Guest Post from Lorae the PA - The Do's and Don'ts of Writing Your Personal Statement

I'm so excited to share a post with you from Lorae Schafer, a PA student who is killing it on Instagram (@Lorae.the.pa) and Youtube.  If you want to be encouraged and get some great tips, make sure you're following her on social media. 

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The Do’s and Don’ts of Writing Your Personal Statement

Your personal statement is the ultimate balancing act. In 5,000 characters or less, you are asked to showcase who you are, highlight your strengths, elaborate on your experiences, and showcase why you would make a great PA. Most importantly, it is an opportunity to emphasize what makes you unique and explain why programs should want to turn you into a PA. The prompt seems so simple – yet navigating your response can be a challenging and overwhelming task.

As an applicant, I felt I had to create a strong, memorable personal statement to compensate for an otherwise lackluster application. My GPA was average. My patient care/healthcare experience barely met the minimum, and I wasn’t 100% confident in my letters of recommendation. Heck, my prerequisites weren’t even complete by the time I submitted my application. Overall, I felt like a total work in progress! My saving grace was my ability to write about what I felt made me worthy of PA school. 

The personal statement is a powerful tool for communicating your individuality to admissions committees. That’s probably why there is so much pressure to make it perfect. But here’s the thing – you don’t have to be the greatest writer in the world to create a killer essay. All you need to know are the do’s and don’ts to create a solid framework for your personal statement. You can always build up from there!

DO…

Consider using a theme. Admissions committees read hundreds to thousands of personal statements every year. A theme allows you to tie your personal statement together by giving you something to bring all your thoughts back to. Even better, it gives your reader something to remember your essay by. Incorporating a positive theme can help increase your memorability as an applicant.

Draw in the reader. If your first paragraph is off to a slow start, you are setting the tone for an uninteresting essay and a blasé reader. Perhaps the most common way of creating a hook is with an interesting (and relevant) story. Whatever you decide – make the reader want to keep reading.

Be honest and transparent. Writing your personal statement isn’t about what you think the admissions committees want to hear; it’s about staying true to who you are. So, before you answer the prompt, make a simple list of the reasons why YOU want to be a PA – not things you found on the internet or heard from your mentor. Then draw on your own meaningful experiences to back up those reasons. By being honest, your personality should naturally start to shine through.

Edit, edit, edit. Continually revise your essay. Nothing ever comes out perfectly the first time around. Then ask your friends, family, colleagues, and/or mentors to look over your personal statement as well. This is useful in ensuring you have no grammar, punctuation, or spelling mistakes. It is also a great way to validate that your essay is genuine. The more eyes, the better!

DON’T…

Define what a PA is. The admissions committees are reading your personal statement to learn something about you, so don’t waste precious time and space explaining something they already know. Instead, ask yourself how you know you could fulfill those same duties – and why you want to.

Restate your resume. Again, this will not contribute to your application. This is what CASPA is for! Use your essay to explain the “how” and “why” behind your resume. Why did working as a CNA confirm that the PA profession was right for you? How does your experience as an EMT substantiate your capabilities as a future PA?

Detail your life story. Yes, the admissions committees want to know you – but primarily the parts of you that are relevant to PA school. Instead of walking the admissions committees through your path to applying step-by-step, focus on specific experiences. Keep personal details and family struggles to a minimum unless they contribute strongly to why you would make a fantastic PA. Even then, focus the majority of your writing around your non-familial life.

Dwell on mistakes. It is tempting to fill up space justifying a failing grade. You are better off briefly touching on issues like these in no more than a couple sentences. Don’t let yourself be distracted from the task at hand. Stay focused on responding to the prompt, painting a picture of your strengths, and maintaining a positive emphasis. Academic hiccups or other potential red flags in your application can be left to a more thorough discussion at your interview.

Remember – you CAN do this! Just think back on how far you’ve come to be able to apply to PA school. This is just one more challenge along the way.

PA Personal Statement Worksheet Download

Having trouble getting started on your essay? Use these worksheets to get a jumpstart!

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Lorae graduated from the University of San Diego in 2015 with a degree in Behavioral Neuroscience. She worked as a medical scribe in women's health for two years and is currently a first year PA student at Wake Forest School of Medicine in North Carolina.

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Top 5 CASPA Tips - Guest Post from Brittany at PA Fanatic

I'm so excited to bring you a guest post today from Brittany at PA Fanatic.  I first got into contact with Brittany on Instagram, and she did an amazing job with sharing some tips.  If you want more advice from Brittany, and to follow along as she starts PA school shortly, check out her website or follow on Instagram @PAfanatic.  I did a post on Brittany's site with 5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting PA School, so make sure you read that one too! 

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Every pre-pa needs to know these CASPA hacks. 

If you’re applying to CASPA right now, you already know how time consuming this process can be, but I promise it’s worth it! All the effort you’ve put into your application will be worth it once you get your first interview invite! I had my fair share of struggles with CASPA so I came up with 5 tips to help when applying to CASPA!

1. Since I know you’re all busy little bees and have been volunteering, working, trying to have a social life, all while tying to get good grades, life can get hectic pretty quick and it’s easy to get disorganized. That’s why one of the most important things you can do for yourself when applying is to create an excel spreadsheet to help you organize all your activities! I found myself frequently changing my experience description up until I submitted my application. I found it way easier to work in excel than to keep changing things in CASPA until I submitted. I recommend finalizing everything in excel before plugging and chugging it all into CASPA.

• I made a tab for each category in CASPA

• I made a table with columns for each piece of information needed to add an experience in CASPA

Healthcare and Shadowing Experience Log Download

It's essential that you keep great records of your healthcare and shadowing hours. Use this Excel form to have all of your information organized and ready to go for CASPA!

