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How to get PCE as a PRE-PA

How To Get Patient Care Experience as a Pre-Physician Assistant Student

Applying to PA school is an exciting but challenging time in a medical student’s career. In the past few years, the PA profession has become increasingly popular and has even become known as the highest-rated healthcare job in the US. This increased attention toward the PA profession combined with the growing demand for highly skilled medical providers has caused the application process to become extremely competitive.

The application is a multi-step process of submitting undergraduate and prerequisite coursework, documentation of healthcare and patient care experiences, volunteer work, research opportunities, shadowing experiences, standardized testing scores, and a thoughtfully crafted personal statement. Once all of this has been submitted, an applicant may be asked to interview with the school to determine if they qualify for admission and are a good fit for the program. 

Now that I am more than halfway done with PA school, I can recognize why such a strong emphasis is placed on gaining DIRECT patient care experience and shadowing. While your undergraduate coursework and prerequisite grades are a vital portion of your application, they are just a piece of the whole picture of who you are as a person and future provider. The best way to portray to the admissions committee that you are prepared and fully devoted to the PA profession is through your dedication and understanding of the current healthcare role you have, and your evident drive to continue to progress further.

There are countless opportunities to gain PCE including Patient Care Technician, CNA, x-ray or ultrasound tech, medical assistant, EMT, pharmacy technician, athletic trainer, PT/OT aid, paramedic, phlebotomist, and military work. While PCE is preferred, many students are admitted with healthcare and shadowing experience as opposed to direct patient care. Such opportunities include being a scribe or engaging in research and lab work. 

Prior to applying to PA school, many programs require a minimum of 500-2000 hours of hands-on patient care experience. Personally, I chose to work as a Patient Care Technician (PCT) on a medical/surgical unit in the hospital, which required a 160-hour training course. While it is recommended that you receive the proper certificate training, there are countless positions available that offer on-the-job training if you are unable to complete the prerequisite coursework.

In this class, I became certified in phlebotomy, obtaining EKGs and vital signs, performing CPR, assisting in patient ambulation and activities of daily living, washing and turning patients, as well as feeding and wound care.

Personally, I absolutely loved working on a medical-surgical unit. In this role, I was exposed to such a wide variety of conditions that would range from requiring complete care to little or no assistance. As I got more experience in the field, I was able to learn and appreciate the typical vital signs, symptoms, and behaviors that might occur in individuals with similar pathologies. Beyond this, I quickly learned how to differentiate between a patient who needs immediate medical assistance and one who needs care but it is not emergent.

I believe that this exposure was extraordinarily helpful in expanding my knowledge of health conditions and diseases, and I would often reflect back upon these patient care experiences when learning about a new condition throughout my education. Beyond this exposure, this experience also taught me how to effectively manage my time, work with a healthcare team, prioritize high-risk patients while still performing all scheduled tasks on time, and ensure that all patients are treated with care, kindness, and respect.

After having spoken to many of my fellow PA classmates, I learned that many chose to work as a scribe prior to matriculation. According to these students, scribing was a great way to get exposure to a wide variety of conditions and reinforce pertinent positive and negative symptoms and exam findings.

Many found it extremely helpful to work alongside a physician and see the way they interact with their patients, the pace at which different providers work, the format of the patient interview and exam, and steps in diagnosis and treatment. Many felt that this was a great way to not only observe the step-by-step process of diagnosing and treating a patient, but it was also a helpful way to reinforce key findings in common conditions.

Overall, I’d advise any Pre-PA to gain as much shadowing and patient care experience as possible prior to matriculating into PA school. By shadowing multiple healthcare positions and shadowing PAs in multiple fields of practice, you can become positive that this career is for you before you even begin the education. The admissions team wants to know that you have not only done your homework on the role of a PA and the opportunities available for practice but also that you are solely dedicated to this profession. I truly believe there is no specific time to begin gaining PCE besides the earlier the better. While it may seem trivial to gain just a few hours here and there throughout the school year, all of these hours will add up and greatly enhance your application when you do begin to apply.

 I would also advise any pre-PA to choose a PCE position that you are truly passionate about, not necessarily what you think will look best to an admissions committee. If you are excited about something, go after it in every way you can. Your passion and determination will shine through in your application and particularly during the interview, which may be the sole reason you get accepted over another applicant.

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