? Say I took a prerequisite course at a community college, but it was a simple general education class such as sociology?

Community college classes are fine. We know many people do not have the resources to go back and take pre-reqs at four-year schools - Duke University

I took all my science classes at community college. Will that be a problem?

Having all of your science from a community college will be a weakness on your application. If you have some science courses at a 4-year university that will help, but having completed all your science classes at CC will be a negative factor. - A.T. Still University

If I do plan to retake some courses, does it matter if it's at a local college or university? I can take some at the university level but others I can only retake at the college level because of financial hardship.

You can complete coursework at any regionally accredited institution. This can include a community college or online as well. - Butler University

So long as the courses are completed at a regionally accredited institution, they will satisfy. It does not matter to us if they are from a community college or a four-year institution. We are aware of the significant costs for applicants and students alike and we encourage you to complete them in a way that is cost-effective and works for you. - Penn State College of Medicine

I took all of my prerequisites at the community college level. Would you suggest re-taking any at a university or would it be better to put my focus on improving other areas of my application, such as patient care? How much of a negative impact does this hold? My GPA is strong, and I have significant volunteer hours.

In your case, I would not suggest retaking the courses. Yes, focus on your strengths so that you can offset the community college science courses. If you have an opportunity to take an upper-level science course at a 4-year university, you might consider that, but focus on the strong aspects of your application. It's not a one-strike and you are done - the whole process is flexible and holistic. - A.T. Still University

I had a school tell me that because I took my last few courses at a community college, this was held against me and that I was three of their scoring points away from an interview. How do you feel about that?

Upper division prerequisite requirements can be completed at a four-year institution, community college, or online courses from regionally accredited institutions. We do not look down on community college coursework. It will be factored in the same way - Penn State College of Medicine

Does your PA program accept prerequisites from Tri counties community college?

Yes, we will accept prerequisites from Tri C or other community colleges. - Case Western Reserve

Summary: Some schools care if all your prerequisite courses are taken at a community college, but the vast majority don't. If you can, it is best to research your preferred PA school's website and contact the program admission team.

Recommended reading: 

Does Attending Community College Hurt Your Chances of Getting into PA School?

2. Do PA School Prerequisite Classes Expire?

I would like to know if the prereq classes taken in undergrad in 2003 would be considered in factoring GPA or should I retake them. I can try to retake some at a university, but because of my financial situation, I can only afford community college courses. Will this be ok? Thanks

Courses you have taken do not expire for us. We will use your coursework from 2003 in our transcript review to determine which prerequisites are fulfilled. - Yale University

I completed my science classes in 2008, should I retake them?

If you've been working in healthcare full-time since graduating we would waive that requirement - Penn State College of Medicine

Do you accept a three-credit Humanities course if it was taken six years ago in 2011?

Yes, we will accept humanities credits that are older than 5 years. Only science credits must be taken within 5 years. - Touro University

My question is whether or not classes taken during undergrad "expire?" I graduated with a B.S in Biology in 2013 but started college in 2006. I was in the Air Force, so my undergrad took a long time to complete. As it stands, I am currently living as an Air Force dependent in Germany with my spouse while they finish their 4-year tour. I will not be applying to PA school for another three years. I was wondering since I will have been out of school for six years when I apply, will this hurt my application? I don't know if the time since my classes were taken, will work against me?

The courses that "time out" are Anatomy and Physiology. That course series must be completed within 5 years of matriculation so you may need to refresh those courses. - Carroll University

I am a medical graduate from India applying for PA program. When you talk about GPA, is it the GPA of the prerequisite courses or the bachelor's degree too? I received my bachelors in 1995 and have completed the prerequisites in the past two years. So which one counts more towards selection process?

The prereqs which must be completed within 10 years of applying count towards the selection process so we wouldn't look at your 1995 coursework at all actually. - Case Western Reserve

I have a biology degree but graduated in 2002, are there any courses that your program wants to be more recent?

All of the prerequisites have to be completed within 10 years of applying to our program.  - Case Western Reserve

Do classes have an expiration date? Also, can I repeat some of the undergrad courses at a community college?

College credits do not expire. I only suggest retaking if you did very poorly in a prereq. Some students will take refresher courses or upper-level science to get back into "student mode" but remember, community college credits are not as rigorous as 4-year university credits. - A.T. Still University

I graduated with a BS in 2011, taking some core science classes in 2007. Since graduating, I have been working as a certified medical assistant and now working with CHC on the central coast. Would I need to retake the core classes? 

No need to retake the prereqs. Having them completed more than 5 years ago is not ideal, but you have more recent coursework and clinical/volunteering to make up for it. So I suggest not worrying about retaking any courses unless you earned a C or below in one. - A.T. Still University

Summary: There is a surprisingly large amount of variation here between schools. Some schools do not have an expiration date on courses while others require all course be completed within a 10-year window and some require 5-year's for certain courses and no expiration on others. This could open (or close) a lot of doors depending on when you completed your prerequisite coursework. Take home message: Do your research before you apply!

3. Can I Apply With Coursework in Progress?

I took Anatomy and Physiology (separate and both with their respective labs) over seven years ago. I will be retaking these courses next spring. Can I still apply during the upcoming cycle?

