This video is from the wonderful FREE EdX course: The Practitioner’s Guide to Global Health The idea of working overseas as a physician assistant had always perplexed me. The laws governing PAs and our scope of observed practice in foreign, third world countries seem nonexistent. I know what we can do and I am aware that our level […]
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Healthcare Experience Required for PA School: The Ultimate Guide
Patient Care and Healthcare Experience for PA School Today we are going to tackle step 2 of my 5 steps to PA school series by taking a very detailed look at healthcare experience requirements for PA school. Included, in this discussion is a side-by-side comparison of healthcare experience requirements of all PA programs in the United States. PA is different from […]
Pre-PA Hack of the Day: Use Volunteering to Gain Essential Experience as a Physician Assistant
Most people think of volunteering as something that can only be done for nonprofit organizations. What you may not realize is that you can volunteer virtually anywhere (although in hospitals and clinics this can be limited). You’ll find that few people turn down the offer of free help. And it is in here that lies […]
The Ultimate Physician Assistant Shopping and Gift Guide
Are you looking for the perfect gift for that special PA, PA student, or soon to be physician assistant in your life? Look no further below are my favorite, time tested, and PA approved products.
Physician Assistant vs. Physician Associate: A Rose is a Rose?
Juliet: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” OK, a show of hands. Who would prefer we change the name of our profession? Should it be physician assistant or physician associate? Or something else entirely? The Case for Physician Assistant Patients are already confused by what we do. […]
Book Review: Atul Gawande The Checklist Manifesto
The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right in a World of Increasing Complexity e live in an era of gratuitous inventions and negative improvements. Consider the DaVinci Robo surgeon, for example, a drool-inducing twenty-second-century $1.7 million remote-controlled machine designed to help surgeons do laparoscopic surgery with more maneuverability inside patients’ bodies and fewer complications. […]
The Top 5 Reasons People Choose to Become a PA: Put To The Test
What are the most important considerations for a career path after PA school for PA students and future PAs? Here are the top 5 reasons PA students give for choosing PA school Work-life balance Availability of jobs Stable, secure future Ability to pay off debt Relationship with supervising physician For those answering the most recent Physician […]
Here’s What a REAL PA School Interview Looks Like (in 2024)
Are you applying to PA school in 2024? Here are the interview details from an accepted PA school applicant. This is an email I received from one of our mock interview clients. He describes in detail the elements of his PA school interview and how he successfully approached each portion. I am sharing it with […]
The 4 Most Common Reasons PAs Quit Their Jobs
According to a new AAPA research article (August 2021), the four most common reasons PAs quit their jobs are: Better work/life balance (16.8%) Moving to a new location (16.7%) Better management/leadership/environment (reasons related to a toxic/abusive environment) (13.6%) Better compensation/benefits (11.9%) Other reasons PAs left their jobs included Better professional/clinical opportunities (6.6%) Corporate or external […]
5 Best Ways to Give a Memorable PA School Interview
Congratulations! You’ve been invited to interview for a PA school. That email sprang into your inbox, and you responded faster than lightning. You saved the date, updated your Zoom video settings, placed a copy of When Breath Becomes Air in your visible background, or (if you are reading this post-pandemic) purchased your plane tickets. Now you […]
Finding a Physician Assistant Mentor: The Foolproof PA Shadowing Guide
Let’s face it, finding a PA to shadow is no easy task. When I first contemplated a career as a physician assistant, I was hard-pressed to find a PA to shadow. I was dying to connect with a PA and pick their brain, hear about everything they did, and shadow for a day or two. […]
300 PA School Interview Questions You Should Be Ready to Answer
So, you have an upcoming PA school interview. Congratulations you’re almost there. Now, of course, there is another hurdle to cross, and that is sounding as amazing as you appear to be on your CASPA application. This isn’t hard because YOU ARE as amazing as you appear to be on your CASPA application, so the […]
How to Answer Behavioral Questions in Your PA School Interview
In this post, we share expert strategies and real-life examples to help you master these tricky questions. You’ll learn how to use the STAR method to structure your answers, tailor your responses to the specific program, and showcase your unique skills and empathy.
Episode 47: The Audio PANCE and PANRE Board Review Podcast – Comprehensive Audio Quiz
Welcome to episode 47 of the FREE Audio PANCE and PANRE Physician Assistant Board Review Podcast. Join me as I cover 10 PANCE and PANRE board review questions from the Academy course content following the NCCPA™ content blueprint (download the FREE cheat sheet). This week we will be covering 10 general board review questions based on the NCCPA PANCE […]
4 Skills Pre-PAs Must Develop Before PA School
It’s no secret that getting into PA school requires a lot of hard work and planning. It’s easy to become so overwhelmed by what you need to do to get into PA school that you lose sight of what you can be doing right now to prepare in advance for the rigors of being a physician […]
Episode 57: The Audio PANCE and PANRE Board Review Podcast
The Audio PANCE/PANRE PA Board Review Podcast Welcome to episode 57 of the FREE Audio PANCE and PANRE Physician Assistant Board Review Podcast. Join me as I cover ten PANCE and PANRE Board review questions from the SMARTYPANCE course content following the NCCPA™ content blueprint (download the FREE cheat sheet). This week we will be covering ten endocrinology […]
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Episode 63: The Audio PANCE and PANRE PA Board Review Podcast
Ten Mixed NCCPA™ PANCE Content Blueprint Multiple Choice Questions Welcome to episode 63 of the FREE Audio PANCE and PANRE Physician Assistant Board Review Podcast. Join me as I cover ten PANCE and PANRE Board review questions from the SMARTYPANCE course content following the NCCPA™ content blueprint (download the FREE cheat sheet). This week we will be covering ten […]
Do You Recognize These 7 Common Mistakes in Your Personal Statement?
