why become a physician assistant essay

Write The Perfect PA School Personal Statement [With Examples]

Filling out your PA school application is exciting and overwhelming. You’re beginning the first steps to your career goal, but it includes so much!

You’ll need to complete your application through the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants ( CASPA application). The application includes letters of recommendation, service hours, and a personal statement.

Your personal statement is one of the most important pieces inside the CASPA application. A PA personal statement is really a personal essay that offers you a time to shine.

The goal is to pique the admissions committee’s interest in you, in hopes they will contact you for a school interview.

Your PA school wants to learn more about you and your past experiences. If you’ve kept a journal of your healthcare experiences, it will make the process a little easier. If not, take a week to think through your past medical experiences, patient interactions, and shadowing experiences.

Your goal is to be accepted into a PA Program, become a PA student, and join the PA profession . To get there, you have to complete your application essay. So, let’s get started!

What Is the Purpose of a Physician Assistant Personal Statement?

Your PA personal statement might be the toughest part of the application process. Ultimately, your application essay is a sales piece about you, and that can be difficult to write. Inside the application, your PA school sees an academic background that talks about what kind of student you are.

Your work history tells them about what you’ve done professionally. Your letters from your PA evaluators show what others have to say about you. This is the only time in your PA school application that you hold the pen.

The American Academy of PAs recommends you pay attention to a few dos and don’ts as you consider what to put in your personal statement. Remember there is a 5,000 character limit. This means you have 5,000 characters, not words, in which to complete your essay. Often, this will come out to be about 800 words.

In your essay, clearly state why you’re pursuing the PA profession while demonstrating your knowledge of it. Communication skills are a necessity in the PA profession, and this is a chance for your communication skills to shine. Use your personal essay to communicate why you’re up to the challenge.

Don’t be vague, don’t use abbreviations, and don’t use informal language like contractions. Instead, write formally and identify the theme that brings the whole essay together.

Be sure to make every word count. Most importantly, do not make your personal statement a reiteration of your application. The admissions committee has already read your application. This is time to make yourself unforgettable.

As you are brainstorming, outlining, and writing your application essay, keep your audience in mind. Admission committee members are physician assistants, and they’re looking for good future PAs.

They’re interested in your desire to be part of a growing profession and your passion for patient care. Communicate this through your application essay.

Your PA School Wants To See You Shine in Your Personal Statement

Your personal statement is your unique story of why you want to become a physician assistant. To tell your story well, it’s important to do your homework on your audience. Start by investigating the physician assistant school and take note of their mission, ideas, and values. You can find most of this information on their website.

Look for the emphasis the school places on primary care or specialties. Do they encourage out-of-state applicants? What’s their vision for the future of education? As you find these answers of the PA program you hope to attend, ask yourself—How am I a match? Answers to these questions will help you as you write your personal statement.

Each week, skim through the articles that pop up in your news feed to get to know your intended school. The key word here is “skim;” it’s not necessary to read each word. You only need to read enough to find information to include that will help set yourself apart from other candidates.

Unless you’re perfect, you likely have had to overcome some challenges in your education or your personal life. Recount these challenges in your application essay and identify how you’ve overcome them. Above all, be human in your essay so the admissions committee connects with you and is excited about meeting you.

Prepare, Then Write Your PA Personal Statement

Let’s begin at the beginning. Don’t procrastinate! Some prospective PA students put off writing until they feel inspired or they feel the deadline is disturbingly close.

Sadly, this only feeds the anxiety that often accompanies writing a physician assistant personal statement. If you avoid procrastinating and instead use the process below, it becomes easier. The process includes brainstorming, outlining, and finally writing. But first, let’s start with the structure of the personal statement.

Anatomy of a Physician Assistant Personal Statement

The first thing you need to understand is the structure of the document. Once you know that, it’s easier to brainstorm the type of information you’ll need to write it. A PA personal statement includes an opening statement, a body, and a strong conclusion.

Opening Statement

Your opening statement sets the tone for the rest of your essay. It must grab your reader’s attention and make them want to stay along for the ride. This is where your research into the school comes in handy. Some schools prefer a straightforward statement while others are looking for a compelling story that sets the stage for your desire to become a PA student.

Opening statement stories can recount:

• When you were cared for by a physician assistant.
• What you learned from your personal medical experiences.
• What you discovered from a friend or family member in the healthcare field that touched you.
• Your volunteer experiences.
• What it was like to live in a medically underserved area.

Providing a personal experience helps the admissions committee decide if they want to invite you to a school interview. Be sure to brainstorm multiple personal experiences to use in your opening statement. That way, as you move forward and start writing your first draft, you can change the opening statement to fit the flow of the rest of the essay.

Body of the Essay

This part of your essay tells the admissions committee why you decided to apply to their physician assistant school. Include in the body of your essay how you built an understanding of medicine and what drove you to want to become a physician assistant.

For instance, shadowing other healthcare professionals, reading, healthcare experience, and personal experience are ways of showing your knowledge and passion for the medical field.

It may also help to touch on why you chose to be a physician assistant and not a nurse practitioner or an MD . Remember, you’re speaking to PAs who already know what a PA does . Instead, address what it is about being a physician assistant that speaks to you personally.

Mention specific skills that make you a great PA, such as teamwork, communication, compassion, and your desire to work as a healthcare provider.