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2. Keep track of all of your school deadlines! This is harder than it seems since so many schoolshave varying deadlines ranging from August all the way to December or even January! I found it helpful to write down each school’s deadline in my planner as well as having a post it note with each school’s deadline kept on my desk. It’s really important to pay attention to the deadline because some schools require you to be “completed” by the deadline, meaning your application (and supplemental if required) has been submitted and considered complete, while other schools require you to be “verified” by the deadline, meaning that you application not only has to be considered complete, but also reviewed by CASPA. The verification process can take anywhere from a day to a few weeks depending on when you submit so keep this in mind when deciding on when to submit your application!

3. Don’t underestimate the power of your supplementals! It’s easy to get burnt out completing your CASPA application and personal statement, but it’s still important to put a lot of effort into your supplementals. With the thousands of applications that each school receives, it’s hard to stand out on paper. Supplementals allow you to personalize your application a little more and if done right, could be the difference in you getting an interview spot over someone else. When I filled out my supplementals, I tried to treat each one like my personal statement. I periodically tweaked it and had 3+ people read them all over to ensure I had no grammatical mistakes. The PA Platform offers supplement review!

4. Always remember to update your application! As someone who applied my junior year of college (I was personally aiming to not take a gap year), it was important for me to continually send colleges my updated transcripts so that they could see what upper level science courses I was taking (schools love this btw). It’s also important to do this if you’ve accrued volunteering hours, or have continued to rack up PCE hours at your job! It shows that not only are you gaining more experience, but you also care to specifically update the program. If it were to come down to deciding between two similar applicants for who should get an interview spot, I think admissions would go with the applicant still gaining patient experience. I took the opportunity to reiterate why I was excited about a certain program when emailing them updates on my application. 

5. Set a deadline for yourself on when you want to submit your application! For me, I set the deadline as my birthday because I didn’t want to have to worry about CASPA on my birthday or the days following. Personally, I think this was extremely helpful because it was a solid date that I had to hold myself accountable for to finish my application by. If you’re anything like me, you’re a little type A and either 1) want to finish your app as fast as possible and rush through it or 2) will keep tweaking it forever. Setting a deadline helps you decide how many hours a week to devote to CASPA without getting overwhelmed and gives you a cutoff for when you just need to stop critiquing your app and have to just trust yourself! 

Lastly, but most importantly, have faith in yourself. If you’re not confident in yourself, how can you expect someone else to be? If you’ve gotten to this point, you’ve worked extremely hard so hats off to you! During this arduous process it’s important to remain positive, you’ve got this!

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Brittany recently graduated from Drexel University and will be attending Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine for PA school this June! She originally thought she wanted to be a PT, but after more exposure in healthcare, she knew PA was for her and is excited to see where this journey takes her!  For more of Brittany's posts, check out PA Fanatic. 

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My Thoughts on CASPA's Changes to Healthcare and Patient Care Definitions

First of all, take a deep breath.  It will all be alright.  

This past week right before CASPA reopened for the 2017 cycle, there was a lot of buzz around some recent changes to the recommendations on how to classify experience on applications, and whether it should be categorized as healthcare experience (HCE) or patient care experience (PCE).  In the past, HCE was defined as working in a medical setting, but without directly interacting with patients in a way that involved their care (receptionist, billing, transport, etc.).  PCE was defined as any job in which there is direct patient interaction and care, such as nursing, EMT, paramedic, CNA, MA, etc.  These were more of roles where you were performing skills and had more responsibility.  Scribe has always fallen somewhere in between.  

Moving on to the new definitions. Here is a screenshot from the site, but you can see more here. 

CASPA's Healthcare and Patient Care Experience Definitions

This made a lot of people angry.  CASPA basically changed it so that CNA and MA are categorized as HCE instead of PCE, according to their guidelines.  The idea is proposed that a role is only PCE if you are more responsible for a patient's care and contributing to decisions about a patient's care.  CASPA also stated that these changes were made based on feedback from PA programs.  Obviously, this has many people who have worked hard for their hours feeling like they've wasted their time.  

I get it.  I worked as a CNA, and it's no joke.  I work with MAs all day long, and there is no denying that they are very involved in patient care.  But this may not be the case for all positions deemed CNA or MA, and I think that has been part of the problem.  If you work as an MA, but you're usually in the front office answering phones or working on prior authorizations and paperwork, that is more accurately HCE.  If you're taking vitals, performing venipuncture, and counseling patients, that's more PCE.  

Let's talk about why this will all be ok.  The final decision is up to each program, and unless they decide to change requirements last minute, all of the experience you've accrued should be fine.  CASPA gives you some discretion with statements like these: 

• "Please review the definitions below, consider the duties which you performed during your experience, and use your best judgment to determine which category your experience falls into."

• "CASPA advises applicants who have prerequisite requirements to confer with their individual programs if they are unsure how these programs will consider their experience."

• "If you have any questions in regards to your experiences fulfilling an individual school’s requirements, you should inquire with that school directly."

Healthcare and Shadowing Experience Log Download

It's essential that you keep great records of your healthcare and shadowing hours. Use this Excel form to have all of your information organized and ready to go for CASPA!

Full Name

Email*

Submit

Ultimately, you can decide where you feel like the experience should.  If it were me, I would list the experience where it was recommended based on CASPA's preferences.  But I would be very thorough in describing what my experience entailed and what my responsibilities included.  Make it clear to the programs how involved you are in patient care, but as always, be honest.  

If you're unsure about how a program will categorize your experience, the first step is to check the website and see if it's listed.  If you are unable to find an answer, consider contacting your top few programs to clarify.  Just keep in mind that they are probably getting a lot of these calls right now, so be patient.  

