You have successfully conquered the hurdle that is CASPA; now what? Most schools have a supplemental or secondary application that asks for additional information. Every school wants to get to know the “real you,” and supplementals go a long way towards filling in the blanks that standardized applications cannot.

Enhancing your application to PA programs extends beyond just showcasing your academic and technical proficiency. While a strong GPA and substantial healthcare experience are undeniably valuable, admissions committees are increasingly recognizing the importance of soft skills. 

You can frequently highlight them in your application through the essays or by demonstrating them with your choices of patient care work, volunteering, or extracurriculars. 

You’ve finished (or are finishing) your prerequisites. You have the required number of patient care hours. You have written your own mission statement and figured out where you want to apply.

And the moment you have waited for is here!

It’s that time of year again; the CASPA application opens at the end of this month!

Last week was the annual North Carolina Health Professions Fair Week. We visited seven schools across the state, from Wilmington to Boone, and many places in between. One thing we heard from quite a few students was how helpful our school comparison spreadsheet is in their planning.

Every PA program has slightly different requirements, as well as different costs, locations, and amenities. It’s hard to keep up!

Durham is a city with a lot to offer. Whether you are a prospective applicant checking out the area for the first time or an incoming student in town to look for housing, there is plenty to do and see (and eat!) while you’re here.

The average age of first-year physician assistant (PA) students is 25-28 years old.  

Does that mean that as an applicant in your 30s or older, you have somehow “aged out” of your path to being a PA? 

Of course not!  

We talk a lot about considering each program’s mission statement, philosophies, and values when choosing where you want to submit applications. However, we have only touched on writing your personal mission statement to guide you as you apply to Physician Assistant (PA) programs.

The new year, when you are already thinking about your goals, is a great time to put that idea into practice.

‘Tis the time of year for buying gifts. Whether you are shopping for Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, or just out of a vague need to participate in the holiday season, you might find yourself wondering what to give the PA student in your life.

We asked our students to tell us what gifts they would like and what would have been great before matriculating into PA school.

We are taking a break this month from the more instructional blog posts to touch base with the foundation of the PA profession: Veterans.

If you have spent time applying or planning to apply to college or graduate school, you have probably come across the phrase “holistic admissions process.”

But what does “holistic admissions” really mean?

Schools that look at applicants holistically look at the whole person, not just their grades and scores.