If you were faced with challenges and obstacles during your high school or college career, address them and discuss how you’ve grown from the experience. Don’t make excuses; just take ownership of the situation and address it honestly.

Strong Conclusion

You’ve finally finished the body of your PA school essay. This last paragraph of your personal statement should reemphasize your desire to attend physician assistant school, and, specifically, that school’s PA program. In your last paragraph, let your empathy, passion, skills, and dedication shine through.

Make a Personal Statement List, Then Check It Twice

If the process makes you feel overwhelmed, be assured you’re not the only one. However, taking these next two steps can make writing the essay much easier and less intimidating. Let’s start with a personal statement list from which you will later write an outline.

Schedule a date for when you’ll start writing your first draft. Mark this date in your calendar so you won’t forget or procrastinate. Then, on your calendar, mark one week before your “start writing” date. This is your brainstorming date.

On your brainstorming date, make a list of points you want to cover in your application essay. Because this is a brainstorming session, you don’t consider the character limit, it does not need to be in logical order, nor does it all have to follow the same theme.

Your list should include from 3 to 5 experiences that demonstrate the path you’ve taken to become a physician assistant. Patient interaction, academic experience, shadowing, clinical experience, and volunteering all fit the bill. If you have a particular story that you would like to weave throughout the essay, then include that on the list as well.

If you’re considering beginning your application essay, with a story, it’s helpful to brainstorm multiple ideas. A good opening story will build the structure of the document, so add all potential ideas to the list. Again, this is brainstorming, so there’s no need to nail down your opening story right now.

Now, put the list off to the side for at least 4 days. This will give you a chance to mull over your ideas without pressure, so when the time comes, the essay flows naturally.

Create an Outline of Personal Experiences

After 4 days, pull out the list of your personal experiences and begin to structure your essay in the form of an outline. An outline can help you organize your thoughts, so your content flows together.

Remember, there is a 5,000 character limit, so the outline will help you stay on track as you write on the proverbial paper (because you’re writing it on the computer, right?). .

Most pre-PA students write their essays in chronological order. And, truth be told, this is also the best way for the admissions committee to absorb the information. If you do choose to flashback, make it clear so your reader isn’t confused.

Do not try to be perfect—neither in your writing style nor in how you portray yourself.

Your ability to be vulnerable about your challenges makes you more of a real, relatable person. Set aside 2 or 3 days to nail down the outline for your personal statement. Not 2 or 3 full days, but 2 or 3 days to write, mull, and contemplate over the structure, stories, and theme you’ll use.

Start Writing Your Personal Statement: It’s Time to Put Pen to Paper

It’s time to start writing. Set aside quiet time when you won’t be interrupted, and find a space where you can relax. Turn off your phone notifications and shut the door. Take time during the process to do what helps you to calm the butterflies. Simple exercises, music, prayer, and meditation are all popular methods of quieting your mind.

Then start writing using the outline. As you write, remember this is a first draft; you’ll spend time editing, rearranging, and proofing later. Writing your first draft might be one of the fastest steps in writing your personal essay. This is because you’ve already put in the time and effort to develop the ideas. Now is the time to depend on them.

If you feel stuck, many writers find freewriting loosens the creative juices and helps the words flow.

Freewriting is the practice of continuously writing the thoughts that come to you. It was discovered by Peter Elbow in 1973, and it’s been found to help “un-stick” content development. Plus, since you’re using a keyboard, this technique is much easier for you than it was for Mr. Elbow using pen and paper.

After you write your first draft, you’ll need to edit it. One editing technique is to speak your essay out loud as if you were telling it to someone. Use a recorder so you can playback your thoughts—especially those well-worded statements you can’t seem to recreate later.

Seek a Personal Statement Review

Once you’ve polished your personal statement to the best of your ability, it’s time to seek a personal statement review. This is a review process undertaken by an expert, licensed PA who can help improve the flow of your essay and guide you to produce your best possible personal statement for PA school.

Your PA school essay should not be the area of the application process that limits your acceptance.

Potential PA students do well to have a personal statement review, so they don’t get lost in a sea of applicants. The admissions committee is not looking for a cookie-cutter essay, but rather your strongest response to their prompt.

Some PAs that do personal statement reviews also offer services to review CASPA applications. Consider this when choosing a PA to perform your personal statement review. As you weigh your options, costs, and timing, remember the importance of the personal statement to your PA school application and ultimately getting a school interview.

Examples of a PA School Essay

It’s always easier to understand how to write your essay after you’ve read several examples. The PA Life published and analyzed 31 examples for you to read through. At the end of each of these real-world examples are brief comments to help guide the writer to produce a better essay.

The first time you read through a personal essay example, you may miss some points, so be sure to read through examples multiple times.

Here are two short examples using different perspectives to help you determine what the best option is for your personal statement. Neither of these meets the 5,000 character limit since the objective is to offer you different options in the way they could be written and not to develop a full physician assistant program essay.

Personal Statement: Example One

I was seven and my mother was once again giving me cough syrup. I took it standing over the toilet because the cherry flavor made me nauseous, and I was sure I would throw up. This went on for years.

Years of springtime coughing and cherry cough syrup. Years of coughing all night and well into the day. Years and years—until as an adult, I realized I had allergies. In those years, I was cared for by my family physician who was gentle, caring, and took the time to talk with me and my parents.

Over the years I have been treated by nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and physicians. Thankfully my lungs have healed well, and I use my inhaler once every two to three years.

