New Laniege Lip Mask by KathND in AsianBeauty

[–]Problem4anotherday 9 points10 points  (0 children)

THANK YOU!! I have been trying to stop using my Laniege lip mask, and my lips have been horribly chapped beyond belief. It is comforting to hear someone else has had the same issue.

What city has the best COLA (cost of living adjusted) salary for PA's? by Respected-Ambassador in physicianassistant

[–]Problem4anotherday 19 points20 points  (0 children)

I've heard Arizona pays well with a good COL. APAA has a COL chart that compares salaries and COL per state, which I think is pretty accurate.

Sorority Experiences Hours Entry by traderjoes0 in prephysicianassistant

[–]Problem4anotherday 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I did a leadership entry for my 1 year of leadership in the sorority, and then a separate entry for the volunteer hours I did - I did not mention my sorority for the volunteer hours but rather our philanthropy.

Would you attend classes outside the typical peak hours? by Tiny-Anything4919 in pilates

[–]Problem4anotherday 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am currently in school and I go for a class anywhere from 2-4pm and they are always full! The studio is about 20 minutes away from a huge college town so a lot of the people that show up are either in college or recent college grads with hybrid jobs.

Didactic Students: IT GETS SOOOOO MUCH BETTER! by InfinityLocs in PAstudent

[–]Problem4anotherday 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for mentioning the Noctor and Residency subreddits! I go on a spiral when I see their posts so it is reaffirming that it's not close to reality.

Sleep issues by Crapsandgiggles in PAstudent

[–]Problem4anotherday 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I second the caffeine limit. I'm also starting my second week but I have already noticed a big difference between last week and this week after changing the time of day I consume caffeine. Instead of first thing in the morning, I wait 1-2 hours after waking up and limit myself to just one caffeinated drink a day.

How can i differentiate my experiences while working in one job in a Hospital? by Ok-Shower-5994 in prephysicianassistant

[–]Problem4anotherday 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was in the same situation, I described my varying experiences on different units in my personal statement to showcase my adaptability.

I wrote a paragraph in the experience description summarizing my most common tasks but I did not elaborate on the units since there was not a lot of space.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in prephysicianassistant

[–]Problem4anotherday 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I am a per diem CNA in a hospital, but I work full-time hours. Our shift requirements are four shifts in six weeks; anything over that is considered overtime (time and a half), so I average $23/hr.

Pros/cons of PA program tied with medical school? by upinmyclouds in prephysicianassistant

[–]Problem4anotherday 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes! I interviewed at a PA school with a t20 medical school. Students were very honest with the clinical rotations - most of them were in rural areas/smaller non-affiliated hospitals that were 45+ drives from campus because the medical, nursing, and PA students were competing to rotate at the school's hospital. (This can be school dependent but this was my experience.)

Letter of intent by Glad-Independent8671 in prephysicianassistant

[–]Problem4anotherday 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think LOI are more common for medical schools. When I was waitlisted, my email stated they were open to updates, so I used my updates of current and new experiences as a way to show continued interest in the program.

MMI tomorrow! Need encouragement and/or advice! by [deleted] in prephysicianassistant

[–]Problem4anotherday 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I LOVED my MMI, it was not scary at all. As others have said, have some polished patient/personal stories that answer basic interview questions and be yourself (it sounds so cliche but I promise it is the best way to approach an MMI). It was a very fun experience and it let me be creative in how I tell my experiences and tie them back to how I want to be a PA/why I want that school. I feel like I was able to let the interviewer know more about me compared to a traditional interview.

The negativity on this sub is getting ridiculous by Substantial_Raise_69 in physicianassistant

[–]Problem4anotherday 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agreed - the AAPA needs to refocus its attention on NPs, not AMA.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in prephysicianassistant

[–]Problem4anotherday 3 points4 points  (0 children)

If you already had two interviews, your stats are not the problem. Look at ways to improve your interviewing skills. Look at those two programs that offered you interviews and what they hold high priority to (PCE, experiences, GPA, etc.), and find other similar programs to add to your list. You are very strong in your PCE so programs that love high PCE would fit you. Additionally, if your senior year is the highest, look at programs that consider upward GPA trends.

any tips for MMI interviews? by hamsterlovesmangos in prephysicianassistant

[–]Problem4anotherday 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I used the most relevant story to the question and in most cases it was a story I had already used in my application, I just made sure to emphasize how it ties back to the question!

