Undergraduate education: Minnesota State University- Mankato
Overall GPA: 3.94
GRE: 319
PA-CAT: N/A
Total PCE hours: 2,200 hours as a CNA. I first worked in a rehabilitation/ long term care facility and later worked as a float CNA for the Mankato area where I worked in a variety of setting and facilities such as memory care and assisted living.
Total HCE hours: 250 hours as a pharmacy technician
Shadowing hours: 22 hours of virtual shadowing on YouTube!
Volunteer hours: About 325 volunteer hours. I crocheted items and donated them to shelters, was a mentor for my school, and worked at a local food shelf!
How many times did you apply?: 1
Age: 24
Gender: Female
Why PA? I found my interest in medicine during middle school when I realized it might be a little bit odd that I found myself constantly reading books about people who were sick and then I would go home and research the disease that they had because I needed to know more about it. I am a first generation college student and I originally set my sights on becoming a doctor because with my interest in medicine and affinity for school that is what made sense to me. However, once I started to really think about my life and my career in medicine I asked myself what kind of provider I wanted to be. I want to be someone that works with underserved communities by providing compassionate and comprehensive healthcare in a variety of setting. After doing more research and learning about the PA profession, I realized how much the profession resonated with me. I had been doubting my happiness with a career as a doctor and when I read about being a PA I just knew that was what I was meant to do.
How many programs did you apply to? 9
How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes? I had 7 interviews that resulted in 6 acceptances and 1 waitlist.
Where will you be attending? UW-Madison
Anything you found interesting about interviews? I felt that in all of my interviews the interviewers really just wanted to get to know who I am better. I felt that it was my chance to bring life into my application and I really enjoyed the interview process.
Any advice for other pre-PA students? Apply smart and be willing to do more! The process is expensive, so make sure you are meeting all of the pre reqs for the schools you apply for- and take a look at their accepted applicants stats if they are available. Also- don’t be afraid to take the GRE, PA-CAT, CASPER, if you are able to and write those extra essays! A lot more people will apply to the schools with no additional requirements so if you want to be an applicant in a smaller pool go above and beyond!
Where can we find you? (Instagram, TikTok, Website, etc) - My Instagram is @kaylee_jensen
