how to write a personal statement for physician associate

PA Personal Statement: The Definitive Guide

Including 8 pa school personal statement examples.

Your PA personal statement is one of the most important PA school requirements . Writing a stellar PA personal statement is difficult for many students, however, this statement is vital for distinguishing your application from all the others and getting into the best PA schools . A well-crafted, memorable statement is your golden ticket to a PA school interview, so in today's blog, you'll learn what to include in your PA personal statement, common mistakes to avoid and you'll even be able to review PA personal statement examples.

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Article Contents 28 min read

Pa personal statement example #1.

During my kindergarten graduation, I walked on stage and gave my exit speech: “When I grow up, I want to be a teacher because it’s easy.” Reflecting back, I see the comedy in my naivety as every profession has its own unique challenges. I had no intention to pursue medicine, as I often had a sense of jealousy towards the field. Growing up, my mother was also attending school, first undergraduate then medical school. Exposed to the rigor and competition of higher education, she felt the need to share the importance of dedicating my time to education. While my classmates had work-free weekends, I spent my time completing extra homework, assigned by my mother. Initially, I misinterpreted her teachings as favoritism for studies over spending our days indulging in games.

My passion to become a physician assistant took root the day my grandmother fell from the top of a ladder. My mother shouted for my help with two simple tasks: grab a blanket and call 911. Trapped by fear and hesitation, I was unable to react. This response may seem understandable; however, I was my harshest critic and felt shame from my inability to aid. Sitting in the hospital waiting room, I reflected on my actions and vowed to never again be a mere observer. With this experience, my outlook on the medical field began to change from that of jealousy to intrigue. I started to understand that my mother’s intentions were not to spend less time with me but rather she aspired to be in a position where she could offer herself to support others, an attribute I strive to emulate. My kindergarten dreams to teach were expanded to embody care and compassion, with goals to empower and provide protection to others feeling helpless.

Aware of my lack of knowledge pertaining to handling trauma, I enrolled in an emergency medical response course that equipped me with the skills to handle unforeseen situations, and the strength to grow from criticism. Others questioned my ability to complete this physically rigorous course, given that my stature is a mere four feet and nine inches. Using this criticism as motivation, I excelled in the course and partook in a twelve-hour responder shift. This exhilarating experience strengthened my ambition to study medicine, as my interests lie in the shortcomings of human-design.

• This statement utilizes strong transitional sentences to link paragraphs which creates an easy-to-read essay with excellent flow.
• At the end of each experience, this student does an excellent job of reflecting. They discuss what they learned, why it was significant, and how it will help them in a career in medicine.
• Instead of discussing a variety of different experiences, the student focussed on quality experiences over quantity. This allows each experience, whether the experience with their grandmother or the experience as an emergency medical responder to really develop throughout the essay, ultimately creating a unifying theme that ties together well in the conclusion.
• The essay really comes to life due to the inclusion of details that describe experiences and interactions that were significant to the student such as time spent with their grandmother and patient interactions during shadowing.

The PA school personal statement is one of the most important of the PA school requirements .

Before you begin writing your physician assistant personal statement, it's important to understand the purpose of the personal statement. Essentially, your personal statement will serve as your introduction to admissions committees. It's a way for you to demonstrate why you have chosen to pursue medicine, and why you want to become a PA specifically.

Admissions committees want to understand where your first interest in becoming a physician assistant began, what memorable experiences you've had since that moment, and what steps you've taken towards turning that initial interest into desire and passion for the profession. As with all types of personal statements, your personal statement must address the “why” behind the profession. In this case, why do you want to be a PA? Why did you choose PA school over a related discipline, such as medical school or nursing school? What about the PA profession appeals to you and what have you done to explore the field? What contribution can you make to the PA profession?

Your PA personal statement is the first introduction of who you are and serves as a first impression to the admissions committees. It’s also a way to clinch a PA school interview and move on to the final round of admissions evaluations.

Keep in mind that you'll also be expected to answer this question, and other common PA school interview questions during your interview, so be sure to reflect a bit on your answer and craft a strong response for both your personal statement and your interview answer. Similar questions to this can come up during your PA school interview essay or you can explore your “why” when you’re asked “tell me about yourself” during your interview.

In short, your personal statement is an important tool to getting through the initial rounds of PA school admissions, it provides background information on you to admissions committees and puts a face to your application.

Here's a summary of the requirements for PA school:

How to Write A Killer PA Personal Statement

#1 be honest..

No two personal statements should be alike, each person has had their own set of experiences that have led them to want to pursue this vocation. So don't try to fabricate your statement or exaggerate your experiences. Instead, be honest, tell the admissions committees about your exposure to medicine, what you've learned, how you've grown, what you have accomplished, why it was important and how all of these experiences led to you wanting to become a PA. Don’t try to butter up the admissions committee or make grand statements. Stick to the main reasons why you want to be a PA and why you want to pursue the profession specifically.

#2 Highlight your experiences and skills appropriately.

You want to highlight a few experiences that have helped you understand more about the life and work of a PA and ultimately helped solidify your decision to pursue this field. You can talk about your reasons for choosing PA vs MD if its relevant to your experience. Reflect on the instances that sparked your interest in the field or made you consider a career as a PA. Think about your volunteering, shadowing, and clinical experiences and reflect on any moments that have stood out for you or were significant in developing your interest in the profession. Remember to use details and specific examples to highlight the skills and lessons you earned from these experiences. Perhaps your participation in creating a treatment plan for a particular patient stood out for you or you witnessed an interaction between a physician assistant and a patient during your shadowing that gave you further insight into the profession. In short, you need to be able to answer why the PA is the best route for you, and what you’ve done to prepare yourself for this career.

Additionally, you can draw on related experiences and skills you’ve developed that will help you reach your goals as a future PA. For example, if you want to work specifically with underserved communities, and you’ve taken on volunteering opportunities that put you into contact with such communities, this is a great experience to include in both your personal statement or as some of the best extracurriculars for PA school . If you want to work among immigrant or refugee communities and took the time to learn a new language in order to better communicate with these individuals, that will not only show initiative, but also dedication to effectively communicating with patients you want to help serve in the future. Also think about which of the PA specialties you might want to work in and what experiences you have which can contribute to this specialty.

When it comes to sitting down and writing your PA personal statement, it's important to note that the most successful statements are those that tell a story. Not unlike a medical school personal statement , your PA personal statement is not a recitation of your CV. Listing accomplishments, awards, and your education will not interest the admissions committee. That information is already available in your medical school resume and elsewhere in your application; the personal statement is a piece of art, not a dry informational document. It should allow members of the admissions committee to gain insight into your personal story and take them on your journey to becoming a PA.

Stories are excellent for a few different reasons. First, stories are interesting. As humans, we tend to be drawn to stories, we love books, movies, articles - anything that allows us to be transported to another time, another place, another experience. If the story is well written, it moves us by eliciting an emotional response from us. Whether that is happiness, sadness, compassion, love, desire, or amusement, stories have the power to affect us and that's exactly what you want the admissions committees to experience: emotion. Emotional content is powerful content, and it leaves an impact. It's memorable, it stays with you, and it stands out.

In addition to being captivating, writing your personal statement in the form of a story is also beneficial because it helps tell your story in a chronological manner. The last thing you want, other than a boring personal statement, is one that doesn’t make sense and leaves admissions committee members confused. Jumping from one point in time to the next, from one experience to the next without order will only create a disjointed, unstructured essay. Instead, tell your story chronologically, beginning with an introduction to your interest or exposure to medicine, flowing into a few significant experiences throughout your life, and ending with a powerful conclusion that ties the entire essay together.

#4 Be Original.

You are not like anyone else; despite what you might think, you're an original personal with individual thoughts, experiences, and interests. Don't get sucked into using clichés, common quotes, and unoriginal statements. It's not about writing what you think the admissions committee wants to hear such as “I want to be a doctor because I want to help people” or “I've always dreamed of becoming a doctor”.

Let your personal statement highlight what makes you unique as an applicant, how your personal qualities complement the profession, and what skills and key competencies you can bring to the entering class. Overall, it's important to consider what experiences and skills distinguish you from other applicants. Admissions committees will be reviewing hundreds if not thousands of PA school personal statements; what is going to make your statement stand out? What do you have to offer? How can you contribute to the profession?

What makes a strong PA personal statement?

Let your personal statement highlight what makes you unique as an applicant! "}]">

Why show, don’t tell is the #1 rule to follow for personal statements:

Common PA Personal Statement Mistakes to Avoid

#1 reciting your cv..

Admissions committees already have this information so this isn't suitable for your personal statement. Focus on quality of experiences. When brainstorming, write down the most significant experiences, either professional or personal, which led to you pursuing a career as a PA.

#2 Casting yourself as the victim.

Many people have experienced difficult situations, such as emigrating from another country or suffering an injury. This can be powerful to discuss in your PA personal statement, but only if you can show resilience and ensure you're not playing the victim. As a general rule of thumb, be sure to only include an experience if you can discuss how it shapes you as a person, how it helped you grow, and will help you become a better future physician assistant.

#3 Telling instead of showing.

It's not enough to say statements such as “I am a good listener” or “My experience shadowing has made me compassionate”. You need to show, or demonstrate, how you are a good listener, and how shadowing has helped you become compassionate. Discuss how interacting with patients helped you develop compassion or how your listening skills helped a specific patient with their problem. Discuss real experiences that can support and provide evidence for any statements.

The opening sentence in your PA school personal statement is the hook for your entire essay. If it's not enticing, unique, and memorable, you risk your essay blending in with the thousands of other admissions essays and ending up at the bottom of the pile. Your opening sentence and paragraph need to be engaging, you want to create a sense of desire so that admission committee members won't want to put down your statement, they should want to continue reading to find out the rest of your story. Remember that admissions committees tend to read these essays quickly, so if you don’t grab their attention right away, your essay will be quickly forgotten. PA school personal statement editing can be a big help in rewriting or tweaking your essay so it is polished and engaging. It’s always a good idea to get another set of eyes on your essay, too, to make sure there are no mistakes or get objective feedback. For students who want professional feedback on their work, expert physician assistant application help can be a great resource to use.

Having trouble writing a good introduction? Check out our tips:

#5 Failing to have a strong conclusion.

Just like a strong introduction, a good conclusion bookends a strong PA personal statement. A strong concluding paragraph not only sums up the main points of your previous paragraphs, but it should end on an engaging note. You want to leave the admissions committee wanting to know more about you, as this makes them more likely to call you for an interview. Your conclusion should be more than just “this is why I’ll make a good PA”, or “and that is why the PA profession is for me.” Your conclusion should bring back your main points, but an excellent closing statement can call back to your engaging opening sentence while also inviting the reader to continue the conversation.

#6 Relying on clichés.

The purpose of your PA personal statement is to stand out, not blend in. So don't use clichés and popular quotes that are tired and dry. Be original and use your own thoughts instead of the thoughts of others. It can be easy to fall into the habit of using common phrases or cliched language, but revising your draft can help you pick these out and rewrite them.

#7 Failing to reflect.

Any experience you describe in your PA personal statement should be followed by thoughtful reflection. You can't simply state that you worked as a research assistant in a lab and contributed to a publication. Think about why you want to discuss an experience in the first place and always be answering, why was it significant? What did you learn from it? How will it help you in your career as a physician assistant? How did this experience encourage me to become a PA? Your personal statement should demonstrate a deeper understanding of yourself and your goals, so self-reflection and self-insight is key here. While you’re brainstorming ideas for your personal statement, take some time to ask yourself these questions.

#8 Grammatical errors and spelling mistakes.

Your PA personal statement should be free from all errors and mistakes. Keep in mind that your personal statement is a direct reflection of who you are as a person. Mistakes indicate that you rushed your statement, are not detail-oriented and that you're not really invested in your potential career. An excellent PA personal statement has been through many revisions and has had multiple reviewers. It's a good idea to seek professional help such as a medical school advisor not only to ensure your statement is free from errors but so that you can receive personalized feedback on your statement to ensure you are putting your best self forward.

Want more PA personal statement tips?

7 More PA Personal Statement Examples

Pa personal statement example #2, pa personal statement example #3.

I have one person to thank for inspiring me to become a physician assistant: my great-grandmother Lucia. She was the catalyst behind me entering health care, and she is also the reason I’ve decided to change my career and apply to PA school and start a new direction in my professional life. My great-grandmother was never the sort to be content with simply standing still or not taking chances, and from a young age she encouraged me to chase my passion and pursue work that fulfills me. Having reached a point in my professional life that I need to take a chance, I recalled my great-grandmother’s sage advice.

As a child, my family and I visited my great-grandmother at her nursing home whenever possible. Although the drive was long, it was worth it to spend a few hours in her company. She was a funny, bright and charming woman, and to a child, her stories of growing up on a homestead in the early 20 th century were fascinating and eye-opening. She never seemed to be afraid of anything, whether it be moving across the country, welcoming another child or standing up for herself. Spending time with my great-grandmother and her neighbors gave me an appreciation for seniors and the stories they could tell me. Now, I remember pieces of stories from people who came from all diverse backgrounds and circumstances: a retired police officer from St. Louis, a former nanny who spoke 4 languages, a classical musician who once played in Carnegie Hall. My experiences with my great-grandmother and her neighbors stayed with me as I grew up, and after graduating I decided to become a CNA. I worked in several nursing homes and eventually, I began working as a hospice care worker.

Working in hospice was a fulfilling experience for me because I was able to spend longer periods of time with patients and once again get to hear their stories and all about their lives. I met many incredible people, including a Vietnam war veteran, a former jazz singer, and a housewife who raised 8 children, had never learned to drive but tried skydiving for the first time when she was in her 60s. Hospice care allowed me to form stronger bonds of friendship with the seniors in my care, and it reignited the spark I’d felt when visiting my great-grandmother, who at that point had passed on. In my work I found the passion that Lucia told me to look for and also the fulfillment of knowing that I was providing meaningful physical, mental and emotional care to my patients.

As personally fulfilling as my position was, I knew that it would not be a position I could stay in forever. Hospice care is a professionally demanding job, and it can be emotionally and mentally challenging. When I reached a point of having itchy feet, as Lucia put it, I knew it was time to think about next steps. I briefly returned to working in a local hospital as a CNA and shadowed two nurses and a PA to get a better idea of the kind of work I could transition to. After examining my shadowing experiences, my work history, and listening to Lucia’s voice in the back of my head, I knew that applying to PA school was the next step. Being a PA would let me keep working closely with the patients I loved working with, but allow me flexibility and variety—a breath of fresh air and a welcome change.