I hope this gives you some clarity, and if you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer or find an answer. CASPA is complicated (and confusing) at times, and I do my best to keep up, but I am not the final say!  It's also convenient that I planned for the May webinar to cover HCE and PCE (before CASPA even changed anything!).  Make sure to mark May 24th at 8 PM on your calendar so you don't miss out.  Comment below with your questions! 

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Physician Assistant Virtual Fair - April 2017

Attention all Pre-PA students!  This is something really cool that you need to know about.  PAEA is the organization that is over physician assistant education, and occasionally they do virtual fairs.  This wasn’t around when I was in undergrad, or if it was then I was clueless, but it’s a great opportunity for you.  And the best part is that it is FREE! 

The dates for the upcoming fair are April 19-20, 2017.  All you have to do is visit this link to register.  On the days of the event you’ll be able to sign on and interact directly with the PA schools you are interested in.  There is a chat option, and video as well.  Start compiling your questions so you can finalize the list of where you’ll be applying.  This is perfect timing with CASPA about to open for the 2017-2018 cycle.  

If you can’t make it to this event, it looks like there will be another one in July, but I’ve heard great things about these virtual fairs.  It’s something you don’t want to miss. If you’ve attended one before, comment below to let me know how it was and if you have any tips for other Pre-PA students who are interested in attending.  

And don't forget about the CASPA/Applying to PA School Webinar on April 19th at 8 PM EST!

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April Webinar: All About CASPA- How to Apply to Physician Assistant School

This was a LIVE recording on April 19, 2017. In this video, I go over how to apply for PA school and everything you need to know about CASPA.

For most up-to-date CASPA information, please visit the CASPA website.

Please comment with any questions you make have.

Are you preparing to apply to PA School? Determine how strong of an applicant you are with a Pre-PA Assessment.

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Personal Statement 101: Editing

Writing a compelling essay for your physician assistant school application is no easy feat. It requires dedication, creativity, and a strong focus on editing. Once you have a rough draft, the real work begins as you refine your essay to perfection!

Editing for Content:

One of the first things to tackle during the editing process is content. You must evaluate whether your essay effectively conveys why PA without getting bogged down by unnecessary details and wordiness. Keep the focus on answering essential questions, leaving no room for imagination. Be concise yet informative, showcasing your experiences and aspirations with clarity and confidence.

Editing for Grammar:

A well-written essay is not only about its content but also about impeccable grammar. Spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors can distract your reader and weaken the impact of your essay. Remember that this essay may be the most important 5,000 characters you ever write, and any carelessness in grammar can be detrimental to your chances of success. To avoid this, dedicate ample time to proofreading, and if grammar isn't your forte, don't hesitate to seek help from trusted sources.

Editing for Flow:

Your essay should be a smooth and enjoyable read. Achieving a seamless flow ensures that the experiences and ideas discussed align chronologically, making it easy for the reader to follow your narrative. A confusing essay can take away from the impact of your content, causing your reader to struggle with comprehension. Aim for clarity and coherence throughout your writing.

Getting Feedback:

While self-editing is essential, getting feedback from others is equally valuable. Family members or friends can provide insights and help with grammar, but the most beneficial feedback comes from individuals who understand the profession you are pursuing. Consider having a physician assistant, someone you have shadowed or worked with, review your essay. Here on The PA Platform, we offer professional Essay Review Services that offer specialized input while preserving your authentic voice.

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Personal Statement 101: Getting Started

After you've taken some time to brainstorm what content you want to include in your personal statement, it's time to actually start writing!  There's no denying this can be difficult.  My advice is to just start writing.  You can always go back and edit your essay later, but just get some words down on paper.  

It's okay if you don't initially write your thoughts out in the order you'll use them in your essay, but take the subjects that you brainstormed and spend some time writing about them.  Try to avoid lists, but describe your experience or story.  Expand on what you've learned through that example, and how it will impact you as a PA student or as a future PA.  

Once you have some rough thoughts on paper, try to put them in order.  It's important that your essay has a good flow, and so think about the order of your story.  How did you come to the decision of becoming a PA? If your essay is choppy or out of order, it will be confusing to your reader, and you will risk losing your reader.  Usually, your most interesting or meaningful story will be your best bet for an introduction.  

Try to make sure there are no unanswered questions.  Even if you aren't able to go into as much detail as you would like to due to the 5,000 character limit, keep in mind that you may be able to explain further in supplemental essays or during an interview. To check on the character limit, use this Character Counter website. If your essay makes questions come up, that might also make your reader lose interest.  

So here's your challenge - turn off your phone, set a timer for 30 minutes, sit down and write one full page about why you want to be a PA!  Just let your words pour out, and see where it takes you.  

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March Webinar - Crafting a Personal Statement for Your Application to Physician Assistant School

Welcome!  This webinar was filmed on March 26, 2017, but the information is still relevant and helpful.  If you're watching this as a replay, feel free to comment with any questions here or on the YouTube video!

For more personal statement resources:

Physician Assistant School Personal Statement Guide

Free 2-week e-mail course and personal statement checklist

Personal Statement Workshop

Personal Statement Editing Service

PA School Personal Statement Blog Post

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Personal Statement 101: Content

Please explain why you are interested in being a Physician Assistant.  

This is an example of the type of prompt that is given for your CASPA essay.  An open-ended request for you to explain how you've come to the decision of your future career in 5,000 characters or less (including spaces and punctuation), which is basically one page.  

At this point you start to question what in the world you should write about.  How do you start?  Should you use a story?  Or a quote?  How do you convey that out of thousands of other applicants, you are most deserving of a spot?  All valid and tough questions. The next challenge is fitting all of that information into a limited amount of space. As a pre-PA coach who has read thousands of personal statements, I hope to give you some direction on coming up with exactly what you need to put into your personal statement. 

