Interview with a PA Student from UNTHSC

Here's an interview with a current student at University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth.

1. What made you decide to be a PA? 

I went to SMU and majored in Applied Physiology & Health Management (APHM) and Biology. As part of my APHM major, I had two opportunities that together inspired me to pursue a career as a PA. The first was being a research assistant in a physiology lab that evaluated sympathetic nerve activity in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. I had a passion for research and data analysis, but I learned that what I enjoyed most was getting to know the patients and how their condition affected their daily lives. The second was a summer internship at the MS clinic at UTSW where I had the opportunity to shadow and conduct research with the physician, PA, NP, PT, and social worker. Here I saw the PA take care of patients in the clinic, conduct research, and teach lectures at UTSW. I was able to see just how broad the scope of a PA can be as well as how fulfilling this job is. I could see myself in a PAs shoes and ultimately decided to apply to PA school that same summer. 


2. How did you choose UNTHSC? What was interviewing like? 

UNTHSC was the school that was closest to home for me, but one of the biggest reasons I chose it was because of its vision for being “one university,” which meant interprofessional collaboration and teamwork between all the programs on campus. This was reiterated by the VP of Student Affairs and the faculty during the interview process and is something I have seen implemented into the core of our program. Programs like Interprofessional Education and Practice (IPE) and Seniors Assisting in Geriatric Education (SAGE) as well as all the interprofessional organizations on campus that bring students from different programs together are a unique and valued aspect of this program. The interview process was not a traditional one but rather consisted of multiple activities. I enjoyed this process because each activity targeted different abilities and strengths and allowed each student to be evaluated as a whole. 


3. What has surprised you about PA school? 

I was surprised about how hands-on the didactic year was throughout. Classes like Physical Exam Skills during the first semester got us right into practicing our clinical skills from the beginning. Classes like Clinical Integrative Medicine during which we practiced suturing, injections, pap smears, IV placement, and many other skills prepared us for rotations. It was a great mix of in-class and hands-on lab instruction and it was a pleasant surprise. 


4. What study strategies worked? Did that change on rotations? 

Three study strategies that worked for me were 1) reading notes out loud, 2) explaining what I’ve learned to a classmate, and 3) practice questions. Specifically, working through practice questions even before having learned all the material needed for an exam is something that is recommended to all students by the Center for Academic Performance on campus. One thing that changed on rotations was that I was no longer surrounded by all my classmates, and this made it difficult to go through material with a partner. However, the great thing about rotations is that I’m actively learning throughout the day while seeing patients, and this in itself helps solidify the knowledge that I’m studying at home. 


5. Tell me about your involvement and experience with TAPA

I was introduced to TAPA by our incredible Student Director for TAPA and have been a member since starting PA school. I have attended each of the TAPA conferences since then, joining workshops and lectures as well as getting to know students from other schools and competing in the Challenge Bowl. It has been an opportunity to network with so many great people. I have also received pertinent information and updates about current legislature and the issues facing PAs in Texas today. This has allowed me to gain knowledge on how TAPA advocates for PAs and PA students and the changes that they are making on our behalf, which has been extremely valuable.


6. Any plans for after graduation? 

Before I started PA school my plans for after graduation included leaving TX since I grew up here and I was ready for a change. However, Fort Worth has grown on me. I have gotten to know the beautiful community here and it is a city with great opportunities for PAs. I haven’t decided which specialty I’d like to go into yet, but I’m keeping an open mind and will be grateful to have an opportunity in the DFW area. Of course, all this after a relaxing vacation to celebrate graduating from PA school! 


7. What advice would you give an aspiring PA?

My biggest piece of advice would be to get involved in activities (leadership, volunteering, internships, community work, etc.) that you’re truly passionate about rather than what you believe will look impressive on a resume. The majority of activities I was involved in during college didn’t actually have anything to do with being a PA at all. For example, I volunteered at a jail for one semester where I helped offenders go through a rehabilitation program during which I saw them change and heal from their past. Being a part of that helped me to see just how much people can change if they are determined to do so and helped me develop a newfound compassion for these individuals. It is something I was able to talk about during my PA school interview process and an experience that has helped me as a PA student working with patients on rotations. Get involved with things that you are passionate about and it will take you a long way!

Finding a good fit

As a recruiter, I would often talk to people about what makes a good fit. Even people who had been working for years would have trouble answering this question. Knowing yourself and how you fit into the positions out will help you stand out whether interviewing for another job or trying to explain why you should get into PA school. As you consider different avenues available to you, here's some things to keep in mind:


1) What do you like to do - What kind of things excite you about a job? Working at the bedside with a patient, working in a close knot team towards goal, solving a financial puzzle, research, supporting the team by digging into details. Skip past cliches like "I want to make a difference" and think about what kind of tasks make you feel engaged. Do you like working in big teams? Seeing new people every day? Do you like routine? Knowing these things about you will help you find roles that will keep you interested and satisfied long term.

