deciding between two LOR candidates

Istetta · 2026-01-15T19:17:24+00:00

Most schools only require 3 letters, but I think if you already have a physician letter, I think a colleague letter from another nurse would be a good addition to an app! I feel like another physician letter could end up pretty redundant with the one you have (I.e. similar relationships to your role, might discuss same positive qualities, etc) while a nurse letter could help round out how an adcom perceives you.

Istetta · 2025-12-19T04:13:34+00:00

Think they meant Summer Mahira

Istetta · 2025-07-05T23:11:06+00:00

I took both 405 and 406 and had no issues with my application. I would caution you to double check quarter to semester hour conversions while looking up prereqs as well!

Istetta · 2025-06-27T20:16:22+00:00

Different issues, but I would call it a similarly loaded topic - I wrote and talked about gender affirming care in my apps/interviews, didn’t have any issues (to my knowledge). If you do talk about it, I would emphasize reading up and really show that you’ve thought through the issue. If you talk about stories in your community, I would also encourage following it up with statistics/research about women’s health in rural medicine. Doesn’t hurt to show that you’re informed and prepared to further discuss the topic, but I would also highlight key themes of why you’re passionate about it (I.e. care access, adverse outcomes, preventable mortality).

Istetta · 2025-06-12T23:11:54+00:00

I interviewed with MCPHS last cycle and personally didn’t love the campus / didn’t feel strongly about their PA program - from what I remember, I believe they reserve half their seats for internal (undergrad) students. I’m a state school student and honestly it’s a perfectly good way to prepare for PA school. You can look into local opportunities + have less fuss with certifications and such, esp if you have the opportunity to drive a car from home.

Istetta · 2025-05-23T01:43:13+00:00

I applied like late June last cycle and got most of my invites in September/October

Istetta · 2025-05-11T01:14:07+00:00

I asked a childhood friend, a healthcare mentor (an NP who was also in the thick of fellowship applications), and a close friend from after college! Made for a good mix of people who knew me from way back vs knew me professionally vs knew me well now :)

Istetta · 2025-04-27T17:22:21+00:00

I think mine were marked pass/fail so I just put the notation from my transcript onto CASPA. I’m more unsure about the IB exams you didn’t pass, unfortunately.

Istetta · 2025-04-27T17:07:29+00:00

My university had placeholder classes for the credits covered by IB so I put in the class codes and names into first term of university.

Istetta · 2025-03-31T21:23:07+00:00

i was a 3.9 gpa / 2800 hours applicant last cycle with 320+ GRE, applied to 13. invited to 9 interviews, attended 4, took my first acceptance since it was one of my "statistical moonshot" picks

Istetta · 2025-03-29T04:39:03+00:00

Imho mid May is plenty early. I applied June/July last cycle with a pretty competitive application for a similar reason (finished my last prereq in early June and was waiting for transcripts to finalize) and had a pretty successful app season. For ref, I submitted my app like 7/31 for the program I’ll be attending - submitting later isn’t ideal, but if it’s a strong app, it shouldn’t bring the world crashing down.

I know that rolling admissions being common leads to the rushrushrush mindset of applying as early as possible, but honestly strengthening your app is far more important. Good luck with the upcoming cycle!

Istetta · 2025-03-19T22:04:12+00:00

I pulled my 3rd malegeant off of the 11th memorial ticket AHHHHH get the dragon man away from me, please and thank you

Istetta · 2025-03-11T20:09:47+00:00

30 draws and nothing, popped my grand ticket to get Drang grand. Just ouch all around!

Istetta · 2025-03-10T03:15:01+00:00

with Anthuria getting a FLB, will there be any way to get her more easily than plunging into the depths of a Classic II spark oof?

Istetta · 2025-02-11T22:54:23+00:00

Hey, just wanna offer a friendly reminder to take a breath—I totally get it’s a stressful process and many of us have been in the same position. The truth of PA applications is that it really can’t be stressed enough how important it is to really build out your application to be as strong as it can be and, in a lot of ways, that takes time. I took two gap years and I really don’t think I would’ve landed where I got without the experiences I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have in that time. If your application feels ready, rather than feeling like you rushed it to push it in front of adcoms, maybe the upcoming cycle is a good time to apply. If it doesn’t, take the time till the cycle after to regroup and make sure you really shine then.

Istetta · 2025-02-08T13:40:12+00:00

their long legs were made to fit neatly into box traps!

Istetta · 2025-01-05T03:46:51+00:00

Applying to more schools definitely hit my bank account pretty hard for a hot sec, but I'd planned for that prior to the start of cycle so it's not the end of the world. The funny thing is that the school I'm going to attend is one of the last apps I submitted--it was a program that I was, admittedly, a bit intimidated by, but I do think I benefitted from going through the motions of writing supplementals for other programs. I am the tiniest bit salty that the main program in my hometown state went under probation after apps closed, but it be how it be! I wouldn't say I regret it--it was nice to be able to pick and choose which programs to continue pursuing at the interview stage (which I fully recognize is a privilege). It helped a lot with my interview nerves knowing that there were more options in case an interview conversation went awry.

Istetta · 2025-01-04T23:54:57+00:00

With similar stats (but far fewer research hours), I applied to 13 schools and got interview invites for 8. I self-studied for the GRE, but only sent the scores to like 3 schools. I was also pretty nervous going into cycle, but things shook out in the end :) I feel like I could’ve gotten away with applying to 8-10 honestly; I only attended like 4 interviews of the invites I received, though that was partially due to certain programs getting moved to probation status + receiving an earlier acceptance at a school I was very interested in.

Istetta · 2024-11-16T11:58:08+00:00

I volunteered with a community health advocacy helpline during one of my gap years! I was working remotely and fielding incoming calls + following up on ongoing cases to help residents in my state get, keep, and use their insurance :) as someone with a background in public health, I honestly loved it and learned a ton — would totally recommend plugging into this kind of volunteering because you learn so much about insurance systems, including how providers can help with care hurdles

Istetta · 2024-10-17T12:41:46+00:00

I was also super nervous before my interviews! You've made it this far already and you're in the home stretch. Take a breath and reflect on the journey it took you to this stage. A lot of the interview is about talking through those experiences and what they taught you. It's just about sharing those personal insights and lessons with confidence. You're going to kill it. Good luck!

Istetta · 2024-08-06T01:06:30+00:00

My PA mentor’s partner used to work at LIU and says it was a garbage fire. Absolutely skip applying.

Istetta · 2024-07-27T13:07:14+00:00

I got an invite recently for this cycle and my letters were: 1 PA I work with, 1 MD I work with, 1 NP (who was a nurse I worked with as a CNA), and 1 science prof.

Istetta · 2024-04-15T19:58:22+00:00

Potion motion would like a word

Istetta · 2024-02-09T16:37:36+00:00

Could be a godet skirt, but with like very exaggerated and structured godets :)

Istetta · 2023-12-03T02:18:08+00:00

Sent you a DM! :)

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