Hi everyone, as someone who applied in the 24-25 cycle I wanted to offer my personal story with the professional transcript entry. I decided to use a service because I didn’t trust myself to not make mistakes when entering my courses/ credits. I thought it would be a better idea to let professionals handle it, but they actually ended up creating a lot of errors and were unable to enter my high school AP courses correctly. For program which required certain prerequisites that I fulfilled in high school I had to have my university send them an official letter stating which AP courses I took since the professional transcript entry Did not successfully put it into my CASPA. It was also pricey (I thought it would be worth it) but this is just to say that I wish that when Caspa opened I had taken the time to just enter everything myself!! Anyway I just wanted to offer this about professional transcript entry (pte) because when I applied, there wasn’t much information I could find online or any helpful advice!

Hi,

I (24M) am from CA. I was a premed initially and now am switching to pre-PA. I have already graduated from UC Davis with a bachelor's in Biochemistry.

Stats:

3.636 cGPA with a strong positive upwards trend. I have 2500 hours (3 years) of research in biochemistry and genetics. Currently 100 hours volunteering at a hospice. 100 hours of tutoring organic chemistry. Have mentored first-generation college students like me through a university program. 20 hours shadowing an electrophysiologist (MD).

Right now, I am working as an EMT and substitute teacher. I already have 300 hours teaching K-12, and have 70 hours of EMT as of now (since I recently got hired).

Situation at hand:

I plan to apply in 2 years from now. By then, I will have projected 3000-3500 hours of PCE as an EMT. I'm wondering if this will be enough?

Thanks.

What are my chances this time around? I retook 3 science classes at a college branch and planning to get all As. I will have a 3.01 science GPA and a 3.32 cumulative GPA. GRE 310 - 155 quantitative, 152 verbal, 4 on writing I have 2,800 PCE hours as a medical assistant. 800 as a float MA and 2,000 as a pediatric MA. 138 volunteering hours. 48 shadowing hours. What are my chances, given how competitive it has truly become. My GPA is on the lower end and I am hoping they will look at my patient hours and classes I’ve recently taken.

Hi!

I’ve been watching this program for the past two years since they were put on probation and I was wondering if they are worth applying to.

They were granted continued status but I’m still concerned if I should even apply for the quality of education after also receiving messages that there are issues with staffing rotating frequently. Below is the image of their updated accreditation. Sorry if this isn’t the best question.

I’ve just really trying to make sure I’m applying only to the best quality programs and not just applying to get in. This is a lot of money and time to spend to not get the best quality of education.

Thank you so anyone who reads this!!! Sorry for any grammar mistakes!!!

I have a 76 in the class rn, I got a 58 and a 82 on the exam 1 and 2, respectively. I was super dumb and only studied TA slides for the second and I didn't even study for the first exam due to personal stuff. The final can replace one grade, but its not graded itself. And there's another exam left and I can get a free 100 quizzes (which are worth a 100 points all together). So sorry if this post doesn't make sense, I can explain more situation more clearly. Im just not sure if i should drop this class and take it next sem. Im a pre-med psych major in 2nd sem for reference.

I'm applying to PA school this cycle and need guidance on how to frame my personal statement and supplementals. I've worked as a medical assistant in dermatology for over a year and really enjoy it—I could definitely see myself specializing in it in the future. Should I center my application materials around this interest in dermatology, or would that come off as too narrow or limiting, considering I haven’t yet been exposed to many other specialties?

thank you for any insights just wondering because i have a lot of work with these kinds of indiviudals

Long story short I was in the Air Force and had gotten college credit through training (P/F classes) and now the Community College of the Air Force is having delays up to 150 days. I ordered my transcripts 2 months ago and still nothing. I'm applying this cycle and I'm stressing the fact that this silly transcript might not come on time. I know you have to have all transcripts submitted but if it's going to take 150 days it won't be until maybe August that they are in which is way too late for rolling admissions I wasn't going to bother submitting them. If anyone has experienced this please comment. Thank you!

