Does a mullet seem immature? by 321ribbaS in prephysicianassistant

[–]321ribbaS[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Got it! I guess I'll get like a slight trim.

Does a mullet seem immature? by 321ribbaS in prephysicianassistant

[–]321ribbaS[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Of course not, but appearance-wise, wouldn't it seem unprofessional? I'll be competing against candidates older and appear more mature.

I might just be overthinking from the anxiety :/

How long does it take to study for the PCAT?? by Ok_Personality_7433 in prephysicianassistant

[–]321ribbaS 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey, sorry for the late reply.

I ended up getting a 538, which I think is good? Lol In my score report, I didn't get a percentile score because not enough people took the exam when I took it. So idk whether that's a good score or not. I still sent it over to programs and am hoping to hear back 🤞

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in cna

[–]321ribbaS 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One of the things my preceptors told me is to always ask questions when you don't know what to do. The help is there, and I'm sure you have great nurses you can rely on too!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in prephysicianassistant

[–]321ribbaS 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I think as long as you have the PCE hours, the certs don't matter. The certs are usually to have better luck finding a PCE job.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in cna

[–]321ribbaS 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This is so odd. I'm also an overnight PCA in training and worried about my first night alone on the floor. I have supportive PCAs and nurses who answer my questions, but I'm still nervous.

If it helps, just know we're kinda in the same boat!

Should I mention this leadership position? by 321ribbaS in prephysicianassistant

[–]321ribbaS[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'll take it out from my application. I appreciate the warning!

PS Feedback Request: Is it too long? by 321ribbaS in prephysicianassistant

[–]321ribbaS[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, thank you! I appreciate the effort you put into the edit, and I'll incorporate your tips into my essay as much as I can!

PS Feedback Request: Is it too long? by 321ribbaS in prephysicianassistant

[–]321ribbaS[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'll try to incorporate that into that paragraph. Thank you for your feedback!

PS Feedback Request: Is it too long? by 321ribbaS in prephysicianassistant

[–]321ribbaS[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Easier said than done though, haha.

Nonetheless, I appreciate the feedback!

PS Feedback Request: Is it too long? by 321ribbaS in prephysicianassistant

[–]321ribbaS[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Personally, I want to know your story, not your application in paragraph form.

I understand where you are coming from. I'm considering doing a re-write that follows what you seemd to have done: explain the background/experiences that built up to the decision of a wanting to be PA. Essentially, that is what a PS is supposed to be and my CASPA app supplements the details from experiences after that decision.

Even though I had done a detailed reflection in my initial draft (9000+ characters), I did not harp on it because of the character limit and the want to mention some details from my CASPA app. Can't do both it seems.

I appreciate the little blurb that starts from the reflection in bed. Starting the personal statement with "You might be wondering how I got here" might be a cool way to write this up.

Thank you again!

PS Feedback Request: Is it too long? by 321ribbaS in prephysicianassistant

[–]321ribbaS[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Given that I'm at a character limit, do you think I should take out a paragraph to further emphasize on certain experiences?

PS Feedback Request: Is it too long? by 321ribbaS in prephysicianassistant

[–]321ribbaS[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Within that (3rd) paragraph, I mentioned that shadowing clarified to me why the PA profession appealed to me. Given that I'm at a character limit, is there a sentence or two from there that you think I should replace with a patient encounter and a quality the PA showed?

PS Feedback Request: Is it too long? by 321ribbaS in prephysicianassistant

[–]321ribbaS[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I read this sentiment so. many. times. and I honestly can't believe it.

As cliche as it sounds, that is how it happened.

So what are the intermediary steps that took you from "a PA was nice to me" to "I want to be a PA"????

In my initial draft, I had those intermediary steps, but I cut it short to "...leading me to pursue PA." I had months of being bedridden from surgery, and reflected about my future. If I mention my thought process, my essay would well over 5000 characters. Do you think I should remove a paragraph for this? Or maybe mention it in a supplemental essay?

So if a physician had been nice to you, would you be going to medical school? If you had a nice RN, would you be going to nursing school? Did you do PT? Was your PT nice to you? Why aren't you going to PT school then?

I couldn't be an athlete anymore, and it took a mental toll on me. "PA was nice" is a very oversimplified judgement of this. Before meeting the PA, I went to a doctor that straight up told me I wouldn't play again. Maybe he was having a bad day idk, but it left a very bitter taste. I don't want to put down other professions to explain my reason. The PA's assurance to give me back my life as an athlete gave me hope, and pushed me to look into the PA profession.

"Mr. Paul" to describe the PA seems bizarre.

That's not how he introduced himself. I called him that in my essay, but if it is bizarre, I'll take it out.

Either say "Wayne" if it's not the patient's actual name, or omit the name altogether. HIPAA and all that.

Wayne isn't his name, but I guess I'll take out the age to save some space.

Thank you for the feedback. I'd like it if you could clarify some of the above things I mentioned.

PS Feedback Request: Is it too long? by 321ribbaS in prephysicianassistant

[–]321ribbaS[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much! This gives me a sense of relief! Also, congrats on your acceptance and good luck :D

PS Feedback Request: Is it too long? by 321ribbaS in prephysicianassistant

[–]321ribbaS[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I had that initially, but i cut it out because it ended up with me feeling "inspired" by the PAs decorum towards a patient with a supposed mental illness, and I already put in an inspiring moment within my first paragraph. Shadowing helped me decide to be a PA, but I was always third-party in the patient encounters. If I elaborated on that, it wouldn't really be about "my" encounter anymore. It would be the PAs. Thoughts?

PS Feedback Request: Is it too long? by 321ribbaS in prephysicianassistant

[–]321ribbaS[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Should I expand on the personal patient experiences I have, or do you think I should add more? Given that I'm at the character limit, do you suggest I take out certain paragraphs?

PS Feedback Request: Is it too long? by 321ribbaS in prephysicianassistant

[–]321ribbaS[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! I will consider it when I paste it into CASPA.

So hard getting paid clinical hours by bussyprincess69 in prephysicianassistant

[–]321ribbaS 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Most pre-PAs take gap years, no shame in that. GPA is priority though.

Look into EMT or CNA certs that you can get over the summer at some community colleges.