I'm alive! This semester is much more busier than the summer semester and I now understand why our bigs kept telling us to "enjoy our time off" during the 1st semester. We're all just trying to keep our head above water while learning all the interesting and cool things we get taught everyday. Ok.. almost every day. I've been getting a lot of questions from everyone (which I love, keep em' coming) via email or Instagram so I thought I'd share some of them here so everyone can have access to that information.
What classes did you take to prepare for yourself for PA school / what was your major in undergrad?
I was a Biochemistry major but really you don't have to major in a science to apply to PA school. I would suggest taking all the classes that are pre-reqs for PA school such as general chemistry, biology, definitely take anatomy AND physiology, microbiology, medical terminology to list a few. Some programs even require organic chemistry, physics, psychology, etc. It really just depends on the program.
Is it okay to have taken some courses at a community college?
It's okay to have credits transferred from a community college as long as they're not the majority of your pre-reqs. I would definitely suggest taking all/most science courses at a four year university because most PA programs have that as a requirement. Again, this will depend on the program and it's always a safe bet to call and ask beforehand.
I don't know if I absolutely love medicine and haven't taken any courses in that field, but I'm intrigued by the profession and I'm interested in becoming a PA. What is your opinion? Is it wise to go into that field without any experience?
I would suggest shadowing a few PAs in different settings (clinics and hospitals, if you can make it happen) to determine if this is something you're interested in. Having some kind of healthcare experience prior to applying is required for almost all programs anyway. When I started looking into applying to PA schools, I had to shadow PAs as well as get healthcare experience through volunteering in hospitals. I think that is a good place to start to see if it's something you'll want to do for the rest of your life.
Do schools care about extracurricular activities and such?
Absolutely. The admissions committee definitely look at what all we have done outside of classes. They want to see that we care about the community and what other interests we have. It doesn't have to be related to medicine necessarily, just something you enjoy doing/invested your time in.
Everyone says apply early to PA school but what's EARLY?
The application cycle starts in mid April every year and interviews start late summer/early fall and go through next spring. When people say apply early, they mean as soon as possible. Because most programs look at applications on a rolling bases, you don't want to apply so late that most of their spots are already filled up. Aim to have your application submitted within the 3-4 weeks of it starting and no later than August if possible. I know everyone applies with different experiences and have different backgrounds, so this varies from one applicant to another.
It's october and I still haven't received an interview invitation. What are my chances of getting accepted this year?
I think your chances of getting accepted are still very good. The school I go to now didn't interview me until November and some people from my class even had interviews in January and March. So keep that faith and hang in there!
I want to thank all of you who read my blog and support and encourage me through this journey. Also a special shout out to all of you who send me feedback and kind words about my blog. I apologize for my absence during this crazy season of life but it's a true reflection of what a typical PA student goes through. I plan on doing a day in the life post soon so you can get more details about that! I will try to be better about posting more frequently on here. That's all for now, hope everyone has a happy Friday eve!
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