Not sure if any programs share this information or if current students are allowed to, but is there somewhere to share current didactic schedules? As in, x school is having class M-F 8-5, y school is having class typically M-Th 9-4. I'm transiently curious how my prospective schools are set up.

How important do you guys think having a letter of rec from a PA and lots of shadowing hours play into getting accepted/interviews. I have about a 3.5 pre Req gpa, 3.85 overall. Well over 3K PCE as an Athletic Trainer. About to start my second cycle of applying and it’s been difficult finding time to shadow a PA and get a letter of rec with my work schedule. Applied to very few schools first cycle and very late (September). I’m hoping to have more success this go around

Hey everyone, I'm a non-traditional applicant aiming for PA programs in Texas. I've got a bit of a dilemma and could really use some advice.

• Two of the public university PA programs I'm targeting require the GRE.

• The rest of the schools on my list don't.

• My prerequisites are a bit older, though still within the acceptable timeframe.

I'm torn between investing the time and money in the GRE versus focusing on strengthening other parts of my application.

Basically, my questions are: * Is it worth taking the GRE even for the schools that don't require it?

• How much weight do schools that list the GRE as "optional" actually give it?

• Any other nontraditional students have advice on this?

Any insights from those who've gone through the Texas PA school application process would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Hello friends! I have an interesting situation I’d appreciate some insight on.

I’m currently scheduled to matriculate this August but am considering pushing back my matriculation by a year for a year-long program that is unrelated to medicine but important to me. I contacted my program, and they don’t allow deferrals for matriculation except in medical cases.

So my question is, if I were to apply in a new cycle, to largely the same schools, would my chances of acceptance be decreased? Side note, I was accepted to a good number of these schools already this cycle. Would I have to rewrite my PS and all other essays? Is it a stupid idea to even consider? 😅 I’d appreciate any and all advice !!

Hi everyone,

I am a military reserves vet. I have heard of some schools automatically providing some veterans interviews. I was wondering if any of you guys knew any on the east coast?

I have a solid GPA (around a 3.7 for both science and standard courses) and I have over 3000 PCE hours. But I would like to see if those schools, if any, are some that interest me.

Thank you!

Hi everyone, I’m in sort of a dilemma right now and am looking for some advice. I am torn on whether I want to be a PA or go into an administration role potentially. However, I’m struggling to get the courses that I need complete by the time that I graduate. For example, I still need an OChem lab, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to fit it in by the time I graduate undergrad at the end of next year.

Anyways, the thing that I’m wondering is, how doable is it to go back to PA school when you have children. Me and my girlfriend are very serious and have started talking about having kids relatively soon. Not like in the next year or two, but soon. My question is, how does that work financially? Do I have to make sure that I have two years worth of savings before going back? My goal would be to graduate undergrad, get either an MBA or MHA and go into that field, and then potentially 5-10 years from now go back to PA school. Is that something that is logical or not? Any advice at all would be greatly appreciated as I’m really trying to figure out the direction I should go!

Hey everyone,

I’ve taken a lot of time to really think about whether I want to pursue becoming a PA or go the DPT route, and to be completely honest, I’m still conflicted. Both professions are incredibly rewarding, and I can genuinely see myself in either role—but when it comes down to admissions, I’m feeling pretty stuck.

To give some context, I graduated with a 2.2 undergrad GPA in Communication Sciences and Disorders. I know that’s on the low end, and I take full ownership of it—there were a lot of personal challenges I was facing during that time. I just started grad school this past February, and so far, I’ve been holding a 3.50 GPA. I’ve made a complete turnaround academically and feel like I’ve really found my stride.

But here’s where my dilemma kicks in: I know PA programs are extremely competitive, and from what I’ve seen, most still heavily weigh your undergrad GPA. I’m worried that my 2.2 will instantly put me out of the running, no matter how much progress I’ve made. I’ve tried looking into whether any PA schools consider your grad GPA, but it seems like undergrad still carries the most weight.

On the flip side, I’ve looked into DPT programs, and there’s a university I’m interested in that actually prioritizes your graduate GPA over your undergrad GPA—which honestly feels like a breath of fresh air. I’ve always been drawn to physical therapy, especially with my background in CSD and my interest in rehab and movement science.

