Several schools offer PA programs. First, have your experiences descriptions prepared before the cycle opens. This post will discuss a few CASPA tips and strategies to approach the CASPA application that will ease stress when the application cycle opens, and make sure you can avoid any potential application mistakes. List it as a "Current" experience. Next you will enter the Description/Key Responsibilities of the experience. How to use this in your personal statement: Bring together shared experiences - in this example the author hints at her medical heritage when she says: "I gleaned some insights into the profession from my father", and ties this into her shadowing experience. I achieved a timely and successful setup of services according to client needs, objectives, and contract specifications. If youre not a born writer, not to worry get help. But, that doesn't mean you are required to spend hours figuring out what to include or mulling over what to write in the sometimes-intimidating "description" section of each entry. And, if you want to approach your full application with a clear step-by-step plan that will make all of your decisions simpler, dont miss my Application Head-Start Workshop. Remember not to overstate your role. Stay tuned for the answers to all . Enter information about your supervisor at the organization. For more help, consider our ebook on essays, or hire us to coaching you through the process. This will strengthen your application tremendously! Your recent experience is most important, so don't stress if you can't find the phone number for your boss from six years ago. It involves systematic investigation and analysis of health-related issues, such as disease . Instead, try to submit around mid June. Through this role, I have gained valuable clinical experience, strengthened my communication skills with both patients and fellow medical colleagues, increased my medical knowledge, and learned the art of team-based care. and your supervisors information (name, title, contact information). In the CASPA application for documenting shadowing hours, what should be written in the description/key responsibilities section? Extracurricular Activities There is no limit to the number of experiences that you are able to enter, but you will want to add experiences that you feel are relevant to your PA application. The goal of undertaking PA programs is to ensure people live healthily. Applying to PA school can be challenging and time consuming. At this part of the PA school application process, youll have to brush up on your interview skills. Avoid this mistake! Enter additional details about the experience, including the title of the experience and the time commitments. Anticipating that your CASPA calculated GPA will be either higher/lower/or about the same as your undergraduate GPA will keep you informed and prepared when deciding which programs you should ultimately apply to. It depends a little on your exact responsibilities, but in most cases ER volunteer work should be classified as Healthcare Experience (because the Volunteer category is for non-medical types of volunteering, and you had patient interaction, but were not responsible for the patients care). Please read our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) before submitting questions. We had an AI computer write a 5000 character personal statement. Click Contact Us up top. Like listing volunteer experience, how you describe non-health care related work can be vague or specific, depending on the circumstances. The level of detail you should include for a volunteering entry depends on the relevance of that experience to a career in medicine. . . All these little data points help a reader picture you in their mind. Getting Started with Your CASPA Application Creating and Managing Your CASPA Account Adding and Deleting CASPA Programs Filling Out Your CASPA Application Some programs list a submission deadline and some list a verification deadline, some have whats considered rolling admissions. You can post now and register later. Check this list when the application cycle opens and make a plan that will guarantee your application is received by the admission committees before it is too late. Options to categorize you experiences include non-healthcare employment, research, volunteer, patient care experience, healthcare experience, shadowing, leadership experience, extracurricular activities, and teaching experience. Along with applying too late in the cycle, this is probably tied for the most common problem. The FAQ spells out what counts as: Make sure you use the right category when you describe your experiences. Agreed with both responses above. CASPA will automatically calculate the total number of hours based on these numbers, and this calculation will show up directly under the numbers you have entered. List what you observed, accomplished, or learned without describing how you felt about it. For shadowing role description, would it be wrong of me to simply put "Observed the role of a PAin the sickle cell clinic". They can be accessed from the sidebar as well as the TOP menu bar. When you're faced with the CASPA experience descriptions, just stick to the facts and only include what's relevant. A good essay starts with being original and taking a risk or two. Otherwise, leave it out. The Central Application Service for Physician Assistants. In the supporting materials section of CASPA, you are given the opportunity to list and describe the various roles that add to your application. Paste as plain text instead, You cannot paste images directly. Most will lack any of their writers unique personality. Or should I elaborate more on the experience? Instead say: I helped to managed needed patient services such as. Grade forgiveness is sometimes