Step 4: 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). Please try again. It's equally important not to overstate your duties in a role as PA schools will see through this and question your integrity. Enter the date or date range in which the experience took place. hb```2FB ea vA#QYdF%tOqP40I0 us00M@,6/A1-L7X.1j4L`YR2C)|sxvMu 'F \LB43L[CT1J /' Like listing volunteer experience, how you describe non-health care related work can be vague or specific, depending on the circumstances. All rights reserved. If you have any specific questions about a particular experience, feel free to shoot me an email [here]. 362 0 obj <>stream However, if you worked in marketing for five years, you probably worked with a team and developed projects in a professional setting that, though outside of medicine, will help you to succeed as a PA. Applications may be need to be submitted with the CASPA application, they may have different deadlines than the CASPA application or be an invite-only that the program will send via email after reviewing your CASPA. Describing your background in this way will allow the person reviewing your application to better understand the breadth of your experience. Conquering the PA school application process is a rite of passage for every future PA student. Let the experience speak for itself by saying specifically what you did. ^lW(y $k^ r x#1, 0 | Many schools accept lower GPAs or have less stringent admissions requirements. . It seems strange if you don't. 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. and your supervisors information (name, title, contact information). As DarcyJ stated, save the stories for your essays/ interviews! 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. Once you add the experience, youll be prompted to categorize the Experience Type based on the following categories: Non-Healthcare Employment If you want the reader to take you seriously, dont try to sell them a used car. 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. Agreed with both responses above. The blank space is just about the facts. Your description of any experience should be factual. So, what does that look like? Pasted as rich text. Aim to be as descriptive as possible when completing your CASPA application. (LogOut/ The experiences section of CASPA is a crucial part of your application. Experiences in which you were in charge of instructing others, such as a teaching assistant, tutor, etc. 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. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Feel free to add as many experiences that you would like. 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. demographics, experiences, grades, and courses), but some information cannot be transferred (i.e. Best Physician Assistant (PA) Schools in Delaware. Your goal is to attract a little attention to yourself and to be memorable. Shadowing Hey all, Im curious if the use of "bullet points" are encouraged instead of typical narrative paragraphs in description of experiences. Trying to squeeze in unnecessary impassioned information will only exhaust you and anyone else who will eventually be reading through your application. I'm trying to fill out my experiences, is it okay to use subjective information/words? List what you observed, accomplished, or learned without describing how you felt about it. (ex. Its important to put a lot of thought into these descriptions, because this is the only information that admission committees receive regarding your experiences. Instead, try to submit around mid June. Step 1: First, you'll add an experience in CASPA's Experience section. This may include student research positions, research technician positions, summer research student, masters rotational student, etc. 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. The "experiences" portion of CASPA is one of the most valuable parts of your application! Touch is the feeling of contact between a living creature and its environment. So sorry I'm just replying, I'm in my 2nd week of PA school and getting my ass handed to me lol. 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. I have gained many qualities that will help me as a future PA. Can you see the difference that a thoughtful description of your experiences can make on your application? 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. This may include guiding students to the correct answer using critical thinking skills, always keeping open communication with the professors and team you are working with, and managing your time efficiently! It also avoids the "not limited to" statement from the original. 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. If you submit an application to a program that has a hard cutoff cumulative GPA requirement of 3.2 and your CASPA calculated GPA is a 3.19, your application will basically be automatically rejected, which means if youre a low GPA applicant, youll have to attend community college in order to raise your GPA to a high enough standard to get into PA school. Enter the average weekly number of hours that you completed for this experience during the date range that you indicated. Applications open in April, and much of your competition will submit their apps in April. 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. There is a difference and it is important when it comes down to program deadlines since every school might be on a different timeline. Be very picky about the words you use to describe your experiences and avoid using any filler words or sentences. Applying to PA school can be challenging and time consuming. This is THE subreddit for all pre-physician assistant students seeking help with their applications. Step 2: After categorizing the experience, you will enter details about the organization (name, location, etc.) 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. If #2 above is a small missed opportunity, then using a bland or forgettable essay is a huge one (5000 characters)! 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. Get right to the point and leave the reader impressed by your involvement in these experiences. Enter information about the organization where the experience took place. Each of these make positive contributions to your ability to be a successful PA student and will be valued by admissions committees when you look at your CASPA application. 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. "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. My tasks included, but were not limited to, taking patients' vitals signs and blood sugar checks. 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! They can be accessed from the sidebar as well as the TOP menu bar. If you feel you have an experience that may not relate to PA school, but may make you stand out as an applicant, then definitely add it! This gives a much clearer picture of the applicant's experience. 