Undergraduate education: Purdue University
Overall GPA: 3.76
Science GPA: 3.65
GRE: N/A
Total PCE hours: At the time I applied, I had 2,902 PCE hours. I gained these hours across various positions including as a ophthalmic technician and a clinical research assistant in multiple settings.
Total HCE hours: At the time I applied, I had 1,820 HCE hours. I gained these hours mainly from being a hospitalist medical scribe.
Shadowing hours: At the time I applied, I had 20 shadowing hours. I used my relationships with doctors and PAs at work to obtain shadowing experiences.
Volunteer hours: I had 98 volunteer hours that I gained throughout various experiences in my undergraduate career, and post-graduation prior to the pandemic.
How many times did you apply?: This was my first cycle applying and was lucky to receive an acceptance!
Age: 24
Gender: Female
Why PA? I fell in love with medicine in college after taking anatomy and physiology, and then later becoming a hospitalist medical scribe. But I had a hard time deciding on which career path in medicine was best for me to take. Taking gap years to gain work experience allowed me to take the time to figure out what I value in life and in a career. I became more attracted to the PA profession as I started working with more PAs. I really like the balance between autonomy and teamwork that PAs demonstrated to diagnose and treat medical conditions. I also like the lateral mobility the PA profession uniquely offers. A lot of the PAs I worked with had taken advantage of that throughout their careers to explore their interests and find their niches.
How many programs did you apply to? I only applied to 4 programs.
How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes? I interviewed with 3 programs. I was waitlisted at all 3 programs, but luckily was pulled off a waitlist and given an acceptance.
Where will you be attending? Northwestern University
Anything you found interesting about interviews? I was surprised that every interview felt very different to me. There were some interviewers that I definitely connected with more than others. This impacted how I felt during and after the interviews.
Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, webinars, etc) you used to get through prerequisites courses, the application or interview process? I binge-listened to the PA Platform's podcast which helped a lot with the application and interview process.
Any advice for other pre-PA students? In my opinion, the PA school application cycle is an emotional rollercoaster and your situation can change very quickly. There may be silence from programs for months, and you may start to lose hope. But then the next day, you may get an interview or even an acceptance! Hang on for the ride, you will get through it!
Where can we find you? (Instagram, TikTok, Website, etc) - Insta: @thatemmilygirl
