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You are here: Home / Pre-Physician Assistant / The Pre-PA Advisor Series: Patient Contact Hours and Healthcare Experience

The Pre-PA Advisor Series: Patient Contact Hours and Healthcare Experience

BY Stephen Pasquini PA-C 13 Comments

PA SCHOOL ADMISSION ADVICE PATIENT CONTACT HOURS

The Pre-PA Advisor Series

Welcome to the PA Advisors Series - a special series of posts where PA school applicants like yourself ask the tough questions and admissions directors from top-ranking PA schools provide the answers.

The Pre-PA Advisor Series

Posts in the series

  1. Applying to PA School with a Low PA
  2. Prerequisite Requirements for PA School
  3. Patient Contact Hours and Healthcare Experience (you are here)
  4. The GRE and PA School

Today We Will Discuss: Patient Contact Hours and Healthcare Experience Requirements for PA School

Here are some of the questions answered in this post:

  • Does work as a medical scribe count towards healthcare experience hours?
  • How many healthcare experience hours are considered competitive in today's PA school applicant pool?
  • Does taking care of a family member count as healthcare experience? Does working as an interpreter count towards patient care experience?
  • Do patient care experience hours ever expire?
  • Do applicants applying straight out of undergrad have a disadvantage to students who have worked for a few years after graduating?
  • Are healthcare experience hours counted only up to the time of application, or are they projected forward until matriculation?
  • If I have fewer HCE hours than the average accepted applicant, do I still have a shot at acceptance?
  • What are the best forms of HCE for PA programs?
  • Would someone who is an RN be chosen before someone who is a CNA?
  • Do my HCE hours in high school count?
  • Do volunteer hours worked internationally count towards HCE?
  • Could my 7 years of working/volunteering at Planned Parenthood be seen in a negative light?

PRE-PA Q&A

Keywords: You can click on any of the following keywords to be taken directly to that topic. I have highlighted important points and included a summary of key recommendations at the end of this post.

Medical technologist, research experience, taking care of a family member, scribe, behavioral health, paramedics, medical interpreter, physical therapy aid, special needs assistant, expiration date, certified athletic trainer, medical laboratory scientist, shadowing, gap year, shadowing, athletic-training, global health work, pharmacy technician, medical device company, Planned Parenthood.

PRE-PA QUESTION: I have been a medical technologist in a hospital for two years will this count as clinical experience?

Admissions response: If you had hands-on patient contact then yes we consider it as clinical experience. - A.T. Still University

PRE-PA QUESTION: Currently, I have volunteer medical experience as well as research experience. I am curious if one type of healthcare experience outweighs another (For example, MA vs. ED scribe)? Additionally, will I be at a disadvantage if I will be accumulating these hours over the next year as I plan to apply for 2018?

Admissions response: Clinical experiences that involve hands-on patient care can be more beneficial than a hands-off experience. Remember you can only put acquired hours on the application, do not list planned hours. We like to see these experiences spread out - as in not all done in a month or two - so if you spend the next year working on this that is okay. - A.T. Still University

PRE-PA QUESTION: Hi, how many hours of PA work experience is needed before applying to the school and before applying to CASPA? And what specific type of work experience?

Admissions response: We do not require clinical experience, although significant clinical experience is a benefit to the application. We do want to see a minimum of 100 shadowing hours though. You should list all of your work experience, if we don't know about it we can't evaluate it. Even if it is not medically related it can show leadership, maturity, time management, and motivation. - A.T. Still University

PRE-PA QUESTION: Do applicants receive a higher consideration if they have more than the required minimum clinical experience?

Admissions response: Clinical experience (hands-on) is not required. If you have significant hands-on clinical (1000+ hours) that is a benefit. We do want to see at least 100 shadowing hours. - A.T. Still University

PRE-PA QUESTION: Can taking care of a family member who is a stroke victim be considered hands-on experience even if you don't work for a company or receive documented pay, or could it be considered volunteer?

Admissions response: Taking care of a family member is not really clinical experience. You can mention it and talk about the clinical care you provided, but it's not really what we are looking for. (Although you should take care of your family ) - A.T. Still University

PRE-PA QUESTION: I've been offered a variety of patient care positions and was curious if one would look better on my application over the others. The positions include scribe, medical assistant, and specimen collector. I would love the feedback, thanks!

Admissions response: Any time you get more direct patient care that is a benefit. So medical assistant or specimen collector would give you direct patient care, while medical scribe is more observational. - A.T. Still University

PRE-PA QUESTION: Does your program consider a full-time medical scribe position for a senior physician sufficient enough for those requirements?

Admissions response: Medical Scribe is one of those gray areas in that it provides exposure but is not really hands-on clinical. It's a mixture of shadowing and clinical. So yes list it but do not rely on it alone. Be specific about your job responsibilities and it would also be a good idea to have some additional true shadowing of other practitioners. - A.T. Still University

Admissions response: Scribe does count for us. It does not count for some schools. I would try to get at least some more traditional patient care to round it out. - Duke University

Admissions response: All scribe hours will count for us. But make sure to describe the job responsibilities fully, as the direct patient care will make that position stronger - Duke University

Admissions response: Yes, medical scribe does count towards HCE. - Yale University

Admissions response: Yes scribe hours satisfy our requirement - Penn State University

Admissions response: As a medical scribe, we are looking for direct hands-on patient care experience. Although we do not consider medical scribe generally for HCE. - Case Western Reserve

Admissions response: If you were a scribe with meaningful patient interaction then please describe that on the application in detail for Admissions Committee consideration. - Case Western Reserve

Admissions response: Medical scribe will fulfill our HCE requirement IF, you have direct patient contact. You cannot just be sitting in the room typing for the medical provider. You need to be active in the room with the patient, asking them questions and interacting with the patients. We would not count it as HCE experience if you were just passively sitting in the room charting info obtained by the medical provider.

PRE-PA QUESTION: I have about 3,500 hours as a medical scribe, and a bit less ~ 500 hours as a hospice volunteer- which I understand is sometimes perceived as more "direct" contact. Do the Yale Admissions see the medical scribe HCE as less advantageous in any way, or is it looked at favorably due to involvement in medical decision making, etc.?

