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You are here: Home / Pre-Physician Assistant / Physician Assistant Programs and Research / The Future of Physician Assistant Education: Stop Stealing Dreams

The Future of Physician Assistant Education: Stop Stealing Dreams

March 10, 2012 By Stephen Pasquini PA-C 13 Comments

godi1Have you heard of Seth Godin's free education manifesto Stop Stealing Dreams?

In this manifesto, he discusses the history of education in America. How it was tailored to create "cogs in an industrial machine" rather than the much-needed linchpin's necessary to drive future innovations.

"School has become an industrialized system, working on a huge scale, that has significant byproducts, including the destruction of many of the attitudes and emotions we’d like to build our culture around."

"In order to efficiently jam as much testable data into a generation of kids, we push to make those children compliant, competitive zombies."

At times I fear the education of doctors and PAs has headed in a similar direction.

While attending conferences or reading through required CME I fear we have become cogs in a pharmaceutical machine.

One trick ponies taught to think pill first, everything else a distant second.

If we want to create great PAs of the future it starts with giving our current generation of students the tools they need to overcome the cognitive dissonance that resonates in today's medical field.

The one that sees an obese, diabetic patient with hypertension as the perfect candidate for Metformin and a new script for Lipitor. Rather than a perfect case for the intense lifestyle interventions and hard work necessary to actually improve long term health. 

I am afraid many in today's generation have allowed themselves to be limited by fear.

Industrial, scaled-up, measurable structure means that fear must be used to keep the masses in line. There’s no other way to get hundreds or thousands of kids to comply, to process that many bodies, en masse, without simultaneous coordination.

A Physician Assistant Education of the Future:

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Now students have access to more than just the medical textbooks and the best advertising big pharma has to offer.

We can break the cycle of prescriptions and compliance.

With this comes empowerment and better health care for our patients.

Also, a greater responsibility.

To be advocates for our patients, pioneers of new innovations that offer integrated approaches to health care solutions.

Not passive observers to a health care industry plagued by misinformation, a pharmaceutical focused approach to patient health at a cost to our patients that is truly non-sustainable.

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About Stephen Pasquini PA-C

Stephen has been a family practice PA since 2004 and is the creator of The PA Life and Smarty PANCE Board Review websites. A National Health Service Corps Scholar and a graduate of The University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ (Rutgers) PA Program and the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. Stephen's goal is to provide one-of-a-kind online resources for those interested in or practicing in the PA profession, to promote better access to healthcare for all, and foster universal recognition/awareness of the PA profession. Read more about Stephen.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jaclyn says

    February 23, 2014 at 5:24 pm

    I’m exploring making a career change to become a PA, and feel lucky to have stumbled across your blog! Great article.

    Reply
    • Stephen says

      February 26, 2014 at 11:38 pm

      Thank’s Jaclyn!

      Reply
  2. Christi says

    October 12, 2012 at 4:29 pm

    Stephen,

    I’m with you. I’ve been a PA for ten years and agree that healthcare is a social issue the free market can not fix. I’m not gonna bother arguing my point, even though you two have been polite about your differences. Ana seems to be paraphrasing a website she relates to rather than forming an objective opinion only years in the field can form. She seems passionate about what she believes in which can translate into a passion to take care of her patients in the future!

    Christi

    P.S. stumbled on yr website looking for resume advise 🙂 and I enjoyed having universal healthcare as a young adult in Canada so I’m a little biased.

    Reply
  3. Ana says

    June 27, 2012 at 1:35 pm

    Great article. You articulated a very serious problem with our current healthcare model. I am particularly interested in preventive medicine. How much did your PA training focus on nutrition, exercise, and other lifestyle interventions? Are you ever pressured,by either the supervising physician or patients, to prescribe medications when you know that lifestyle interventions are what is truly needed? With the growing problems of diabetes, Alzheimers, and obesity in this country, it is disheartening to see the focus on pharmaceuticals.

