Interview day...

Time flew by quickly and before I knew it... interview time arrived. I arrived in Portland on Friday morning (one day before the interview).  I thought it was a good idea to arrive with enough time for me to check out the school before the interview. 

Friday Afternoon I actually took the light rail down to the campus and walked in and around the Health Professions Campus. It was really helpful because I got comfortable with how to get the interview, and the layout of the campus. I was able to listen in on a guest lecturer for a few minutes. It got me very excited, and made me much better prepared for the next day's interview. 

I was excited and nervous at the same time. I felt confident in my preparation, but the unknown definitely ate at me. I sat in my hotel room the rest of the day going over questions, answers, and trying to relax. I got to bed early, had everything prepared the night before, and woke up early. I had to be to the Interview at 7:00, and I factored in the hour or so to get there on the light rail. I was out at light rail stop at 5:45AM and I wasn't prepared for how cold it was... one thing I wish I had prepared a little more for. I was just in my suit and freezing... I didn't want to carry around a jacket all day, but it turns out, I probably would have enjoyed it. 

I arrived at the school about 15-20 early, and thankfully the door was open and I could wait inside. A few of the interviewees were already there talking amongst each other. Everyone was nervous, even through they tried to show they were calm and collected. I spoke with a guy to my left and we talked about the weather, where we came from, and how many interviews we already had. He was actually a pretty good guy, and we hung out for a while until everyone was split up into groups. 

After waiting for 10 min or so, It was up to the 5th floor for everything to get started. We were split up into color-coded groups (each group was to be interviewed in the same time frame). Each group had a student who was responsible for helping and directing the candidates throughout the day. I was part of the green group, and we were to be interviewed around 11:00AM. I was happy with my time, because it gave me some time to relax, and have questions answered about the program before I was interviewed.


We had the day explained to us by the admissions director first. We were then given an hour or so to write the impromptu essay. The admissions director emphasized that it was not a big deal, and that they just wanted to make sure we could logically come up with a thought. The sample questions they gave us was: 


"If you could have the gift of invisibility or flight, which would you choose and why?" 


The questions asked was a very simple question. I wrote my thoughts, It took me maybe 15 - 20 min to write and then I was surprised to find I was the first one done. I wrote just over a page. I didn't want to stress out too much over this, because I knew that the actual interview was the big deciding factor. 


We were all rotated to different lecture halls to hear about the program details, and financial aid. We also had a student panel come and we could ask them questions regarding their experience with the program, and what they would do differently if they started over, ect. I learned a lot from all of the info sessions. 

Interview Time...

 I was surprised at how fast the interview came. We went into a small conference room where we waited for our names to be called. I had 2 of the faculty interviewing me, a man and a woman, who looked very intimidating. When I came in I was sure to smile and shake their hands firmly while maintaining eye contact. I tried to maintain my composure and remember all I had practiced. The woman let me know that it was a relaxed environment, and if I loose my train of thought, I could stop and start over (thankfully I didn't need to do that). 


These are some general questions that could possibly be asked in an interview that I quote from book The ultimate guide to getting into Physician Assistant school by Andrew J. Rodican (a great tool to have, I recommend it!):


"So, tell us a little about yourself."


"Why do you want to be a PA?"


"How has your academic work prepared you for the PA profession?"


"What have you done to prepare yourself for this profession?"


"What is your understanding of what PAs do?"


"What do you do outside of work or academic studies?"


More practice questions can be found at this Mock Questions site I found that was very helpful for my interview preparation.


In my shadowing experience I did shadow a PA who was an alumni from Pacific's program, I mentioned his name and they both knew him, he also wrote one of my letters of recommendation! I think this really helped me a lot.


I felt like I honestly could have answered a lot of questions better... but we are always our worst critics. In fact the woman actually cut me off with one of my answers, (perhaps she heard what she wanted to). 


