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Chances of Getting Into PA School As A Reapplicant

Chances of Getting Into PA School As A Reapplicant

I was a three-time applicant before I got into 4 PA schools and many times when I talked to people, they would ask “does it hurt your application if you’re a reapplicant?” Personally, I never thought of it as a negative aspect of mentioning that I’m a reapplicant in my personal statement or interviews – in fact, it’s a strength! 

Being a reapplicant shows your determination towards the PA profession and your willingness to work hard no matter what it takes to get into PA school. So, what are some things that you should consider the second time around?

1. Look at your entire CASPA application and give it to a friend or PA student or a PA who is aware of this process and have them evaluate on what could be improved.

If you dissociate yourself from your own CASPA application and pretend that you are the admission’s committee evaluating this applicant, ask yourself what are some pros and cons just from this piece of document that would make you want to admit them into a program or not admit them into your program. This will allow you to check boxes on what you need to improve on throughout the year before applications open up in April-May.

2. Check in with each school that you got rejected or waitlisted from and ask for feedback on your application.

Some schools may even provide a thorough CASPA evaluation and tell you whether you need to take more courses, have more Patient Care Experience (PCE) hours, shadowing etc.

3. Create a solid month-month plan on how you will become a stronger PA applicant.

Do you meet all of the check boxes for experiences listed on CASPA? HCE, PCE, volunteering, research, leadership etc. There is always SOMETHING to do and there is no such thing as too much experience. You could also try out new opportunities with underserved communities, unhoused populations, medical mission trips etc.

4. My biggest question as a reapplicant was, do I write a new personal statement?

My purpose for wanting to go into medicine, my journey, and my reason of why PA did not change, so what do I do? This would be the time to have multiple people read your personal statement and get their perspective on what could be improved, including professional personal statement editing services. This will be your biggest selling point to the programs. You could also add a separate paragraph on how you have worked hard in learning how to balance, be resilient and gain new experiences in the year being a reapplicant.

5. Be sure to update your CASPA job descriptions, timings, and go over the entirety of the applicant for accuracy.

From personal experience, I made many mistakes as big as denying having bachelors or completing prerequisite courses just to get the “green you’ve completed this section” mark. Don’t rush your application thinking you’ve gone through everything in the past year so everything is correct.

6. Highlight that you are a reapplicant in your personal statement and in your interviews.

It shows grit being one of your strengths as a person who is picking themselves up after each cycle of rejections and re-evaluating on how they can improve to be a stronger PA school candidate.

7. Choosing schools as a reapplicant may need a different approach this time.

I’m a big proponent of applying to holistic schools. If you don’t have location restrictions, applying to 12-15 programs is a good idea. You want to look at the school’s mission statement and values and compare your application. Do you have experiences to back up what they’re looking for? Don’t just talk the talk, show them you have experiences that make you a great candidate for their program. MyPABox has a great breakdown on 1st time pass rate, mission statement and the finances behind applications as well as tuition that you definitely should utilize in making your list of programs. You can use the code “nextpac” to get 15% off if you’re interested.

8. Stay connected with the programs you apply to.

Be involved in their pre-PA club if they have it so you can take advantage of the resources they may offer from mock interviews to mentor support throughout this process. MBKU in Fullerton has a great pre-PA program that I utilized.

If you really take the time to work on every single aspect of your application and do what the school is asking you to improve, your chances of getting in are just as great as the next person with great statistics. Utilize the resources you are weak in such as personal statements or mock interviews and make the most out of your year before applications.

If you have any questions or need any assistance, please feel free to reach out! I wish you all the best on this journey, future colleague! 

www.npateljoshi.com

IG: @npateljoshi 

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