A Message from Stephen Pasquini PA-C The best way to prepare for your PA school interview is to practice, practice, practice…with a PA school admissions expert who understands the system and who will give you honest feedback and guidance throughout the process. You also want to know that your practice is paying off. We have […]
Search Results for: personal statement
My PA School Interview Preparation Strategy
Do these 4 things to set yourself up for PA school interview day success! As summer comes to a screeching halt and application deadlines are looming, we are shifting into full-swing interview season. Since many programs adhere to a rolling admissions format, interviews are conducted as early as June and as late as April, right […]
The Ultimate PA School Applicant Logbook – Track HCE, PCE, Volunteer Hours, Schools, Costs (and more!)
As applicants to PA school, we have a lot on our plate. Between prerequisite coursework, health care experience requirements, shadowing, volunteering, and more – it’s a lot to keep track of! This is where The Ultimate PA School Applicant Logbook comes in. This logbook was designed by PA school applicants (who know the process intimately!) […]
PA VS MD: The Life and Salary of a Military Trained Physician
As part of the ongoing MD vs. PA discussion, I like to feature comments on the blog from both PAs and MDs. It’s a chance to learn more about what life is really like working in the trenches. Today’s post comes from Doctor B. an active duty military internist. Dr. B. explains how he went […]
Overcoming Obstacles on Your Path to Becoming a Physician Assistant
Life is full of obstacles. They can be as simple as getting out of bed in the morning or as arduous as writing the perfect PA school application essay. Most of the time, the biggest obstacle is ourselves (affiliate link). The excuses that we create to avoid doing the things that matter most. This is […]
How to Write the Perfect Physician Assistant Cover Letter
Whether you are applying to PA school, to your first PA job, or you are a seasoned PA interested in an exciting new career possibility, you are likely worried most about constructing an effective resume. But, one of the most overlooked and underrated components of the application is the cover letter. Like the PA school […]
How to Study for Your PANCE: Podcast Episode 79
If you can’t see the audio player click here to listen to the full episode. Podcast Episode 79: How to Study for Your PANCE Welcome to episode 79 of the Audio PANCE and PANRE PA Board Review Podcast. In this episode 35-year PA veteran and PANCE/PANRE board review expert Joe Gilboy PA-C shares his top […]
What is the Number One Regret People Have in Life?
The ward was bleak. Always eerily quiet. A clinical world where clock ticks seemed to scream and that vile smell attacked more than the air, the walls, and the floors. It attached itself to the people themselves as if they, too, had been harshly scrubbed down with disinfectant. The worst part was the uncertainty. You never […]
How Much Money Do Physician Assistants (PAs) Make?
According to the latest NCCPA data, the average projected salary of certified PAs in 2024 is $120,204 per year or $57.74/hour, $10,017/month, and $2,313/week. The median projected annual salary of a PA is $115,000 per year. This is 218% of the US median salary. According to the NCCPA data, the average total income for Certified PAs has been increasing by 8.7%.
The PANCE and PANRE Preparation Checklist
Let’s break down your PANCE and PANRE preparation in as few steps as possible 1. Download the ‘Examination Content Blueprint’ (ECB) from the NCCPA The ECB lists the diseases that you should focus on and describes which information you should study for each disease. Follow the link below: Break down the ECB into parts that […]
PA School Prerequisites: Admissions Directors Answer Your Burning Questions
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 […]
MD Versus PA Showdown Round 1 – Show Me The Money!
The net hourly wage of an internal medicine physician is 1.13 times that of a high school teacher and 1.25 times LESS THAN that of a physician assistant! Read more…
Podcast Episode 77: The Audio PANCE and PANRE Board Review Podcast
Welcome to episode 77 of the Audio PANCE and PANRE PA 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). Special from today’s episode: Download your copy of the Free Trello Smarty PANCE NCCPA™ […]
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. […]
The Best Medical Gear for Practicing Physician Assistants
The PA Medical Kit – What you need in your bag -The Very Best Tools, Equipment and Gear – for Physician Assistant Students and Practicing Physician Assistants. Stethoscope, Diagnostic Sets, Penlights, Reflex Hammers, Blood Pressure Cuffs.
