Interview with an Othropedic surgery PA

Here's an interview with a PA-C who happened to be married to one of my classmates. 

1)  Why did you choose to be a PA? 

I chose to become a PA based on the lifestyle. I wanted to practice medicine and becoming a PA provided me that option without going through medical school. I was constantly searching for a field in medicine that would fulfill my career aspirations and never felt right about other fields. Once I found out about PA, I never looked back. 

2) How did you pick UTMB? What was your interview process like? 

I chose UTMB based on the academics and the student run clinic. There is a clinic in Galveston where care is provided to the underserved community. The patients there are so appreciative of the care that they otherwise, would not have received. The pass rates are outstanding. My class had a 100% first time pass rate on the PANCE. I did get into 2 other programs, which were good as well, but I felt that UTMB was the best fit for me. 

3) What was your biggest surprise once you started working as a PA-C? 

What has surprised me is how much I still have to learn. I have been at my position for 5 months now, and I still see something new frequently. PA school is good at providing a background for primary care, but going into a sub-specialty requires its own education. There is so much information in medicine, that it is hard to know it all. 

4) What area of practice are you in now? What does a week look like for you? 

I work in orthopedic surgery with a foot and ankle surgeon. I split my time between the clinic, OR, and the hospital making rounds on patients. Every week is different so it is hard to even come out with a typical schedule. I would say that I work around 50 hours per week with call once during the work week and every couple of months for weekend call. 

5) What is it like with your husband in PA school now? Do you give him study tips? 

I love that he is in PA school now to be honest. We are able to spend more time together now than we did while he was working full time and going to school part time. I actually let him do his own thing during school. I have tried giving him study tips, but we study so differently that what worked for me does not work for him. 

6) Any advice for aspiring PAs? 

My advice for aspiring PAs is to shadow a PA. This is when I truly decided that becoming a PA was what I wanted to do with my life. Then I would focus on getting some sort of hands on experience. I didn't have that much hands on experience and I wish I had. Get involved in your community and organizations in school. Once you do get into PA school, take a break and relax. You will never have time like that again! I definitely miss my days of just being lazy around the house, so when I get those days, I cherish them. Last piece of advice is to have fun!

TAPA 2013 Video Interview #2

Here's an interview with a PA-S from UTMB

TAPA Vide Interview #6 - Student Forum

This is a multi-part video from the PrePA reception/PA-S student panel. We were able to sit down with TAPA Student Directors from several of the Texas schools ( and a couple of PA-Cs) and get there feedback on our questions!

Part 1




Part 2





Part 3





Part 4





Part 5





Part 6





Part 7

Interview with a UTMB PA-S

Here's an interview with the TAPA student director from UTMB.

1) Why did you want to be a PA?

I started my undergraduate career as a biology major because I always had a passion for the biological sciences. I specifically chose the PA career due to my interest in medicine and a desire to help others. I was attracted to the flexibility of the PA profession in regards to specialization. Overall I also like the flexibility of the work schedule. You are trained like a doctor but have the option of working less
hours. Essentially, the PA profession was a good match for my passion for medicine and appreciation of medical team in the care of patients. PA vs NP = PAs are trained in the medical model of care similar to a physician whereas an NP is trained in the nursing model of care.

2) What did you do before starting PA school?

I went straight from my undergrad university into PA school so my medical experience was limited. I shadowed and volunteered with nurses and ER doctors at a local ER (Scott and White). I also shadowed an orthopedic PA from Scott and White. I was very active during my time at my undergraduate university, however. I was a co captain of my cross country and track teams, vice president of a volunteer organization (Alpha Phi Omega), volunteer coordinator of the biological honor society (Beta Beta Beta), and secretary of our leadership organization on campus.

