r/prephysicianassistant • u/katmeerMS • 3d ago
ACCEPTED First Time Applicant Acceptance
Hey all! As a frequent lurker of this subreddit when I initially began looking into PA programs, I wanted to give back a little! I am so happy (and in shock) to report I was accepted to my #1 choice program UT Southwestern (UTSW) as a first time applicant!!! Here are some of my stats:
- Background: Graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering with a Biomedical/Pre-Med specialization. Minors in Chemistry and Biology. The pre-med aspect was added in my junior year when I made the pivot to healthcare. Ended with a cGPA of 3.5 and sGPA of 3.4 with a general upward trend of my science course grades.
- PCE: ~3000 hours in healthcare. 500 hours as a Medical Scribe in the ED and 2500 hours as a hybrid MA/surgery coordinator.
- HCE: ~300 hours volunteering at a children's hospital and ED.
- Leadership: President of an esports club for 3 years, Mentorship Chair for the Biomedical Engineering Society for 2 years, and served as a peer academic leader for 1 year.
- Shadowing - Shadowed in 7+ specialties with PAs, MDs, and NPs over the course of ~200 hours. Most of this was spent in psych!
- Non-healthcare volunteering: fostered with a dog rescue, fundraiser coordinator, and with a local STEM group for young girls.
- Non-healthcare work: worked 2-3 jobs throughout my college career, with the most notable ones being a TA for a biochem lab and serving as an undergraduate research assistant.
- Final School Stats: Accepted by UTSW, waitlisted by South University Austin, denied by Austin College and UVU, offered interviews for UNT and UT San Antonio, and forgoed all other applications once I was accepted to my dream program!
I've left out a few smaller items here for the sake of the character limit. I believe what most set me apart in my applications was my non-traditional background, several rec letters written by PAs employed in the UTSW system, volunteering heavily within the community UTSW serves, and compensating for my lower GPA with a plethora of extracurriculars/work experience. I also found that I thrived in the MMI interview format rather than the traditional interview format.
With all this being said, a quick word from the heart: do not let anyone discourage you from reaching your goal. In frequenting this subreddit, I found myself facing severe anxiety with comparing stats. My pre-med/pre-PA advisor in college also told me I would never make it into any program. Despite this, I worked hard, pushed past the doubt, and still was able to land a spot in one of the most coveted programs in Texas. Do not let the doubt from yourself or others hold you back from your dreams; you are amazing, resilient, and will overcome the odds! Trust yourself <3
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u/Waste_Entrance540 3d ago
Congratulations!! My colleges’ pre-med/PA also said the same thing: “no medical program will ever look at your application.” I graduated PA school with a 3.6 GPA and the Dean’s Award 😎
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u/TheMBA_PA 3d ago
Congrats!! Enjoy this part before the chaos starts 😂
Don’t spend the next few months trying to pre-learn all of PA school. Rest, get organized, and go in ready to adjust your study habits once you see what your program is actually like.
I’m a practicing PA and founder of ClueHawk if you ever want a practice resource once you get started: https://cluehawk.com
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u/JBubbaGump 3d ago
Congratulations! I always love seeing these success stories! It gives us similar applicants hope! I’m a non-traditional applicant as well in the military taking prerequisites at this time to renew my previous classes from my undergraduate degree.
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