caspa essay examples

CASPA PA School Applications: How to Answer the New Life Experiences Essay

Your initial reaction might be to panic, but don’t worry. We’ll take it step by step so you’ll know exactly how to tackle this new essay prompt. By the end of this guide, you’ll feel confident in crafting a response that will make you stand out as an applicant. Without further ado, let’s take a look at what this new essay is all about. 🙂

Table of Contents

The New CAPSA Life Experiences Essay

First, let’s take a look at the new CASPA Life Experiences essay prompt :

Explain how your life experiences and/or perspectives could contribute to the PA profession. How can these experiences help advance the goal of having healthcare providers who reflect the population of the country? This question provides an opportunity to describe impactful life experiences, especially challenges or adversity in areas such as family background, community setting, education, or other hardships or life experiences that may not be easily presented in other parts of the application. The experiences described can be from any point in your timeline and do not need to be directly related to the field of medicine or health care. This question is also intended to provide admissions committees with information to understand the context of your journey better and to assist with mission alignment through holistic review of applicants. (2,500 characters)

Now, let’s take a look at the steps to crafting a standout essay . 😀

Why Is There a New CASPA Essay?

As you’re probably aware, the number of PA school applicants grows each year, but the number of available seats in each program remains roughly the same. Consequently, admissions committees need to be more selective about interviews and acceptances , which is a difficult task, given that there are more qualified applicants than seats available.

With thousands of highly impressive applications each cycle, admissions committees need ways to better distinguish between applicants, which is where this new essay comes into play. The Life Experiences essay gives admissions committees a chance to get to know you better as a person before ever meeting you. The essay format itself is also valuable, as it allows applicants to demonstrate their capacity for thoughtful reflection and effective communication – attributes that are not as readily apparent on a resume or CV.

Will It Look Bad if I Skip the New CASPA Life Experiences Essay?

As tempting as it is, don’t skip the life experiences assay. A general rule of thumb for any competitive application is to answer every essay prompt, even if it’s labeled as “ optional. ” This is because opting out of writing an essay can give admissions committees the impression that you can’t be bothered to put in the extra time, which signals disinterest or laziness.

Simply put , don’t skip any essays , unless a prompt genuinely doesn’t apply to you or you are truly unable to answer in a way that will add value to your overall application. Instead of looking at this essay like another hurdle to overcome, think of it as an opportunity to further showcase yourself!

How to Write the CASPA Life Experiences Essay

Pick a topic.

When it comes to picking a topic, ask yourself, “What unique insights do admissions committees want to learn about me that aren’t covered elsewhere in my application?” This question should give you a good idea about which topics are and aren’t suitable to include in your essay.

Keep in mind that this essay question lends itself to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) values , as it specifically addresses accepting students that align with program missions and training future healthcare providers that reflect the population of the country.

Therefore, an effective strategy for approaching this essay is to think about a subgroup to which you belong, recount a specific challenge you encountered as a member of this subgroup, and convey the insights you gained in the process .

Here are 12 topic ideas for the CASPA Life Experiences essay :

Coming from a disadvantaged and/or low-income background
Facing discrimination based on age, sex/gender, race/ethnicity, culture, etc.
Navigating a learning disability or neurodiversity in an academic setting
Growing up in a single-parent household
Immigrating to a new country and adapting to a different culture
Overcoming language barriers as a non-native English speaker
Navigating the challenges of being a first-generation college student
Overcoming cultural or familial expectations to pursue a career in healthcare
Overcoming homelessness or housing insecurity
Witnessing a loved one struggle with a health condition
Serving as a caregiver for a family member with a chronic illness or disability
Overcoming a personal tragedy

Helpful hint : Look at PA programs’ missions and goals. Use these topics to help you get started. You can also think about anecdotes that you originally considered including in your personal statement but ended up not using.

Whatever topic you decide, make sure that it’s personal and specific to you . Tell your own story, rather than crafting a generic-sounding essay that could’ve come from any applicant.

Avoid pitfalls.

Don’t discuss topics that are included in other parts of your application, particularly your curriculum vitae (CV). Doing so would be redundant, as it would fail to provide admissions committees new insights into your qualifications. (Remember, they’ll read your CV so there’s no need for a repeat.)

Instead, focus on areas where you can offer fresh perspectives or delve deeper into aspects of your background that haven’t been highlighted elsewhere . Use this essay to showcase more of your personality so admissions committees are more inclined to extend an interview invite to learn more about you.

Lastly, don’t speak poorly of anyone . Instead, focus more on highlighting your positive attributes. 🙂

Consider essay length.

The CASPA Life Experiences essay has a limit of 2,500 characters. For a better idea, this is half of the allowed length for the personal statement. With this limit in mind, make sure to stay concise and focused.

While you don’t have to hit the allowed character limit, you should try to get close. Doing so demonstrates to admissions committees that you put in an adequate amount of time and effort into your essay.

Write your Life Experiences essay.

The Life Experiences essay is a place to emphasize your soft skills and offer a glimpse into your thought process. With an essay format, you have the opportunity to present a narrative that is both engaging and reflective, connecting your past experiences with your future goals.

Pro tip : Show. Don’t tell.

First, provide a concise but detailed account of the circumstances surrounding the life event you chose. Describe the nature of the event: What happened? What were some of the contributing factors? How long did it last? Offer a clear timeline so admissions committees can fully grasp the context and significance of the experience.

Then, explain how the experience impacted you. How was your life altered as a result of the event? How did you feel? What was your thought process throughout the experience? By providing insight into your perspective rather than solely recounting events, you not only showcase your personality but also build empathy and connection by giving readers a front-row seat to your journey.

Next, discuss how you overcame the challenge and your takeaways. Even if the end result wasn’t exactly what you wanted, what did you learn? What lessons are you taking with you? How did the event shape you into who you are today? Regardless of the outcome, you should highlight your thought process and ability to overcome adversity.

Lastly, tie your essay back to your envisioned role as a PA. How will the experience make you a better provider, team member, and/or leader? The connection doesn’t have to be a direct one but be sure to emphasize relevant qualities that are aligned with PA program missions and the PA profession as a whole. Some examples include being adaptable, resilient, and compassionate.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this essay allows for a more nuanced evaluation of your potential contributions as a future PA. Programs want a deeper understanding of who you are beyond your achievements and qualifications. The Life Experiences essay invites them to empathize with your challenges, celebrate your triumphs, and understand the motivations driving your future endeavors.

By sharing specific anecdotes and insights, you’ll make your story compelling and memorable, which helps admissions committees see you as a well-rounded and thoughtful candidate. Remember to be authentic, and your Life Experiences essay can only add value to your application!

Well done on reaching the end of this article! Take a quick moment to acknowledge all of your dedication in putting together an exceptional CASPA application. 😀

That’s it for now! See you in my next article. As always, stay healthy and keep learning.

Phoebe Zhang

Write The Perfect PA School Personal Statement [With Examples]

Filling out your PA school application is exciting and overwhelming. You’re beginning the first steps to your career goal, but it includes so much!

You’ll need to complete your application through the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants ( CASPA application). The application includes letters of recommendation, service hours, and a personal statement.

Your personal statement is one of the most important pieces inside the CASPA application. A PA personal statement is really a personal essay that offers you a time to shine.

The goal is to pique the admissions committee’s interest in you, in hopes they will contact you for a school interview.

Your PA school wants to learn more about you and your past experiences. If you’ve kept a journal of your healthcare experiences, it will make the process a little easier. If not, take a week to think through your past medical experiences, patient interactions, and shadowing experiences.

Your goal is to be accepted into a PA Program, become a PA student, and join the PA profession . To get there, you have to complete your application essay. So, let’s get started!

What Is the Purpose of a Physician Assistant Personal Statement?

Your PA personal statement might be the toughest part of the application process. Ultimately, your application essay is a sales piece about you, and that can be difficult to write. Inside the application, your PA school sees an academic background that talks about what kind of student you are.

Your work history tells them about what you’ve done professionally. Your letters from your PA evaluators show what others have to say about you. This is the only time in your PA school application that you hold the pen.

The American Academy of PAs recommends you pay attention to a few dos and don’ts as you consider what to put in your personal statement. Remember there is a 5,000 character limit. This means you have 5,000 characters, not words, in which to complete your essay. Often, this will come out to be about 800 words.

In your essay, clearly state why you’re pursuing the PA profession while demonstrating your knowledge of it. Communication skills are a necessity in the PA profession, and this is a chance for your communication skills to shine. Use your personal essay to communicate why you’re up to the challenge.

Don’t be vague, don’t use abbreviations, and don’t use informal language like contractions. Instead, write formally and identify the theme that brings the whole essay together.

Be sure to make every word count. Most importantly, do not make your personal statement a reiteration of your application. The admissions committee has already read your application. This is time to make yourself unforgettable.

As you are brainstorming, outlining, and writing your application essay, keep your audience in mind. Admission committee members are physician assistants, and they’re looking for good future PAs.

They’re interested in your desire to be part of a growing profession and your passion for patient care. Communicate this through your application essay.

Your PA School Wants To See You Shine in Your Personal Statement

Your personal statement is your unique story of why you want to become a physician assistant. To tell your story well, it’s important to do your homework on your audience. Start by investigating the physician assistant school and take note of their mission, ideas, and values. You can find most of this information on their website.

Look for the emphasis the school places on primary care or specialties. Do they encourage out-of-state applicants? What’s their vision for the future of education? As you find these answers of the PA program you hope to attend, ask yourself—How am I a match? Answers to these questions will help you as you write your personal statement.

Each week, skim through the articles that pop up in your news feed to get to know your intended school. The key word here is “skim;” it’s not necessary to read each word. You only need to read enough to find information to include that will help set yourself apart from other candidates.

Unless you’re perfect, you likely have had to overcome some challenges in your education or your personal life. Recount these challenges in your application essay and identify how you’ve overcome them. Above all, be human in your essay so the admissions committee connects with you and is excited about meeting you.

Prepare, Then Write Your PA Personal Statement

Let’s begin at the beginning. Don’t procrastinate! Some prospective PA students put off writing until they feel inspired or they feel the deadline is disturbingly close.

Sadly, this only feeds the anxiety that often accompanies writing a physician assistant personal statement. If you avoid procrastinating and instead use the process below, it becomes easier. The process includes brainstorming, outlining, and finally writing. But first, let’s start with the structure of the personal statement.

Anatomy of a Physician Assistant Personal Statement

The first thing you need to understand is the structure of the document. Once you know that, it’s easier to brainstorm the type of information you’ll need to write it. A PA personal statement includes an opening statement, a body, and a strong conclusion.

Opening Statement

Your opening statement sets the tone for the rest of your essay. It must grab your reader’s attention and make them want to stay along for the ride. This is where your research into the school comes in handy. Some schools prefer a straightforward statement while others are looking for a compelling story that sets the stage for your desire to become a PA student.

