What to Know About PA School – Shadab M.

Hi everyone my name is Shadi. I’m almost done with the first semester of PA school at USC. Its been a crazy ride to say the least but I enjoyed it and so will you! First off and foremost important to say is that I did not get in the first round I applied and thats okay! Please do not get disappointed or discouraged if you hear “no” from schools, there will be one that says yes I promise! USC has always been my top choice and to this day sometimes I have to pinch myself. A couple of tips for the application. Start early and submit your application early! We are talking June, the latest July. I’m not saying if you apply in August or September there is no chance, but some schools are on rolling admission and dont wait till their deadline. Start months earlier to work on your essay. Get it proofread a hundred times! There are resources out there that can help with the revision of your essay. Next tip, if there are any C’s on your transcripts, make sure to change them into A’s. I understand that it could be time consuming and expensive at times but it will make you stand out! Get involved in research during undergrad and start collecting patient care hours early! We need at least 2000. There are programs such as Health Scholar program that are well known to many PA programs. Keep in mind that there are a few schools that need specific direct patient care hours so read their websites carefully and double check with them by email! I understand that with the pandemic going around there might not be much opportunity available but dont forget about Telemedicine!! We are going big with telemedicine and the more you are exposed to it by maybe shadowing a PA, NP, MD or a DO who does teleconsults daily, you get to know which questions to ask to be able to better diagnose your patients. The questions you ask play an important role when consulting a patient and something as simple as “when?” Will help you land on a diagnosis. As we all know PA school is not cheap. Expenses add up and can add to the stress. Fortunately there are loans to help student pay for school and the schools are very helpful in providing workshops and tutorials on how to fill out FAFSA. Due to the pandemic there have been some assistance given to eligible students in my class and scholarships that have been a huge help. Make sure you apply to those and take advantage of the opportunity provided to you! I need to say that there is no competition in my PA program. Everyone is so friendly and wants to help you succeed, be it the instructors or the students. Honestly i have been blessed with a big support system at school and I am so grateful for it. I am positive that it is the same with other programs. Resources such as books are shared through class drives where it helps students cut back so much on textbook costs. Schools also provide you with learning Apps such as Anatomy apps that are free and a great resource to study. With the end of my first semester approaching, I can say that staying on top of the material is really important. Study every day! Because PA school cant be done the night before the test. I want to say that it is so wonderful and amazing to learn about our bodies and how everything works together to help us function through the day and be eager to learn more! Please do not hesitate to contact me @paschoolchronicles with any questions. Make sure to follow me on my journey where I share about my days at schools and clinical skills workshops!