Life Of A PA – A Day In The Life Of A Physician Assistant|The Every Day Life Of A Physician Assistant

I would like to spend the majority of this post talking about applications and applying to PA, Physician assistant, school.  There are many key things to keep in mind when filling out an application and I would like to run over some of the things that you should get together before you start typing away.

Before you start filling out the application to your school of choice, it is a good idea to get a couple of things together that you will need to refer to while filling out the application.  First you should have up to date copies of all of your school transcripts.  No they don’t have to be official since they are only for your use, but having these copies infront of you while filling out and application can make things much easier.  Second, it is a good idea to go ahead and list out on a piece of paper all the volunteer and/or shadowing experiences you have.  Try and go ahead and list out the location, person or persons you shadowed, start date, end date and what you did and learned from the experiences.  Third, you are most likely going to need to list a few references.  Make sure you have talked to all the people from which you plan on getting references and that they are aware of the deadlines for all of your paperwork to be in.  It is best to get the references to send in any paper work and the actual reference as soon as possible.  The earlier the references are in the less you have to worry about rushing and getting others to rush to get things in before the deadline.   

Most applications are online these days, so sign on to the site where the application is and before filling anything out give the application a quick read over.  Many schools will require you to write an essay.  This essay can be on a range of topics and most times the topic will be given to you.  It is in your benefit to go ahead and learn what this topic is, then to go ahead and start writing.  Give yourself time to go over the essay many times and make sure everything is perfect.  It is best to even even have  few of your friends or family members to read of the essay as well.  A fresh pair of eyes may be able to spot things that you could not.

So after you have everything in front of you, fill out the application.  Take your time and make sure everything is spelt correctly and all information you provide is accurate.

After you have filled out the application I suggest sitting back for a few days.  Many schools will send you a confirmation e-mail once they verify that they have your application.  Even if you do get this e-mail, I suggest calling the general admissions department or department that you sent the application to and asking what things they have received and what things they still need for your application to the school to be complete. 

It may sound weird, but call almost every other day.  This is your application and chance at admissions.  You don’t want to not get into the school because they didn’t get a transcript or something along those lines.  People work at the admissions office for a reason, so use them.

After all of your stuff is in for PA school just sit back and relax.  The call, letter or e-mail inviting you for an interview will come in no time.  If you need help with interview tips and ideas check out the other post I have made about interviewing tips and tricks.

So when you think of a PA you probably think of a someone working for a hospital or a private practice doctor.  What if you could look at your friends and family and honestly say, “I can’t tell you where I work.  All I can say is that i’m a PA.”  I know that may seem like something a “james bond” geek like myself would come up with, but its true.  While scouring the net today I came across a job listing.  At first I thought it was a job or spam site, but then I saw it was with the offical website.  What official website you ask.  Well brace yourself….

the CIA.

Thats right, the CIA is looking for a Full time Physician Assistant.  How cool is that?! 

“My name is Bond.  James Bond PA-C.”

At this point your probably saying, “well thats no big deal, its not like you get to do any secret service unheard of missions.”

To this I answer, you might be  right, or you might be very wrong.  No one will ever know because whomever does get the job won’t tell us, thats for sure.  I can say though that the position has to be important, lets be honest any job a PA has is, but i’m leaning toward this job being secret on some level.  And my proof is below.  I will leave you with the quote from the CIA’s official site and my plead for a position at the CIA to be available when I get out of PA school.

Posted from the CIA careers website:
“Important Notice: Friends, family, individuals, or organizations may be interested to learn that you are an applicant for or an employee of the CIA. Their interest, however, may not be benign or in your best interest. You cannot control whom they would tell. We therefore ask you to exercise discretion and good judgment in disclosing your interest in a position with the Agency. You will receive further guidance on this topic as you proceed through your CIA employment processing.”

It may just be one of the most important aspects of your getting into PA school…the interview.  If you get an interview it means you have done something right.  The transcripts and letters of recommendation have spoken for themselves and now they, those evaluating you for admission want to see what your personality is like.  Paper can tell a person a lot, but nothing can replace meeting a person face to face and seeing what they are really like.  So if nothing else make sure you are prepared for your interview.  To help you in your quest for admission and just to entertain others, i’m now going to talk about my interview and things to do to make the whole process go smoothly.

Prepare
The internet is a wonderful thing. Start by doing a search on google for “physician assistant.” Make sure you are aware of all aspects of what a PA is and what a PA is not. I suggest knowing things like:
-What a PA is and what a PA can do
-PA’s and prescribing medications
-What does PA-C stand for? Specifically the C?
-What is the difference between a PA, physician, nurse and nurse practitioner?
-Where do PA practice?
-What problems are facing PAs? How does a PA fit into the current health care system?

The next thing to do is get nice clothes if you don’t already have them. Make sure you look professional, but don’t try and make yourself stand out. How would you feel if an interviewee came in with a bright orange shirt and green suit?! Maybe someone is trying to single themselves out from others by clothes alone. Trust me, you don’t need clothes to do this. Just be yourself and you will shine.

Next be ready to do a lot of talking.  My interview process actually consisted of three interviews scattered throughout the day.  The first interview was a one on one.  The second interview was also a one on one.  The third was a panel interview.  To clairify, a panel interview is one you are sat infront of many members of the board who are considering you for admission.  I had 5 board members in my interview.  Don’t worry this interview can be your chance to shine.  In total my whole interview lasted the whole day, from 8am to 3pm or so. 

It is possible that the school you interview with might not just ask you to do interviews, but ask you write an essay between interviews.  This may catch you off gaurd, but don’t panic.  Just use your time wisely and write when you are between interviews.

Another thing to remember is that PAs and PA students are awesome people and want to help.  In my case I had current first year students roaming the halls and visiting with those of us who were interviewing.  Use these current students!  Ask them questions!  Who better to tell you about all the things you could want to know about the day to day life of PA students than PA students.  Ask them about classes, time management and anything you want to know.

And if there is one thing to remember, it’s this:
Once the interview is over, IT IS OVER! After the interview don’t think about the interview, its over. If you have more interviews at others schools start to prepare for those. If you have more interviews or not, don’t run to the mailbox every day looking for a letter of acceptance. You will drive yourself crazy if you do this. Just relax. If you did everything to the best of your ability you have nothing to worry about. The letter will come when it comes.

The start date or day “1″ will be in early May 2008.  I’m not sure of the specific date at the moment but stay tuned and I will post the exact date when I am informed of it.

Happy New Year to everyone!

If you have ever been curious about the New Year’s Eve Ball, as I am, visit:
http://www.timessquarenyc.org/nye/nye_ball.html