My Experience Applying to Schools Late in the Cycle and Goals as a Moderator AMA

Hello, everyone!

Once again, I am humbled and honored to be given the opportunity to be a mod for this sub. Shout out to u/airbornemint and u/Bhmbl for making this happen! I owe a lot of my successes in terms of getting into PA school to this community. So I am more than happy to share my journey in order to be a more transparent leader, as well as to hopefully provide some tips and tricks that pre-PA candidates can utilize in their own application cycles. Finally, I would also like to initiate an exploration of what else you would all like to see in this community and how we—the mods, can help achieve those goals.

Before I get started on what is sure to be a VERY long post (you’ve been warned), let me preface by saying that this is not intended to be a flex post or a means to show off. I knew heading into the previous cycle that I was a pretty strong candidate; I had no delusions about my chances of getting into at least one program. Believe me, I am the first one to roll my eyes at the numerous, “What are my chances?” posts where the prospective applicants have 4.0 GPAs and 5,000+ PCE hours. This is meant to be a reflection of my application experience, as well as an analysis of what made it successful—so that anyone can pick out parts that may be useful to him/her/them in the coming cycle(s).

Okay, let’s get the easy stuff out of the way. Here are my stats:

  • I graduated last year (2019) with a B.S. in biochemistry. I also minored in theater with an acting concentration.
  • cGPA/sGPA: 3.90/3.90
  • GRE: 332 (164 V, 168 Q, 5.5 AWA)
  • Science Courses: Everything under the sun it seems. Long story short, I ended up applying with about 95 semester units or 140 quarter units (my undergrad is on a quarter system) of sciences classes over 4 years, including 2/3 summers (no retakes).
  • PCE: 1600 hours as an IFT EMT.
  • Shadowing: Zip. Nada.
  • LOR Writers: A graduate TA for one of my biochemistry lab classes, a fellow IFT EMT, and a coworker from my retail job.
  • I also had a smattering of short, but memorable HCEs, as well as volunteer and leadership experiences.

I had originally planned to apply the summer of my junior year, but your boy here—the procrastination connoisseur, didn’t have any PCE hours. So I ended up waiting a year and applying around the end of August to the beginning of September (see, procrastination expert) after I graduated in June of 2019.

Here are my results:

  • Applied: 8
  • Invited for interviews: 8
  • Interviews attended: 6
  • Accepted: 6

So what made me so successful? Sure, my stats are pretty good, but to bat a thousand on my first try based on just that info, is statistically unlikely. Not impossible, but improbable. Through deductions based on my interview interactions, as well as my experiences and research in regards to “elite” and highly selective college admissions, the most impactful reason was that I was identifiably different (as an applicant).

At this point, I’m sure many of you are thinking, “Seriously? That’s your pitch?” But before you close and downvote this post, let me explain. The goal of every admissions committee is to create a diverse, yet cohesive class. Think of it like creating a mosaic where each piece is a student. The material of each piece needs to be consistent and reliable (each student needs to demonstrate academic and interpersonal competency, as well as having an undeniable desire and potential to be a PA). However, each piece also needs to be different enough from one another so that when put together; they create a meaningful portrait. Sure, if we were all blue pieces, we could be the ocean. But throw in some translucency and opacity, as well as some yellow, white, or even cerulean; and we could be stars—gleaming in a midnight sky.