Admissions response: The admissions committee takes a holistic approach to reviewing all applications, including patient care hours. I can tell you that volunteer hours are important. 500 hours as a hospice volunteer is terrific! Good for you. - Yale University

PRE-PA QUESTION: Would work in behavioral health count towards patient care hours?

Admissions response: It depends on the situation. List it on the application and be very specific about the job responsibilities. If you administered medications, checked vitals, or things of that nature we would probably consider it clinical. If it was more observational or supportive, we would most likely not consider it clinical. - A.T. Still University

PRE-PA QUESTION: I worked at a sleep-away summer camp with the title being "Health Center Coordinator," and the job consisted of assisting an RN with caring for sick campers at all hours of the day, aiding campers in taking medications, etc.

Admissions response: This would be considered a lower level patient care experience. The admissions committee would rather see a slightly more advanced level of patient care experience. - Yale University

PRE-PA QUESTION: Are Paramedics highly valued in regards to work experience?

Admissions response: Paramedics would be considered good work experience, just like EMT, CNA, Phlebotomist, Med Asst. - A.T. Still University

PRE-PA QUESTION: Do you consider interpreting in the ER as healthcare experience

Admissions response: We do accept interpreter work - Duke University

PRE-PA QUESTION: Because healthcare hours are not required, will a background in healthcare be considered along with my academic transcripts?

Admissions response: It can certainly inform your discernment and help round out your CV and personal statement. But it doesn't give you a "boost" beyond that. - Butler University

PRE-PA QUESTION: Does working as a CNA count as HCE hours?

Admissions response: Working as a CNA is great patient care experience - Duke University

PRE-PA QUESTION: How does working as a physical therapy (PT) aid look on a transcript? And what is the best thing I can do to better my chances of getting into PA school?

Admissions response: PT aide is fine patient care experience. Just make sure you address why you want to be a PA in your essay. - Duke University

PRE-PA QUESTION: I am working as an EEG tech and an EKG tech. I also work at a doctor's office doing EEGs there and VNGs. Would these jobs be considered good clinical experience?

Admissions response: Yes these would be considered good clinical experiences - A.T. Still University

PRE-PA QUESTION: I've worked as a special needs assistant for five years, where I would work directly with children with cerebral palsy, autism, and Down's syndrome and help build communication, cognitive and behavioral skills. Is that considered as HCE?

Admissions response: This is great patient care experience! - Duke University

PRE-PA QUESTION: Is there an expiration date on patient care hours?

Admissions response: We do not have an expiration on patient care. However, having some more recent is good, or else a clear explanation of why you have not been working in patient care. - Duke University

PRE-PA QUESTION: Would work as a certified athletic trainer count as PCE?

Admissions response: An athletic trainer does count - Duke University

PRE-PA QUESTION: Would experience in medical records/health information management count toward the 1000 hour requirement?

Admissions response: Medical records/health information management experience does not count unless you had hands-on patient contact. - Duke University

PRE-PA QUESTION: Would work as a medical laboratory scientist with phlebotomy experience count towards HCE?

Admissions response: The medical lab scientist might be a stretch in terms of experience, you would need to demonstrate in your description how that position had direct patient contact. - Yale University

PRE-PA QUESTION: I graduated undergrad in 2008. I joined the Army as a Combat Medic. I worked with MDs and PAs at different duty stations providing care for soldiers and their families. Does my experience count as care hours? If it does, how should I document the hours for multiple healthcare providers?

Admissions response: Combat medics were our founding fathers! Excellent work. You are on the honor system for counting hours. we ask you to report beginning and end dates and # hours per week - Duke University

PRE-PA QUESTION: Do the 1,000 hours of patient care experience include shadowing/observation hours?

Admissions response: Shadowing is important but does not count towards the 1000 hours. - Duke University

PRE-PA QUESTION: I worked in a research lab conducting clinical studies. Would the responsibilities be the deciding factor on whether it would be considered PCE or HCE?

Admissions response: Research depends on whether or not you had direct patient care. Taking vitals, getting consents, drawing blood, that sort of thing - Duke University

PRE-PA QUESTION: Will I be at a disadvantage applying as a college senior even if I obtain at least 1000 hours of direct patient contact?

Admissions response: College seniors are mostly at a disadvantage in regards to clinical hours. 1000 is our minimum, and we definitely have people get in with that. But more is better. - Duke University

PRE-PA QUESTION: Do you recommend applicants take a gap year before applying? I have been an EMT for three years now, but am nervous applying with less than 3,000 care hours.

Admissions response: A gap year certainly does not hurt. However, if you meet all the requirements, you can go ahead and apply. We do not frown at reapplicants. - Duke University

PRE-PA QUESTION: Would you say a student straight out of undergrad with only hours accumulated during summer break to meet the requirement of 1,000 PCE have a disadvantage to students who have worked for a few years after graduating?

Admissions response: Frequently yes. Mostly just because they don't have as many patient care experience hours as they would need to truly be competitive. But we definitely accept some straight out of undergrad students each year! - Duke University

PRE-PA QUESTION: My job title would be sitter/observer at the hospital towards psych patients, worked on all floors of the hospital from ED to the psych ward. The title of my job does not do a good job explaining what I truly do; I help nurses with the bedside work, vitals, assist eating, and washroom guidance. So my question here is when you guys see "sitter" only, will there be a spot where I can actually write what I do so it is not mistaken for not real PCE. I hope this is clear.

Admissions response: I think this good experience, and you can definitely reflect on that in your essay. At Butler, we don't require patient care experience...so I wouldn't sweat that too much as far as whether it'll count. Just focus on summarizing this as best you can.

PRE-PA QUESTION: What kind of experiences do you like your applicants to have?

Admissions response: We do not have set expectations for healthcare experience, shadowing, etc. No requirements to that point. - Butler University

PRE-PA QUESTION: Are healthcare experience hours counted only up to the time of application, or are they projected forward until matriculation?

Admissions response: We count healthcare hours only at the time of application, not projected hours. - Yale University

PRE-PA QUESTION: Back in the 80s during my high school summers, I worked as an orthodontic chairside assistant (clipping arch-wires in and out, tying in archwires or "tightening braces," cementing molar bands, taking impressions, preparing teeth for bonding-- that sort of thing). Would this count as "direct patient experience" or "related healthcare experience?"