I know my great-grandmother Lucia would approve of my choice of work and my care of others, and that she would smile at seeing me stop thinking and do something to change my life when I’m not satisfied. Most of all, I thank her for instilling in me a sense of care and helping me be attuned to myself, so I can confidently start this new path in my life. (656 words)

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PA Personal Statement Example #5

I started caring for my first patient when I was 8 years old. My younger sister, Amelia, was only 3, and because of her chronic health conditions, including asthma and various allergies, our mother frequently brought her into the health clinic for check-ups, blood draws and chest scans. Since I was too young to be left alone, I was part of the after-school doctor’s visit routine. My sister, who like many children dreaded the phlebotomist coming at her with a needle, hated these visits. To help her feel better and manage her fears, I took on the role of sisterly caregiver. I held her hand during every blood draw, talked her through every scan and did my best to distract her from anything new and scary. Seeing how my efforts calmed her and made the doctor’s visits less anxiety-inducing, I committed to being her “doctor-buddy” and going with her for any health-related appointments.

After dozens of appoints, both for my sister, myself and other siblings, I began to recognize our regular nurses and medical assistants by name. They were always kind to me and my siblings, offering comforting words and lollipops. I began to anticipate seeing the various nurses, phlebotomists and scribes, talking their ears off about school or soccer practice. The doctors we met rotated with every visit, and our time with them was always short, as they had many other patients to see at the busy clinic.

Thinking that being a nurse was more fulfilling than being a doctor, and having acted as my sister’s carer, I decided in high school that nursing school would be my goal. I worked hard at school, taking the necessary courses and taking a volunteer position with a mobile health clinic that served hard-to-reach areas in our community. All too soon, I found the work dissatisfying. Because we were a mobile clinic, we were always on the move to the next patient. I couldn’t take my time with each patient and form a bond, as I had with my sister and her nurses. I didn’t feel I was getting the experience or developing the level of patient care I aspired to. I switched to working in a nearby rural St. Joseph hospital as a medical assistant, and there I found the work experience I was craving. I enjoyed working with underserved patients in the rural areas, but I wanted to spend more time with patients instead of paperwork, and I liked having a home base to stay at.

It was here that I met Carmen, one of a handful of physician assistants in the area. She was a constant presence a St. Joseph’s, and since everyone knew everyone, everybody knew Carmen. She had a warm personality and a well-known sharp wit, so she was a great teammate to work with no matter your position in the hospital. When it came to patients, she knew everyone. When a long-term care patient had a birthday, Carmen was organizing the celebration with other residents. When a child came in for a check-up, Carmen was right there asking them about school and family. Carmen exemplified the kind of personalized patient care I aspired to and knew that patients like my sister and I appreciated so much.

Carmen became a mentor to me, and I asked her about her journey to becoming a PA. Since Carmen knew my plan was to become a nurse, she told me “we have many excellent nurses her, but we need more excellent PAs to fill the gaps between nurses and doctors—there are too many patients and too many health workers spread thin. PAs can be the bridge that our patients need.”

Carmen’s words stuck with me and realizing that she was right inspired me to reroute my intended path into healthcare. There is a need for diverse healthcare workers of every discipline, and PAs are underrepresented compared to nurses and doctors. As a PA, I know I have a better chance of increased patient interaction and entering the kind of workplace environment I enjoy. I believe as a PA I’ll be able to excel in work and bring my passion for patient-centred care to my job every day. (698 words)

Synergy has always been important to me. I’ve always liked balance and seeing projects through to completion. The sense of fulfillment of a job well done is a satisfying cap for any task. Teamwork and collaboration are important values for me in both personal and professional environments. These values were never more apparent to me than when I played college volleyball.

I’m a fairly independent person, but competing on my college’s volleyball team allowed me to appreciate the synergy of a team sport. As someone who abhorred the lack of synergy and teamwork in most academic group projects, competing with my teammates was a great balance between relying on my own independent skills and knowing I could count on the efforts and skills of other players. Alone, I knew I could score a point, but as team, we could win a tournament. In fact, our volleyball team won nationals two years in a row, and we completed the Wild Rose Collegiate Volleyball Tournament undefeated. I found that seeing my teammates work so hard made me strive to work just as hard. To push myself and become a better player so I could be a better teammate in turn.

Just as my volleyball team was able to work in sync to achieve our high-level goals, the medical team was a perfect example of teamwork and collaboration. They cared for the team’s players throughout our seasons, monitoring their health or jumping in to tend injuries or handle crises whenever needed. All parts of our team worked together to help each other excel, and the resulting synergy meant we could achieve remarkable things.

Since I excelled in school and was always drawn to the science of sports, I started exploring a career in sports health. I talked often to the volleyball medical team, curious about the ins and outs of a career in sports medicine and what the possibilities were. I also knew sports medicine would provide that special blend of teamwork and independent work, of science and health I was seeking.

Knowing of my interest in the field, my brother offered to introduce me to his college hockey team’s medical officer. A physician assistant by trade, Adam had been working with the team for several years, and like me, he shared an interest in sports and medicine. I asked to shadow Adam for a season, and he agreed. Whenever a player was injured, I assisted Adam in treating it. When Adam conducted regular check-ins, I served as his assistant, getting to know the players on the team and collaborating with Adam on treatment plans. Especially rewarding for me was creating a physiotherapy treatment plan with Adam for Blake, a player who tore his ACL. Where insurance fell short of covering his sessions with a licensed physiotherapist, Adam and I created a personalized plan for at-home treatment, and we followed up with Blake every week during practices to check on his progress. Seeing Blake through his recovery and back onto the ice was immensely satisfying, and the collaborative energy of Adam and I working together and problem-solving was an incredibly rewarding experience.

Adam was my guide to the PA profession, and offered me invaluable insights into what the work is like, especially getting into a niche specialty like sports medicine. He helped solidify my position to apply to your school, and he has graciously written me a recommendation letter for my application.

I have never been satisfied with one thing or the other, always looking for that perfect combination. That perfect niche. I think becoming a PA is the right foundation for my ultimate goal of specializing in sports medicine, and it will embody that synergy of multiple disciplines coming together to create something altogether better. (623 words)

PA Personal Statement Example #7

In 2009, I was one of the only women in the world to perform a triple twisting lay out on the floor exercise in gymnastics. The skill was rare because of the combination of proprioception and technique required. Even the most minute error could spell disaster, which is exactly what happened during a NCAA competition. I executed the skill at an extreme angle, rupturing my Achilles tendon as I launched into the air. Feeling lucky to have landed on my feet, I collapsed to the floor after a few clumsy steps. The athletic trainer immediately assessed my injury calmly and purposefully, which left a lasting impression. Not only did she take care of me in that moment, she continued to support me through my surgery, 8 months of physical therapy, and a successful comeback to the sport. As a college student, I was uncertain of my future career, but this moment inspired me to make it my mission to be equipped with the skills to be of use in a moment of need, and support others in recovery and success. However, it would take ten years, a teaching career, a job lay-off and an insightful conversation to find my way to physician assistant (PA) school.

Before embarking on my journey to become a PA, I earned my Bachelor’s degree in communications, and I went on to work in Madrid, Spain, where I taught English and learned Spanish for 3 years. I strived to tailor my instruction to the unique needs of each student; a skill that has prepared me to provide individualized care to meet patient’s needs. One of my students wanted to become more marketable to jobs. I curated lessons to build grammar and vocabulary while incorporating resources he was interested in such as sports podcasts. I helped him practice interviews and draft emails until he landed his dream job at a multinational company. This instilled my confidence in supporting the success of my students and it felt rewarding to pave a way for more opportunities in their lives.

My next opportunity would prove less rewarding but pivotal. When I returned to the United States, I landed a job at a marketing firm that would fold and lay off its entire staff two years later. This ultimately led to a conversation with my friend, a urologist, which opened my eyes to many unmet medical needs and the growing demand for PAs. I saw my use through the combination of my ability as a teacher to help others succeed and my experience recovering from my gymnastics injury to be an integral source of support and care. I felt the pieces of my mission fit together and embarked on my journey to become a PA.

I took action to get health care experience as a medical assistant (MA) and physical therapy (PT) aide. Working as a MA at memory care facilities, I have gained insight into patient interaction and built my compassion by spending time with each patient to explain procedures in a slow and concise manner to gain their trust. As a PT aide, I collaborate with the physical therapist but independently administer treatment to diverse patients with a patient-centered approach. On one occasion, I supported two patients recovering from a hip replacement. I intended to give them both the same exercises for treatment, but I learned that Patient A had neuropathy in his feet, making standing exercises unsuitable due to his inability to balance. I modified exercises to be done seated and provided balance support when necessary. Additionally, Patient B’s religious values precluded her from accepting therapy in the communal treatment area, so I set up a private space for her. Accommodating these specific medical needs and sociocultural values helped me understand the importance of providing individualized care that is attuned to patient’s unique circumstances. Though these roles have been formative, I feel a nagging sense of futility when patients come to me for additional medical treatment beyond my scope, which fuels my ambition toward becoming a PA. I aim to have the medical knowledge to comprehensively treat with a balance of autonomy and collaboration.

I observed this balance when shadowing Sallie C., an otolaryngology PA. She assessed a patient with a foreign body in his ear, planned a procedure for removal but proved to be unexpectedly complex. She collaborated with the physician and the case was resolved with surgery. Through this, I also saw how PAs fill gaps in the healthcare system by treating, diagnosing, and prescribing medication, thus increasing the number of patients that are treated every day with quality care.

I aspire to fill these gaps and provide quality care and support to patients in moments of need, much like my athletic trainer did for me. If compassion, collaboration, and versatility make a successful PA, then the combination of my experiences has uniquely prepared me to succeed.

At the core of my teaching and health care experiences is my desire to become a PA to grow my medical skills to serve diverse individuals and ensure their health needs are met over the next ten years and beyond.

When I was sixteen, I was diagnosed with a fibroadenoma in my left breast. Although the mass was benign, I was concerned about potential complications of breast cancer and made the decision to have it surgically removed. After I recovered from the anesthesia, my surgeon pulled up a chair beside me and gave me his undivided attention. He reassured me that the surgery was a success and that my recovery would be uneventful. His compassion and unwavering support during this difficult time inspired me to pursue a career in medicine. Today, I strive to become a physician assistant (PA) so I can embody the same level of empathy and care with my future patients. 

During my internal medicine rotation at Richmond Medical Center (RUMC) in 2010, I acquired the skills necessary to succeed in the medical field. There, I was responsible for taking histories, conducting physical exams, creating patient management plans, completing morbidity and mortality rounds, and attending lectures with the residents. During rounds, I introduced patients to the attending doctor and discussed plans of care. I also helped interns by following labs, imaging studies, and reporting any concerns or complaints. I learned good bedside manners and how to effectively communicate with patients and their families. Not only did I understand how to establish rapport with patients, but I also learned how to respond to criticism constructively and confirm suspected diagnoses. I also understood how to apply my medical knowledge to manage and treat conditions such as asthma, COPD, and urinary tract infections. As a PA, I will continuously build on my expertise to improve the care of my patients. 

A PA is more impactful than people realize. At RUMC, I was inspired by one PA in particular. Intrigued by her competency, I often inquired with her about the profession. Her continuous emphasis on the patient-centered approach is what initially drew me to the field. My interest in becoming a PA solidified when I was able to put this approach into practice. During one of my rotations, a 90-year-old Alzheimer’s patient was admitted to the unit with a urinary tract infection. Quickly, she became restless, irritable, and confused, and she tried to pull out the IV. Since the attending physician was unavailable, I proceeded to care for the patient. While holding her hand, I reassured her that we were there to help, and I explained that she needed the IV medication to get better. Soon after, she calmed down and we were able to continue the treatment. At that moment, I understood why I wanted to be a PA. From my personal experience I know very well that being sick can make one feel vulnerable and scared. I also know that having empathetic medical professionals can make a big difference in the patient experience and the outcome of care. I aspire to be a PA not only to be skillful and competent in my profession but also to be fully present for my patients and to extend a compassionate hand to them when they are at a low point in their lives. 

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, I have been volunteering in a free clinic where I extend empathy and care to the underserved community. Last year, I attended to a homeless patient named James. He complained that his eyes and skin were yellowing and that he was bruising easily. When I took James’s history, he disclosed that he had been diagnosed with alcohol use disorder and was unsuccessful in AA. Based on his history and physical exam, I suspected alcoholic liver disease, so I ordered various clinical tests to confirm the diagnosis. The next day before we could discuss his test results, I found him lying near the front door of the clinic, unconscious. I called 911 and performed CPR until he was taken to the hospital where he was treated for an upper GI bleed. Two months later, James passed away from severe recurrence. Through this experience, I recognized the importance of conducting thorough patient screenings and extensive clinical tests to facilitate a prompt diagnosis and an early treatment plan. While it was already too late to save James, as a PA I will ensure that patients in my care receive timely preventive care to reduce the risk of future health complications.

Throughout my life, I have learned that I am strong and competent enough to relate to other people’s suffering without falling apart, and that I have a good work ethic with the intrinsic motivation necessary to get the job done. When I get admitted to the Miami Dade College Physician Assistant Program, I will contribute my life experiences, my determination to overcome obstacles, my desire to work in teams, and my enthusiasm to learn. Five years from now, I see myself working as a competent physician assistant, providing healthcare services to medically underserved residents in urban and rural communities. This time, I will be the one who pulls up the chair and provides my patients with undivided attention. I will be their reliable source of compassion and support. 

Your personal statement will be structured as a short essay, with an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion. Your opening paragraph should serve as a short introduction of yourself and why you want to become a PA. The body paragraphs will outline specific examples or experiences you have which contributed to your journey to become a PA, and the conclusion will sum up your statement while inviting the reader to continue the conversation.

To write a good personal statement for PA school, you’ll need an intriguing and engaging introduction, 1-3 significant experiences or examples of how you are suited for the PA profession or why you want to become a PA, and a strong conclusion which invites admissions committees to learn more about you.

Your PA school personal statement should be between 500 and 750 words. The typical limit for personal statements if 5,000 characters, with spaces included.

PA school admissions committees are interested in your personal statement because they want to know more about your background, personal qualities and why you want to become a PA. It should include significant personal and professional experiences you have which led you to the profession and contributed to your desire to become a PA. Admissions committees expect to see some self-reflection and insight into your goals and motivations. They also want to see that you have the skills and qualities of a good physician assistant.

The best way to stand out in a PA personal statement is to have both strong writing and a strong story. Admission committees will read thousands of personal statements outlining many different stories, but you can stand out by providing interesting details and weaving an engaging story. The details of a personal story will be remembered more clearly by your reader than generic statements about your experience shadowing a PA, so remember to personalize your essay and make it unique!

In a PA statement, avoid reciting your resume or relying on cliches. It’s also important not to have any grammar or spelling mistakes. Most importantly, don’t talk about pursuing a career as a PA due to a failed medical school application or because you view it as a “back-up” option. You should have a strong reason for applying to PA school specifically, not because it is “easier” than medical school or related professions.

Yes. You should write out “physician assistant” in the first instance, but you can include the “PA” abbreviation in follow-up instances. 

Your opening statement needs to “hook” your reader or engage them right off the bat. A good way to start is with a personal story or statement that sums up the key theme of your essay. 

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Write The Perfect PA School Personal Statement [With Examples]

Filling out your PA school application is exciting and overwhelming. You’re beginning the first steps to your career goal, but it includes so much!