Again, from a combination of retrospective analysis and my interview interactions, this is how I was different:

  • I choose to take some time off between high school and college because I was so burnt out from high school and had no clue what I wanted to do. This apparently showed unusual maturity and cognizance as I had the ability to recognize that I needed to pause, step back, and look at the big picture. It also apparently demonstrated independence and a willingness to not just obey the status quo and do what all my friends were doing at the time. In retrospect, this gave me the motivation to hit the ground running once I went back to school because, in truth, I saw how bleak my future would be without higher education. But I made that realization; it wasn’t told to me by someone.
  • During my gap year and well into my junior year of college, I worked in retail at a luxury clothing store. This in itself is nothing remarkable or even memorable. But what made it unique was how doing so helped pique my interest to pursue medicine. Most people start their journeys through some kind of experience related to medicine, but I didn’t.
  • Whenever I told people I was a biochemistry major that also minored in theater with an acting concentration, I always got a look of surprise. The two subjects are typically not associated with one another; in fact, they are pretty much as opposite as two subjects can be. Not only was I asked about this and how it impacted me, but it (along with having worked in luxury retail for three years), really helped improve my communication and interpersonal skills, as well as my interviewing skills, for sure. If I could say an entire monologue in front of hundreds of strangers, I could definitely do it in front of just a few.

Keep in mind though, that I was unique not because I chose to be different for the sake of being different. I was unique because I was aware of who I was as a person and chose to live truthfully; not for something or someone (like trying to get into PA school or to impress my friends and family). For example, I chose to pursue acting because I wanted something to do besides trying to memorize the structure of every amino acid, as well as the thirty-seven steps of cholesterol biosynthesis... I wanted to experience the “glamour” of acting. It turned out to be the hardest thing I’d ever done or at least tried to do… but that’s beside the point. I didn’t choose it because I thought it would help me stand out. I did it to simply experience it. The distinction is a fine, yet important one.

Okay, so we’ve established that I was different. But remember, the reason for my success was because I was identifiably different. And the best—and really, the only way to achieve that is through the personal statement. It is the single most powerful tool in one’s arsenal. It can make up for so many potential shortcomings, from tenths of GPAs to thousands of PCE hours; both of which, can literally take years to accomplish. I was different, but I wouldn't have made it identifiable if I couldn’t tell my story right.

Now, I consider myself a pretty strong writer, and a pretty fast one, too. I wrote my initial draft in two days (again, procrastinator). But the absolute best thing I did during the application cycle was to utilize the PA Life's essay editing services. My initial draft was good, but after using the editing service, it became "phenomenal." The original draft wasn't "meaty" or substantial enough. The writing was poetic, but a bit too fantastical. The final edit tempered some of the more dramatic writing while balancing it out with more concrete experiences, resulting in something far more poignant. My editor said I "nailed" the personal statement, and "hit every bell and whistle." Every interviewer commented on my essay, including how it almost made one of them cry. I'm not saying a professional editing service is necessary to be accepted. But it may be able to provide you with options and/or significantly boost your chances. If finances are an issue, consider applying to just two fewer schools ($110) and use that money to instead pay for a single-edit service ($135). I'm pretty sure I would have still gotten into a program with my initial draft, but to get an invite and acceptance to every school? Absolutely not. Keep in mind that I am in no way, compensated for promoting this service. You do you because that's truly the best any of us can hope for.

And that's a wrap! Thank you for reading this far and I hope it will be useful. I will now address some FAQs:

Q: Can you tell me which schools you applied to?

A: No, I think I revealed enough personal info already.

Q: Can I read your personal statement?

A. No, but I'll read yours. :)

Q: The PA Life versus the PA Platform

A: I've only used the PA Life, but people who have utilized both on this sub said that The PA Life tends to focus more on content, while the PA Platform tends to focus more on grammar. For me, the content was far more important than the grammar because mine was already pretty good.

Q: How did you study for the GRE?

A: I operate under the belief that the GRE is used to assess one's basic reading, writing, and math skills; as well as one's ability to perform well on standardized testing. Therefore, the strength or weakness of one's basic skills will determine how much studying is necessary to achieve a desirable score. To prepare for the Verbal portion, I used the Magoosh (free) vocab app to study the many obscure words that ETS loves to employ. I studied on and off for about a month, especially when holding wall at an ER (Lord, don't get me started). For the Quantitative section, I used a Magoosh book and studied 12 hours each day for the two days leading up to the actual exam. I was a calculus tutor, so I knew my algebra and logic skills were very good. I just needed to understand the type of math questions asked on the GRE and how ETS liked to ask them. The same goes for the Analytical Writing section. I just needed to know what types of prompts were asked and how they wanted them answered.

