It’s PA Week — WOOT!
PA week every year is a celebration of the profession and a chance to educate the public about all that PAs do. According to the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA.org) website: Before it was [...]
Reference Letter: What do writers see?
What does the reference letter look like? When you ask a professor or a work supervisor or someone to write a PA school reference letter (a recommendation letter) about your to PA schools, [...]
PA Student Interview: Beata
Today I share with you the video interview I did with second year PA student, Beatta. https://www.youtube.com/cards?v=iy691Wdtfsg She has now graduated from UC Davis' PA program, but before she did, this summer I [...]
Our New Interviewing Ebook is Here!
Our new ebook has been published and is now available on Amazon.com! The Physician Assistant School Interview: Essential Strategies to Blow 'Em Away and Claim Your Seat in Class launched on Tuesday, November 3rd, just [...]
Physician Assistants Easing the Primary Care Shortage
Guest Contributor Julie Sweet After logging five decades of high-quality, cost-effective care, physician assistants are gearing up for their time in the spotlight. The stage is set: fewer physicians are entering primary care, [...]
PA School Essay: 3 Things You Must Communicate
Let's talk about the BIG PICTURE of your PA school application essay. Students struggle when it comes time to write their essay because most of the their application is pretty much fill-in-the-blanks. Then they get [...]
Do You Have The Physician Assistant Personality?
Ever wonder if you have the right personality for physician assistant medicine -- if the "fit" of PA is right for you? With some help from Holland's Personal Interest Inventory, you can find out just [...]
Rejection: 6 Things To Do If You Didn’t Get In
If you applied to PA programs and didn't get in, you face a tough question: "What do I do now?" Maybe you were really counting on being in a program this fall. Instead, your future [...]
11 Misconceptions About Physician Assistants
There are plenty of misconceptions about physician assistants. The newness of their field naturally leads to a number of misconceptions about physician assistants. If you’ve never met a PA or been treated by [...]
PA Student Interviews: Josh
It's time to hear from the ones in the trenches -- the physician assistant students. Today I interviewed Josh about his 27 months as a PA student which will soon be ending with his graduation. [...]
What is an MMI Interview?
Interview season has started at physician assistant schools around the country, and it's becoming increasingly common for interview committees to use Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format. It's a trend that started in medical schools and [...]
GRE: Just How Important Is it?
We've been writing about PA school admissions for more than fouryears now, and we were a little embarrassed to realize the other day that we've never written specifically about the importance of the Graduate Requisite [...]
New York Times Praises Physician Assistants
Last week’s New York Times included a very positive article about the PA field: The Physician Assistant Will See You, which was both great publicity for PA’s and sign of growing trust in this exploding profession. Like most articles on physician assistants, it included a description of what exactly a PA is and how to become one. But rather than stopping there […]
Infographic: What you need to get into Physician Assistant School
What does it take to get into PA school? Wonder no more - Inside PA Training has put together a simple infographic that answers the question. It's fairly basic, but that's the idea: to keep [...]
Quick Health Care Experience for PA School?
Dear Paul, I am currently completing my junior year of undergrad as a Biology major and I’m psyched about becoming a Physician Assistant. The trouble is, after looking at the requirements, it seems that every school wants to see something like 1000 hours of health care experience. Some schools even want 3000 hours! You see, I have none. What is the quickest way to get 1000 hours? I want to have things ready so I can start PA school in the fall after I graduate. Any advice? -Rebecca Dear Rebecca: First, let me say that I’m psyched that you’re psyched about it - your enthusiasm will take you far. Some variation of your question has been asked of me many times - enough times that it’s the topic of today’s post. The answer to “How do I get health care experience for PA school quickly?” is very important to PA school applicant success. […]
Physician Assistant School Essay: What to Write About
Okay, the next video in our series on writing your essay is here, and it’s aim is to help you decide what to actually write about. How do you choose the subject matter? How do you answer the question they ask you: “Describe your motivation for becoming a physician assistant”? […]
Physician Assistant School Interview: Make Yours Stand Out
We’ve written at length at Inside PA Training about how important your physician assistant school interview is. It usually represents the last hurdle in sealing your seat in a class. If you do well, you’re going to be a PA. If not, it’s back to the drawing board. Today we share a few tips that will make your interview stand out, or as we like say, “pop.” It means interviewing in a way that projects that you are more than the usual candidate, the “diamond in the rough,” and it’s frequently the way marginal candidates make themselves into successful ones. […]
The Physician Assistant School Essay: How Important Is it?
