Adam found out what a PA was in middle school, at his own doctor's appointment.

He's now a didactic year student at Pacific University Pennsylvania, and he got there by starting early and staying consistent. EMT work for patient care hours. Volunteering. A pre-health advisor who actually knew what PA programs wanted.

That advisor piece matters more than people realize. A bad advisor will hand you a pre-med checklist and let you find out two years later that you're missing prerequisites. Find someone who knows this specific path, and if your school doesn't have one, go find one somewhere else.

His advice on hours is simple and correct: start accumulating them now. Not after you decide you're serious. Now. Hours are the one part of your application that only time can fix.

We also talk personal statement, because he put real work into his and it shows.

What we cover:

• Discovering the PA profession as a kid and holding onto it
• Working as an EMT for patient care hours
• Why volunteering still matters alongside paid experience
• Finding a pre-health advisor who understands PA, not just pre-med
• Writing a personal statement that isn't generic
• What didactic year at Pacific has actually been like

Resources:

Free Resume Download: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/free-resume-download

Free Personal Statement Worksheet: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/free-personal-statement-worksheet-download

Free PA School Application Timeline: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/free-application-timeline

Pre-PA Counseling: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/pre-pa-counseling

Mentioned in this episode:

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Welcome to the Pre PA Club Podcast.

Today we're going to hear from Adam, a current didactic student at Pacific University Pennsylvania Program in Hillsborough, Oregon.

He went to Seattle University.

He's going to tell us all about his background in sport and exercise science and working as an EMT and ER tech.

And we're going to hear about how PA school is going and how he feels about Pacific.

Welcome to the Pre PA Club Podcast.

If you want to learn how to become physician assistant, you're in the right place.

I'm your host, Savannah Perry.

Let's get to it.

Welcome to the podcast.

We've been on a little break, but I am happy to say that we.

Are back and this interview was actually recorded back in April.

I'm not really sure how it didn't make it to being published.

I'm not sure what happened there.

I'll take all the blame.

I'm Savannah, by the way, Durham, PA and creator of the PA platform.

So I am excited for you to hear from Adam today.

He reached out wanting to be on the podcast, which we love, and just wanting to share his experience and story because it was something that was helpful for him.

We'll get to that in just a second.

If you're new here, there are tons of previous episodes to check out and we'll be back with a bunch of new stuff coming your way, as well as some new ideas for videos and podcasts that I think will be really helpful and hopefully you guys will like them.

Always open to ideas also.

So if there's anything that you would like to hear about, please feel free to reach out and let me know.

Okay.

I want this to be something that's helpful for you and something that you really enjoy listening to.

If you're a podcast person like me or I've really been on an audiobook just kick lately.

So same difference.

But I'm thankful you're here.

If you enjoy the show, have any feedback, feel free to leave us a review on itunes.

Specifically if it's five star.

That helps more people find the podcast and gives me a little encouragement to keep going.

Before we get into hearing from Adam, we do have a sponsor for today's podcast, the Atlantis Fellowship.

So this is the number one pre health summer shadowing program and it's really cool because it's combines study abroad and getting to go internationally and learn about medicine in an international setting with getting some shadowing experience.

So it's a little different if you're.

Like me when I went to uga.

All of the study abroads weren't really.

Catered towards science students or pre health students and it just didn't make sense.

For me to go to Italy and learn about art.

But it would have been really cool to go and get to shadow and learn about medicine in a different country.

So we've had some great feedback in our Facebook group and it is something that I recommend just checking out to see if it would be a good option for you.

This is a really great way to spend your summer at an in depth shadowing program where you get experience with multiple medical specialties and there are a.

Lot of really great options.

We do have a video that I'll put in the description with an alumni who went on one of these programs so that you can really get that deep dive and hear about it.

Her name was Carson and then she also has her contact information if you have any questions.

But we'll put a link to where you can get more details on that Atlantis Fellowship if it's something you're interested in.