Yes, you can apply with coursework in progress, you would list it as either in progress or planned on the application. - A.T. Still University

Can I take biochemistry after submitting my application? If so, does not having taken this class reflect negatively on my application?

You can have three outstanding prerequisites at the time of application. You must show your plan to complete the courses prior to entering the program. It will not reflect poorly if you have not yet completed biochemistry - Butler University

Genetics is the only prerequisite I have not taken. Could my application still be reviewed considering I have additional classes that offer a more holistic approach to the medical field?

You can apply with one outstanding prerequisite (Genetics), however, if accepted you will need to prove you took the course by December 31st and passed with a B or better. - Yale University

Many programs only allow non-science courses to be "in progress." Should I be worried that my Biochem will still be in progress when I apply? Should I wait to apply?

No more than two prerequisites can be outstanding at the time of application and they need to be done by the fall of the application year. - Case Western Reserve

Summary: The best bet is to try to have all your prerequisite coursework completed before you apply. If not, you better check with the PA program ADCOM, that being said, most schools allow one or two prerequisite courses to be outstanding at the time of application.

4. Do My Prerequisite Courses Fulfill the Requirements?

What do you accept for the human anatomy prerequisites? I attended Penn State University, where I took Biology 129, titled Mammalian Anatomy. I also took Biology 497, a human cadaver dissection course, and I used the dissected cadavers to teach my section of the Biology 129 lab. So, the Biology 129 course is called Mammalian Anatomy, but it is primarily human-focused. Will these courses be sufficient for the human anatomy prerequisite? And if so, should I match both of them on the CASPA application?

Sometimes those need approval by our PA Chair on a case by case basis so if you have a question about a particular class I would email the chair and include a complete course description (and syllabus if you have it) so we can run that by the chair to get approval for you. - A.T. Still University

I have a question about some wording on your website concerning your prerequisite coursework. Per your website, the prerequisite biology classes must be "at or above the 200 level." I have completed two combined anatomy and physiology courses with labs that are on par with what is usually required to apply. However, at my school, these were not listed as being at the "200 level". Could you give any more information on this pre-requisite expectation? 

We will look at your transcripts and if your courses are listed at the 200 level or higher in a biology related course then the course will count as fulfilling a prerequisite. - Butler University

Is it possible to substitute organic chemistry with biochemistry for the prerequisites?

We are not able to substitute Biochem for Organic Chem - Duke University

For the 2-semester psychology requirement, will neuroscience count? It is listed under the psychology department at my undergraduate university.

Neuroscience offered through your psychology department will be accepted as one of the two psychology prereqs. - Carroll University

I was wondering if students that are applying would be able to designate which courses they would like to use as prerequisites, such as the choice between organic chemistry and biochemistry. Will the course with a higher grade automatically be used?

When you are asked to complete our secondary application, you will identify which courses you believe best satisfy our pre-requisites. We then verify these courses across your entire transcript. So my advice would be to best align your course with our course not necessarily take a course less appropriate just because it received a higher grade. As for OChem vs. Biochem - it absolutely is your choice - we require either - or....not both.  - Penn State College of Medicine

Could you please let me know the equivalent courses for biochemistry and organic chemistry or the course numbers?

The program does not endorse any one course or university/college at which to take prerequisite courses. We do accept either undergraduate or graduate level courses for biochem and organic but they must be separate courses and they must be specific to biochem and organic, not overview courses that combine lots of different topics. - Case Western Reserve

What are your thoughts on having endocrinology as an upper-level bio class compared to some of the other upper-level bio courses?

While endocrinology is not a prerequisite for Yale, certainly any upper-level biology courses will only help enhance your application and prepare you for a rigorous curriculum in a PA Program. - Yale University

Summary: Tap into your college and university academic advisor and make a plan. When I was in college, I followed a pre-med track through my junior year until I discovered PA school. I met with my academic advisor, who suggested I pursue a Zoology degree to meet my genetics, microbiology, and anatomy/physiology prerequisites. I suggest you create a spreadsheet (here is one I have started for you) and compare prerequisite coursework across programs. When you meet with your advisor, you can formulate your attack plan. If there are uncertainties, as I will say a million times, contact a couple of PA programs and fill the gaps with knowledge!

5. Do You Accept Online Prerequisite Coursework?

I live in a small town with a private university and a community college. I still need to take a couple of prereqs and was thinking of taking them through UNE online courses because the school in my town is so much more expensive than UNE. Would the UNE online courses be accepted as a prereq?

Online courses count as long as they are taken at a regionally accredited institution - Duke University

Can we take prerequisite courses online and attached lab on the campus?

Our requirement is that all prerequisite courses with labs must be taken "on ground." - Case Western Reserve

Summary: Be careful with online courses, while many schools accept online classes, some school require that courses be taken on-site. Again best to check before you decide to pursue an online degree.

6. Is There a Minimum GPA for Prerequisite Coursework?

If I have a C in one of my prerequisites, but my overall prerequisite GPA is a B would you suggest I retake that course?

It is difficult to say if you should retake the prerequisite, certainly the higher the better for your prerequisite GPA, so it may be to your benefit. - Yale University

So, your guys' pre-requisite courses do not necessarily expire, but all prereqs must be met with a grade of a B?