2) What do you NOT like - What things would make you walk away from a good job? Repetitive tasks, smells, meticulous work, unsolved mysteries. Every job has aspects that are unpleasant, that's why they pay us to keep showing up. The fun parts of a job, those exciting things that first attracted you to that role, will become normal and boring over time. Finding a job with tolerable frustrations while avoiding unbearable issues will keep you satisfied long after the newness wears off.

3) Where are you starting from - still in undergrad, already have a career, working and haven't started college yet? When I decided to become a PA, I already had a bachelor's degree, family, and a mortgage. That shaped how I needed to pursue my dream. Taking an honest look at how long you have to prepare, what steps you need to accomplish, and what resource and support you have will clarify some of the option in front of you.

4) Know your financial wants and needs - No one works with patients just to make tons of money and not care about the patient. None of us do this for free either. Be aware of your obligations, plans, and expectations for compensation because the position you love may not pay as much as one you could force yourself to do.

5) Test your theories - The best way to truly see what kind of role fits you best is to gather evidence. Go shadow someone dong these jobs. Talk to them, read up on the positions on a blog like this, and try to find some opportunities to work or volunteer.

Interview with Hardin Simmons Student and PAEA Fellow

Here's an interview with a PA student who is also a PAEA Education Fellow.

1) What made you decide to be a PA? 

I had always wanted to be in medicine.  I went to Texas Tech University HSC in Lubbock and got my undergraduate in Clinical laboratory science in 1994.  I thought that being a Medical Technologist would be a useful skill if I was able to go to medical school.  At this time I had not considered becoming a PA because, well, there were no PAs in Texas.  Dwight Deter would be issued license PA00001 in August of that year.  Shortly after graduation I met my future wife and moved to Virginia.  We would move back to Texas in 2001 but as they say "life happened".  Children and mortgages became the focus of my efforts.  During that time I spent a year as a stay at home dad and completed a Master of Education from Tech.  Twenty four years after graduation I was investigating and advanced degree in medical technology when I saw that Hardin-Simmons was beginning a PA program in Abilene.  My family and I live about an hour east of Abilene and my kids were in high school.  I didn't want to uproot them to pursue my dream but with the HSU program essentially in my back yard I knew that we could make it work.  Of course, by then, I had had a long history of working with PAs in clinical settings and was aware of their skill, training, and the excellent care that they provide.  

2)  How did you choose Hardin Simmons? What was interviewing like?

The decision to go to Hardin-Simmons was easy.  I had gone to Hardin-Simmons my first year out of high school and loved the quality if the school and the Christian focus involved around academics.  I was actually on the first football team when it returned to campus. I had left HSU because of family financial concerns.  I regretted not being able to finish my undergraduate there and being able to take a full advantage of all the University had to offer.  When I heard that the PA program was starting the choice was clear.  Returning would let me pursue a dream in medicine that I thought had long since passed me by.  It was a homecoming, of sorts, and I would not need to uproot my kids from where they had been going to school since kindergarten. 
The interview process was a journey.  I discovered the program in June I believe--a few months after CASPA had opened.  I put the application together, contacted my references, scheduled a retake of the GRE (it had been more than 15 years since I had taken it before) and sent everything in.   The program was great at staying in contact--something that we might take for granted in a newly started program who was working on admissions and getting the nuts and bolts of the program assembled.  When everything was completed I was offered an interview in January of the matriculation year.  It was VERY cold that day and the after-interview tour of the campus was cancelled.  I felt good about the interview but was incredibly nervous.  I interviewed with two faculty members in 1:1 format and a group interview with a PA from the community and a staff member.   I am actually finishing an ER clinical with the PA from the community right now, so it has come back full circle.  The interviews were relaxed and you could get a sense that this program was something special.

In didactic year it was simply the sheer volume of material to learn.  The "fire-hose" analogy undersells this if anything.  It is also more emotionally draining that I would have anticipated.  Most of the people in my class could easily be my children, but they are some of the best friends I have ever had.  Its not really about the differences between students, it is the common experience that binds us to one another and to other PAs who have had a similar experience.   In clinicals, it is the confirmation that we have the coolest job known to man and that all of didactic was worth it to get to this point.  I sometimes wish I had done this a long time ago, but my past experiences have made me who I am and the provider I hope to be.

3)  What study strategies worked? Did that change on rotations?

I had always had what I called a "photo-erratic" memory.  I could read chapter and see it in my mind, turning the pages and reading it again.  That was good for a good part of didactic but you will always need to adjust.  Pharm was a huge hurdle for me.  I had to change completely what I was doing, taking the PowerPoint presentations and creating question banks from them and drilling endlessly on the material.  I would say that what everyone should know about PA school is that you have to be adaptable.  If you are a loner, you may need to have study groups.  You may need to try a variety of methods and then pick the resources that are adaptable to that strategy.  Early on the problem was that there were TOO MANY resources and I could never get through them.

4) Tell me about your involvement and experience with TAPA.