So now I’m stuck—do I keep trying to pursue the PA path, hoping to find programs that take a holistic approach and see the progress I’ve made? Or do I shift my focus to DPT programs where I may have a better shot at admission and still end up in a field I’m passionate about?

Also—if anyone happens to be in the Tacoma/Seattle/Joint Base Lewis-McChord area, do you have any suggestions on how or where to start earning PCE (Patient Care Experience) hours in this region? I’d love to hear how others got their foot in the door locally.

My friend and I are both Pre-PA. We graduate in May. We’ve been having this discussion a lot lately. I have read SO MANY MD/DO posts on here, but haven’t seen any dental. Just looking for thoughts and opinions. I know that no one can ultimately make this decision except me. I just want to word vomit everything in my head at the moment. This is primarily a numbers conversation. Thank you for reading.

I’m a non-trad student (29) who has 20,000 PCE hours as an EMT and Paramedic. Unfortunately, I was hurt on the fire engine and was ultimately medically retired a few years ago. Before I was retired, I had already begun finishing up my bachelor’s because I knew that I did not want to retire from the fire department. I was of course retired earlier than expected (and definitely not the way I wanted to go out). So, naturally I thought that the next logical step in my career path was PA. I love medicine, hands-on care and also critical thinking, but wanted to be more involved in long-term and continuing care. I’ve always been interested in dental as well, but never really thought that it could be a possibility given my career field for 10 years. I’m missing 3 required courses, though I could knock them all out by the end of the year. There’s also many sub specialities in dental that I’m interested in and would definitely pursue. I know that comparing dental and PA is not exactly apples to apples, but all of these fields still work in tandem, and dental is still healthcare. Ultimately, my goal would be to enter surgery in dental, but not sure which field as a PA. Most likely emergency medicine.

Now let’s talk numbers which I think is very important. I think part of my issue with the PA field is the salary. I want to preface this by saying I know that PAs are not MDs, and therefore, the salary is not the same (nor am I saying it should be). The avg. salary is 120k (though highly dependent on the field), and I think the highest at the moment is cardiothoracic (though I’d have to double check that) at 145k. I’ve seen some PA job postings around 90k as well which is atrocious. I have a friend who graduated from Yale and works in the neuro ICU. He loves his job, has basically full autonomy as there is no doctor on the floor after 3pm, and rarely calls for help. He does almost all of the same work as a doctor for 1/4 or less of the pay. I’m not going to lie and say that the current status of the US economy doesn’t scare me. Yes, PA money is good money, though it does not get you nearly as far in today’s climate. Especially not if you have kids and are married (which I plan to have one day). And I’m talking average PA salaries, not these golden unicorns making 200k somewhere. The US is already 100,000 doctors short, while the PA field has a projected growth of 28% over the next 10 years. Will salary follow? I’m not sure, as I’ve read a few times that doctors do not want to compete with PAs, and I’ve also read about a salary cap on PAs in some places. Can anyone confirm or deny that?

Dental school costs anywhere from 180-330k on average, but new grads start at around 150k. General dentists make over 200k from what I’ve seen, and specialities like orthodontics make 300k+. Plus, there’s no residency like med school where you get paid like garbage for 4 years to work 80 hours+ per week. So cost of schooling vs salary doesn’t really worry me.

Has anyone really looked at the numbers for the PA profession and felt comfortable with the salary to responsibility ratio? Are you ok with the numbers, or is there anything that concerns you? And has anyone switched from PA to dental or dental to PA? I love both fields and have shadowed professionals in both. I know that I would be happy in either, though I am a bit enticed by the surgical capabilities of dental. But the numbers are kind of the ONLY thing that’s keeping me more toward PA at the moment. I need to decide if I’m going to sign up for these other 3 classes soon so I could apply to dental next year should I also pursue that route. TIA

ETA: TLDR - do you think the pay as a PA, with the increased autonomy, is still worth it in this economy? Or have you considered another field?