Opening statement stories can recount:

When you were cared for by a physician assistant.
What you learned from your personal medical experiences.
What you discovered from a friend or family member in the healthcare field that touched you.
Your volunteer experiences.
What it was like to live in a medically underserved area.

Providing a personal experience helps the admissions committee decide if they want to invite you to a school interview. Be sure to brainstorm multiple personal experiences to use in your opening statement. That way, as you move forward and start writing your first draft, you can change the opening statement to fit the flow of the rest of the essay.

Body of the Essay

This part of your essay tells the admissions committee why you decided to apply to their physician assistant school. Include in the body of your essay how you built an understanding of medicine and what drove you to want to become a physician assistant.

For instance, shadowing other healthcare professionals, reading, healthcare experience, and personal experience are ways of showing your knowledge and passion for the medical field.

It may also help to touch on why you chose to be a physician assistant and not a nurse practitioner or an MD . Remember, you’re speaking to PAs who already know what a PA does . Instead, address what it is about being a physician assistant that speaks to you personally.

Mention specific skills that make you a great PA, such as teamwork, communication, compassion, and your desire to work as a healthcare provider.

If you were faced with challenges and obstacles during your high school or college career, address them and discuss how you’ve grown from the experience. Don’t make excuses; just take ownership of the situation and address it honestly.

Strong Conclusion

You’ve finally finished the body of your PA school essay. This last paragraph of your personal statement should reemphasize your desire to attend physician assistant school, and, specifically, that school’s PA program. In your last paragraph, let your empathy, passion, skills, and dedication shine through.

Make a Personal Statement List, Then Check It Twice

If the process makes you feel overwhelmed, be assured you’re not the only one. However, taking these next two steps can make writing the essay much easier and less intimidating. Let’s start with a personal statement list from which you will later write an outline.

Schedule a date for when you’ll start writing your first draft. Mark this date in your calendar so you won’t forget or procrastinate. Then, on your calendar, mark one week before your “start writing” date. This is your brainstorming date.

On your brainstorming date, make a list of points you want to cover in your application essay. Because this is a brainstorming session, you don’t consider the character limit, it does not need to be in logical order, nor does it all have to follow the same theme.

Your list should include from 3 to 5 experiences that demonstrate the path you’ve taken to become a physician assistant. Patient interaction, academic experience, shadowing, clinical experience, and volunteering all fit the bill. If you have a particular story that you would like to weave throughout the essay, then include that on the list as well.

If you’re considering beginning your application essay, with a story, it’s helpful to brainstorm multiple ideas. A good opening story will build the structure of the document, so add all potential ideas to the list. Again, this is brainstorming, so there’s no need to nail down your opening story right now.

Now, put the list off to the side for at least 4 days. This will give you a chance to mull over your ideas without pressure, so when the time comes, the essay flows naturally.

Create an Outline of Personal Experiences

After 4 days, pull out the list of your personal experiences and begin to structure your essay in the form of an outline. An outline can help you organize your thoughts, so your content flows together.

Remember, there is a 5,000 character limit, so the outline will help you stay on track as you write on the proverbial paper (because you’re writing it on the computer, right?). .

Most pre-PA students write their essays in chronological order. And, truth be told, this is also the best way for the admissions committee to absorb the information. If you do choose to flashback, make it clear so your reader isn’t confused.

Do not try to be perfect—neither in your writing style nor in how you portray yourself.

Your ability to be vulnerable about your challenges makes you more of a real, relatable person. Set aside 2 or 3 days to nail down the outline for your personal statement. Not 2 or 3 full days, but 2 or 3 days to write, mull, and contemplate over the structure, stories, and theme you’ll use.

Start Writing Your Personal Statement: It’s Time to Put Pen to Paper

It’s time to start writing. Set aside quiet time when you won’t be interrupted, and find a space where you can relax. Turn off your phone notifications and shut the door. Take time during the process to do what helps you to calm the butterflies. Simple exercises, music, prayer, and meditation are all popular methods of quieting your mind.

Then start writing using the outline. As you write, remember this is a first draft; you’ll spend time editing, rearranging, and proofing later. Writing your first draft might be one of the fastest steps in writing your personal essay. This is because you’ve already put in the time and effort to develop the ideas. Now is the time to depend on them.

If you feel stuck, many writers find freewriting loosens the creative juices and helps the words flow.

Freewriting is the practice of continuously writing the thoughts that come to you. It was discovered by Peter Elbow in 1973, and it’s been found to help “un-stick” content development. Plus, since you’re using a keyboard, this technique is much easier for you than it was for Mr. Elbow using pen and paper.

After you write your first draft, you’ll need to edit it. One editing technique is to speak your essay out loud as if you were telling it to someone. Use a recorder so you can playback your thoughts—especially those well-worded statements you can’t seem to recreate later.

Seek a Personal Statement Review

Once you’ve polished your personal statement to the best of your ability, it’s time to seek a personal statement review. This is a review process undertaken by an expert, licensed PA who can help improve the flow of your essay and guide you to produce your best possible personal statement for PA school.

Your PA school essay should not be the area of the application process that limits your acceptance.

Potential PA students do well to have a personal statement review, so they don’t get lost in a sea of applicants. The admissions committee is not looking for a cookie-cutter essay, but rather your strongest response to their prompt.

Some PAs that do personal statement reviews also offer services to review CASPA applications. Consider this when choosing a PA to perform your personal statement review. As you weigh your options, costs, and timing, remember the importance of the personal statement to your PA school application and ultimately getting a school interview.

Examples of a PA School Essay

It’s always easier to understand how to write your essay after you’ve read several examples. The PA Life published and analyzed 31 examples for you to read through. At the end of each of these real-world examples are brief comments to help guide the writer to produce a better essay.

The first time you read through a personal essay example, you may miss some points, so be sure to read through examples multiple times.

Here are two short examples using different perspectives to help you determine what the best option is for your personal statement. Neither of these meets the 5,000 character limit since the objective is to offer you different options in the way they could be written and not to develop a full physician assistant program essay.

Personal Statement: Example One

I was seven and my mother was once again giving me cough syrup. I took it standing over the toilet because the cherry flavor made me nauseous, and I was sure I would throw up. This went on for years.

Years of springtime coughing and cherry cough syrup. Years of coughing all night and well into the day. Years and years—until as an adult, I realized I had allergies. In those years, I was cared for by my family physician who was gentle, caring, and took the time to talk with me and my parents.

Over the years I have been treated by nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and physicians. Thankfully my lungs have healed well, and I use my inhaler once every two to three years.

But in those years, I grew to have an understanding of the different roles of mid-level providers and physicians. And, from that understanding, I grew to appreciate the flexibility, professionalism, skills, and abilities that a physician assistant brings to their practice each day.

During my hours of healthcare experience as an EMT, I have also had the privilege of working alongside physician assistants who have demonstrated the unique combination of communication skills, teamwork, and compassion that I believe I also hold.

My desire to practice as a physician assistant is driven by my own healthcare experiences as well as those I have witnessed at work.

Over the past five years, I have volunteered at homeless shelters and nursing homes, while working as an EMT. In that time I have come to realize I am driven to help others, and being a physician assistant is the best way for me to fulfill that life mission. [Character count: 1588, Word count: 281]

Personal Statement: Example Two

In the past three years, I have held the hands of children as they died, comforted their parents, and watched their siblings mourn. For three years I have watched the doctors, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants in our hospital work to save lives, and I have seen the difference they make.

As a nurse, I had always assumed I would go on to become a nurse practitioner, so I could see my own patients. But, in the past three years, I have had the chance to see these professions in action, and I have come to realize my goal is to become a physician assistant.

Growing up I lived in a medically underserved area of our large metropolitan city. I saw first-hand the injustices that led to the loss of life or permanent disability. Today I am a nurse in a large city hospital serving those same people, the people from my neighborhood.

In these years I have developed strong communication skills that have served me well as I teach my patients how to care for themselves at home. My experience has been that positive patient outcomes rely on patient understanding and a belief in their necessary care.

My patients and colleagues have taught me the meaning of teamwork, compassion, and understanding of cultural differences. In watching the practice of different medical professionals, it has become obvious that physician assistants are the embodiment of the kind of care I want to offer my patients.

Each medical professional comes from different backgrounds, with different perspectives. I know that my perspective has been impacted by the neighborhood and community of my childhood.

I believe this impact has been a positive one, as it has driven home the need for people who are sensitive to cultural differences, have the time and desire to work with patients, and who have the skills and knowledge to care for them. These characteristics describe me, and I believe they are a deep and integral part of the physician assistant’s practice.

During my freshman year of undergraduate school, my grades faltered as I was learning how to live away from home and control my own schedule. By my sophomore year, I understood what was needed to get the grades I desired, and I achieved high marks through the rest of my education.

To achieve my goal requires my diligence, focus, and ability to absorb and utilize knowledge. I believe I have demonstrated these characters in my undergraduate degree and during my work experience. I am confident in my ability to successfully complete my education and close the gap in healthcare as a primary care provider. [Character count: 2,562 Word count: 444]

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How to Write a CASPA COVID Essay That Stands Out

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the world, and the healthcare profession is no exception. CASPA has an optional essay – referred to as the COVID essay – for applicants to discuss how the pandemic has impacted their path to becoming a PA. This is an opportunity for you to share your story and show admissions committees how you have overcome challenges and grown as a person during this difficult time. This is key when it comes to your COVID essay – demonstrating how you have overcome the obstacles thrown your way during the pandemic, specifying the skills you learned to hurdle difficulties, and how you matured and grew as a person.

Additionally, here are a few tips for writing a COVID essay that will stand out:

Be honest and authentic.

The most important thing is to be honest and authentic in your essay. Share your story in a way that is true to who you are. Don’t try to be someone you’re not, and don’t be afraid to share your vulnerabilities. Admissions committees want to get to know the real you, so let them see your personality and your passion for becoming a PA.

Be specific.

Don’t just say that the pandemic was a challenge. Share specific examples of how it impacted you. Did you have to take time off from school or work? Did you lose a job or a loved one? Did you have to pivot your career plans? The more specific you are, the more relatable and compelling your story will be.

Focus on the positive.

Even though the pandemic has been a difficult time, it’s important to focus on the positive. Share how the pandemic has made you a stronger person and a better future PA. Did you learn new skills? Did you develop new interests? Did you find new ways to connect with others? Admissions committees want to see that you can overcome challenges and come out stronger on the other side (similar to how you will get through the rigors of PA school).

Proofread carefully.