You’ll need to complete your application through the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants ( CASPA application). The application includes letters of recommendation, service hours, and a personal statement.

Your personal statement is one of the most important pieces inside the CASPA application. A PA personal statement is really a personal essay that offers you a time to shine.

The goal is to pique the admissions committee’s interest in you, in hopes they will contact you for a school interview.

Your PA school wants to learn more about you and your past experiences. If you’ve kept a journal of your healthcare experiences, it will make the process a little easier. If not, take a week to think through your past medical experiences, patient interactions, and shadowing experiences.

Your goal is to be accepted into a PA Program, become a PA student, and join the PA profession . To get there, you have to complete your application essay. So, let’s get started!

What Is the Purpose of a Physician Assistant Personal Statement?

Your PA personal statement might be the toughest part of the application process. Ultimately, your application essay is a sales piece about you, and that can be difficult to write. Inside the application, your PA school sees an academic background that talks about what kind of student you are.

Your work history tells them about what you’ve done professionally. Your letters from your PA evaluators show what others have to say about you. This is the only time in your PA school application that you hold the pen.

The American Academy of PAs recommends you pay attention to a few dos and don’ts as you consider what to put in your personal statement. Remember there is a 5,000 character limit. This means you have 5,000 characters, not words, in which to complete your essay. Often, this will come out to be about 800 words.

In your essay, clearly state why you’re pursuing the PA profession while demonstrating your knowledge of it. Communication skills are a necessity in the PA profession, and this is a chance for your communication skills to shine. Use your personal essay to communicate why you’re up to the challenge.

Don’t be vague, don’t use abbreviations, and don’t use informal language like contractions. Instead, write formally and identify the theme that brings the whole essay together.

Be sure to make every word count. Most importantly, do not make your personal statement a reiteration of your application. The admissions committee has already read your application. This is time to make yourself unforgettable.

As you are brainstorming, outlining, and writing your application essay, keep your audience in mind. Admission committee members are physician assistants, and they’re looking for good future PAs.

They’re interested in your desire to be part of a growing profession and your passion for patient care. Communicate this through your application essay.

Your PA School Wants To See You Shine in Your Personal Statement

Your personal statement is your unique story of why you want to become a physician assistant. To tell your story well, it’s important to do your homework on your audience. Start by investigating the physician assistant school and take note of their mission, ideas, and values. You can find most of this information on their website.

Look for the emphasis the school places on primary care or specialties. Do they encourage out-of-state applicants? What’s their vision for the future of education? As you find these answers of the PA program you hope to attend, ask yourself—How am I a match? Answers to these questions will help you as you write your personal statement.

Each week, skim through the articles that pop up in your news feed to get to know your intended school. The key word here is “skim;” it’s not necessary to read each word. You only need to read enough to find information to include that will help set yourself apart from other candidates.

Unless you’re perfect, you likely have had to overcome some challenges in your education or your personal life. Recount these challenges in your application essay and identify how you’ve overcome them. Above all, be human in your essay so the admissions committee connects with you and is excited about meeting you.

Prepare, Then Write Your PA Personal Statement

Let’s begin at the beginning. Don’t procrastinate! Some prospective PA students put off writing until they feel inspired or they feel the deadline is disturbingly close.

Sadly, this only feeds the anxiety that often accompanies writing a physician assistant personal statement. If you avoid procrastinating and instead use the process below, it becomes easier. The process includes brainstorming, outlining, and finally writing. But first, let’s start with the structure of the personal statement.

Anatomy of a Physician Assistant Personal Statement

The first thing you need to understand is the structure of the document. Once you know that, it’s easier to brainstorm the type of information you’ll need to write it. A PA personal statement includes an opening statement, a body, and a strong conclusion.

Opening Statement

Your opening statement sets the tone for the rest of your essay. It must grab your reader’s attention and make them want to stay along for the ride. This is where your research into the school comes in handy. Some schools prefer a straightforward statement while others are looking for a compelling story that sets the stage for your desire to become a PA student.

Opening statement stories can recount:

• When you were cared for by a physician assistant.
• What you learned from your personal medical experiences.
• What you discovered from a friend or family member in the healthcare field that touched you.
• Your volunteer experiences.
• What it was like to live in a medically underserved area.

Providing a personal experience helps the admissions committee decide if they want to invite you to a school interview. Be sure to brainstorm multiple personal experiences to use in your opening statement. That way, as you move forward and start writing your first draft, you can change the opening statement to fit the flow of the rest of the essay.

Body of the Essay

This part of your essay tells the admissions committee why you decided to apply to their physician assistant school. Include in the body of your essay how you built an understanding of medicine and what drove you to want to become a physician assistant.

For instance, shadowing other healthcare professionals, reading, healthcare experience, and personal experience are ways of showing your knowledge and passion for the medical field.

It may also help to touch on why you chose to be a physician assistant and not a nurse practitioner or an MD . Remember, you’re speaking to PAs who already know what a PA does . Instead, address what it is about being a physician assistant that speaks to you personally.

Mention specific skills that make you a great PA, such as teamwork, communication, compassion, and your desire to work as a healthcare provider.

If you were faced with challenges and obstacles during your high school or college career, address them and discuss how you’ve grown from the experience. Don’t make excuses; just take ownership of the situation and address it honestly.

Strong Conclusion

You’ve finally finished the body of your PA school essay. This last paragraph of your personal statement should reemphasize your desire to attend physician assistant school, and, specifically, that school’s PA program. In your last paragraph, let your empathy, passion, skills, and dedication shine through.

Make a Personal Statement List, Then Check It Twice

If the process makes you feel overwhelmed, be assured you’re not the only one. However, taking these next two steps can make writing the essay much easier and less intimidating. Let’s start with a personal statement list from which you will later write an outline.

Schedule a date for when you’ll start writing your first draft. Mark this date in your calendar so you won’t forget or procrastinate. Then, on your calendar, mark one week before your “start writing” date. This is your brainstorming date.

On your brainstorming date, make a list of points you want to cover in your application essay. Because this is a brainstorming session, you don’t consider the character limit, it does not need to be in logical order, nor does it all have to follow the same theme.

Your list should include from 3 to 5 experiences that demonstrate the path you’ve taken to become a physician assistant. Patient interaction, academic experience, shadowing, clinical experience, and volunteering all fit the bill. If you have a particular story that you would like to weave throughout the essay, then include that on the list as well.

If you’re considering beginning your application essay, with a story, it’s helpful to brainstorm multiple ideas. A good opening story will build the structure of the document, so add all potential ideas to the list. Again, this is brainstorming, so there’s no need to nail down your opening story right now.

Now, put the list off to the side for at least 4 days. This will give you a chance to mull over your ideas without pressure, so when the time comes, the essay flows naturally.

Create an Outline of Personal Experiences

After 4 days, pull out the list of your personal experiences and begin to structure your essay in the form of an outline. An outline can help you organize your thoughts, so your content flows together.

Remember, there is a 5,000 character limit, so the outline will help you stay on track as you write on the proverbial paper (because you’re writing it on the computer, right?). .

Most pre-PA students write their essays in chronological order. And, truth be told, this is also the best way for the admissions committee to absorb the information. If you do choose to flashback, make it clear so your reader isn’t confused.

Do not try to be perfect—neither in your writing style nor in how you portray yourself.

Your ability to be vulnerable about your challenges makes you more of a real, relatable person. Set aside 2 or 3 days to nail down the outline for your personal statement. Not 2 or 3 full days, but 2 or 3 days to write, mull, and contemplate over the structure, stories, and theme you’ll use.

Start Writing Your Personal Statement: It’s Time to Put Pen to Paper

It’s time to start writing. Set aside quiet time when you won’t be interrupted, and find a space where you can relax. Turn off your phone notifications and shut the door. Take time during the process to do what helps you to calm the butterflies. Simple exercises, music, prayer, and meditation are all popular methods of quieting your mind.

Then start writing using the outline. As you write, remember this is a first draft; you’ll spend time editing, rearranging, and proofing later. Writing your first draft might be one of the fastest steps in writing your personal essay. This is because you’ve already put in the time and effort to develop the ideas. Now is the time to depend on them.

If you feel stuck, many writers find freewriting loosens the creative juices and helps the words flow.

Freewriting is the practice of continuously writing the thoughts that come to you. It was discovered by Peter Elbow in 1973, and it’s been found to help “un-stick” content development. Plus, since you’re using a keyboard, this technique is much easier for you than it was for Mr. Elbow using pen and paper.

After you write your first draft, you’ll need to edit it. One editing technique is to speak your essay out loud as if you were telling it to someone. Use a recorder so you can playback your thoughts—especially those well-worded statements you can’t seem to recreate later.

Seek a Personal Statement Review

Once you’ve polished your personal statement to the best of your ability, it’s time to seek a personal statement review. This is a review process undertaken by an expert, licensed PA who can help improve the flow of your essay and guide you to produce your best possible personal statement for PA school.

Your PA school essay should not be the area of the application process that limits your acceptance.

Potential PA students do well to have a personal statement review, so they don’t get lost in a sea of applicants. The admissions committee is not looking for a cookie-cutter essay, but rather your strongest response to their prompt.

Some PAs that do personal statement reviews also offer services to review CASPA applications. Consider this when choosing a PA to perform your personal statement review. As you weigh your options, costs, and timing, remember the importance of the personal statement to your PA school application and ultimately getting a school interview.

Examples of a PA School Essay

It’s always easier to understand how to write your essay after you’ve read several examples. The PA Life published and analyzed 31 examples for you to read through. At the end of each of these real-world examples are brief comments to help guide the writer to produce a better essay.

The first time you read through a personal essay example, you may miss some points, so be sure to read through examples multiple times.

Here are two short examples using different perspectives to help you determine what the best option is for your personal statement. Neither of these meets the 5,000 character limit since the objective is to offer you different options in the way they could be written and not to develop a full physician assistant program essay.

Personal Statement: Example One

I was seven and my mother was once again giving me cough syrup. I took it standing over the toilet because the cherry flavor made me nauseous, and I was sure I would throw up. This went on for years.

Years of springtime coughing and cherry cough syrup. Years of coughing all night and well into the day. Years and years—until as an adult, I realized I had allergies. In those years, I was cared for by my family physician who was gentle, caring, and took the time to talk with me and my parents.

Over the years I have been treated by nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and physicians. Thankfully my lungs have healed well, and I use my inhaler once every two to three years.

But in those years, I grew to have an understanding of the different roles of mid-level providers and physicians. And, from that understanding, I grew to appreciate the flexibility, professionalism, skills, and abilities that a physician assistant brings to their practice each day.

During my hours of healthcare experience as an EMT, I have also had the privilege of working alongside physician assistants who have demonstrated the unique combination of communication skills, teamwork, and compassion that I believe I also hold.

My desire to practice as a physician assistant is driven by my own healthcare experiences as well as those I have witnessed at work.

Over the past five years, I have volunteered at homeless shelters and nursing homes, while working as an EMT. In that time I have come to realize I am driven to help others, and being a physician assistant is the best way for me to fulfill that life mission. [Character count: 1588, Word count: 281]

Personal Statement: Example Two

In the past three years, I have held the hands of children as they died, comforted their parents, and watched their siblings mourn. For three years I have watched the doctors, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants in our hospital work to save lives, and I have seen the difference they make.

As a nurse, I had always assumed I would go on to become a nurse practitioner, so I could see my own patients. But, in the past three years, I have had the chance to see these professions in action, and I have come to realize my goal is to become a physician assistant.

Growing up I lived in a medically underserved area of our large metropolitan city. I saw first-hand the injustices that led to the loss of life or permanent disability. Today I am a nurse in a large city hospital serving those same people, the people from my neighborhood.

In these years I have developed strong communication skills that have served me well as I teach my patients how to care for themselves at home. My experience has been that positive patient outcomes rely on patient understanding and a belief in their necessary care.

My patients and colleagues have taught me the meaning of teamwork, compassion, and understanding of cultural differences. In watching the practice of different medical professionals, it has become obvious that physician assistants are the embodiment of the kind of care I want to offer my patients.

Each medical professional comes from different backgrounds, with different perspectives. I know that my perspective has been impacted by the neighborhood and community of my childhood.

I believe this impact has been a positive one, as it has driven home the need for people who are sensitive to cultural differences, have the time and desire to work with patients, and who have the skills and knowledge to care for them. These characteristics describe me, and I believe they are a deep and integral part of the physician assistant’s practice.

During my freshman year of undergraduate school, my grades faltered as I was learning how to live away from home and control my own schedule. By my sophomore year, I understood what was needed to get the grades I desired, and I achieved high marks through the rest of my education.

To achieve my goal requires my diligence, focus, and ability to absorb and utilize knowledge. I believe I have demonstrated these characters in my undergraduate degree and during my work experience. I am confident in my ability to successfully complete my education and close the gap in healthcare as a primary care provider. [Character count: 2,562 Word count: 444]

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Writing Your PA School Personal Statement with Impact [Including a PA Personal Statement Example]

There are approximately 300 accredited PA (physician assistant) schools in the United States. In the most recent application cycle, these schools received more than 27,000 applications. The matriculation rate for PA schools hovers near 30%, which is lower than the approximate 40% matriculation rate for medical schools. Is becoming a PA a competitive process? Yes! Is it impossible? No!

For you to stand out in this crowded applicant pool, your  personal statement for your PA application  has got to shine from the first sentence to the last. It needs to tell a compelling story that focuses on your sustained interest in the field, while at the same time building a case for your qualifications. It should not rehash your CV, be loaded with clichés, or focus solely on a story that portrays you as a victim.   

The character limit for the CASPA (Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants) personal statement is 5,000 – which includes spaces ! Some people at first believe the limit is 5,000  words  and end up having to severely cut back their overwritten drafts. Don’t let this happen to you! 

The following successful essay responds to the question, “Why PA?” After reading this essay, you’ll understand why the candidate was accepted into a PA program.  The individual has given permission for their essay to be shared publicly. All personal identifiers and details have been removed to protect their privacy.

PA School Personal Statement Example

I was nine years old and in the middle of Mrs. Russell’s third grade class when my stomach began to itch uncontrollably. I remember thinking to myself, “Did I get bitten by a bug?” Completely distracted by the incessant itching, I asked Mrs. Russell if I could go to the nurse’s office. When the nurse lifted my shirt, I saw the biggest “bug bites” I had ever seen covering the majority of my stomach. She quickly called my mom, who took me to several different doctors as the “bug bites” continued to spread all over my body. None of the doctors could figure out what was wrong with me until I saw a Dermatology PA. He immediately diagnosed me with a delayed allergic reaction. He gave me a medication that almost immediately made the hives disappear. I no longer struggled to open my eyes! It was like magic! To this day, I still have no idea what caused that allergic reaction, but I am grateful for this experience, because it introduced me to a PA who continued to touch my life and cultivate my interest in medicine and healthcare.