Admissions response: Yes, this would be patient care experience - Yale University

PRE-PA QUESTION: I have just over 1,000 hours of healthcare experience as a clinician aide in a family practice setting. Seeing that the average accepted student has 2,264 hours, will this make me very uncompetitive?

Admissions response: The Admissions Committee evaluates a candidate's entire application, so even though you have less than our average incoming student hours please don't let that discourage you from applying. - Yale University

PRE-PA QUESTION: I just recently started a medical scribe job full time in April and will be doing so until I would leave for the program if I got in. Do you suggest waiting until I have so many hours to apply initially? Or just apply and update the school monthly with updated hours?

Admissions response: My suggestion is to wait until you are as competitive as you can be to apply while still balancing program deadlines. - Penn State

PRE-PA QUESTION: I was wondering how significant of a factor the healthcare experience plays on an application. I currently have my CNA certification, but I am having a hard time getting a job at a hospital, and due to a clerical error, my license was delayed by 2.5 months. So I sadly have fewer HCE hours than I expected going into the application. Still, I have a high GPA, GRE scores, and wonderful experience in doing research in a neuroscience lab.

Admissions response: Healthcare experience absolutely plays a part in our holistic review, however, you will see from our class profiles online that candidates are admitted having just met the minimum 500 to those who have been in their field for 10-15 years. - Penn State

PRE-PA QUESTION: I have about 250 hours of direct patient contact hours and will be beginning to work as a nursing assistant in May. I will not have all of the required hours completed before submitting my application. Do you make it a priority to look at additions to the application as well as additional information sent directly to the program?

Admissions response: With thousands of applicants, I recommend limiting updates. While we will add updates to an applicant's file my advice is to submit your CASPA application when you feel you are as competitive as you can be while still minding program deadlines. - Penn Sate

PRE-PA QUESTION: I am a volunteer EMT who works directly with patients and I am working as a nurse's aide. Can both hours be considered PCE or would the volunteer EMT hours be considered as volunteer hours?

Admissions response: Yes, both hours should be listed as patient care. I simply would advise to not duplicate hours in multiple sections such as volunteer EMT

PRE-PA QUESTION: In terms of health care experience before applying, is it better to have volunteer hours or work hours?

Admissions response: With regard to hours, direct patient experience is most preferred but volunteer hours also have value as well. - Penn State

PRE-PA QUESTION: How heavily do you take into account healthcare experience? I have obtained over 4,000 hours of HCE and hope it will pay off in the end!

Admissions response: We definitely look at experience, however, if academics are not strong, it doesn't reflect highly on the applicant. Faculty are more interested in direct patient care experience, as compared to general healthcare experience. - Toro University

PRE-PA QUESTION: Prior to graduating college, I worked at a cardiology office 3 days a week for over 2 years

Admissions response: Cardiology most likely will not count toward direct patient care. Shadowing, unfortunately, does not count either. Some of the clinical experience required can be gained from professions such as EMT, Paramedic, Nurse, CNA, ER Tech, and Physical Therapy Aid. - Marist College

PRE-PA QUESTION: I have 500 hours done because I am also an EMT, but does it look better to apply with more hours?

Admissions response: Yes, it will. Although 500 is the minimum, we usually get applicants with closer to 1,000. The program is very competitive so If you have the opportunity to acquire more hours then I would say do that prior to submitting - Marist College

PRE-PA QUESTION: I am a medical scribe for 4 different doctors at a children's hospital. Would my hours there count towards direct patient care? I interview the patient for symptoms etc. and am present with the doctors for all exams?

Admissions response: As a scribe, these hours will not count toward direct patient care. - Marist College

PRE-PA QUESTION: I have shadowed an ED doctor and gynecology for over 600 hours will that count toward DPC

Admissions response: Sorry but shadowing does not count toward the direct patient hands-on care for the PA program. - Marist College

PRE-PA QUESTION: I have 2,500 hours as a PT aide from 2008-2010 and 200 recent hours in the last year. Will the older hours count?

Admissions response: Yes, all of your hours worked as a physical therapy aid will count towards patient care experience. - Marist College

PRE-PA QUESTION: Does one on one health counseling as a health coach count as HCE?

Admissions response: We classify direct patient care hours as: Functioning within a health care team, at the level to which you have been trained. This includes direct one-on-one care of patients and development of skills that include communication, trust building, and being comfortable working within a patient's personal space. We accept a wide range of direct patient care experience: radiology technician, respiratory therapist, cardiovascular therapist, paramedic, EMT, CNA, patient care technician/assistant, medical assistant, PT aide, phlebotomist to name a few. Shadowing and Internships as part of school-based training does not qualify as direct care experience. - Marist College

PRE-PA QUESTION: I am at an undergrad college now for my athletic training degree and I have completed about 1,000 direct patient care hours for the AT program where I worked in the athletic training clinic would all of this count?  I have been seeing that some colleges prefer paid hours is that the case with this program?

Admissions response: Your athletic training experience does count but not the hours spent as a student in training. Paid hours vs non-paid is not the determination. Rather its the level of responsibility you are allowed as a  volunteer. Some free clinics etc will allow volunteers to be quite involved whereas large hospitals may not. - Carroll University

PRE-PA QUESTION: I worked with patients with a wide range of mental and physical disabilities, kids, and adults. My responsibilities included passing medications, cooking meals/feeding, toileting, assisting with ADL's, transportation, documenting changes in care with other staff, and in some cases assisted with speech or occupational therapy.

Admissions response: Those hours would be considered a more low-quality type. We count direct patient care hours as functioning within a health care team, at the level to which you have been trained. This includes direct one-on-one care of patients and development of skills that include communication, trust building, and being comfortable working within a patient's personal space. We accept a wide range of direct patient care experience: radiology technician, respiratory therapist, cardiovascular therapist, paramedic, EMT, CNA, patient care technician/assistant, medical assistant, PT aide, phlebotomist to name a few. Shadowing and Internships as part of school-based training does not qualify as direct care experience - Marist College

PRE-PA QUESTION: I am currently about to take a course for Clinical Medical Assistant. I worry that it's not as "hands-on" as say an EMT or CNA/RN, but my options are very limited here. Furthermore, I'd likely end up having to do it as a volunteer on base, instead of a paid capacity. Any thoughts on whether this will suffice?

