Interview with a PA-C

1) Why did you choose to be a PA?
PA's are on the top 10 list of growing jobs in America.  Enough said....  but also...

I have always wanted to be in the medical field because:
1. it was interesting to me (my mother was an operating room nurse)
2. there will always be employment opportunities
3. you get to help people
4. you make a good living.

 I went into my undergrad years expecting to go to med school, but when learning of the PA profession, it seemed like a better fit because:
1. less time spent in med school/residency, therefore less money taken out in loans
2. i still get to do what i want in medicine (in other words, I am doing the same things I would be doing if I were a doctor) 
3. I didn't have to take the 2nd semester of O-chem for PA school! 
4. I will never be "stuck" in a specific job (e.g. when a cardiologist goes through residency/fellowship to be a cardiologist, that is most likely what he will be forever - whereas, I can work with cardiologists for a few years then change to pediatrics or emergency medicine, or whatever I like - this is also part of why I chose PA over NP)
5.  PAs have the reputation of spending more time with their patients and many (not all) pts seem to be happier with their PA
6.  It seemed like it would allow for a better lifestyle (i.e. family)

2) You went to school in California for undergraduate and for PA school. What was that experience like? Have you noticed anything different than your colleagues from Texas schools?

I absolutely loved California, and never expected to move back home to Texas.  But, when you get a good opportunity, you follow.  As far as what we learned, it seems as if all PAs essentially go over the same basics and have the same knowledge base.  The biggest difference is that there are MANY more opportunities for jobs in Texas, so you can pick and choose one that suits you better.  Many of my California friends had to settle for jobs they weren't initially happy in just to start having an income.  California seems to be saturated w/ PAs, but every day, I receive info in the mail about a new job opportunity in DFW.

3) How did you pick Western? What was your application process like?
I picked Western because there were 2 PA schools in Southern California - Western and USC - in the location I wanted to be.  Between the 2 choices, I was told by many doctors and PAs that I shadowed from LA County hospital that the Western PAs seemed to be slightly better than the USC PAs.  Go figure.  In addition - Western picked me...it was the only school I was accepted to (out of 5).  PA school is hard to get into, and many people don't get in the first go round.  So when a school accepts you...you go!

4) What was your day like in urgent care? What is a normal shift like for you in ICU?
Urgent care can be exciting or boring.  It really depends on the day.  Sometimes you get a pt that looks like they are having a heart attack or stroke and you are calling EMS to come pick them up and take them to the hospital.  Some days, people are getting lacerations that you get to suture all day long.  Other days, you might see the same thing over and over...UTI, URI, flu...If you work at a busy urgent care, you can get your butt kicked, seeing and performing the work up for approx 4-5 pts an hour.

Shifts in the ICU can either be quiet or CRAZY.  I am the only one working at night (my doctor is home, reachable by phone).  So, I essentially do his day job, but at night.  Some nights I run codes, intubate people, etc.  Other nights, I simply see new pts, assess them, work them up, diagnose them and treat them - just any clinician would.  I occasionally have to talk to families and comfort them in very difficult situations.

5) The PA profession is continually evolving, what are some ways you would like to see it grow?
I would love to see PAs continue to advance in many fields.  Years ago when I was job searching and doing my PA school rotations, there didn't seem to be many PAs in trauma or NICU, etc.  Hopefully, as PAs gain more recognition, we will enter into new areas of medicine.

Interview with a PA-S on rotation

1) Why did you become a PA?

        I wanted the flexibility that being a doctor couldn't provide.  I like the idea that I could transfer between specialties without the requirement of a residency.  But I also wanted autonomy, the capacity to make high level decisions that comes with critical thinking and problem solving.  I also love the field of medicine and meeting new people everyday.