The purpose of your CASPA essay is to show who you are as a person while explaining your motivations for choosing the PA profession. From looking at your grades, achievements, patient care and volunteer experience, an admissions committee can tell whether you have the potential to do well in a PA program academically. They cannot tell if you are a compassionate person who truly understands the role of a PA and genuinely wants to serve others through medicine. They also do not know what experiences you may have gone through to get to the point of applying to PA school. 

Some applicants overcome a lot of hardships on their journey to becoming a PA, while others haven't had those intense circumstances. That's ok. You don't need to feel inadequate in either situation, but embrace what you have done personally and use that to your advantage. I’ve come to realize that no one becomes a PA without some degree of sacrifice throughout this process, and schools will recognize your efforts and personal backgrounds. Once you have your essay completed,  we have an amazing team of editors at The PA Platform and we would love to help make your essay shine.

BEFORE YOU START

Before trying to figure out how to start your essay or finish it, you need to take some time to evaluate what exactly you want to put in there and what you want to portray.  If you need help with brainstorming, book a session with one of our pre-PA coaches to create a game plan for your essay. Your goals are to show: 

• What exactly made you decide to become a PA? - Any specific experiences you've had?  How did you learn about the profession?  Who was the first PA you met?  

• Why after deciding to become a PA, do you want to pursue it, and why does it fit you? - What have you seen while shadowing?  What good or bad examples of PAs or other healthcare professionals have impacted your decisions? 

Once you have brainstormed key themes and messages that you want to convey in your essay, you can generate a list of potential content for your personal statement and ensure that you have a well-rounded and compelling narrative. These stories will come directly from your own experiences, which makes your essay more personal and memorable.

CONTENT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT FOR PA SCHOOL

When it comes to the content of your personal statement for PA school, there are a few key elements to consider. Of note, you don’t need to come up with a “theme” because the theme is given to you in the prompt.:

• Personal Story: Use your personal statement as an opportunity to share your unique journey and experiences that have led you to pursue a career as a PA. Highlight moments, encounters, or events that have shaped your passion for healthcare and the PA profession. Make sure to connect these experiences back to your decision to become a PA.
  

• Motivation and Goals: Clearly articulate your motivation for pursuing a career as a PA and your long-term goals in the field. Discuss what draws you to the profession, such as the ability to provide direct patient care, work as part of a healthcare team, and make a positive impact on individuals' lives. Share your aspirations for how you hope to contribute to the field of medicine and the healthcare community.
  

• Academic Preparedness: Briefly mention your academic background, including any relevant coursework, research experiences, or academic achievements that demonstrate your readiness for the rigorous PA curriculum. Highlight your ability to handle the academic demands of PA school.
  

• Patient Care Experiences: Discuss your experiences in providing patient care, such as working as a medical assistant, EMT, or in another healthcare role. Reflect on these experiences and how they have influenced your decision to pursue a career as a PA. Emphasize the skills and qualities you have developed through these experiences, such as empathy, communication, and teamwork.
  

• Personal Attributes: Highlight your personal qualities and attributes that make you well-suited for a career as a PA. This can include your ability to work well under pressure, your strong interpersonal skills, your dedication to lifelong learning, and your commitment to ethically and compassionately caring for patients.
  

Remember, your personal statement is an opportunity to showcase your personality, background, and attributes. Be personal, but also keep it professional and focused on why you are well-suited for the PA profession. If you need more guidance, the Physician Assistant School Personal Statement Guide has tons of examples and more guidance with developing your personal statement. When reviewing your essay, it should clearly answer the question of “Why PA?” with personal reasons and confidence!

PA Personal Statement Worksheet Download

Having trouble getting started on your essay? Use these worksheets to get a jumpstart!

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Pre-Physician Assistant Webinar!

I have something really exciting coming to the site this month!  I'm going to be holding live monthly webinars on various topics.  I recently did one for a couple of Pre-PA clubs, and here is the replay if you want to check it out.  If you have a Pre-PA club that is interested in arranging a session, please e-mail me at savanna@thepaplatform.com

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Physician Assistant FAQ: What is "lateral mobility?"

When pre-PA students are asked about why they want to become physician assistants, there is a term that gets thrown around a lot - "lateral mobility."  I want to explain what this mean and what it actually looks like for working PAs.  

The idea behind lateral mobility is basically a flexibility in choosing specialties, and the ability to move between specialties if desired.  For example, I work in dermatology currently, but if I ever decided that I wanted a change (not happening FYI), I could potentially move to any other area of medicine if I could find someone to hire me.  So I could go to primary care, urgent care, or even cardiology.  Because PAs are trained on a general model, the knowledge base provided in school and tested on boards is over a little bit of everything.  And even if a PA works in a certain area, we are expected to stay up to date with the other areas of medicine because the current model for recertification includes all areas of medicine.  This is not beneficial for PAs like me because dermatology only makes up 4% of the PANCE or PANRE (boards).  

This differs from physicians because at the end of their 4 years of training in medical school, they must make a choice of a specialty to pursue in order to get further training.  This includes testing, research, and a match process to find where they will train for an additional 3+ years during residency.  Some fields even require further training in fellowships that are an additional 1-3+ years.  After all of this training and time, it can be extremely difficult and time-consuming to change specialties.  

During interviews, many students will discuss this ability to change areas as the reason they want to become a physician assistant, which is fine.  In the real world, most PAs tend to choose an area and stay there, so it's not like PAs are moving around all the time.  That would require additional on the job training, and it is more ideal to gain experience and then continue in that field.  If this is a reason that you are interested in becoming a PA, it's great to mention that in your interview or personal statement, but think beyond this one factor.  Try to focus on what the profession actually entails on a daily basis and why it would be something that you enjoy on a daily basis.  