Before you submit your essay, be sure to proofread it carefully for any errors in grammar or spelling. A well-written essay will make a positive impression on admissions committees and show that you are detail-oriented and take your application seriously.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenging time for everyone, but it can also be an opportunity to grow and learn. By sharing your story in a honest and authentic way, you can show admissions committees how the pandemic has made you a stronger person and a better future PA.

CASPA Application Essentials: What You Need to Know

Learn the CASPA application service and requirements you need to know. Want to get into PA school ? Once you’ve researched and chosen your programs, you’ll need to complete a CASPA application. A majority of programs, from the best PA schools in the US to the easiest PA schools to get into , use the CASPA application. In this article, we’ll go over the list of PA schools that use CASPA, a step-by-step guide to completing the application and some samples to help you in crafting your own application.

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free strategy call here . <<

Article Contents 5 min read

List of pa schools participating in caspa.

Here is a list of the physician assistant programs in the US which use the CASPA application. You can also check out the PA schools by state if you’re looking for the closest PA program to your location.

Note that physician assistant programs in Canada do not use the CASPA application.

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Complete list of PA Schools in the US that use CASPA

What is caspa.

CASPA is the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants and is the application service used by graduate physician assistant programs in the US. If you are applying to multiple PA school programs, or one of the many schools on the list above, you should get to know the CASPA application.

To start, review the common PA school requirements . Note that many schools will have additional requirements on top of these, such as supplementary essays or application questions. You will be prompted to complete these additional steps when you fill out your CASPA application, depending on which programs you choose.

You should also carefully review if your programs of choice require the GRE, the PA-CAT, the CASPer test and any other evaluations or tests. Not every PA school will require these, but you will need to know ahead of time if they are required so you can plan to include them in your application timeline.

The CASPA application portal opens on the last Thursday of April each year, and continues until the following April 1. The entire application cycle is therefore about a year long, but CASPA allows participating programs to choose from 10 different application deadlines:

September 1

You can check which programs use which color-coded application status deadline here . If you\u2019re applying to programs with different color-coded deadlines, make a list of every item that needs to be complete for what program and on what date. Also note that some programs will have additional deadlines or requirements that aren\u2019t listed on the CASPA website, so consult the official program page before starting your application. ","label":"IMPORTANT!","title":"IMPORTANT!"}]" code="tab3" template="BlogArticle">

Most PA schools use rolling admissions and set their final deadlines in the fall, meaning it’s better to submit your application as early as possible, ahead of interview season, for the best chance of getting a spot before they’re all filled up. If possible, submit your CASPA application materials (i.e., the "blue deadline" materials as early as you can and make sure you submit the remaining requirements by the listed deadline.

If you’re still in your undergraduate studies, it’s best to start preparing for your CASPA applications in the fall of your junior year so you have time to complete all the admission requirements and submit your application nice and early. If you’re planning to take a gap year after you graduate or you’re a mature or non-traditional applicant, give yourself 12-18 months ahead of the program’s application deadline to prepare your application and make sure you meet all the requirements.

Once you’ve created a CASPA account and started your application, you’ll first be asked to complete the personal information section. It includes the following items:

CASPA Release Statement
Biographic Information
Contact Information
Citizenship Information
Race & Ethnicity
Family Information
Environmental Factors
Other Information

Note that most of these sections are completely optional, and you can choose what information you want to share with PA schools. Some PA programs require additional background checks for all applicants, on top of the criminal background check completed by CASPA. CASPA also verifies all the information you provide before submitting your application to programs.

CASPA Application Part 2: Academic History

This section covers your academic history and transcripts, as well as any standardized test scores and PA school prerequisites . The sections included are:

High Schools Attended
Colleges Attended
CASPA Transcript Entry

CASPA Course Subjects

Standardized Tests

Transcript Entry

You can order all your electronic transcripts while filling out this section, or mark that you are sending your transcripts to CASPA via mail.

For an additional fee, you can also ask the CASPA Professional Transcript Entry (PTE) service to enter all your high school and undergraduate coursework into the CASPA application. For 1-3 transcripts, the fee is $77. It takes around 10 business days for the PTE to fill out your transcript entry in your application.

CASPA uses your transcripts to calculate several different GPAs, including your science GPA. Many PA schools evaluate your candidacy based on your cumulative GPA and your science GPA. Some programs may only look at your science GPA to determine your eligibility for their program. You can see how CASPA calculates your GPA here .

Courses in these subjects are considered part of your CASPA science GPA:

Biochemistry
Biology/Zoology
Inorganic Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
Other Science courses

Note that Mathematics courses and Behavioral Science subject courses are considered non-science courses by CASPA. A full list of CASPA course subjects can be seen here .

Standardized Test Scores

In the standardized test score section, you can add both standardized test scores or tests you plan to take as part of your application to PA school. PA schools commonly require the GRE or PA-CAT, and a handful even accept the MCAT in lieu of these two tests.

You can add test scores to this section once you’ve completed a test, but you cannot remove old scores, so be sure to check for errors before submitting!

If you are taking the CASPer test as part of your PA school requirements, you will need to send your scores to your designated schools on your own. CASPA does not send CASPer scores to PA schools for you. ","label":"Tip","title":"Tip"}]" code="tab1" template="BlogArticle">

Do you need physician assistant application help services? Here’s how it can help you:

CASPA Application Part 3: Supporting Information

This part of the CASPA application includes the bulk of your qualitative materials, achievements and experiences. Here’s what the CASPA app includes in supporting information:

This section allows you to choose any licensing and certifications you have from a drop-down menu. ","label":"Achievements","title":"Achievements"}]" code="tab2" template="BlogArticle">

CASPA Application Sample Entries

Description : Published a thought-provoking essay in a medical humanities journal, exploring the intersection of art therapy and palliative care. This publication demonstrates an interdisciplinary approach to healthcare and a passion for holistic patient well-being. ","label":"CASPA Achievements Samples","title":"CASPA Achievements Samples"}]" code="tab4" template="BlogArticle">

Here are some PA personal statement examples and tips!

CASPA Application Part 4: Program Materials

The final part of your CASPA application is the Program Materials section, which includes the additional components unique to each PA program. They can include:

Questions – These might be multiple-choice or short answer supplemental application questions. This can also include PA school supplemental essays .
Documents – Some PA schools may ask you to upload supplemental documents to your CASPA application.
Kira Talent Interview – Some PA schools ask you to complete a Kira Talent interview separate from your CASPA application.
Prerequisites – You may be asked to self-identify which courses you’ve completed or plan to take that fulfill a program’s prerequisite courses.

PA School Interviews

PA school interviews are not a part of your CASPA application, but they are nonetheless an important part of getting into your program. One of the best ways to prepare for your interviews is by using mock PA school interviews to rehearse your answers and polish your delivery. A unique part of the PA school application process is the PA school interview essay —a surprise supplemental essay on the day of your interview! Be ready for anything.

Here are some common PA school interview questions to prepare for:

Tell me about yourself.
Why do you want to be a PA?
Why did you choose this program?
What contribution can you make to the PA profession?
What are your goals as a PA?
Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?
What do you feel you can contribute to our program?

CASPA is the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants, an application service commonly used by graduate physician assistant programs in the US.

Not all PA schools use the CASPA application, but a majority of the PA schools in the US do.

The requirements for a CASPA application can vary depending on the individual PA school requirements for admission, but in general they include the following:

Bachelor’s degree and official transcripts
PA school prerequisites
Minimum GPA
GRE or PA-CAT scores
CASPer test
Personal statement or admissions essays
Letters of recommendation

You need 3 letters of recommendation for your CASPA application, although you are allowed to submit up to 5 different references.

Your CASPA personal statement should be under the 5,000 character limit. So, around 600-700 words at a maximum.

It can take up to 4 weeks for CASPA to verify your information and documents once you’ve completed and submitted your application. Once the CASPA verification is complete, your official application will be sent to your designated PA schools.

Keep your entries brief, and include the dates, type of practice you observed and a brief description of the procedures or patient treatments you observed.

CASPA considers these courses as core science courses that count towards your science GPA:

CASPA also includes a list of “Other Science” courses that are counted towards your science GPA, mainly science electives.

Source: Physician Assistant Education Association

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Writing Your Physician Assistant (PA) Personal Statement [Plus Sample Essay]

By accepted.com - Jun 12 , 09:30 AM Comments [0]

While there are many different ways to approach writing a personal statement (PS) for your PA application , I am including a successful example here. The character limit for the CASPA application PS is 5,000 characters with spaces.

In this essay, you are responding to the question, “Why PA?” To write a compelling essay, take some time to reflect on this question. After reading the essay below, you’ll understand why this student was accepted into a PA program. The student has given permission for it to be shared publicly. All personal identifiers or details have been removed to protect the privacy of the student.

<< Work with an admissions pro to create a PA application that gets you accepted to your dream school! Click here to get started. >>

Sample PA personal statement:

I was nine years old and in the middle of Mrs. Russell’s third grade class when my stomach began to itch uncontrollably. I remember thinking to myself, “Did I get bitten by a bug?” Completely distracted by the incessant itching, I asked Mrs. Russell if I could go to the nurse’s office. When the nurse lifted my shirt, I saw the biggest “bug bites” I had ever seen covering the majority of my stomach. She quickly called my mom who took me to several different doctors as the “bug bites” continued to spread all over my body. None of the doctors could figure out what was wrong with me until I saw a Dermatology PA. He immediately diagnosed me with a delayed allergic reaction. He gave me a medication that almost immediately made the hives disappear. I no longer struggled to open my eyes! It was like magic! To this day, I still have no idea what caused that allergic reaction, but I am grateful for this experience because it introduced me to a PA who continued to touch my life and cultivate my interest in medicine and healthcare.

Year after year, my love of learning continued to flourish. I began taking gifted classes in math and science in the fifth grade and continued to take honors and advanced placement classes when I reached high school. In addition to my studies, I also began to play volleyball and softball. Through these sports, I learned the skills that a textbook could not teach me, such as accountability, integrity, teamwork and leadership. Through my academic achievements, active participation in numerous school clubs, and leadership role as the captain of my volleyball team, my high school nominated me to participate in a National Youth Leadership Forum (NYLF) in the summer of 2009. I attended lectures by a PA, a nurse, a chiropractor, a veterinarian and several physician specialists. In addition to the lectures and countless group activities, I visited several medical facilities. In one of the labs, I saw a table displaying human organs infected with different diseases and cancers. To my surprise, I was eager to touch them and learn why the people they once belonged to could not have been saved. From that experience on, I became determined to pursue medicine.