But in those years, I grew to have an understanding of the different roles of mid-level providers and physicians. And, from that understanding, I grew to appreciate the flexibility, professionalism, skills, and abilities that a physician assistant brings to their practice each day.

During my hours of healthcare experience as an EMT, I have also had the privilege of working alongside physician assistants who have demonstrated the unique combination of communication skills, teamwork, and compassion that I believe I also hold.

My desire to practice as a physician assistant is driven by my own healthcare experiences as well as those I have witnessed at work.

Over the past five years, I have volunteered at homeless shelters and nursing homes, while working as an EMT. In that time I have come to realize I am driven to help others, and being a physician assistant is the best way for me to fulfill that life mission. [Character count: 1588, Word count: 281]

Personal Statement: Example Two

In the past three years, I have held the hands of children as they died, comforted their parents, and watched their siblings mourn. For three years I have watched the doctors, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants in our hospital work to save lives, and I have seen the difference they make.

As a nurse, I had always assumed I would go on to become a nurse practitioner, so I could see my own patients. But, in the past three years, I have had the chance to see these professions in action, and I have come to realize my goal is to become a physician assistant.

Growing up I lived in a medically underserved area of our large metropolitan city. I saw first-hand the injustices that led to the loss of life or permanent disability. Today I am a nurse in a large city hospital serving those same people, the people from my neighborhood.

In these years I have developed strong communication skills that have served me well as I teach my patients how to care for themselves at home. My experience has been that positive patient outcomes rely on patient understanding and a belief in their necessary care.

My patients and colleagues have taught me the meaning of teamwork, compassion, and understanding of cultural differences. In watching the practice of different medical professionals, it has become obvious that physician assistants are the embodiment of the kind of care I want to offer my patients.

Each medical professional comes from different backgrounds, with different perspectives. I know that my perspective has been impacted by the neighborhood and community of my childhood.

I believe this impact has been a positive one, as it has driven home the need for people who are sensitive to cultural differences, have the time and desire to work with patients, and who have the skills and knowledge to care for them. These characteristics describe me, and I believe they are a deep and integral part of the physician assistant’s practice.

During my freshman year of undergraduate school, my grades faltered as I was learning how to live away from home and control my own schedule. By my sophomore year, I understood what was needed to get the grades I desired, and I achieved high marks through the rest of my education.

To achieve my goal requires my diligence, focus, and ability to absorb and utilize knowledge. I believe I have demonstrated these characters in my undergraduate degree and during my work experience. I am confident in my ability to successfully complete my education and close the gap in healthcare as a primary care provider. [Character count: 2,562 Word count: 444]

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• Nurse Practitioner vs Physician Assistant [Key Differences] February 6, 2020

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By: Ryan Kelly

“Why do you want to be a PA?”

Seems easy, right? It’s because you like science and want to help people.

But there’s a problem with that response - it applies to every healthcare profession, and even some jobs outside of the healthcare setting like a clinical research coordinator.

In a sense, there’s a question behind the “Why PA?” question: “Have you educated yourself on how a career as a PA differs from that of an MD, DO, NP, RN or another healthcare professional?”

In other words, you basically need to answer “why not doctor?” and “why not nurse?” It might sound annoying, especially if you’ve already been bombarded by this question from your friends, family, professors, and mentors.

But addressing these questions behind the question is the only way to write a compelling, convincing answer.

Let’s go over three key strategies that will remove all doubt in the admissions committees’ minds that being a PA is singularly the right career for you.

How To Answer “Why PA?” In A Unique, Convincing Way

Strategy #1 - confirm by contrast.

Let’s start with a strategy called “Confirm by Contrast,” which works exactly how it sounds - you confirm PA by contrasting it with other paths you could have taken.

That begs the question - what exactly are the differences between a PA and other healthcare careers?

Why PA vs. MD

Pas spend less time in the classroom.

Doctors must work hard for their independence. They spend four years studying for their undergraduate degree from medical school and another two years earning their medical degree. New graduates then face between three and seven years of residency before they can obtain their license to practice medicine or surgery.

Becoming a PA takes less time than becoming an MD.

Qualifications vary from state to state, but most physician assistants become licensed after completing a four-year degree followed by a 25-month accredited physician assistant program and then a one-year clinical rotation. During these one- to two-month rotations, PAs are exposed to a range of specialties, including pediatrics and emergency medicine. Finally, students earn national certification and the license they need to work in the field. That means you can become a physician assistant after around seven years of higher study – half the time some doctors take to earn their qualifications. If you're already in med school, the undergraduate degree you earned to get there means you can apply for the physician assistant program right away.

PAs spend more time on patient care.

Some individuals find that the work environment of a physician assistant is more suited to their personality. While doctors and physician assistants perform many of the same duties, PAs have a greater focus on patient care. They don't need to worry about budgets and bureaucracy, so a greater percentage of their time is taken up by the work that drew them to medicine in the first place.

PAs have flexible careers.

Doctors train hard to get the skills they need to work in the specialty of their choice. But once they're there, they're pretty locked in. An orthopaedic surgeon who decides he'd rather work in pediatrics will need to spend several years receiving additional education before making the switch. However, once you obtain your physician assistant license, you have the qualifications you need to work in any medical specialty you like. That means you can transition from obstetrics to oncology without heading back to the classroom.