    Reply
    • Stephen says

      June 28, 2012 at 12:12 am

      Hi Ana,

      I had very little training on nutrition, exercise, and other lifestyle interventions. Something that didn’t really occur to me until about year 6 into my practice.

      I am sure you have heard Einsteins definition of insanity:

      “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

      After many years of countless prescriptions for Zocor or Paxil and complaints of “non compliant patients” I realized something critical. It wasn’t the patients, but it was my approach. Thus began a paradigm shift, one that was focused on intense lifestyle changes first, with medicines a distant second. 2 years later I found most of my patients were achieving their A1C goals, off most of their meds, feeling better, and many had lost a significant amount of weight (if necessary).

      My approach towards diet and exercise was mostly self taught and revolves around my own obsession with such topics.

      It is a shame that this is not the focus in medical school, and I have become more suspect over the years… many conferences later, and believe that much of med school education and what we learn afterwards is dominated by a pharmaceutical “incentivised” health system.

      As medical professionals I believe we want what is best for our patients, if we understood such topics more thoroughly we would implement them better, regardless of it’s time intensiveness, Every good practitioner I know wants what is best for their patients.

      Doctors have never pressured me to prescribe, although many doctors I know appear to be unaware of an alternative.

      Reply
      • Ana says

        June 28, 2012 at 11:19 am

        Thank you for your insight. I’ve read two books that address how the ‘official’ guidelines and treatment plans for diabetes and obesity, major health problems facing our country, have been largely determined by big pharma to the detriment of patients. I think that these books should be required reading for every healthcare professional (every American for that matter).

        Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It by Gary Taubes

        Sugar Nation: The Hidden Truth Behind America’s Deadliest Habit and the Simple Way to Beat It by Jeff O’Connell

        I will be applying to PA school next year and this information has really changed how I hope to practice medicine. With the new healthcare act, I am concerned that we are moving even further away from quality care for patients.

        Reply
        • Stephen says

          June 29, 2012 at 8:02 am

          It’s funny you say that, as both “Why we get fat” and “Good calories bad calories” are also on my “must read list”. I read both books last year after finishing Atkins Diabetic solution…. Also a wonderful book!

          I am curious why you think the new health care act is a step away from progress. I am aware of it’s many flaws but I feel this is just the progression toward universal healthcare. I guess time will tell.

          Thanks for your thoughtful comments

          Reply
          • Ana says

            June 29, 2012 at 10:03 am

            You are right about this being a progression toward a universal healthcare system, but I do not see that as a good thing for Americans as far as patient care and access are concerned. Obamacare will only increase third-party interference in the doctor-patient relationship, increase costs, and reduce the quality of care. Insurance is not the solution but rather the root of the problem.

            The healthcare crisis has been a 100 years in the making and we certainly are reaching a tipping point. We need reform, but the changes being pushed now are only going to make matters worse for all Americans.

            These are some of the articles that have informed my understanding of the healthcare crisis and its origins. I hope you will be able to read a few of them and let me know what you think.

            “Government Medical ‘Insurance'” by Murray Rothbard
            http://mises.org/daily/6099/Government-Medical-Insurance

            What Soviet Medicine Teaches Us
            http://mises.org/daily/3650

            “What’s Really Wrong with the Healthcare Industry” by Vijay Boyapati
            http://mises.org/daily/4434

            For more on the subject, here is a really extensive reading list.

            http://mises.org/daily/3737#IDComment391571204

            Reply
            • Stephen says

              June 30, 2012 at 7:44 am

              I am confused then as to what you think is the solution… Universal healthcare to me is as much about policy as it is about morality. I agree fully that healthcare insurance will continue to drive up costs. Medicine works best as a “Social Business” one that we have not seen in the United States. I have paid witness to good families demolished by illness and cost, to me there is no excuse for this and there never will be.