If you're a PA who has changed specialties, I would love to hear your opinion on PA flexibility.  

1 Thousand Instagram Followers = Giveaways!

I made a promise a while back on Instagram that if @thePAplatform hit 1 thousand followers, we would do some giveaways over this weekend and next week.  And you guys did it!  It actually happened while I was in Africa, but now's the time!  I'll be posting most of the giveaways on Instagram, so make sure you're following me there.  Next Thursday I'm heading to the big AAD dermatology conference so I'll be sharing a lot of pictures while I'm there next weekend!

Leave a comment with what you'd like to win in this giveaway or others in the future!  

To make sure you don't miss out on any giveaways or updates, follow me on Instagram: 

@thePAplatform

My trip to Kenya!

Last month I had the privilege of going on a 10 day trip to Kenya!  It was through the ME to WE organization, and I cannot say enough about how amazing it was.  The purpose of the trip was to provide dermatological care to people of the local tribes.  We also got to participate in some unique cultural immersion activities, like visiting local homes and the local market.  I'm going to share some pictures from my trip today, and I have a lot of posts that will be coming up so I can tell you all about my experience.  I would encourage you to take any opportunity you may have to go on a mission trip!  

I'll be sharing more in the coming weeks, but if you want to see a video of me kissing a giraffe, check out my Instagram - @thePAplatform 

What is my CASPA GPA?

There's no way to get around the fact that your GPA is extremely important for gaining acceptance to PA school.  When it comes to calculating your overall or science GPA, it is much more involved than taking a simple average of all of your grades.  In this post, I'm going to explain how your GPA is calculated for CASPA since that is what the schools will be looking at.  Nothing stinks more than to do the wrong calculations, think you have a 3.2, and then CASPA calculates at a 2.9.  That completely alters the plan of where you'll be able to apply!  The reason CASPA does these extensive calculations is to standardize GPAs across all colleges and universities is so PA programs can compare students as fairly as possible. 

CASPA takes into account how many hours each course was, as well as the grade.  This is called "Quality Points."  These points are calculated by multiplying the amount of credit hours by the grade you received.  For example, if you took a 4 hr course, and made a B, this would count as 12 quality points (4 x 3.0 = 12).  To calculate your overall GPA, you divide the total amount of quality points by the total amount of credits.  If you have 50 quality points, and 20 credits, that would result in a 2.5 GPA.  All calculations are done based on the semester system.  If you have quarter hours these will convert at 1 quarter hour = 0.667 semester hours.  

There are multiple categories that are calculated separately.  Each year is separated (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, post-baccalaureate, and graduate) and then there is science and non-science.  The subjects in the science GPA include Biology/Zoology, Inorganic Chemistry, Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics, and Other Sciences.  You will choose what category courses fit into when you enter your courses, but these may be changed during the verification process if it appears that a course was entered incorrectly. 

CASPA includes all grades in it's calculations, including courses that have been repeated.  When some undergraduate programs calculate GPAs on transcripts, they will sometimes only include the grade from after the course has been repeated, which will result in an inaccurate number.  Withdrawals are not included in the CASPA calculations unless they are "WF," which will count as an F.  Pass/fail and AP credits are counted similarly to the W, and just as credits without associated grades.  On the website with information pertaining to GPAs, CASPA has some great charts pertaining to how they count different letter grades and how grades are converted in both the US and Canada.  

PA programs use these calculated GPAs differently.  Some will take exactly what is calculated by CASPA with no modifications.  Other programs will recalculate the GPA based on the highest grade after retaking courses or based solely on the last 45 or 60 hours of coursework.  They may still look at the overall CASPA numbers, but they will place different weight on these calculations if they do their own.  

If you want to try your hand at calculating your own GPA, this link to this GPA calculator is the best I've found, and calculates the same way CASPA does.  

For any questions I haven't answered, check out the CASPA FAQ page on GPAs.  

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Guest Post: 10 Tips to be the Best Medical Assistant (MA)

Taylor's back guys!  I have to admit that Taylor is the best MA I have ever worked with because she does all of these things she's listed and more.  I know it can be a busy and exhausting job, but if your goal is to become a PA, you want to make the best impression possible and secure that amazing letter of recommendation.  If you missed Taylor's first post about why she's decided to go back to school to become a PA, then check it out here.  

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1. Know your provider. - I have worked with the same PA for over two years, and with that time comes a knowledge of how she practices. I can quote verbatim the side effects of many drugs and know which medications she likes to prescribe and how she likes the flow of her schedule to run. While this takes time to learn, I have found it is very helpful for staying on schedule and running a smooth clinic
    
2. Always be willing to pitch in - In the practice where I work, each provider only has one medical assistant assigned to them. During down times when the PA does not have patients, I am asked to help other providers out when I can. I always try to do this with a smile on my face because teamwork makes the dream work.
    
3. Time Management - I like to make the most of my quiet mornings before patients get in, as well as my lunch break, to keep up with my PA’s schedule and check and make sure that patients are scheduled correctly and that our exam rooms are fully stocked.
    
4. Take advantage of learning opportunities  - At the practice where I work, we have been given the opportunity to train in many different procedures such as laser and photodynamic therapy, as well as chemical peels. Any chance to learn more, go for it (and actually pay attention). I love going to drug rep dinners with the PA I work with and getting to learn exactly how the medications we prescribed work. You are never too old to learn!
    