Today’s video, The Physician Assistant School Essay: How Important Is It? is the first of more to come about making the most out of your essay when you submit your CASPA application. How are essays reviewed? How does this affect your essay creation process? […]
GRE Self Study
Today’s article will focus on studying for the GRE on your own. Not all physician assistant programs require the GRE for admission, but if you are applying to one or more that do, maximizing your score through good GRE preparation is crucial. For me, the GRE felt like another hoop I needed to jump through to become a PA - a flaming hoop that hovered six feet off the ground. But hopefully this article will get you started on your own flaming hoop jump. First, I’ll briefly discuss the advantages […]
What is the Best Health Care Experience For PA School?
Getting good health care experience (HCE) is crucial to getting into PA school and to one day becoming a solid PA. What’s the best form of health care experience (HCE) if you want to get into Physician Assistant School? To answer this question, you need to know a little history… […]
Physician Assistant Career Dislikes #1: The Giving Tree
Sometimes it's no fun being the giving tree Since Inside PA Training's inception, we've tried to keep it positive, since that's how it's been. Our readers are fired up about physician assistant careers, [...]
Are You a 3-Dimensional PA School Applicant?
It’s easy to apply to physician assistant school, but it’s not as easy to be a 3-dimensional PA school applicant. 3-D movies were all the rage in the 1950’s, and they have returned bigger, louder, and more “live” than ever in recent years. 3-D films have become just one more way that Hollywood can compete with home streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. What do 3-D movies have to do with becoming a physician assistant? Plenty… […]
PA Student Interview - Joshin
Today on our PA Student Interviews Page I interview Joshin, a second year PA student at UC Davis School of Medicine's PA program. Joshin is a sharp student who has worked as a pharmaceutical representative, [...]
THE PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT MEME NEEDS YOUR HELP!
I’m writing you in between our usual postings because the American Academy of Physician Assistants needs your help. They’ve recently asked the public for suggestions for the “Physician Assistant Meme,” and it’s a great chance to get involved in PA medicine in a fun/easy/helpful way. […]
The Ultimate Checklist For Applying To PA School
Ever wonder if there’s a checklist for applying to PA school? We did, but we didn’t find one, SO WE MADE OUR OWN. Below you will find the most inclusive list of steps to get into PA school that you will find anywhere. Rather than focusing on the details, this post is directed at A) giving you a sense of the process, and B) making sure you don’t forget a critical step. […]
Non-CASPA PA Schools 2014
What are the Non-CASPA participating PA schools, and why would you want to apply to them? […]
Retaking Classes - Should You, or Shouldn’t You?
We get asked about retaking classes all the time, so I thought I would speak to it specifically this week. Retaking classes is time consuming, expensive, and generally a pain in the hip extensors (look them up, if you don’t know what I’m referring to…) But in some cases it is exactly what needs to happen to get you over the bar and into PA program. Knowing which courses to retake and when is key to getting you into PA school — and sooner, rather than later. […]
Call for Papers - We Need Your Essays!
We've been talking for some time about our upcoming ebook on writing a great physician assistant school application essay. The publication is taking shape, and we could really use your help! Know of a [...]
PA Essay: Common Pitfalls
The PA essay is the ace in your pocket if you do it right. If offers the chance to momentarily step into the limelight to tell admissions committees what you think they need to know [...]
What the Affordable Care Act Means for Physician Assistants
“Obamacare” is now a reality. Last week’s US Supreme Court Ruling has huge implications for the future of our nation, and even bigger implications for the physician assistant profession. In this article I’ll give you the Cliff Notes version of the new law, why it came about, and what it means for the you. If you already understand the new health care reform, you can jump to my predictions for the profession below. […]
Tomorrow I Take My Board Exam (The PANCE)
After some internal debate, I’ve decided to throw caution to the wind and share up front that tomorrow I will take my board exam to become a physician assistant (the PANCE). The debate centers around the fear that passing is not guaranteed, and once I’ve shared with the internet (read: the world) that I’m taking it, there’s no hiding how I do. But I plan to pass with flying colors, and I will hold my head high either way. This article shares a little about what the exam is like. […]
Choosing a Study Space
One of my regular dilemmas throughout physician assistant school was finding the ideal study space. I’m still feeling it now that I’ve graduated and I’m studying to pass my boards (the PANCE). I wrote here about my own study space shortly after starting PA school. In this article, I’ll help you evaluate your study space so you can make changes if you need to. […]
UCD FNP/PA Program Graduation - The Day Arrives
Hi, everyone. Yes, I'm done. We had a formal commencement ceremony on June 9, 2012 at the UC Davis main campus in Freeborn Hall. It was beautiful. My kids were in attendance, and I owe [...]