I was elected as my class TAPA rep in the fall of 2017.  I was the first rep from HSU (there is a junior rep in didactic year and a senior rep in clinical year) so I needed to wear both hats to some degree.  TAPA is such a welcoming organization.  They listen to student input and we actually have a voice in its operation.  The conferences were fun.  It was a good experience to meet reps and students from other programs who had different experiences.  In the summer of 2018 I became the official Senior Rep.  I was also selected to be on the Legislative Affairs Committee (LAC) for the next year.  That was important to me because it was a legislative year in our biennial process here in Texas.  Medical Technologist are not typically involved in lobbying and career advocacy and that had been a area of concern for me.  What TAPA does for its members goes beyond advocacy.  It involves professional development, meeting colleagues and friends, and advancing our profession in ways that touches all of us in medicine--a field that is constantly changing.   In June of this year I was elected by my peers from the other programs as the Student Director for the 2019-2020 year.  I will be working with the SAC chair Kaylin Sallee as well as the reps from all of the programs to advocate for the PA students in Texas and to be their voice on the board.

5) Any plans for after graduation?

Absolutely!   Work and pay student loans!   

Seriously, I would like to one day become faculty at a PA program.  My prior degree in Education inspired me to become a PAEA Future Education Fellow.  I am doing this to see how the education principles I learned are applicable in a specific training environment like PA school.  I also no that before I am ready to do that on a serious basis that I need to be in practice and learn how to be a PA.  What I see ahead isn't the ending, it is a new beginning with new opportunities and challenges.  

6) What advice would you give an aspiring PA?

Know who you are and what you hope to get out of being a PA.  If it is money or lifestyle, you won't be happy.  Those are great benefits to becoming a PA but in and of themselves they are not enough.  You have to know who you are before you can become the provider you want to be.   PA school takes that core of who you are and refines it.  It makes it focused for service to our patients and for a lifetime of learning, sacrifice and struggles of one sort or another.  That said, I have loved every minute of it and can not imagine doing anything else.  The struggle is worth it.

Considering a Position, whether future, first, or further

Before I started this journey, I worked in recruiting. I helped people hire and get hired, walking through the steps of making a decision on a job. One of the key contributions I would make was helping people define what would make an excellent "fit." We usually think about money first, and then turn our attention to comparing exciting parts of different jobs. This can be a dangerously short sighted way to look at different positions, especially in your career as a PA. So, whether you have been a PA for decades or if you're nearly finished with school and want to look forward to something other than tests, here are some things to consider when considering a new position.

1) What is actually important to you? Our instant answer is money, but if you work 100 hours a week for it with no time off, you'll never get a chance to spend that money. Consider things like schedule, field, location, and team. Do you want to have more time off - maybe shift work is better. Does everyone else in your world live on a Mon-Fri 9-5 schedule? Maybe you should too. Do you really want to work in Neurosurgery? Do you want to be in pediatrics? Or do you just want to find a position near your family? Really figuring out what your priorities are will help you focus your choice.

2) Team - this is really critical. Finding a team that is right for you means you need to understand what kind of group you work well in. We often take for granted that everyone wants the same things, but there is a variety of nuance when considering who you work with. Do you function with more oversight? Do you need lots of clear expectations? Do you prefer more autonomy? Doe workplace humor help you or frustrate you? Culture and group fit are very personal, so consider what kind of mix works best for you.

3) Experience - as PAs, building good clinical experience is essential to having a strong career. When looking at positions, consider how much learning it will provide to you. Does this help you expand your portfolio of skills? Will you be exposed to different disease processes or patient populations? More importantly, does this experience help you build towards your future career goals? As PAs we can move from one area of medicine to another, so having solid experience can give you more flexibility in the future.

4) First Position - If you are making a decision about your first position, there's needs to be a few extra considerations. Have they trained a new hire before? What are the training and production expectations? Are there other PAs to help mentor you as you navigate they clinic or hospital? I have known some new grads who have successfully worked as the first PA in a clinic, but unless you are determined to do this I would focus on positions that have successfully trained new grad PAs already.

What job tips do you have? Any words of wisdom you've come across or had to learn the hard way? Let us know in the comments!

Interview with Emory Student

Here's an interview with a student from Emory who also has a neuroscience masters.