5. Don’t think that you are above or below any task- When I was first starting off in the medical field, I thought some tasks I was given were pretty mundane and menial. I have come to learn this is not a reflection of my intelligence, but is necessary. The simplest task I have at work is to assemble shave biopsy kits, which any fifth grader could do. But without these kits, the providers would be unable to do one of the most important procedures that allow for the diagnosis of skin cancer. These shave kits could potentially be saving someone’s life!
    
6. Don’t let one patient ruin your entire day - One of the most exciting things about working in the medical field, as well as one of the most stressful, is that you can never predict exactly how the day will go. There is always the one complicated patient that takes a little longer then you have allotted, and needs a little more TLC or hand holding than others. This can often throw off your schedule and can at time cause tempers to rise. Always remember to take a deep breath and take your day one patient at a time.
    
7. Be Organized - Any type of career in the medical field requires some degree of organization. It is difficult to manage around 30 patients a day, as well as answering phone calls, and keeping up with pathology, without having a system. I do not like to leave things undone, so the best feeling for me is leaving work at the end of the day with an empty inbox. The combination of organization and time management can be the most helpful in running a smooth clinic.
    
8. Evaluate Often - If something is not working, never be afraid to ask why and be willing to seek out ways to make your practice and office better. Savanna and I have had several conversations after certain crazy days to evaluate what is working and what is not working.
    
9. Always Be Attentive - One of the most valuable assets to being a great MA is the ability to be one step ahead of your provider. Being able to predict what they might need for a procedure or what samples a patient would benefit from keeps your schedule running smoothly. I feel like I am the biggest help to my provider when they don’t even have to ask me for things that they might need.     
    
10. Have a good attitude. - This may sound simple and obvious, but makes the biggest difference in your work environment. Just a simple smile and a willingness to serve others can brighten someone’s day and allow for unity and less drama in the workplace. 

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These tips can translate to many other healthcare positions besides medical assistants.  I hope they've been good reminders that you can take with you into work.  I love Taylor's positivity and commitment to the patients we see.  I can't even pick a favorite because I like all of her tips so much.  What tips would you add for being the best medical assistant? 

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Interview FAQ: Thank You Notes?

A question that commonly comes up in regards to appropriate etiquette following the interview is what now? Should I send thank you notes? An email? Who should I send them to?  Will it look bad if I don't send them? 

No matter how you look at it, it’s always nice to get a handwritten note. If you are wanting to send something to the program to say thank you, sending an actual written card in the mail is a great option. If that's not your cup of tea, it's alright because we live in a technology era where email has become the norm. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing! An email is a quicker option to send your thanks to your interviewers. If you are planning on sending a note of thanks, it doesn’t matter which you choose, so go with whichever option you feel more comfortable with.

To know who or where to send your note or email can be a hurdle to actually being able to give your thanks. Try to get this information at your interview, whether it’s provided on a handout or by asking the program coordinator. If you forget (probably due to nerves, which is completely reasonable), contact the program coordinator after the interview, and see if they can provide the mailing address or emails that you need. If you don’t recall your interviewer’s name(s), then you may be out of luck with getting this information at a later date.

You can keep your note short and sweet because you want to be respectful of your recipient’s time. Thank your interviewer for taking the time to interview you and the opportunity to learn more about their program. If there’s anything memorable or specific that you discussed during your time with the interviewer, you can refer to that in your note to help your interviewer recall you more.

While thank you notes are a nice gesture, you don’t need to feel like they are an absolute necessity. At the end of the day, it’s a courtesy, and not a factor that will have an impact on your acceptance to PA school. So don’t let the idea of getting names and addresses and writing thank you notes stress you out. If it’s too much to handle right now, that’s ok!  To be perfectly honest, I did not send thank you notes.  When I went on my interviews, I was in the middle of finals and actually had to reschedule some of them, so that was my priority at the time.  And I was still accepted!  

Leave any advice/questions you about thank you notes in the comments below!

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Guest Post: Why I Decided to Go Back to School

Hey Everyone!  I'm so excited to bring you a guest post from someone I spend more time with than my husband, and who keeps me sane - the medical assistant I love the most, Taylor.  I'm really lucky to work with someone who is also one of my best friends, and we have SO much fun.  She also is one of the most positive people I've ever met, and she puts up with my (occasional) stress and negativity so well.  I'm so proud (and sad) that she's decided to pursue becoming a PA, and I think you'll gain a ton of knowledge by following her journey here!  

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This one time we dressed the same for the Christmas party completely on accident!

    Hey there! My name is Taylor and I work with Savanna. I have been working in the medical field for almost six years now, and as a Medical Assistant for four years. If you were to ask me in high school what I wanted to be when I grew up, the answer was always the next Katie Couric. Friends actually signed my senior yearbook with “Can’t wait to see you on The Today Show!”  I come from a family with zero medical backgrounds, and honestly I was never interested in medicine. Flash forward to my senior year of college in 2010, and realized I really don’t see myself having a career in PR. I was one semester away from graduating and wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life. 

    I moved to a new city and started to look for PR jobs with non-profits. After several months on the job search, and a quick stent at my favorite quick-service restaurant (let’s just say ‘my pleasure’ is forever engrained in my head), I came home to my roommate telling me I had a job interview with a local dermatologist. This is just one example of one of the most valuable lessons that I have learned post-college - networking is everything. This roommate worked at a hair salon where my new boss had her hair done, and mentioned that she was looking for a new hire since her receptionist just got into PA school. Always be on the lookout for opportunities to network! 

    I asked my roommate what the job entailed, and she had no idea. All I knew is it sounded somewhat interesting, and I knew I wanted a change of scenery. I went into the interview, and the first question they asked was “Are you okay with blood?” I responded with a cautious “Sure?”  The office manager proceeded to tell me the different responsibilities of the job, and the tasks I would be doing. I started off mostly as a front desk receptionist, and worked with the physician one morning a week so her medical assistant had time to do paperwork and catch up on other tasks. After a few months on the job, I could see that being in back with patients, interacting with them, and learning about dermatology, was the most enjoyable part of my job. 