They asked me if I had any questions and I pulled out a small notepad that I had previously wrote questions on. I asked "how available are the staff and faculty for questions and help during the day?" It was something I somewhat already heard the answer to, but I wanted to at least have one question to ask. I also took a moment after they said thanks for your time to put in my last petition to be part of their program. I said something to the effect "I am really thankful for this opportunity to be here, I feel very blessed. Everything that I have seen here at Pacific is inline with my future goals and I feel this program fits me very well. I really feel I would make a great candidate for Pacific's program." and I shook their hands and left, and I was surprised that I was the first one out of the interviews from my group (didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing). 


We were then given lunch, had a tour of the entire campus, and was free to leave whenever. I went straight back to the hotel and relaxed. 

I was done! At least it wasn't worth stressing over anymore because it was no longer in my hands. I was still a little anxious wanting to hear back, but I had to tell myself to relax. I got to enjoy Portland the rest of the day and hang out. My flight was scheduled to leave the next morning. 


Then the waiting game really started... 

Always remember the 8th of November!

How do I explain the feeling that comes when you get an interview?... After working so long and hard on the PA process, it really is such a magnificent feeling to FINALLY get an interview invite. Its hard to put into words, the joy that comes from opportunity knocking at your door. 


Most schools receive somewhere between 1000-1500 completed applications (which means the candidate filled everything out, including the supplemental application). From those, only around 125 get interviews. Those odds right there make it a 8.3% chance of getting an interview and from those 125 interviewed only 40-60 get accepted. Now the odds move up to a 32% chance of getting accepted. 


I had to wait 8 MONTHS to get an interview invite. Don't lose hope if you don't hear back and everyone else has. I was in the last interview group that Pacific University offered. It was late in the work day on November 8th, when around 4:30 I received this email:

Such an amazing feeling at that point. I was in a meeting at work, so I immediately text my wife to let her know. When work was over I called her right away. We were both ecstatic! 

The 3 week and 4 day countdown began...

 I also received further instructions a few days later in this email:

I had already bought this book, but now it was time to read and re-read it again. I actually typed most of the practice interview questions in a word document on my computer, and then wrote a thought-out response. It really is a helpful book, i suggest it. 

I have never read this new book by Andy Rodican, but i'm sure it is very good, and may be worth looking into. $26 is worth paying if it helps you get accepted into PA school!

Alright so here is my two cents...

I studied, practiced, and role played as often as possible. When I had breaks at work, I would sit in my car and answer questions I would ask myself... now, I know what your thinking... won't everyone thing i'm crazy if i'm in my car talking to myself?... yes they will. But ignore them because you are the one who is getting into PA school, not them! 

I read through the list of questions I typed out their answers, if needed I modified them after asking my friends and family. I came up with some great answers, and got really comfortable with paraphrasing them. Don't have memorized answers, but have a path for your thoughts to go on certain topics. It made it easier for me to talk about myself, why I want to be a PA, and why I selected Pacific University as my program of choice. 

There was an essay that was required on interview day... I honestly didn't prepare for that. Based on the sample questions they gave me in my email, they just wanted to make sure that we could come up with a thought and write it out cognitively. 

The following is a sample question: “If you could choose to have the gift of invisibility or flight, which would you choose and why?”

My thoughts were confirmed on interview day when they said not to worry much about the essay, unless you are very poor at forming any thought, sentence, or have a bunch of grammatical errors (she said like a period after ever word). More details of my interview to come. 

Suggestions for dress, and what I observed on interview day was professional dress like shown here.

















Portland Oregon has an awesome public transportation system, so I looked up hotels that were close to a MAX lightrail train stop so I could take that straight to the interview. I found a Red Lion hotel that was reasonable in price and booked up maybe 2 weeks before my interview. I also had my flight booked as soon as possible. I have a friend who works for U.S. Airways, and I was able to get a standby ticket really cheap. I made sure I left on a Friday morning to ensure I had enough time to make it there for my Saturday interview. 