1) What made you decide to be a PA?
I decided to be a PA sophomore year of undergrad at UTD. I was originally doing a degree in neuroscience and thought medical school was my only option to be able to practice medicine, though I remember feeling less than excited about the career as a whole. I don't remember how I learned about it but as soon as I came in contact with the PA career I was sold. I knew that it would afford me the opportunity to interact with patients, practice medicine, and follow my passion of life-long learning. In addition, the biggest perk to me was the flexibility. The opportunity to practice in various specialities throughout my career as interests change or if I just felt the need for a new and different challenge 15 years from now continues to inspire me about the PA profession.
I also have had the pleasure of working with some wonderful PAs while I was doing intraoperative neurophysiology for spine surgery before PA school. I always looked at them with envy and couldn't wait to be in their shoes. Neuromonitoring was a great career but I missed the ability to have follow-up with the patients I saw. The full continuum of care was another aspect of being a PA that I felt I was missing. 2) Tell us about your first Masters degree.
My first masters degree was in applied cognition and neuroscience at UTD. It came about as an excellent opportunity where I could do a fast-track program and essentially complete the degree in one additional year. I absolutely loved the program and would find out a few years later that it made the neurology module as well as pharmacology go much more smoothly in PA school as a lot of the information was a second or third pass of learning at that point. 3) How did you choose Emory? What was interviewing like?
The short, and uninspired answer to this question is that it's the first school I was accepted to...but the more substantial reason is that i felt that Emory had an exceptional program with vast opportunities and I absolutely loved it as soon as I stepped foot on campus. Some of the high points of Emory's program include the anatomy course with gross dissection in a 6:1 ratio with classmates, the simulation labs including a Harvey simulator, and 1st year experience getting to do H&Ps in the hospital on patients with conditions that correlated with whichever module we were learning at the time. The program really gets the students involved early and helps to sort of get your feet wet before clinical year. In addition, Emory is committed to serving the community and I have had the honor of serving at the Good Samaritan clinic as well as a week long service project providing healthcare to the South Georgia farmworkers. Long story short, Emory's program is very well-rounded and it made it a very easy 'yes'.

They've done a great job of incorporating ultrasound lectures and hands on practice for each module and have a strong focus on point of care ultrasound, especially in performing an efast exam which I think is an extremely beneficial skill to being to the table.
The interview was great. It was one of the few that did laid back group interviews. There was no complex, stress-inducing, cow bell ringing and running from room to room like the multiple mini interviews. It was a simple conversation with a couple faculty members, a community PA, and a current student that was fun and surprisingly relaxing. 4) What has surprised you about PA school?
What has surprised me most is the incredible backgrounds that my fellow students have. It has been really awesome to be surrounded by people with such diverse prior jobs, career,s and outlooks on life. I've been able to learn a ton both academically and personally from my classmates which has been a great surprise. 5) What study strategies worked? Did that change on rotations?
Everyone studies a little different but what worked for me was before the start of each module I would watch the board review on that topic to get a broad first exposure to the information. Then with each PowerPoint lecture I would go home that night and take hand notes from them of what I thought was important. Then also supplement with information from readings to expand upon parts I felt I needed more details on or to help really understand the 'why'. I love using Ferri's clinical advisor as a supplemental resource. It's a great book that gets updated yearly. It has pretty short and sweet summaries of most diseases and gives basic info, epidemiology, diagnostic tests, treatment strategies, when to refer, and considerations. It was a lifesaver in didactic as well as clinical year. On rotations I primarily try to read up on conditions that I encounter in practice and then create a study guide based off of the PAEA blueprint for each end of rotation exam. It's quite a bit of work but has paid off nicely. I also spend a lot more time now doing practice questions through exam master and smarty-pance which really help to solidify the information and begin the prep for the PANCE.

6) Any plans for after graduation?
Hopefully take a vacation! But also studying for the PANCE-gotta earn that 'C' to make this all worth it. As far as a job goes, I'm on the search. I have loved a few rotations and think I know what I would like to do but will see how the job search goes and hopefully find the right match both personally and professionally.
7) What advice would you give an aspiring PA?
Advice I would give to someone who's considering or applying to PA school, I would say make sure you are going for the right reasons and ensure you're in a good place in your life to dive in. PA school can be pretty grueling and will test your limits mentally and emotionally and put a strain on your friends and family who may not understand your absence. Make sure you're going in to this because it's your passion because that love and grit may be the only thing that pushes you toward another day. But know that it gets better in clinical year; you just have to make it there! For those that are already in it. I know anatomy was one of the hardest courses and most time consuming but if you buckle down and spend the time on it now, learning disease processes and why they are occurring will be so much easier later. Also you'll look like a rock star when you get 'pimped' in surgery--and that will definitely be worth it

Interview with PA-S from UNTHSC

Here's an interview from a PA student at UNTHSC who just graduated!


