PA School Applications: Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

When I knew I wanted to go back to PA school, I started to focus on networking with PAs in the area, especially since I had hoped to stay local. I met with a couple of recent graduates who told me about their journey over some Starbucks, spoke with PAs and MDs at the hospital I worked at, and even went as far as using LinkedIn to find people who might be able to hook me up with other connections. 

One of my old tech/marketing friends was connected to a faculty member from a school I knew I wanted to apply to. So I asked her to virtually introduce us, which she so kindly did, and this faculty member agreed to meet for coffee to give me advice. 

We met at a small coffee shop in his neighborhood, I bought us some coffees and we sat down to chat. Honestly, it was terribly awkward. I got the sense that he wasn't that interested in being there to meet with me, so I tried to keep things brief as to not waste his time, but I still wanted to show my sincere interest in the profession and the university he worked for. 

I asked about how students are selected for interviews, and we started talking about the various factors that go into this process. He asked where I did my undergrad, and I told him it was a local public university. He shook his head and said something along the lines of, "Yeah, that would put you in one of our lower tier lists."

I was both offended and disheartened. Yes, I realize you need to sort through your bazillion applicants somehow. And that's why things like GPA and patient care hours and such are important. You'll get sorted accordingly. But these things are not the end-all-be-all. You can still get accepted to amazing PA programs if you can shine in other ways. 

This is why it kind of drives me nuts when people share their stats on social media. Yes, it matters, but I think all that does for pre-PAs is discourage them if their stats don't line up. Plus, you can be a great applicant on paper and interview poorly and none of that will matter. 

Here's the moral of the story: Don't be discouraged if your stats aren't perfect. Emphasize your strengths, explain any weaknesses, and show them who you really are. 

The school that faculty member worked for? I applied to it the next cycle, got an interview, rocked the interview, and was offered a spot in their program. I got myself all worked up about being from a "lower tier school" for nothing. It ended up not mattering at all. 

Spoiler alert: I also got an offer from my first-choice shortly thereafter, and declined their offer. Sure, I lost a fat deposit in the process, but I feel like everything worked out the way it was supposed to. Again, don't get yourself too worked up about GPA or clinical hours or shadowing time or undergrad degrees or previous work experience. Show them who you are from a broader perspective, and if you're a good fit for the program, those details won't matter as much as you think. 

Do everything you can to have a strong application, but don't sweat the small stuff. You got this. 

Thanks for reading,
Olivia