You’ve written your essay. You know what you want to say. But will the admissions committee get your message? You’ve read through countless PA school essay samples. You’ve chopped and changed the order of the paragraphs. You’ve polished each sentence. After all that hard work, you’re still not sure whether your essay flows along nicely. Will readers […]
Episode 43: The Audio PANCE and PANRE Board Review Podcast
Welcome to episode 43 of the FREE Audio PANCE and PANRE Physician Assistant Board Review Podcast. Join me as I cover 10 PANCE and PANRE board review questions from the Academy course content following the NCCPA™ content blueprint (download the FREE cheat sheet). This week we will continue to take a break from topic specific board review and […]
Are you a PA Practicing Medicine by Design or by Default?
Default is the status quo. It is cookie cutter medicine. It is flowchart medicine. It is brainless medicine. Default medicine is continuing to prescribe Paxil when studies show it to be no more effective than a sugar pill, default is telling a diabetic patient to increase whole grains when you know it should be no grains, […]
The Daily PANCE & PANRE Question 32
Which of the following agents is effective in the treatment of Parkinson’s? penicillin amantadine erythromycin acyclovir cephalexin Answer: B Amantadine Amantadine (Symmetrel) is effective (somewhat). It is also used in treating Influenza A. Another choice is selegiline, and levodopa/carbidopa. The other antibiotics listed here are not useful in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Note: * […]
The Daily PANCE & PANRE Question 32
Which of the following agents is effective in the treatment of Parkinson’s? A. penicillin B. amantadine C. erythromycin D. acyclovir E. cephalexin Answer: B, amantadine Amantadine (Symmetrel) is effective (somewhat). It is used in treating Influenza A. Another choice is selegiline, and levodopa/carbidopa. The other antibiotics listed here are not useful in Parkinson’s. Help Support […]
7 Tips for Addressing Shortcomings in Your PA School Personal Statement
What makes the perfect PA school candidate? Someone with stellar grades from a top university, loads of patient care experience, countless shadowing hours, and a long list of community service endeavors, right? Oh, and Ms. Perfect Candidate probably also speaks four languages fluently, has had her research findings published in peer-reviewed journals, and travels abroad […]
Google Glass: Welcome to the World of Augmented Health Care
I love technology. And yes, I love Google. When the two combine the only thing that can make me happier is the thought of how these types of technologies will evolve to bring patient care into the 21’st century. I remember when I started PA school in 2002 it was suggested that we purchase a […]
PA School Reapplicants: How to Rewrite Your PA School Essay for Guaranteed Success
Are you reapplying to PA school after not gaining acceptance last round? What will you do with your old personal statement? Toss it completely? Change a few details and cross your fingers? The answer is somewhere in the middle. What should you do with your original PA school personal statement as a PA school reapplicant? […]
The Audio PANCE and PANRE Board Review Podcast Episode 13
Welcome to episode 13 of the FREE Audio PANCE and PANRE Physician Assistant Board Review Podcast. The Audio PANCE and PANRE is an audio board review series that includes 10 Multiple Choice PANCE and PANRE Board Review Questions in each episode. I hope you enjoy this free audio component to the examination portion of this site. […]
Long or Short – Does Your PA Program Length Really Matter?
Exploring the Impact of PA Program Duration on PANCE Success and PA Competence In a time long, long ago, just before the release of the first iPhone, I graduated from the UMDNJ (now Rutgers) PA program. It was a three-year PA program with a nearly 100% PANCE pass rate. At the time, Rutgers was one […]
Inside Out: How to use Pixar’s Rules of Storytelling to Improve your PA Personal Statement
Want a better PA personal statement? Inside Out can help! We explore Pixar’s rules for storytelling and how you can apply them to a strong personal statement. Riley is an 11-year-old girl whose life is turned upside down when her family moves from Minnesota to San Francisco. Riley’s emotions try to guide her through this […]
Why Our Program? How to Answer This Common Supplemental Essay and Interview Question
Why our program? As you begin your PA school application process, one of the most common supplemental essay and interview questions you may encounter is, “Why our program?” This is an opportunity for you to explain why you are specifically interested in attending that particular college or university and why it is a good fit […]