Admissions response: The direct care experience can be gained through volunteerism. The issue can be with how involved in care you are allowed to be as a volunteer. That varies quite a bit. The more involved, the better, right! - Carroll University

Admissions response: One area of competition is direct care. So many candidates have a variety of direct care experiences which offers more information about working within a treatment team and possibly with a variety of patients. - Carroll University

PRE-PA QUESTION: I am currently completing an internship in Germany as a nursing intern. I take vitals, assist in examinations under supervision, help distribute medications, and also help with documentation. Would this fall under the category of patient care experience on the application or would this be classified under healthcare experience?

Admissions response: Since you are an intern, we would consider it health-related experience. - Carroll University

PRE-PA QUESTION: What kind of experience do you look for in applicants?

Admissions response: We definitely look at your patient care experience- that is a requirement- and what you have been doing such as was it as a CRNA or a volunteer? What kind of work did you do? We also look at your work in community service - Case Western Reserve

PRE-PA QUESTION: Since graduating in 2014, I've been working at hospitals as well as a private practice as an assistant/researcher. I've also been volunteering at various hospitals.

Admissions response: That sounds like great experience - Case Western Reserve

PRE-PA QUESTION: Does being a student EMT hours count or only certified EMT hours count?

Admissions response: Only certified EMT hours count toward our HCE hours. - Case Western Reserve

PRE-PA QUESTION: What are the best forms of HCE for the PA program?

Admissions response: We like to see CRNA, MA, mental health counselor, social worker, rad tech, anyone with direct hands-on patient care experience. Please see our website for a longer list. - Case Western Reserve

PRE-PA QUESTION: Can you tell us what HCE is used for as an indicator of success and why CWRU sees it as an important application requirement?

Admissions response: We strongly believe that HCE is a predictor of success because it readies the student for the clinical environment, introduces them to pathophysiology, and prepares them for the rigor of our program and the demands and high standard of our didactic and clinical years. We have our students seeing patients early in our program, and working out in the community with patients right up front so it is important that our students have grounding in the healthcare field before they come. - Case Western Reserve

PRE-PA QUESTION: I wanted to know if the 1,000 patient care hours have to be completed at the time I submit my application?

Admissions response: Yes, the 1000 hours need to be completed at the time of submission. - Case Western Reserve

PRE-PA QUESTION: Hi, is there an expiration on HCE? I have 2,500 hours from 2008-2010

Admissions response: We have a ten year limit on HCE prerequisites so those should be ok. - Case Western Reserve

PRE-PA QUESTION: Do you prefer medical experience working at a primary care facility over a specialty clinic?

Admissions response: While we strongly value primary care experiences and in general, we look at the quality of the experience itself regardless of the setting.  - Case Western Reserve

PRE-PA QUESTION: I currently work as a registered behavior therapist running applied behavior analysis programs for autistic kids. While this doesn't fall under the traditional definition of clinical care, would this still be considered medical experience by your program?

Admissions response: Absolutely! You are working with autistic children in a therapeutic context, absolutely wonderful. - Case Western Reserve

PRE-PA QUESTION: As for HCE, do you weigh the different healthcare positions greater than others? I.e., Would someone who is an RN be chosen before someone who is a CNA?

Admissions response: They are scored differently but not THAT differently as to greatly enhance or deter your chances of being considered for an interview. It's merely added to a composite score which has many component parts. - Case Western Reserve

PRE-PA QUESTION: Do you consider military experience? I am a medic with the US Army Reserves and have been so since 2013. I also have EMT-Basic licensure.

Admissions response: Medic in the military?!!! That's fantastic and absolutely counts 100%. - Case Western Reserve

PRE-PA QUESTION: I have had a little bit of experience volunteering at a hospital while I was in high school, does this count as well?

Admissions response: High school shadowing and HCE experiences are generally not considered. - Case Western Reserve

PRE-PA QUESTION: I went to Honduras this past December for a medical brigade and will be going to Ghana this December as well. I was wondering if this International experience can be recorded as patient care experience.

Admissions response: If you were working as a medical tech, nurses aide, etc while you were in Honduras then yes, if it was volunteer work, then it would count as volunteer work. - Case Western Reserve

PRE-PA QUESTION: I was wondering how many HCE hours the average accepted applicant to the program has? I have a pretty solid GPA, and I meet the minimum HCE requirements, but I will have around 1500 when I apply so not too much past the requirement. I am wondering if this will negatively affect my chances, thank you!

Admissions response: The HCE hours can be all over the place, though the average is in the mid 3000-hour range. It will not negatively affect your application if you are closer to the 1500 mark. - Case Western Reserve

PRE-PA QUESTION: I am working as a pharmacy technician. Does that count as HCE?

Admissions response: Absolutely, we have a number of pharm techs in our incoming class. - Case Western Reserve

PRE-PA QUESTION: During my first year of college, I went to India over the summer and was working with a doctor in a rural community over there. Does this count towards healthcare experience hours?

Admissions response: That absolutely works for community service hours, but not for HCE. HCE must be done in the States. - Case Western Reserve

PRE-PA QUESTION: I have volunteer hours with a child life specialist where I interacted with patients on a weekly basis

We do not consider Child Life Volunteer as HCE. - Case Western Reserve

PRE-PA QUESTION: My background is in biomedical engineering. I currently work for a medical device company and check patient's pacemakers and defibrillations both in a clinic and hospital setting. I talk directly to the patients and ask them how they feel and ask them questions to troubleshoot any problems with their pacemaker or defibrillation. Will this count towards HCE?

Admissions response: Yes, working as a medical device technician would count towards HCE. - Case Western Reserve

PRE-PA QUESTION: Can I project my HCE by the time of matriculation when I submit my application?

Admissions response: No, you cannot project your HCE. - Case Western Reserve

PRE-PA QUESTION: I work for a scribe company, and scribe for different doctors every time. They wouldn't be able to attest to my hours completed, but my Timesheet HR person would. Who should I write down as a contact?

Admissions response: You should list the timesheet HR person as the contact.  - Case Western Reserve

PRE-PA QUESTION: I work in the gastroenterology department at UMASS, taking patient histories and collecting data and blood samples from the patients for the research.