Medical Leadership: Boost Your Worth by Jumping In
Today’s article, Medical Leadership: Boost Your Worth by Jumping In, is by our active IPAT reader and Forum contributor, “Buffchic.” So take it way, Buff… It’s never too early to think about medical leadership. The physician assistant profession is relatively new, and grass-roots advocacy is a great place for pre-PAs and PA students to become leaders. Being a student leader will put you at the helm […]
Touch in Physical Examination
For new PA and medical students, touching patients is just plain awkward at first, which is why medical programs get students in close […]
Choosing the Best Physician Assistant School for You
Today's article, Choosing the Best Physician Assistant School for You, is by our active IPAT reader and Forum contributor, "Buffchic." Her article tackles an important topic, and she's done a great job with it. So [...]
PA School Accreditation - Does it Matter?
If you’ve visited our PA Programs by State directory, you may have noticed our focus on PA program accreditation. What is accreditation? How important is it? If you want to become a physician assistant, this is important stuff. So here goes… […]
PA School Application Tip #5: Network
To get into PA school, you must network. Forget being a wallflower, or braving it alone so you can prove to the world that you did it all by yourself. The world doesn’t care how you do it. Do you want to get in or not? […]
Pre-PA and PA Student Resource of the Week: The Stanford 25
This week we bring you a great resource to help you learn physical examination skills. Medical and PA students are taught that 95% of any diagnosis comes from the history (interview) with the patient, meaning that you should usually have a pretty good idea of what is going on with a patient before you ever lay a hand on them. But today’s resource is about the other 5%. The technique. […]
PA vs MD: Sundance 1 Year Later
A year ago I kicked off our PA vs MD section with a video interview of my classmate, Sundance. Before starting PA school at UC Davis School of medicine, she was a medical student there, [...]
PA School Application Tip #4: Get Great Health Care Experience
After your grades, the most important aspect of your pa school application is your health care experience. PA school is a relatively brief two years. In that time you need to learn so many things - physiology, disease processes, pharmacology, behavioral health, health care policy, and so much more. The only way you can learn it in such a short span is if you already know something about medicine when you start. […]
5 Questions You Should Ask At Your PA School Interview
Most people think of an interview as an uncomfortable exercise in being scrutinized by others. But interviews are a two-way street; you’re interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you. With this in mind, there are 5 questions you should ask at your PA school interview: […]
Group Interviews: Steps for Success
PA school applicants almost universally dread group interviews. Intuitively, it might seem that the only thing more stressful than being interviewed is being interviewed right alongside your competition. But if you’re ready and you know what to expect, a group interview can become a great way to show your strengths and stand out from the crowd. […]
Epocrates Free: The One Must-Have Smartphone App for Pre-PAs
Epocrates Free is the one smartphone app you must have as a pre-pa student (with the possible exception of the Inside PA Training App when it is released)! It’s also available for Android phones, and online for use on your desktop or notebook computer. Here’s the skinny on Epocrates Free: […]
Do Physician Assistants Work Weekends, Nights, or Holidays?
One of the touted joys of the physician assistant profession is that “PAs don’t need to take call on holidays or weekends.” I’ve even met several people who entered PA training for just this reason. But… […]
PA School Application Tip #3: Think Big
Physician assistant programs like applicants who think big. Most applicants think small, and in so doing, hurl themselves into the pits of mediocrity, dooming their application to the “Maybe Next Year” pile. […]
PA School Application Tip #2: Protect Your GPA
If you’re applying to PA school, protect your GPA. We frequently receive emails from PA school applicants who are wondering what to do about low grades when they apply. It’s understandable - sh*t sometimes happens. […]
PA School Application Tip #0: Have a Game Plan
I’ve made today’s PA school application tip #0 because it really should be the first, but (ironically) I didn’t plan ahead enough, and it comes second in the series. Learn from me, people! Here’s how… […]
PA School Application Tips: #1 - Show, Don’t Tell
This week we begin a new project: a series of PA school application tips that will help you put your PA school application on the top of the pile, and secure your seat in class. In the coming months, we will be adding tips, one at a time, until we have a set of cardinal rules for applying to physician assistant school. […]
Physician Assistant School: How to Reinterview
Physician assistant school admissions are competitive, and if you don’t get in, you’ll need to prepare for re-interviewing. Today we consider how to do this. […]
The Physician Assistant Program Directory
I'd like to share Inside PA Training's newest feature with you: the Physician Assistant Program Directory. It's a complete list of all ARC-PA accredited physician assistant programs in the US, organized by state. Click the [...]