              As it stands there is a bubble in America where a hardworking, law abiding citizen who falls victim to tragedy out of their control can lose the shirt off their back. Not to mention with the cost of health insurance premiums those who have access to care do not use it. This is something that the new health care policy fails to correct. Yet, we see to it that things like lifetime maximums have been abolished.. A Doctor I work with fell victim to this. Two years into her son’s treatment for Leukemia her insurance dried up (the same “insurance” I have)…. Good thing she was a Dr. For many of my other patients they are not so lucky, they go without treatment.

              Doing nothing at all is not the solution.

              I personally think there is a large need for pay for service medical clinics staffed by Physician Assistants. We could do day to day care and urgent care for a fixed price… say $60. The health insurance would be there to cover “the bad stuff”. And for this I am not sure how we would control price as we continue to make advancements. Part of it is controlling the lawsuits, and what companies are allowed to charge, also a focus on public health i.e. everyone should be made to read “Why we get fat”.

              What is your idea of a good model for solving the American Healthcare Crisis? Do you think it would have been best that we voted out Romney care? It seems we as healthcare practitioners should be partially to blame as it is our great apathy that has led in part to the crisis don’t you think?

              By the way, some thought provoking articles… Thank you for sharing them with me!

              Stephen

              Reply
              • Ana says

                June 30, 2012 at 9:09 am

                I agree that no American deserves to lose everything due to a sudden illness. The only way to minimize this problem is to drive down costs and I believe a free market system can do this. The US once had a healthcare system that was the envy of the world, we had the finest doctors and hospitals, patients received high-quality, affordable medical care, and privately funded charities provided health services for the poor. This guy does a decent job explaining the exact steps we need to take to return to model of care. It’s really exciting once you imagine the possibilities. http://libertyfeed.tumblr.com/post/26114440069/the-freedom-solution-to-healthcare

                The Affordable healthcare act has many flaws but there is one part that I am strongly opposed to: the Individual mandate. Say for instance, I wanted to provide potable water to everyone in the developing world that currently lacks access. Would a logical first step be for me to tax or fine the individuals that lack clean water? Of course not. That would be absurd, yet this is exactly what the individual mandate does. It levies a tax or penalty on those without life insurance. Not only will forcing people to buy health insurance not fix the current system, it is wrong and unconstitutional (under the commerce clause).

                I know when I mention the free market, some of my friends imagine chaos and people dying in the streets but it would actually function something like what you suggested….costs would go down enough that most people could afford to pay for routine care out of pocket and only use insurance for the ‘bad stuff’. We have to introduce price mechanisms back into the healthcare system. Right now, both patients and doctors are blind to the real costs through no fault of their own. There is simply no incentive to drive down costs when a third party foots the bill. In reality, we all end up paying more. This news report shows how Whole Foods uses personal health savings accounts to drive costs down (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WnS96NVlMI).

                I do hope that the healthcare act is repealed. Americans know the system is broken, so any reform seems like good reform. Unfortunately, the healthcare act will have negative effects on the entire economy and only increase the number of poor and unemployed.

                Thank you for taking the time to consider my perspective. I’m enjoying our discussion!

              • Stephen says

                June 30, 2012 at 2:48 pm

                I don’t even know where to begin, which is a sign that I too am enjoying this conversation. You are working out parts of my brain that have needed to do some lifting.

                Just to let you know I don’t agree with these aspects of the Liberty Feed article you sent me:

                1. Eliminate all medical licensing: What next eliminate licensing commercial pilots? Because my airplane trip to the East Coast a few months ago was quite expensive.
                2. Repeal all laws requiring healthcare to those who cannot pay. The savings will be passed onto patients… Yes dead ones!
                3. Eliminate coverage for the elderly, poor and children because of staff and paperwork. Why not just eliminate the paperwork instead? Single payer eliminates 40% of the billing costs, most of which is incurred because of the fact there are so many payers.

                What I do agree with:
                1. Eliminate pain and suffering as a way for LAWYERS to extract wealth from from another party in a civil lawsuit. But here the problem is often not the patient.

                A lot of this seems to be more a social problem then a healthcare problem. What we need to do is eliminate poverty and then I agree your plan may work.