The prerequisites do not have a grade minimum, but we calculate an overall prerequisite GPA.  If you are admitted to the program and have one outstanding course, you must complete the course by December 31st and earn a grade of B or better. - Yale University

Do you require all prereqs to be completed with a B or higher, or does your cumulative GPA just need to be a 3.0 or higher?

Your cumulative needs to be a 3.0 or higher. - Case Western Reserve

Summary: GPA requirements are the bane of many well-intended pre-PA existences. It was definitely mine, and it is the one area where schools vary across the spectrum on requirements. I suggest you use a combination of tools, starting with my paschoolfinder.com PA program match tool (where you can sort schools by overall and science GPA requirements) along with the PAEA Program Directory. Unless you have an overall and science GPA of 3.4, it is best to do your homework. If you are applying with a low GPA, read this post to see what the ADCOMs have to say.

7. Do You Accept Prerequisite Courses Completed at Different Colleges?

I took Anatomy and Physiology 1 at one school and Anatomy and Physiology 2 at another. Will this affect my application?

No this does not impact your application from our standpoint - Penn State College of Medicine

Summary: Most schools just want to see that you have completed your prerequisites and maintained a relatively high standard. Having completed your prerequisites at different schools isn't a big deal. If you have been to five different colleges in four years, you may have some explaining to do but otherwise, in the words of Bobby McFerrin "Don't Worry Be Happy. "

8. Is Lab Required?

I noticed one of the prereqs is physiology with a lab. How important is having this lab requirement? I have taken physiology without a lab and multiple anatomy classes with labs. I am also having trouble finding physiology lab classes to take separately.

Physiology lab is indeed a basic pre-requisite. We are strict about that. - Case Western Reserve

Summary: If the requirement says "lab," you better have the lab. Most biology, physics, chemistry, and anatomy/physiology courses have this as part of the course. This is not where you want to cut corners.

9 How About Repeat Courses?

Do repeated college courses give a bad impression of a student?

It depends on how many and what the trajectory of your studies look like.. Everyone has rough spots but the question is if its a pattern or if its an isolated instance with steady improvement thereafter. - Case Western Reserve

Summary: I think the admissions team at A.T. Stills said it best in my post about applying to PA school with a low GPA: "We look for an upward trend in grades. We understand that some students have a hard transition to college, or they do not find focus until later. All of your grades will be averaged together, however, we still look for an upward trend. You do want to be somewhat close to the average GPA though. For example, if your total GPA is a 2.8, that is going to be hard to overcome. If it is a 3.0 or higher, with significant other experiences, we can work with that to an extent."

10. Graduate or Undergraduate Courses?

Does your program factor graduate level work differently than undergraduate?

It does not.  - Case Western Reserve

Summary: CASPA calculates a GPA for your master's as well as undergraduate coursework. Schools look at both and take both into account. They are usually factored equally, but the trend (as always) matters.

11. Dropped Courses?

Do you take into account if you dropped a class then ended up retaking it later on? Will it essentially effect the application in any way?

We do consider if an applicant dropped a class and retook it later.  - Case Western Reserve

Summary: Of course, schools will factor in dropped courses. They are looking for candidates who can handle the rigors of an intensive 2-3 year program. So, you need to be careful here. If you drop a course and retake it scoring a 3.7, it isn't going to look so bad. But lots of dropped courses without good reason will not reflect highly.

Highlights and Summary

  • Community college classes are fine. We know many people do not have the resources to go back and take pre-reqs at four-year schools - Duke University
  • One or two community college courses is fine. The only time it becomes a concern is if ALL of your science or prereqs come from a community college, or there are multiple community colleges you have attended. - A.T. Still University
  • All of the prerequisites have to be completed within 10 years of applying to our program.  - Case Western Reserve
  • You can apply with coursework in progress, you would list it as either in progress or planned on the application. - A.T. Still University
  • Our requirement is that all prerequisite courses with labs must be taken "on ground." - Case Western Reserve
  • Make sure to check when credits expire. You may (or may not have to retake courses)
  • We require that the pre-reqs be taken within ten years of your application. - Case Western Reserve
  • The prerequisites do not have a grade minimum, but we calculate an overall prerequisite GPA.  If you are admitted to the program and have one outstanding course, you must complete the course by December 31st and earn a grade of B or better. - Yale University

Do you have more questions or a helpful suggestion? Let us know in the comments section below, I always reply.

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As you probably know by now, if you want to get into PA school, you must complete the necessary prerequisite coursework. I have discussed this in detail in a previous post Prerequisite Coursework: How to Design the Perfect Pre-PA School Curriculum. Today, we are going a step further by giving you answers to some of the […]

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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. Patrick says

    July 24, 2022 at 8:01 am

    I graduated from UCLA in 2020 with a BS in Bio on the pre-med track and am considering applying to PA schools. I am currently working FT, volunteering 2x a week at a clinic (where I have been shadowing the MD and PA), and am planning on completing 3 science pre-reqs (Microbio, Anatomy, and Physio) [weirdly enough, these weren’t pre-reqs for pre-meds]. UCLA offers courses for those who have already graduated, and I was looking at an Anatomy course being offered this Fall. However, both the lecture and the lab are only being offered remotely. Then I considered taking an in-person anatomy class offered at LA City college, a community college. What do you think I should do?

