Undergraduate education: B.A in Biology from the College of Saint Benedict in Minnesota
Overall GPA: 3.68
Science GPA: 3.46
GRE: 310, writing 4.5
Total PCE hours: I had 2000 hours at the time of application, or 4000 hours by the time of matriculation as a cardiac CNA and Clinical Assistant at an ENT/facial plastic surgery clinic
Total HCE hours: ~ 2000 hours as a medical lab technician
Shadowing hours: 55; I shadowed PAs in primary care, cardiology, infectious disease, orthopedics, EM, peds, and surgery. I struggled for a while finding PAs to shadow, but once I started working at the hospital, I met lots of PAs who were happy to let me shadow!
Other Volunteer hours: 350 hours as a wildlife rehabber, animal shelter volunteer, and youth mentor
LORs: I had 3; 1.) biology professor from college whom I took several classes with 2.) manager from my lab technician job 3.) manager from the hospital where I worked as a CNA.
How many times did you apply?: I’m a first time applicant!
Age: 24
Gender: Female
How many programs did you apply to? 14
Why PA? for SO many reasons! I love medicine, connecting with others, and I hope to lead people to a healthier lifestyle as a PA. The PA profession is booming, so you never really have to worry about job security, and I love that I can explore many areas of medicine once I’m a practicing PA to discover what I’m most passionate about.
How many programs did you apply to? I applied to 16, which might have been a bit much, but I was so committed to get in this cycle and wanted to increase my chances as much as possible!
How many programs did you interview with and what were the outcomes? I received 6 interview invites but only attended three. I was accepted to all three! It was pretty crazy because I had all of my interviews back to back, so I was flying around the country from one state to the next! It was definitely quite the adventure and I’m so grateful that everything worked out!
Where will you be attending? Radford University in Virginia
Anything you found surprising about interviews? I was way less nervous than I anticipated I would be! I think this was because I felt very prepared, and my interviews were all very welcoming and laid-back. Most of the programs want to make you feel comfortable throughout the process since they know how stressful the process is!
Were there any helpful resources (books, websites, apps) you used to get through prerequisite courses, the application or interview process? I read the Physician Assistant School Interview Guide by Savanna Perry 2-3 times and practiced most of the questions! I had coworkers and friends ask me the interview questions and I recorded my answers. I researched about a broad range of topics relating to the PA profession on the AAPA website and watched various practice interviews on youtube.
Any other advice for other pre-PA students? This may seem like a grueling process, but try to enjoy every step in this journey of actualizing your dreams. You will do wonderful. Getting the acceptance email or call will be one of the most exciting times of your life, and all the hard work you put into this dream will be worth it.
Where can we find you? feel free to message me on facebook if you need anything! Briana Schulzetenberg