1) What made you decide to be a PA? I’ve always looked up to my own pediatrician growing up and truly appreciated how he treated my family and I so graciously. I aspired to serve others in that way and instill hope and confidence in children and their parents. I didn’t actually know what a PA was until I was in my second year of college and another student told me about it, sparking my interest. After some research into the career, I decided that this career path would fit my lifestyle better than going to medical school to be a physician. I would still have the wonderful opportunity to serve in pediatrics in the way I dreamed, however I would finish school faster and be able to have the family life I always envisioned for myself before the age of thirty. Felt like the perfect dream. 2) How did you choose UNTHSC? What was interviewing like?
Choosing UNTHSC was easy for me. My family is based in Fort Worth, so I was incredibly blessed to get in. I also thought the campus was pretty and nicely located in the middle of Fort Worth. The people had such a friendly vibe and I felt like it was easy to connect with everyone. Interviewing at UNTHSC was a little more intense than the interview at UTMB, but at the same time I felt more comfortable with the faculty. I remember I was in the afternoon interviews, so we had a quick bite to eat while sitting with faculty and other applicants. Then there was some sort of essay to write in a given time, a one on one interview with the faculty, and a team exercise with other applicants. It was stressful, but I tried to maintain my cool! That’s pretty much how everything went! It was all stressful, but then again I’m a worry bug. 3) What has surprised you about PA school?
Looking back on PA school, what surprised me was how hard it actually was. What also surprised me was how much you realize you are capable of learning! The learning curve applies to learning how to learn. Once you get your study habits on track, it goes much smoother. 4) What study strategies worked? Did that change on rotations?
During didactic, I realized quickly that my old study habits of making flashcards and reading were not going to cut it. I turned to my classmates for help and quickly realized that I needed a study buddy. I needed to review things out loud with someone to ensure that thought processes were correct and test one another to see multiple perspectives of the same material. I needed to see how the same information could be asked in different ways. I also used test banks like ExamMaster and books like PANCE Prep Pearls to figure out what were the main highlights and must knows within a topic. On rotations I had to fend for myself. I mostly used PANCE Prep Pearls book and ExamMaster to review material and topics. I also reviewed over old notes from didactic occasionally.
5) Tell me about your involvement and experience with TAPA.
TAPA was a great opportunity to do something outside of school with my classmates while also benefiting my career. My classmates and I always made a fun trip out of it and we got to see and meet students and alumni from other programs. It gave me a chance to learn about different career opportunities and practice communicating with other professionals. I think I went to at least one conference each year, if not two! It was fun to go to different cities and also to learn about what our career had to offer and what changes were being made. 6) Any plans for after graduation?

I found a job in primary care pediatrics! Start in August, so I have a couple months of lounging around and enjoying my last ever summer break!
7) What advice would you give an aspiring PA?
I would say that you should keep pushing through! All the hard work will pay off! Work hard to keep your GPA high in undergrad, volunteer, shadow, and don’t burn any bridges with anyone because you never know where a relationship will lead. Networking is key! I found my first job through my rotations! It is a great career and totally worth every moment of hard work!

Welcome Back

Welcome Back! 

We've been hibernating long enough. Time for some new posts! Stay tuned because we'll have new interviews from PAs and PA students, day in the life of snap shots, updates on the PA admission process, and more.

Have something you want us to cover? Any field of medicine you are curious about? Have a question about a particular school? Let us know in the comments!

Interview with a PA-S from UTPA

Here is Miguel, a TAPA Student Director and PA Student from UT Pan American

1) What made you decide to be a PA? (include a bit about your background if you can)

Well, I've been working in healthcare since I was 18 when I started to work at an out-patient surgery center as a Nurse Aid for almost 3 years. During my last year in college I worked as a Caregiver then once I graduated I immediately began working as a Sales Representative for a compounding pharmacy part-time, while I worked full-time in the business office at a physician owned hospital for about 4 years. So naturally, I new the healthcare avenue would be my best choice to seek a professional career in. I was very interested in the fact that a PA has the ability to move from one specialty/branch of medicine to another, as compared to an MD's career. I was also enthused by the obvious career perks, which included yearly salary, program length, responsibilities and the privilege to treat patients. But what sealed the deal for me was when I shadowed different PAs, I knew right away that this career was for me.


2)  How did you choose UTPA? What was interviewing like?

Since I was already carrying some weight from my undergraduate loans, my first priority was to attend a program that was more affordable. My second priority was to find a program that had a curriculum that would best fit my learning style and experience. My third priority was basically getting accepted into any program. After I looked into several programs, I did realize that UTPA was best suited for me. I liked that the program was focused on team-based learning, involved in rural medicine and wasn't located in a big city that had a distracting night life.​ The interview process has changed every year since I have been attending but I will say that it wasn't as intimidating as other program interviews. As long as you know your strengths and weaknesses and show compassion for the profession, I feel like you will leave the interview feeling good.


3)  What surprised you about PA school?

What surprised me the most was that I initially thought I was going to be fed all of this medical knowledge by my professors directly into my grey matter but this was not the case. This being my first Masters program, I realized that a lot of the information we learn is self taught, the professors are there to help guide you to your degree and of course teach you a few things.


4)  What study strategies worked?

I feel like this is a very open ended question since every student is going to have an almost completely different strategy to studying. However, I did find myself experimenting with a few different strategies and even study groups throughout the first semester until I felt comfortable with the amount of work I would put into studying and the outcome of each exam. Towards the end I thought it was best to study with a small group that way we could talk and share important points about each topic. Watching videos, whether free or paid for, also helped tremendously when I was pinched for time. My best advice would be to get familiar with your study habits and find out how you learn best, while also looking at other strategies that could possibly work for you, before you enter any program.


5) Tell me about your involvement and experience with TAPA.

So I've known about TAPA for about 4 years and have been personally involved as the UTPA Student Director for almost 2 years now. As Student Director I have had the privilege of being involved in TAPA board meetings, which gave me a behind the scenes look at how our board members run the show. It is hard to explain the awesome feelings I get when sitting at a board meeting and being able to interact with other board members on important issues that affect all PAs in Texas. Aside from being a Student Director I am also part of the Legislative  and Multicultural Affairs and Mentorship Committees. I try to attend both the spring and fall conferences every year and any other TAPA event that my schedule allows me to attend. PA Day at the Capitol in Austin, TX has definitely been my most memorable TAPA experience and I hope to see more PAs involved in the future.


