Undergraduate education: Ferris State University
Overall GPA: 3.5
Science GPA: 3.4
GRE: 300
PA-CAT: Did not take
Total PCE hours: 4000+ – EKG tech in ER, Home Health RBT, Medical Assistant
Shadowing hours: 150+ – I reached out to PA students I knew and asked for contacts, and also asked the doctors I worked with for contacts of PA’s in the hospitals
Volunteer hours: 50+ – Coaching softball for kids, participating in after-school programs.
How many times did you apply?: 1
Age: 25
Gender: Female
Why PA? I chose PA when I was 12 years old because the ability to remain a student the rest of my life was utterly appealing. I have always enjoyed school, always loved learning, and relished the thought of continuing that for the rest of my professional life. Growing up, I learned how much of a Type 2 (helper) I am. I was always going out of my way to make sure things and people around me were taken care of and doing my best to take any burdens off of my family, coworkers, and friends. I want to work in a role that allows me to help those I work with and those I don’t in a healthcare setting. Being a PA affords the opportunity in stepping into a myriad of roles other than JUST being a provider.
How many programs did you apply to? 5
How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes? 2 – Waitlisted to both, then accepted to the first. I backed out of the second waitlist because I felt that it was selfish to stay on when I had a position at a school (I do NOT think this is a general opinion, it just felt less stressful for me personally to back out!)
Where will you be attending? LSUHSC Shreveport
Anything you found interesting about interviews? The types of questions that were asked. I understand now that they could have been to see how I respond to pressure, how I respond to stress, how I think on my feet, etc., but in the moment it was a little overwhelming.
Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, webinars, etc) you used to get through prerequisites courses, the application or interview process? Magoosh for GRE prep taught me HOW to study for the GRE, so that was a mental game changer for me.
Any advice for other pre-PA students? Do something for your application every day. Learn a new word (better GRE prep), volunteer for 1 hour, go shadow (even a virtual session), spend 20 minutes typing a rough draft of your personal statement, look up the programs you are interested in attending and ensure you are checking all of the boxes.
Where can we find you? (Instagram, TikTok, Website, etc) – Instagram @annamedora