My interest in the PA profession quickly became a driving force in my life after my mom was diagnosed with Stage IV Melanoma in February —-, and quickly passed away in October of that year. I was devastated upon hearing her diagnosis. How could this happen when she went to the Dermatologist every three to six months? The same Dermatology PA who had healed me with his “magic pills” spent a significant amount of time with my mom after her diagnosis. He met with her and my dad following a long day of seeing patients, to determine if he had missed something in her regular exams. He also made himself available to my entire family, recommended specialists and experimental treatments. He explained everything we did not understand along the way. It is because of the compassion, sincerity, and care he provided to my mom and my family during this difficult time that I became certain I wanted to pursue my love of medicine as a PA.

Throughout my undergraduate career as well as the time since I graduated, I have continued to explore the medical field to learn as much as I can about becoming a PA. Through countless hours of shadowing and volunteering as a medical assistant at ——— Dermatology, I have learned how crucial teamwork, effective communication, detailed note taking, and compassion are for effective patient care. There have been numerous instances where doing a simple and nearly painless biopsy could have turned into a serious and most certainly uncomfortable medical situation. By taking thorough patient histories, accurately noting any allergies, and verbally communicating these notes with the practitioner, I have been able to ensure that patients receive the best care possible while averting any avoidable crises.

Every challenge and opportunity that I have encountered since I was the itchy little girl sitting in Mrs. Russell’s class has brought me to this decision. My mom’s passing has only made me more passionate about this profession and has given me a new appreciation for life that I hope to share with my patients and community. With my love of learning and helping others as well as the skill set I will gain from a PA program, I am certain that I will have the tools needed to become a valued member of a larger care team. I am eager to see how these opportunities will positively impact not only my life, but also the lives of others.

Applying to grad school? Schedule a free discovery call to find out how Accepted can help you!

Components of a successful physician assistant personal statement

This essay is exceptional for three main reasons, among others:

The student directly responds to the essay prompt. Each paragraph represents a different reason why becoming a PA is the only profession for this student. In reading it, you sense the applicant’s gratitude towards, dedication to, and thirst for knowledge in the field of medicine. It’s honest and well written. For these reasons, the student was invited to interview and received an acceptance.

In my experience, past behavior predicts future behavior . This student shares a pattern of behavior that aligns with the work and responsibilities of a PA. With a love of learning and teamwork, as demonstrated by the activities described above and how long term the student’s involvement has been in them, you can see how well this student will fit into the role of a PA. The student also reveals how much effort has gone into preparing for this career path.

View our Physician Assistant CASPA Application Package for help creating an exceptional application and personal statement that will get you accepted to the PA program of your dreams.

10 Tips for Acceptance to a PA program - download your cheat sheet today!

Related Resources:

From Example to Exemplary , a guide to writing outstanding application essays
How Did This Successful PA Applicant Get Accepted? a podcast interview with a soon-to-be PA student
How to Get Accepted to Physician Assistant (PA) Programs

The post Writing Your Physician Assistant (PA) Personal Statement [Plus Sample Essay] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog .

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How to Write Standout PA School Supplemental Essays

There’s a variety of physician assistant specialties to choose from. These tips will help you pick one that’s right for you.

If you’re applying to PA programs , you likely already have a handle on the requirements for your CASPA application. But what about any supplemental applications? It can often be difficult to navigate each program’s individual requirements for supplemental applications, including different essay prompts and additional fees for each. If you’re wondering how to make your PA school supplemental essays stand out from other applicants, here’s everything you need to know to get started.

Many years ago, when I was a pre-PA applicant, I impulsively added a school to my CASPA application at the last minute without thoroughly researching the school’s requirements. Surprisingly, I received an email a few days later informing me that my application would not be considered complete until I finished the supplemental application and paid an additional fee. I distinctly remember clicking the link in the email and feeling overwhelmed as a new browser window opened and three additional essay questions popped up. Rather than completing the essays, I promptly closed out of the browser window and didn’t look back.

Now, I think back on this moment and wonder: What if this school had been the perfect fit for me? What if it was one that I hadn’t impulsively added to my application, but rather one that I had meticulously researched and had my sights set on for years? I would hope that after years of completing prerequisite coursework , obtaining patient care experiences, and polishing my personal statement, a supplemental essay wouldn’t be the obstacle standing in the way of a school that I desperately wanted to attend.

What are supplemental essays and how are they different from your personal statement?

As a reader of many applications over the past few years, it’s clear that supplemental essays aren’t simply there to add additional steps to the application process. Supplemental essays allow a program to ask questions that are more targeted to their specific program (e.g., “Why did you apply to our program?”). It helps the application reviewer further delineate whether you’re a good fit for their cohort, and it also gives you another opportunity to demonstrate who you are.

The prompt for your CASPA personal statement is “Please explain why you are interested in being a PA.” This question is general and nonspecific, as your response is included in your application to every program where you apply. In contrast to your personal statement, supplemental applications are not a required component of every program. Additionally, some programs may have a supplemental application, but no supplemental essay. Some programs may include one supplemental essay, while others may have multiple essay prompts.

What are the general requirements for PA school supplemental essays?

Supplemental essays are typically shorter than your personal statement, though this can vary. While CASPA personal statements have a character limit of 5,000 characters (including spaces and punctuation), supplemental essays are often shorter than personal statements, varying from 250–2,000 words based on the program and prompt. Some supplemental applications may have short answer questions requiring a response in 50–100 characters rather than a full essay.

Additionally, supplemental applications often have an additional fee. You should thoroughly research schools of interest so they can appropriately budget for this added expense.

The delivery of supplemental applications and essays may also vary by program. Some may need to be submitted at the same time as CASPA. Some programs may automatically send the supplemental application to students via e-mail as soon as their CASPA application is received, while others may only send it out if an interview invitation is offered. You should work quickly to complete the supplemental essays and pay attention to deadlines, as these may differ from the program’s posted application deadline or may differ from applicant to applicant based on when their application was received and verified.

If you’re required to upload a document with your responses, standardize your formatting (12-point, monospaced sans-serif font, such as Arial). Also, pay attention to specific uploading instructions regarding document type (.doc vs. .pdf) and naming the document.

What are some common questions that PA programs ask as supplemental prompts?

While supplemental essay prompts vary from program to program, there are some common themes that pre-PA students should expect:


Program interest	– – –
Program mission	– –
Program diversity	– –
Future interests	– –
Professional commitment	– – –
Community engagement	– – –
Resilience	– –
Miscellaneous	– – –

How do I start brainstorming ideas for these prompts?

Begin early—ideally before you submit your CASPA application. It may be helpful to create a “brainstorm notebook” with pages dedicated to potential supplemental essay themes. Keep your notebook with you at all times and jot down ideas as they come to you. This process was helpful to me during personal statement writing as I often find inspiration on my walks home from work.

Ask yourself the following questions as you brainstorm:

What are my future goals?
What am I looking for in a PA program?
How have I been shaped by my experiences?
Which aspects of myself will set me apart from other applicants?

What are some tips for writing my PA school supplemental essays?

1. plan ahead.

Identify which schools have supplemental essays before you submit your application. Keep track of deadlines for supplemental essays and plan ahead. Then, budget your time to complete your supplemental essays as soon as you receive your essay questions.

2. Get familiar with the program

Familiarize yourself with the programs to which you applied and their missions. Peruse the website, attend info sessions, and participate in pre-PA events. You want to have a good grasp and understanding of what the school is looking for in a student and make sure this matches what you’re looking for in a school.

3. Make it different than your personal statement

Don’t copy and paste your personal statement! You should be covering different material than you do in your CASPA personal statement. Remember, this is your opportunity to supplement your application, not repeat it using different words.

4. Be specific

Highlight your answers with experiences and clear examples. Your answers should demonstrate your research and understanding of the program along with your ability to tie them to your own experience, interest, values, and goals. Also, be sure to avoid generic statements or vague language.

5. Tell the truth

Don’t write based on what you think the program wants to hear, especially if it conflicts with your true interests and values. Honesty is the best policy!

6. Proofread

You don’t need to pay for proofreading services—have a friend or family member read your essays and provide feedback. Consider recording yourself reading your essays and then playing it back. You may discover “sticky” areas, redundancy, or sections that are in need of smoothing over.

7. Tailor to each specific program

Don’t reuse a supplemental essay without first revising it to align with that specific program’s essay prompt. Even though supplemental essay questions may be similar across programs, prompts will still have enough variation in their wording that it is obvious if a response was reused. I’ve personally seen students submit an essay to one program with another school’s name in it!

8. Clearly answer the prompt

If the question is asking about the program’s mission, don’t ignore the prompt and use the open space as an opportunity to explain a failure on your transcript or another unrelated experience. Supplemental essays are often scored based on a specific rubric, so if you don’t answer the question a reviewer may be unable to score you.

9. Avoid buzzwords

Make sure that in an attempt to tailor to a specific program, you aren’t simply regurgitating language from the program’s website. There is a time and place for buzzwords, but using too many of them will distract from your essay and make it feel less personal.

10. Demonstrate who you are

Remember, your supplemental essays are an opportunity for an application reviewer to get to know the real you! It’s always frustrating when I’ve read through an entire applicant’s package and I still feel like I don’t know anything about them. Above all, the best way to stand out in your essays is to expand upon what makes you unique, the same way that you would in an interview. You got this!

More than 85% of PA programs in the U.S. use Rosh Review Qbanks to help their students prepare for their board review and beyond. Get a headstart as a pre-PA student with a free trial !

By Jennifer Comini, PA-C

Jenn Comini, PA-C, is a physician assistant educator in Los Angeles. After receiving a bachelor’s in behavioral neuroscience from Northeastern University, Jenn completed her MS in Physician Assistant Studies at the Pace University-Lenox Hill Hospital PA Program. She has worked clinically in urgent care and neurology, with a special interest in headache disorders, neuroimmunology, and mental health. She now works as an Assistant Professor at a PA program. Jenn has been a question author for Rosh Review since 2017. When not lecturing or writing questions, Jenn is often spending time with her rescue dogs and doing yoga.

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CASPA COVID essay

Hey y'all, I've been looking into what others have written for the COVID essay, if they wrote one at all.

I worked at an outpatient diagnostic center throughout college and the pandemic. When my college shut down, I started working full time, and I ended up creating our COVID policies/procedures/guidelines. This involved talking to a lot of health departments and keeping our rules updated weekly.

I'm wondering if you guys think that is something I can say for the essay? It seems like others have been mainly mentioning personal/mental/professional hardships.

Trust Me, I'm a PA

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Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Caspa personal narrative tips.

It’s crucial that you explain why you want to become a PA, but also to summarize how you found out you wanted to become a PA without somehow stating the definition of a PA from AAPA’s website. You need to figure this one out on your own.
Being a PA, you should have some tie to primary care, if not, underserved populations, and if you can tie both of them in, you’ll be set!
You need to set yourself apart somehow from why you didn’t want to become a physician or a nurse practitioner. These are common errors in the personal statement. What experience with a PA made you decide the PA route was for you?
Talking about the physician-PA team/model in your essay will show that you are knowledgeable about the profession and understand a crucial element of becoming part of the health care team. While shadowing, you should've explored this relationship and hopefully you understand that trust between a PA and their supervising physician is vital.
Occasionally, you can work in topics like managed health care, cultural disparities within health care, or other things you might have observed while working/shadowing. These allow the reader to understand the breadth of medical knowledge (outside the semantics) you bring with you.