Year after year, my love of learning continued to flourish. I began taking gifted classes in math and science in the fifth grade and continued to take honors and advanced placement classes when I reached high school. In addition to my studies, I also began to play volleyball and softball. Through these sports, I learned the skills that a textbook could not teach me, such as accountability, integrity,  teamwork , and leadership. Through my academic achievements, active participation in numerous school clubs, and leadership role as the captain of my volleyball team, my high school nominated me to participate in a National Youth Leadership Forum in the summer of ——. I attended lectures by a PA, a nurse, a chiropractor, a veterinarian, and several physician specialists. In addition to the lectures and countless group activities, I visited several medical facilities. In one of the labs, I saw a table displaying human organs infected with different diseases and cancers. To my surprise, I was eager to touch them and learn why the people they once belonged to could not have been saved. From that experience on, I became determined to pursue medicine.

My  interest in the PA profession  quickly became a driving force in my life after my mom was diagnosed with Stage IV Melanoma in February —— and quickly passed away in October of that year. I was devastated upon hearing her diagnosis. How could this happen when she went to the Dermatologist every three to six months? The same Dermatology PA who had healed me with his “magic pills” spent a significant amount of time with my mom after her diagnosis. He met with her and my dad following a long day of seeing patients, to determine if he had missed something in her regular exams. He also made himself available to my entire family and recommended specialists and experimental treatments. He explained everything we did not understand along the way. It is because of the compassion, sincerity, and care he provided to my mom and my family during this difficult time that I became certain I wanted to pursue my love of medicine as a PA.

Throughout my undergraduate career, as well as the time since I graduated, I have continued to explore the medical field to learn as much as I can about becoming a PA. Through countless hours of  shadowing and volunteering  as a medical assistant at —— Dermatology, I have learned how crucial teamwork, effective communication, detailed note-taking, and compassion are for effective patient care. There have been numerous instances where doing a simple and nearly painless biopsy could have turned into a serious and most certainly uncomfortable medical situation. By taking thorough patient histories, accurately noting any allergies, and verbally communicating these notes to the practitioner, I have been able to ensure that patients receive the best care possible while averting any avoidable crises.

Every challenge and opportunity that I have encountered since I was the itchy little girl sitting in Mrs. Russell’s class has brought me to this decision. My mom’s passing has only made me more passionate about this profession and has given me a new appreciation for life that I hope to share with my patients and community. With my love of learning and helping others, as well as the skill set I will gain from a PA program, I am certain that I will have the tools needed to become a valued member of a larger care team. I am eager to see how these opportunities will positively impact not only my life, but also the lives of others.

What makes this PA personal statement outstanding?

This essay shows that the writer invested the question “Why PA?” with a great deal of thought. It is exceptional for the following reasons:

1. The writer specifically explains “why PA” from the first paragraph to the last.

She writes with honesty and skill, directly responding to the essay prompt. Each paragraph illustrates an additional reason that becoming a PA is the only profession for her. She builds her case by discussing her academic achievements (advanced placement and honors classes in math and science), shadowing and volunteering as a medical assistant, and learning to appreciate the essential “soft skills” of compassion, sincerity, and care in a PA, which convinces the reader that she is grateful for, dedicated to, and thirsts for knowledge in the field of medicine. For these reasons, the candidate was  invited to interview  and received an acceptance.

2. The writer demonstrates a longitudinal pattern of behavior and involvement that supports her educational goal.

In my experience,  past behavior predicts future behavior . This candidate’s pattern of behavior aligns with the work and responsibilities of a PA. With a love of learning and teamwork, as demonstrated by the experiences she chose in the medical arena, the writer proves through her long-term involvement with medicine that she will seamlessly fit into the role of PA. It is clear how much effort she has invested into preparing for this career.

3. An appealing balance of personal motivations and professional goals are represented in the essay.

From her childhood experience of being successfully treated by a PA to appreciating the clinical skill and sensitivity of PAs she encountered over the years, this writer’s motivations are a perfect blend of the personal and the professional. She writes convincingly about why this career path will be so meaningful on multiple levels. By drawing on both her personal contact with the profession and her preparation for it, she convinces readers of the variety and depth of her commitment. Each paragraph builds from personal to professional motivations, culminating in a conclusion where she ties the two threads together.

The profession of PA continues to grow in stature and popularity. When submitting your CASPA, remember you will be evaluated on the competitiveness of your holistic portfolio, with the personal statement being a critical component. Take time to craft your narrative, leave yourself additional time for reviewing and editing your drafts, and ensure that the statement you submit will captivate the admissions committee!

As the former assistant dean of student affairs and career development at the William Beaumont School of Medicine, Dr. Valerie Wherely worked directly with the dean of the School of Medicine, the associate dean of student affairs, the associate dean of clinical curriculum, and the assistant dean of admissions, as well as with Year 4 students on both residency application reviews/critiques and mock interview preparation. Work with Valerie! Schedule a free consultation today!

Related Resources:

• How to Get into Physician Assistant Programs , podcast Episode 515
• Reapplying to PA School: Tips on Polishing and Refining Your NEW Application
• Why Should I Consider Allied Health Careers?

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A Winning Personal Statement Physician Associate UK

The Personal Statement for the Physician Associate Programme

Becoming a physician associate (PA) can lead to a fulfilling career aligning with your personal and professional goals. PAs learn about human anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, pathology, and other basic sciences. In addition, they must complete two years of clinical training before being licensed to practice.

If you are passionate about caring for patients and have the required communication, leadership, empathy, and determination , this career will be perfect for you.

If you are interested in pursuing a career as a physician associate, you need to gain work experience or shadowing.

This will be useful to write about and will help you understand their roles as collaborators, empathetic clinicians, and problem-solvers in healthcare.

You can also supplement your experiences by volunteering to gain experience caring for patients in various healthcare settings.

What to add in a Personal Statement - Physician Associate

The personal statement for a physician associate applicant can MAKE or BREAK your application.

They provide admission committees with information on your professional experiences and characteristics to help them determine whether you will be an asset to their program.

Personal Statement Physician Associate UK Format

If you’re applying through UCAS, then you’re limited to 4000 characters (including spaces) and up to 47 lines. Check your length by pasting your draft here

Personal Statement Physician Assistant U.S. Format 

Those applying to Physician Assistant Studies in the U.S. will apply through CASPA (Central Application Service for Physician Assistants). The personal statement will be uploaded to CASPA and should be no more than 5000 characters.

Table of Contents

• What to include
• How to structure the personal statement
• Winning Personal Statement Physician Associate Example UK

What to include!

A well-crafted personal statement for a physician associate course should show your strengths as an applicant. You must include details about your academic background, employment, volunteering , extracurriculars, and future goals .

If you’ve taken courses related to healthcare, you should include these too.

A personal statement begins with an introductory paragraph introducing the admission team to you and explaining your motivations, a bit about your background, and how your experiences have led you to this application.

The introduction also provides context for the rest of the statement by explaining how you chose PA school as a career path.

What makes you unique?

In addition to providing context for your application, the introductory paragraph should explain why you chose to become a PA.

You should demonstrate your interest in helping others through patient experiences, research, and wider reading while emphasising your desire to help patients in need.

The best way to stand out is to be very specific with your statement.

Think about it, if someone else can copy your personal statement and use it as their own, it’s far too generic.

To overcome this and make it more authentic , you want to be specific with your experiences.

Make it personal by using anecdotes from your experiences to explain your point.

To explain your journey, pick your most unique and influential work experiences, employment, and extracurriculars.

How to structure the Personal Statement for the PA course

Step-by-step

I am going to break it down as simply as possible with a short description and example of each:

Introduction

Always remember that the admission tutors will skim through hundreds of application essays. It’s a competitive course, so how can you get them to slow down and really pay attention?

THIS IS HOW:

Grab their interest immediately , evoke their emotions and make them feel what you felt. Go straight to the point by starting with an anecdote or explaining the highlights of your experience.

“What if I’m starting with a negative experience, for example, a close family member receiving a cancer diagnosis?”

Same situation- get straight to the point

“ My mother came home, and her expression was enough to determine the outcome of her scan. “It’s cancer,” she mumbled as she slumped herself on the sofa, looking lifeless, and I felt a knot tighten in my stomach. At merely sixteen years of age, I found out my mother was diagnosed with metastatic cancer amid a pivotal academic stage of my life. I was helpless, heartbroken, and entirely unaware of the toll chemotherapy would have on our family. ” MY THOUGHTS ON THIS This story evokes sympathy and curiosity. We know the applicant was young, which would have impacted their family, home life, and education. We now want to know how things pan out, and it’s clear this is their biggest motivation for applying to become a physician associate.

Body of the Personal Statement

This main chunk of the statement will include the essential ingredients to creating an outstanding personal statement.

Work experience/Shadowing

Discuss your experience in a healthcare environment—roles you had and what you observed. Note which skills are required in that role. Include any encounters that inspired you. If you don’t have work experience, talk about your employment or your undergraduate education – research, dissertation, clinical skills work.

Volunteering

Include your top two meaningful experiences. Alternatively, you can talk about tutoring, mentorship, leadership positions during your undergraduate, and involvement in societies. Relate these experiences to the skills you’ve gained. Reflect on each experience and relate it to your future goals.

Include any other extracurriculars, hobbies, or future goals – Work with a sports team, coaching, sports, cooking, listening to podcasts, wider reading, and content creation. This paragraph shouldn’t be too serious; it can show your human side and focus less on academia.

Summarise your experiences and how these have led you to your application. Tell them what you wish to bring to the university.

Do you hope to become a student rep, join their research team, continue existing research, create a society for likeminded PAs, contribute to a specific cause, etc…

Tell them EXACTLY how the physician associate course aligns with your personal and professional goals.

-What can they offer you that other programmes can’t?

-How will THEIR course structure and opportunities enable you to become a successful PA?

Personal Statement for Physician Associate Studies- Winning Example

“Mrs P eagerly asked if I would be coming to the residential home the following week. I was a weekly volunteer and would regularly catch up with her when I came to help. I reassured her I would be there weekly and offered to bring her favourite magazine during my next visit. During my time at the home, I came to learn about Mrs P’s time as a nurse in the 80s, and she was always keen to learn about my goal of becoming a physician associate (PA). Helping to provide for patients like Mrs P and many others confirmed my desire to serve patients in my community. Not only was it rewarding, but I expanded my knowledge of various physical conditions and the impact of ageing on one’s ability to care for themselves. This further drew me to becoming a physician associate, and I was eager to gain insight into the profession.” Transition into your second paragraph, where you will talk about your most meaningful academic experience or shadowing. Highlight the roles of the PA, skills required, and how your experience has developed those skills. Show, don’t tell. “Shadowing a physician associate at a primary care facility helped me to understand the skills required. I observed the variety that each patient brought. The most memorable aspect was the PA’s ability to determine the cause of their concerns, convey possible diagnoses, and calmly discuss the next steps of the investigation. His tone of voice suggested confidence, which I feel built the patient’s trust in his decision. I genuinely felt that he could effortlessly build a rapport and make a patient feel cared for by recognising how their issues were affecting their daily lives. This empathy was supplemented with superior teamwork, analytical skills, and organisation.” So we know they shadowed in a primary care setting. Observed a PA in action and noted their rapport-building and other essential skills. What else did they learn, and how have they developed the specified skills? “I aided the PA by relaying information between the staff and helping behind the reception desk. I gauged the pressure of meeting the demands of many patients and being unable to tend to their needs due to a lack of appointments. Nevertheless, I apologised and provided alternative options to help the patients. I learned to prepare for each day, write notes during consultations and organise the patient records during the afternoons to help the reception staff with any backlog. This experience enabled me to see the rewarding and challenging aspects of primary care. However, I was drawn to the dynamicity and variety .” What makes you a better candidate than others? In other words, how can your experiences make you stand out? “My work experience at my brother’s physical therapy clinic provided additional insight into another aspect of care. Rehabilitation brought patients with diverse conditions, from musculoskeletal issues and trauma to post-operative cases. I witnessed the practical side of care and the need for physicians to liaise with physiotherapists. From speaking to many patients, I learned that physical conditions took a mental toll on their lives. I recognised how simple activities that I would often overlook could become so complex for a patient. My brother would encourage preventive physiotherapy, which intrigued me. Prevention has become a running theme in my experiences, and I hope to use this knowledge to become a forward-thinking PA who can advise my patients on the best preventive measures, such as having balanced meals, regular exercise, and avoiding smoking and alcohol.” You should include any relevant extracurricular, leadership, research, mentorship positions, or tutoring experience. If you have volunteered in non-healthcare areas such as a local animal shelter, soup kitchen, homeless shelter, or other organisation, then you can add them. “Aside from my work experience, I often helped at homeless shelters in London and aided in providing nutritious meals to those on the streets. I delegated which team member would cook, prepare, and distribute food among the volunteers. As the most experienced volunteer, I was able to identify the task which best suited each member, which increased our efficiency, and we delivered the maximum number of meals – beating our record. Furthermore, I liaised with multiple organisations and the charity manager to plan how to expand our reach. This was a rewarding role, highlighting the medical issues that are more prevalent in the homeless communities. Many people I spoke to shared their fear of COVID-19 and blood-borne diseases. Being a volunteer enabled me to make a difference in their day. In the future, I wish to make a greater impact via preventive education, increased healthcare access, and offering medical care.” Now, reiterate the primary motivation, summarise the essential experiences, and conclude with what you hope to bring to the programme. “I have worked with many people in a range of healthcare and non-healthcare settings, which has taught me to connect with those of various backgrounds, sexual orientations, ages, and ethnicities. I truly feel these experiences have built my resilience and increased my awareness of prevalent issues in healthcare. I now wish to further supplement my knowledge and community work in a physician associate program dedicated to providing quality healthcare. An opportunity to meet these goals at your university would be invaluable to me.”

This personal statement for Physician Associate Studies led to interview invites from St. Georges University, the University of Reading and the University of Surrey.

**Disclaimer: Copying any part of this statement will lead to an immediate rejection due to plagiarism** The writer of this statement was highly ambitious and wanted to gain acceptance that year despite nearing the application deadline.

We worked closely to create this personal statement from scratch. This involved us detailing each and every experience that could be mentioned—determining the most valuable experiences and working through each paragraph to create a coherent and engaging personal statement. If you’re suffering from writer’s block or simply need a fresh pair of eyes to read your personal statement, please get in touch with Dr Radhika.

Sentence structure, flow, spelling, and grammar are equally important. Without flow and good transitional sentences, it becomes difficult to read, losing the admission tutor’s interest.

Therefore, I advise getting professional help with your personal statement. Invest in your future to increase your chances of getting into your dream physician associate course.