Admissions response: From what you describe, it sounds like direct patient care and that would meet the definition of direct patient care experience. - Case Western Reserve

PRE-PA QUESTION: Is shadowing or working in nursing homes considered as HCE?

Admissions response: Shadowing does not fulfill our HCE requirement. Working in a nursing home as a CNA does meet our HCE requirement. - Case Western Reserve

PRE-PA QUESTION: I worked in reproductive health for two years. Should I get exposure to other specialties or primary care before I submit my application this summer? Would my experience in reproductive health care be too narrow?

Admissions response: We are not necessarily focused on what exposure you have had as much as whether you have broad interests. If you only want to do reproductive health care that would be fine as long as you are able to connect with other parts of providing care to patients. - Case Western Reserve

PRE-PA QUESTION: Could my seven years of working/volunteering at Planned Parenthood be seen in a negative light? I loved the work and the people, but I'm a bit skittish in light of the political climate. Would Planned Parenthood be out of line with any of the fundamental values at CWRU?

Admissions response: Planned Parenthood is very much in line with the values that CWRU focuses on. - Case Western Reserve

Key Point and Highlights:

  • Taking care of a family member is not clinical experience. You can mention it and talk about the clinical care you provided, but it's not really what we are looking for (although you should take care of your family).
  • If you are accumulating hours and don't meet minimum requirements at the time of application, it may be in your best interest to wait until you are competitive to apply.
  • Healthcare experience matters but is only part of the equation; if academics are not strong, it doesn't reflect highly on you as an applicant.
  • Always try to exceed the minimum. For example, if 500 HCE hours is the minimum, schools will get a lot of applicants with closer to 1,000 hours of HCE. You don't have to have 5,000 hours to apply, but make it your goal exceed the minimum.
  • Shadowing usually does not count as direct patient care experience.
  • Remember, the gold standard is direct, hands-on patent care experience... always.
  • Make sure your prerequisites haven't expired: Some schools have a ten year limit on prerequisites, including patient care hours.
  • Be current! High school shadowing and HCE experiences are generally not considered.
  • Take note of where your HCE is coming from. Some schools like Case Western Reserve only accept hours from work done in the United States.
  • Medical scribe is a big gray zone, best to always check with a school to make sure this will fulfill their HCE requirements.
  • Start early, and hit the ground running, be willing to lend a helping hand wherever you can. There is no excuse for not having enough health care experience other than a lack of trying. Trust me; this is what the ADCOMS are thinking, so take this to heart.

The PA Advisor Series

The GRE For PA School

The GRE and PA School: The Pre-PA Advisor Series

Posted: March 10, 2019

The Pre-PA Advisor Series Welcome to the PA Advisors Series – a special series of posts where PA school applicants like yourself ask the tough questions and admissions directors from top-ranking PA schools provide the answers. This post is also included as part five of our five-part series “The 5 steps to PA school.” Today We […]

13 comments
PA SCHOOL ADMISSION ADVICE PATIENT CONTACT HOURS

The Pre-PA Advisor Series: Patient Contact Hours and Healthcare Experience

Posted: April 2, 2018

The Pre-PA Advisor Series Welcome to the PA Advisors Series – a special series of posts where PA school applicants like yourself ask the tough questions and admissions directors from top-ranking PA schools provide the answers. Today We Will Discuss: Patient Contact Hours and Healthcare Experience Requirements for PA School Here are some of the questions […]

13 comments
Admissions Directors Tell All PA School Prerequisites

PA School Prerequisites: Admissions Directors Answer Your Burning Questions

Posted: December 18, 2017

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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How to Get Into PA School With a Low GPA PART 1 ADMISSIONS DIRECTORS ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS

Applying to PA School with a Low GPA: Admissions Directors Answer Your Questions

Posted: August 22, 2017

How to Get Into PA School With a Low GPA PA school administrators from ten top-ranking PA programs answer your questions on how to get into PA school with a low GPA. A low GPA is probably the hardest area to improve. This makes sense – it was years in the making, and can’t be […]

13 comments
View all posts in this series
  • Applying to PA School with a Low GPA: Admissions Directors Answer Your Questions
  • PA School Prerequisites: Admissions Directors Answer Your Burning Questions
  • The Pre-PA Advisor Series: Patient Contact Hours and Healthcare Experience
  • The GRE and PA School: The Pre-PA Advisor Series

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About Stephen Pasquini PA-C

A PA since 2004 and 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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Comments

  1. Jennifer says

    May 24, 2021 at 3:49 pm

    Hi!

    My name is Jennifer.

    Your website or a website that your company hosts is violating the copyright-protected images owned by me personally.

    Check out this official document with the URLs to my images you utilized at http://www.thepalife.com and my previous publication to find the proof of my copyrights.

    Download it now and check this out for yourself:

    https://sites.google.com/view/l30g56m03m-gq4kv5lg/drive/d/shared/file/download?fileID=375703393845592334

    I really believe you’ve intentionally violated my rights under 17 U.S.C. Sec. 101 et seq. and can be liable for statutory damages of up to $130,000 as set-forth in Sec. 504 (c) (2) of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (”DMCA”) therein.

    This message is official notice. I demand the removal of the infringing materials mentioned above. Please be aware as a service provider, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act demands you, to remove or terminate access to the copyrighted materials upon receipt of this particular notification letter. If you do not cease the use of the above mentioned copyrighted content a law suit can be started against you.

    I do have a strong faith belief that utilization of the copyrighted materials mentioned above as presumably infringing is not permitted by the copyright owner, its legal agent, or the laws.

    I swear, under consequence of perjury, that the information in the letter is accurate and that I am the legal copyright owner or am authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly violated.

    Sincerely,
    Jennifer Williams

    Reply
  2. Bianca Inzunza says

    January 5, 2021 at 9:22 am

    Would working as a Behavior Technician working directly with kids who have autism through ABA therapy be considered as direct patient care hours?

    Reply
    • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

      January 5, 2021 at 9:20 pm

      Hello, Bianca, this is a great question. Unfortunately, there is no one perfect answer as every PA program defines what they consider to be healthcare experience versus patient care experience differently. So you will want to make sure you look at each program you’re interested in and if this is unclear on their website I would make sure to reach out to someone in the administrative office directly.