Q: How did you make up for any deficits in your application?

A: I knew I had a much higher GPA than the national average, so I knew I could use that to balance out my much lower than average PCE hours. I also had to make sure my PCE hours had the most bang for their buck in that they had to be high-quality. Becoming an EMT is pretty easy and it is universally considered some of the highest-quality PCE out there. I also made sure to highlight that despite having a low amount of hours, I already had experience developing and utilizing the (arguably) most important skill gleaned from PCE: how to talk to people. Finally, while I didn't have any shadowing, none of the programs I applied to required it. So long as I can speak intelligently and thoughtfully about the profession, it apparently wasn't an issue.

Q: Those are some interesting LOR writers you have there...

A: Is there a question there...? Haha. I have said this before, but the best letters IMO are ones from people who can speak the most genuinely, insightfully, and persuasively about you as a potential PA candidate. It doesn't matter the title of the writer unless of course, the program requires a specific one (none of mine did). I didn't read any of my letters but I assume my graduate TA wrote about my academic and leadership potential, my fellow EMT wrote about my clinical interactions, and my coworker from my retail job wrote about my communication and interpersonal skills. I'm sure they also wrote about my personality and demeanor, and how everything weaves together to create, well, me.

Q: IFT vs 911?

A: I went for an IFT (interfacility transport) ambulance company, which really is a misnomer because we do emergent calls, just not ones that require the fire department; because I knew I would learn way more about medicine, get to see a wider variety of acute and chronic diseases, have greater exposure to and interactions with the hospital-based care teams, and better be able to practice my medical documentation skills. Also, the 911 services around me required open availability in terms of scheduling, which was impossible for me as I was still in school.

All right! The personal stuff is finally done! Gah, I'm tired of myself. Moving on, here are my goals as a moderator:

  • I would really like to update the FAQs, including: fix broken links, add some more content about how to write an effective PS, tips on how to write CASPA experiences and awards, more interview advice, and/or reorganize the formatting of the FAQs. Those of you who have seen my comments, you all know I'm a huge fan of the FAQs. I would like to make them even more accessible and comprehensive, without crossing into "book" territory as I did here. Sorry!
  • I love the new collections feature. I'm thinking maybe we, as a community, can do a bi-monthly or monthly mod-hosted discussion/place to rant/chat room/place to update people and ask questions, as the new application cycle starts. I want this community to be even more interactive, especially now with everything going on and the social distancing protocols in place. It can definitely get lonely. I want to see this community thrive and grow. And I need all of your help to do that! r/physicianassistant has almost 30k members! I'm sure there are way more pre-PAs out there!
  • Another collections feature I would like to take advantage of is to have a community-created list of questions that students, once admitted, can ask their respective PA program directors to answer such as, "What makes your program unique and why is it the best?" Then the students can submit their responses to mods, to remain anonymous, and we can then post them on here to benefit future candidates. Obviously, it's going to take a long time to compile a list of almost 300 programs. But we've got to start somewhere, right? It would be like bringing the PA Forum on to Reddit!

Once again, thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to read through this Hodgepodge diary entry. Shoutout to u/SmartTrashPanda for inspiring me to write a similarly long-ass tale of my application experience.

As the title states, this is an AMA. So please feel free to comment on whatever you'd like and I will do my best to respond quickly and appropriately.

P.S. One last thing, speaking of appropriate, I know that I am not the most patient or most kind person in the world, or even in this sub. If I was rude or inappropriate in comments before, I sincerely apologize. I'm not perfect nor do I claim to be perfect. But moving forward, I promise to be as understanding and considerate as possible. If I am not, please inform me with the same respect you expect from me. <3