    A few years later, we hired a Physician Assistant and I became her full time medical assistant. This was as far as I could move up the ‘totem pole’ at my job, and for several months was satisfied with where I was. For someone who had no experience in the medical field, I found it very intriguing and could see why people would want this career. When I first started this job, I knew being an MA was not something I could see myself doing my entire life. For several years I thought about possibly going back to school, but to be honest, it scared me, and I thought it would be too much. One of my greatest weaknesses is my love of comfort. I was comfortable with where I was. I knew what was expected of me and knew my job and could do it well. 

    This year, I finally decided it was time. I never wanted to look back in five years, and regret the fact that I wasn’t willing to take a leap into the unknown. I am single, don’t have children, and thankfully did not have student loans, so what was I waiting for? I was quite nervous when I first decided to go back to school. I have been out of college for six years, the only science classes I took were 10 years ago, and I am working full time. How was I going to juggle all this?! One step at a time, that’s how. So in September, I began. I am two classes down of the eight I need to apply for PA school, and guess what? I’m still alive! It has taken a lot of time management (Hello Kate Spade Planner for the win), saying no to dinners with friends and weekends away, and knowing that “This too shall pass.” 

    For all of you college students out there wanting to go to PA school straight after graduation, I am kind of jealous. I have thought recently how nice it would have been to graduate with a degree and know exactly what you wanted to do for a career. But do I have any regrets about waiting? No.  I have learned some valuable lessons in my twenties. I have learned what it means to live on my own, that the real world is not as easy at it seems, that time management is very important, and that it really is never too late to chase a dream. All it takes is one little step, and that first step is usually the hardest, but is always worth it. I do not know where this road the Lord has me on is headed, but I am going to trust that “there are far better things ahead than anything we leave behind.”

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If you're struggling with deciding if this is something you can do, i hope Taylor's story and insights have provided some encouragement to keep pursuing your dreams!  Leave any comments or questions for Taylor below!  And if there's anything else you would like to hear her perspective on, leave a comment! 

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Personal Statements: Tips from a Reapplicant

I'm so excited to bring you guys an awesome guest post by Meghan from the PA blog, Meghan in Medicine!  Enjoy!

Ah, the dreaded personal statement talk. Personal statements can be uncomfortable, strange, and odd to write. Writing or talking about myself has never been my strong suit, and always makes me feel awkward. There is a thin line between coming off confident, well balanced, and self-aware opposed to cocky, conceited, and arrogant in person, and this line is even thinner on paper.

I was a second time applicant to PA school when I got acceptance offers. I altered my personal statement in between application cycles to really encompass who I am, what I've been through that would make me stand out as an applicant, and who I want to be as a Physician Assistant. These are such vague ideas but they helped steer me in the right direction. I was not 100% happy with my first personal statement and am glad that I reached out to get opinions on revising it.

I was fortunate enough to visit with a PA-C who was formally on an admissions committee board for a PA school about my application during my off time. She told me some harsh words about my first personal statement. She told me to nix the dramatic introduction - something I've been told to include since undergraduate workshops, and really focus on 1. what makes me stand out as an applicant 2. what I can bring to a PA class in terms of diversity, and 3. what I will bring to the table as a Physician Assistant.

To help those that are needing some direction I am going to share some major points I made in my personal statement that corresponds with the advice I was given.

1. What I think helped me stand out as an applicant is that I am an African American woman in a health care field that is 3% African American. I touched on that in my introduction and I gave background on why I wanted to be in the healthcare field.
   
   

2. I bring diversity first in my ethnicity and second in my experiences. I have taken two Medical Service Trips that I am so proud of and am thankful for. The second one made the most impact to me due to an interaction with a citizen who said he'd "rather die" than receive help from the public hospitals around him. This trip was a moment where I realized I wanted to dedicate myself to serving the underserved in medicine and in my community one day.
   
   

3. This section was at the end and it included my goals as an aspiring Physician Assistant. Touch on the patient care you want to provide, the kind of provider you want to be recognized as, patient advocacy, health education, etc.

I really do hope this will help someone reading this because I know how awkward it is to write an essay about yourself. Try to be as honest and forthcoming as possible. Do not include things that aren't genuine because they will notice and will take note. Remember, these admissions committees read upwards of 2,000 personal statements per application cycle, and they know what they are looking for.

Make sure to check out Meghan's website, Meghan in Medicine, for more awesome Pre-PA advice, and you can e-mail her directly at Meghan.ross12@yahoo.com if you have any questions!  I'm excited to hear more of her advice once school starts, and I hope you guys will show her some love in the comments.  

If you are a reapplicant make sure to check out my Youtube video PA School Reapplicant FAQ - What You Need to Know to Reapply to PA School where I answer questions about reapplying.

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Tips from an Undergrad: Preparing for the Medical Profession

I'm so excited to share a guest post with you from Emily at The Organized Undergrad.  She's doing an amazing job of documenting her journey towards the medical profession, including all of her experiences and process of deciding between PA or medical school.  I recently did a post for her about this that you can find on her blog. 

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Hello readers of The PA Platform!

I’m Emily and I’m a pre-medical/pre-pa student that runs TheOrganizedUndergrad. I’m currently a sophomore in college and I’m a Health Science major/Human Biology minor. Since I have a full year of undergrad under my belt, I would love to share some insight on the things that I’m doing to better prepare me for the medical profession.