      Reply
  3. Elle says

    June 26, 2020 at 4:06 pm

    Hello Stephen,
    Firstly, thank you for this site. It is so helpful!

    I am wondering if you could shed some light on my situation.

    I am interested in going to PA school in the next few years. I did pre-med in undergrad eight years ago, then did a master’s in Communication. I also worked as a chair-side orthodontic assistant part-time for 2.5 years in college.

    More recently I’ve gotten a couple holistically-minded certificates in nutrition (Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and Certified GAPS Practitioner). Would working for myself (through my own LLC), both directly with clients and doing preparation work creating nutritional and lifestyle plans, count as relevant patient care experience? Would working at a Doctor’s or Chiropractor’s office or even a Weight Loss clinic give more credibility to my hours?

    Or would it be preferable for me to get my CNA/MA and work in a more traditional assisting capacity at a clinic for my health care experience?

    Thank you for your insight!
    Elle

    Reply
    • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

      June 27, 2020 at 9:54 am

      Hi Elle, if The PA Life was a PA school I would accept you this moment! Sounds like you have a world of experience and the prerequisites to boot! The best advice I can give you is to reach out to several PA programs directly and ask these questions. My opinion means little to the PA school ADCOM’s of the PA schools where you are applying. They all have different requirements and recommendations when it comes to HCE/PCE. A wonderful place to ask questions among many different PA programs is during one of the PAEA Virtual fairs. They hold these semi-annually. The next one will be held this July and it’s FREE: https://www.careereco.com/Fair/EventDetails?fairId=397ea722-c960-47fb-a8d9-ab1a015dcd8c

      I love to drop in and ask questions as well and am registered for this one. If you are reading this comment at a later date you can find all upcoming PAEA virtual fairs on careereco.com by search graduate school fairs and typing “physician assistant” into the search query.

      I hope this helps some. I think you are a shoo-in for PA school. I would also recommend (if you haven’t already) to create a CASPA account now and start filling it out. It will give you a good sense of what is left to be done. There is no penalty for creating an account early! https://caspa.liaisoncas.com/applicant-ux/#/login

      Warmly,

      Stephen Pasquini PA-C
      http://www.smartypance.com
      http://www.thepalife.com

      Reply
  4. Lexa says

    February 6, 2020 at 11:39 am

    I am currently working as a Physical Therapist Aide. Would this count as PCE?

    Reply
  5. Avery says

    September 6, 2019 at 4:18 pm

    I volunteer at a mental health institution in which my role is to interact with members seeking help for their mental health by doing activities with them. I am wondering if this would count as direct patient contact?

    Additionally, I am wondering if most schools would rather see paid clinical hours rather than volunteer hours.

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

      September 7, 2019 at 9:06 am

      Hi Avery, there is no single answer here as every school has their own requirements when it comes to PCE and HCE so it’s best to research some of the schools you are interested in applying to and consider contacting them directly. Their web portals can be difficult to navigate and are not always clear on their requirements. You want to make sure you are getting the best and most up-to-date information.

      Stephen

      Reply
  6. Sapphyreopal5 says

    July 15, 2019 at 7:52 am

    What about volunteering as a crisis counselor at a text line, or even being a crisis counselor in person?

    Reply
    • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

      June 10, 2020 at 6:48 am

      These may be considered health care experience hours but you would have to confirm this with the PA program to be certain.

      – Stephen

      Reply
  7. Destiny Taylor says

    October 22, 2018 at 7:55 am

    Is it fine for PCE and HCE hours to overlap?

    Reply
    • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

      October 24, 2018 at 1:36 pm

      Yes Destiny, in my opinion, patient care and healthcare experience hours are the same thing although “hand on” patient care and healthcare experience may be more specific and is higher up on the food chain.

      Stephen

      Reply
  8. David says

    October 2, 2018 at 7:42 am

    Do hours as a Cardiac Monitor tech count? I have about 400 hours so far as a Monitor Tech and also around 100 hours as a ER volunteer.

    Reply

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

Ashley, Pre-PA

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

Cintia, Pre-PA

This is my second time using this editing service and I am highly satisfied with the results! Sarah Schultz worked with me on both my personal statement and a supplemental essay, both times providing excellent advice and editing on my papers. It was a pleasure working with her, and I look forward to hearing back from programs soon to see if I receive an invitation for an interview.

Sarah, Pre-PA

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

Sarah was absolutely incredible to work with! My initial draft conveyed all the ideas that I wanted it to, but I wasn’t sure that it flowed well or was memorable. Sarah did a great job with helping me make my introduction stand out and also helped me immensely with the overall structure of my essay. My personal statement had initially been a source of stress but I am so happy with my final draft and extremely grateful to Sarah for her thoughtful insights!

Tina, Pre-PA

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

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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!

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

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Sue’s comments were very helpful. Her quick turnaround time is very impressive. She responded to my concerns and questions promptly. She clearly knows what to present to the PA school admissions team. I am very happy with her work.

Kitti, 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 🙂

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

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This was an AMAZING edit and I am highly satisfied with the level of service. 100% made it a worthwhile investment. I also used myPAresource and, although they were helpful, I found the PA Life to be a much higher quality evaluation of my personal statement. I will highly recommend it to my peers!

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Sarah did such a great job editing my personal statement! She was receptive to my concerns and had awesome ideas to make my essay stand out. I am very happy with how it turned out and I am excited to submit it. Thank you!!

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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

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

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

Amanda Pre-PA

I received an early acceptance! I just wanted to thank you so much for all your help. You are a pro and I’m so thankful for you! You helped me more than you’ll ever know! I’m so excited! You saved me!!!!

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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

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

Nika, PA-S

Sue was amazing! She was very quick at replying to my emails and looking over my paper and application. She was so helpful and has a way with words. I know I will continue to use her services throughout my application process!

Miranda, Pre-PA

The feedback that I received through The PA Life editing service was more detailed than I expected! It gave me a clear idea of what direction I need to take in regard to my personal statement. I absolutely loved the edits!

Crystal, Pre-PA

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

Austin, Pre-PA

I am very pleased with the services provided! I received an email almost immediately upon submitting my essay for review, and within 24 hours my essay review was completed. I would definitely recommend this service to any PA school applicant before they submit their essay to CASPA! Thank you for your help!