2) How did you prepare to apply to PA school? (Undergraduate degree, work, volunteering, etc)

        BS in biology with a minor in chemistry; worked 2.5 years as a laboratory technician in liver (DILI, Hepatitis) research; volunteered at health fairs, nutrition and weight loss programs for obese underprivileged families

3) Tell me about your application process (how many times, how many interviews, what were they like etc)

        I was fortunate to only apply once.  I applied to about 15 schools. I started getting interviews in aug/sept (I interviewed at 4 schools). My last interview was with UTSW in October and a week later they accepted me so I cancelled my applications at the other 14 schools.    I got accepted to all the schools I interviewed at and cancelled my applications before I heard anything from the others.  My first interview was the typical one where they ask you why you want to be a PA? what you do for relaxation? etc.  That school told me the day of my interview that I was accepted.  One of my other interviews had critical thinking exercises in addition to a one-on-one interview.   And my interview at UTSW was a scenario based interview.

4) How did you pick UTSW?

        I liked the fact that UTSW had a dissection cadaver lab unlike other schools where you do a prosection instead of a dissection.  I liked that the tuition was cheap and only 36 student per class. I definitely liked the reputation of UTSW and the 100% PANCE pass score in the last 5 years was also appealing. 

5) What were some successful study strategies you used during the didactic potion of your PA program?

        Study early and don't procrastinate.  Try new methods of studying like forming a study group.  My methods didn't change much from undergrad except that I was studying more.

6) What has surprised you about PA school so far?

        How fast it's gone by and how I still don't feel prepared to start a job.  I hear this is a common fear and that it is still expected by future employers that you will still be learning.  We don't have a residency like med students so we have a lot of on the job learning.  Plus, I've heard you know more than you think once you start a job.

7) What have you enjoyed about rotations so far? What has surprised you?

        I've loved rotations.  I thought I would hate IM and surgery, but they actually ended up being some of my favorites.  I thought I would enjoy family med and it ended up being one of my least favorites.  My advice is always keep an open mind.  You never know where you will get a job after school so keep your options open.  What one person may love, you may hate or vice versa, so take other's opinions at face value. 

8) Any advice (beyond good grade and shadowing) for an applicant?

        If you don't get in, call the schools and see where you can improve your application.  Be yourself, they know you are nervous in interviews and will be making mistakes, but if you stay positive and show you can handle tough situations then they will strongly consider you.  Don't write the typical "I've wanted to work in medicine since I was a kid". It gets boring.  Share an experience that made you who you are today and why that has made you want to do medicine. 

Personal Statement

Right now I'm in Personal Statement land. Though I started many months ago, I have not been able to escape constant rewrites and revisions. Fortunately, I am surrounded by many gracious people who are helping me through this process. Unfortunately, they rarely agree on what makes a strong personal statement.

If you don't know, CASPA (and therefore PA programs) requires a personal statement no longer than 5000 characters. This will tell the program(s) of your choice why you want to be a PA and why they should interview you.

There are several resources available to help you write and proof your personal statement. There are professionals you can hire to coach you, forums that will review and recommend changes, and countless opinions of friends, colleagues, and schools. Here are a few thoughts I've accumulated:

The Don'ts
- Don't be too weird - don't write a poem or some other unique, creative interpretation of the essay format. Its not professional and this is for professional school.
- Don't be too bland - when I read through my statement from last year it sounded horribly plain. Whoever is reading this reads a LOT of these and plain will get overlooked quickly.
- Don't repeat your CASPA - this is the one consistent message I get from people. They know who many shadowing hours you have and what classes you've taken. You're wasting precious characters repeating yourself.


The Do's
- Write about yourself - this is a PERSONAL statement, make it personal. Speak in your voice, not in the rhetorically appropriate voice.
- Write about what you've done - Experiences count for more than intentions. People reading this want to see evidence of who you are, not just thoughts.
- Get lots of advice - ask questions at info sessions, talk to PAs about their thoughts, read school FAQs and email if they don't talk about what they look for in a personal statement. Sort through all those internet opinions. Some of them are worthwhile.