First off, I am in a sorority (Chi Omega) and I hold a leadership position as the Director of Campus Activities. This is just a fancy title that means I keep my sorority chapter involved with the school and other on-campus organizations. I act as a liaison between us and the Director of Greek Life, as well as plan various events such as Greek Week. I can’t stress enough how Chi Omega keeps me feeling supported and motivated when I’m stressing about school. It is my creative outlet away from science and medicine. I have also gained a wonderful friend group and support system by joining Chi Omega.

Second, I foster good relationships with my professors. Whether you’re pursing medical school or PA school, you are going to need outstanding letters of recommendation. Showing up to class every day, on time, communicating, asking for help, and following through are excellent ways to show your professors that you are worth recommending. Even if you make a sub-par grade in the class, if the professor knows that you have given your 110% effort, they will respect you for that. I also let my professors know that I appreciate them by sending them a thank-you card at the end of the semester. This helps them remember you with a positive impression. If possible, I take multiple classes with the same professor (if they are good!) to help solidify relationships and keep consistency.

Third, I think it’s important to keep balance in your academics and extra-curricular activities. I was the queen of “over-doing it” when I was in high school. I spread myself so thin that my grades and my relationships started to suffer. I am keeping myself limited in what I will say “Yes” to during college. I think that maintaining friendships and a social life positively impacts grades and academics. It’s very possible to burn yourself out in college by doing things that don’t really interest you. This spring, I will be taking an EMT-Basic class at my local community college to gain health-care experience and make some money for school. I am very excited for that!

Lastly, be brave, it’s amazing what people will tell you when you ask. I reach out to every medical professional that I can about their experience in health care. I have spoken with Nurses, NP’s, Physicians, and PA’s. I have narrowed down that I love the medical model, thus I am deciding between PA and MD. You can’t ever have enough information or perspective, so ask everybody and anybody what their opinions and experiences are. Also, I would caution prospective health care professionals to stay away from websites like studentdoctor.com. They are forum-based and tend to become negative and discouraging frequently. Speak only with people who have real experience and knowledge, rather than someone hiding behind a username.

I also wanted to highlight some very cool things that I have seen while shadowing! So far, I have shadowed a Cardiothoracic Surgeon, a Cardiothoracic PA, and an Anesthesiologist. As far as full-length surgery, I saw three CABG (Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting) surgeries and a Cesarean section. I also ran around the surgical unit with the Anesthesiologist and saw small portions of a vaginal hysterectomy, a robotic lung surgery and an abdominal surgery. On my days shadowing the PA, we rounded on patients all morning and I watched as he updated their medications and discharged some patients. He removed their chest tubes and also showed me a patient with subcutaneous emphysema (air bubbles under the skin) and it felt like a rice krispie treat. My best experience was with a patient that had surgery (that I watched) on Sunday morning that had a very high mortality rate. They pulled through and I actually watched them get discharged on Friday afternoon. It was very gratifying to see them make it home. A big thing that I learned from this experience is that I really love talking to patients, and I don’t think that the surgical environment is for me.

I start my sophomore year of college in just under a week, and I will (hopefully) be expanding my experiences and learning more about the healthcare profession that I love!

Please feel free to contact me through my website, www.theorganizedundergrad.com. I would be happy to answer any questions and would love to hear about your experiences!

Meet Emily from The Organized Undergrad!  

A big thanks to Savanna for inviting me to post on The PA Platform!

Best of luck to everyone!

Emily (The Organized Undergrad)

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So Why Do You Want to Be a PA?

This is a question that you can be expected to answer multiple time, even daily when you make the decision to become a PA.  Here is one PA's answer to the common question of "Why PA?"

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I stumbled upon the profession by chance. I was a junior in high school when a friend of mine casually brought up the title Physician Assistant. I had no concept of what it meant to be a PA but I was intrigued. Luckily for me the internet was swarming with information so I quickly learned the vital role PAs play in medicine.

Once you graduate from a PA Program and receive your license you can start working in the specialty of your dreams - it seemed unreal. In addition, as a PA you have the autonomy to actively manage patients beside a doctor. Your job description can widely vary depending on the area of medicine which you are employed. Although all PAs require a "supervising physician" in order to practice, this does not mean that a doctor is present during all of your patient interactions. Many PAs actually have their ownschedule of patients they independently care for. Picture this: You see a patient, obtain a history, perform a physical exam and find that they have developed an infection. As a PA you are then able to initiate a treatment plan. If your plan includes ordering lab tests and writing a prescription for antibiotics, you can make those decisions without having to consult with a doctor. However, if something seems unusual or you are not quite sure how to proceed forward, you have the comfort of asking your supervising physician for guidance. I feel that is actually one of the most comforting aspects of the profession, I am never alone. I always have someone I can bounce ideas off of and to rely on if I hit a crossroad.

Another appealing facet of the profession is you can work as little as 3 days a week in some specialties and consider yourself full time! In other words, working as a PA it is possible to establish a great work life balance. In addition, if your ever need to supplement your income there are ample opportunities to pick up extra shifts. I am constantly receiving job opportunities from recruiters for per diem and locum tenens positions. Working part time or even taking a hiatus from your career is not uncommon. In 2015 the NCCPA found 1,481 PAs were not in clinical practice due to family responsibilities. For example, I am taking time off from my clinical duties to be at home with my newborn daughter. I love having the comfort in knowing that when I am ready to re-enter practice again, I will be able to find a job suitable for me.

Duke University established the first PA program in 1965. For a profession that birthed its first three PAs in 1967, PAs have come a long way. At the end of 2014 there were 101,977 board certified PAs in the country. I consider myself lucky to be a part of the movement, and so should you!

Charishma Nayyar Mankikar, PA-C, is a plastic surgery physician assistant and the founder of PAsRISE.com

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