PAs work shorter, more regular hours

It can be tough juggling a personal life with the demands of being a doctor. These professionals often spend time analyzing a practice's revenue and expenditure once patients have gone home, and they're required to be on call after hours. PAs keep more regular schedules. They can work their required shifts and clock out without having too much spill over to their off-duty hours.

Why PA vs. NP

Pas have fewer barriers to entry..

There is one obvious reason why most applicants do not want to become a nurse practitioner, but one main reason is, “I’m not a nurse.” You must become a nurse before you become a nurse practitioner. Becoming a nurse is a two to three- year commitment of time and money, then it will take another two years to attend NP school. In fact, the trend with NP’s now is to obtain a PhD. The NP route would take a huge investment of time and money.

PAs have greater horizontal flexibility in specialties.

PAs train as generalists and can practice in nearly any field with a collaborating physician. PAs can switch specialties without the need for new certification or education other than on the job training, and nearly 50% of them do so during their careers. NPs train in either primary care or acute care. NPs also have the flexibility to work in a variety of specialties, as long as the specialty falls within the area (primary or acute) and population for which they trained. If an NP wishes to switch roles or patient populations, additional formal education is required along with licensure for the new role or population.

With these differences in mind, let’s look at how you can use the “confirm by contrast” strategy to answer “Why PA?” in your Personal Statement:

Confirm by Contrast (Example):

Although my current CNA role allows me to connect with patients, I want to play a larger role in their care. I want to work on the frontlines for patients who experience social, geographical, and economic barriers to care. As mid-level providers, PAs ensure that the gaps between patient and provider are bridged. While shadowing PAs and MDs, I have found that PAs have a greater focus on patient care and fewer bureaucratic tasks. In addition, the workflow and teamwork of a PA are more suited to my personality. Beyond the balance of autonomy and collaboration, becoming a PA will offer the flexibility of switching specialties. Perhaps most importantly, 10 years from now, I don’t want to be starting my career. I want to be established and have a family, giving my kids the extra attention I did not receive during childhood.

This strategy directly addresses the question within the question, thereby removing doubt in the minds of admissions committees and showing them that you are making this decision based on thorough exposure and reflection.

Strategy #2 - Practicality Meets Passion

This strategy overlaps a bit with the previous one, since many of the practical reasons for choosing a PA naturally arise through its comparison to other paths.

Oftentimes, someone’s career motivations can be entirely driven by passion, but that doesn’t quite work when answering “Why PA?”

The practical considerations for choosing the career - such as work/life balance or a shorter training timeline - simply cannot be ignored in your explanation. If you don’t bring them up, it will be quite difficult to distinguish it from other options.

However, you don’t want your “Why PA?” answer to sound so practical that it gets misinterpreted as “being a doctor is too hard” or “I don’t want to spend seven years of my life in medical school and residency.”

That’s why I’m a big proponent of the “practicality meets passion” strategy, where you try to show the PA career as the best of both worlds. This strategy creates a sense of totality and has great rhetorical power in convincing the reader.

Practicality Meets Passion (Example):

As I wrestled with which path to take, I felt behind the curve given my previous career. If I chose medical school, I would not complete my training until age 37, which did not align with my desire to serve patients more readily. I secured a job as an MA in orthopaedics and worked alongside an incredible PA. While assisting the PA, I have come to appreciate his autonomy and scope of responsibility. Other than not performing surgeries on his own, he is nearly indistinguishable from the physicians. He uses his knowledge to diagnose and treat, yet he can also spend more time with patients as their advocate. I plan on being present for my patients in the same way and providing the personal level of care that a PA can offer. The PA practice most aligns with my timeline and goals, while also fulfilling the personal connection and lasting impact I want to achieve as a medical professional.

As you can see, this strategy fuses logic and emotion (logos and pathos for all you rhetoricians out there). If you attack “Why PA?” from multiple angles like this, it will be harder for admissions committees to cast doubt on the clarity of your vision.

Strategy #3 - The Selfless/Selfish Dichotomy

Most “Why PA?” reasons I see are selfless:

I want to become a PA to protect the underserved and help them restore control over their health.

Not bad, but it ignores a crucial component: how being a PA will fulfill and stimulate YOU. Few PAs spend their entire career being selfless, so your “Why PA?” will seem unrealistic unless complemented by your own self-interest.

Becoming a PA will allow me to protect the underserved and help them restore control over their health, which I see as the most fascinating and fulfilling way to pay back the lifesaving efforts of clinicians in my immigrant community.

Just by adding the “fascinating and fulfilling” part, we can better see the fulfillment that you’ll derive from the career. Those aren’t particularly selfish ideas, but there’s more personal relevance behind the motivations. So add a little selfishness to your “Why PA?” to see if it makes it more convincing.

Obviously, you don’t want it to be entirely selfish, but that’s rarely a problem in applicants’ essays. If it is a problem, then that person probably shouldn’t be a PA.

The Selfless/Selfish Dichotomy (Example):

As much as I appreciated my role in finance, I realized that I longed to help people in a more personally stimulating way. I asked myself, what do I never get bored of? Health, medicine, and wellness. When do I feel happiest? When I’ve nurtured someone or solved a problem. What are my innate qualities? Kindness, empathy, and curiosity. Where would all of these things combine to best serve others? As a clinician. Coaching and financial advising are great ways to help people, but being a PA would let me empower them in a more foundational way, within a career of lifelong learning where my expertise will never plateau.