Physician Assistant Salary by State: 2019 Comparison Table
Click here to view the table. What capital city should you move to if you want the highest median Physician Assistant salary in the United States? I will give you a hint, this city has banned “happy hour” since 1984. What capital city should you move to if you want the lowest median physician assistant salary […]
The 10 Best Websites for Physician Assistant Job Search in 2024
If you’re a physician assistant/associate looking for a new job, you’re in luck! There are plenty of great places to look for your next PA position. But where is the best place to start? To help you out, we’ve outlined some of the best places to search for jobs as a PA in 2024. Here […]
Privacy Policy
This privacy policy has been compiled to better serve those who are concerned with how their ‘Personally identifiable information’ (PII) is being used online. PII, as used in US privacy law and information security, is information that can be used on its own or with other information to identify, contact, or locate a single person, […]
Little Big Men: The Rise of Kenya’s Clinical Officer
This is part ten of a ten-part docuseries of PAs around the world. Today we travel to Kenya and meet the dedicated pioneers and healthcare heroes who would become Kenya’s first Clinical Officers (CO).
Physician Assistant Resume – Curriculum Vitae and Cover Letter Downloads
These are fully customizable Microsoft Office and Word templates. No formatting is required! *Need help crafting your physician assistant resume, CV, or cover letter? Resume Editing Cover Letter editing New Graduate Physician Assistant Resume Template This is a resume geared specifically for new graduate Physician Assistants. It has a clean, professional, and simple design (it also […]
Why Do You Want to be a Physician Assistant?
Have you spent hours thinking about your answers to why you want to be a PA? Do you have the perfect pre-formulated answer just waiting to deliver; hook, line, and sinker? Or, maybe you are approaching this question as I did: You have a pretty good idea of what you want to say and figure, “the […]
Free Online PANCE and PANRE Practice Exam
The PANCE and PANRE Academy + SMARTY PANCE Instant access to interactive Practice Exams, The 5-hour “Virtual PANCE and PANRE” to simulate the real thing, along with Quizlet study Flashcard Sets, two 120-question online “legacy exams”, 13 topic-specific practice exams, the Audio PANCE, and PANRE and a ton of Free Extras. * Over 4,000 review questions […]
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 […]
THE PA LIFE READING RECOMMENDATION EMAIL
“Can you recommend any good books?” After being asked this question a thousand times, I put together a private email list of book recommendations. The goal of the newsletter is to recommend books that stick with you long after you’ve put them down—or better yet, change your life. The email is simple and quick. Each […]
20 Answers to The Question: Why Do You Want to be a Physician Assistant?
Why Do You Want to be a Physician Assistant? You will be asked many different times: “Why?” “Why do you want to become a physician assistant?” “Why don’t you just go to medical school or NP school?” “You will make more money as a physician; you will have more prestige and recognition as a physician.” […]
The Wealthy PA Part One: Are PAs Wealthy?
Having a PA degree confers wealth status. With the average annual salary of certified PAs estimated at $120,204 and a median annual salary of $115,000, as a PA, you will be in the top quartile of earners in the United States. So, it came as a surprise that while I was a student on rotations, I […]
The Costco Vitamin and Supplement Shopper: Patient Cheat Sheet
When it comes to vitamins I am not big on all the hype. That being said, I am a big fan of supplemental vitamin D3 and fish oil for most patients. I have some other recommendations in this area as well, as you will see below. The key though is compliance and in the world […]
Protected: Guidelines for Treating Methicillin Resistant S. Aureus (MRSA)
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Where PAs and Physician Associates Can Work Internationally
The contemporary physician assistant/associate (PA) movement began in North America and Africa in the mid-1960s. As of 2022, the adoption of PAs has spread globally across a variety of health systems, and at least sixteen countries have been in various stages of expansion of PA-like medical workers (nonphysician clinicians) that function under the supervision of a […]
How to Go to PA School for Free: The NHSC and Me
I am a National Health Service Corps Scholar and a Physician Assistant (PA) There are two types of us: I was one of the lucky ones who had the privilege of being part of the scholarship program. I received a monthly stipend while in PA school to help pay for books, medical supplies, housing, food, […]