                I grew up in Stockton California (you may have heard about us on the news recently) 19% of families there are unemployed, and what kind of job prospects are out there for them? Many people right now don’t have enough money to pay for groceries not to mention housing, electricity, or a tank of gas. How are they going to afford treatment for their 2 year old who is born with Cerebral Palsy? I ask you to look at this family and tell them to ask their friends for money or go to a local church so they can afford a wheelchair. And again the rich get the most benefits, the best medical devices and the best care. I have never had a patient who has had Lasix, or braces for that matter.

                What kind of society is this?

                Again the healthcare problem is in part a social problem.

                Also you seem to assume that the “free market” actually cares about people… Repeal the laws requiring healthcare providers to provide healthcare to those who cannot pay…? The fact that this law even “needs” to exist is proof positive that the free market is actually the “ME” market.

                Just look at the current state of affairs we are in. This is what happens when free markets are left to run without checks and balances… Greed.

                If we create cash for service clinics that compete with an insurance market costs will come down. Technology allows me to do things for a quarter of the price I could just 3 years ago and it will continue to get better. But again medicine should be a Social Business, traded on a Social Market, that is not allowed to make profit of of peoples suffering.

                We cannot eliminate protections, people will die and people will get hurt. We are just too far down the rabbit hole to do what you are suggesting. I understand it, in part I agree with it. But the human cost goes beyond what I am comfortable with. To deny a human cost with the plan you are suggesting is living in an alternative reality.

                I assume that you care about people that is why you are going into the healthcare field, so I know you are a good person.

                You and I essentially want the same thing. So why don’t we work to create the kind of system we want to see?

                Complaining about government and repealing laws won’t help. If you want a free market system create it, there is nothing stopping you. As you said the system under insurance is way overpriced and this leaves a big opening for those like yourself and I who have the skills to step up, create a cheap health solution and make the world a better place along the way!

                Stephen

              • Ana says

                June 30, 2012 at 5:53 pm

                Phew, this is getting tiring. First some clarifications on where I stand on the three points.

                1) There are many ways to demonstrate competency. I am arguing against the AMA’s essential monopoly on licensing. There could be other mechanisms that could protect patients. Licensing does not protect patients. It hurts them by limiting the supply of doctors and raising costs.

                “A recent example of the AMA’s use of licensure was their attempt — ostensibly for “patient safety,” — to regulate Walmart’s creation of low-cost retail clinics by preventing the clinics from operating using only nurse practioners.[10] The practioners would have only been providing very basic medical services, such as administering needles and prescribing drugs, which Van Ruth et al. conclude carries no extra risk to patients.[11]
                It is precisely the sort of clinics operated by Walmart that allow consumers — and especially the poorest in society — access to basic, affordable healthcare. By regulating these clinics and reducing the supply of doctors and providers, the AMA has caused higher prices for American consumers of healthcare.”

                2) Many hospitals would choose to provide care regardless of ability to pay and I believe this should be voluntary, not done by force.

                3) With so many dependents, government provided healthcare would have to be phased out over time. I am not for destroying these programs overnight.

                Stephen, as you said, this is truly a social problem as much as it is a healthcare problem. What do you see as the role of government in healthcare? What do you think the role of government is in general? I’ve pretty much exposed my views as libertarian with all my links to the Mises Institute 🙂

                The reason I am critical of some government policies is because they have real and long term consequences on all of us, from the safety of the cars we drive to the purchasing power of the dollar. Poor families cannot afford food, housing, or fuel, much less healthcare. Monetary policy and increasing inflation are decided by the Federal reserve and our government. These policies directly effect the growing numbers of impoverished in this country. We cannot ignore this if we seek to change things for the better. More people need to understand the causes of our nation’s problems as our economic circumstances worsen, so that we don’t offer more of the same as the solution.

                The free market has been wrongly blamed for all of our ills. Unfortunately, we do not have nor have we had a truly free market. A free market consists of free people making decisions that allows them to better their lives by providing services or goods to others. Force and coercion are not part of a free market system.

