How to Write a PA School Personal Statement: Common Mistakes to Avoid
Get Started Today Call: 888-839-9997 e-mail: [email protected] 20 Minutes Free Consultation What is the purpose of a PA school personal statement? The personal statement is an opportunity for you to tell PA school admissions committee what you want them to know about you to convince them to accept you. A few years ago, a PA faculty who sat on an admissions committee at a PA school made a good analogy about the PA school personal statement. She asked students to imagine that the director of admissions at their top choice PA school calls them out of the blue and says you have 4 minutes to convince me that I should give you an interview at our PA school. What would you say in those 4 minutes? Whatever you say should go into your personal statement. A personal statement should achieve a few key goals: It should explain how you became interested in the PA profession It should provide insight into why you are drawn to the PA profession. Ideally you should use experiences participating in patient care, shadowing, and volunteering to show what you like about being a PA. It should give the reader some insight about what qualities make you a good candidate for PA school and the PA profession. This should not be a laundry list of generic positive qualities like being hardworking or being smart. Instead it should be a handful of specific qualities and a demonstration of how you acquired these qualities through your personal or professional experiences. The most common PA school personal statement mistake! The most common mistake applicants make in...
Getting Into Dental School: Planning Your Pre-Dental Journey
Get Started Today Call: 888-839-9997 e-mail: [email protected] 20 Minutes Free Consultation A Timeline for Pre-Dental Students – From Freshman Year to Dental School Acceptance! By Vince Law, DDS Embarking upon your college career as a predental student with the goal of applying to dental school can feel daunting. You want to have a robust social life and a full college experience but simultaneously maintain the grades, clinical experiences in dentistry, and extracurricular activities that will make you a top-notch dental school applicant when it’s time to apply. Don’t Get Overwhelmed as a Pre-Dental Student! The key to not becoming overwhelmed is to first and foremost embrace the pre-dental journey and come up with a pre-dental to-do list early on. Whether you plan to go to dental school straight out of college or you wish to take a gap year, having a clear timeline can help you organize all activities that would make you a strong dental school applicant. Remember, a pre-dental to-do list is not something you are going to knock out in one night! Give yourself time to carefully plan out your pre-dental journey and be flexible to adjustments as needed. Crafting a Pre-Dental Plan Many students will elect to do a gap year between college and dental school, and that is totally fine! According to the ADEA, the average age of the incoming dental student is 24 years old. Below is a rough timeline for students who want to matriculate into dental school directly after college. For those who plan to take a gap year or two, this timeline can be adjusted accordingly. Freshman...
How to Get Into PA School: An Insider Perspective from the Admissions Committee
Get Started Today Call: 888-839-9997 e-mail: [email protected] 20 Minutes Free Consultation How to Get into PA School: An Admissions Committee Insider Perspective – Interview with Jay Geary, MSPAS, PA-C In an exclusive interview with Jay Geary PA-C from MCPHS Worcester, we delved into the many aspects of navigating the path to successful admission into PA school. We first share key takeaways from the interview followed by a transcript of the interview. Importance of GPA: Jay Geary PA-C emphasizes that GPA is a crucial factor in PA school admissions, advising applicants to aim for a GPA well above the minimum requirement, ideally around 3.5. Significance of Direct Patient Care Experience: Geary underscores the importance of meaningful hands-on patient care experience, suggesting that roles requiring a license or certificate carry more weight. He recommends at least a thousand hours, ideally started during undergraduate years. PA Shadowing: According to Jay Geary, PA shadowing is deemed valuable by PA schools and he suggests a minimum of 20 hours. He emphasizes that quality matters, encouraging applicants to diversify their experiences across different specialties to better understand the PA role. Leadership and Volunteer Experience: Volunteer and leadership experiences, particularly in clubs or organizations, are viewed favorably by admissions committees. Geary notes that being a leader in a fraternity, sorority, or pre-PA club can strengthen an applicant’s profile. Resilience and Determination: Jay Geary highlights resilience and determination as distinguishing factors. He shares an anecdote of a successful applicant who demonstrated a strong desire for the PA profession despite facing initial setbacks. Prerequisites and Hands-On Experience: Jay Geary cautions against applying with outstanding prerequisites and limited...