I know what you are thinking? “What did she just say?”, “Did I read that right?”, “wait, what?”. Yep, you read it correctly. The first time I applied to PA school I applied to 7 schools. Of those schools, I had only one interview, and was put on that school’s waitlist. The other six schools I applied to, I was rejected from within one month of my CASPA being sent in. Talk about devastation, right?
I felt embarrassed, ashamed, defeated, heartbroken, and I had a moment where I pondered if PA school was meant to be. This was, quite honestly, the first time that I had ever been rejected from something so big and important before. Now, did I expect to just breeze through CASPA and get accepted into PA school right away? No. I knew getting into PA school was incredibly competitive. I did, however, think that I would have had more opportunities for interviews where I could emphasize that I was more than just what my “numbers” on my application portrayed me as. I was not expecting within one month of spending all of that time, money, and effort on CASPA to be rejected by so many schools immediately.
After taking the time to comprehend my rejection, and re-evaluate my dreams, wishes, desires, and motivation to go to PA school I decided that if I wanted to make this dream a reality, it was going to take a hell of a lot more effort to get into school. The next time around, I had to prove to those schools that I wanted to be in PA school and that I was willing to make the necessary improvements to show that I would make a great applicant. It was time for a makeover.
Below are 10 things that I decided to do to for my second attempt at the application cycle to help me stand out in a sea of thousands of applicants:
- More PA Shadowing – I had only completed 4 job shadows (about 25-30 hours) the first time I applied. I reached out to more medical professionals and shadowed another 38 hours with three PAs, an MD, and a Nurse Anesthetist. Goal : show that I was truly dedicated to the profession and that I was interested in seeing the many aspects and opportunities that healthcare has to offer.
- New Job– I had worked in the nursing home as a CNA for over two years. It was time to switch things up. I opted to try out being a private caregiver where I was more hands on and was able to provide a lot more care to my patients. I had also contemplated going back to school to get my EMT certification or something similar but decided against it for financial reasons. Goal: show that I was willing to take on more responsibility and broaden my skills in the healthcare field.
- Retook the GRE – The first time I took the GRE I got a 298 and a 4 on my writing. A lot of the schools were interested in students having at least a 300. I decided that I was going to retake it and try to reach that 300 mark. I studied a little bit harder on it this time and felt more confident while taking the test. New score : 299 (I could have just screamed), and a 6 on my writing. I was super bummed, but my writing score did go up to a ‘perfect score’ of 6. Goal: show that I was willing to try and improve my score.
- Revamped my personal statement– My personal statement was well written my first application cycle, but it didn’t stand out in the crowd. The second time around I focused on how I had changed from my first time applying and how dedicated I was to applying to PA school. Goal: Show how I had grown from the previous year and show my dedication to the profession.
- More letters of recommendation- I only had 2 letters of recommendation the first time around (most schools say 2-3 but you can have up to 5 on CASPA). I had 2 from PAs that allowed me to shadow them, one from a professor that I did research with, one from a supervisor for a major medical company, and one from my boss at the nursing home I used to work at. I had great conversations with each of them, still keep in contact with them, and wrote them thank you letters for helping me with this journey. Some schools have certain requirements for who they want their letters of recommendation to be from, they are serious about this so be sure to look at each school’s requirements. Goal: show that I had a large support system of professionals who were willing to vouch that I was an ideal candidate for PA schools.
- Continuing education – I opted to take more classes in the time between application cycles. I took a pharmacology class (immensely helpful now that I am in PA school and have seen some of these drugs before), a clinical nutrition class, and a lifespan developmental psychology course. Not only did this get me back into the swing of class (I had been out of college for over a year) but helped meet more pre-requisite requirements for additional PA schools that I didn’t qualify for the first round. Goal: show that I was willing to put in the time and effort to make myself better equipped for the demands of PA schools.
- Completed and submitted CASPA earlier – the first time I applied to PA school I didn’t submit CASPA until mid July. I was waiting on a letter of recommendation; I was working 50hr weeks and highly underestimated the amount of time it would take to complete it. My second application was completed and submitted by mid May. I had received interview invitations the second year before I had even submitted my application the year prior. Most PA schools are on a running admission, therefore the earlier you submit, the higher chances (most likely) that the schools will see your application before they fill up their interview slots. Goal: increase my chances of PA schools who would look at my application and have a spot for me to interview.
- Applied to more schools – The first application cycle I applied to 7 schools. Most of them were local schools within close proximity to Michigan, plus Duke University (just to say I applied really, my chance of getting into the #1 PA program in the US was highly unlikely) and a few other schools in North Carolina. My second time applying I applied to 13 schools, all over the United States. I decided that if I was meant to be in PA school, I would be able to handle the difficulties of moving away from home. I didn’t allow the distance to hold me back. Goal: improve my chances of getting in my increasing the number of schools; also, show that I am willing to travel distances to make my dream a reality.
- Volunteering – PA schools are looking for applicants who are willing to dedicate their time to volunteering in their community. I had done a few volunteering opportunities for my first application cycle, but I did a heck of a lot more my second time applying. I did a lot of my volunteering at the Children’s Healing Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I also volunteered at the local elementary school. If you have the opportunity to volunteer more of your time and gain some sort of experience (medical or non-medical) that will help set you apart from other applicants. Goal: show your love for your community
- Prepared for my interviews– My interview my first time around actually went pretty well. I felt confident and well prepared walking in, but I felt a huge disconnect when I sat down and I was asked certain questions. I had prepared far too much about why I wanted to be a PA and why I wanted to attend that school and far less about the PA profession itself. My second interview I was far more prepared not only to answer the questions about why I wanted to go to PA school, but also why the PA profession is so important and the history of the profession. I was also very open and honest in the interviews about how devastated I was that I hadn’t gotten accepted the year before and took the opportunity to show how I had grown and made myself a better applicant. Goal: show preparedness, dedication, and honesty
My second attempt at applying to PA school I received 5 interview invitations, but was accepted into a program within 2 days of my first interview. Because I loved the school that I got accepted to, I decided to give up my additional interviews to allow the opportunity for another applicant. I whole-heartedly believe that because I took the time and effort to revamp my application, it made a huge impact on my second application cycle.
By getting rejected the first time around that I am way more thankful and appreciative for the opportunity to continue my education in the medical field. I am so blessed to have my seat in my PA program and there is nothing that can take that gratitude away. In a way, I found the beauty in the pain. I learned a lot in my year off between application cycles, I not only grew as an applicant, but there was a lot of personal growth in there too. I had to have my dream ripped from my fingertips before I could appreciate the opportunity in front of me. I don’t take a single day of PA school for granted.
If you have been rejected before, or if you get rejected this time around, please don’t give up. You are capable of doing this! Try to find ways to set yourself apart from other applicants. Take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way. Dedicate some serious time to applying to PA school and really think about your school choices, sacrifices you’re willing to make, how much money you are willing to spend on applying, and think about why you really want to do this. If you want to get into PA school as bad as I wanted to (and I assume you do) you have to be willing to work for it! I believe in you. Now I need you to believe in you.
“Winning is great, sure, but if you are really going to do something in life, the secret is learning how to lose. Nobody goes undefeated all the time. If you can pick up after a crushing defeat, and go on to win again, you are going to be a champion someday.” – Wilma Rudolph
-Paige
Paige the PA 