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Writing Your Physician Assistant (PA) Personal Statement [Plus Sample Essay] Writing Your Physician Assistant (PA) Personal Statement [Plus Sample Essay] By accepted.com - Jun 12 , 09:30 AM Comments [0] While there are many different ways to approach writing a personal statement (PS) for your PA application , I am including a successful example here. The character limit for the CASPA application PS is 5,000 characters with spaces. In this essay, you are responding to the question, “Why PA?” To write a compelling essay, take some time to reflect on this question. After reading the essay below, you’ll understand why this student was accepted into a PA program. The student has given permission for it to be shared publicly. All personal identifiers or details have been removed to protect the privacy of the student. << Work with an admissions pro to create a PA application that gets you accepted to your dream school! Click here to get started. >> Sample PA personal statement: I was nine years old and in the middle of Mrs. Russell’s third grade class when my stomach began to itch uncontrollably. I remember thinking to myself, “Did I get bitten by a bug?” Completely distracted by the incessant itching, I asked Mrs. Russell if I could go to the nurse’s office. When the nurse lifted my shirt, I saw the biggest “bug bites” I had ever seen covering the majority of my stomach. She quickly called my mom who took me to several different doctors as the “bug bites” continued to spread all over my body. None of the doctors could figure out what was wrong with me until I saw a Dermatology PA. He immediately diagnosed me with a delayed allergic reaction. He gave me a medication that almost immediately made the hives disappear. I no longer struggled to open my eyes! It was like magic! To this day, I still have no idea what caused that allergic reaction, but I am grateful for this experience because it introduced me to a PA who continued to touch my life and cultivate my interest in medicine and healthcare. Year after year, my love of learning continued to flourish. I began taking gifted classes in math and science in the fifth grade and continued to take honors and advanced placement classes when I reached high school. In addition to my studies, I also began to play volleyball and softball. Through these sports, I learned the skills that a textbook could not teach me, such as accountability, integrity, teamwork and leadership. Through my academic achievements, active participation in numerous school clubs, and leadership role as the captain of my volleyball team, my high school nominated me to participate in a National Youth Leadership Forum (NYLF) in the summer of 2009. I attended lectures by a PA, a nurse, a chiropractor, a veterinarian and several physician specialists. In addition to the lectures and countless group activities, I visited several medical facilities. In one of the labs, I saw a table displaying human organs infected with different diseases and cancers. To my surprise, I was eager to touch them and learn why the people they once belonged to could not have been saved. From that experience on, I became determined to pursue medicine. My interest in the PA profession quickly became a driving force in my life after my mom was diagnosed with Stage IV Melanoma in February —-, and quickly passed away in October of that year. I was devastated upon hearing her diagnosis. How could this happen when she went to the Dermatologist every three to six months? The same Dermatology PA who had healed me with his “magic pills” spent a significant amount of time with my mom after her diagnosis. He met with her and my dad following a long day of seeing patients, to determine if he had missed something in her regular exams. He also made himself available to my entire family, recommended specialists and experimental treatments. He explained everything we did not understand along the way. It is because of the compassion, sincerity, and care he provided to my mom and my family during this difficult time that I became certain I wanted to pursue my love of medicine as a PA. Throughout my undergraduate career as well as the time since I graduated, I have continued to explore the medical field to learn as much as I can about becoming a PA. Through countless hours of shadowing and volunteering as a medical assistant at ——— Dermatology, I have learned how crucial teamwork, effective communication, detailed note taking, and compassion are for effective patient care. There have been numerous instances where doing a simple and nearly painless biopsy could have turned into a serious and most certainly uncomfortable medical situation. By taking thorough patient histories, accurately noting any allergies, and verbally communicating these notes with the practitioner, I have been able to ensure that patients receive the best care possible while averting any avoidable crises. Every challenge and opportunity that I have encountered since I was the itchy little girl sitting in Mrs. Russell’s class has brought me to this decision. My mom’s passing has only made me more passionate about this profession and has given me a new appreciation for life that I hope to share with my patients and community. With my love of learning and helping others as well as the skill set I will gain from a PA program, I am certain that I will have the tools needed to become a valued member of a larger care team. I am eager to see how these opportunities will positively impact not only my life, but also the lives of others. Components of a successful physician assistant personal statement This essay is exceptional for three main reasons, among others: The student directly responds to the essay prompt. Each paragraph represents a different reason why becoming a PA is the only profession for this student. In reading it, you sense the applicant’s gratitude towards, dedication to, and thirst for knowledge in the field of medicine. It’s honest and well written. For these reasons, the student was invited to interview and received an acceptance. In my experience, past behavior predicts future behavior . This student shares a pattern of behavior that aligns with the work and responsibilities of a PA. With a love of learning and teamwork, as demonstrated by the activities described above and how long term the student’s involvement has been in them, you can see how well this student will fit into the role of a PA. The student also reveals how much effort has gone into preparing for this career path. View our Physician Assistant CASPA Application Package for help creating an exceptional application and personal statement that will get you accepted to the PA program of your dreams. Related Resources: From Example to Exemplary , a guide to writing outstanding application essays How Did This Successful PA Applicant Get Accepted? a podcast interview with a soon-to-be PA student How to Get Accepted to Physician Assistant (PA) Programs The post Writing Your Physician Assistant (PA) Personal Statement [Plus Sample Essay] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog . About the Author accepted.com Leave a reply. You must be logged in to post a comment. [0] Comments to this Article Latest in Blog Prep Scholar Data Sufficiency Problem Solving GRE Question of the Day Admissionado Accepted.com Applications Bschool Life Top Stories Recent Comments Aelish Green on 3 Tips for Showing Strengths in Your Application Essays Awani Patil on How Meaningful Is The GMAT? Jimmy Wilson on Welcome Note from the Founders Main navigation Active Discussions General GRE Questions & Strategies GRE Quantitative Section GRE Verbal Section Share GRE Experience Tech Support Forum Highest Kudos Forum Posts Target Test Prep Manhattan Prep Sherpa Prep GRE Resources Best GRE Books Free GRE Tests Verbal Flashcards GRE Success Stories What is a Good GRE Score? Best GRE Course Reviews Copyright © 2022 Prep Club for GRE GRE® is a registered trademark of the Education Testing Services® (ETS ®). Prep Club for GRE website has not been reviewed or endorsed by ETS Sign up to our Newsletter Pa school personal statement: complete guide + examples. Reviewed by: Akhil Katakam Third-Year Medical Student, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University Reviewed: 11/6/23 If you’re applying to a Physician’s Assistant program, you will be asked to write a personal statement. Continue reading as we outline the dos and don'ts of your PA school personal statement.  Are you wondering how to write a unique, stand-out personal statement for PA school? We’ve got you covered with our complete guide to writing a stellar personal statement.  This one document has the power to set you apart from the competition, giving admissions committees a deeper understanding of who you are beyond your academic achievements and test scores.  In this guide, we'll walk you through the dos and don'ts of crafting a compelling personal statement that will leave a lasting impression.  Get The Ultimate Guide on Writing an Unforgettable Personal Statement How To Write a Strong PA School Personal Statement The first step is understanding what a personal statement is. A personal statement is a piece of writing that shares who you are to admissions committees. Many programs like humanities and social sciences ask applicants to write personal statements to learn about the applicant on a more intimate level.  Unlike a statement of purpose, a personal statement focuses more on you and your interests and hobbies rather than academic achievements and accomplishments.  A personal statement is usually less formal and may take a storytelling approach as you share how your experiences have shaped you and led you to apply to the specific program.  While the tone is less formal than a statement of purpose, make sure your personal statement is well-written and engaging to your reader. You should proofread and edit your writing multiple times before submitting it.  When writing a personal statement, think about answering some of the following questions:  Why did you pick this program? What experiences do you have that makes you a good candidate for the Program? What can you bring to the program? What can the program bring to you? What achievements are you proud of? What setbacks or challenges have you overcome? What are your career goals, and how does this program help you achieve them?  As most personal statements are about 500 to 600 words, or two pages double-spaced, you won’t have the space to answer all of these questions. Pick a few to focus on.  Now that we have a pretty good understanding of the expectations and tone of a personal statement let's discuss how to write a strong personal statement for PA school.  The first thing to do before you begin writing is to read the school’s instructions carefully. Different schools may ask you to include specific pieces of information in your statement. The key to impressing the admissions committee is to demonstrate that you are detail-oriented and have actually read through the instructions.  Admission committees for PA schools want to know if you are right for the field before admitting you into the program. If they think you won’t make a good PA, then they most likely won’t accept your application.  Your personal statement for a PA school should demonstrate why you want to be a Physician Assistant and why you would make a good PA. When writing your statement, highlight specific attributes and characteristics that make up a good PA. Some specific traits to highlight may include: Attention to Detail  Compassion  Confidence  Problem-Solver Emotional Intelligence  Commitment  Professionalism   All of these traits make up a successful Physician Assistant . Use specific examples from your personal experience to show off your great traits. As the saying goes, show, don’t tell. Pick a couple of examples that demonstrate you possess one or more of these traits for your personal statement.  Successful PA essays are not about job experience; in fact, you should think of a well-rounded approach to medicine. For example, think of extracurricular activities that have shaped your interest in medicine and helped you grow as a person.  Make sure to work on your personal statement well in advance of submitting your application. This will help ensure you have ample time for revisions, meet the application deadlines and can present the best possible version of yourself to the admissions committee. What To Avoid In Your Personal Statement for PA School There are a lot of tips on how to write a good personal statement for med school that you can use for a PA personal statement. However, it is important to know what to avoid doing as well.  Don’t be dishonest and disingenuous in your personal statement. Admissions committees read thousands of personal statements and can spot those who feel off or insincere.  You don’t have to be a perfect person or perfect applicant to get accepted; be yourself and be honest. In fact, acknowledging challenges or setbacks that you have faced and overcame is a great way to demonstrate your resilience and problem-solving skills that make you a stronger candidate!  Also, avoid generic clichés and overused quotations in personal statements. This can include statements such as “I want to be a PA because I love helping people.” General statements such as this are overdone and come across as dull and impersonal.  Also, steer clear of fixating on salary details. Focusing too much on the money aspect might make it seem like your main motivation for becoming a Physician's Assistant is financial gain, rather than a true passion for patient care and healthcare. Instead, let your personal statement shines with your real-life experiences and genuine enthusiasm for this profession. Instead, try some suggestions for engaging ways to start your PA personal statement from Hamilton University:  Standard: Simply state what you will be talking about in your paper, basically like a thesis statement.  Creative: Find a creative and unique way to begin your personal statement. For example, you can start your piece with a relevant quotation that speaks to you and relates to your experiences.  Action: Begin in the middle of a story to draw your reader right into the action.  Personal: Start off your statement by revealing something personal about yourself that has led you to your interest in medicine.  Informative: State a fact that leads into your personal experiences.  Avoid academic jargon or overly complicated language in your personal statement as well. Keep it simple and easy to read. Being over-dramatic can be off-putting and impersonal. Your personal statement should reflect who you are, so be authentic and genuine.  It can be difficult to write something intimate about yourself for strangers to read. It can also be hard to balance between humility and boasting. If you need some extra help, you may find some tips on how to write a recommendation letter for yourself helpful.  While a personal statement is not the same as a letter of recommendation, there are some core similarities.  PA School Personal Statement Example Now that we have discussed the components of a personal statement for PA school, let’s check out some essays that were accepted for PA programs to give you an idea of what a good personal statement looks like.  Here is an example of a well-written personal statement:  “Hey Doc, you might want to have a look at this.” On my computer rested a radiology report for a patient I saw with my rural preceptor. She came to the office with left upper quadrant pain, early satiety, and abdominal distention. Due to the patient’s age and family history, I was worried that her vague symptoms could be related to ovarian malignancy; thus, I enquired to my preceptor if he thought ultrasonographic imaging would be appropriate. He readily agreed with my rationale. This report reflected my gut feeling that something was wrong: “There are multiple solid masses in the liver…dominant mass measures 17.0 x 12.9 x 18.1 cm. Follow-up CT recommended.” Although it may sound strange, reading those words convinced me I wanted to become a radiologist.  I wanted to be the person to give an answer for that patient. I wished I could have performed the patient’s ultrasound examination and subsequently analyzed the findings. One of my family medicine patients suffered mortal complications from the rupture of a massive basilar artery aneurysm, and I used his tragic CTA findings to give insights on how to understand the Circle of Willis and how its anatomy explained the patient’s unfortunate condition.  I had done research one summer centered around using microbubble contrast-enhanced ultrasound to characterize indeterminate renal lesions. I began the project as someone who was incapable of understanding what those series of words actually meant, but by the end I was trying to explain the various septations and wall patterns of lesions suggestive of malignancy to my exasperated, but thankfully supportive, parents. It is this constant teaching aspect of radiology that attracts me to the field. The most obvious instruction one gives as a radiologist is assisting physicians with disease diagnosis and pathology localization, but I see a burgeoning, ever-questioning group of pupils waiting ahead for radiologists: their patients.  As society becomes increasingly tech-savvy, there will be an increasing desire from patients to access their medical images digitally. With that, there comes the concurrent expectation that radiologists will have to be responsible in disseminating this information, as well as explaining the abnormalities. As this latter role has traditionally been in the hands of primary care physicians and/or specialists, radiology will have to adapt and rise to this challenge.  I am looking for a residency program that wants to prepare its students for this inevitable future. Such a program would obviously need to be strong in giving its future radiologists extensive breadth and depth in commonplace and emerging image modalities with distinguished skills in fostering student independence. As part of that independence, the program must have a strong emphasis on how best to explain radiologic findings for both physicians and laypeople. Additionally, I hope for ample opportunities for resident research, as well as strong mentorship from both upper level residents and faculty.” Why this personal statement works : The student clearly outlines their goals and how these goals relate to the PA program. The student also clearly demonstrates how their background and personal experiences support their career goals which shows the reader that they are capable of being a great candidate for a PA program.   Here is another excerpt from a statement that shares a personal story:  “Do you think we can take in a 2-year-old?” Unsure if my wife was joking, I stopped midway up the steep hill on 19th Street in Birmingham to catch my breath, which was now short for reasons other than the strenuous walk. My wife went on, explaining that her niece, Gabby, needed a home. Nobody else in the family was able to help, and if we didn’t, she would likely end up in foster care. Though we later discussed it at great length, my mind was made up before I submitted the hill. My parents, who worked at a children’s home in Alabama for most of my life, showed me the impact a loving home could have on a child’s life. I couldn’t imagine saying no to this little girl. Less than a month later, we received full custody of Gabby and it became the three of us (plus the cat). It was my first year of medical school, my wife worked full-time, and we were the sole caretakers of a toddler. Through all the stresses of those early times, one thing stands out in my mind as perhaps the most stressful of all—her nighttime cough. That cough kept us awake at night. Each time Gabby let out a string of coughs, I crawled down to the edge of the bed and put my hand on her chest to make sure she was still breathing. We had been told that she might have asthma, but that was all we knew. We didn’t have any of the documentation most places required for care. We had no Medicaid information, Social Security number, birth certificate, or medical history—only a piece of paper signed by a judge that said we were responsible for her. My wife and I were at a loss—how could we care for this child if we could not get her most basic healthcare needs met? Thankfully, we stumbled upon Christ Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health center (FQHC) in Birmingham.  