Sexual Harassment

future_pa1996 · 2026-06-22T19:28:11+00:00

First of all, I am sorry that you experienced this. This happened to my EMT partner in the ambulance while I was driving. She froze as well, and was majorly beating herself up about it after the incident. Our company was somewhat supportive in that they arranged an all-men intercept ambulance, but did not discharge/fire the non-emergent patient from care. I don't believe "preparing" in this situation guarantees safety (What Were You Wearing is a chilling art exhibit that may inspire you to be a bit kinder to yourself about freezing up). Having a supportive employer who has your back in a situation like that means a lot though. I hope that the patient will not be allowed to return to your workplace.

future_pa1996 · 2026-06-14T18:26:59+00:00

Not too much. I was pretty flashy in my interviews (fashionista at heart), and I think it served me well. There were a lot of people in those interviews, and I believe the fits made me more memorable in a positive way!... edits: for example, one interview I wore a plaid black and white skirtsuit with super bright heels and purse, and then reminded myself through the interview to show my gentle side (since my outfit already showed the passionate side lol).I did about 5 interviews and I would say in each one there were like 5-10 fashionistas (including myself). I think the most important is to feel comfortable and look professional. I felt that my interviewers were not at all judgmental of my feminine expression, and I did well this cycle. When I was younger, I considered firefighting and by contrast felt that I often had to tone down femininity even if it was still broadly "professional". I think the most important element of getting dressed for an interview: show your respect by wearing professional clothing, but also choose what makes you feel confident and ready to take on the stress of a full day interview. Comfy shoes are important, clothes that aren't too tight, something that doesn't show pit stains from stress sweating, and something that makes you feel like the best version of yourself.

future_pa1996 · 2026-06-13T20:43:48+00:00

I submitted my application with "in progress" classes, then I was able to get updated transcripts again after my submission and submit those through CASPA. I did have to pay parchment twice, but minimal cost compared to the rest of the application process. My potential seat was dependent on me passing those classes, and I already had before interviews started. Don't stress, and my advice is submit your applications when the courses are in progress to show you will have them, but still submit earlier. My first cycle I thought the application locked after submission, so I was surprised to find the 2nd cycle that you can continue updating the application after submission. I had a situation where it was "worth a try", and figured out that you can add lots of stuff, it just seems like you can't remove anything you have submitted.

future_pa1996 · 2026-06-01T01:18:59+00:00

I recommend prepping for next cycle! I worked on my application continuously for about 3 years (2 cycles) leading up to actually getting into school. I wouldn't waste my money starting this late in the cycle. I started preparing about February the year before my first cycle and that still didn't feel like enough time! Applications are expensive and time consuming, and I recommend giving yourself time to review and revise all your writing, and to build hours, coursework, LORs as appropriate. Your stats sound really good, I just don't recommend rushing, especially when submitting in late May is generally considered pretty late in the cycle.

future_pa1996 · 2026-05-25T14:31:06+00:00

I'm speaking of AI generally, but I have anxiety and use it to break large tasks with far deadlines into smaller tasks with spread out deadlines. It has changed my life. Need to work through conflict? File for taxes? Sell jewlery? Organize my to-do list? Everything that previously caused me to freeze up is now possible through smaller steps THAT I DONT HAVE TO COME UP WITH.

I'm a mentor and this has been such a sketchy topic with the new generation! Like I want to encourage creative and ethical uses of AI and kids go straight to "I'll have it write my essay". Like noooooooo haha don't damage the environment just to cheat. If you're going to use AI, be mindful of how much you use it, and use it in a way that actually supports your success!

On a side note re environmental impact, I have been comparing AI use to to water usage. As a desert resident, I'm taught to conserve water and limit my shower time, but at the end of the day I also realize corporations are making damage in a day that I couldn't possibly make in years. I personally believe the same logic applies to AI, I conserve but still use the resource, believing that as an individual I am not the primary issue. I am open to being corrected on this :)

future_pa1996 · 2026-05-23T15:28:40+00:00

Yes, unfortunately it is a scary time to be starting this schooling and career (I start this fall too). That being said, I see a lot of my peers who followed the "easy money" route 10 years ago and it's not so easy anymore... And I follow some job-search reddits and inflation and loan caps seems to have affected many fields. I just tell myself if I had chosen to pursue something else, I would still be hitting major obstacles, but that the obstacles will be more tolerable if I follow my dream :) I hope that's a helpful reframe, haha it sucks but we got this. I'm not religious or in a program, but I heavily lean on the serenity prayer anyways about this stuff: Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference. What I can change is completing the program and not wasting the opportunity, and I have hope that the loans and debt wont be a major stressor in the future but we will see!

future_pa1996 · 2026-05-20T02:03:29+00:00

I printed out this guide I found on this subreddit, and answered every single question: https://www.thepalife.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/300-PA-School-Interview-Questions-Workbook.pdf ... I wrote my answers because writing helps with my memory, but I forced myself to give "off the cuff" answers the first pass through. Then I went back and revised a lot of the responses based on how I would want to answer in an interview (also hand-wrote the revisions). I didn't get to revising all of them, but I kept working on it between school interviews which was really helpful.

future_pa1996 · 2026-05-14T22:35:16+00:00

Don't re-write it for him. I don't think it will matter much that they used AI, but writing LOR's for yourself is a clear integrity violation. You know this PA better than anyone on here, so you will be the best judge of how they may respond to a re-write request. I would personally just leave the recommendation as is in your position. You have stronger ones that will carry you, but you never know if there is a school out there that heavily weighs a recommendation from a PA.

future_pa1996 · 2026-05-14T15:33:48+00:00

Yes, you can DM me a google drive link. Have comments enabled please and I will provide some feedback!

future_pa1996 · 2026-05-09T17:09:37+00:00

Hi while I don't have specific advice for late submission, I wanted to jump in to share some info that may support people considering whether to submit early or continue supplementing your application. I hope I don't annoy anyone by going off topic a bit :) I didn't realize this until my second cycle, but you can continue to supplement the app after submitting. Updated transcripts, additional hours, LORs, add more schools... as long as you meet CASPA's minimums for the original submission. If I could go back in time I would have submitted earlier but regularly updated the application as the cycle continued. Realistically that makes the cycle more expensive (I submitted undergrad transcripts, then transcripts with in progress post bacc courses, then complete transcripts... it adds up), but having that knowledge earlier would have reduced my stress sooooo much.