 A day or 2 before I was planning to leave, in a last ditch effort to get all the practice I could, I did a sit-down (not dressed up) mock interview with my sister and brother-in-law. It was really good, it showed a lot of my weaknesses, and helped me get comfortable with my answers. They tried to mess me up, and give me some hard questions that really had me stumped a few times. 

Here are some examples:

•  "What is something you don't want us to know about you?"
•  "What is your personal motto?"
•  "We have just about 10 seconds left, in 10 seconds tell us something that will help us remember you by."

I can post all the questions I personally wrote down and practiced with if someone really wants to see them. 


Here are some other good resources for sample questions:

AASPA website

Physician Assistant Forum

Look good on your application!

When filing out the CASPA there is a section that askes to what orginazations you belong. When I applied, I didn't really belong to any medical professional organization. I didn't know at the time that I could have signed up to be an Affiliate member for the American Academy of Physician Assistants. It will cost you $75 to apply for one year's dues, and it gives you some great tools to use for getting into PA school.

One of the benefits the AAPA offers is a daily email that shows what is going on in the healthcare field relating to PA's. This includes new treatments for patients or even what is happening in the legislative field for the PA profession. I would read these headlines all the time, so it kept me up to date with what is facing the PA profession. (which is a possible question that will be asked at an interview). In fact I was asked in my interview: "what is the biggest obstacle that you feel is facing the PA profession for its future" I honestly related what I read from the emails I received from the AAPA. If your serious about getting into PA school, sign up for the AAPA, you will benefit from it being on your application. 

Also don't forget to sign up for your state's Academy of Physician Assistants, its another organization that you can apply for that will look good on your application. I signed up for the Arizona Academy of Physician Assistants, and I have been able to keep up to date about what is facing the PA profession in my home state.

The first rejection letter...

I rushed to get my CASPA application completed as quickly as possible, in fact I wanted to be the first one done!... well it turns out thats not always the best situation to have. 

I had 2 pre-reqs that were considered as "in progress" on my CASPA because the actual grades didn't post until May, and CASPA opened the end of April. I would have had to wait until May, sent in my transcripts, and then when they were received by CASPA, submit my application... this would have put me like a month later than when I wanted to apply. So I figured it would be best to get my application IN than to have to wait for the 2 pre-reqs labeled as 'in-progress' to be changed to complete.

My first rejection letter I received from A.T. Still University (Arizona School of Health Sciences). The letter informed me (like most schools do) they were VERY competitive this year. They had a LOT of applicants... I think only 7% got interviews, which is not unusual for PA schools. The other reasoning for not being considered was because I had 2 per-requisite courses as 'in-progress' on my application. I think they leaned towards applicants who had everything completed, and they could because there were so many applicants. 

So my suggestion is to get all of your courses as 'completed' on your CASPA, even if it sets you back a few weeks, your more likely to get a better response from the schools you apply to. 

Just a quick note, even though CASPA opens the end of April, they didn't actually send any applications to the schools until the middle of June... even though I had everything completed at the beginning of May.

Central... what?

CASPA- Cas`pah: Central Application Service for Physician Assistants 


It is a very long application, and it will take you A LOT of time, so I started as early as I could filling mine out. In fact I signed up for the previous years application cycle just so I could see what I would be required to fill out. I made a list of everything I would need in Microsoft Word and filled it out myself. Then when the CASPA application opened I copied and Pasted everything I needed, including all of my courses and grades. (yes you have to fill that in by yourself, not just some classes, but EVERY class).

Most schools will tell you that it is important to apply/finish and submit your CASPA as early as possible, because it is on a first come, first serve basis that they enroll students. I took that to heart and completed my CASPA 6-7 days after it opened up. (It helped that I was prepared). CASPA needs to receive your letters of recommendation and official transcripts before your application is considered complete. I had emailed those who were providing my letters of recommendation and asked them to have it prepared so when I emailed them the link, they could just copy and paste it.

Above are the schools that I applied for. Some programs require another application that is different than the CASPA, if they require a 'Supplemental Application' you will find it to the right of your selected school.