Hannah Watson, 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

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

Travis, Pre-PA

I 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

I used the personal statement editing service with Deanna Matzen (April/May 2021) and the mock interview service with Mary Jones (June 2021). Both were exceptional to work with and helped me to achieve my goal. I applied to three schools and received interview invites from all three (I’m a first-time applicant). I was waitlisted at one in June and later accepted in November, received early acceptance to my top choice in November (UTSW), and I chose to decline my third interview scheduled in December. Thank you for your services!

Rachelle, Pre-PA

I just want to let you know I got into the pa program! I want to give you a huge thank you for helping me nail the interview and make a great essay. Thank you, x 100,000!

Rachel J, Pre-PA

Working with Sarah was a wonderful experience. She was prompt, attentive, and incredibly supportive throughout the process. Sarah never deviated from the authenticity of my essay. Even after she made vast changes, the essay still felt true to what I wanted to express. Thank you, Sarah! I would recommend this service to anyone applying to PA school.

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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!

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

Catalina, Pre-PA

Duke is great! I had such a great time with him editing my personal statement. So glad I found this site!

Melissa Nicole Aguilera, 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

I loved this service! Not only did my editor transform my essay, she helped me feel more confident in my application moving forward. She was extremely personable and efficient. I love my essay and now I’m even more excited about applying for school because of the help I received from The PA Life! Highly recommend!!

Aubrey, Pre-PA

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

David H. Pre-PA

Carly was so helpful and encouraging! I truly felt like I was in good hands, and I know my personal statement is much stronger now because of her!

Chloe, 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

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

Odilia, Pre-PA

I’m emailing you to let you know that I received an acceptance call yesterday! It’s my first cycle applying so I’m still in shock. This may sound weird to say, but you have been a part of my journey since the beginning when I was trying to figure out how to write my personal statement, to practicing for the interview that led to my acceptance. I genuinely believe that I would not have been accepted into the program if it weren’t for you.

Anthony, PA-S

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

John, Pre-PA

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

Cailin, PA-S

My reviewer was Deanna Matzen who was incredible. I reached out to The PA Life’s editing service after being disappointed by myparesource, whom I was referred to initially. Deanna composed two alternate ways to structure my journey and allowed me to find a novel way to present my personal statement. After revision, I was able to flip my lens, utilize my introduction as my conclusion, and the rest of the paper began to fall into place. Very satisfied with the quality of her work, thank you so much, Deanna!

Steven, Pre-PA

Kelly M. provided an exceptional experience with detailed recommendations. I am upset that I did not find The PA Life editing service sooner! I will be referring anyone I know applying to pa school to this platform!

Manny, 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

I hope this email finds you well. I would like to thank you for your help with my PA school personal statement. I’m glad to share that I did get into my top choice – Drexel!

Ashley, Pre-PA

Carly was extremely prompt and helpful! She helped edit my personal statement into something that I am extremely confident applying with!

Danielle, Pre-PA

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

Kirsten, Pre-PA

I was at a point where I kept reading my essay over and over again and not knowing what to change. After Sue looked over and thoroughly edited the essay, I had a completely new focus! I knew exactly what to tweak and her service really cleared up any uncertainty I had with my essay. I’m now much more confident as I finish up my CASPA applications!

Julia Spalding, 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

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

Patrick, Pre-PA

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

Adam Johnson, Pre-PA

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

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

Sue was great! She edited my essay in a short time frame and the comments and feedback were very informative. She helped link all of my main ideas and gave great advice regarding appropriate information for the essay. I highly recommend this service.

Michelle, Pre-PA

This was the most amazing experience! I felt so confident about my topic and essay after our meeting. Duke got back to me quickly and worked around my crazy schedule. The editing of the essay was professional and gave me insight I could not have received any other way. I only applied to one school because it is really the one I would like to go to the most and I got an interview!!! Thank you so much for all of your help!

Kathryn R, PA-S

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

Louis T. Pre-PA

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

It’s very clear that Deanna, my editor, put a good amount of time and thought into this. She FAR exceeded my expectations, even providing me with two different possible drafts (my original copy was 1500 characters too long). After paying for two separate editing services, I was initially disappointed to find that the first had not provided anywhere close to the level of feedback/review/editing that I had hoped for. I thought I was on my own again with my personal statement and did not have high hopes for any additional edits at the time that I’d received the review from Deanna, of thePAlife. The first service I’d used provided reviews that were neither thoughtful, in-depth, nor helpful, but Deanna’s edits were each of those! My hopes had been shot down by the first service but were immediately uplifted after I received Deanna’s edits. Her feedback was timely, thorough, thoughtful, critical, and even supportive! She provided an exceptional service, and I would highly recommend her to anyone

Cierra, 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

Lisa Tepper reviewed my personal statement and her edits were incredibly helpful. By asking me many specific questions and responding to my answers, she helped me add much-needed context to my personal stories that I didn’t even realize was missing. And she made a few subtle suggestions in my conclusion that really tied the essay altogether. I am very pleased with how my essay turned out and it is such a relief to turn in a statement that I am proud of.Thank you so much.

Kaitlin Emmerling, Pre-PA

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

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

Anand T. 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

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

Olivia, Pre-PA

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

Mina, Pre-PA

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

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

Foram Patel, Pre-PA

I wanted to let you know that after 4 interviews and 4 waitlists, I was informed a seat opened up at my number one school Drexel in Philadelphia!! So I have officially enrolled in a PA program. This feeling is the lightest I have ever felt and it is incredible. Aside from myself and my mom who has emotionally supported me through this all, you were a huge part of making this happen. I cannot thank you enough for helping tell my story. If you ever want a review to be written somewhere, I would be glad to write one. I have nothing but respect for your talent in listening and translating someone’s intention and experiences into a rounded and full story. Thank you again.

Sarah, R PA-S

Carly blew away all my expectations. She not only suggested edits to refine the content, but she also made grammatical and structural changes that fine-tuned my essay and allowed it to flow. I came into the editing process feeling hopeless about my personal statement, but with her edits, I feel confident that it will stand out. On top of all that, Carly was very timely in editing and returning my essay – I got it back within a few days! I’m very pleased with her service and recommend it to anyone out there who needs a fresh, professional set of eyes on their personal statement.