    Reply
  2. Staci says

    March 7, 2022 at 7:16 pm

    Hi,
    I completed my undergraduate degree in Biology in 2015 and my master’s degree in Physiology in 2018. Since then, I have worked as a medical assistant and clinical manager for the past four years. Will I have to re-take any pre-req courses that have expired, or will my experience and master’s degree help me?

    Reply
    • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

      March 10, 2022 at 10:44 pm

      Hi Staci, this depends on the programs to which you are applying as each program has its own rules regarding prerequisite courses and expiration dates. They may offer exceptions based on your work experience so if there is any question whatsoever, I would encourage you to reach out to each program directly. I hope that helps.

      Stephen Pasquini PA-C

      Reply
  3. Saima says

    October 17, 2021 at 9:41 pm

    Hello, I am an international student who is getting her undergrad degree in math in the US and I graduate soon. I have always wanted to study in the medical field but due to some problems couldn’t make that happen. I want to become a PA but I realized that I need to complete the prerequisites before applying to a PA school. I am almost done with my bachelor’s and cannot extend it just to take the prereqs required for PA programs. I was thinking of taking these prereqs during my masters program which I want to do in a science field. Do you think that will be a good idea and is that something that can be done? Can I get a masters degree in a healthcare field during which I take the prereqs and fulfill the shadow hours/clinical rotations that PA programs need and then apply for PA school? I am not sure how this works and my case seems a little bit complicated given that I am a non science major. Do you have any suggestions for me? Thank you!

    Reply
  4. Sharanya says

    April 23, 2021 at 9:19 pm

    Hi,
    I am an international student doing my bachelors in India and an US Citizen, i am planning to do my masters in US and the PA Profession really inspired me and i definitely want it be my top priorities while deciding on my long-term jobs. I am doing Btech Biotechnology in India and pre-reqs like Biochemistry, Microbiology, Statistics, Genetics are there in my coursework but others like Human Anatomy and Physiology, Psychology are not there and i am willing to finish them as a part of the mandatory 30-credit coursework in US an international applicant is supposed to take before applying to PA Schools. I have few questions, it would grateful if you could answer them for me,
    1. Should all the pre-reqs be taken in a US university or some can be taken outside(like in my case, India)?
    2.Is a Bachelor of Technology accepted in PA Schools for International students?
    3.How many International Applicants are accepted each year?

    Thank you in advance!

    Reply
    • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

      April 24, 2021 at 10:01 am

      Hi Sharanya,

      1. Should all the pre-reqs be taken in a US university or some can be taken outside(like in my case, India)? I would recommend completing all required prerequisites at a US institution if you can as international credits may or may not transfer.
      2.Is a Bachelor of Technology accepted in PA Schools for International students? There is no requirement for your undergraduate major only that you complete the requisite coursework as required by the PA program.
      3.How many International Applicants are accepted each year? This depends on the program. You can find a list of PA programs that accept international student on my companion website here: https://www.paschoolfinder.com/cat/international-applicants/

      Stephen

      Reply
  5. Sadie Madding says

    April 23, 2021 at 4:41 pm

    So I was thinking about a biomedical degree for pre-pa school but I know it will be a rigorous degree, however, it will get most of my pre-requisites in. If I majored in something a little less rigorous like nutrition but that degree doesn’t include all the required pre-requisites will I have to be taking extra classes to get my pre-requisites in?

    Reply
    • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

      April 24, 2021 at 10:05 am

      Hi Sadie!

      The answer is yes, you will have to complete those prerequisites somehow and if it is not part of your major then you will have to be a bit more creative. This is why scheduling an appointment with an academic advisor at your institution early on is so important. They can help you design a plan that will maximize your time, money and make sure you are able to complete all the required coursework to make yourself a competitive PA school candidate.

      Stephen Pasquini PA-C

      Reply
  6. Madison Eggert says

    March 18, 2021 at 9:34 am

    I am applying to PA school and a lot of schools require statistics. Would PA schools accept take Psych Stats?

    Reply
  7. Pepper says

    July 6, 2020 at 10:38 am

    Hi Stephen,

    Due to this whole COVD-19 thing, I ended up having to take human physiology online (4 credits, including lab- summer A); I would think that would be acceptable, as I really didn’t have much of a choice?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

      July 7, 2020 at 4:22 pm

      Yes, Pepper, I am sure programs would accept this online course. If you have any doubts you can contact the PA program directly. You can also mention this in your CASPA application.

      Stephen

      Reply
  8. Julia Lynn Frye says

    April 30, 2020 at 9:55 am

    My university, Ohio State, offers two physiology courses — Physiology 3200 (5 credits) and EEOB 2510 (3 credits). Neither have lab, so I am only applying to those schools that don’t require a physiology lab. Does it matter to PA schools which one of these I take?

    Reply
    • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

      July 7, 2020 at 4:23 pm

      Hi Julia, what is the difference between the course offerings per the course handbook?