Christ Health Center was exactly what our family needed. In addition to caring for Gabby’s needs when most other places would not, I saw there a model of the sort of clinical work I intend on doing after residency. I was so impressed I signed up to do an elective rotation with them between first and second year. Prior to that, I was fairly certain I wanted to practice family medicine and work with the underserved in some way; after my first day at Christ Health Center, there was no doubt left in my mind. My draw to family medicine in general, and FQHCs in particular, is the potential for community change. At Christ Health Center, patients often came in with their entire families and everyone in the room had an issue to address, medical or otherwise. I learned some of the nuances of working with a community and gained skills necessary to help meet these needs. Usually, it was just a word of reassurance; other times, it was patient and family education; and occasionally, it was setting them up with resources for food and housing.  The lessons of those few months are often in my mind as I see patients. During my family medicine clerkship, I was tasked with doing the H&P for three different children in the same room. Inside, I found a frazzled mother completing paperwork while the kids scrambled about the room. She tried her best to calm them as I started on the histories, but to little avail. She grew more and more dispirited as she continued answering, “I don’t know.” Finally, on the verge of tears, she said, “I’m so sorry. I just got custody of all three of them and don’t know anything about their histories.” I paused, remembering Gabby’s nighttime cough. Finally, I said, “Don’t worry, we’ll take care of them. I know exactly how you feel.”  Why this personal statement works : This student takes a slightly different route than the first example but is also an effective way to write a captivating personal statement.  This statement reads more like a story, and the reader gets to know the student on a closer level.  By creating this sense of intimacy, the student demonstrates that their empathy and their ability to overcome personal challenges makes them a great candidate for a PA program.  Both examples are strong, so the route you want to take is up to you. Still have some questions? Keep reading as we answer some of your frequently asked questions.  1. What Should Be In A Personal Statement for PA School? You should highlight some of your traits and experiences that make you the right fit for the program and the field. Make it personal and make it about you, but remember to also be genuine and humble.  A personal statement is your opportunity to introduce yourself to the admissions committee. Think about how you want to present yourself and what you want the admissions committee to know about you.  2. How Do You Write A Unique Personal Statement for PA School? The most important piece to writing a unique personal statement for PA school is to be yourself and write from your heart.  3. How Long Should a PA School Personal Statement Be? This all depends on the school and their instructions. However, most personal statements range from 500 words to 1,000 words. Unless stated otherwise, they should never be longer than 1,000 words.  Final Thoughts A personal statement is a key piece of your application. Like your interview , it’s your chance to introduce yourself to the admissions committee and really stand out amongst other applicants. A PA school personal statement is also a great opportunity to show off your writing and communication skills.  Remember to read through the instructions posted by the school, keep it personal and honest, and proofread and edit before submitting. Follow these key steps to write a personal statement that will impress admissions committees. Schedule A Free Consultation You may also like. What to Do the Summer Before Medical School Accepted Duke Medical School Secondary Essays & Examples Crafting a Winning PA Application Personal Statement January 28, 2024 Sharjeel Shaw PA-C When it comes to applying to Physician Assistant (PA) programs, one of the most critical elements of your application is your personal statement. Your personal statement is your opportunity to showcase who you are, why you’re passionate about the PA profession, and what makes you a standout candidate. In this blog, we’ll explore the art of crafting a compelling PA application personal statement that will help you stand out and increase your chances of gaining admission to your desired program. Purpose of Your Personal Statement: Showcase your passion for becoming a PA. Highlight your relevant qualifications and experiences. Demonstrate your dedication to patient care. Share your unique story and memorable anecdotes. Key Elements to Include: Start with a captivating introduction. Explain why you’re drawn to the PA profession. Emphasize your strengths, skills, and qualities. Discuss your commitment to service. Share your long-term career goals as a PA. Conclude with a memorable closing statement. Writing Tips: Be concise and stay within the character limit (typically 5,000 characters). Use specific examples and anecdotes. Tailor your statement to each program. Edit, proofread, and seek feedback. Your personal statement is your chance to shine in the highly competitive PA school admissions process. MyPAbox works with you to craft the best personal statement possible.  Take the time to reflect on your journey, express your passion, and showcase your qualifications effectively. A well-crafted personal statement can make a significant difference in helping you secure a spot in the PA program of your dreams. “Use code  “PATIPS20”  to save 20% on your subscription to  myPAbox ” Follow myPAbox on instagram   @mypabox Follow myPAbox on YouTube   @mypabox Follow myPAbox on TikTok  @my_pa_box Other Blog Post Top 5 Reasons to Become a PA Over a MD Choosing a career in healthcare is a significant decision, and many aspiring medical professionals grapple… 8 Steps On How to Apply for PA School Embarking on the journey to become a Physician Assistant (PA) is a commendable and rewarding… 5 Reasons Not To Use AI To Write Your Personal Statement It’s easy and convenient, however using AI to edit personal statements can present several drawbacks.… This Post Has 0 Comments Leave a reply cancel reply. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Get the Reddit app This is THE subreddit for all pre-physician assistant students seeking help with their applications. Please read our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) before submitting questions. They can be accessed from the sidebar as well as the TOP menu bar. Check out the r/PAstudent subreddit once accepted and r/physicianassistant after graduation. How I wrote a successful PA school personal statement Working a 12 hour shift on Christmas, here is a gift for you all! This guide is a part of my post acceptance information dump. I have learned so much from this community over the past 4 years and I am just trying to pay it back. This is not an all encompassing guide to writing a personal statement for PA school, it is simply the way I wrote my personal statement. I am writing this to give prePAs an insight on how I went about writing my personal statement. I went 2 years without an interview and after applying these concepts I had a 40% interview rate s=20. I learned a lot of this information scattered around these boards and on the internet, here is my attempt to put it all together. While researching how to write a personal statement for PA school, I noticed that the internet is full of BAD examples of how to write an effective essay. Most of the examples on the internet of personal statements written for entry into PA school included cheesy stories about how the writer was inspired by a patient or a personal visit to their health care provider. Don’t get me wrong, they are fun to read but could you imagine having to read through hundreds of these same types of personal statements? The idea lends itself to emotional fatigue where the reader stops caring altogether about the subject and discounts every “inspirational” story they read. So how do you write a better personal statement if I am telling you not to use personal stories? I am not suggesting you eliminate stories altogether, although I would suggest you rename them by calling them “examples” instead. The reasoning for this is that you will be showing you how to write a PURPOSE driven personal statement. Each paragraph in your personal statement will have a very specific purpose but you can illustrate your statements with examples where appropriate. I am not a writer by trade, my strengths lie in organization. When writing my personal statement I played to my strengths and created a solid outline. I began by asking myself “What do admission committee members want to know about me before admitting me to their class”? I then wrote down a list of things that I would want to know if I were a part of that team. You want to keep these topics broad, why you want to be a PA should be near the top of your list. If you find that you have more than 5 or 6 topics, you will have to eliminate the ones you think admission committees are least interested in or you may want to include those topics under one of the broader ones. While brainstorming, make sure you apply the purpose to the topic in your outline, it will help you keep on track while writing. The next step is to organize your topics into a logical order. For example, how you discovered the PA profession should come before why you want to be a PA and your plans for after PA school should come next. Chronological ordering is one way to go about this however logical ordering in writing is beyond the scope of this guide. I find that stepping away from the computer helps me to sort out which topics should come before others. The rest of the work is just writing, you got this! This process of writing your personal statement should take weeks if not months to complete so start early, take your time, and dont be afraid to use a professional editing service or to ask the writing center at your alma mater for proofreading. My outline: Introduction. Purpose: demonstrate that you are human(obstacle, challenge, success, characteristic. It defines the theme of your essay)(if you just have to use a cheesy story put it here but don't finish the story, use the conclusion to tie in whatever lesson you learned) How I learned about the PA profession. Purpose: demonstration of my understanding of the profession Why I want to be a PA. Purpose: explain why I want to join this profession What experience have I had that will help me succeed in PA school. Purpose: Give examples of my ability to succeed in PA school past performance~future performance. Plans for career if accepted. Purpose: explanation of long term goals Changes from last cycle. Purpose: demonstration of commitment to becoming a PA Closing. Purpose: leave the reader with a final impression. When I moved from my childhood home in Hawaii, I wanted nothing more than to gain acceptance from my peers. The Hawaiian culture is very different from the culture on the mainland. As a 10-year-old, I felt like I was moving to a foreign country, fitting in with others did not come easily. This desire for acceptance led me on a journey that taught me valuable lessons such as adaptability, empathy, and humility. It was with these values that I found a place in the medical field as a respiratory therapist. I am at a point where I know that I am capable of many things, having endured challenges in my personal and professional life has prepared me for a successful career as a physician assistant (PA). I first learned of the PA profession 20 years ago while serving in the Army as a practical nurse. At that time, the PA profession felt out of my reach, I had never even considered going to college as no one in my family had ever been before. Since then, I have had several of my friends from the Army go on to become PAs. I have also worked alongside PAs and have noticed a dramatic increase in their presence in the hospital setting over the last decade. With this exposure, I have carefully considered the PA profession and have an overwhelming desire to become one. Some of my top reasons for wanting to become a PA are increased responsibility in the ability to practice medicine, diverse opportunities to specialize, and the capacity to improve the quality of life of my patients by providing an exceptional quality of healthcare. Another factor that influenced my decision to become a PA was the encouragement I received from my coworkers. It is not easy for a respiratory therapist to gain the trust of critical care physicians and nurses. With an attitude of humility and a desire to learn, I have not only been able to gain their trust in treating critically ill patients but also their support in this endeavor to become a PA. One of my primary goals of attending PA school is to match my profession with my personal capabilities. My dedication to continued learning has enabled me to grow beyond the scope of the respiratory therapy profession, and I am eager to continue this path in PA school. I know that I am capable of successfully completing PA school as well as passing the PANCE. I say this without arrogance, but instead with the confidence of someone who has spent two decades in the medical field and academia. Over the past 20 years, I have completed my undergraduate degree, respiratory therapy school, a practical nursing program, and an EMT-B program, all while managing to work full-time, as well as raising my daughter to adulthood. I fully expect that PA school will be more difficult than all of those programs combined. However, I am confident that a refined work ethic, disciplined study habits,15 years of adult acute care experience, and a lifelong commitment to learning will help to ensure my success. Armed with a degree in Physician Assistant Studies, I intend to work for the Department of Veterans Affairs. In addition, I have a desire to expand the profession through medical missions. PAs serve a vital role in closing the gap in access to primary care for underserved populations. However, PAs are sorely underutilized around the world, as only a handful of countries allow them to practice, and in most of those countries that do, their scope of practice is limited. Because it is important to me to contribute to my profession and to participate in communities involving those professions, I have created informational websites in support of the respiratory therapy community (omitted) and a website for pre-PA students (omitted). Becoming a PA is at the top of my priority list, and since the last application cycle, I have done a lot of work to accomplish this goal. I have improved my grade in genetics from a C+ to an A as well as earning a B in organic chemistry lab. In order to show my commitment to underserved populations, I have volunteered over 100 hours at the local homeless shelter and the public library. I also volunteered to assist teams from Princeton University to develop a low cost ventilator as well as a digital monitoring system for analog ventilators. In addition, I have worked over 100 hours of overtime during the Covid-19 pandemic, earning multiple commendations for providing excellent patient care and innovation in ventilator management. I have come a long way since being that boy who wanted nothing more than to be accepted by his peers. A few years ago, I tried moving back to Hawaii in an attempt to reconnect with my heritage. Somehow, everything looked the same as I remembered, but was also very different than when I saw it through the eyes of a child. After returning to the mainland, I realized that not only had I gained the acceptance I so desperately longed for, but I had also gained something even more important, a home. Happy writing! P.S. I warn you not to copy any part of this PS as it is now all over the internet. You will get caught for plagiarism and most likely be disqualified from ever applying to a PA school in the future. Writing your Physician Associate Personal Statement So, you’ve decided you want to become a Physician Associate. Great! Now its time to actually write your application. It can be a daunting task but I’ve put together some hints and tips that will help you stand out from the rest. Why do you want to be a Physician Associate? This is the obvious question you’ll need to think about and answer. Whatever your answer is, make sure its personal and honest because if you get an interview, its potentially something you will get asked about. There may be variations on this e.g. why PA Studies over Medicine? There are many advantages to being a PA such as the job flexibility (primary care to secondary care and vice versa), potential better work-life balance, providing continuity of care and much more. Again, its about being personal and honest to ensure your application is unique and reads well. Sell yourself This is not the time to be shy and modest. Don’t want to brag but I thought my application was pretty good. This was because I read the application requirements and made sure I matched nearly all if not all of the specification. Make sure to do the same. This course is intense so you want to be using key words and skills to show that you’re ready to take on those challenges. Time management, organisation, commitment and professionalism are just some examples. Don’t just dump them in there either, show examples of where/when you’ve been these things. Each uni might word their specification (what they’re looking for) differently so make sure you’ve read carefully and tweak if you’re applying for more than one course. Any clinical or relevant experience It’s not always possible to get clinical experience, sometimes you have to think outside the box. Hospitals aren’t the only place to gain experience. Although I worked as a Healthcare Assistant before applying for my PA course, I also volunteered twice a week at a Neurodisability centre which provided rehab and long-term care for patients. You can also consider approaching local GPs, walk-in centres, charities, anywhere that involves giving up your time to help and care for others. I’m a big believer in turning past experiences into relevant experience. If you’ve worked or volunteered in positions where you’ve been public facing or worked with confidential public information you can turn this into relevant experience. You’ll find that a number of the skills you have are transferable to working in a medical environment, you just have to reflect on this and sell it the right way. Show you know about the PA profession You need to demonstrate that you understand the profession that you’re applying for as this will massively strengthen your application. It is also a topic that is likely to be discussed at interview. Here are a few topics you can think/write about: Why does the NHS need PAs? How you think the PA profession will improve patient experience? How do you think PAs fit into the MDT (multidisciplinary team)? Where do you see the profession in the future? – here you should read up on the situation with statutory regulation and what this means in terms of prescribing rights and furthering our scope The Faculty of Physician Associates has information here http://www.fparcp.co.uk/about-fpa/Who-are-physician-associates. There are articles like this you can read with helpful information https://www.england.nhs.uk/gp/case-studies/the-physician-associate-will-see-you-now-new-role-to-assist-patients-in-primary-care/ You can also look at information and studies done in America looking at the impact of PAs on their healthcare system. Check and Optimise Give yourself enough time to write your application, you don’t want to be rushing and scrambling something together at the last minute. It took me a few drafts before I was happy with my application so give yourself a few attempts. Take a break and come back to it with a fresh pair of eyes. You’ll be more likely to phrase things better and find those mistakes you missed the day before. Obviously use a spell-checker and ask friends and family to have a read and get feedback. These are the people that are likely to remind you abut things you’ve done and not mentioned, or help you phrase things in a way that better reflects you. All that’s left to do is apply! Hopefully you’re feeling more confident and inspired to write a great application using these tips. Good luck! If you like what you're reading feel free to leave a comment or share on social media. Remember me Not recommended on shared computers Forgot your password? Personal Statements Personal Statement Advice from "Ask a PA Admissions Director" ask a PA Admissions Director Personal Statement By Topsy June 12, 2014 in Personal Statements Reply to this topic Start new topic Recommended Posts This is copied from paadmissions "Ask a PA Admissions Director." I found it hiding in the bowels of that forum (page 81), and I figured placing it here would make it very handy for those perusing personal statements and seeking advice. Posted 20 May 2014 - 02:46 PM I've put together some hints for writing a good personal statement below. These hints were gathered from several medical school websites and from our own experience with our program. Hope this helps! The personal statement is required as a part of any application to PA school.  