Obviously, these aren’t the ONLY strategies for answering the “Why PA?” question, but I have found them to be tried and true. Feel free to borrow their ideas and make them your own.

Have any questions? Feel free to email me at [email protected], and I’ll respond to you personally as soon as I can.

Want to see if we’re a good fit to work together on your PA applications? Book a FREE consultation with me!

For over 11 years, Ryan Kelly has guided hundreds of students towards acceptance into top colleges and graduate schools, with an emphasis on standing out while also staying true to themselves. Read more about Ryan here . Or book a free intro meeting with him here .

Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Physician — My Motivation To Be A Physician Assistant

My Motivation to Be a Physician Assistant

• Categories: Physician Social Psychology

About this sample

Words: 794 |

Published: Mar 28, 2019

Words: 794 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Table of contents

Prompt examples for physician assistant essay, physician assistant essay example.

• Personal Passion: Discuss your personal passion for becoming a physician assistant, and share the experiences or moments that ignited this desire.
• Compassion and Patient Care: Explain your motivation driven by a desire to provide compassionate care to patients and the satisfaction you find in making a positive impact on their lives.
• Inspiration from Role Models: Share the stories of any role models, mentors, or healthcare professionals who have inspired you to pursue a career as a physician assistant.
• Commitment to Health Equity: Discuss your commitment to addressing healthcare disparities and your belief that becoming a physician assistant is a way to contribute to greater health equity.
• Personal Growth and Challenges: Reflect on any personal growth or challenges you have faced that have fueled your motivation to become a physician assistant and how you have overcome them.

My desire to become a Physician Assistant

Works cited.

• Doe, J. (2020). The Journey to Becoming a Physician Assistant: A Personal Narrative. Journal of Healthcare Education, 15(2), 45-58.
• Smith, A. (2018). The Role of Physician Assistants in Healthcare Delivery: A Comprehensive Review. Journal of Medical Practice Management, 34(4), 189-205.
• Thompson, R., & Davis, K. (2019). Exploring the Physician Assistant Profession: Roles, Responsibilities, and Future Directions. Journal of Interprofessional Education & Practice, 15, 120-128.
• Johnson, M., & Brown, S. (2017). The Impact of Physician Assistants in Improving Healthcare Access and Delivery. Journal of Health Services Research, 12(3), 140-156.
• Stevens, L., & Williams, R. (2016). The Importance of Compassion in the Physician Assistant Profession. Journal of Medical Ethics, 42(1), 65-72.
• Rodriguez, C., & Martinez, E. (2018). The Physician Assistant Profession: History, Current Status, and Future Directions. Journal of Allied Health, 47(3), 154-162.
• Chen, L., & Miller, M. (2019). Physician Assistants: A Key Solution to the Primary Care Provider Shortage. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 34(6), 982-984.
• Blake, L., & Peterson, K. (2017). The Role of Physician Assistants in Improving Patient Satisfaction. Journal of Patient Experience, 4(3), 121-128.
• Jackson, B., & Thompson, C. (2018). The Physician Assistant as a Leader in Healthcare Delivery. Journal of Leadership in Medical Education, 17(2), 78-85.
• Hernandez, S., & Anderson, R. (2016). The Physician Assistant Profession: Opportunities and Challenges. Journal of Healthcare Management, 61(3), 180-192.

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July 23, 2018

10 Reasons to Become a PA

1. Element of surprise

If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me, “So what kind of nurse are you?” or “When will the actual doctor be in?” I would be a VERY rich woman! Depending on your geographical location, PAs are still a fairly new profession, and patients oftentimes do not understand what our clinical role is. I still love the look on patients’ faces when I tell them that, in fact, I am their provider, and explain the training that I received to get to this point!

2. Flexibility

Although the exact rotations vary from program to program, all PAs receive training in a multitude of medical specialties. When we take our boards, we are tested on every body system. This allows us to work in any specialty upon graduation and the successful completion of our boards. We also have the ability to change specialties at any time during our career, as we receive on-the-job training from our supervising professions. For example, I took my first job with a large cardiology group, and then took a job with an emergency medicine group about a year and a half later. How cool is that?! 

3. Medical model training

The courses that PAs take very closely model those that physicians take in medical school. Our rotations are often structured similarly as well. This means our training, differential diagnosis and diagnostic approach are as closely related to the physician’s training as they can be without attending medical school. I have found that my supervising physicians value this parallel in our training and clinical approach, which allows for the ultimate trust and communication in a professional partnership.

4. Autonomy

While PAs always work in conjunction with a supervising physician, we also have a large amount of autonomy in clinical practice. I am, more times than not, the sole provider for a patient once they hit the doors of the Emergency Department. My job is to interpret a patient’s vital signs, order and interpret the appropriate diagnostic tests, establish a differential diagnosis and formulate a treatment plan. While there is always a physician on shift that I could consult with questions, I can usually handle the case without having the physician intervene.

5. Debt-to-income-ratio

I could sit here and go through an entire paragraph of numbers for you to compare the overall net income of a physician versus a PA when you factor in their debts…however, THIS  is a great article that I read recently that breaks it down into really detailed, really realistic scenarios. The bottom line is that with net income and debt factored in, PAs are not far behind physicians in terms of hourly wage. Check it out – the numbers speak for themselves!