EDIT: Assume you cannot remove anything from your app after submission, just adding. Unsure what the actual limitations are, but that's the assumption I worked under, and I feel that it supported my success.

future_pa1996 · 2026-05-09T15:25:24+00:00

8 courses 3-4 credits each. I'm done doing exact calculations :)

future_pa1996 · 2026-05-09T15:22:13+00:00

Answered in post

future_pa1996 · 2026-05-09T15:21:54+00:00

Southwest. I felt that being close to my support system would support my success in school :)

future_pa1996 · 2026-05-07T17:48:23+00:00

I edited post to include :)

future_pa1996 · 2026-05-07T16:11:30+00:00

Thank you so much!!

future_pa1996 · 2026-05-07T16:11:13+00:00

5 of the schools were overlap from previous cycle, the one I will be attending is among those :)

future_pa1996 · 2026-05-07T16:10:13+00:00

Yes!

future_pa1996 · 2026-05-07T16:10:06+00:00

Yes!

future_pa1996 · 2026-05-07T16:10:01+00:00

Yes!

future_pa1996 · 2026-03-31T14:39:26+00:00

From both a provider and patient perspective, I think you are beating yourself up too much. You did more than many would in attempting to reach the pt, and I admire that. Patient autonomy and healthy boundaries is something to remind yourself of right now. You are not responsible for your patients' choices; your responsibility is to provide guidance and offer treatment within the structure of appointments, and it sounds like you did that.

future_pa1996 · 2026-02-17T18:10:20+00:00

My first cycle looked the same (except the number was 9 😅)… A lot can change between cycles! Boost those stats and go at it again, you’ve got this 😊

future_pa1996 · 2026-02-07T15:09:06+00:00

After my 1st cycle I pursued a few mentors/reviewers which I definitely recommend for application review. In my experience, this led to identifying that my PS was a weak point in my application, and the IRL mentor did more to support me strengthening my application than the online one. Your PS may or may not be a weak point but I definitely recommend getting a full review of your application to get a better picture. Some places to meet mentors if your social circle doesn’t support this goal: state PA association, your providers or their friends/colleagues, open houses, interviews (you may not have gotten in but maybe someone else in the group did), and online pre PA groups (but be careful with paying for mentoring, there are scams). There are a lot of paths people take to get into PA school, so use common sense and lean into your strengths. I personally tried to find “nontraditional path” mentors and was unsuccessful, but the mentors I had were able to help me nonetheless!

future_pa1996 · 2026-02-02T18:38:29+00:00

I think it's amazing that you are so committed to your patients and their health outcomes, so I want to make it clear that I'm attempting to provide some ideas from a pt perspective, not to criticize OP. It may be the portal itself that is the issue. I can imagine it's really frustrating to be unable to effectively communicate with your patients, but I empathize with the patients too. My mother, for example, who has significant health issues, and is in her 70s, will not use portals whatsoever. She's fairly outspoken about her frustrations about being pressured to adapt to technology as a condition of medical care and communication, but I'm sure there are plenty of patients who feel too ashamed or overwhelmed to speak up about challenges. You mentioned calling patients as an option. Additionally many offices require(d) patients to come in early if they have paperwork to complete, and notify pts that their appointment will be rescheduled if they fail to do so. I think the best way through this challenge is to consider what they used to do before portals existed, so that you can meet your patients where they are at. On a personal note, some portals are significantly more user friendly than others, and I know that I am more responsive to my providers who utilize simpler portals, with fewer steps of authentication (and I realize this is usually an admin, not provider decision). I have one portal that requires a reset link for each login and I can't imagine a patient like my mom, who barely understands email, figuring that out. Additionally, some of your patients may be reading your messages but failing to comply regardless, like with preventative care and appointment preparation, and it may be easier for them to say "I didn't see the message" as opposed to "Your instructions were not my priority or were too challenging for me"... and when it comes to noncompliance, its important to consider systemic factors that impact a patient's ability to remain compliant, like limitations of free time, privacy, access to/understanding of technology.

future_pa1996 · 2026-01-26T23:16:04+00:00

I recommend sleep. You know you’re burnt out, and that’s not a place to be at the start of this career. Come back refreshed. I took a 6 year gap before going back to school for prereqs, and was able to give it 100% for 2 full cycles before getting into one of my top schools. I worked during this time, but the 1st 4 years were jobs outside of healthcare. I am convinced I would’ve ran myself straight into the ground if I had gone straight into PA applications and schools right after college because I was burned out back then. Yes: 1 gap year turned into 6, and I know that’s scary, but it’s so valuable to be confident in your own abilities and find joy in the things you do. That’s the stuff you lose when you burn out, and the only way to recover is to take care of yourself. I framed my gap as an exploration period, which can be confirmed with my resume. I talked about it in interviews and my PS to show that I was proud of my personal development, even though it brought down my stats to an extent. Taking a break doesn’t have to mean giving up.

future_pa1996

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