Undergraduate education: Michigan State University
Overall GPA: 3.76
Science GPA: 3.72
GRE: 296
PA-CAT: N/A
Total PCE hours: About 3,800 at time of application (CNA, clinical research assistant, ophthalmic tech, medical assistant at an urgent care, and ED tech).
Total HCE hours: 300 (front desk at the urgent care).
Shadowing hours: 16 hours (dermatology PA and rheumatology PA). The dermatology PA I shadowed was my actual dermatologist and the rheumatology PA I found through cold calling offices. He actually ended up being a great resource and I got to sit in on one of his lectures at a local PA school. I also got to attend a medical sales rep dinner which was so fun.
Volunteer hours: 20 hours. Helped teach kids how to read.
How many times did you apply?: 1
Age: 24
Gender: Female
Why PA? I love how the PA profession is based in making healthcare more accessible. I am also very interested in pursuing emergency medicine so I like how if I become burnt out I can still take the skills I learned there to another specialty that could utilize them.
How many programs did you apply to? About 12 maybe 14
How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes? 8 interview invites, 7 interviews attended, 5 acceptances, and 2 waitlists.
Where will you be attending? PACE University
Anything you found interesting about interviews? I was honestly surprised at how relaxed they were. Maybe it has to do with where I applied, but all my interviewers were very kind and laid back. They all seemed to just want to get to know me. There were a lot of laughs which I was not expecting.
Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, webinars, etc) you used to get through prerequisites courses, the application or interview process? I used a couple PA interview prep books for interviews (Physician Assistant Interview Guide and How to “Ace” the Physician Assistant School Interview) and I did a mock interview with The PA Life. A kinda weird way I prepared for interviews was by talking out my answers in my car while commuting. I felt more comfortable in my car knowing no one else could hear me and anyone that saw me probably thought I was talking on the phone. I also relied heavily on the Pre Physician Assistant subreddit. I also used the pre PA Facebook page too.
Any advice for other pre-PA students? Don’t compare yourself to others! That was the absolute thief of my joy over the summer while I was waiting to hear back. I didn’t hear back about an interview until the end of August and I had applied in May. All of my friends got accepted before I did and I doubted myself a lot through that process. I wish I enjoyed my summer more and spent less time stalking my email.
Where can we find you? (Instagram, TikTok, Website, etc) – Instagram @torixalise
