Undergraduate education: NC State
Overall GPA: 3.70
Science GPA: 3.57
GRE: 307
Total PCE hours: 2100, I gained these hours by working as a CNA in homecare and in an ED, and as an MA at an allergy clinic
Total HCE hours: 180, at the allergy clinic where I worked as an MA I also did administrative and secretary work and I used these as my HCE hours
Shadowing hours: 82, I gained the majority of these hours by shadowing my dad (whose a PA) and his MD, NP, and PA colleagues. I also did virtual shadowing weekly, there are a lot of great programs online that offer this!
Volunteer hours: 120, I volunteered weekly at a local clinic that provided healthcare to underserved individuals, and this is how I gained the majority of my hours. I also volunteered with COVID-testing on campus.
How many times did you apply?: 1
Age: 22
Gender: Female
Why PA? Working closely with others, ability to switch specialties, work-life balance, helping underserved and rural patient populations
How many programs did you apply to? 12
How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes? 5 interview offers, attended 4, accepted to 4
Where will you be attending? East Carolina University
Anything you found interesting about interviews? Even if you do a lot of prep, its easy for your nerves to make you blank! Practice for both an in-person and virtual interview setting as they both feel very different and it is likely many schools will continue holding virtual interviews.
Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, webinars, etc) you used to get through prerequisites courses, the application or interview process? For interview prep I highly recommend doing a mock interview through the PA Platform. I did two and it was super super helpful! The practice gave me a lot more confidence heading into my interviews.
Any advice for other pre-PA students? Its a long journey, but I promise you it's worth it! Be proud of yourself and enjoy the process. Don't be afraid to reach out to others and ask questions.
Where can we find you? (Instagram, TikTok, Website, etc) - Intsagram: @Victoriablau