                If I wanted to go out now and feed the homeless, did you know I could be fined several hundred dollars in several US cities for not having applied for a costly permit? Is that compassion? Does that protect homeless people? Regulations and laws only protect those with the money and power to lobby for them in the first place. Rewarding greed through government has gotten us into this mess. Only a free market can maximize creative energies, reward those that provide services, punish those that harm consumers, and ultimately, increase the living standards for ALL people. Consumers choose the winners in a free market system. Right now, we have a corporate-fascists system whereby a small elite leach off the public through the government.

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

Shannon B. Pre-PA

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

Celine, PRE-PA

I just wanted to share some amazing news with you! I have been accepted into the MEDEX PA program in Seattle!!! I can’t thank you enough for all your help!! I am beyond excited and still can’t believe it is actually happening! Thank you again from the bottom of my heart!!!!! 😀

Pavitra, PA-S

I came into this with a half written personal statement and not a lot of time left. I am beyond pleased with the work Sarah and I were able to accomplish together, and I’m so grateful to have gotten the chance to work with her. She has helped me so much with getting my writing to where I wanted it to be, and has instilled in me a great sense of confidence in myself and my abilities. I highly recommend this service to anyone going through the stress of applying! Keeping my fingers crossed as I submit my applications!

Celine, PRE-PA

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

Shynar Johnson, PA-S

This is my third time applying to PA programs. With my first two attempts, I only had close friends, family, and peers help me with my personal statement. I never even thought about going through a professional personal statement review service until after I had failed to get into PA programs my second time around. My prerequisites are expiring soon and the thought of going through the entire process of applying a fourth time terrifies me. I was hesitant to purchase the one-on-one service but after going through it, I am so glad that I did. Sarah was my editor and she is incredible. She genuinely understands how frustrating yet exciting this process is. I submitted my initial personal statement to her and within a day, she had already gotten back to me with detailed feedback. She even goes as far as telling you how many characters she wants you to add in different parts of your essay – this was extremely helpful for me because I tend to be a little wordy sometimes rather than succinct. Sarah helped me to highlight my strengths, experiences, and reasons for why I have spent so many years pursuing the PA career. This is an incredible service and I highly recommend that you take advantage of it! I am still in the process of completing my supplemental applications but I am more confident now than I have been with my first two attempts!

Christian S. Pre-PA

I felt our mock interview was an absolute necessity to prepare for the Academic and Personal interviews from Yale School of Medicine PA Program Online. I felt the calibre of questions you had asked me, in addition to the coaching and post-question feedback, really helped me understand what an ideal response looks like and gave me time to reflect and prepare my responses for the formal interview just two days later.

During my interviews I was asked plenty of questions I didn’t have a prepared response to (and I had combed through tons especially in the days following our mock interview!) I can say that I answered each question genuinely, authentically, and showed both interviewers the best version of myself. I didn’t stammer or lose my place, and I felt confident in my words and expressions. I don’t think I would have been as comfortable, calm, or confident without having accepted your guidance and feedback and learned from our time together.

Gratitude for your words, encouragement, and support is an understatement. Thank you, Sarah!

Best Regards,
Jacob

Jacob, PRE-PA

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

Sophia, Pre-PA

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

Jo Lynn, Pre-PA

I am so thankful that this editing service exists. The personal statement is incredibly important which is why I was so nervous about it. It took me two weeks to even get started because I was so nervous about writing the wrong thing. After Carly helped me with my essay, I am now so much more confident in it. Her edits were very thorough and showed that she had a really good understanding of what is important for a PA personal statement. Her email detailing her overall impression of my essay also showed she understood every single point I was trying to make and what kind of feeling I was trying to give to people reading my essay. This has been the most reassuring thing.

Angela, Pre-PA

Thank you for all of your help with my essay. You used my content, but refined it and made it more relatable. I believe due to your help I gained three interviews this cycle! I was accepted to two of the three schools and I will be going to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston this May. Again, thank you for all of your help, it has definitely changed my life.