83 comments:

Thanks for the helpful post! I am a reapplicant and a PA that I shadowed helped me structure my first narrative. He said to always ALWAYS start with "I want to be a pa because..." to hit them right between the eyes. Have you seen any success with statements like that? What are your thoughts?

First off, I want to thank you for reading Kay. I appreciate any and all feedback and I'm happy to know that my advice is helping other students. Personally, I would never start an essay like that. I understand why he would think it would be most straightforward to do so, however, I think the admissions committee will be looking for a bit more creativity than that. The people that perform the best in the admissions essay are those that write their essays in an anecdotal format. I think that's everyone's best bet because it allows the reader to understand more about your personality through emotion and description. If you're too blatant and dry in your writing, it might not come off as appealing to committees that you have anything truly to offer to their program. Part of being a PA is communicating well (oral and scribe) and being compassionate, make sure you don't forget those. Again, this is just my opinion. Your PA has great points to make himself I'm sure, but having more than two opinions can be helpful, too! Read the PAForum! See what other people say about it. Good luck Kay!

Hi Paul! I was wondering if you could give me insight into my own personal statement? Do you read/critique essays for Pre-PA students? Thanks!

Paul- your tips are great. I have my CASPA narrative first draft done and am doing some tweaking. Would you mind looking at it for me? Thanks Megan

hello I was wondering if you could look at my PA essay also, it would be a great help

Hello Paul. Thank you for your valuable insight. I too would like to know if you could review my personal narrative but understand if you don't have the time. If not, do you have any information regarding resources for this service? Thanks. -Logan

Great Tips! I am a pre-pa student who got a head start on writing my personal statement, and let me tell you, I HAVE BROKEN ALL OF THOSE RULES hahah. But after 3-4 re-writes and 1 complete overhaul with my personal statement, I am much more confident with my current PS. I have 2 years to go to get it perfected.

Karlos, Hopefully your revisions were not only helpful for the mechanics of your paper, but also helped you to more clearly understand yourself and your goals in life as a potential PA. I wish you the best!

Paul, Do you recommend we DO start off with "Since I was a young child.." or we DONT. Also, would you be willing to look at mine as well? Thanks! Brooke

Hi Anonymous, If it were my essay, I wouldn't start off with such a cliche introduction. I would try to keep things as original as possible. Keep in mind that your admissions reader will probably have read 100 essays before yours. You don't want them to skim read over yours because it's boring and unoriginal.

Paul great advices! Would you mind reading my personal statement, it would be a great help! Thank you!

Hey Paul. Why do you recommend avoiding using the word I? I actually use it quite often in my personal statement and now I am very worried!

Using the word "I" too many times in your essay makes your essay very unenjoyable to read. "If I were to talk about how many times I could say 'I' in one sentence I think I would die." Do you see my point? Avoiding the word "I" may take a little bit of work, but it makes your essay flow much better when you use other pronouns to supplement.

Paul, I know you said not to use acronyms. Does that apply for common acronyms as well, like CO for the state of Colorado, or EMS instead of emergency medical services?

Or "Basic-EMT" in place of basic emergency medical technician?

I think the point there was not to use acronyms that the reader might not know. Don't assume, for example, that the reader knows what ASPCA stands for. You can expect them to know what EMT is and for states, I'm sure that is fine as well.

Hey Paul. I enjoyed reading your input. I am reapplying this year. Would you mind reading my essay?

Hi Diviya, Earlier this year I was reading a few people's essays, but I got so many essays that I fell way behind and so I've stopped taking requests for the moment. I hope I can continue in the future, but it's very difficult for me to get back to people when I have my own school work to get to. I hope you understand.

Thank you Paul, This your advice has been extremely helpful.I'll be off to a good start.

I appreciate you reading! I wish you the best!

Hi Paul, during the semester where I was trying to improve my grades and taking prerequisites my mom was diagnosed with cancer, at the same time the financial aid informed me there was a mistake in FAFSA after they gave me the grants. Long story short, my grants were taken away, my mom didn't speak English, I could not keep up with everything and decided to drop all the classes i was taking during that semester. I was not failing at all in these classes but because of money and time i knew i could not finish these classes and support my mom. These W's are not failing grades but just withdrawal grades. I feel that this is such a big red flag to the committee.. As soon as I got more support and situated, I re-registered these classes at a county college to finish at a lower cost. How do i address this in my essay without dragging on too much? I learned that I need to establish a better support system for when I am in PA school and double check on all my financial aid to make sure this would never happen again. I'm afraid these W's grades would affect my chance greatly. Any advice?

I would be very detailed about your situation in your essay, but refrain from sounding like you are complaining. Gear your essay as if you are presenting the situation you were in, and focus more on how you turned your life around to prepare yourself for PA school. Make sure to talk about what you learned from this experience and tell them what plan you have made to ensure it doesn't happen in the future. If you haven't done this yet - I would figure out what you would do (theoretically of course). Best of luck to you!

Hi Paul, I am a foreign/international medical graduate with about 10 years clinical experience including internship/residency/fellowship and attending physician in my country. And I had been a biological researcher at US for 10 years and now I want to go back to become a clinician to practice medicine in the US. To avoid tough USMLE exams, highly competitive residency match vigorous training and for a easier job, I have chosen to become a PA rather than a physician at US. Can I advise me how do I write a good essay to persuade the committee to believe that I am truly interested in PA not physician profession? thanks. MC

Well, first off, I would definitely not use the line "being a PA is easier than being a physician" in your essay. If this is what you think, then are definitely misunderstanding the concept of a physician assistant. I think a lot of people who truly do not understand the profession think because the name entails "assistant" that it means that the job is "easier" or "less work." This is not always the case. Sometimes you may have to put in more hours per week or be on call more hours than your supervising physician. I encourage you to visit the American Academy of Physician Assistants website and learn more about what a PA is or read about them on physicianassistantforum.com before writing your essay. Next, you don't need to just convince the committee that you want to be a PA through your essay, you need to actually want to be one. From your reasoning above, it doesn't really seem like you do want to be one. It seems like you just want an easy way out of having to re-exam and do another residency. Being a PA is more than that. It is about spending quality time with your patients and reaching out to the underserved communities. If this isn't something that interests you, then maybe being a PA isn't what you were meant to be. The two professions have some similarities, but are also vastly different from one another. If you don't understand the basics, then any committee, regardless of your essay, would know by your interview that you did not want to be a PA. Trust me, they tell us about physicians such as yourself who try to get into PA school for the wrong reasons. They know and look for people like you and will not let you in. I'm sorry to be harsh, I just want to prepare you for the worst. If PA school is something you truly want to do, you need to figure out WHY you want to be PA and not for the reasons you listed above.

I highly recommend a personal statement service such as myPAresource where they have actual PA faculty members and admission's panel members review and critique your essay. I truly believe they got me into physician assistant school

hi paul, i am in middle school and i am applying for a school for highschool. I decided to write about moving to America...any tips

Thank you for share this informative post.

Paul, I am a junior in college preparing to enter PA school. I am a full blood, federally enrolled Native American. I have volunteered through Indian Health Services and am very active within my tribe. You said NOT to mention race. What would you do in my case? My whole reasoning for being a PA is to help my own. Thank you.

I definitely think it would only help in your case, Melody. Perhaps that needs to have a disclaimer along with it? It more so applies to including things like religion in your essay, where some students have reported that ad-coms have waitlisted them because they were concerned whether students were so religious that they would try to convert their patients. Anyway, it is a lot of anecdotal stuff from forums anyhow. As far as race and country of origin goes, you don't want the reader to focus too much on how different or alike you are from the rest of the pack. Instead, you want them to focus more on your personal qualities and why you want to become a PA. It's less about what you are and more about who you are, do you get me? If I harped on the fact that I was hispanic in my essay and how I wanted to serve hispanic communities within my entire essay, I would get nowhere and tell the admissions committee absolutely nothing about why I wanted to become a PA, why I chose medicine, and who I am as a person. Instead, I chose to write about other things. I hope this helps. I don't want to discourage you from writing about your race. You most definitely should. What I am saying is just to write about it carefully and save the details maybe for your interview? You will have plenty of time to talk about everything then :) I'm sure you will be a fantastic PA and I hope you look into the IHS Loan Repayment program!

Hi Paul, I’m finishing my CASPA application today, but have not started my personal essay. I have no idea what to say because my life is so different now than it was when I graduated college. I basically went into college doing Pre-Med, but during my sophomore year I decided to major in Business. I started interning for a radio station and realized that I wanted to work in the music industry doing artist management. I focused my next few years in college doing internships in the music industry in hopes of moving to Nashville. After I graduated I did move to Nashville and worked for Enterprise Rent a Car. I moved back home after 2 years because I just wasn’t happy with what I was doing with my life. I knew I wanted to do a job that didn’t feel like work and at the end of the day knew I would make a difference in someone’s life. A couple months after I moved back from TN I started working at a Children’s Hospital in the billing department. Working in the hospital (although I had few interactions with the patients) brought joy to my heart and I realized that this what I want to do. In May of 2013 I started taking my prereqs for PA school, I worked full time and took classes full time. I’m worried about the patient contact experience since I do not have as much as other applicants. I shadow a PA in the morning (clinic) and then in the afternoon head to the OR one day a week. I also shadow a doctor in the ER at the children’s hospital every once in a while on the weekends. I’m also worried about my grades in college. I had a terrible attitude with school work during undergrad and while all of my friends were making A’s & B’s I had a final GPA of a 2.6! My worst semester ever was my first semester in college freshman year. I had a GPA of a 1.65. I’m afraid that will hurt me even though it was 4 years ago since I graduated. My work ethic in school has changed significantly and my GPA for my prereqs is a 3.67. I just feel that I am all over the place and my road to becoming a PA is not the “norm” as other applicants. Can you give me some advice on how I can structure my personal essay or even give me tips of what to include? Like everyone else I hate talking about myself. Thank you.