      Stephen

      Reply
  9. Vanessa says

    July 2, 2019 at 1:44 pm

    I have already earned my bachelors degree and am currently in grad school. However, I am applying to PA school and I have never taken statistics. I am currently taking an online stats class that isn’t through an institution but can be transferred to one. Is it possible for me to transfer those credits to my undergraduate institution even if I have already graduated?

    Reply
    • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

      July 4, 2019 at 7:45 am

      HI Vanessa, I would suggest you contacting your undergraduate institution and speaking with the office of the registrar (or whichever department handles this at your institution). They will most definitely be able to help you.

      Stephen

      Reply
  10. Douglas says

    May 25, 2019 at 4:35 pm

    I know prerequisites can expire at some programs… but what about health care experience? I worked full time as a medical assistant for 18 months, but that was 7 years ago. Any idea if those 3,000 hours (1,500-2,000 of which were hands-on care) would still be considered?

    Reply
  11. Carl James Lacsina says

    May 15, 2019 at 11:55 pm

    Hi,

    I attended a four-year university but earned a very low GPA. Could I possibly restart by taking community college courses and have that, if done very well, be applied to PA school applications?

    Reply
    • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

      May 16, 2019 at 11:05 pm

      Hi Carl, you wouldn’t technically be “re-starting” as much as you would be going back and retaking courses where you may have scored a lower than desirable grade. This new grade will be averaged with the prior grade. If you ace your classes the second time around this will look very good to the admissions committee. Keep in mind, while most PA programs accept CC coursework not all do. So make sure to do some research here as well.

      Stephen

      Reply
  12. Alex says

    November 17, 2018 at 3:55 pm

    Will taking science courses over the summer affect my chances of getting into pa school ?

    Reply
  13. Jessy Hulbert says

    November 15, 2018 at 5:52 am

    Does anyone know if you have to take the course Anatomy & Physiology 1 and 2 or if you can take Human Anatomy and Human Physiology as separate courses? Or does it not matter?

    Reply
    • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

      November 15, 2018 at 8:46 am

      Hi Jessey, It does not matter. Both options would fulfill the required prerequisite.

      Stephen

      Reply
  14. Max says

    September 18, 2018 at 6:33 pm

    I’m a graduate student finishing up my Master’s degree in Speech Pathology. I have experience interning at a rehab, am currently interning at a hospital, and plan on applying for CFYs within a hospital or rehab once I graduate in December. I’ve recently decided to pursue a career as a PA, but I honestly have no idea where to start. I plan on completing some pre-requisites either online or through a CC once I begin my CFY. My undergraduate coursework required general bio, statistics, psychology, and A & P of the speech mechanism (no lab). I’m wondering if you could direct me towards any sources that clearly outline what prerequisites I should generally complete before applying to school? I haven’t started looking into specific schools assuming they would all require similar pre-reqs. Also, any advice for someone making this transition would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

      September 26, 2018 at 5:04 pm

      Hi Max,

      The physician assistant forum (https://www.physicianassistantforum.com/) and the pre-physician assistant group on Reddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/prephysicianassistant/) are wonderful places to ask questions of applicants going through the process.

      The PAEA program directory has all the PA schools with their requirements: http://directory.paeaonline.org/

      I also created two tools. One is a geo-based tool at http://www.paschoolfinder.com and the other is a sortable table that is here on this site that allows you to narrow down schools using many variables. Unfortunately not prerequisites: https://www.thepalife.com/pa-program-picker/

      Most programs will require at least:

      One year of chemistry with labs*
      One course each of human anatomy and physiology with labs
      One course in microbiology with lab
      One course in statistics
      One course in psychology

      Other frequently required or recommended courses:

      general biology
      genetics
      organic chemistry
      biochemistry
      additional courses in social/behavioral sciences
      languages (some schools require coursework in Spanish)
      medical terminology
      public speaking

      Of course, every school has their own requirements, just to keep you guessing.

      So I’m going to give you two action steps:
      1. Create a CASPA account today: https://caspa.liaisoncas.com/applicant-ux/#/login

      It’s never to early to create an account and it will help organize you right away by giving you an outline of exactly what you will need to accomplish.

      2. Check out the PAEA directory and start browsing through PA schools: http://directory.paeaonline.org/

      You can use the other resources I used as well, but at least do those two things if you haven’t already.

      Warmly,

      Stephen Pasquini PA-C

      Reply
  15. Husna says

    June 6, 2018 at 12:34 am

    I completed my BS in biochemistry at a university. However I still have to take psychology, stats, and physiology. It is okay that I take these at a community college? Or would it be preferred to take it at a university.

    Reply
    • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

      June 6, 2018 at 10:58 pm

      Hi Husna, as you may have read, most schools accept community college credits, including some of the big names like Duke. Although there continue to be some schools that only accept coursework from 4-year institutions. I think it is ridiculous personally but I would recommend you check with the school you plan to apply to just to be on the safe side.

      Stephen

      Reply

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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

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

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

Sarah was amazing from beginning to end. Her listening skills are just superb. She edits in a manner that captures your story in a raw format and complete format. I loved my experience.

Vivian, Pre-PA

I absolutely love the way my essay sounds! I truly appreciate all of your help. I will definitely recommend prospective PA students your way! It’s been a pleasure.

