Hi there! If you’re a pre-pa student right now you’re probably trying to figure out how to get everything together before the CASPA application opens this spring. I’m here to give you a general overview of things you should be doing to start preparing!
Look up pre-requisites: this is one of the most important steps you will see listed. The first step is to look up schools in areas you would be interested in going to and figure out what pre-reqs you need. All PA programs are different in what classes you need and how many patient care/ healthcare / volunteer hours you need. You also do not need to major in biology or biomedical science in order to be accepted. If you complete the pre-reqs then you can major in anything you want! I am a biomedical science major which is beneficial because a lot of pre-reqs are part of my degree! I recommend doing a degree that is science/ biology based, but if you are already getting a different degree that’s fine too!
Start finding ways to obtain these patient care and healthcare hours. There are many jobs you can do to start getting patient care hours and healthcare experience. I’m currently working as a scribe and have done this for about 10 months. Other jobs could be medical assistant, phlebotomist, patient care tech, pharmacy tech, nurse, etc.
Start volunteering! Keep in mind for volunteering that it does not have to be healthcare related. I have volunteer hours working with animals from when I was pre-vet, and those still count as volunteer hours. I recommend joining your university’s pre-med/ pre-health club in order to find volunteering events with other pre-health students!
Start shadowing. This is hard right now due to COVID. I have only been able to shadow one PA in person since I started my pre-PA journey. I have been doing online shadowings which have been a life saver! Not every school is going to accept virtual shadowings as credible hours, but some will! I recommend reaching out to your top PA schools and asking their opinions on virtual shadowings and if they will accept them. Virtual shadowing websites/ programs I like to use can all be found on Instagram:
@ clubmed @ pre_pa.pals @ medsembly and @ virtualshadowing
The PA platform also has a lot of resources on her website and she also has a podcast that is very helpful!
GPA: Your GPA is going to be a decently big part of your application because you have to have a minimum GPA for most PA schools to even be considered. Most pre-PA mentors recommend retaking classes you got a C or below in. A way to boost your GPA also is to take additional classes beyond your major. Taking upper level sciences classes can also boost your GPA and look good on your transcript! Be patient with yourself and your GPA, you will get there!
Personal statement: This one seems to be commonly overlooked. Personal statements are an easy thing to put off (I’m doing that right now), but they are what ultimately makes you stand out. Most people take months to do theirs and they will need to be reviewed through multiple people. I would suggest starting early and working on it little by little. There are online personal statement examples that you can get some inspiration from so I recommend that!
Additional thoughts: everyone knows that PA school itself is expensive, but beware of the fees that come along with just applying! There are many application fees and fees associated with tests required for PA school that can add up. Keep that in mind before you apply to 30 schools and spend a lot of money!
- By Katlyn Groves
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