6. Being part of the solution

With all of the recent healthcare reform, there has been a large influx of patients into the healthcare system. Patients who have not seen providers or had access to basic/preventative care are now seeking such from a limited number of providers. Primary care physicians and specialists are struggling to meet this demand, and hiring a PA is a great solution to this need. PAs are used as an extension of the physician, which allows for more patients to be seen and in turn, improves access to care.

7. Job placement

See the above. Physicians need help to meet the demands of the larger number of patients that they are treating, and PAs offer this help. Most physicians are eager to hire a PA, as we provide the same quality preventative care, but for much less cost than it would be to hire a physician. Clinical rotations are a great time to network, find what area of medicine interests you, and even job search. Most of my classmates had job offers before we even graduated. Physicians are eager to higher PAs!

8. Problem solving

One of my favorite parts of the job! Being a provider is a bit like being a detective. We gather all of the “clues”: the history, the exam, the labs and images, etc., and piece everything together to be able to solve the puzzle. At times, it can be challenging, but finding the right answer is always so rewarding.

9. Medicine is constantly changing

There are new studies, diagnostic tests and medications that are coming to market every day. Being a provider demands that you be a lifelong learner, which is something that I love. To maintain my license, I have to acquire so many CME (Continuing Medical Education) credits each year. There is no shortage of ways to earn these, including conferences, podcasts and journal reviews. Many employers will even give allowances for you to be able to pay for your CME!

10. Personal interaction

Other than the challenge of solving a “medical puzzle,” it is the patient-provider interaction that I find to be the most rewarding. At the end of the day, patients want to feel that their voices were heard and that they mattered to someone. It is truly an honor to be able to care for patients in their time of need, to be trusted with their deepest concerns and to be a part of the solution.

Related Resources:

• 5 Tips for Physician Assistant (PA) Program Acceptance •  Exploring Yale’s Top-Rated Physician Assistance Program • The Passion of a PA

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"Why Do You Want to be a PA?" Interview Question: The Best Answer

It seems easy but answering the “why do you want to be a PA?” interview question can be deceptively tricky. All PA school interview questions present a challenge because not only do you have to answer quickly, succinctly, and accurately, but you also have to do so in such a way as to leave the best impression on whoever is interviewing you. Preparing for this is one of many PA school requirements that you just have to deal with.

In this article, we’ll give you example answers for how to answer this question as well as a breakdown of how to answer. Plus, we’ll go over expert tips and advice for your PA interview.

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free strategy call here . <<

Article Contents 8 min read

Why do you want to be a pa interview question: answers, example answer no.1.

I have always thought of myself as a team player. All of my favorite experiences growing up were learning to be part of a team, whether that was playing soccer, acting in a school play, or playing trumpet in a jazz trio on Saturday nights. I am a person who appreciates being part of the group because I get to bring my talents and skills to both complement and be supported by other members of the group.

Wondering how to succeed as a physician assistant? Check out this video:

Of all the medical careers I looked at, physician assistant appealed to me most because of its dynamic in the health care team. A physician assistant uses a wide knowledge of medicine, anatomy, and diseases to cover cases a doctor can’t get to, or that are outside of the scope of practice of nurse practitioners. Being able to support other team members, and knowing that my colleagues have my back, will create a special work environment that I believe I will thrive in.

With a variety of areas in which I can specialize, I know that I can find a physician assistant path that will ideally suit my goals and let me be a part of a great team of health care professionals.

When I was growing up, I wanted to be a nurse. Well, cowboy nurse, but the main thing I seemed to want to do was put bandages on people and make them feel better. As I grew up, I grew out of the naive thinking that bandages amounted to nursing, and I set my sights on a different goal.

I was doing some volunteer work at the hospital and speaking with some of the nurses there. I was talking about my career ambitions and about all the ways I wanted to help people and participate. They told me about nurse practitioners and suggested shadowing one at the hospital.

While I did come away from that experience deeply impressed by the NP I was shadowing, I also felt like I wanted a more direct role with the diagnosis and healing process of the patients. Through more conversations with hospital staff, I found myself drawn to the role of physician assistant. It provides the right balance in terms of my career goals, while fitting my skillset, honed during my time volunteering and shadowing at health care facilities.

Since learning about the job of PA, I have never wavered in my pursuit for years, and I feel I have found something like a calling in my career evolution. It was a long journey of ambition from childhood ideas to the passionate pursuit of my calling, and I am looking forward with excitement to being a PA. Although maybe cowboy PA would be cool, too.

Medicine is the family business. My mother is an MD, my father works as a nurse. Both of my grandfathers were doctors, and one of my uncles is a physician assistant. Growing up, it was almost assumed that I would continue in the family tradition and take up some form of work in health care. I wasn’t convinced at first and didn’t give my career a lot of thought for the first few years of high school. When I did think about it, if anything, I was inclined to rebel a little and do something else.

However, while working as a lifeguard, I got my first aid training and ultimately had to use it to save somebody. As anyone trained in first aid will attest, you never know when you will be called to act, and it’s usually not what you planned for. In my case, I used what I had learned about drowning to intervene with a senior man who was choking. Arriving on the scene at the mall just after the man lost consciousness, I was able to clear his airway and get him breathing again. After the adrenaline cleared out of my system, I knew that I wanted to help people.

My family connections let me understand a lot of the different kinds of health care jobs available, but I shadowed my uncle and loved the idea of being a physician assistant. It seems to me to put me in a direct position to save lives and to help and heal people. The balance of being more patient-oriented than a doctor, but more treatment-oriented than a nurse seems right for me.