Lauren Clewley, PA-S

I was extremely stressed out about writing my personal statement, and finally decided to search the internet for advice and assistance. I came across the personal statement editing service on the PA Life, and decided to give it a try. I received a response within a day, and my stress was instantly relieved. I worked personally with Duke to edit my statement, and he is a phenomenal writer. He didn’t change the content of my statement, but rather helped me tell my story in a way that is much more desirable! I cannot recommend this service enough to others seeking help on their personal statement. Duke was friendly, sincere, and definitely experienced! I felt 100% confident in his editing abilities, and we worked together the entire time so that we were both pleased with the results! Thanks again, Duke, for all of your help!

Chelsie W. Pre-PA

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

Kelsey, Pre-PA

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

Amy, Pre-PA

I just wanted to let you know that I was accepted in the UW MEDEX program at my home campus in Anchorage, AK. After the long journey I’ve had, I finally was accepted to my top choice! It still seems surreal and I couldn’t be more excited! Thank you so much for the help and insight you gave me. I truly believe it helped prepare me and not be as nervous. I will definitely recommend you to anyone I know who is applying in the future.

Melanie, PA-S

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

Andrew N. Pre-PA

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

Anand T. Pre-PA

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

Alli Cowan, Pre-PA

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

Charlie, Pre-PA

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

Kenzi H. Pre-PA

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

Peter, Pre-PA

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

Jeremy Cohen Pre-PA

I absolutely loved working with Sarah! She provided the best feedback to my personal statement, while also being sensitive to the details regarding personal family trauma. At the end of our sessions, I always felt confident in the statement and knew that Sarah would help me best articulate into words what I wanted to say. My statement now is something I can be completely confident in, and know that Sarah has been able to help me achieve a statement that prospective schools will pay attention to. Thank you, Sarah (and The PA Life) for everything!

Elizabeth, Pre-PA

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

Matthew, Pre-PA

I read my personal statement again today and got the chills. I am so happy with it and just wanted to thank you for all your help with my PA school essay!

Mikaela, Pre-PA

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

Janne Kim, Pre-PA

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

Stephanie, Pre-PA

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

Bailey B. Pre-PA

Sarah Schultz was a great editor and was easy to communicate with. She answered my emails very promptly and made great suggestions while also helping me cut down and condense my essay to be in the character limit. She made me feel more confident in my work and helped me develop an essay that I am proud of. I would definitely use this service again!

Katie, Pre-PA

I loved this service!!

Madeleine Zeichner, Pre-PA

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

Alexa, Pre-PA

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

Jessica D. PRE-PA

My editor was Beth, and she blew my expectations out of the water. She got back to me within 24 hours of submitting my request for edits and helped me so much with the edits she made. If I receive an interview, I am excited to use PA Life to help me with mock interviews.

Haley, Pre-PA

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

Nicala, Pre-PA

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

Pattie Solomon PA-CNorTh Miami Florida

Wanted to let you know how this application season was going for me so far.

I’ve had two interviews, still have at least three more scheduled, and I received my first acceptance last week.

Thank you again for your help!

M.S, Pre-PA

I am so happy to have gone through this editing process! I did not think you would take so much time to not only give me great feedback but also to edit and revise my paper like you did. I am so happy with my new revised paper and will definitely tell my friends!

Eric, Pre-PA

I LOVED the suggestions Carly made for my essay. Not only was she thorough with her edits, but she also provided a lot of quality feedback that really made my essay shine. Carly took my unedited, messy essay and helped me better convey what I was trying to say. I have nothing but positive things to say about this experience and feel this service was worth every penny.

Rachel, Pre-PA

My editor did an excellent job with my essays. I struggle with writing emotionally and she took my material and really personalized it. I feel very confident sending in my essays after having her look at them. She promptly returned my essays and did a stellar job. Thank you!