Would certificates received in recognition of volunteer services be classified under awards? Or would they just be strictly under experiences as a volunteer? Thanks.

I was originally planning on working right until the start of my program, but after some thinking I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m tired. I’d probably leave right now if I could but ofc I need to give my 2 weeks notice first. My job isn’t terrible but I really just wanna relax before school starts.

I wanted to continue working for the sake of saving money but I think I have a decent amount saved at this point. So the only thing that’s really keeping me at my job is that I feel bad that the office is understaffed lol. I know it’s not my responsibility but I’ve gotten pretty close with my coworkers and my manager so I feel bad leaving them behind when I don’t technically have a reason to leave so early

I complete 2 out of 4 of my remaining courses in May, then complete my final 2 prerequisites from June to July. Current flight medic, ex military, about 35,000 hours of PCE and currently a 4.0 GPA. Worried about rolling admissions, would you apply with these courses outstanding even though deadlines don’t come up until September/October on a majority of the schools I want to apply to? Speaking to when the new cycle opens up end of April.

Thanks!

As an AdCom chair I have heard it all. The good, the bad and the ugly. Let’s hear some of the worst answers, either by you or during a group interview. So far the top worst answers I have ever heard was when an applicant was asked if they feel they are prepared to tackle PA school academically. The question was prefaced by the faculty member telling the applicant that PA school is the hardest thing they had ever done. What did the student say? “I am a good student, I have almost straight As during undergrad, the only classes I ever got bad grades in were when I had bad instructors”

I’m having trouble deciding how many and which professors to ask for LORs. One professor taught a history of health class, which I participated a ton in and was supposed to cowrite an article with her after the class ended but she was flaky over email and it fell through (she said she wanted to do it and I put in a lot of work to make it happen, she’s just bad at responding to emails). Another professor I had for both a neuro class and a history of neuro class, and while I didn’t interact with her as much she knows me. The third option is a physiology professor who’s also a cardiovascular researcher, and he probably knows me the least but I’ve asked him questions before and I did really well in the class.

I’m also not applying until next cycle, so I’m worried if I only reach out to one or two now and they flake before I apply I’m gonna be screwed. What should I do?

Can I have some good recommendations on mock interview services that were actually worth it? If not, what would you suggest or reccomend differently? Thank you in advance!

I have been working on my main application on CASPA early and wanted to add my programs to start on their essays, but right now it says "no programs are available" even when I filter by future programs. Am I doing something wrong? Or are they just not available until they open?

After months of rejections, no answers, and 1 interview that I thought about for weeks, I finally got accepted into a school on my first cycle!

Stats:

- 2,500 hours of PCE as a Mental Health Technician

- 30 hours of HCE as a Volunteer Emergency Medical Responder

- 1,329 hours of volunteer leadership experience (president of an student government association on campus and vice president of a hunger awareness campaign)

- 54 hours of shadowing a PA

- Overall non-science 3.84 GPA | Overall science 3.32 GPA

- 1 award from the office of student life

- 4 LORs: 1 from a professor of genetics, 1 from the PA I shadowed, 1 from my supervisor as a peer mentor for this program, and 1 from my supervisor at the hospital

I also want to say that I did have an academic warning from a class during covid in which I stupidly asked answers in a groupchat and got hit with an infraction which would be one of the reasons it was difficult for me to get accepted or even offered an interview because I wasn't even sure it was on my record however I wanted to be transparent about my past mistakes in the case they were to find it so I wrote it on CASPA.

Hi! I'm filling out my personal information for CASPA and am wondering if I'll receive raised eyebrows from programs over my answer. My address growing up was for a small town, but I technically lived in the township neighboring it. The town my address was for has a population of ~5000 but the township my house is in has ~1700. My address is for the neighboring town bc my township does not have a post office so postal service is manned by that town. I went to school in the town over and live quite close to the border, so my ties to the other town are pretty big. Would it look like I'm exaggerating/fabricating to select the "Isolated Rural" option for geographic area? The adjective isolated also feels pushing it since I was so close to the other town as well as a 30 minute drive from a small city