All right, we'll get into hearing from Adam.

And also as a reminder, we are still in interview season.

Please don't fret if you have not received an interview or heard back yet.

Hopefully.

Fingers crossed your time is coming soon, but we are happy to help you with mock interviews with we have the PA School Interview Guide, the PA School Interview course, and you can use the code futurepa for a discount on anything on the PA Platform website.

So make sure you are taking advantage of that and all of our free resources with the podcast you're already here, the blog, YouTube, social media.

We're really trying to help you guys out.

All right, let's hear from Adam and let me know what you think of this episode.

My name's Adam Denias and I am a didactic student at Pacific University, which is located in Hillsborough, Oregon.

It's about 30 minutes from Portland, so the biggest major city I would say my predominant healthcare experience is in emergency medicine.

So I was an EMT for about a year and a half and then I transitioned into an ER tech role.

It's a common path for a lot of people I know transition into that and I let's see, in my free time I like to lift weights and go to concerts.

I know concerts are opening up now with restrictions loosening, but yeah, cool.

About me?

Yeah, I definitely want to hear more about how you ended up at your program.

I just want to make sure everybody knows this is not to be confused with University of the Pacific because I feel like that is such a common thing that people get so confused and.

Yeah, anyway, they are two separate places that are near each other, but not.

All right, tell us a little bit about just what brought you to the PA profession.

Yeah, so I, early on, I would say probably in like middle school, I. I knew I wanted to be in healthcare, but I didn't really quite know what area or what role I wanted to have.

So.

So I started doing a little bit of research early on and I actually came across the PA profession quite early.

I ended up.

It just was luck of the draw.

But I dealt with acne really bad as a kid and I had an appointment with a provider and I didn't know my.

Like my mom made the appointment cause I was too young and all of that.

So I ended up seeing the provider and she was a PA and so that was really my first exposure to the profession in practice.

And she let me shadow her and come in several days and just observe what it's like to, you know, interact with patients.

And so then I just kept had that in the back of my mind and that's always what I wanted to do.

Then went through education and kind of just researched along the way and found out the steps that I needed to take for patient care and volunteering and all of those things.

But I, I would say that I'm glad that first exposure to the profession was a positive one because it jump started my whole interest into wanting to.

Be a PA. Shout out to all the Durham PAs.

Yeah, but that, no, I think those personal interactions are a lot of what commonly brings people to the profession.

Because you realize, oh, there's someone else who does something similar to a doctor who's in medicine, but they're not a doctor.

What is that?

And then you can explore that a little bit.

It is unique that you knew that early on.

Like you said, like that's not.

That's still not the case.

Most people are still not finding out about the PA profession until really towards the end or after their undergraduate career.

So that's.

Do you feel like that made the process easier for you?

I. Yeah.

So it is interesting because I know a lot of my friends in school found out about it in undergrad and even some junior senior year.

So like quite late.

But I think that it did make it somewhat easier for me as far as navigating undergrad and just doing the things to get a jump start on things.

Cause I know a lot of people having to accumulate all the hours and various classes, it can become overwhelming if you're doing it last minute.

But yeah, I, I Would definitely say it.

It benefited me.

Yeah.

So going into undergrad, kind of on that healthcare path, finding pa, what was your like step steps that you took throughout undergrad to prepare for when it was time to apply?

Yeah, I ended up meeting with.

Hello,.

Say hi.

I ended up say hi, I'm Aurora.

You're Aurora?

Who's Aurora?

I love Aurora.

She's my favorite princess.

Ours too.

Today.

Can you shut the door?

Thank you.

Yeah.

Okay.

Sorry.

It's okay.

Yeah, let's see.

So I, yeah, my undergrad, they had, I know a lot of universities have like pre health advisors.

So beings that I knew I wanted to do this as a long term profession, I ended up meeting with them a few times.