Danielle, Pre-PA

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

Lindsey C, Pre-PA

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

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

Melissa T. Pre-PA

I’m so happy with the amount of time and attention that Duke and Sue put into helping perfect my essay. I’m extremely fortunate to have come across Stephen’s page and this opportunity- I would have sent in an essay that unknown to me at the time, had issues and needed many improvements. I’m almost to the point where I’m going to submit my application, and will definitely update the team on prospective interviews. I cannot thank you guys enough for having this essay review service available, you definitely make it worth every dollar and more.

Tiffany Ly, Pre-PA

Sarah is an amazing writer. She helped clarify my thoughts and encouraged me on this journey. When/ if I get an interview, it will be because of her amazing writing skills.

Araceli, Pre-PA

We worked on my essays back in summer and oh, how much work it was! But it all paid off because I just got accepted into the school of my first choice! Thank you so much for your time and dedication to my success. I will also be glad to recommend your services to other pre-PA students at my school!

Jennifer, H Pre-PA

Very prompt response and turnaround time. While I did not speak with Duke over the phone, his team’s edits were thorough, clear and very helpful. Highly recommended.

Dave H. Pre-PA

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

James Hennessy, PA-S

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

Jasmine, Pre-PA

Sarah was amazing and so helpful with thoroughly explaining her edits! I was so impressed with the first edit. She really took my theme to the next level and really helped tighten the flow of my essay. During our first phone call, I was amazed by how quickly she incorporated my new ideas/suggestions. Sarah is extremely clever with re-wording and cutting down unnecessary words, allowing you to elaborate more on important things. I can’t say enough good things about Sarah! I am so thrilled with my result!

Khanhi, Pre-PA

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

Margarita, Pre-PA

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

Winnie, Pre-PA

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

Monica Harris, PA-S

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

Andrew, Pre-PA

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

Phong, Pre-PA

Mr. Pasquini was very patient, accommodating and direct in his editing/advice. He was honest, in a way that I needed due to the importance of the letter. I even picked up a few tips to enhance my writing from our meetings. Great experience and will definitely recommend him to others!

Alana P. Pre-PA

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

Louis T. Pre-PA

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

Savannah, Pre-PA

Thank you for taking the time to edit my paper! The feedback was constructive and very helpful. I liked how you highlighted all the strong points in my essay. It made me feel reassured that my essay was heading in the right direction. I also liked how you told me exactly what I needed to add to make it stronger.

Juliana, Pre-PA

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

Nicole, Pre-PA

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

Elaine, Pre-PA

I really appreciated Duke and his way of cutting out the unnecessary fluff in my essay. He was extremely helpful and helped steer me in the right direction to better my writing and make me a more competitive applicant. I am currently still applying to programs and will notify you guys once I get an invitation!

Ani S. Pre-PA

I am writing this because I wanted to share with you that I have been accepted to the University of Iowa PA program.  I would like to once again thank you for your insight and guidance while writing my personal statement, it came at just the right time.

Eugene V.PA-S

Duke helped me with my essay and he was great! He really helped me fine tune my essay so it’s ready for submission and answered all of the question I had about small details in my essay. He was also great about responding to emails in a timely manner. I definitely recommend this personal statement review service to anyone who’s applying to PA school…even if it’s just as a final read-through before submitting it on their application.

Tyler J. Pre-PA

Just wanted to let you know I got into UC Davis! I can not thank you enough for all your help!

Rachael Thomas, PA-S

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

Nicolas, Pre-PA

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

Rachel, Pre-PA

I am pleased to tell you that I have been accepted to PA school, starting in 2-weeks.? I appreciate everything you have done for me, from helping with my personal statement to preparing me for interviews. You have been with me since the beginning of the application process and I really wanted to thank you.

Shane, Pre-PA

Sarah was beyond excellent. Her timelines and efficiency provided me with enough time to revise and meet with her again before our final draft. Her comments and edits were extremely effective. I hope to be receiving an interview and will be using this service (requesting Sarah) for a mock interview if that happens!