Physician Assistant Workforce Biggest Ever
Here’s a new an interesting statistic on the physician assistant workforce for you: more physician assistants are practicing now than ever before. According to the recently published article written by Rene Letourneau of Healthcare Finance News, […]
Free Medical Spanish App
We’ve shopped around for a good (free) medical Spanish app, and we’ve found one that may be worth adding to your smartphone. […]
PA School Essay: 11 Things To Leave Out
There's plenty of ground cover in your PA school essay. But it's not all about what goes in. Here are 11 things that definitely should not go into your PA school essay. Writing about how [...]
Your First Physician Assistant Book
Knowing that PA school is intense and challenging, you may wonder what should be your first physician book. Even if you haven't started PA school, it's not too early to start your reading for it. [...]
Applying to Physician Assistant School With A Low Grade
Applying to Physician Assistant school with a low grade might seem like a recipe for rejection, but this isn't necessarily true. Of course, the best way to maximize your chances of acceptance is to have [...]
Getting Into PA School: Paul’s Story
It's easy to get caught up in the demands of physician assistant requirements. With all the exams for prerequisite classes, researching PA programs, filling out CASPA applications, chasing down letters or recommendation, and paying the [...]
Have a Mentor? You Should
Do you have a mentor? If you're a Pre-PA student (or any aspiring professional for that matter), you definitely should. When I studied career counseling for my Masters in psychology, one of the best tips [...]
Physician Associate or Physician Assistant?
The Bard new how much a name can mean. Juliet: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.” Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2) Should the physician assistant title become physician associate? Take the poll, then read the article to learn about the effort to make it happen, along with the pros and cons… […]
Prerequisites For PA School: Four Physiology Concepts To Master Now
The prerequisites for PA School vary widely by program, but one that you'll definitely need for every PA school is physiology. At UC Davis, the first meaty class we take--in the summer quarter of year [...]
5 Habits of Highly Effective Pre-Physician Assistant Students
Want to be a successful as a pre-physician assistant student? Then start cultivating good habits now. If you become an effective pre-physician assistant student, before you know it, you’ll be successful (non-pre-) physician assistant student. Borrowing from things we did, saw others do, or feel are vital in PA school, we present here the top 5 habits that we think will make you highly effective. […]
Physician Assistant Admissions Committees: What They Search For
Physician assistant admissions committees can be tough to please. A reader emailed us this week with a question about it: Hey, guys. After exploring your site, I'm convinced that PA is a better fit for [...]
The Pre-Physician Assistant Major: Choose Wisely
The question we are asked most frequently by pre-pa students is: “Which pre-physician assistant major should I choose?” We love hearing this question because it tells us that these pre-physician assistant students are thinking ahead. If you’re planning to attend a PA school far enough in advance of actually applying that you can consider which major is ideal, then you’re giving things plenty of thought. We’re going to tell you what we think, but first… […]
Physician’s Assistant, or Physician Assistant?
Is the correct title for a PA Physician Assistant, or Physician’s Assistant? Well, if you’re not sure, I can’t blame you. The confusion over the correct title for PAs is even worse than the confusion over what PAs do. So let me set the record straight here and now: […]
Can You Work While Going to PA School?
We've been asked twice already this week: "Can you work while going to PA school?" Times are tough, and everyone wants to minimize student debt, and if you've been reading us for a while, you [...]
The One Physician Assistant Interview Question You Must Be Ready For
Even if you're passionate about becoming a PA and have readied yourself for your physician assistant school interview, there is one fatal mistake that can sink you. The mistake is failing to adequately answer the [...]
Physician Assistant Job Outlook
What is the physician assistant job outlook like? When the economy's in the dumper, everyone is looking for the "sure thing" job. And who can blame them? Job security is a commodity like any other. [...]
What is a Locum Tenens Physician Assistant?
Wondering what your professional life will look like as a physician assistant? There are many options, depending on the lifestyle that your heart is set on. Today's topic is another option to consider--an interesting one. [...]
PA Demographics: Who is the Typical Physician Assistant?
If you're trying to get a grasp of the physician assistant profession, you should probably know what the typical physician assistant looks like. I just read the American Academy of Physician Assistants' most recent census [...]
Getting Great Letters of Recommendation For PA School
Getting Great Letters of Recommendation for Your PA School Application So you've decided you want to become a physician assistant, and soon you'll be sending out PA training program applications. Letters of recommendation for PA [...]
Crafting a Winning PA School Application Essay
Physician Assistant medicine is a fast growing career track, and it's not hard to see why. PAs are in great demand due to a national shortage of primary care physicians. They make a good living, [...]