Natalie, 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 wanted to let you know I’ve been accepted into FSU!!!! I got the call Friday!!! I’m thrilled and I owe a lot of it to you! Thank you so much for your help and support along this journey! I could have not done it without you!

Shayna, PA-S

Sarah is absolutely amazing and really helped transform my essay into the best version it could have possibly been!

Shannon B. Pre-PA

I wanted to reach out and thank you for all of your help throughout my entire application process — your words, advice, and support made a world of a difference to me, and I’m sure everyone who has had the pleasure of working with you feels the exact same way. I thought I’d let you know that after my Stanford and Duke interviews over the past couple of weeks, I received acceptance to both programs! I’m still on cloud 9 and I don’t believe I’ll be coming down anytime soon. And as of early this week, I officially committed to Stanford University’s PA program and I begin in August!!! Thank you again for everything you’ve done to help!

Celine, PRE-PA

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 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

Thanks to the PA life and Deanna I was accepted to ECU PA program this cycle. I’m starting my program next fall. I have been part of the PA life community and a member of the leadership team at the virtual pre-PA club with Deanna and others. I’m preparing a video presentation about how to become a PA for IMG. I’m a nontraditional app and abnormally normal applicant 😆. The video will be posted on the IMG space of the community. I’m so happy to share my experience and help pre-PA like me.

Shynar Johnson, PA-S

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

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

Sarah did a fantastic job bringing my personal statement to life. She took her time listening to my concerns and was extremely patient with me whenever new ideas came to my mind. When we began the process, I did not feel confident about what I had written – now, it is one of the most vital parts of my application. Additionally, she responds quickly to any email/correspondence, which makes her a pleasure to work with. She also made time to speak with me over the phone on a day she had fully booked to ensure I could meet a deadline. Details like this prove how much Sarah cares. I am so grateful to have worked with Sarah and The PA Life!

Sophia, Pre-PA

Sue did a wonderful job. I know this is an extremely busy time of year as CASPA is accepting applications and Sue was great about responding to my initial submission and getting back to me. She provided thoughtful feedback and quality editing. Fingers crossed for an acceptance to PA school!

Jo Lynn, 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

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

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

The edits I received were extremely helpful and insightful. I think they really brought my essay to the next level, and I am thrilled with the outcome. Thank you!!

Kelsey, Pre-PA

The comments and edits made by Sue are exceptional! They’ve helped a lot in terms of helping me express my thoughts more clearly and effectively. It felt as if she was there with me, reading my thoughts and helping me with the entire process in person!

Amy, Pre-PA

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 am very thankful for all of the work and time invested in me.  I learned incredible amounts from Duke about writing. Though some of it didn’t make sense to me, I knew he was right and I learned to trust him. He helped me more than any of the other dozen people I had trusted with my essay. This is such a big part of my future and my dreams and I honestly appreciate all of his work to help me get in. Thank you, Duke.

Andrew N. Pre-PA

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

Anand T. Pre-PA

I just want to let you know I received multiple interview invitations and got my first acceptance a few weeks ago! I am still preparing for more interviews, but at this point, I am pretty certain I will be going to Midwestern University, and I think so much of my success with applications is because of your help with my personal statement. Because of this, I wanted to reach out and say THANK YOU! I really appreciate your support and I would definitely recommend this service to anyone applying to PA school 🙂

Alli Cowan, Pre-PA

The ease, frequency, and promptness of communication were some of the best aspects of this service. I found the review and revisions to be very thoughtful and explained in a way where I knew exactly how to apply them to my essay. I would 100% recommend the PA Life PS review to any applicant, and especially enjoyed working with Carly. I am hopeful my personal statement will gain the attention of PA programs I am applying to.

Charlie, Pre-PA

Duke and I worked really well together. Seeing my first draft in comparison to my final draft was like night and day. I really appreciate all the help!

Kenzi H. Pre-PA

Carly is absolutely amazing, and I would recommend her to everyone. She was very helpful and supportive with her edits and why she recommended certain changes. She is amazing, and she helped me tell my story.

Peter, Pre-PA

I’ve been telling everybody that I come into contact with about the incredible value of your service and that I directly attribute your editing as a reason I got into two schools this academic cycle and received 8 invitations to interview. All the best! Read more at http://www.thepaessay.com

Jeremy Cohen 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

My editor thoroughly went through my essay and provided exactly what I was looking for to bring my essay to the next level.

Matthew, 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

I wanted to give you an update and thank you. I just received my first acceptance and at the interview, they commented on how well written my personal statement was. I appreciate your hard work and working with me to create such an awesome piece! Hopefully, this won’t be the last time we talk- maybe our paths will cross again one day!

Janne Kim, Pre-PA

I want to say thank you, first off for providing such a service. It was difficult having to write a personal statement and then have others critique it, when there is not a clear rubric to follow. I think having to write a personal statement is such an emotional process, and then having others edit it, can be a very harsh pill to swallow. Thank you for your edits, I have no doubt that this process will make my personal statement more compelling and hopefully a more competitive applicant.