It was helpful to get a broader knowledge on kind of what it takes to apply everything.

And I know students have good and daunting experiences with advisors and not, I think they're very realistic and beings that a lot of people come into undergrad saying they want to go into medicine, PA physician.

And I think sometimes they may like scare students into thinking like they're not good enough or.

But my experience was very positive again and at my university, very uplifting and motivating.

So that was a resource that I used.

And then my undergraduate major was in sport and exercise science.

A lot of programs that's called Kinesiology.

It was part of the kinesiology department.

But that was just the name of the degree that my university chose.

And so a lot of the courses in that degree fit nicely into PA prerequisites.

And the major also allowed for me to take the biology and chemistry and kind of the things that weren't required for that major.

And then in between, I think it was the summer of my junior year of college, I enrolled in a EMT program.

So it was an accelerated two and a half month course, I think.

So it, it was I think three or four days a week for seven or eight hours a day.

And it was definitely a time commitment.

Yeah.

But I knew I wanted to get at least that certification done before I was done with undergrad so that I could just transition into working.

And then my program actually was.

They were fairly new at the time, I think maybe five or six years old.

And so they were still working out things in their curriculum.

And so part of it, part of the requirements was an internship.

And so I reached out early on to the individual who ran that part of the program and I explained, hey, I have been wanting to go to PA school like for years and I'm not, I know I don't want to be a pt, like physical therapist and which is A lot of the students that I was enrolled with wanted to be PTs, be exercise physiologists and things like that.

So I just explained to them I have this opportunity to gain patient care hours as an emt.

I will have been certified.

Is this something that would fulfill that requirement even though it doesn't directly relate to the major itself?

And they were super receptive of that item.

And so I'm thankful that I was able to even sooner start accumulating those hours while I was actually still in school.

So I was working part time while finishing the rest of my degree.

Are you getting academic credit only or were you able to like get paid and get the academic credit?

Yeah, I actually got both, which was.

I know, I'm not sure kind of what the policy is now.

Right.

But at that time they allowed me to get paid and get academic credit, which was.

I.

That's great.

I've heard that that's not super common.

So.

Yeah, never know.

Worth asking.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Okay, cool.

Yeah, I was going to ask if you had an intern like type requirement.

Cause I was a straight biology major and we didn't do any of that.

But then I'm seeing my friends which.

Exercise science was a very new major when I was in school and pretty much only like pt, pre PT people did it.

And then there was also health promotion, which was like this new major.

And so I saw all of them doing these like projects and internships.

And I'm just over here, let me take another test, Let me take another test.

And I was so jealous.

So looking back and now I try to encourage people to look into other majors because you can get experience while you're in school in some of those tracks.

So that's really great.

That worked out for you.

When it came time to apply, were you thinking gap year?

No gap year.

What was your process?

So I look looking at the programs that the first couple that I was looking into to add applying to, I knew needed.

I. I think the average was like at least 4,000 hours.

So it was a little on.

Yeah, the higher end, there were a few that were like 2,000, which is like a year work experience.

So I just decided to take a gap year.

And so I continued working.

I basically just kept my current role and just transitioned super nicely into working full time at the ambulance company I was working for.

So I did that for about a year and then, um, trying to think of the time.

So I actually took I think I took two years off, so I was able to get over the 4,000 hours.

And so during that time, was it EMT and then the theater hospital that we took a lot of our patients to?

It's a local hospital that works closely with the company that I was working for.

And so I know a lot of the.

My coworkers would transition into that role to get more experience.

So that's what I did.

I started, you know, working part time at ambulance and then starting at the hospital, but then transitioned full time at the hospital.

I think I was only five, four or five months into the job.

And then Covid hit and then that was a big wake up call.

And yeah, it was a crazy experience, but I think it allowed me to grow immensely along with all of my coworkers.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Okay.

So just.

We'll move on.

But one question I get a lot is about gap years.

Do you have any regrets to.