Kaitlyn, Pre-PA

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

Vladimira, Pre-PA

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

Hapuruchi Avugara, Pre-PA

I wanted to send you a quick life update and another BIG thank you! I received my acceptance at the University of Utah’s PA Program on Monday and couldn’t be happier. Thank you for all your help with my essay and interview prep. Both of these services that you provided were so helpful in my success. I will highly recommend you to any future PA student.

Lily, Pre-PA

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

Anna Mantikas, PA-S

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

Fariha, Pre-PA

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

Esmeralda, Pre-PA

Sarah helped to condense my detailed thoughts into a powerful essay. Over the phone, she was careful to collaborate with me before making any changes so that the piece remained under my control and in my voice. She served as a guide and insured the essay brought out my strengths and reasons for pursuing the PA profession. Overall, I’m incredibly happy with the service!

Julie, Pre-PA

Sarah was a joy to work with! She was extremely helpful and patient with any questions I had for her! 10/10 recommend using this service!

Lori, Pre-PA

Carly was excellent! Not only did she make my essay much more compelling, but she understood the deadlines I wanted to reach and helped me do that! 10/10!!

Jesse Cordova, Pre-PA

Deanna was amazing! She really went above and beyond the single-edit that I could afford. I consider myself a pretty good writer, but she helped me focus and ground my story without sacrificing the overall creativity of the original piece. All I can say is wow! If there ever was something worth the money, this service is it!

John S. Pre-PA

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

Jolene Duthie

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

Saniha, Pre-PA

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

Tiffany M, Pre-PA

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

Angela, PA-S

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

Jennifer Bidwell, PA-S

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

Kylie, Pre-PA

Carly did a great job helping my personal statement flow from paragraph to paragraph. She truly helped me show throughout the essay why I wanted to become a PA. What I really appreciated was she explained why each change was made; comments and reasons which not only helped with this one time essay but for all my future essays as well. Definitely was worth it!

Kathleen, Pre-PA

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

Valeria, Pre-PA

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

Klam, Pre-PA

Sue was a huge help with my essay. Her edits made my essay sound much better grammatically and she pointed out some content problems I completely missed. She prompted me to write a few more paragraphs before her edit and added the information into my essay. That made a big difference. She was very knowledgable about what PA programs were looking for. I am really happy with your service. Worth every penny, THANKS!

Megan Stephenson, Pre-PA

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

Katie, Pre-PA

I just want to thank you again so much for being so awesome and helping me perfect my statement. I promised you that I would let you know if I got into any programs, and I was offered interviews at all the five universities I applied to. And I got offered positions at my top two school choices shortly after I interviewed. I am so ecstatic to say that I will be going to my number one school choice. I know multiple factors contributed to this opportunity being offered to me and the personal statement was surely a big one. Thank you so much for all that you do. It was really a great investment to have you edit my paper. I hope you have a fantastic rest of your day!

Elisa, PA-S

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

Sandy, Pre-PA

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

Chelsea, Pre-PA

Sarah Schultz is such a gifted and talented writer. She is super sweet and is a joy to work with. I could not have asked for a better editor. She was able to articulate all of my ideas and thoughts seamlessly and effortlessly. Although challenging at times, her suggestions and edits were very insightful and necessary into creating a spectacular essay. I am extremely pleased with the outcome. It is now a true work of art. I am so grateful to Sarah for offering her time to helping individuals like myself to write the best possible personal statement. I would not have been able to write such a cohesive and smooth flowing essay without her help. Thank you so much!! I would unhesitatingly recommend The PA Life Essay Collaborative and Sarah Schultz.

Patrick, PRE-PA

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

Jacob, Pre-PA

101 PA School Admission Essays

Admissions Directors Know What They Want. Shouldn't You? You’re slaving away at your personal statement, but can’t help wondering if anyone will read past the first line. A troubling thought, isn’t…

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How to Write Your Physician Assistant Personal Statement

What Makes This Book Unique? We have worked with 1000’s of applicants through our Personal Statement and Essay Collaborative and have interviewed PA school faculty and Admissions Directors from 12…

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