3) What was your application process like? (how many schools, interviews, how did you choose)

The application process is probably one of the most difficult parts of PA school. Be sure to start early and spend lots of time on the application. It will pay off! I applied to 5 Texas PA programs and was invited to interview at 4. I essentially chose the school that I thought was the best fit and offered the best education. I am guilty of looking at the school rankings and partially basing my decision on that factor but I have learned that those rankings are very politically driven and don’t always represent the true ranking of the schools. I definitely encourage you to find the program that you feel is the best fit. Don’t worry about rankings, especially in Texas, because all the schools produce wonderful, intelligent, and capable PAs.

4) How does UTMB stand out to you? What do you now appreciate about the program that you weren't aware of during the interview?

UTMB is a very student friendly program. We are a tight knit community within the program and all our professors have an open door policy. Also, UTMB is unique in offering the opportunity to begin seeing patients during the didactic year at the student run clinic on the island. St. Vincent’s clinic serves the medically underserved population of Galveston. Students see patients, present to senior faculty, and broaden their clinical skills while helping the uninsured population of Galveston. There is no greater feeling! This is unique to UTMB. Also, UTMB is a very inexpensive program compared to others in Texas. This was a big factor for me because I had loans from undergrad. Another unique feature of UTMB is the diversity of our clinical rotations. We have rotations all over the state of Texas which allows students to serve a wide variety of populations. This enhances cultural diversity as well as medical knowledge of a wider range of medical conditions. Finally, our clinical rotations are geared toward your interest as a student. I was allowed to chose 3 different medical specialties and one surgery elective.

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

I knew PA school was going to be difficult but I never thought it would be the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. It has definitely been a journey and I am very proud of the hard work that goes into completing any PA program. It is tough so be prepared, learn time management, and learn how to de-stress. Another surprising part of PA school is how close you become to your classmates. I have made friends in PA school that I will have for the rest of my life. Finally, I am surprised and rateful for how fun rotations have been. Didactic year is tough and you learn so much about medicine but nothing ever makes perfect sense until you go out on clinical rotations. You learn so much more and it makes the learning and hard work from didactic year worth all the effort.

6) What has been your strategy for surviving the didactic portion of the program?

Time management and stress management. Be willing to work hard and long hours. I literally went to class, came home, studied all night until midnight only breaking for dinner, and waking up by 6 am and going to school before classes started to study some more. You are taking lots of classes and learning lots of new information. One analogy is drinking water from a fire hydrant. Drink as much as you can without drowning. That’s how it is for the didactic portion of the program. So learn how to manage you time wisely and prioritize your classes. But don’t forget to take time for yourself. I enjoy cooking and working out so I would always give myself time to do those things. And you will be stressed out so find things to help you de-stress. Oh, and warn your family, friends, and loved ones that you will be less available during this time. They may think you have dropped off the face of the earth

7) What do you wish you had done to prepare for PA school?

I don’t think I would have changed much of how I prepared for PA school. I didn’t study the summer before I started and I am glad that I enjoyed my time off. Vacation time is few and far between so take every moment to enjoy vacation time. I might have been more prepared if I had taken a year off between undergrad and PA school and done more shadowing, research, or more medical training but I did well during the didactic portion and I have been doing really well during the clinical rotation portion.

8) What advice would you give a future PA?

For the pre-PA students I think you are preparing well for a future in PA school. I never had a pre-PA society to join so I had to do my research on my own. Research as much as you can about the PA profession, different specialties, PA programs, and the curriculum. You are already a step ahead of the game by being a member of a pre-PA society! I would also say to be aware of the way healthcare works and how you feel PAs play a role in the delivery of healthcare, especially underserved areas. If
you are looking for loan repayment options, the National Health Service Corps is a great place to apply for a scholarship or loan repayment after graduation. PAs are one branch of the NHSC. The NHSC serves medically underserved areas throughout the nation. Finally, if you can go on a medical mission trip, this is another great opportunity to expand your medical and cultural knowledge and improve your resume
Plus they are super fun!

Interview with a PA-C

Here is an interview with TAPA board member Amanda Reynado. If you're not a PrePA member of TAPA, I highly recommend it.