Writing your essay for PA school is honestly the easiest thing to do and people make it way harder than it needs to be. Think of the experiences that you've had (patient care experiences, family experiences, your own family physician or PA, etc.) that helped you decide to become a PA. Tell it like a story. No - not like "once upon a time..." But anecdotally. I'm sure if you go to a book store or look online there are PA school narratives somewhere that you can read and get ideas from. Talk about how those experiences shaped your decision to enter the field of medicine and how you feel that you learned the characteristics of a PA (you'll need to look these up). Anyhow, not having lots of hands on healthcare experience is going to hurt your application. With a low GPA and "bad" semesters - low HCE won't help you. In my honest opinion, you would be better off gaining more health care experience and applying when you have experience. You could also retake coursework and continue to improve your overall science GPA as everything is averaged together. If not, take new science courses (microbiology, medical spanish, medical terminology, biochemistry). This will only help your chances. Instead of harping on the past, improve your future. If you talk about your GPA mistakes in your essay, make sure to talk about how you'll ensure you will never make those same mistakes again - and really talk about how you've changed your study habits (detail is important). Also, I suggest not talking about how you were pre-med. That will also not help you in your case. If you do talk about how you were a business major, etc. make sure you note when you decided medicine was your calling and WHY. Keep shadowing! Best of luck.

Hi Paul, I noticed that you wrote a clinical research coordinator is not good experience for PA school and I was wondering if you could elaborate. I currently work as a clinical research coordinator at a cancer center. Everything that I do centers around patient care, whether or not I am seeing a patient. I attend patient visits, especially visits in which we screen patients for eligibility to determine if they meet the requirements to initiative the trial. This involves gathering medical history, adverse events, current medications, baseline symptoms, etc. I am then responsible for reporting this information to pharmaceutical companies. I have to know every detail about each patient that is enrolled on the trials I am responsible for. I do admit that I am not in constant direct contact with patients as some other positions like a medical assistant or CNA. However, I do not think this hinders me because I am still so exposed to the medical environment. I am always interacting with doctors, PAs, NPs, nurses, patients, Etc. I attend multiple meetings per week in which I provide updates on my patients enrolled to the trials I am responsible for, as well as learn about the progress of the trial and about how other patients are doing. My job has reinforced my desire to become a PA, and I know a couple of PAs who used their clinical research coordinator positions to get into PA school, but I would like to hear your opinion on whether or not you think I can use this. I also have some direct patient contact through volunteer experience (~200 hours including Patient transport, and pediatric play therapy room monitor-lots of direct patient contact here... But I know volunteering in general / only 200 hrs does not suffice, so I want to make sure I can use my full time clinical research coordinator position as well). Thanks!!

I think people take what I say sometimes as matter-of-fact and that simple is not true. My blog posts are generally supported by what I have read and found online, and do not reflect my own opinion. 1) I think your experience is wonderful and I know that some schools will probably accept this experience as "other healthcare experience." That being said, you must also realize that PA programs generally want you to have "hands on" or "direct patient care experience." If you want to find out for sure, you will have to contact your PA programs directly and ask if your experience meets their own requirements. Not every school is going to ask that you have direct patient care experience and they may look at your experience and consider it to be direct based on their own standards. 2) I still think you have a great chance of getting accepted to a PA program. There almost 200 programs now and I'm sure one will gladly appreciate your experience. Your one downfall would be that your experience has not really prepared you to make clinical decisions based on the information you receive. As any kind of tech (EMT, medic, CNA, etc.) knows, the experience you gain in positions like that prepare you immensely for patient interaction and it teaches you what an assessment of a patient is like, what patients act and feel like while living with disease. You also get to observe and understand the value of teamwork and the physician-PA relationship, if you're lucky. I'm not sure that you would have obtained this experience within your experiences, and I think admissions would be weary to offer someone a spot when they may not fully understand what being a clinician would be like. To an adcom, I think words aren't as meaningful as the experience you provide to support it. When I was being interviewed, many programs wanted to know what I did and the extent of interaction I had with patients and being able to understand key clinical signs that would aid future diagnosis. Essentially, what I am getting at is that it is all in the details. My biggest fear is telling someone that it will all be okay and that they should go ahead and apply for PA school and then they get denied. I hope that you see my point and ask before you apply to schools. It is better to apply your first time well-prepared than to apply unprepared, get denied and apply again. It will save you tons of money.

HI Paul I just wanted to ask your oppinon on appylying to PA school. I have met the overall GPA of 3.0. I actually have a 3.2. I was going to start writing my essay today that is how I stumbled upon your Blog that I am forever greatful for. Anyway most of my Grades are B's especially for my Pre req's. You did say to address B's and C's. Should I speak on all of them. Now I am even wondering if I should be appyling at all? Your advice on this is greatly appreciated. Thank you

I think you should address the collectively and save the details for your interview. Focus more on how you have improved your study habits and how you have ensured that you will never make the same mistakes again.

Hi Paul, Thank you for providing applicants with some very helpful advice. I will be writing my personal statement shortly and I want it to shine like a star among other applicants without coming across as arrogant and "bragging". What is your best advice for this?

I would have several people read your statement (family, friends, professors, coworkers) and ask for their opinion. If they feel that you come off that way - consider making adjustments. Everyone will interpret your writing differently, but having multiple opinions is the best way to go about this.

Hi, First and foremost thank you for your sharing your insight as well as your input. Since you are experience with providing advice and are so eloquent at expressing your experience/thoughts, do you think it is a good thing to incorporate that your plan 'A' didn't work the way you wish but working towards achieving your plan 'B' is your main focus now; plan 'B' being becoming a PA?

I would not, no. I think that is the worst thing you can do on your application.

Thank you for your honest response. Thank you for making this blog and willing to help others.

Hi. I need your input. I am applying for PA school. I have a GPA of 3.25. I have more than 3,000 hours of patient contact experience, and I am also an EMT. What I would like your input on is whether I have a good shot at getting accepted. I am passionate about becoming a PA but since getting into PA program are so competitive, I am hestitating. Please and thank you.

I think your GPA could be a little stronger...sometimes we may have an abundance of HCE, but other factors like extracurriculars (volunteer, shadowing) and GPA or GRE scores get in the way of acceptance. Make sure you are well rounded. If you look at the national average for PA applicants, the average GPA of matriculants is about a 3.5. If you took some extra science courses and did well in them to improve your overall and science GPA you could increase your chances. It seems like you have a decent shot, though, it would depend on how many programs and what programs you apply to.

Hey Paul, Is there a place on this blog that you posted a successful personal statement?

Hi Brandon, That's a great question. I actually have not. I was consulted not to post my personal statement because I know that many pre-PA students would be looking at it and might resort to copying it or taking parts of it and using it as their own. There are books available online and hard copy that have plenty of examples of personal narratives.

Hey, I know you mentioned before how in the personal narrative you don't suggest how plan A didn't worked so instead a person decided to focus on plan b, which is becoming a pa. However, what do u think if someone explains how they were in college and were taking classes towards a different profession, but realized they were intrigued by medicine and wanted to to truly assist people. Therefore, they did research and spoke to people in the medical field and decided after shadowing PAs that physician assistant is what they were desired to become? In addition, how would you first approach and broach the subject of not receiving great grades in specific college course? I would appreciate your thoughts and feelings. Thank you. Julie

Hi Julie, Writing your personal narrative should not be about the process of actually researching different fields of medicine and deciding on the PA profession. Rather, it should be exactly a narrative of an interaction or curiosity that completely changed you and made you realize the profession was the right choice. I hope that makes sense. They aren't looking for a narrative that is more about the cold hard research into other professions or that you lost interest in another one and suddenly came upon the PA profession. Can you imagine how many people have tried that and not gotten into PA school? I sure can. Your grades should be addressed in your supplemental essays or your interview, plain and simple.

Hello Paul, Thank you for this article. It is extremely helpful! In my narrative, I include a quote from a PA about when a patient codes. I mention the phrase "emergency code" so it is clear I am talking about an emergency in a hospital-type setting. I'm assuming all PAs would understand what is meant by a patient coding, but I may be wrong. Should I remove this part in case it causes confusion? Thank you!

Definitely. Any PA should know exactly what you are referencing. It was called a code blue at my hospital.

Same at mine. Thanks so much!

Hi Paul! Normally I'd never be the type to respond to blog pages, but I'm in a bind with my essay as to what to write about. I was an athlete in college, playing all 4 years, and was president of the Student Athlete Academic Committee which basically means I was constantly involved in community service outreaches. I was planning on writing about that and how much i've learned discipline and time management and how competitive i am. But also, my sophomore year of college my roommate/teammate/best friend passed away. Her parents are in the medical field so I've had conversations with them about going into the PA profession and follow them in their clinics, and they're ultimately why I've pursued being a PA. and lastly, because of them I've done many medical mission trips to other countries like Haiti and Honduras and seen the most outrageous things that I'd never see in the states. I don't know which to write about or how to make my essay without making it too long and drawn out on all these topics. Should I write about my experiences in Haiti and then tell why I want to be a PA in the concluding paragraph and not really mention my college life? Or somehow tie all 3 of these together? I've written around 10 different drafts and can't bring myself to being sure of any of them because every time I read information on what to write about I realize I'm missing that or said that when I shouldn't. Thank you! Kaylee

Hi Kaylee, If I was you, I would try writing a rough draft and then asking your peers or preceptors about it. Get them to edit it and see what they like about it and what they think you could add. It seems like you have a great story to tell, you just need help organizing and narrowing it down. Definitely focus on why you want to become a PA and how that all started and save the details of your achievements for interviews or supplemental essays. Remember, they have your application (CASPA), so they'll know half of the other stuff you don't mention in your essay.

Hey Paul, What do you mean by "do NOT be cute?" could you give an example so I can avoid any corn? Thank you

If an anecdotal format helps the most, how do you make one like that if you haven't had a real experience to speak of like that? Just make one up and really sell it?

Um, no. I would most definitely not make up an anecdotal experience. If you don't have any to tell, I would try writing your essay in another format, or gain more clinical experience. Never lie on your essays because you never know if you'll be asked more about it in an interview...then what would you say?

Hi Paul, I was wondering if it would hurt my chances or if PA schools would down upon my application if I took all of my science preqs at a community college? My science preqs is a 3.9 but my overall GPA thus far at a 4 year university is 3.2 (psychology major). Should I explain in the supplemental sections of the schools' applications why I took those classes at a Community college? Thanks.

They very well might. It really depends on the program. Most PA programs I applied to wanted the majority, if not, all required science coursework taken at the university. I took 1-2 classes at community college and that seemed to be acceptable at most places. I would contact the programs individually to find out.

These tips are amazing. I mean, whoever is writing personal statement for the first time can have these tips as a very big help.

thank you for all the tips!

I once shadowed a nurse practitioner and I was really impressed by her sensitivity and compassion with a specific patient and wanted to write include it in my personal statement but do you think I shouldn't mention it since it has to do with a nurse practitioner or how can I include it because it was definitely a big moment that has helped me continue pursuing a career in the health care field? Thank you!!

I would definitely mention it if it impacted you that much, but also write about how you decided the NP field was not for you and why you chose the PA field.