offered at universitys and allows students to repeat a course that they did poorly in and only use the most recent course grade in the students overall GPA calculation. Example 2 (lacks sufficient detail): I work at a doctors office and my responsibilities include interacting with patients and performing different tests on them. Clear editor. Only then can you rest for a bit until you are invited to interview! There are free online resources that can help you estimate it. For example, a 40 hour a week position with 10 hours a week of research and 30 hours a week of direct patient care would be entered under both Research and Patient Care types with the appropriate hours and duties listed within each entry. As anyone who has tackled the CASPA application in the past can attest, it's not something that can be done in an afternoon. Please read our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) before submitting questions. This section is found under the Supporting Information section of CASPA. If you showed up for the day to volunteer, keep the description simple and don't embellish. Trying to squeeze in unnecessary impassioned information will only exhaust you and anyone else who will eventually be reading through your application. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. I have been involved in nursing research in the past through my participation on a project focused on improving the efficiency of the discharge process from the emergency department. Once you add the experience, youll be prompted to categorize the Experience Type based on the following categories: After categorizing the experience, you will enter details about the organization (name, location, etc.) Make this part easy by not stressing over the blank spaces. Six programs is the bare minimum, and only for top tier students (over 3000 hours patient care experience, 3.5+ GPA and strong essay). I paid most of my way through college by waiting tables, but describing the skills I gained as being genuinely relevant to work as a PA would be a stretch, and it would look like one on an application.). Pretty straightforward, right? This open "description" section is what starts to slow applicants down. When all of your supporting documents have been received, your application will be designated as Complete. Step 2: After categorizing the experience, you will enter details about the organization (name, location, etc.) You can all Whateverville and to figure out whats going on. It's essential that this information is accurate as a PA program may reclassify your experience from PCE to the less-favored HCE if your described level of responsibility does not meet their standards for PCE. All rights reserved. Healthcare Experience* You never know who will be reading your application and whether that certain experience might catch the attention of the reader! For example, if you worked as a CNA at your community hospital, describe what you did, what other healthcare workers you were on a team with, how it has inspired you to continue your journey to become a PA, general skills and values you gained, etc. You will then be prompted to enter the Experience Dates, which will give you the chance to enter both the start and end date, whether it is a current experience, and the status of the experience (full-time, part-time, per diem, temporary). Many rely on generalizations or fail to show readiness for PA school. I'd say stick to your roles/ responsibilities! comment sorted by Best Top New Controversial Q&A Add a Comment . Considering not only what you did (like take vitals), but how you interacted with patients, worked as part of a team, or lessons you learned in a particular role will help you to distinguish one position from the next. Patient Care Experience* The Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) simplifies the process of applying to physician assistant programs. If you havent read CASPAs definitions of the different types of experiences, then read them now, and carefully (read CASPAs FAQ here). If you've had a few CNA roles, you want to convey any new skills you gained in each position. Since patient care hours are a huge element of your application for many PA programs, its important that you carefully and strategically explain your experience so that PA programs get a clear understanding of that specific experience. As a resident of Colorado, the Colorado Reproductive Equity Act has had a positive impact on my life. Yes, it costs more, but Its a numbers game, and the alternative is another year waiting to reapply. Related activities you would like your selected programs to review; for example, academic clubs and competitive teams. Once you add the experience, you'll be prompted to categorize the "Experience Type" based on the following categories: Non-Healthcare Employment Research Volunteer Patient Care Experience* Healthcare Experience* Shadowing Leadership Experience Extracurricular Activities This is the part of the Experience section that you want to pay very close attention to while completing. PAI 19: How to open your PA School Application Essay, PAI 17: Medical Ethics Interview Questions, PAI 14: PAs and Continuing Medical Education. . The "experiences" portion of CASPA is one of the most valuable parts of your application! My tasks included, but were not limited to, taking patients' vitals signs and blood sugar checks. It is best to aim to have your application submitted a few weeks prior to this deadline, so that by the time that December 1st deadline rolls around your application is submitted AND verified. Aim to be as descriptive as possible when completing your CASPA application. As always, Im happy to help! Think about it: thousands of hopeful applicants are all vying for the same attention. This portion of your application