1) Why did you choose the PA profession?
I wanted a profession that allowed me to practice medicine, learn in-depth science and its clinical implications, and work as a provider patients can relate to – all while still maintaining my personal life. The PA profession allows me to practice an autonomous career in medicine that involves diagnosing and treating, practice independently yet be part of a team, and have personal relationships with patients as their provider. My first interest in the becoming a PA was due to all of the PAs I had met being absolute cheerleaders for their career.

2) Tell me about your preparation for application to a PA program.
After college, I worked in research for 4 years as a lab manager. After I realized that a lifelong career in research was not for me, I began to research the requirements to get into PA school, went back to school at night to get the 3 classes I was missing, and also shadowed multiple PAs for over a year. After shadowing I was positive this career was for me. I then applied to PA school very early (submitted my application 5 days after it opened), and got in that year.

3) What was your most challenging period as a PA-S?
I was in the “Hurricane Class” at UTMB during Hurricane Ike. I had just started my first semester in PA school, was not 3 weeks into classes when the hurricane hit and destroyed our campus. We lost our cadaver lab, our building, and half my class lost everything they owned. We missed 5 weeks of school, and returned to a make-shift site with a crammed schedule. PA school is stressful and high-paced enough without a condensed schedule. We did not even have a library or coffee shop where we could study, but most of my class made it through the first semester. It was all uphill from there!

4) What has surprised you since you’ve become a PA-C
My first surprise was that they trusted my education and personal preparation to start working independently my first day. It was absolutely nerve-wracking but that’s how PAs learn – baptism by fire. Once I grasped my medical confidence, I had to discover and explain my role as a PA in a large emergency department. We still are a new career field to many people, therefore it is always necessary to provide information and set examples for who we are and what we can do.

5) What areas of practice have you worked in as a PA-C?
I am a new PA-C, and have only worked for 1 year. My only job has been in Emergency Medicine and this was my dream field while I was in school. I love my field!

6) How did you first get involved with TAPA?
One of the PAs I shadowed before school was coincidentally a TAPA officer. Once in school, I was elected to be my class TAPA representative during our 3 years. I served on multiple committees and helped get my program re-involved with TAPA during my office. Now I am the PR committee chair and sit on the general board of TAPA. I find every experience of representing PAs extremely rewarding.

7) How has participating in TAPA benefited you?
TAPA has helped me in multiple dimensions. Firstly, they donated multiple truck loads of goods from around the country during my program’s time of need after Hurricane Ike. Second, by sitting as a student board member, I realized exactly how much they represent and provide for PAs in the state. It also educated me on PA functionality, politics, and how to assert myself as a PA in a new work environment. Thirdly, I got my first job in a very competitive field from connections I made in TAPA.

8) How do you think the role of a PA will change in the future?
We are already seeing a large delegation of work to PAs in hospitals and highly populated areas. Physicians and administrators are realizing in every field that hiring a PA allows efficiency and betterment of the flow of care. Also, with the introduction of socialized medicine in our near future, this type of delegation and team work will only be broadened.

9) What advice would you give an aspiring PA?
Besides the obvious (study hard, good GPA, average GRE score) keep a well-rounded life. PA programs want to see that you get along with people in any scenario (family, work, volunteerism) because, after all, PAs serve as a midlevel provider and come into contact with everyone. Schools also want to see you have extracurricular activities that help you balance the stressors of school and our demanding career.
Shadow shadow shadow. You need to know what a PA does, how we function in the field, and it is a “requirement” on CASPA. If you don’t have shadow hours, you have less likelihood of getting an interview. Know why you want to be a PA and not a nurse or physician.
Use people who know you well for your letters of recommendation. I used a physician from my past with whom I worked, an old research mentor, and my boss at the time of application. All of them could truly speak of my personality, nature, and work ethic. I would not advise getting all college professors. We have all been to college, and we all know that one does not really experience a lot of one-on-one and close-knit relationships with professors.

Please follow TAPA on Facebook and Twitter by logging onto www.TAPA.org and clicking
their icons. You can also become a pre-PA member for cheap to prove to schools that
you really are committed. Contact me with questions at amandamcgreynado@gmail.com.