Hi Paul, I am a college baseball player. I have played baseball most of my life - being captain all 4 years and in other leadership roles in college. I am interested in PA school not only for the patient contact/experiences, but also because it is a good fast growing field to go into. Do I include this in my essay? Would you talk about being an athlete? Because I play baseball, I have only had a summer of clinical experience. Should I talk about what I did there or learned there? Thanks for all the great advice and your blog!

I definitely think you should include it if it somehow affected your decision to choose medicine or the PA profession --- which should be the basis of your personal narrative. What prompted you to choose the medical field at the beginning of the summer....what drove you to decide on the PA profession and not becoming a physician? Think about these as you write.

Hi Paul, Do you think that in the personal narrative it is best to include not only why PA, but why not physician or NP? I'm curious because I don't know if it would be space wasted or if it would be beneficial to explain why I would want to be a PA above something else. I hope this makes sense. Thanks.

Hi, I think including why PA is sufficient. If you can incorporate why NOT MD/DO or NP into the essay, it wouldn't hurt you, but you'll probably get that question in supplemental essays and interviews.

Hi Paul, I'm currently completing PA school applications and on several secondary applications it gives an optional space for any additional comments on my academic performance. Overall, I finished with over a 3.4 but there are several B grades (including some B-'s), one C+ in OChem and a C- in immunology. I was wondering if I should write on any of these in this space? If so, which ones? Only ones that are the usual prerequisites or any science courses? And should I write on them specifically or a general overall statement? My experience in college was very busy in that I was very involved and held a part-time job which are the main reasons for any less than superb grades. Thank you for your help, Kayleigh

Hi Kayleigh, If they're giving you a space to acknowledge lower grades, I would talk about all of them in a general statement, if you can. Also make sure to address how you've changed your study habits to prevent that from happening again. I think this second point is far more of value to your essay. Good luck!

Thank you for all the helpful tips, Paul! I will be writing my personal statement soon, and I just want to get your input on how to go about it. I don't really have a special anecdotal experience that directed me toward the PA profession. However, what lead me to it is kind of a flowchart where my personality, values, and interests just eliminated all other alternative professions and directed me toward the PA route. Is this a good content to share in my personal statement, and if so, how do you think I should write it in order to make it stand out. Thanks!

Hi anonymous, In the coming weeks I plan to write a blog post addressing more specific topics/themes seen in personal narratives. I hope this post will better serve you in answering this question. I think what you have is probably a great start - remember, variability and variety is in your favor in the application process. Good luck! Also, reach out to http://www.myparesource.com/ for review of your personal narrative when you're ready!

Hi Paul Gonzales I was wondering if you could have a quick check of my personal statement please although it is not finished and it is my first draft, I need someone just to direct me whether it's a good start or if I should scrap it altogether! I would appreciate it :)

Hi Lavigne, Great question! Due to the high volume of requests, I have deferred inquiries to http://www.myparesource.com. I hope they can better serve your needs!

Hello Paul, I have no clinical experience @ all. I am qualified laboratory technician.and have loads of experience in customer care. I also have a bachelors in Business admin and a graduate diploma in marketing. Do you think I have a chance?

“'PA's' is an incorrect way to pluralize PA and is a violation of the UN Charter on Human Rights." Sorry--I know this isn't the point of the article but...what? I did some brief Googling and can't figure out why this grammatical error may violate international law.

Hey Paul! I have a long way to go before starting my narrative but I think it's important to plan far in advance, like you said. Anyway, I wanted to get your advice on some things to approach my narrative in the most convincing way. I already have a masters degree in clinical psychology and I work in a children's psychiatric hospital doing clinical intakes assessments. We have an Autism unit and frequently deal with children who have significant medical issues... so I have to be familiar with their conditions and review lab work with nursing and psychiatrists regularly. Despite this, I have a long history of working in medical settings- my mother is an ultrasound tech, I was a candy striper all through high school, I completed an exclusive medical rotation program in my senior year of high school at a hospital shadowing various health care professionals, I worked part-time in a radiology filing room during summer vacation in college. My intent was to eventually go to medical school but, much to my dismay, my first year in college didn't go as planned so I decided to switch my major from biology to psychology and I have been on that trajectory ever since. It's rough turning 30 and feeling unfulfilled with your chosen profession. Needless to say I've missed medicine; it's where my heart has always been. I love interacting with patients and my favorite part of my current job is having the ability to consult with medical professionals and to assess the patients concerns in order to kick-start their treatment. This is why becoming a PA feels completely right for me, I just wish I would have found it sooner. I'm biting the bullet to go BACK to school again to pursue my goals and I'm worried that PA schools will be confused about why I'm applying. I have a ton of pre-reqs to do still but while I'm chipping away at that, I was hoping to pick your brain about whether or not my narrative would make sense to potential schools. Sorry for the long-winded question! Best, Nicole

Nicole, I think you hit the nail on the head. Just be honest about your intentions and they'll see that. Good luck. If you need any further help or want a good review of your essay, visit myPAresource.com for a revision. They do great work and I guarantee you'll get the content revised like you need.

Hey Paul! Thank you for your advice! I am currently trying to write my narrative and I'm very nervous. I have an overall GPA of 4.0 and a science GPA of 4.0, but I don't have a ton of shadowing experience. I have the minimum amount of hours (40) the program requires but I literally just obtained the hours in a weeks time. I have volunteered at a nursing home before where direct patient contact was limited and I have also volunteered at an organization the salvaged, sorted, and donated medical supplies to third world countries. I do plan on shadowing more and have an internship at a health clinic set up, but the application deadline is before I start those. Do you think I still have a chance on being accepted and should I include the future opportunities I have even though I haven't started them yet?

In my opinion, you are trying to cut this application cycle as close as possible to do the minimum amount required in order to get accepted and that's not the point of PA school. Most people who apply take years of their life off to get experience before applying and there is a reason for it. There is a difference between a PA and a physician - PAs come into school with more experience (or most of us do) and that's the reason why we're able to complete programs in such short time and perform at the capacity we do. It's something unique that enables us to utilize our knowledge from our previous experience and apply it to our current surrounding. My advice to you is to take your time and apply next cycle.

Hi Paul, I'm preparing for the upcoming CASPA cycle and was just wondering if you would mind taking a look at my personal statement and critiquing it. It would be so helpful!

Hi Whitney, Unfortunately, I don't review peoples personal narratives because its unfair to do it for some students and not for others. I simply don't have the time while in school to do it for every student. My colleagues do a wonderful job at www.myPAresource.com and you can use code DoseOfPA for a discount

Hi Paul, I worked for a year as an EMT, which is where I got all of my clinical experience. Would you recommend asking my supervisor, or one of my colleagues (obviously saw a great deal of my clinical edge in action) for a letter of recommendation? I now work as a medical scribe in a couple of orthopedic surgery clinics, and the other two letters I hope to obtain are from a (1) college professor and (2) one of the MDs I work for. Thanks in advance for your input! Ben

Talking about the physician-PA team/model in your essay will show that you are knowledgeable about the profession and understand a crucial element of becoming part of the health care team. - Thanks, this was actually really helpful and insightful! I found this sample of pa school personal statement very helpful and your post showed the right direction to move! Thank you for the help!

I have extensive EMT experience and I'm considering writing about specific times i've had to think on my feet and in a team. In addition i struggled with mental illness throughout my beginning of college which is why i have some low grades on my transcript. Should I incorporate both or is there a reason why either of those are not a good idea?

I have a question, I withdrew from pa school last fall due to many personal issues. I have no grades, just W's. What would you do and do you know anyone that got reaccepted after applying for the following cycle? I am a very strong applicant other than that.

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Optional COVID-19 Essay - should I write it?

By jjr731 May 22, 2020 in CASPA

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COVID impacted me so it was easy. I honestly feel like it is only pertaining to how it directly impacted your application process. That is just how I understood it, but I can agree that I would hate leaving it blank. I have also heard from some schools and past applicants that going the grandiose route can be seen negatively.

If it was me, I would make a quick write up that you were not significantly impacted, I would state you transitioned to online schooling and still did well, your job was not impacted, and other things along that line. Literally just a few sentences, and I am not sure if that is correct but it is what I would do.

I talked about my understanding how it affected everyone differently, how my immunocompromised patients were scared, and the adjustment period. While it didn't significantly impact my application, it did change my outlook and ability to adapt to change. Even if you did well in your classes online you can talk about how you learned to adjust to a new style of learning and overcame the stress of change. It may have also changed your perspective or outlook on the world and different industries.

secondroundbestround

On 5/22/2020 at 2:48 PM, jjr731 said: I don't feel like I was super adversely affected by COVID-19, personally. I still got good grades after going online, I didn't have to do pass/fall, and I already had decent shadowing experience. It really had no impact on my application overall. Yet, I still feel like I could/should answer the question by talking more generally about public health and how the pandemic (slightly) impacted my role as a CNA and how I will apply this new knowledge/experience as a PA. However, I don't want to seem all grandiose, and I don't know if this is the kind of response they are looking for. But if I don't answer it, I'm afraid they will think I'm lazy or have nothing to say about COVID-19, which is not true at all. Does anyone have any suggestions? What are other people doing? I'd appreciate your input. Thanks!

Never leave a section blank! Many pre-PA mentors have DRILLED this in my brain. Just think of something. Keep it positive. Discuss how you've seen healthcare change/change in perspective like you mentioned. Make it unique! Another chance for them to hear your heart. Good luck!

I appreciate everyone's feedback! In case anyone was wondering, I talked to a pre-health advisor at my university (UW Madison), and she told me to definitely write something, but to keep it brief. She said a few sentences or short paragraph should be sufficient. She said it is not the place to convince them of your adaptability to change or anything like that. However, this is just one person's advice.

Where did you find the COVID essay? For some reason, I can't seem to find it on my caspa portal/application.

18 minutes ago, Tnguyen342 said: Where did you find the COVID essay? For some reason, I can't seem to find it on my caspa portal/application.

I think it's under the supporting information section.

1 hour ago, TylerV said: I think it's under the supporting information section.

I don't know if I'm tripping but I swore I saw it when CASPA first opened but now it's gone. And it isn't even on CASPA website.

It's under Personal Information --> Other Information --> then scroll to the bottom

19 hours ago, jjr731 said: It's under Personal Information --> Other Information --> then scroll to the bottom

1 month later...

I would like your opinion on the following:

I don't think that I was significantly impacted due to COVID19, but right as the pandemic started here in the US, I was facing my own medical dilemma: I was looking at the potential of a total hysterectomy, chemo-radiation for 3-6 months and likely NOT applying to PA school this cycle after a very abnormal finding was noted on imaging I had done. Most thankfully no malignancy was found and I have recovered very well from surgery! It was an incredibly stressful time, but neither it or COVID had an impact except in the amount of volunteering/shadowing hours I could have continued to accumulate.