To taking those years, or do you look back and be like, I probably should have applied sooner?

I have no regrets.

I'll let everyone.

Yeah, I just check in.

I think.

Yeah, I think the time's important.

I couldn't imagine going straight into school after going to school for four years.

And I think, I think it allows you to grow a lot as a person and even in healthcare, just getting those.

That those extra experiences and things like that, I think are super helpful.

Going into PA school.

Yeah.

No, everyone says that.

Yeah.

I've.

I really have not ever heard anybody not like their gap year or feel like it prepared them very well for PA school.

All right, so you were ready to apply.

Yes.

Okay.

Yep.

Okay.

Yeah, so I applied.

Yeah.

That was.

That was a weird year to apply to.

Yeah.

At least you weren't still in school because the undergrad people had so much weird stuff.

Like with prereqs being moved online or pass fail, there was so much weird stuff.

So that was a benefit.

And you had great experience when you were researching schools and trying to make that plan.

What were you looking for and how did you come up with your list of places you were interested in?

Yeah, so I knew.

I. I know you're not really supposed to say this, but, like, I knew I wanted to be closer to home.

Yeah, I. I knew I didn't want to go to the east Coast.

I've been to the Pacific Northwest.

My entire life and family's a big support system.

So basically there was only.

There's only one program in Washington, which is UW at MedX, and that was obviously somewhat high on my list just for location purposes.

And then Oregon has three programs now.

And then I applied to a few in Northern California just for kind of location preferences and then looking at pants pass rate and all of those things as well.

But I would say what really helps me narrow down was just the added bonuses to the programs.

Okay, so if they had like a cadaver lab or not, if they had simulation, like mannequin simulation scenarios and then kind of what their clinical year looks like.

Are they, you know, mainly local?

Are they a travel program?

I learned a lot of what entails in that circumstance later on as I was applying, and then also their mission statement, if that.

That aligned with my values.

So.

Yeah.

Okay.

How many programs so you ended up applying to?

How many programs?

I applied to 12.

Okay, good number.

Yeah.

What were your outcome?

Yeah.

Interviews, acceptance, that stuff.

Yeah, I was.

I interviewed at George Fox, which is in Oregon, and I was waitlisted there, and then I was interviewed at Pacific, obviously, and then ultimately ended up accepting there.

And then I had.

So after I had been accepted to Pacific, which was pretty.

I wouldn't.

I guess it was early.

I think I ended up turning down three interviews after that.

Most of those were at California schools.

So I. I just knew even if I got accepted into those programs, I wasn't going to attend.

And so I just didn't go through the interview process for those programs.

But yeah, so I think I got like four or five interviews and then one acceptance.

Awesome.

Yep.

Were all of your interviews virtual?

One of them was in person.

Really?

Yeah, we.

The.

20.

Yeah.

Old.

Old school.

Yeah.

So we.

Yeah, we.

We had the face shields and all those things, but yeah.

And then I think shortly after they transitioned into, like, online or in person.

So it's kind of like if it was.

You were concerned, you could do a virtual.

Yeah.

And then if you were like, traveling from far away, obviously it's more convenient to do virtual.

So, yeah, most of the other ones.

How do you feel about that experience?

Do you feel like it affected how you performed or how you got to know the school or how they got to know you at all?

Because I think it.

It definitely has changed the Interview world because even last year most interviews were virtual and this year we don't know yet.

But I anticipate it's probably going to be a mix of still in person and probably offering the virtual.

But what.

How'd you feel in that process since it was a little probably different than you were expecting to do?

Yeah.

So I think it, with it being my first cycle, I think it was somewhat interesting because I had that in person interview like in the beginning and so then I was like, okay.

And that was like an MMI style that was difficult.

I.

With it being my first interview, never doing MMI anything like that before.

But then the rest of the interviews were the more traditional.

Like you have a faculty and then a.