GPA... Everyone asks about GPA, what is the best GPA to have to get accepted. Honestly it depends on how well rounded the other parts of your application are. I have included my GPA so others can gauge how they are doing, I didn't have the best GPA, but I wasn't that bad either. I did however, have a higher GPA for the last 45 credits or so, which most schools look for.

Letters of recommendation:

• One of the physicians I work with
• A PA that I shadowed
• My microbiology professor

One of the PA's that I shadowed graduated from Pacific University and so I was able to get some great insight from his experiences, and also have an alumni from Pacific write me a letter of recommendation for Pacific's program! (I'm sure it made me look very good on paper). If you get a chance to shadow or talk to a PA who graduated from the program your interested in don't pass it up!
If you have any questions regarding the CASPA comment below, I will let you know my insight.

After submitting my application...WAITING...Thats right, one of the hardest things PA school applicants have to do is wait to hear from schools. An amazing resource I used was: Physician Assistant Forum. It is an amazing resource that allows prospective PA students talk about their experiences with each school that they applied to, and talk about any correspondence they receive from the schools. Sign up for free, go to the "pre-PA" section and look up schools you applied to. Don't pass up this great tool!

Pre-Reqless!

Now those who have their Bachelors degree and major in a science that includes most, if not all, the pre-reqs to apply to PA school, you are in a good spot. I, however, was not one of those... I had to do almost all of my science pre-reqs after my Bachelors degree, while working full-time as a Clinical Research Coordinator. This made it entirely difficult for me to get everything done in a timely manner. 

PVCC Life Sciences Building

 I signed up for night classes at Paradise Valley Community College (PVCC) where I took A&P I and Microbiology for Fall semester. I went to work all day and then Mon-Thurs went to school well into the night. I honestly loved my classes though, I found them to be so interesting although they were a lot of work.

The spring semester I took A&P II and Organic Chemistry (which wasn't offered at PVCC) I actually had to go to Phoenix College to get that class... its confusing, needless to say I got it done and applied that April for PA school. 

In the beginning...

Let me give a little background on where my PA path started. I received my Bachelors degree in Healthcare Administration from the University of Phoenix in August of 2010. I worked for University of Phoenix while obtaining my bachelors degree (great advice for those who don't want to have to pay much for school).

I started volunteering at Hospice of the Valley (HOV). Hospice is an amazing opportunity to get 'hands on' patient care experience because they will let you do a lot for patients with the nurses and CNA's. You also get great experiences that becomes material to fill up your application and even your personal statement (Narrative).  I received training from HOV on how to work with patients who are nearing death. (This is important because death and dying is good exposure to have, it is unique and will help applicants stand out). I was given  a lot of flexibility with my schedule, and was able to volunteer for 2 hours every Saturday in a Palliative Care Unit about 7 miles from my house.

Palliative Care Unit for Hospice

While approaching graduation I put myself out there for a job in the healthcare field, I am talking applications everywhere, even if I didn't meet the qualifications.I ended up sending out maybe 30 applications for a job in healthcare on craigslist (a lot of up-to-date jobs on there) and heard back from maybe 3 or so.

I can't even remember sending out my application/resume for this one call I got, however they were interested and said they would provide training and asked me in for an interview. After 2 interviews I ended up getting the job as a Clinical Research Coordinator at HOPE Research Institute.  

This job ended up being the best experience for applying to PA school. This is the job I currently have and it is still a lot of fun. I have been there now for just under 2 years. As part of my 'on-the-job training' I was taught how to take vitals, draw blood, take ECG's and obtain medical history from patients. I really love being a part of clinical research, it gives an inside look into how drugs and treatments are tested through pharmaceutical companies.I also get the chance to work with underprivileged patients who don't have insurance but qualify for a clinical trial to get treatment and reimbursement. Plus I get to see patients everyday and get some really great direct patient care hours.

 

I also found this short video regarding where to start when looking into becoming a PA and getting healthcare experience.