Stephanie, Pre-PA

I really needed help with my personal statement. I wrote many copies and finally sent my favorite to the PA life to get some assistance editing. I thought I would have a hard time with the constructive criticism because I spent so much time already on my writing, but the editors were great in suggesting edits and why as well as complimenting appropriately. I’m very proud of my end product and am excited to send it to PA schools. I haven’t finalized my application yet but will definitely let the PA life know if and when I get an interview (or hopefully 2)! 🙂

Bailey B. 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

I loved this service!!

Madeleine Zeichner, Pre-PA

Carly edited my essay, providing a generous amount of comments on why she believes that her changes make for a stronger essay. She gave amazing advice and I know that my personal statement is much more well written than before the edits were made. Definitely worth the money!

Alexa, Pre-PA

Sarah was fantastic to work with. She is excellent at her crafted skill and can help any thought or sentence come to life, fast!

Jessica D. 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

I really felt the person who edited my essay, Sue Edmondson, took the time to get to know me as a person because she wanted my essay to reflect exactly who I am. I couldn’t have been more impressed with the edits and revisions she has given me along with the reasoning behind each revision.

Nicala, Pre-PA

Just found your site today while trying to update my resume. Also, I have to recertify next year so your tests are great for a refresher course. I was in a specialty area of medicine so I now realize how much I forgot in the past 5 years. Thank you very much and I will pass on to other PAs.

Pattie Solomon PA-CNorTh Miami Florida

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!

M.S, 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

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

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 was even more helpful than I anticipated! I am someone who finds it very hard to let others read my writing because it feels too personal. This made it much easier to let someone edit for me and all the suggestions provided really helped me pull together the parts I was struggling with. I would highly recommend this editing service to anybody who is having trouble strengthening their essay!

Lindsey C, Pre-PA

I can’t begin to explain how thrilled I am to have stumbled on this service. Like many other PA applicants, I was unsure of whether I was on the right track with my personal narrative. Reading Stephen’s two different PA school application essays showed me how to come up with something unique and creative, but the private personal statement review really made my essay shine.

Duke was so kind and helpful in helping me understand what admissions committees look for in a strong essay. Our phone conversations were so thorough, as we read through and discussed every word in my essay. Sue’s guidance helped me cut out the fluff to reach the character limit.

Melissa T. 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

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

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 just wanted to let you know I got accepted to Yale!!!! I’m so pumped. I can’t wait to talk more in-depth with you about my experience. For now I just wanted to say thank you!!!! You really were SO helpful.

James Hennessy, PA-S

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

Jasmine, 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

My editor with The PA Life was amazing! I will definitely suggest these services to anyone else applying to PA school. Thank you for everything!

Margarita, Pre-PA

I am so glad I chose The PA Life to edit my personal essay. They polished my personal statement that was lacking in some areas into an essay I am confident with now. Everything was straightforward and prompt. Thank you, The PA Life! 🙂

Winnie, Pre-PA

You helped me revise my personal statement for PA school admissions earlier this year, and I wanted to let you know how much you helped me. I got eight interviews and five admissions this cycle! I’ll be attending Pacific University this May. Multiple interviewers commented on how much they liked my personal statement. They described it as “eloquent” and “genuine.” I cannot thank you enough for your help earlier this year; I feel that it was a big part of my success this cycle.

Monica Harris, PA-S

The editor I was assigned, Ms. Matzen, was incredibly friendly, courteous, and professional. This was easily the best experience I’ve had with any guidance or essay editing program.

Andrew, Pre-PA

The suggestions are great! My essay sounds better already and I’ve just started editing it. The edits are nicely explained and make sense, and I like that there are also comments about what sounds particularly good in my original draft, too. I like that, although you said I already had a very good start, there were still significant changes you suggested that, as I’ve heard others who used this service say, “elevated my work to a whole other level.”

Phong, 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

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

I submitted my application this morning so I am not able to answer if I received an interview yet but I am THRILLED that I found this service. Sarah has been such a blessing working on my personal statement with me. She took my ideas and mediocre paper and turned it into a beautifully written story about my life. She helped me write exactly what I wanted to say and guided me with how to say it. I would recommend, without reservation, this service to anyone who is applying to PA school. I am one hundred times more confident about applying knowing my personal statement is exactly where it needs to be. Instead of feeling stressed and overwhelmed when I submitted my application this morning, I had complete peace. Thank you, for being a shining light full of kindness to applicants like myself.

Savannah, 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

I have never used an editing service before, but after working with The PA Life, I am so glad I did. I feel my essay flows better and is polished and precise. I am now signed up for supplemental essay editing as well.

Nicole, Pre-PA

Sarah was amazing! She was able to help me organize my thoughts and put my thoughts in words better than I ever could! She was prompt with her editing and helped stretch my comfort zone in writing. I really appreciate her creativity! I’d highly recommend Sarah and The PA Life editing service, as thier feedback was very helpful and encouraging at the same time. Thank you so much!

Elaine, 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

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

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

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

Your service was able to help me figure out exactly what I needed to include, what did not belong and helped me display my experiences the best way possible to form a great essay. Carly was able to help me create my best essay by just editing the order and grammar without changing much of any of my written work. I am very happy with how my essay turned out. Definitely worth the money, thank you for all your help!