Either like a preceptor or a past student in the panel and then they were just asking you questions to get to know you.

And.

But I would say it, I think it depended on the program and kind of how they were utilizing Zoom.

And I know some programs had super awesome videos, very clear instructions.

We had a whole online orientation like during the week leading up to our interview.

So I thought that was unique.

Yeah.

And all the materials were presented.

You had a folder for each day you were supposed to look at.

And then there were Q&As and student panels and then faculty panels.

So yeah, I think it just depended on how invested the program was into making that switch.

But as far as the interview itself, and I would say I was still able to connect with the interviewer but it definitely as far as like the on campus portion.

Cause I know a lot of times they'll do like a tour.

You can meet with students in person.

I think I definitely wish I would have had that experience.

But the interview itself was very comfortable.

I. I think I actually found it more comfortable like being in my own home.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And the only thing that I would suggest though is if you have pets, figure out if even if you lock them in a room they will start banging on the door and all those.

There's just things that I didn't think about and.

Or like the landline phone, like if you still have.

I was in my parents house and I never thought about the landline phone ringing and so that started happening.

So there's just.

Oh, there's so many things to think about.

Yeah.

You will see to find like a little like I'm going to go in like the bathroom and not find like the smallest little part of my house where no one can bother me.

Yeah, yeah.

No, but yeah, I guess like short answer.

I Don't think.

I think in the grand scheme of things, it wasn't that big of a deal and it didn't make me more nervous doing it via Zoom.

Okay.

Okay.

And you got accepted, so we're good.

It all worked out.

Was there anything on your application that was like a red flag or a weakness that you were considering, concerned about them bringing up or when to felt like you had to address throughout the application process?

One thing was, is that I had a W in Organic Chemistry 1 and I was in that course.

I think it was my first year of undergrad and the my school, their chemistry series was.

Say that a little bit.

Yeah, it's different but so I was not in a super great headspace when I was taking that class.

And so I like that was the first class that I ever got a 40% on a test.

Like it was bad.

And so I tried to go through that whole process.

I tried to stick it out, but it just wasn't getting any better.

Like I was going to tutoring, I was doing all the things that you're supposed to do.

So I just decided to withdraw, not knowing really what that meant in the long run.

I just knew I needed to get out of this situation.

Like it wasn't healthy for me.

I ended up actually pacific the school that I am currently at requires O Chan.

And so when I was applying to that school, I knew I had to take it.

And again so I.

The quarter before.

So I think that was like 20.

Okay.

So I ended up retaking.

It was super stressed out because I had to get a C in it or else I could not attend the program.

You already accepted?

You like acceptance pending you complete this course?

Correct.

Okay.

So I was super nervous because I was like if I don't get a C, I'm already accepted, I will not be able to attend this program.

So that was.

I was under a lot of pressure for that but ended up going out really well.

So I would say to any student that like thinks they can't do O Chem, you can do it because I.

Did it and you did it online.

Online?

Yeah.

Gosh.

Okay.

Yeah.

But yeah, so definitely I was concerned about that and but actually never got brought up explicitly in any of my interviews.

There was the time like the question that you're asking me right now that was posed by interviewers.

Was there anything you want to tell us that you might.

You're concerned about or whatever.

And I just explained that whole situation and all the interviewers are super receptive of that.

I think it's a pretty common thing.

I didn't know until after the fact how common it was.

So I would say to any student that has a W or maybe even a few W's, it's not the end of the world.

Yeah.

Yeah.

In my mind, it actually shows more maturity to walk away from the class and take a W than to stick it out knowing that you're struggling, you're not something's not working, and just get a bad grade.

Then to have that self awareness, to be like, all right, let's revisit this later.

W's not a huge deal.

So.

Yeah, well, and I think, like, if.

If you're.

If you're spending so much time on this one class and you're not going to get a good grade, my other grades were starting to not do well.

And so I would pose it as that too.

All of these courses factor into your gpa.