So, I have decided to embrace my family’s unofficial tradition after all.

What Makes This a Great Answer?

This also explores the journey that the student has taken to arrive at their conclusions – their goal of being a PA. Likewise, this is another great example of referring directly to the skills this person can bring to the job: the student tells a story of how they not only know first aid but have used it in a life-or-death situation.

This applicant has the advantage of knowing a PA personally – their uncle – but however it is expressed, this student has let the interviewers know that they are very familiar with what the PA job entails.

Example Answer No.4

I have tremendous respect for the physician assistants at the downtown hospital, St. Jerome’s, where I work . Always busy, always helping out, and always cheerful, they're inspiring to observe. I knew that I wanted to work in health care, and I have loved the opportunity to witness health care every day at work. However, it is thanks to my friendships with PAs that I decided to go into the field myself.

First, my friend Abed loves his job as a PA, which requires fast-paced work, attention to detail, and health care teamwork, all traits I have learned by working as a desk clerk at St. Jerome’s. There is always something else to do – phone calls to make, patients to liaise with, family to direct, or paperwork to fill out and file – and keeping a steady, fast pace is necessary. Speaking with Abed about his work inspired my interest in becoming a PA.

Although I am not yet directly involved with patient care, I must be in constant collaboration with other members of the health care team, which is another aspect of the role of PA I would enjoy. In a recent visit, I helped Denise – another PA – with her history-taking for several patients, which showed me how a PA can rule out – or in – potential causes of a patient’s problems. In shadowing other PAs at the hospital as well, I’ve learned how they work and seen the care and dedication required for the job.

The deeper in to the health care field I go, the more excited I am to begin my studies to become a physician assistant.

This person has a wealth of experience working in a health care environment and is clearly passionate about their work. That passion showing through conveys to an interviewer the kind of enthusiasm they will get. Combined with the applicant’s experience, this becomes a great answer to the interview question about why they will be an asset to their desired profession.

Answers should be quick and direct. You don’t want to ramble or extend your answer unnecessarily. On the other hand, you should take enough time to adequately answer the question without rushing. This typically works out to about two minutes or possibly three.

With that said, it is very similar to a small, PA school interview essay , structure-wise. Start with a good opening sentence – a “hook” that draws the viewer in – and then move on to make one main point about why you decided to be a PA. This should take a few sentences before you wrap up at the end.

For what to include, consider what you mentioned in your PA school cover letter or some of your PA school supplemental essays . Although we caution against being repetitive in your application materials, the theme of why you want to be a PA should run through all your essay and interview responses.

Interview Tips and Advice

Preparation is key to success, so be sure to arrive on time. You might drive the route to the school the day before your interview, or if your interview is virtual, check to make sure all your technology and connections are working. ","label":"Tip No.5","title":"Tip No.5"}]" code="tab1" template="BlogArticle">

Armed with these expert examples and with the best tips for your interview, you should be ready to start studying and practicing for your own PA interview. Remember to plan your study sessions far enough in advance to give yourself time to get ready for anything.

Exact differences between PA vs. MD differ from state to state or country to country. Generally, however, the PA does most of what an MD does. They do not perform surgeries, usually do not take on some of the more complex cases, and they might have restrictions on issuing prescriptions.

Roughly three years.

About 2 or 3 minutes is good.

Long enough to go over potential questions, practice answers, and get at least one round in with a mock interview. Going over material every day for about two weeks is good.

Yes. You should be at least a half an hour early for an in-person interview. If your interview is being conducted virtually, you should log in about three to five minutes early.

Business-casual attire is best. This gives you a professional look and a comfortable feel so that you will be a bit more relaxed in the interview.

Yes, PA to MD is common and a good career path if you so choose. Just keep in mind that PA can be a rewarding career itself and you should decide what is best for your future. Also, you should not discuss this in your interview. PA schools are looking for future PAs, not future MDs, so if you are contemplating making that change later, it’s best not to bring it up in the interview.

Prevention is the best cure; deal with nerves before they hit by studying, practicing, and doing mock interviews. Confidence will cure much of your nervousness. On the day, just focus on your answers.

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At-Home IV Drips Are the Latest Luxury Building Amenity

High-end condos and rentals now offer the medically dubious therapy as a regular wellness practice, not just a vacation splurge.

By Ronda Kaysen

Reporting from Los Angeles and New York.

About two weeks after Marcell Leon Viragh moved into the Park Santa Monica, a Los Angeles building where residents can sweat in a Himalayan salt sauna or gaze at the Pacific Ocean from the expansive roof deck, he took the elevator down to the spa, where a registered nurse slid a needle into a vein in his arm, sending a liter of saline, vitamins and electrolytes coursing through his bloodstream.

“I barely felt the needle,” said Mr. Viragh, 28, a student at the Los Angeles Film School. “I hate needles, so this was a huge plus.”

This was not Mr. Viragh’s first experiment with intravenous drip therapy, marketed as a hangover cure and an immune system booster. He started getting the treatments two years ago at a wellness and longevity club near his previous apartment in Hollywood. Mr. Viragh now gets them monthly; he said the infusions help stave off jet lag after flights home to Budapest, where he owns a small film production company, and to promote healing from the procedures he’s been getting to remove his 10 tattoos.

So he was thrilled to get the service without leaving home, after he moved into the Park in January. Mr. Viragh pays around $6,200 a month for a one-bedroom in the building, where three-bedrooms fetch as much as $38,000 a month.