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! Make this part easy by not stressing over the blank spaces. 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. When you're faced with the CASPA experience descriptions, just stick to the facts and only include what's relevant. The FAQ spells out what counts as: Make sure you use the right category when you describe your experiences. 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. This is a person that programs can contact to verify that this experience occurred. At this part of the PA school application process, youll have to brush up on your interview skills. Learn more. CASPA will use grades from every course youve ever takencourse grades from undergraduate classes, random online courses, community college courses, etc. Note that you cannot repeat hours between experience types. Instead say: I communicated with both providers and scribes. Volunteer 3 Reply madbro2520 5 yr. ago Props to you for getting things done ahead of time. Time spent officially following and observing a health care professional at work, preferably in the physician assistant field. Starting Your CASPA Application Get started with an overview of the process, important dates and fees, and contact information. You never know who will be reading your application and whether that certain experience might catch the attention of the reader! Check out the r/PAstudent subreddit once accepted and r/physicianassistant after graduation. We think this is a missed opportunity. The CASPA application is broken down into four parts: personal information, academic history, supporting information, and program materials. hbbd```b``+@$6,oA$.XefS0L`,} ; Display as a link instead, First, judge where it's relevant enough to include. Even if a community service activity was outside of the medical world, the skills you gained from it might still be relevant. This is the part of the Experience section that you want to pay. If something is important enough to mention in the description, you should give specific details. Im curious if the use of "bullet points" are encouraged instead of typical narrative paragraphs in description of experiences. If you can, I encourage you to make a CASPA account to familiarize yourself with CASPAs format and begin working on the portions of CASPA that you can. If you made Dean's List, describe what that means: "Dean's List is reserved for students who achieve a 3.5 or higher GPA for any given semester." Liaison International. They should be concise and informative. How to land the best Healthcare job, the first time! In CASPAs Identifying Information section you can provide some information on your upbringing, but most students dont. Third, be familiar with the difference between CASPA application submission and verification. It involves systematic investigation and analysis of health-related issues, such as disease . Only then can you rest for a bit until you are invited to interview! If you are looking for ways to prepare for the upcoming CASPA application cycle, then this post is for you. January 12, 2018 in CASPA. Note that your experiences will not display on your application in any specific order, regardless of the dates entered. A Touch of Humor I'm just wondering how much detail to go into because of the 600 character limit. Want more help on your CASPA application? Enter only current and in-progress experiences (not planned experiences), and check your program's requirements regarding documentation. You want to make them see you as a real person theyd like to meet (interview). If it's important enough for you to include, you should allow it to be verified. Options to categorize you experiences include non-healthcare employment, research, volunteer, patient care experience, healthcare experience, shadowing, leadership experience, extracurricular activities, and teaching experience. Step 1: First, youll add an experience in CASPAs Experience section. All tutors are evaluated by Course Hero as an expert in their subject area. hire us to coaching you through the process. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. When all of your supporting documents have been received, your application will be designated as Complete. The CASPA application has separate sections where you are asked to list your achievements, memberships, certifications, and licenses. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Design a site like this with WordPress.com. So, if position duties encompass more than one section, enter the position in both sections and divide the hours and duties accordingly. Its important that you use the 600 characters in such a way that gives PA programs a clear understanding of the specific experience that you are describing. endstream endobj startxref I'd say stick to your roles/ responsibilities! Direct patient care duties included taking vital signs, blood glucose monitoring, and answering patient calls. All Rights Reserved. One last note: Some of your experiences may be long ago, and maybe you can't find your supervisor's information or specific details about the experience. Applicants dress up their experiences with descriptions that try to inflate their experiences or sound educated. Here is where you will describe to the admissions committees your responsibilities, job duties, involvement, etc. Remain neutral and factual. CASPA experience section explained: advice on how to crush the experience section on CASPA! While this may appear straightforward, if you open up the "supporting information" section and the menu unfurls, you'll start to see what takes so long. Note that this may take a few weeks, but the average time it takes for your application to be verified is two weeks. Step 3: 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). Let's cover what to do for the most common experiences you might include in your application. Any experience working on a research project, preferably in addition to or outside of regular classroom work. 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. All these little data points help a reader picture you in their mind. The Advice You Can Ignore When Crafting Your PA School Application Essay, How to Prepare Now for a Potential Second Application Cycle, How to Assess the Impact of Geography on the PA School Experience, What to Know About Interprofessional Opportunities Offered by PA Programs, How to Increase Potential Employer Interest When Exploring a New Specialty as a PA. 2018 PhysicianAssistantForum.Com. 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. 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.