And so it's just this one course, if it's taking up so much of your time.

So that's true.

You lose your focus from other places.

Okay, so let's kind of transition to PA school.

When did you start?

I started May of this year or last year?

Yeah, May of last year.

So you're almost a year in.

Yep.

How many?

Almost done.

Oh, with didactic.

Oh, nice.

So how give me like the lowdown of like how many students are in your program, how long it is, that stuff.

Yeah, we have 56 students, I believe now.

I think we started with 60.

60, I think.

And then our program is 27 months.

So we start in May and then go to August of the following two years.

Okay.

Yeah.

And it's.

Let's see, they.

As far as like the curriculum, they're a modular based program.

And so we do.

We'll do the patho, anatomy, pharmacology, all of those separate lectures in one module.

And then at the very end we'll do one big test.

So we're not taking a lot of like, smaller exams, which I know is different from program to program.

Do you want your yogurt?

Yeah.

Okay.

Enjoy.

Can you.

Right.

Thank you.

Take care.

No, closed is good.

Thank you.

Okay.

Snacks and tv.

We're good.

Okay.

So is there anything that I feel like sometimes looking at PA school websites and you talked about the curriculum a little bit, but all the stuff kind of runs together and it all looks the same.

Mission statements start to sound the same.

And in classes, like for an example, I've been editing a lot of Supplementals.

And one of them was asking, like, why do you want to go here?

And someone said, because you specifically teach ophthalmology.

And I was kind of like, what?

I was like, all the schools are going to teach ophthalmology, but when you look at the website, some of them will list out the subjects and some of them don't.

I think there's some, like, misconceptions there.

But is there anything about your program that people just wouldn't know or get from the website?

Like insights to why somebody.

If they're thinking, maybe I want to apply there, maybe I don't, that would be helpful for them to know?

Yeah, I would say that as far as me, like, researching Pacific, when I was trying to figure out if I wanted to apply there, I would say a lot of the information that is on the website correlates to my actual experience.

It definitely took some digging because clicking on different links and things like that.

But I would say that if.

If you're.

If you know that during clinical phase, you want to see a broad range of types of practice, different environments there.

They are a travel program, so they'll send students all over the country.

They have connections in many different states.

So I would say if that's something of interest to you, Pacific's definitely a great school to go to.

And then also we have two different tracks that students can opt into.

One is the global healthcare track, and then the other is the rural healthcare track.

Yeah.

So I know the website has a little bit of information about those, but I. I have friends in both tracks and our super great experiences.

The global healthcare track is setting you up if you want to go on an international rotation.

So Pacific has quite a few international rotations.

I think South America.

There's some in Asia, some in Africa, so definitely good experiences there.

And then the rural healthcare track, it allows students to become part of the AHEC Scholar program, which then allow.

Opens up the door to different scholarships and things like that, loan repayments and faculty runs that.

Who has worked in rural healthcare for many years.

That's one of her passions.

And they're also at priority for getting a rural rotation.

So if that's something the students are interested in.

We're working in rural healthcare.

A lot of them will end up enrolling in that program.

So.

Yeah.

Not opening that.

No.

You've already had two.

No.

Yes.

I'll be done in just a second.

She's taking parties now, so.

Gonna eat an entire box of yogurt.

That's really cool.

Those are definitely unique to Your program.

Some programs will have the focus or whatever but to have choices is very nice and at least have people to support you in that and faculty and all of that who are knowledgeable and can guide you a little bit.

Yeah.

And then there's one other thing too pacific there.

I'm not sure how long the program has been going on, but they do an interprofessional.

It's like a case study based two hour block every week.

And so you'll meet in like a group and you'll be post with a case and you're.

You just discuss it.

You have a, like a faculty lead of that session.

But it just gives you an opportunity to be exposed to different professions.

Like we have ophthalmology, high dental hygiene, physical therapy, pharmacy in our school of health professions.