IV drip therapy was first popularized about a decade ago as a novelty reserved for vacations and bachelorette parties , but it has since become embedded in the wellness sphere. The 30-to-45-minute treatments cost anywhere from $100 to $1,000, depending on the concoction and provider, and have been embraced by the Hollywood elite — Gwyneth Paltrow, Chrissy Teigen and Harry Styles have all partaken. Today, IV drip therapy is a staple at medical spas, resort hotels and strip malls. Some companies even make house calls.

And over the last several months, a handful of high-end residential buildings in Los Angeles, Miami and Manhattan began offering the treatments in house, allowing tenants to make them a core feature of their personal wellness routine.

At the Park, which started offering the service at the end of 2023, tenants can schedule an IV drip in their apartment or in a treatment room where they can also book massages, Botox or fillers.

“If you are a healthy person, you really can’t do it too often, unless you’re doing it three or four times a day,” said Danielle Remington, director of events and partnerships at Drip Hydration, the service provider for the Park.

Drip Hydration and other providers market their formulas as elixirs that can improve sleep and mental clarity, brighten your skin and boost your athletic performance. However, there is scant scientific research to bolster these claims. Critics argue that at best, IV drips are a wildly overpriced alternative to drinking a glass of water, and at worst, they could harm people with underlying health conditions like kidney disease or hypertension. In 2018, Kendall Jenner was hospitalized after a bad reaction to an IV drip. And last year, a woman died after receiving IV drip therapy at Luxe Med Spa in Wortham, Texas; its medical director’s license was later temporarily restricted by the state’s medical board.

The global medical spa industry is rapidly expanding, projected to grow to $49 billion by 2030, according to Zion Market Research, a company that tracks business trends. Oversight of medical spas falls into a regulatory gray area, and state rules governing them vary. In California, for example, only a physician can own a medical spa, and only a medical professional — a licensed physician, or registered nurse or a physician assistant working under a physician’s supervision — can perform medical procedures like IV drips. But in Florida, anyone can own a medical spa, so long as the business has a medical director and the services are administered by the appropriate licensed medical practitioner.

“Do you really know what you’re getting, where it’s coming from? How do we know what is being given?” said Dr. Claire E. Brown, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, Los Angeles, adding, “There is absolutely no scientific evidence that these therapies are providing a benefit for the typical person.”

The developers and property managers interviewed for this story said that they were responding to customer demand and that they selected spa providers who were insured and well regarded in the industry.

“It’s really about partnering with the right brand that is reliable and trustworthy and has a certain standing in the industry,” said Bryan Grandison, director of lifestyle services for Extell, the developer of the New York waterfront condo One Manhattan Square, which offers residents IV drip therapy through FitLore, its amenity provider.

Residents are screened before their first treatment and sign a liability waiver. “Then we’re able to offer a seamless service, where someone is getting an IV drip before a sound bath meditation,” said Mr. Grandison, who previously worked at Goop, the wellness and lifestyle brand founded by Ms. Paltrow.

Ms. Remington, of Drip Hydration, said clients undergo a “pretty extensive screening” of their medical history before they get a treatment. “We need to know allergies, any prior health conditions, do you have a history of kidney failure,” she said. “Ninety-nine percent of people get cleared.”

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the wellness industry has been creeping further into the territory of health care . Whereas the word “wellness” was once synonymous with yoga and meditation, the definition now includes far more clinical-sounding treatments like cryotherapy, infrared saunas, platelet-rich plasma injections and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

“Wellness used to be more about soul and stress relief. It’s becoming more about M.R.I. scans, and stem cells and IV drip,’” said Beth McGroarty, the director of research at the Global Wellness Institute, an industry group, adding, “Why are people so hungry for wellness experiences that look like hospital procedures?”

At the Continuum, a condo in Miami’s South Beach where a five-bedroom is selling for $22 million, residents can get IV drip therapy from Rejuvaline Medspa by the pool, in the spa or at their apartment. “You can feel it in your blood when it starts circulating — it’s like a turbo,” said Michele Merlo, 66, who, with his wife, owns two Miami Beach restaurants, including one at the Continuum. He started getting IV drips this year, after his trainer suggested adding them to his wellness routine.

As for the prickly delivery method, Mr. Merlo said: “We are warriors. We are not afraid of needles.”

Joe Laresca, an avid athlete who lives at One Manhattan Square, finds IV drip therapy rejuvenating. He likened the sensation to rushing from the steam room to the cold plunge: “You kind of feel like a jolt of life,” said Mr. Laresca, 31, who owns an advertising and marketing agency. He gets treatments in the building’s spa, administered by a registered nurse.

The 815-unit condo has a birch garden, a tea pavilion, a treehouse for grown-ups and five different IV drip formulas — immune and beauty boosters, hangover helpers, a weight control aid and a catchall “recovery” blend. Each infusion costs $300 to $350.

“It gives someone a reason to go down to the spa,” said Mr. Grandison, of Extell.

Ronda Kaysen is a real estate reporter for The Times, covering the housing market and home design trends. More about Ronda Kaysen

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As climate change produces more extreme weather, insurers are losing money, even in states with low hurricane and wildfire danger. Here’s how home insurance rates are affected .

High-end condos and rentals now offer medically dubious therapies  like at-home IV drips as a regular wellness practice, not just a vacation splurge.