Learning Medicine by Remembering Everything
Learning medicine requires assimilating gobs of information by reading and re-reading texts, sitting through lectures, and hands-on experience with patients. But if you ask Joshua Foer, freelance journalist and 2006 USA Memory Champion, you'll hear [...]
Think Like a Doctor (or PA)
Got a big endocrinology test this week, so I'll keep things brief... Do you think like a doctor (or a PA)? If you aren't either then the answer is probably, "Of course not." But slow [...]
Today’s Workshop: How to Suture
Suturing lacerations is one of the fun little procedures that every PA learns in PA school. Last week we learned the basics, and it was a great time. We had been looking forward to our [...]
Getting Your Physician Assistant School Essay Noticed
Your CASPA physician assistant school essay is your chance to make yourself irresistible to a CASPA PA school admissions committee. Unfortunately, many of the most qualified applicants don't. Instead, these bright Pre-PA minds are rejected [...]
Paying for PA School Part 3 - Student Loans
In Part 1 of this series, we talked about the costs of PA school, and in Part 2 we covered grants and scholarships. Today, in the final installment, we cover student loans. Short of borrowing [...]
Paying for PA School Part 2: Grants and Scholarships
In part 1 of Paying For PA School, I talked about how much PA school can cost, why cost is not the same as quality, and why you shouldn't rely on working to get you [...]
Paying for PA School, Part 1: Costs
Paying for PA school is a challenge. So do yourself a favor and start thinking about how you will fund your schooling from early on in the process. Is this really important at this point? [...]
Pre-PA Resource of the Day: Brush up on your Microbiology
Today's pre-PA resource of the day is one of my favorites. How to you learn about the enormous field of microbiology in your spare time? Like some of our previous resources, this is a great [...]
Pre-PA Resource of the Day: Anatomy Cadaver Dissection Videos
Cadaver dissection is a right of passage for physician assistant students. As a pre-PA student, you're either taking anatomy, plan to in the near future, or you need to brush up on the [...]
5 Reasons a Physician Assistant Career is Wrong for You
It's easy to get excited about a physician assistant career. I wrote recently about how to tell if you have the PA personality. But what about the values you hold? Excitement has a way [...]
The One Non-Required Course You Need to Prepare for PA Training
With all the prerequisites to prepare for PA training programs, I know you don't really have time for electives, but there's one course that you should make time for. In fact, you would [...]
PA Training and Pre-med Resource of the Day: Our Favorite Flashcard App
Have a ton of items to learn for anatomy, medical terminology, or microbiology? Got an exam coming up on Spanish verbs or the Bill of Rights? Want to learn the material when you're away from [...]
Pre-Med Resource of the Day: The Doc C Podcast
Struggling to keep up with anatomy and physiology? Or do you just need a refresher? Well, today's your lucky day. Today's resource of the day is truly awesome: Dr. Gerald Cizadlo of the College of [...]
Four Smartphone Apps Every Medical Student Needs
Hospitals and labs have been high-tech for half of a century, but practitioners -- not so much until now. With PDAs and smartphones, the tech has made it all the way clinician at the [...]
The Secret To Acing Your PA Training Program Interview (or any interview)
If I'm being honest, I didn't plan for very long before I applied to PA school. But by the time I interviewed, I had become something of a prodigy on the field. Not medically, of course, but on the PA profession as a whole. I've written articles on the application process, interviews, and the other aspects of getting in to PA school, and I've made much out of the need to show up prepared. But how?
Understanding Health Care Reform
Health Care Reform At the end of this post, you'll find a a fine summary of the recently passed Health Care Reform law, brought to you by the Kaiser Family Foundation. It's a cartoon narrated [...]
Former PA Training Instructor Elected to U.S. House of Representatives
As strident as midterm election politics were this year, and whatever your political stripe, you'll probably be pleased to hear that the US House of Representatives will have its first PA in office [...]
Opthalmic Photography
Does the image above represent art or medicine? I'll let you decide. Either way, as a PA student, you may be able to make a diagnosis just from the image. Our class [...]
PA Training Lecture: Antibiotics
Quick update: I'm back in my home state after a very fun, very exhausting trip to see one of my college classmates get married. I'll be home around 10 PM, with PA training classes back [...]
Antibiotics Without Resistance?
Hey, everybody. I'm posting an awesome video lecture by a researcher named Bonnie Bassler. Bassler is a molecular biologist at Princeton University. In 2001, she discovered that bacteria use a form of group communication that [...]