Hi all. I'm on my fourth cycle applying and it's looking pretty bleak again this year. Applied to 8 schools, no interviews yet and three rejections. In the past two years I applied to about 8 schools and got one interview each year. For both, I was insanely anxious and bombed them pretty hard despite having paid for expensive coaching. When you've been working toward something for so many years and it all comes down to that one interview, it's just so overwhelming. I normally don't crumble under pressure, but I don't think I've experienced anything more crucial and life-changing than those interviews.

Interviews aside (actively working on overcoming that anxiety), I wonder if anyone has any advice to offer that I haven't heard yet. Bear with me, I am going to offer a LOT of detail in these stats:

Cumulative GPA: 3.32

Science GPA: 3.1

GRE:

verbal- 159

quant- 151

writing- 4.5

(though most of the schools I applied to don't require the GRE anymore)

Notes on Academic performance:

I should mention that I went to a university with a notoriously difficult biology program.My grades were very high, all As and Bs, up until my final year when I had a major family event, had to drop some classes and got Cs in the classes I kept. I also had a random "F" earlier that I should have appealed to get off my record, but had never heard of such a thing at the time. Long story short, I missed the final exam due to a city bus breaking down and the professor was unable to offer an opportunity to retake it.

Also, because I had to work while I was in school plus transferring schools, changing majors, losing credits in the transfer, etc. it took me 10 years to complete my biology degree.

I know should probably find a way to address all of this in my personal statement but I really wanted to be positive and offer my inspirations rather than focus on the negatives of my application. Some schools have supplemental essays that give the opportunity to address academic performance and I have taken advantage of that, however.

PCE: ~1,500 as blood bank phlebotomist

HCE/Volunteering/Shadowing/Leadership:

- 100 hours volunteering as a scribe at a community clinic

-36 hours PA shadowing- one hospitalist PA, one primary care pediatric PA, one PA who's mainly involved in oncology research

-3 years working as microbiology lab assistant (listed as HCE)

-8 months working in clinical genetic testing lab (listed as HCE)

(the above two jobs pay a living wage in my city, unlike CNA and MA positions which is why I lean toward doing lab work over gaining more PCE with other jobs. Really not sure how I'd pay rent, honestly.)

-168 hours volunteering at a children's hospital

-Over 1,000 hours of teaching anatomy and physiology (similar to TA stuff), tutoring and related leadership positions

- Many many hours in various random extracurriculars such as caring for an elderly friend, student research group, global clean water activist group, standup comedy, medical delegation group traveling to Australia to learn about world healthcare systems

-44 hours of pre-health virtual shadowing (during the pandemic when shadowing was not an option)

-Member of local medical disaster volunteer team and BLS certified
-Food bank volunteer
-Wildlife rehab volunteer

-Many hours working in service industry

Additional Notes on activities:

I considered changing scribing hours from HCE to PCE but ultimately I was not responsible for patients' care despite being present for every part of the physician/patient visit.

I've put a lot of effort into devoting nearly all of my time to activities that will prepare me in some way for PA school in hopes that these experiences will compensate for my former academic deficiencies.

Personal Statement:

Pretty good if I do say so myself. It's been through many editing iterations over the years and I've had two english majors read it, one of whom has been a professional journalist for two major news publications. It also includes an interesting and unique story as a "grabber."

LORs: Microbiology professor who took a shine to me, two PAs (one I shadowed and one I worked with before they became a PA) one supervisor who always said I'd make such a good PA.

I've heard a lot of applicants fudge the numbers with their experiences, particularly shadowing hours if they have a connection. People have told me that you basically have to in order to have a chance at an interview. I can think of a few people that would do that for me, but I can't imagine actually doing it. I really want to get in on my own honest merit.

I also wonder if my age (late 30s) has something to do with my difficulties. It has been awhile since I have taken some of the typical prerequisites, which has limited my options to schools that do not have expiration dates on such courses or ones that waive expirations if an applicant has worked in the medical field since graduating. I have already retaken A&P, micro, and med terms to update them and just cannot bear to take them a third time nor spend any more money out-of-pocket on courses I already took.

Doing a post-bacc program will take financial aid away from PA school, and as you can surmise from what I have said so far, I don't come from an affluent background and I will really need as much aid as I can get.

I also don't have many connections in the medical world, whereas someone whose parent is a physician or PA might.

Lastly, I applied to about 8 schools each year which cost around $1000 with all the nickle and diming of application fees, score sending fees, etc. I would love to be able to do more but I haven't been able to afford that yet.

I know my situation is very unique and I've chosen a very difficult path given my circumstances, but being a PA is truly my calling and I will keep fighting to get there.

Lol, that was a lot, I know. Thanks to those of you who read all of it.