Although not necessarily required by CASPA, it is important that you have a professional resume prepared when you are in the process of applying to PA School. A resume for PA school is clean, simple and professional. It highlights your education, healthcare experience and volunteering hours. To help get you started, I have created a FREE resume template download!
Why do you need a resume for PA school?
When asking for letters of recommendation, you want to make sure your recommender has all of the pertinent information they need to write you a strong recommendation. Although you should include a personalized letter that explains why you are asking for a recommendation from this specific person, it is helpful for the writer to know where else your experience comes from.
As part of your supplemental application for the program you are applying to
The committee reviewing your application is also reviewing the applications of thousands of other students. A resume is a quick and effective way to understand who you are as a professional. Not every program will ask for a resume, but it does occasionally come up.
Resume vs Curriculum Vitae (CV)
For the majority of people applying to PA school, there won’t be a huge difference in the resume and CV. Thing of a resume as a snapshot of your experience and qualifications, while a CV is a more detailed look into the various components included in your resume.
For example, if you’ve done research or writing, you would provide more information on the CV in regards to what the focus of your content was. A CV will usually be longer than a one-page resume because there is so much more detail included. Don’t worry about the differences too much.
What should be on my PA school resume?
Your resume should highlight who you are as a candidate for PA school. This is not the place to highlight every job you have had since you were 16. Focus on the experiences that make you the ideal PA student. Your resume should include the following: (p.s. all of this is set up for you in my FREE resume template download!)
Your Education
Work Experience (PCE, HCE, other related work experience)
Volunteer Experience
Shadowing Experience
Leadership Experience
Research Experience
Certifications
Achievements/Honors
Affiliations/Memberships
Don’t worry if you don’t have information to fill in all of these topics. Feel free to omit any sections that don’t pertain to you specifically.
PA School Resume Tips
Similar to a resume for a job, your resume should be clean and concise. Here are a few tips for you to keep in mind when writing your resume:
Make it ONE page — no exceptions! Committees have access to your entire application in CASPA — this is just an overview of your experience. You can always elaborate on your experiences when it comes to your interview.
Use an easy to read font such as Times New Roman or Arial. This is not the time to experiment with fun and creative fonts. You don’t want someone to stop reviewing your resume because they can’t read it. There’s a current trend of resumes with graphic design elements, but keep your audience in mind. Most of the PA faculty are traditional, and you’re applying for a professional program.
Make your fonts a legible size. It may be tempting to use tiny fonts and margins to squeeze in ever bit of information you want to share but again, they can read more into who you are on CASPA.
Don’t write in complete sentences. For example, if your PCE includes your experience as a paramedic, instead of…
During my time as a paramedic, I assessed the condition of patients and determined a course of treatment
say….
Assess a patient’s condition and determine a course of treatment
Make sure to read, re-read, and ask others to proofread! The last thing you want is for your resume to have a typo in it! Don’t rely on your computer to catch all of your mistakes either!
What questions do you have about your Resume for PA School? Ask them below in the comments!