Many applicants make writing a personal statement a daunting task, but it does not have to be.  Below are helpful hints and topics to avoid that can help you write a good personal statement.  Topic: Why you want to be a PA? Personal Statement Helpful Hints: ·          Engage the reader and create interest. ·          Get to the point. There is a character limit for personal statements.  One page is usually all it takes to make your point. ·          Avoid using flowery language and/or big words throughout your statement. ·          Make sure the statement is structured in a logical order and flows nicely so it is easy to read. ·          Do not restate your resume. ·          Incorporate how your healthcare experience and non-healthcare experience (academics, volunteer, and leadership positions) prepared you for PA school. ·          Be insightful and analytical about your understanding of the role of the PA.  Use your clinical experiences to draw this conclusion. ·          Call out the elephant in the room.  If you had a “hiccup” in your academic career, you should BRIEFLY address it (i.e. death in the family, immaturity factor, poor study habits), state what you did to overcome it, and what you have done to sustain an upward trend in your academic performance. ·          If you have a strong desire to enter a certain field of medicine, explain why. For example, if you want to go into primary care, what have you done to prepare yourself for this field (i.e. clinical experience opportunities, skill sets, are you from a disadvantaged background, etc.), and the challenges PAs face, if any in the particular field. ·          Have more than one person review your statement. An advisor, career services representative, or a writing center are good resources to utilize. ·          Avoid contractions. ·          Avoid acronyms that the common person would not know (this is especially true for military applicants). Qualities to Portray ·          Maturity ·          Reflectiveness ·          Honesty and integrity ·          Clarity of thought ·          Passion ·          Individuality ·          Positivity ·          Logic ·          Distinctiveness ·          Commitment ·          Ability to relate to diverse people ·          Insight into the chosen health profession ·          Compassion and empathy ·          Genuineness and sincerity ·          Leadership ·          Insightfulness ·          A realistic perspective ·          Lessons learned ·          Self-awareness Themes to Avoid ·          Clichés:  Avoid starting a statement with a famous quote or with cliché’ filler statements like:            “I want to be a PA because I like science and I want to help people...”           “Ever since I was five I played with my mom/dad’s doctor’s kit..”           “I loved to play the game Operation as a child and that sparked my desire to be a PA...”           “As I watched my beloved family member pass away, I knew then I wanted to be a PA...” ·          Restating your resume’ : We have already read the majority of your application up to this point, so do not retell your life story again. ·          Story Time:  Limit your personal stories about a patient or incident in the clinic to ONE no more than TWO.  The statement should focus more the topics mentioned above. ·          The “epiphany into medicine”:   Your pursuit of the PA profession should be based on your adult experiences up until this point, NOT an instantaneous realization. ·          Manifest Destiny:  You have not always known you want to be a PA and the fact that someone tells you “you’ll make a great PA one day” does not justify why you should be a PA. ·          Grandiosity:  Claiming that you plan to eliminate all the healthcare problems in an area is not realistic and shows a grave lack of understanding of the profession. ·          The “humble brag”:  Of course you’re special, but claiming “you probably do not see many applicants like me” is not only arrogant, but is likely untrue.  We’ve seen it all! ·          Remember your audience:  Remember people do have other biases and views that may not agree with yours so avoid controversial topics and statements that could offend someone.  Also, remember the admissions committee can be made up of all types of members of the healthcare team.  Avoid statements like “I want to be a PA because PAs spend more time with their patients in comparison to physicians.” These types of situations are not always true and you do not want to stereotype an entire profession when you’ve only been around .00000001% of them. ·          “I am a victim”:  Victims are never attractive applicants and any difficulties along the way should be dispassionately addressed.  These explanations should be brief and also address what you have done to overcome the situation and what you learned from it. ·          Excuses:  Never, ever blame anyone else for difficulties in your life or academic career. Topsy's 2 cents: Show, don't tell . Don't tell me you're great at multitasking. Show me! Describe it instead: "Despite having to care for my ailing mother at home, work the graveyard shift at the hospital, and help victims of abuse at the women's shelter, I still managed to keep my by grades by merely studying instead of sleeping." What makes the PA profession personally meaningful to you . Do not reiterate catch phrases like autonomy, flexibility, and all those other words that you can find on countless websites/blogs. Do mention personal things you've seen! Like the time you shadowed a PA talking to a family who was strapped for cash, and the PA was sensitive and attentive enough to notice the dilemma and was kind enough to provide their family with ample samples. Again, show, don't tell. Overall, a great personal state can be achieved by getting the reader think -  yes. I want to meet the person who wrote this. Link to comment Share on other sites. I can't speak for anyone else, but I know I needed to read this! Thanks  Even after having a PA-S read my personal story and said it was well done, I still came back here and used these guides to further improve my PS.  Prospective students should use this before uploading their essay on here because there are some that are poorly done and violates all of the above. Ugggh. I hate this post so much (yet I'm grateful for it). Now I have to rewrite my entire essay, cuz it's fraught with more don'ts that do's!!! BLAAAAAAAAAAARGH!  I actually really liked your essay, Topsy (take that how you want since mine is less than stellar haha). I would love to read whatever you come up with next! I've appreciated what you've said about my (and others users) writing on the forum. It's probably been the most helpful feedback I've received in all honesty. Good luck on your next draft! 2 months later... Also, don't add some disclaimer in the title of your thread or the 1st few lines of your PS post instructing ppl to "be gentle" or "please be nice" or whatever. Sheesh. If you're looking for someone to pat you on the back and say, "nice job, sweetie!" then ask your mama to read it. But when you post it on a public forum, you are clearly and willingly subjecting yourself to criticism. Don't chicken out and say please be nice. You're looking for feedback for a reason. Now is not the time to wuss out and shy away from criticism just because it's harsh. I try to be politely brutal. Most people appreciate that. Some narratives are nowhere near ready for prime time.I let them know. Sent from my Kindle Fire HDX using Tapatalk 2 Any suggestion?... After focusing on who I am, the influences that led me down the PA path, my reasons for PA and not MD/NP, my goals as a PA...there's no space to include how my "academic/healthcare/non-health experiences" will prepare me for PA school. Will this be assumed if my GPA and GRE are within the average?  My personal statement in a nutshell about me (introduction) ->  community service -> volunteer/HCE -> Why PA over MD and NP -> My goals as a PA -> wrap up of my central theme. Including in how my academics prepared me for PA School would just ...throw off everything else lol. Any suggestion?... After focusing on who I am, the influences that led me down the PA path, my reasons for PA and not MD/NP, my goals as a PA...there's no space to include how my "academic/healthcare/non-health experiences" will prepare me for PA school. Will this be assumed if my GPA and GRE are within the average?   My personal statement in a nutshell about me (introduction) -> community service -> volunteer/HCE -> Why PA over MD and NP -> My goals as a PA -> wrap up of my central theme. Including in how my academics prepared me for PA School would just ...throw off everything else lol. I would be careful not to be too repetitive. Make sure all of that ties in to a story that they don't know about you/makes you unique versus summarizing your qualifications because that is already visible in the different sections of the application. Just my opinion though. The committees read a ton of narratives. What makes yours different than theirs? I would ask yourself that. In order for the narrative to stand out it needs to be different. Now if I could only listen to my own advice.... :) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Any suggestion?... After focusing on who I am, the influences that led me down the PA path, my reasons for PA and not MD/NP, my goals as a PA...there's no space to include how my "academic/healthcare/non-health experiences" will prepare me for PA school. Will this be assumed if my GPA and GRE are within the average?    My personal statement in a nutshell about me (introduction) ->  community service -> volunteer/HCE -> Why PA over MD and NP -> My goals as a PA -> wrap up of my central theme. Including in how my academics prepared me for PA School would just ...throw off everything else lol. I would go with your gut. If adding something interrupts the flow of your piece, leave it out. Not to say you shouldn't try it - definitely try a draft with that other stuff in it because who knows, maybe with a little tweaking it the result goes even further than what you originally conceived. But if you give a good try and it's really just not working, don't force it. Thank you at @MSarlin and @Topsy. @MSarlin - Yeah, I've taken a different approach than what I've read on here. I think I've emphasized who I am compared to listing out my qualifications, so I'm confident it paints the picture of me. @Topsy - My gut says to leave it out, but I feel unfulfilled haha. After many tries, I somehow did it...I think. 1 month later... Corpsman2PA Great advice so far. I would add that you should answer the CASPA question! Some people write their whole statement and fail to address the question that Caspa actually asks. Oh, and be interesting without being dramatic or sounding fake. 3 weeks later... Very important.  Admissions panel members will be able to see through the "fluff." Be real, but hold their interest with the qualities that make you stand out from the crowd. 3 months later... Thank you! This post was very helpful as I'm on my first draft now! Can the personal statement be less than 5,000 characters?  cejones1993 I read on CASPA today the PS must be less than 3000 characters? Is this a recent change? 4 weeks later... It still says 5000 on mine Can the personal statement be less than 5,000 characters? Yes but be sure to use as much of the space as possible ThatStudentGalVal Question: Is it ok to use idioms in your personal statement? I'm on the fence about using them in mine as they make writing sound more casual, but also more approachable. What are your two cents ?  Also, I've read in the "how to get into PA school" book that you should start out with an attention grabber. However, I just got off the phone with an admissions director who instructed me absolutely NOT to do that. He says its gimmicky and everyone does it. Its better to just start straight out with your motivation for becoming a PA and not waste the readers time "weaving a tale". Also, I've read in the "how to get into PA school" book that you should start out with an attention grabber. However, I just got off the phone with an admissions director who instructed me absolutely NOT to do that. He says its gimmicky and everyone does it. Its better to just start straight out with your motivation for becoming a PA and not waste the readers time "weaving a tale".   Thoughts? Poorly done is an opening that is pure melodrama that doesn't really offer a credible reason for wanting to be a PA. This is the lazy approach that says melodrama is the way to grab the readers attention. Correctly done might start out saying something like this: For three years I worked as a (insert your HCE) as a pathway to a more advanced career in medicine. During this time, I worked with MDs, nurses, techs, PAs and others and tried to understand their roles and which career best met my own career goals, personality... (fill in the gap). This opening is an attention getter in that it promises the reader s/he is about to learn what the applicant knows about PA and other medical careers and how the applicant chose PA. Again, however, the rest of the PS needs to keep that promise and not wander off into irrelevant banalities and unsupported generalizations. Sent from my KFAPWI using Tapatalk All of the Directors recommendations are dead on! I would also advise that the writer avoids the overuse of the word "I"; try using us, we, our instead. I published a book with all of the information listed above in 1997; "the Ultimate Guide to Getting into Physician Assistant School", now in it's third edition. Visit my website and review all three of my books for PA School Applicants at andrewrodican.com. Also send me an email while on the site and I'll send you a 90 page "Focus Pack" , which is a comprehensive, hands on, workbook covering all phases of the application process. olguitap1990 I once shadowed a nurse practitioner and I was really impressed by her sensitivity and compassion with a specific patient and wanted to write include it in my personal statement but do you think I shouldn't mention it since it has to do with a nurse practitioner or how can I include it because it was definitely a big moment that has helped me continue pursuing a career in the health care field? Thank you!! Davidteinke Sir, you are right, Parsonal statement is crying needed to better job. I searched and found another site, visit: http://residencypersonalstatements.net/ Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. ×   Pasted as rich text.    Paste as plain text instead   Only 75 emoji are allowed. ×   Your link has been automatically embedded.    Display as a link instead ×   Your previous content has been restored.    Clear editor ×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. Insert image from URL Submit Reply Similar Content By FuturePA232 Started March 28 By BB321 Started March 27 By WisPAC Started March 27 By WisPAC Started March 20 By WisPAC Started February 28 Existing user? Sign In Online Users Leaderboard All Activity Create New... Important Information Welcome to the Physician Assistant Forum! This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn More You might be using an unsupported or outdated browser. To get the best possible experience please use the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge to view this website. How To Become A Physician Assistant: A Step-By-Step Guide Expert Reviewed Updated: Aug 23, 2023, 11:47am To someone with minimal understanding of the health sector, the title of “physician assistant” may conjure up an image of someone whose job involves running professional errands for doctors. However, physician assistants (PAs) are highly trained professionals qualified to diagnose, monitor and prescribe medication to patients. PA duties often overlap with doctors’, yet both medical experts have varying levels of autonomy at work. Doctors are legally allowed to practice independently, but PAs typically need a physician’s supervision to treat patients. The rising demand for PAs goes to show that medical school and nursing school aren’t the only paths to an advanced career in healthcare. In this article, we discuss how to become a physician assistant, including common specializations and salary and job outlook data for these professionals. Why You Can Trust Forbes Advisor Education Forbes Advisor’s education editors are committed to producing unbiased rankings and informative articles covering online colleges, tech bootcamps and career paths. Our ranking methodologies use data from the National Center for Education Statistics , education providers, and reputable educational and professional organizations. An advisory board of educators and other subject matter experts reviews and verifies our content to bring you trustworthy, up-to-date information. Advertisers do not influence our rankings or editorial content. 