Getting Into Physician Assistant College
Being a physician assistant can be rewarding for those who are looking into working alongside a doctor or on their way to becoming a doctor themselves. This is a great place to start to learn more about the medical field and how you are going to be making a difference in other people's lives. If you are looking at how to get into PA school, here are a few things to consider.
The first place to start is by creating a CASPA, which stands for Central Application Service for Physician Assistants. Begin as early as you can. You can begin with volunteering and shadowing other physician assistants at your local hospital or other medical facilities. Begin as soon as you can as there are many colleges that have certain restrictions and due dates. By starting early on in the year you are going to have enough time to accumulate enough hours. The better the school you attend, the more patient care hours are going to be needed, and this can range from 2,000 to as much as 5,000.
Begin gathering recommendation letters from professors, colleagues, and friends and close family. You can even get people that you do volunteer work with to write one for you. You should also get one from the PA you followed and worked alongside. Make sure you give people adequate time to gather their thoughts and create these compelling recommendation letters for you.
Always work on increasing your GPA as this helps you get into more prestigious colleges and universities. Each college may have a required minimum GPA so be sure to start exploring what that is to ensure you are ready and prepared when you enroll. You should also make sure that all pre-requisite classes have been done and all requirements have been met or your application is not going to be considered.
Take the GRE, and while there are some colleges and schools that are not going to require this, it is something that can benefit you. You should try and so some community service work as well if you find the extra time. This should not deal with patients and can be at places such as a food shelter or working with animals in humane society facilities. You can do anything that you want as long as it shows you care about the community you live in. You can even help clean up an old local park that has been neglected.
You should always dress for success when you are asked for an interview to enroll in the school and begin classes. Act confident at the interview as well. Being a PA is rewarding, and therefore schools only accept people who are strong and confident so don't be nervous. Many school staff can sense this and may try to make you feel uncomfortable. You have done all the hard work, and now is the time to showcase who you are, and why you deserve to be a part of the school and community as a physician assistant.
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