6) Any plans for after graduation?

Right after I graduate and take the PANCE I am going to treat myself with a trip to Thailand for a few weeks. As of now, I plan on staying in the Edinburg/McAllen area for a few years, hopefully working in an ER or family clinic until I pay off all my school debt. I still plan on being part of a few TAPA committees in hopes of attaining a leadership position. I will probably still live like a poor college student until I'm debt free but once I pay off all my loans I will most likely buy something really expensive that I will regret and then try to return it. Hopefully I don't really do that but I do hope to buy a home, start a family and have lots of dogs.


7) What advice would you give an aspiring PA?

I highly recommend that you go shadow many PAs in different areas of medicine to see if this is the profession you are passionate about. I know it has become more difficult to find hospitals and clinics that allow shadowing but if you really want to be a PA, you will do whatever it takes to get there. Don't give up and try, try again. Make sure that you can be a flexible person, in all aspects, especially while you're in school. And most importantly make sure you are okay with studying for countless of hours, to the point that you forget what a bed is used for. If you still have doubts or questions, go to a TAPA Conference!

Interview from TAPA Rep. from UTSW

Here's an interview with Monica from UTSW.

1) Why did you choose to be a PA?

I wanted to become a PA after I did an extensive amount of research my senior year of college.  I've wanted to go into medicine my entire life. I specifically chose becoming a PA because the career allows for so much flexibility. I think part of the challenge with health care is that people can become burnt out. I found a field that will let me provide care to people when they are the most vulnerable but in a way that doesn't restrict me and will give me the most opportunity for life learning. 

2) What did you do to prepare to apply?

I wrote about 10,000 copies of my personal statement and made my friends and family read them. 

I looked up each school I was applying to and read their mission statements and tried to find people I knew who went to the schools to ask about pros and cons. 

I read a lot on the PA boards online.  I read PA blogs (like this one!)

I looked up interview techniques and practiced. 

And I spent time really trying to understand myself and why this is the best fit for me. In order to show other people you are meant to do something you have to know it inside and out.

3) How many schools did you apply to and interview with? What were the interviews like? How did you choose UTSW?

I believe around 10 applications. I was granted 4 interviews but only attended 2. 

They were nerve-racking and exhilarating at the same time. Both were very different. 

UTSW interview consisted of MMI (multiple mini interviews not mult. mini infarctions). I think it's a great way to get to know the candidates. The interview was engaging and helped loosen my nerves quite a bit.

4) What has surprised you about UTSW's PA program so far?

What surprised me about PA school in general is how different everyone's experience is. Some people have time to travel almost every weekend; while others never stop studying because they enjoy it and soak up the most information that way. 

Personally it seemed like nothing stuck during the academic year and that all the hard work was going to be for naught. I was constantly comparing myself to everyone else.  However, it just took rotations to make me feel much more confident as a provider. 

5) Have you found any successful strategies for surviving the didactic portion of your program?

Support each other. The people in your class are the only people who will completely understand you because they are the ones who went through the exact same things as you, even if their view point is different. Your family and friends will understand and be supportive but your classmates will really know what you're talking about when you need to vent or when you need help understanding something in your academics and program. 

6) What's the coolest things you've done so far?

In life? I met a president in the oval office once that was pretty cool. I also spent a week helping crew the coast guard barque eagle, that was also really cool.  (brag brag brag)

In PA school? Helping to deliver a child at Parkland. - I don't have any desire to go into obstetrics but it was an incredible and life changing experience that I will most likely never have again.  

7) Any advice for future applicants other than good grades and shadowing?

Stay focused but also live your life. When we have that much drive and passion to reach our goals it's easy to become blinded to missing out on life or to put it off. I'm cheesy but it's true. Without balance we tend to lose ourselves; and the part that we lose could be the exact thing that makes you an incredible care provider. 

Experience as much as you can so that you really know yourself before choosing your future career. 

Interview with a PA-S from MCPHS

Here is an interview with a PA student from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Science and a PAEA SHP Fellow. 

1) Why did you choose to be a PA?

From working in biotech and healthcare operations, I knew I loved the medical industry, but I kept feeling a draw towards one-on-one patient care.  Originally I was going to become a doctor, however every doctor that I interacted with that was over the age of 40 told me the same thing.  "If I could do it all over again, I would have been a PA."  The PA life-work balance allowed providers to not burn out as easily.  That combined with the fluid transitions between specialties made me decide to instead become a PA.  It was the best decision I have ever made.

2) What did you do to prepare to apply?