will be discussed in detail below. This means that your application either needs to be submitted and paid for by that specific date, or needs to have been submitted, paid for, AND verified by the date stated. This portion is one of the few parts of CASPA you can work on before the cycle opens. Since patient care hours are a huge element of your application for many PA programs, its important that you carefully and strategically explain your experience so that PA programs get a clear understanding of that specific experience. The CASPA application has separate sections where you are asked to list your achievements, memberships, certifications, and licenses. Some essays they read are very basic. Tips for Updating Your Personal Statement as a Reapplicant, my PA Resource, PO Box 153, Woodstock, GA, USA, Maximizing the Experience Description Sections of CASPA. Any experience working on a research project, preferably in addition to or outside of regular classroom work. Describe your patient care experience(s) in detail, including direct patient care responsibilities and duration in estimated . This mistake is common and more work to avoid. All Rights Reserved. If it's important enough for you to include, you should allow it to be verified. You want to jam-pack this section with details about the experience and your role. I'll share with you the three things PA. Here is where you will explain to the admissions committee your responsibilities, job duties, level of involvement, etc in this particular experience. Once your application is submitted and all required material is received, your applications status will update to Complete. Your application is then in line to be verified. My key responsibilities include taking patient vitals, recording patient medical histories, discussing current patient medications, administering vaccinations, and performing electrocardiograms. You want to jam-pack this section with details about the experience and your role. If something is important enough to mention in the description, you should give specific details. Fun fact:you can begin an application in CASPA even if you donotplan to apply for that cycle. You cannot view these CASPA calculated GPAs until you submit an application. Powered by Invision Community, Welcome to the Physician Assistant Forum! Once received by CASPA, your application and materials go through a verification . Options to categorize your experiences include non-healthcare employment, research experience, volunteer, patient care experience, healthcare experience, shadowing, leadership experience, extracurricular activities, and teaching experience. "I really enjoyed talking with patients and getting to know them throughout myyears thereit always made my day when I was able to make someone smile and feel better even though they were sick") or should I keep it strictly objective, (ex. Most students list them but leave the experience's description blank. You can reach their customer service line at (617) 612-2080 or caspainfo@caspaonline.org Monday through Friday, 9-5 Eastern. Feel free to add as many experiences that you would like. Impress admission committees every chance you can, including with these short paragraphs. Feel free to add as many experiences that you would like. This was my first experience working with patients and it ignited my passion for helping others.". The blank space is just about the facts. Touch is the feeling of contact between a living creature and its environment. This can be really helpful when you've held several similar positions. When you are deciding which programs to apply to, take the time to calculate your CASPA overall GPA and science GPA so you do not apply to a program and realize your calculated GPA was below the required minimum. Describe the type of practice and provider (e.g., dermatology, PA) you observed. The quality of the description short responses can elevate your application as a whole. CASPA has added an optional essay question so that applicants can describe the ways COVID-19 has impacted them. Applications open in April, and much of your competition will submit their apps in April. It is the first sense to develop in the fetus, and it is the most sensitive of the senses in both adults and children. What it was like to live in a medically underserved area. For example, if you are currently a teaching assistant for a college course, keep a list of key points from this experience that can strengthen your PA program applications. Aim to be as descriptive as possible when completing your CASPA application. It is your chance to go into detail about the diverse experiences you have had leading up to PA school. You must keep track of these deadlines! While the other details are straightforward, the wide open blank space is your only opportunity to add subjective information about your experience. 338 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<3DEFC28824D45D47906D5F311E7E49C6>]/Index[311 52]/Info 310 0 R/Length 121/Prev 178179/Root 312 0 R/Size 363/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream For each experience, you should discuss your title/role, your key responsibilities, the skills you have gained during this role, and (if you have room) how this experience will benefit you as a PA. Providing these details on your application will leave no room for questions or doubt when admission committees are reviewing your application. But, this is not the place for mini, unsolicited supplemental essays. In the supporting materials section of CASPA, you are given the opportunity to list and describe the various roles and work experience that add to your CASPA application. The goal is to pique the admissions committee's interest in you, in hopes they will contact you for a school interview. Your personal statement may touch on some of your experience entries, but this part of CASPA is where you can elaborate on each one individually. Hi, I saw on a YouTube video that someone suggested to describe the experience and include a brief explanation of what they also learned from that experience. Both paid and unpaid work in a health or health-related field where you are not directly responsible for a patient's care, but may still have patient interaction; for example, filling prescriptions, performing clerical work, delivering patient food, cleaning patients and/or their rooms, administering food or medication, taking vitals or other record-keeping information, working as a scribe, CNA (depending on job description), medical assistant, etc. Include any other impressive aspects about this specific experience. 