Nicolas, Pre-PA

This was a very quick service and the attention to detail and response time was amazing. I thank you for having a service like this and am so happy I decided to go with the PA Life!!

Rachel, 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

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

Sue Edmondson was instrumental to my understanding of the entrance essay I was trying to write as well as very honest and positive. I loved her writing technique and her instructive points were very easy to understand. Most definitely will recommend as well as keep her in my contacts for possible future essay revision/help. Thank you.

Vladimira, Pre-PA

Beth Eakman is my hero! She literally took my writing and brought it to life!! I really feel like the essay she edited with me will get me into a PA program. Beth is an awesome editor, and I highly recommend her and The PA Life editing service!

Hapuruchi Avugara, Pre-PA

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

I just wanted to let you know I was accepted to Mercy College’s PA Program last night! To say I’m ecstatic is an understatement! I wanted to thank you once again for all of your help with my essays and my interview. You helped me so much with everything and I couldn’t have done it without you! Thank you for everything.

Anna Mantikas, PA-S

Sarah is amaaaaaaaaaaazing!! She is super kind and helpful. My original essay was very long at about 9,000 characters and I had no idea how to trim it down. Sarah helped me decide what to include and eliminate from my personal statement while correcting many of my grammatical errors. She was a complete professional and very easy to work with. I would recommend Sarah and The PA Life personal statement revision service to everyone, they are absolutely wonderful!

Fariha, Pre-PA

Very detail-oriented and took the time to explain the process, so our expectations were on the same page. Excellent editing and feedback on the content. Helpful comments on how I could maximize limited character count to make the most impact on the reader. I very much would recommend this service!

Esmeralda, 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

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

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

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

Just wanted to drop you a quick line to let you know that I got accepted to UC Davis, and have accepted their offer. I can’t thank you enough for your help through this process. I owe much credit to you and your amazing editing skills in helping me get in. With endless appreciation!

Jolene Duthie

My editor with The PA Life was a grammar goddess! She provided amazing feedback and was quick with responding back to any emails, questions, and concerns!

Saniha, Pre-PA

This company is THE BEST! Carly did such an awesome job of not only revising my personal statement but also explaining every step she made. It helped me understand why certain things fit better in different places and helped improve my writing. I am able to submit my applications confidently, knowing that I have a strong personal statement. I HIGHLY recommend this service!

Tiffany M, Pre-PA

Thank you once again for your help in reviewing and editing my personal statement for PA school. Yesterday morning, I had the pleasure of accepting a position in the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston Physician Assistant Program. The class begins in July 2022, and I am excited to begin this next chapter of entering the PA profession. I have no doubt that your invaluable assistance helped me produce a personal statement that promoted my application and paved the way for my successful interview, and I am sincerely grateful.

Angela, PA-S

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

This past June, you helped me formulate my personal statement for my PA school applications. After our video chat and countless hours editing my CASPA information, I submitted my application and was then given the opportunity to interview at five PA programs. To prepare for my interviews, I would read my personal statement over and over again to remind myself of why I wanted to be a PA. This helped me succeed in my interviews. I was accepted to a few schools, but have I have made my final decision to matriculate into the University of Texas Medical Branch PA program in July! I wanted to follow up after I made my final decision to thank you for helping me with an important step to achieve this amazing life goal. Several of my friends are applying this upcoming cycle, and I will definitely be passing along your information. Again, thank you so much!

Kylie, 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

Deanna was so amazing! She was really thorough and strengthened my essay in one edit! I feel so confident submitting my essay and I have high hopes for interviews! Thank you for providing these services to those of us with stories that need help being told. I would definitely recommend this service to everyone who wants to apply to PA school!

Valeria, Pre-PA

I love Deanna! She was incredibly helpful and encouraging. I liked the way she constructively gave me feedback and I liked her ability to really strengthen my own ideas instead of dismissing them like other services. She is amazing at seeing things from different angles and that way rearrange and enhance my narrative. I did get an interview from the top choice and an offer a week later. Thank you so much and I will definitely recommend ThePALife to future prePAs.

Klam, 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

My editor did an amazing job of quickly getting my rough draft back to me. I paid for your service very late in the game, yet The PA Life worked with my timeline and was very thorough in the editing process. I am very impressed with how eloquent I sound in the personal statement. I can not recommend your service enough!!

Katie, 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 had a great experience with The PA Life essay revision service. They were very professional and made revisions in a timely manner. My editor was very understanding about my schedule and when it would take me longer to reply to emails. I would recommend this service to any new grad PAs!

Sandy, Pre-PA

Carly took the time to listen to my concerns about my personal statement and apply them to what I had already written. I was so appreciative as I wasn’t sure where my personal statement stood before submitting it. I now feel more confident in my statement!

Chelsea, 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

It was wonderful to work with The PA Life once again. I appreciated all of my editors’ feedback and creative writing style which was needed to keep the essay within the allowable character limit. I also appreciated how my editor, Sarah, took the time to discover more about me and worked to show those parts which I was unable to reflect myself. With Sarah’s help, the essay really came to life and was a true reflection of my work, personality, and aspiring goals. I’m grateful for all the work she put into helping me with this project!

Jacob, Pre-PA

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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