Research, research, research.  I first pulled all my transcripts and updated my resume.  I used these things to create a "this is what I'm working with" folder.  Then I made a list of the top things I wanted in a PA program.  For me that was an active larger city, diverse clinical specialities, and a strong involvement with AAPA and professional organizations.  Then I purchased a "How to get into PA School" book and went through the list of schools one-by-one.  It took forever to figure out which programs I liked and match those with programs where I met their requirements. 

3) How many schools did you apply to and interview with? What were the interviews like? How did you choose MCPHS?

I applied to 10 schools.  One had a secondary application that did not appeal to me, so I withdrew my application for them.  Of the other nine schools, I was offered five interviews, and made it into three programs.  MCPHS had three things that greatly appealed to me; 

1) A student-life balance.  They have a three year program with longer winter and summer breaks.  I liked that because I wanted to keep some sense of my normal life while being in grad school.

2) They had a 99% PANCE pass rate and would not undergo reaccreditation until 2019.  To me, that said their curriculum was solid and trustworthy.

3) They were in Boston, located in the Longwood Medical area.  PA students at MCPHS-Boston took anatomy at Harvard Medical School and had some rotation spots at Brigham and Women's hospital.  Those are well recognized institutions that I trusted with my education.

As for interviews, I had everything from five faculty members in front of me firing questions to group scenarios.  The weirdest question I was asked was, "Give me three uses for a pencil other than writing."  The best question I was asked was, "If you couldn't be in the medical profession at all, what would you do with the rest of your life?"  The best way to prepare was using the PA Student Forums and running through the top 100 interview questions.  You don't need to know the exact questions they will ask you, but you do need to be prepared to think on your feet and sell what you are working with.

4) What has surprised you about MCPHS's PA program so far?

MCPHS-Boston raised their class size from 75 to 100 for my year.  They are capping it at 100 from now on, but it was a big adjustment to arrive thinking there would be 75 people and instead see 100.

That said, I am very surprised at how much I like the larger class size.  When you're sick or fatigued, you can hide in the back of lectures and just take in the information.  When you are jazzed about a special lecture, you can sit up front and interact with the professor.  Plus, with 100 students, you are guaranteed to find personalities that match yours.  I am very fortunate to have my study group.  There are six of us and they are my family.  No one in class knows how we were ranked in acceptance, so every day I am thankful that all six of us arrived here on campus to find each other. 

5) Have you found any successful strategies for surviving the didactic portion of your program?

Use the cloud to your advantage.  My study group shares a google drive folder where we split up the task of creating lecture notes.  My class has a shared Dropbox account to share notes between study groups.  We also have a Quizlet account to share our electronic flashcards.  I study flashcards on my phone on the bus or at the gym.

My study group is my real savior though.  I have arrived at my peer's house on a Friday night and left on Monday morning at 8am to take the exam.  We literally just kept reading through our notes and teaching each other for 72 hours straight.  Our breaks were workout videos and doing a push up for every flashcard you got wrong.

6) What's the coolest things you've done so far?

Being the student editor for First Rounds, the student written article section of PA Profession, has had some awesome perks.  Especially when I went to the AAPA Conference in May 2014.  Not only was I able to meet the entire AAPA editorial and marketing staff, but they wound up using some of the AAPA Boston student members as models in their conference banners.  So imagine my excitement when the man whose books have spawned my interest in professional writing, Atul Gewande, got up to speak, and my face was on the banner behind him!  It was at that moment that I realized, even as a first year PA student, I was a big part of this profession already.

7) Any advice for future applicants other than good grades and shadowing?

Talk to every 45+ year old person you meet and ask them if they are happy in their career and personal life.  Everyone is going to make mistakes and have regrets in their life, but learning from everyone else's mistakes will skyrocket your life.  For me, that was talking to everyone I knew in the medical profession in all areas; nursing, operations, security, etc.  It not only has helped me develop my career path, but it has helped me develop my personal life.  Plus, the more people you meet in life, the more experiences you hear about, so the more interesting you will be when you sit down at your PA interviews.

PAEA Student Health Policy Fellowship

Hello! I just got back from our nation's capital where I was able to participate in the PAEA Student Health Policy Fellowship. If you don't know, the PAEA is the national association that focuses on PA education.

Here's a video interview with Marc Geller, PA-S from UT Pan American and myself discussing our time in D.C.

Interview with a UNTHSC PA-S

Here is an interview with a second year from UNTHSC.

1.       Why do you want to be a PA?

-        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?

-        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?

-        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? 

-        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?

-        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.

TAPA Fall Conference Video Interview #4

Just in time for the Spring TAPA conference this weekend, here is my interview with Nupur from UT Pan Am at the Fall 2013 conference.

Health Care Experience

Health Care Experience is a big part of your application. Many programs even require a minimum amount of hours you need before applying. I had a few friends from my class tell me about their previous health care experience so you can see some of the variety represented in our program and have an idea of the variety of experiences out there. 




Before school, I worked in a clinic with doctors of all specialties getting CTs and MRIs approved with insurance companies. I learned about the MANY different types of insurances and what criteria they look for before they will approve your imaging study. I learned how important it is for a practitioner to be detailed in their clinical notes in order to make it easier for the people getting the approvals. I also gained experience navigating EMR software, because I had to look at patient labs, previous imaging studies, current meds, and clinical notes.