18. You can attend PA program schools to pursue a degree in some of the best PA schools in Kentucky. Note that your experiences will not display on your application in any specific order, regardless of the dates entered. Since credit values, grade values, and course subjects vary widely from school to school, your programs need some type of standardization so they can accurately compare applicants. We are also in the planning stages for a webinar on making your CASPA application shine. myPAresource inc.,2020. There was an error submitting your subscription. (And Why It Should Matter to You), How to Describe Your Experiences in Your CASPA Application, How to Avoid Application Misconceptions as a PA School Candidate, How to Conquer the Length Limit Struggle with Your PA School Essay, How to Use Passive Tactics to Create a Better Future Application Essay, The Easy Right-Now Steps to Take If Not Applying to PA School Until Next Cycle, How to Wipe Out Vagueness to Improve Your PA school Application and Essay, How to Create a PA School Essay That Helps Readers Follow Your Story, How to Plot Out CASPA Entries Using Real Candidate Examples, 3 Methods for Starting Your PA School Essay When Writing Is a Struggle, How to Plan Your Update Strategy Before Applying to PA School. By definition, these experience will be non-health care related, but you can be the judge on what skills may be useful to your future as a PA. Completing CASPA (Central Application Service for Physician Assistants - online application service of the Physician Assistant Education Association) takes a lot of effort, but there are ways to make the application process more manageable. Being a nursing assistant is a great work experience before getting into a PA school. Have at least three people you trust read and critique your essay. Here is a guide on the best PA schools in Louisiana to help you build your career. Plus, some schools might have different or additional requirements which you will need to make sure that you're not missing anything. List what you observed, accomplished, or learned without describing how you felt about it. Step 1: First, you'll add an experience in CASPA's Experience section. Teaching Experience, *if you find yourself confused about the difference between, PCE and HCE, please refer to [Pep Talk #8] for clarity. PAI 20: Rejected by PA Schools! Conclusion sentence connecting the experience back to your goal of being ready for PA school. Describe your duties and patient responsibilities, which may include taking vital signs, drawing blood, charting, and transporting and assessing patients. For example, this section allows you the opportunity to prove why specific entries will be categorized as patient care compared to only healthcare experience. If you want the reader to take you seriously, dont try to sell them a used car. Finally, the last step is giving authorization for the PA programs to contact these organizations/supervisors. 362 0 obj <>stream January 12, 2018 in CASPA. You know this is a competitive undertaking, so cast a big net. It also avoids the "not limited to" statement from the original. Redefining the description as we did also can help you to see the distinct skills or experiences you may have gained from a role. Leave out irrelevant details that are non-specific to this particular experience in order to leave room for the necessary material. In the CASPA application for documenting shadowing hours, what should be written in the description/key responsibilities section? We will review each applicant's hours on a case by case basis and it will be dependent on how an applicant describes them on CASPA. As another example for a non-healthcare related experience entry, if you were a teaching assistant for a college course, consider expanding on how you guided students to the correct answer using critical thinking skills, kept open communication with the professors and team you are working with and managed your time efficiently! Notice how all of these examples sound complicated, biased, or use sales words like liaison or successful. Copyright 2022 Be a PA Consultants, All rights reserved. You will have their attention, and a good essay can leverage that attention into an interview. demographics, experiences, grades, and courses), but some information cannot be transferred (i.e. Why would you pass on giving them a few details about you? When you were cared for by a physician assistant. Stick with what it asks for (so you don't look like you can't follow directions). Maybe you led a team of volunteers or you worked with another organization on a project, either of which shows a higher level of responsibility in your role requiring skills that could help you in a future career as a PA. Paid work done outside of the health care field or a research lab; for example, a retail or restaurant job. Or maybe they havent received a transcript from University of Whateverville. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. If you have any specific questions about a particular experience, feel free to shoot me an email. This is known as the experiences section. For each entry, you'll add experience type, organization information, supervisor information, beginning and end dates, experience details (compensated/volunteer, weekly hours, total hours) and, finally, a description of your responsibilities in the role. CASPer Test - What You Need To Know About The Exam, my PA Resource, PO Box 153, Woodstock, GA, USA, you can work on before the cycle youll be applying. "my duties at this job included 1.23etc") I feel like they won't know me unless I'm able to say subjective things, but I also feel like that could be against "rules"..or whatever 2018 PhysicianAssistantForum.Com. I served as the primary liaison between provider and scribe teams. If you struggle to understand what to put for your experience, it can help to break ideas into bullet points. Describing Your Experiences In The CASPA Application First, have your "experiences" descriptions prepared before the cycle opens. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Display as a link instead, The method to document this experience is through the CASPA online application. If it is, do your best to add in the details. A PA personal statement is really a personal essay that offers you a time to shine. Experience Title: Use same title as original entry, but add "Continued," such as "Ambulance EMT, Continued" Experience Description: No need to repeat what you already told them about this . From your own experience, describe how the Colorado Reproductive Equity Act has impacted your life. You want to make them see you as a real person theyd like to meet (interview). %PDF-1.6 % Youll check either the yes or no box. Enter only current and in-progress experiences (not planned experiences), and check your program's requirements regarding documentation. Check out the r/PAstudent subreddit once accepted and r/physicianassistant after graduation. I'd say stick to your roles/ responsibilities! Schools with rolling admissions usually have few seats available by that late in the year, and interviews for them are already well underway. example: experience is a CNA, and along with describing the job duties, you would include how you learend to work with different personalities and work in a team better. Liaison International. You will be given a 600 character limit, not including spaces. I suggest keeping a file on your computer dedicated to drafting and editing experience descriptions so that once CASPA opens, they are polished and ready to go! I assist each doctor with a variety of tasks, which include aiding them in dressing wounds, chaperoning breast and pelvic exams, and contacting patients with lab work results. (LogOut/ Save time & gain momentum along your path by getting the kind of everyday support that a future PA needs. The 2018-2019 PA school CASPA application cycle is here. Step 5: Next you will enter the Description/Key Responsibilities of the experience. Todays post is going to discuss the ways to properly and strategically describe your experiences that you enter into CASPA. endstream endobj 312 0 obj <. Lets say the program you are applying to has a December 1st deadline for your application to be verified. If one of your reference hasnt submitted their letter and a schools deadline is approaching, you can call him/her and encourage them to turn in in ASAP. This is THE subreddit for all pre-physician assistant students seeking help with their applications. Take a step back from the position, and rather than describe it solely as a job, describe the experience holistically. They can be accessed from the sidebar as well as the TOP menu bar. CASPA will use grades from every course youve ever takencourse grades from undergraduate classes, random online courses, community college courses, etc. This gives a much clearer picture of the applicant's experience. If the experience was a student-organized group and there was no advisor, list a member who can verify your experience. Next, youll be prompted to enter in the Experience Details. CASPA will ask for your Title at the experience and the Type of Recognition you received through this experience (compensated, received academic credit, volunteer). The experiences section of CASPA is a crucial part of your application. To give an idea, here are two contrasting examples: Example 1 (loaded with details): For over three years, I have been working as a clinical assistant at an Internal Medicine practice. 3 Reply madbro2520 5 yr. ago Props to you for getting things done ahead of time. Limiting your description to one or two sentences may come off as lazy and underprepared to apply to PA school. For over three years, I have been working as a clinical assistant at an Internal Medicine practice. For example, how would you classify volunteering in an emergency room Volunteer, Patient Care Experience, or Healthcare Experience? This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Feel free to add information you gained from your observation or in discussion with the PA, but remember to frame it as a fact rather than a magical moment. Enter information about your supervisor at the organization. This may include student research positions, research technician positions, summer research student, masters rotational student, etc. CASPA will tell you if your application hits a snag of some kind, and if it does, you can fix it quickly to avoid delays. The Act ensures that reproductive health services, such as birth control, abortion, and emergency contraception, are available to all . Your description of any experience should be factual. So, what does that look like? Inside PA Training offers a comprehensive CASPA Application Review service so your application will look its absolute best.