Undergraduate education: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Overall GPA: 3.53
Science GPA: 3.36
GRE: 307
Total PCE hours: 4303 (but around 3500 at time of submission); I worked as a CNA in LTC for 2 years and then as a float CNA in a hospital for 3. I loved being a float CNA because I got exposure to tons of different units/specialties and learned a lot from the various healthcare professionals I saw and worked with!
Volunteer hours: 518; I did a variety of things like volunteer in a local food pantry, help out my health occupation student org with various events, lead Greek life recruitment, etc.
How many times did you apply?: 1
Age: 22
Gender: Female
How many programs did you apply to? 17
How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes? 1- was initially waitlisted and got accepted a month later!
Where will you be attending? Touro University Nevada
Anything you found interesting about interviews? The 1:1/MMI style was surprisingly easy! Just be yourself and treat it as a normal conversation, it was actually more fun than I expected! The group interview was the most nerve wracking for me. My advice would be to brainstorm different experiences you’ve had in patient care that you can apply to various prompts/potential questions. Don’t let other people’s responses in a group setting intimidate you! Focus on yourself, thinking through your own answers, and just breathe.
Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, webinars, etc) you used to get through prerequisites courses, the application or interview process? Savanna’s Pre-PA Club podcast was great for interview prep when I was burnt out from practicing questions out loud! I also looked up mock interviews on YouTube and watched those to get an idea of what could be asked.
Any advice for other pre-PA students? Don’t compare yourself to others. I was not confident that I would get in compared to my peers at first, but you really don’t need straight As and a million PCE hours. Work on areas of your application to make yourself stand out, such as diverse PCE or volunteer experiences. I truly think I was accepted by finding a program that looked at my application holistically and considered my unique experiences. Also, truly have hope that things will work out, because it’s true what they say; all it takes is one!
Where can we find you? (Instagram, TikTok, Website, etc) – Instagram!