I worked as an EMT/Paramedic in between graduating from undergrad and getting into PA school.  I also completed a 2-year community college certificate program while I worked to upgrade my abilities/title/pay early on.  I also worked my last year as an ER technician.  For me, it helped cement that I wanted to be involved in hands-on medicine (not research) as I had no previous experience in which to defend any post-grad education.  It’s helping me immensely with PA school in the functional aspects of it, such as feeling comfortable with patients and skills I’ve already encountered (eg: VS, interviewing), and some knowledge background, particularly on emergency-related health care which covers a huge variety of trauma and disease.




I worked as an MA at a sports medicine and orthopedic office in Bryan. As an MA, I took histories and vitals, ordered xrays, took out staples and stitches and cleaned incisions/wounds, helped put on casts (and got to use the awesome cast saw to cut them off!!), ordered, scheduled, and authorized MRIs, CTs, arthrograms, and surgeries, wrote orders for PT, sent/called in prescriptions... The doctors that I worked for are the team physicians for A&M athletics, and one of them is a renowned orthopedic surgeon, so I got to meet a large variety of patients, from Olympians and college athletes to 90 year olds with DJD. Working there helped me gain a bigger idea of what working in a medical office involved and how to be the best you can for your patients, and I was able to be taught by some of the most passionate and caring physicians! 




I didn’t know I was interested in medicine until I had the opportunity to work in the medical world as a pharmaceutical sales rep.  I think it helped me prepare for school  in a number of ways.  First, having 8 years of real-world experience after college has definitely prepared me for this program.  I feel I have a mature outlook to a post-grad program like this from being out in the professional work force for years.  Second, I have learned a lot about the healthcare system in general.  There are many facets of healthcare other than just the provider-patient interactions.  The hospital/system dynamics and politics, the payer influences, and the overall business side of healthcare is often overlooked by those going into medicine.  My experiences have helped me gain a deeper understanding of these aspects.  As far as the pharmaceutical understanding and disease state knowledge, I definitely am more prepared for certain disease state blocks and pharmacology drug class sections of the program.  That being said, this program continues to open my eyes to the amount of knowledge that I have yet to learn.

Once I decided to pursue a career in healthcare, my first step was to seek out shadowing opportunities.  Through family friends that were doctors and pre-healthcare organizations in undergrad I was able to find opportunities to shadow orthopedic surgery, spinal surgery (office visits only, no OR), family medicine, and emergency department.  While in the ED, the physician was complaining about the transition to EMR and the pressure he was feeling from administration to utilize a tablet to document patient visits.  I convinced him to let me give it a try just on a whim, and it eventually morphed into a scribe position for the remainder of that semester.  

I also worked at a company that did zip-line canopy tours.  This was not a healthcare job, but I did all I could to turn it into one.  For example, I initiated first-aid training sessions, outfitted the rescue bags with better first-aid equipment, and updated all emergency action plan protocols.  I believe you can show your passion for health and patient care regardless of the job you work, so don't be discouraged if it's hard to find HCE.

My most recent job before PA school was working as a scribe/MA for an orthopedic and spinal surgery office.  I found this job by relentlessly applying to every place I could find, until I got a hit from a Craigslist post.  I would not have landed this (paid) position had I not had the previous experience scribing in the ED (unpaid). Take any job, even if it's unpaid, that gets your foot in the door and prove to them that you can contribute to their practice. I sent countless letters of interest to any doctor's office I could find to ask about open positions...never hurts to ask.





I worked as a clinical dietitian prior to coming to PA school which gave me the opportunity to work with interdisciplinary teams including doctors, PA's, NP's, social workers, speech therapist, occupational therapist and physical therapists. It made me realize the unique position PA's are in and the respected relationships they build with not only patients but the interdisciplinary team. My job also gave me great experience in interviewing, educating patient's, communicating with nurses/physicians, charting, writing orders and conducting research.





My healthcare experience was really varied prior to entering school.  In high school I worked as a hospital volunteer, mainly in the ER, so I got to see a lot early (this was 20 years ago before things got really tight regarding PHI).  During college years, I worked in a small town as ER triage and registration and as a 911 dispatcher which was tied with a local "lifealert" system for seniors.  After getting my master's degree in exercise physiology, I worked as a research assistant at a very unique human physiology lab (http://www.ieemphd.org/) that not only conducts experimental research studies, but provides clinical care.  At this job I worked with healthy individuals of all ages and various patients (ex: seniors with HTN, young women with POTS, pregnant women).  Also, I was able to work as a inside chamber attendant for the hyperbaric medicine unit at the IEEM.  Here I assisted in the care of patients that have wounds that are not healing well (diabetic or post surgical), post radiology patients, scuba divers with the bends, and those suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning. I got direct PA shadowing experience with an ortho I personally saw who has an ortho PA working for him, and two PA acquaintances I have that work in the ER and with a cardiologist's office respectively.  All worked at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas.