Reviewed and fully rebuilt August 2026 · Stephen Pasquini, PA-C
Everything I have built for you, in one place.
I started this site in 2012 as a plain blog, because when I applied to PA school in 2001 nobody had written down how any of it actually worked. I had to guess. I guessed wrong a few times.
Fourteen years later this has turned into a fairly ridiculous pile of stuff — calculators, essay tools, a program directory, an interview coach, board review, books, spreadsheets. Most of it is free. All of it exists because a pre-PA emailed me a question I could not answer in a paragraph.
This page is the map to all of it. Search it, skim it, or jump to wherever you are standing right now. Bookmark it — you will be back at a different stage, needing a different shelf.
80+Tools, guides, and services on this page
FreeMost of it, including every calculator and builder
2012The year this started as one guy and a blog
91,000+PAs, students, and pre-PAs in this community
Type to filter every resource on this page.
Where are you right now?
Three doors. Pick the one that sounds like your life this month.
I want to be a PAYou are figuring out prerequisites, hours, schools, and whether you can actually do this.Start here →I am applying nowCASPA is open. You need an essay, letters, a school list, and an interview that does not go sideways.Jump to applying →I am in school or practicingExams, rotations, the PANCE, first contract, and everything after.Jump ahead →
START HERE
The big guides
If you only read one thing, read the guide that matches your stage. Each one is built to be read start to finish.
GUIDEThe Pre-PA Getting Started GuideTwelve steps, in order, from “I think I want to be a PA” to hitting submit on CASPA. The whole map in one page.GUIDEPracticing PA ResourcesYou passed. Now: licensure, NPI, DEA, credentialing, CME that counts, PANRE vs PANRE-LA, contracts, and loans.PLANPA School Application TimelineWhat to do and when, month by month, so you are not scrambling in July.DATAWho Gets InThe real numbers on who actually matriculates — GPA, hours, and how you compare.DECIDEPA vs. NP vs. MDThe honest comparison, and how to answer “why PA?” without sounding rehearsed.DECIDEPA vs. MD InfographicAdmissions, training time, cost, pay, and burnout side by side. Updated with 2026 data.BASICSWhat PAs Are (and Are Not)What the job actually is, what “PA-C” means, and why “midlevel” needs to go.DATAPA School Applicant StatisticsCycle-by-cycle numbers on applicants, seats, and acceptance rates.
FREE TOOLS
The stuff I built so you would stop emailing me spreadsheets
Every one of these is free to use. No, really — I keep getting asked.
NEWMaya — AI Interview CoachPractice 70 real PA school interview questions, including MMI stations and medical ethics, and get coached on your answer immediately.NEWThe AI Application StudioRésumé, cover letter, thank-you note, and letter-of-recommendation studio in one place. Built for PA formatting, not generic job-board formatting.WRITEPersonal Statement BuilderWalks you from blank page to a real draft, one prompt at a time.MATCHPA Program Match AIPaste your stats, get a competitiveness score and a personalized Safety / Target / Reach ranking of every program.CALCCASPA GPA CalculatorCalculate your CASPA cumulative, science, and BCP GPAs the way CASPA actually calculates them.MATCHPA School MatchFilter every accredited program by GPA, GRE, hours, deadlines, and more.MATCHPA Program PickerNarrow a giant list down to the handful worth your application fee.MATCHPA Schools Near MeFind accredited programs by location, because in-state tuition is real money.MATCHPA Residency MatchPostgraduate PA residency and fellowship programs, searchable by specialty.PLANPrerequisite Cheat SheetWhich courses you actually need, and which ones expire.TRACKThe Applicant SpreadsheetTrack every program, deadline, supplemental, and interview in one sheet.MONEYScholarship & Loan Repayment FinderScholarships, grants, and repayment programs — including the one that paid for my education.CAREERPA Contract CheckScore your job offer before you sign it. Flags the clauses that quietly cost you.CAREERPA Hourly Rate CalculatorWhat you are really earning per hour once you count the charting you do at home.CAREERSalary by Cost of Living$130K in one city is $95K in another. See what your offer is actually worth.DOWNLOADRésumé & Letter TemplatesFree PA résumé, CV, and cover letter templates you can actually edit.LISTENThe Audio PANCE & PANRE PodcastBoard review questions in your ears on the drive to rotations.EMAILFree PANCE/PANRE Blueprint SeriesThe NCCPA content blueprint, broken into bite-sized lessons, delivered to your inbox.CONNECTAAPA State Chapter MapClickable map of all 56 AAPA constituent chapters. Join your state one — it matters more than you think.
APPLYING TO PA SCHOOL
Essays, letters, school lists, and interviews
This is the part where most people lose a cycle. Usually not because they were unqualified — because nobody told them how the game works.
Getting qualified
Prerequisite CoursesWhat every program wants, and what they will not accept.Healthcare Experience (HCE/PCE)Which hours count, which do not, and how many you need.Applying With a Low GPAAdmissions directors answer the question you are afraid to ask.Choosing Your Undergrad MajorSpoiler: it matters less than you have been told.What PA School Actually CostsReal tuition numbers, and the costs nobody lists.PA School for Free: The NHSC & MeHow I paid for school by promising to serve where I was needed.
Building your school list
Best PA Schools & RankingsWhat the rankings measure, and what they miss.Schools That Don't Require the GREMost programs have dropped it. Here is who.Schools With No HCE RequirementIf your hours are thin, start your list here.Direct-Entry & Dual-Degree BS/MSStraight from high school or undergrad into a PA seat.Programs Accepting International StudentsThe shorter list, and what each one requires.
The essay
31 Personal Statement ExamplesReal essays, with what worked and what did not.Hooks That WorkHow to open so the reader does not skim you.5 Essays That Got These Pre-PAs InFull essays from applicants who were accepted.AI and Your Personal StatementWhere AI helps, and where it will get you rejected.CASPA Character & Space LimitsThe counting rules that surprise people at 11pm on deadline night.CASPA Life Experiences EssayThe section most applicants waste.
Letters of recommendation
Letter of Recommendation SamplesReal letters, so you know what strong looks like.Recommendation Letter TemplatesTemplates to hand your recommender so you make it easy for them.
The interview
The Top 46 Interview QuestionsThe questions that actually get asked, and how to answer them.Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) GuideHow MMI works and how to not freeze at station three.My Interview Prep StrategyExactly how I would prepare if I were doing it today.“Why Our Program?”The question everyone flubs, and the answer that lands.
PA STUDENT & PRACTICING PA
Board review, exams, and the career after
You got in. Now it is didactic year, rotations, the PANCE, and a first contract nobody taught you how to read.
BOARD REVIEWSmarty PANCEMy board review platform for the PANCE, PANRE, EOR, and EOC exams. Built around the NCCPA blueprint, priced so students can afford it.PRACTICEThe QBankThousands of board-style questions with full explanations.COURSEPANCE & PANRE Blueprint CoursesThe whole blueprint, taught topic by topic.EXAMEnd of Rotation (EOR) ExamsPractice exams for every core rotation.EXAMEnd of Curriculum (EOC) ExamThe one standing between you and graduation.TRACKInteractive NCCPA BlueprintsCheck off every blueprint topic as you master it.DATAPANCE Pass & Failure RatesWhat the numbers say, and what to do if you are on the wrong side of them.READThe Smarty PANCE BlogClinical pearls and board-review breakdowns.
Money, jobs, and the long game
The PA Salary ReportWhat PAs earn, by specialty, state, and years in.PA SpecialtiesWhat each specialty pays, demands, and feels like day to day.Best Cities for PAsPay against cost of living, ranked.Best PA Job Search SitesWhere the real PA jobs are posted.The Best Gear (My Medkit)What is actually in my white coat after two decades.The Best Apps for PAsThe handful worth your phone storage.
WORK WITH ME
When you want a real human to look at it
The free tools will get you most of the way. These are for when you want eyes on your actual essay, your actual answers, your actual offer.
SERVICEEssay & Personal Statement CollaborativeLine-by-line editing on your personal statement, with options at every budget.SERVICELive Mock InterviewsA recorded 60-minute mock interview with real feedback afterward.SERVICEPre-PA Consulting & AdvisingOne-on-one help building a plan that fits your actual situation.SERVICERésumé & CV EditingProfessional editing for PA résumés and CVs.SERVICELinkedIn Profile EditingMake your profile findable by the people hiring PAs.WORKSHOPThe Personal Statement WorkshopWrite your essay alongside other applicants, with guidance.SERVICEInternational Applicant ConsultationFor applicants navigating the US system from abroad.
Books & downloads
How to Write Your Personal StatementThe book version, with the workbook.101 PA School Admissions Essays101 real essays with commentary.Books, Bundles & DownloadsEverything downloadable, bundled to save you money.The Best Books for PAsWhat I recommend to students and colleagues.
PRIMARY SOURCES
The six sites I check before I believe anything
When you read a number about this profession — anywhere, including here — this is where it should trace back to.
AAPAThe professional academy. Salary report, practice law tracking, advocacy.NCCPACertification. The PANCE, PANRE, and the content blueprint itself.ARC-PAAccreditation. Check a program's status here before you apply.PAEAThe education association. Program data, curriculum, and applicant reports.CASPAThe application itself. Open it early and read every instruction.BLS Occupational OutlookFederal wage and job-growth data. The source behind most salary headlines.
One last thing
If you scrolled all the way down here and still cannot find what you need, that is on me, not on you. Email me and tell me what is missing. That is genuinely how half of this page got built — somebody asked, and the answer turned into a tool.
I am still seeing patients at a county health department clinic in Santa Cruz, California, and at the Homeless Persons Health Project. I am not a full-time internet person. But I read everything, and I answer what I can.
You can do this. I am rooting for you.
Stephen Pasquini, PA-C
About me · The blog · Full archive