Is it inappropriate to use this section to discuss that--these two major events in tandem of each other? My personal statement does NOT include any of the above as I have written about other motivators that have led me to the profession--long before the scary finding on my own imaging.

13 hours ago, MMDr808 said: Hi all! I would like your opinion on the following: I don't think that I was significantly impacted due to COVID19, but right as the pandemic started here in the US, I was facing my own medical dilemma: I was looking at the potential of a total hysterectomy, chemo-radiation for 3-6 months and likely NOT applying to PA school this cycle after a very abnormal finding was noted on imaging I had done. Most thankfully no malignancy was found and I have recovered very well from surgery! It was an incredibly stressful time, but neither it or COVID had an impact except in the amount of volunteering/shadowing hours I could have continued to accumulate. Is it inappropriate to use this section to discuss that--these two major events in tandem of each other? My personal statement does NOT include any of the above as I have written about other motivators that have led me to the profession--long before the scary finding on my own imaging. Thank you all for any advice

57 minutes ago, Kirby219 said: My short and sweet opinion. I feel like the imagining fingings are important, but they do not pertain to the COVID essay because they happened at the same time of the year. COVID would have impacted volunteering and shadowing either way, so I'd talk about that. I personally try to stay within the parameters of the questions because admissions gets enough tangential responses from people now this is just my opinion. Will my opinion work in my favor? Who knows! You can answer however you want! Good luck I think the finding and surgery are more PS or supplemental app information. Hopefully more will respond.

Hey guys, I had my COVID-19 essay reviewed by someone and they told me it was completely wrong. Though it does state in the prompt “professional hardships”. I talked about how it affected my teaching career and the struggles of needing to make sure students were up to par with the material. It also changed my daily routine for work as well. What’s yalls take on it? Does it have to be 100 percent related to PCE/volunteer/shadowing hours??

@studygeek why did the reviewer think it was completely wrong? Did they give you specific feedback?

Let's refresh ourselves of the prompt: " describe how COVID-19 has impacted your pathway to becoming a Physician Assistant."

A way *I* looked at the prompt is: were prerequisites and/or requirements (letters of rec, PCE, volunteering) needed for PA programs hampered by COVID-19? Will missing those impact your pathway? The pandemic could have impacted people positively too!

No doubt you experienced a lot of change with teaching and your daily routine--however did that impede your path to becoming/applying to be a PA? As far as I can tell from what you wrote--no... but that's maybe because I'm not seeing the relationship between your work changes and your PA trajectory. I see there is a part in the paragraphs below the prompt stating " professional barriers that you faced? " --which you detail, but how does it connect with your pathway to becoming a PA.

3 hours ago, MMDr808 said: @studygeek why did the reviewer think it was completely wrong? Did they give you specific feedback? Let's refresh ourselves of the prompt: " describe how COVID-19 has impacted your pathway to becoming a Physician Assistant." A way *I* looked at the prompt is: were prerequisites and/or requirements (letters of rec, PCE, volunteering) needed for PA programs hampered by COVID-19? Will missing those impact your pathway? The pandemic could have impacted people positively too! No doubt you experienced a lot of change with teaching and your daily routine--however did that impede your path to becoming/applying to be a PA? As far as I can tell from what you wrote--no... but that's maybe because I'm not seeing the relationship between your work changes and your PA trajectory. I see there is a part in the paragraphs below the prompt stating " professional barriers that you faced? " --which you detail, but how does it connect with your pathway to becoming a PA. I hope my outside perspective enlightens you in some way .

They basically said what you said. Maybe I should transform my essay to saying how covid-19 made my job more time consuming which prevented me from shadowing on the weekends/volunteer. Are you a current applicant?

Since March, my floor has been a covid unit. I would say it has influenced me greatly being on the forefront of this pandemic, especially seeing patients rapidly decline and pass while in my care. These past couple of months have taught me many valuable lessons & most importantly, they’ve further confirmed that being a PA is what I want. When writing my PS, I didn’t mention covid at all because I was planning on writing about all of this in my supplemental essay. Would it be appropriate to do so? In terms of impeding my shadowing, volunteering, etc. it didn’t really have any effect because I had all my hours completed prior to March.

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31 Physician Assistant Personal Statement Examples
Below, are 31 PA school application essays and personal statements pulled from our FREE personal statement and essay collaborative comments section. This is an unedited sample of PA school essay submissions, meant to provide you with some insight into how other applicants are approaching their CASPA personal statements. Real World PA School Personal Statements These
5 PA School Essays That Got These Pre-PAs Accepted Into PA School
PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 4, "I Have Gained so Much Experience by Working With Patients". PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 5, "Then Reach, my Son, and Lift Your People up With You". PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 6, "That First Day in Surgery was the First Day of the Rest of my Life".
CASPA PA School Applications: How to Answer the New Life Experiences Essay
Here are 12 topic ideas for the CASPA Life Experiences essay: Coming from a disadvantaged and/or low-income background. Facing discrimination based on age, sex/gender, race/ethnicity, culture, etc. Navigating a learning disability or neurodiversity in an academic setting. Growing up in a single-parent household.
Do's and Don'ts for Writing a Strong CASPA Personal Statement
Writing the statement - do's and don'ts. Do demonstrate your knowledge of the PA profession. Your essay should make it clear why you are pursuing medicine, and why you have chosen to become a PA specifically. Don't say why you don't want to be a different kind of healthcare provider, write about how you want to be a PA!
caspa life experiences essay
5. Polish and Proofread: A well-written essay is a must. Make sure your final draft is clear, concise, and free of errors. 25 Powerful Ideas and Examples for Your Life Experiences Essay. Overcoming a Medical Condition: Share how managing your own or a family member's chronic illness has given you unique insights into patient care.
How to Craft an Effective Response to the New "Life Experiences" CASPA
Essays are synonymous with the PA school application. The personal statement has been around since the earliest days of CASPA. A few years back, the application, by necessity, added the COVID impact statement. And now, with the latest cycle, CASPA has introduced an optional Life Experience
Write The Perfect PA School Personal Statement [With Examples]
Your personal statement is one of the most important pieces inside the CASPA application. A PA personal statement is really a personal essay that offers you a time to shine. ... Examples of a PA School Essay. It's always easier to understand how to write your essay after you've read several examples. The PA Life published and analyzed 31 ...
CASPA COVID essay
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the world, and the healthcare profession is no exception. CASPA has an optional essay - referred to as the COVID essay - for applicants to discuss how the pandemic has impacted their path to becoming a PA. This is an opportunity for you to share your story and show admissions committees ...
PA Personal Statement: How to Write a Killer Admissions Essay for PA
PA Personal Statement Example #1. During my kindergarten graduation, I walked on stage and gave my exit speech: "When I grow up, I want to be a teacher because it's easy.". Reflecting back, I see the comedy in my naivety as every profession has its own unique challenges.
CASPA Application Essentials: What You Need to Know
CASPA Application Sample Entries. Here are some PA personal statement examples and tips! CASPA Application Part 4: Program Materials ... A unique part of the PA school application process is the PA school interview essay —a surprise supplemental essay on the day of your interview! Be ready for anything.
How I wrote a successful PA school personal statement : r ...
What experience have I had that will help me succeed in PA school. Purpose: Give examples of my ability to succeed in PA school past performance~future performance. Plans for career if accepted. Purpose: explanation of long term goals. Changes from last cycle. Purpose: demonstration of commitment to becoming a PA.
Writing Your Physician Assistant (PA) Personal Statement [Plus Sample
While there are many different ways to approach writing a personal statement (PS) for your PA application, I am including a successful example here. The character limit for the CASPA application PS is 5,000 characters with spaces. In this essay, you are responding to the question, "Why PA?". To write a compelling essay, take some.
Approaching the common supplemental essays
Unlike the vague direction of the CASPA essay, to "write a brief statement expressing your motivation or desire to become a physician assistant," supplemental essay prompts are direct. Likewise, your responses should be straightforward. Supplemental essays are often short, usually around 250-500 words. You don't need to build in narrative or ...
How to Write Your CASPA COVID-19 Optional Essay
Back in 2020, CASPA added a new, optional essay to their application process at the bottom of the section titled "Other Information," which has come to be known as the "COVID Essay." The CASPA Covid essay is limited to 2,500 characters and spaces. Here is the prompt: Please describe how COVID-19 has impacted your pathway to becoming a Physician Assistant.
Steps to Writing a Personal Statement
LOGISTICS: The essay is 5000 characters, including spaces. This trips up a lot of people when they finish writing their essay and enter it on CASPA; it will end up over the character limit because of not accounting for spaces. 5000 characters including spaces comes out to a little over a page, single spaced, regular 12 font.
Examples of Successful CASPA essays
Posted December 29, 2015. I thought it would be a good idea to start a thread for people to post their successful CASPA essays so that new applicants can get a better idea of what schools are looking for as they write their own. I will begin by posting a link to mine below (it is posted in my blog). Please comment with your own examples if you ...
How to Write Standout PA School Supplemental Essays
Supplemental essays are typically shorter than your personal statement, though this can vary. While CASPA personal statements have a character limit of 5,000 characters (including spaces and punctuation), supplemental essays are often shorter than personal statements, varying from 250-2,000 words based on the program and prompt.
Personal Statement 101: Content
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.
Essay
Once you submit your application, the essay cannot be edited or changed. Do not exceed the maximum length: You can see both the word and character count below the field in the application. The right-hand number shows the maximum number of characters that you can use in your essay. As you type, you can see how many characters are still available ...
Physician Assistant Essay and Personal Statement
Get FREE help and feedback on your PA School Essay. We offer fast, professional editing and revision of your PA School Personal Statement with a 24-48-hour turnaround. We follow CASPA guidelines and character count. Meet our team of experienced PAs, professional writers, and editors here to help you write a winning PA school essay that shines.
CASPA COVID essay : r/prephysicianassistant
You can write anything on how COVID impacted you. I wrote something along the lines of not having in person shadowing hours so I did online, having to care for COVID patients and patient load increased, volunteering more, etc. mine wasn't special or anything but I was truthful as to how COVID really impacted me and my pre-pa journey. Hey y ...
Trust Me, I'm a PA: CASPA Personal Narrative Tips
CASPA gave the personal statement a new, more fitting name. If you're new to the application process, you'll soon figure this out. The prompt: "In the space provided write a brief statement expressing your motivation or desire to become a physician assistant. Keep your statement general as the same essay will be sent to all schools you ...
Optional COVID-19 Essay
Posted July 8, 2020. Hey guys, I had my COVID-19 essay reviewed by someone and they told me it was completely wrong. Though it does state in the prompt "professional hardships". I talked about how it affected my teaching career and the struggles of needing to make sure students were up to par with the material.