Stephanie, Pre-PA

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

John R. Pre-PA

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

Phillip, Pre-PA

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

Ashanna, Pre-PA

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

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 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

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

Pavithra, Pre-PA

This 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 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

During our first one-on-one session, my editor Sarah had the chance to understand who I am as a person before even editing. This was remarkably helpful in terms of making my voice stand out in my personal statement. I especially appreciated how thorough her comments were regarding the aspects of my essay that needed fine-tuning.

Austin, Pre-PA

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

Alex Taylor, PA-S

I wanted to tell you that I interviewed with MEDEX on Friday, got the call yesterday that I’m accepted! I also interviewed with Pacific University on and I felt that went VERY well too. I should hear from them any day now. I will keep you in the loop. I appreciate all your help and support!

Norah, PA-S

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

This service was very helpful. My essay was edited and returned to me within a few days of me submitting it. The feedback was thorough and detailed. I am already planning on sending my essay for a second edit!

Sabrina, Pre-PA

Thank you so much for editing my essay and for your kind words. Your edits have definitely made it a stronger PS and I am proud to have it as a part of my application. Thank you for alleviating my stress on arguably the most nerve-wracking part of the CASPA app. You are incredibly talented and well-spoken, and any person that has you edit their essays is incredibly lucky! I will let you know if I have any questions, but I think each one of your edits are meaningful and super clear. I appreciate you shortening it and making it flow better. Thank you again!!!

Karina Kapani, Pre-PA

Sarah was super helpful and flexible in my schedule. Her editing really turned my essay around, and made me a much more confident applicant! I am so glad I utilized this service. I will keep you updated on my results for this round 🙂

Mollie, Pre-PA

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

Shannon B. Pre-PA

This was my third time applying to PA school and I wanted it to be my last so I figured getting help with the essay would make a difference in my application. Paying for the one on one service was the best idea I’ve had to date. Sarah was great in that she literally combined three different essays I had written into one phenomenal essay! I literally have no idea how she did it. Sarah helped me focus all of my thoughts and experience down into one concise, yet personal essay. I truly think this will help me get into PA school!

Anna M. PRE-PA

Sue did an amazing job editing my personal statement. She included all the aspects that I wanted in the statement and made it flow so much better. Thank You! Thank You!

Kendra Perkey, Pre-PA

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

Diana, Pre-PA

Deanna was amazing! She was able to help me put into professional language my desire to help people. I deeply appreciate and value all of her feedback, edits to my essay, and guidance. She was very attentive, capable, and helpful. She explained things I didn’t understand in a way that allowed me to comprehend. She’s a wonderful writer! I am so grateful for her help! I was stressed out about my essay, and her guidance really helped me stay on track (and calm me down) and portray my interest in becoming a PA clearly and precisely in my essay.

Valerie Charlton, 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 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

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 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

Carly Hallman did an amazing job helping me with my personal statement! I was feeling conflicted and uncertain about my own personal statement, but she helped set my mind at ease! I now have peace of mind regarding my personal statement. She was so helpful in correcting any grammar errors and also informed me of what I could add to my essay. I knew I was missing something in my essay, but could not quite put my finger on it. Carly identified what was missing so I could make those changes to my essay. I’m so thankful for her help because I do not think I could have figured out that “missing piece” had it not been for her. I now feel confident about my essay and I am extremely happy with it! 🙂 Thank you so much!!!

Ramsha, Pre-PA

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

Jennifer Bidwell, PA-S

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

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

Stephanie, Pre-PA

Testimonials

Duke really pushed me to write from the heart and explore my true reasons for applying to PA school.  I was very pleased with the outcome.  I haven’t yet received an interview, but my fingers are crossed!
Emily P. Pre-PA
I graduated from PA school in May and failed my first attempt at the PANCE in July. I was not nearly as prepared as I should have been and in the following 90 days, I developed into a completely different PA. I listened to all of your podcasts, took every practice test (at least once), and got both the daily question emails and the daily eponym emails. My second attempt at the PANCE was earlier in October and I went into it with so much more confidence than I had after receiving the news that I failed the first time. I really appreciate all the work you do to make studying for the PANCE fun… well at least tolerable… and I will definitely recommend your program to next years graduating class.
Thank you! thank you! thank you!
Christopher M., PA-C
I had been through 3 interviews prior to your mock interview service. I really wanted to know what I was doing wrong/what I could do better since I was either denied or waitlisted previous to the mock interview. After a great hour with Sarah, I was able to learn so many great tips and figured out what I needed to rework. My interview skills vastly improved and I was soon accepted into multiple highly ranked PA programs. I know it was because of this I was able to stand out that much more! So grateful I was able to have this opportunity.
Mariah, 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 really appreciated Carly’s attentiveness to my writing style and working to keep my message and content but working it in a way that reads easier. I appreciate her turnaround time, as well as priority deadlines for programs, are quickly approaching!
Jacob, Pre-PA
I wanted to reach out and thank you for your help in editing my personal statement this application cycle. I have been accepted to the University of Utah and I was lucky enough to get a number of interviews! I know that your help with my statement definitely made a difference and I am so thankful! Thank you so much!
Nicole, Pre-PA
My interviewer Deanna was terrific! She provided precious insights and tangible strategies I could start using immediately in my interview with her. I’m feeling more confident about my upcoming interview, and I definitely recommend this service.
Christina, Pre-PA
Stephen, Just wanted to let you know that I am enjoying your site very much and believe it is helping more than any other site I’ve used thus-far (I have done HippoPA, not bad, and Brian Wallace’s site). Will study some more, don’t feel ready yet! I’m an older PA, practiced for 18 years, have done the at home board tests the last two. I am nervous about taking the test center exam! Thanks again for your site, and the best to you!
Rebecca Lynch, PA-C
First of all, thank you so much for all of the resources you have made available for those of us studying for the PANRE! This is fabulous and wish I’d known about it sooner. 
Kristin F. PA-C
Stephen, Thank you for your help and the resources you linked me to, I will keep studying and keep you informed on my progress, I hope one day to help a student like myself pass and enter a great profession.
Anthony MaharajPT, PA, MPAS.

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