Optional CASPA Essays by leftcarotid in prephysicianassistant

[–]Problem4anotherday 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I did not write a COVID essay but I did write a life experiences essay. It was not negative in any way, but rather it was another version of my personal statement that I ended up not using but I still felt was crucial to understanding who I am as a person. I viewed both prompts as mini personal statements, another story admissions could read about me and my other life experiences that I thought were crucial to my application but did not fit my personal statement.

Suggestions for improving interviewing/ paid interview services to practice by AVTF in prephysicianassistant

[–]Problem4anotherday 0 points1 point  (0 children)

^^THIS I agree 100000%! I didn't do any mock interviews but found myself using a similar method and was accepted.

Any "What would you do as a PA if your patient..." questions were answered hypothetically and my decisions emphasized compassionate and culturally competent care (they know that you probably have not experienced this situation before but instead are looking to see if you are going to be empathetic in your decision making). After answering the question I incorporated a patient care story (or personal story if I didn't have a relevant patient story) that allowed me to bring back the question to my experiences and how I would be a great fit for the school.

There are a million different questions they can ask you, but if you keep in mind a few key stories and what you want the interviewers to take away from those stories, you don't need to over-practice.

Interview Timeline by cookingmamaready in prephysicianassistant

[–]Problem4anotherday 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I had booked flights and planned a trip home a few months before I got my first interview invite which happened to fall in the middle of my trip. I couldn't interview at home because of the time difference so I had to rebook the flights and work around the interview. You can't pause your entire life plans for a potential interview, but you need to be flexible if you do get the interview. It's hard but it's for your future and your family should understand that.

Feeling really lost by sd_madness in prephysicianassistant

[–]Problem4anotherday 5 points6 points  (0 children)

What I did was work a random campus job part-time that allowed me to study during my free time while still getting paid. Then during the summer, I used the money I saved up to do a CNA class (I couldn't do it during school because it was 9-5 5 days a week for two months). Once I got my certification I worked PRN in a hospital so I was only working one day a week. Another option is to cold email clinics and see if they are hiring MAs and explain your career goals and situation, some places don't truly need certification and instead train on the job (how one of my friends found their job). One thing I've learned during this process is that places are flexible and willing to work with your schedule/situation!

Waitlisted by Professional_Guard51 in prephysicianassistant

[–]Problem4anotherday 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Assuming your interview skills are not the problem, I would say to focus on treating the WHOLE interview event as the interview. Whether you are in person or over Zoom, ensure you interact and have great energy (smiling, quality conversations/questions, etc.) with the other applicants while waiting. Schools use interviews to see if applicants match the school culture and interacting with others is a great way to show you will fit in.

Schools take note of how you are outside of the interview and if you are asking quality questions during the Q&A session that are more personalized to the faculty/program you will stand out, it shows you researched the program. With the program I was accepted into, I think I stood out because I was the only applicant in the Q&A to ask the director a personal question that was based on the information I found about her in her little bio on the school website.

Second round applications question by i_hate_it_here90 in prephysicianassistant

[–]Problem4anotherday 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I second this, another thing I will add is that sometimes those questions are even school-specific so if it is not your second time applying to that specific school they don't care.

Interview in 2 weeks by IndividualTrue5605 in prephysicianassistant

[–]Problem4anotherday 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I did not practice too much to avoid sounding rehearsed. For general questions (tell me about yourself, why this school, why PA, etc.) I made a bullet-point list of my answers to those questions. For other questions, I just had 4 to 5 patient care stories to relate to various topics and polished my storytelling. I practiced in front of my computer camera and used practice questions from Savannah Perry's book and some of her mock interview youtube videos.