6,290 accredited, nonprofit colleges and universities analyzed nationwide 52 reputable tech bootcamp providers evaluated for our rankings All content is fact-checked and updated on an annual basis Rankings undergo five rounds of fact-checking Only 7.12% of all colleges, universities and bootcamp providers we consider are awarded What Is a Physician Assistant? Also called physician associates, PAs are licensed healthcare personnel who support physicians in providing medical care. They work alongside doctors, giving treatment and monitoring patients’ health. Although some states allow physician assistants to work independently, most require them to work under doctors’ supervision. PAs administer tests, prescribe medication and conduct physical examinations. Other PA responsibilities include: Taking patients’ medical histories Ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests Assisting in surgical procedures Referring patients to specialists Developing treatment plans Counseling patients on preventive care Monitor patients’ progress Conducting clinical research Physician assistants work in various settings such as hospitals, medical offices, outpatient clinics and surgery wards. Outside of from medical environments, PAs also work in educational facilities, military organizations and sports settings. Most PAs work full time, with varying work schedules that may include weekends and holidays. Like doctors, they may be on call, having to work on short notice for long periods. Interacting with patients and colleagues for hours can become fatiguing, so PAs should have good stamina and interpersonal skills. How To Become a Physician Assistant Earn a bachelor’s degree. Obtaining a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college is the first step to becoming a physician assistant. PA programs typically accept applicants from various backgrounds, but we recommend a science-focused major, which will help you apply credits from your undergraduate coursework toward your PA prerequisites. Gain Healthcare Experience (HCE) or Patient Care Experience (PCE) The American Academy of Physician Associates recommends that prospective PAs gain healthcare or patient care experience before applying to graduate school. HCE refers to paid or unpaid work where you’re not directly responsible for patient care, but you may still interact with patients. PCE, on the other hand, requires hands-on involvement in treating patients. Most PA programs require at least 1,000 HCE or PCE hours, typically earned after working for about a year in the health sector. Roles that meet clinical experience requirements include paramedic, medical technician, surgical assistant, hospice worker, dental assistant, physical therapy aide and phlebotomist. Enroll in an Accredited PA Program In a PA graduate program, you’ll gain the advanced knowledge needed to pass the national certifying exam and begin your physician assistant career. A PA program involves coursework in clinical anatomy, histology, clinical therapeutics and medicine principles. You may also undergo clinical rotations or clerkships, which involve shadowing licensed PAs. Several colleges offer online PA programs, for distance learners. Such PA programs often offer concentrations, allowing students to tailor their degrees to suit their career goals. Common PA specializations include family medicine, geriatrics, women’s health, psychiatry, pediatrics and general internal medicine. Students can apply for admission via the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). CASPA requires PA applicants to submit college transcripts, recommendation letters, résumés, personal statements, and HCE and PCE records. Ensure your chosen program is approved by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) before applying. Obtain Licensure Graduates from programs that hold accreditation from ARC-PA qualify to sit for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE). The exam is administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). The PANCE is a five-hour, multiple-choice exam that assesses candidates’ medical and surgical knowledge. Passing the PANCE is required to earn PA licensure in all U.S states. Other specific licensing requirements may vary by state. How Long Does it Take To Become a Physician Assistant? Completing all of the above steps often takes at least seven years. You can expect to spend four years in your undergraduate program, one year gaining healthcare experience and two years completing a PA program. The path to becoming a PA may take longer if you spend more time gaining experience between undergrad and grad school or if you need extra time to study for and pass the PANCE. Physician Assistant Salary and Job Outlook According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), physician assistants earned a median annual salary of $126,010 as of May 2022. Individual salaries vary based on industry, experience level and geographical location. For example, PAs in Washington earn $145,390 per year on average, whereas Florida PAs average $110,930 yearly. Physician assistants are highly sought-after in certain parts of the U.S., including Connecticut, New York, North Carolina, Nebraska and Montana, which sport the highest concentrations of PA jobs. The BLS projects employment for these professionals to increase by 28% from 2021 to 2031—three times the projected job growth rate for other health practitioners nationwide, and nearly six times the projected growth rate for all U.S. jobs. Physician Assistant Specializations Physician assistants, just like nurses and clinicians, can specialize in various areas of healthcare according to their strengths and interests. PAs’ specialties largely determine their salary range and the kind of patients they’ll work with. Most PA programs offer elective options, and some require students to complete supervised clinical experience in multiple specialty areas. We recommend deciding your PA specialization before enrolling in graduate school so you can choose a program offering in-depth training in your area of interest. Below we list some common specializations for PA students and professionals. Emergency Medicine This specialty teaches prospective PAs how to triage, stabilize and manage patients experiencing urgent health problems. In the emergency medicine specialty, students also learn how to present cases to doctors and develop skills to work with urgent care teams. Obstetrics and Gynecology This concentration equips PA students with extensive knowledge on childbirth, midwifery and the female reproductive system in general. They learn to provide prenatal and postpartum care to women and offer counseling on family planning. Pediatric PAs support pediatricians by caring for infants and children in ambulatory settings. Students in this concentration learn to evaluate common pediatric problems, offer preventive care and interpret treatment plans to their patients’ guardians. The surgery specialization prepares PA students to evaluate and monitor surgical patients. They learn how to provide preoperative and postoperative care to surgical patients. Behavioral health This specialization focuses on caring for and supporting patients living with psychiatric challenges. Students in this specialty learn how to conduct psychiatric evaluations, monitor patients’ progress and refer people to behavioral health specialists. Certifications for Physician Assistant The certified physician assistant (PA-C) credential is the primary certification for PAs, earned only after passing the physician assistant national certifying exam. The PANCE is a five-hour exam comprising 300 multiple choice questions, administered in five blocks of 60 questions. Candidates are allowed to take 45-minute breaks between sessions. Before sitting for the PANCE, candidates must graduate from a program accredited by the ARC-PA. Prospective PAs can apply for the exam within 180 days of their graduation date, but they can only sit for the exam starting seven days after graduation. You must submit a $550 fee and an application, after which you’ll receive an acknowledgement email from NCCPA with further instructions. If you fail the first attempt, you can retake the exam after 90 days. Other Credentials Aside from the PA-C, NCCPA offers voluntary credentials for 10 PA specialties: Cardiovascular and thoracic surgery Dermatology Emergency medicine Hospital medicine Orthopedic surgery Pallitive medicine and hospice care Obstetrics and gynecology These credentials are called certificates of added qualifications (CAQs). They provide PAs with recognition for their specialized skills. Professional Organizations for Physician Assistant Although not required, joining a professional organization can boost a PA’s credibility and expand their opportunities for career development. Below we highlight two professional organizations created to support physician assistants. American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA): Founded in 1968, AAPA is the leading national PA professional organization. It represents over 168,000 PAs across all 50 U.S states. The AAPA empowers its members to advance their careers and improve patient health. Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA): PAEA represents PA educational programs in the U.S. It supports programs in recruiting and retaining qualified faculty and PA students. It also provides various study tools for PA certifications. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About How to Become a Physician Assistant Is a pa equal to a doctor. PAs are not equal to doctors because doctors have more extensive training in the medical field and the authority to treat patients autonomously. In most states, PAs can only provide medical care according to doctors’ instructions. What is the difference between a PA and MD? PAs and MDs undergo different training experiences. While it takes about seven years to become a PA, MDs require 10-14 years of training. MDs also typically earn more salary than PAs. Is a PA higher than an RN? A PA typically has more training and clinical experience than a registered nurse. PAs, like physicians, can diagnose illnesses and prescribe medication. RNs cannot. Best Online Physical Therapy Programs Best Online Master’s In Nursing Administration Best Online Health Science Degrees Best Online Healthcare Management Degrees Best Master’s In Healthcare Administration Online Best Online MPH Programs Everything You Need To Know About BSN Degrees How To Become A CNA How To Become An RN What Are The Most Common Career Changes For Nurses? Accelerated Baccalaureate Nursing Programs (ABSN) Overview Is There A Four-Week Online Course For Medical Coding And Billing? What Are The Best States For Nurses? Can You Complete Nursing Prerequisites Online? Everything You Need To Know About DNP Degrees Free Online Medical Billing And Coding Courses How To Study For Nursing School Is Medical Billing And Coding Hard? All About The NCLEX Best CPR Certifications Online Of 2024 Best BLS Certifications Online Of 2024 Best Online Fast-Track RN-To-B.S.N. Online Programs Of 2024 Best Online Doctorate In Nursing (D.N.P.) Programs Of 2024 How To Become A Home Health Nurse How To Become A Director Of Nursing In five years of writing for various audiences, Uche has learned to simplify career-focused content for ambitious learners regardless of their qualifications. Her work is published in notable platforms such as Hackernoon and Hashnode. Veronica Beagle is the managing editor for Education at Forbes Advisor. She completed her master’s in English at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Before coming to Forbes Advisor she worked on education related content at HigherEducation.com and Red Ventures as both a copy editor and content manager. 407 IMAGES Physician Assistant Personal Statement Example Medical School Personal Statement Review From Professionals Physician Resume Samples & Templates [PDF+DOC] 2024 How to write a PERSONAL STATEMENT for PA SCHOOL/ Uk physician associate MHA Personal Statement 31 Physician Assistant Personal Statement Examples VIDEO HOW TO WRITE PERSONAL STATEMENT: UNIVERSITY ADMISSION GUIDE Write an Incredible Personal Statement: 3 Steps with Examples How to Write the Personal Statement for UGRAD || SOP for Global UGRAD How to write a Personal Statement? Preparing to Write Your Personal Statement Part 2! COMMENTS 31 Physician Assistant Personal Statement Examples Personal Statement Example 1. By: Ashley T. As the sun was going down, the rain began to fall. Alongside the road there were sirens and flashing lights next to a black vehicle; it was completely destroyed. I was unconscious, stuck inside the vehicle. EMS extricated me and transported me to the hospital. PA Personal Statement: How to Write a Killer Admissions Essay for PA The PA school personal statement is one of the most important of the PA school requirements. Before you begin writing your physician assistant personal statement, it's important to understand the purpose of the personal statement. Essentially, your personal statement will serve as your introduction to admissions committees. Do's and Don'ts for Writing a Strong CASPA Personal Statement Writing the statement - do's and don'ts. Do demonstrate your knowledge of the PA profession. Your essay should make it clear why you are pursuing medicine, and why you have chosen to become a PA specifically. Don't say why you don't want to be a different kind of healthcare provider, write about how you want to be a PA! Write The Perfect PA School Personal Statement [With Examples] Anatomy of a Physician Assistant Personal Statement. The first thing you need to understand is the structure of the document. Once you know that, it's easier to brainstorm the type of information you'll need to write it. A PA personal statement includes an opening statement, a body, and a strong conclusion. Opening Statement 12 Secrets to Writing an Irresistible PA School Personal Statement Take a look at your opening paragraph. Watch for words like "suddenly," "screamed," "blared," and "shocking." Eliminate those and any other words that sound like an exclamation point. Your goal is to tell your story coolly and calmly, the way you'd want a PA to act if you were the patient. #3. Writing Your PA School Personal Statement with Impact Writing Your PA School Personal Statement with Impact [Including a PA Personal Statement Example] There are approximately 300 accredited PA (physician assistant) schools in the United States. In the most recent application cycle, these schools received more than 27,000 applications. The matriculation rate for PA schools hovers near 30%, which ... Winning Personal Statement Physician Associate Example A well-crafted personal statement for a physician associate course should show your strengths as an applicant. You must include details about your academic background, employment, volunteering, extracurriculars, and future goals. If you've taken courses related to healthcare, you should include these too. A personal statement begins with an ... Writing Your Physician Assistant (PA) Personal Statement [Plus Sample While there are many different ways to approach writing a personal statement (PS) for your PA application, I am including a successful example here. The character limit for the CASPA application PS is 5,000 characters with spaces. In this essay, you are responding to the question, "Why PA?". To write a compelling essay, take some. PA School Personal Statement: Complete Guide + Examples Here is an example of a well-written personal statement: "Hey Doc, you might want to have a look at this.". On my computer rested a radiology report for a patient I saw with my rural preceptor. She came to the office with left upper quadrant pain, early satiety, and abdominal distention. Crafting a Winning PA Application Personal Statement Learn how to craft a standout Physician Assistant (PA) application personal statement with our expert tips. Discover key elements to include, writing strategies, and how to highlight your passion for patient care and the PA profession, all within the typical 5,000 character limit. Make your PA school application shine. The Ultimate PA School Personal Statement Starter Kit Physician Assistant Personal Statement Workshop: "To say I was an accident-prone child is an understatement" 9 Simple Steps to Avoid Silly Spelling and Grammar Goofs in Your PA School Personel Statement; 5 Tips to Get you Started on Your Personal Essay (and why you should do it now) How to Write Your Physician Assistant Personal Statement ... PDF MSc in Physician Associate Studies: Guide to Completing Your Personal Physician Associates have a responsibility for their patients and applicants should be able to ... So write a personal statement 1-2 sides of A4, telling us about you and why you want to be a Physician Associate. Author: hcsmle Created Date: 8/8/2018 11:59:03 AM ... PA School Personal Statement Guide In Physician Assistant Personal Statement Guide, Savanna Perry, PA-C walks you through the essential steps to making your essay stand out. You will learn to showcase who you are in a way that will leave your admissions committee reader excited to meet you. Acceptance to PA school is becoming more competitive each year, and this book provides ... Personal Statement 101: Editing Personal Statement 101: Editing. Writing a compelling essay for your physician assistant school application is no easy feat. It requires dedication, creativity, and a strong focus on editing. Once you have a rough draft, the real work begins as you refine your essay to perfection! Editing for Content: One of the first things to tackle during ... The Easier Way to Write Your Personal Statement In the end I utilized a five step process that allowed me to produce a strong personal statement. Below I have detailed each step. Step 1: Start Early + Free Write. First and foremost, start early. Not "give yourself a couple months" early, but "start thinking about this in the year before applying" early. How I wrote a successful PA school personal statement What experience have I had that will help me succeed in PA school. Purpose: Give examples of my ability to succeed in PA school past performance~future performance. Plans for career if accepted. Purpose: explanation of long term goals. Changes from last cycle. Purpose: demonstration of commitment to becoming a PA. How to Write the Perfect Physician Assistant Personal Statement for PA 7 Essays in 7 Days: PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 1, "A PA Changed My Life". PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 2, "I Want to Move Towards the Forefront of Patient Care". PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 3, "She Smiled, Said "Gracias!" and Gave me a Big Hug". Writing your Physician Associate Personal Statement Check and Optimise. Give yourself enough time to write your application, you don't want to be rushing and scrambling something together at the last minute. It took me a few drafts before I was happy with my application so give yourself a few attempts. Take a break and come back to it with a fresh pair of eyes. Personal Statement Advice from "Ask a PA Admissions Director" The personal statement is required as a part of any application to PA school. Many applicants make writing a personal statement a daunting task, but it does not have to be. Below are helpful hints and topics to avoid that can help you write a good personal statement. Topic: Why you want to be a PA? Personal Statement Helpful Hints: How to Write Your Physician Assistant Personal Statement Workbook. 12 interviews and 12 rules to writing your physician assistant personal statement. Learning what Admissions Directors and PA school faculty want in your personal statement is only the first step. We have created this accompanying workbook to help you put this advice into action. The Expert Panel Workbook - $3.99. How to write a personal statement for the physician associate course Hi guys, in this video i explained how to write a personal statement from beginning to end. I went into lots of details which is why its a long video. I talk... How To Become A Physician Assistant: A Step-By-Step Guide Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA): PAEA represents PA educational programs in the U.S. It supports programs in recruiting and retaining qualified faculty and PA students. The PA Grammar Guide 7 Essays in 7 Days: PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 1, "A PA Changed My Life". PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 2, "I Want to Move Towards the Forefront of Patient Care". PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 3, "She Smiled, Said "Gracias!" and Gave me a Big Hug". Physician Assistant Essay and Personal Statement Get FREE help and feedback on your PA School Essay. We offer fast, professional editing and revision of your PA School Personal Statement with a 24-48-hour turnaround. We follow CASPA guidelines and character count. Meet our team of experienced PAs, professional writers, and editors here to help you write a winning PA school essay that shines. assignment essay homework paper phd resume speech thesis