1. Why
do you want to be a PA?
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I chose to enter the PA profession because of my
experience while working for a PA. I was able to witness firsthand the respect
patients have for their PA. I heard from several patients that they felt a PA
spends more time with them during their appointment than the doctor normally
would. I really enjoy working with people, and medicine so I thought the PA
profession would be a perfect match for me.
2. What
did you do for health care experience before starting PA school?
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Right after graduating from undergrad, I worked
as a transporter in a local hospital in Lubbock, TX. Basically I would
transport patients via wheelchair or hospital bed to and from imaging and
procedures in the hospital. I was able to interact with the patients, which I
enjoyed very much, but I was using this job to get my foot in the door into
another medical setting. While working in the hospital I asked a PA who worked
in the hospital, if I could shadow her. She told me where to go to contact her
supervisor and I ended up shadowing a different PA in an Internal Medicine
clinic on the afternoons that I could off work early. One weekend I asked the
PA if I could take her out to lunch as a thank you and to pick her brain about
the application process and school. While at lunch she mentioned me getting a
job at the office as a MA. She talked to the office manager and the physician
who owned the practice and I was hired as the PA’s personal scribe and a MA,
while not scribing. So basically I went into all the appointments with the PA
and typed her notes in EMR. Needless to say, I had an amazing experience prior
to starting PA school and it prepared me well.
3. How
did you pick UNTHSC? What was the interview experience like?
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After applying to eight different schools, five
in Texas, one in New Mexico, one in Arizona and one in Colorado, I was offered
interviews at 5 of the schools. My first interview was extremely nerve
wrecking. I have a good friend who was currently in PA school and her advice to
me was just to be myself. I could not have asked for better advice. I was
myself at my first interview and two days later I got a call from the school
offering me a seat in the class. I later went on to interview at 4 more
schools. With each interview I would research the schools and find information
about the class size, course schedule, PANCE pass rates, and faculty turnover
rates and compared the information across the schools. My interview experience
at UNTHSC was great. It was a very welcoming environment and I witnessed the
camaraderie amongst the students. It was a place that I knew I would fit in
well at. In the end, I chose UNTHSC because of its reputation, location and
because it was close to family.
4. What
study strategies have worked for you in PA school?
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This is an excellent question, that I tend ask
myself regularly. Finding the perfect studying technique has been difficult for
me. Some classes, I am able to just read the power points and soak up the
information. Other classes, I like to convert the power points into handouts
because I don’t care to stare at the computer screen hours upon hours. I am a
very visual and audio learner, so what I have found most beneficial when I am
able to, is to preview the lecture the night before to become familiar with the
material and then when I am in lecture and listening to the professor explain
the material, it’s like going over the material for the second time.
Unfortunately, not all professors are good about posting the power points until
class time.
5. Any
advice for future applicants?
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I think the best piece of advice I could give
future applicants is to get your applications turned in as soon as you can. Once
you turn in your CASPA application, start working on secondary applications
that are available to you. Stay on top of what material you still need to submit
for each school by what date. When it comes time for interviews, be yourself! The
application and interviewing process is long, keep your head up and stay
confident.
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