So it's still newer.

And then especially we did it all online this year.

So I think if it was more in person it would be a little bit easier to connect with those people.

But if that's something students are interested in, that's a good experience that I didn't see at all the programs that I was applying to.

Yeah.

So that's really cool.

I think there's a bigger push for that now too.

Starting inter professionalism early versus what you're a PA and then trying to figure all that out.

How has didactic been for you?

Easy.

Great.

All the things, all the emotions, all the things.

I would say it's been pretty good.

It's.

I know some of the PAs that I shadowed with they I'm also engaged so I'll just say that.

So that was a big thing going into PA school, like not knowing how this would affect my relationship.

So they were all telling me, you're never going to see her.

It's gonna, it's just.

It was almost scary.

But then I got into it and it's not that bad.

You just have to plan out your day, plan out your studying and then you'll have time for all the other things in your life.

But as far as academics goes, all I felt I, I felt pretty prepared for all the exams that I went into.

They're all multiple choice tests, which I'm not sure.

I'm pretty sure that's how all programs are.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So like academic wise it's gone really well.

And then as far as moving and adjusting and things like that, that was, you know, tough early on.

But you adjust and you get used to like your new environment and then the support system in PA school.

I know that's talked About a lot.

And us as students, we support each other.

Like, I think it's one of those things where no one really knows what you're going through except the people that are going through it with you.

So leaning on your classmates in stressful times has been really helpful.

But, yeah, we've had a mixture of online, in person, prerecorded lectures.

So just navigating, like, the surges that have happened over the last years, transitioning into, like a zoom lecture for a few weeks until the surge was going down.

It was all kind of very fluid and changing.

But, yeah, for the most part, we've been in person, which I've been thankful for as well.

Being at home is nice sometimes, but yeah, seeing.

Seeing your classmates is good.

Yeah, that.

It is a bond that is hard to.

I don't know, like you said, they just.

They know what you're going through, and it's just very different.

And that's.

I have three of my best friends from PA school, and two of them live near me, one doesn't.

But those are the ones that, like, now at this point, we're all done with PA school.

We're all moms, and actually three of us are in Durham, so we can really understand, like, those hard days, the burnout, all that stuff.

So it's nice to have those people, even, that have been through it, and then you get to the other side and they're like, still your people that get it, which is great.

Yeah.

No, and I. I would say I think we.

And I'm not sure I.

Did you get married in.

In Ph.D. i did.

Yeah.

That's what.

Okay.

I got married.

So my partner was actually identical to yours.

It was 27 months.

Started in May, finished in August.

So I would have gotten.

I got married in between, basically, like right now, like, in between the spring didactic and the summer didactic semester where we had basically a few days off and.

Yeah.

Just made it work.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Actually, one of my good friends, she got married in PA school.

I think it was kind of a year situation where it was like a summer break and only had a few days, but.

Yeah, so basically, like, you can have other things in your life going on.

Don't be scared by that.

I know it definitely waked me out early on, but it'll be okay.

Like, you.

You will find how to study.

And I think it's different for everyone.

People do charts, people do quizlets, people do all those things.

But I would just say find what works best for you and don't feel like you have to do one way or the other.

Yeah.

You're not gonna be able to do everything.

No.

Even if you want to.

Okay.

So now you're got to get your acceptance.

Breathe a sigh of relief.

You're in the thick of it now.

But thinking back to what you did throughout undergrad, but really your, like, application cycle, because it is application season right now, what anything you wish you did differently or that you would like, what advice you give people when they're like, I want to be a pa, what should I do?

What kind of stands out to you?

As this is what I would want to tell people who are applying right now.

Yeah.

So I would say, as far as the application itself, not feeling like you have to, like, do everything all in the beginning, I think just doing those basic things, like getting your transcripts, getting your letters.

Do all those things.

Don't try to rush it, because it's not a race.

And I definitely wish I would have started my personal statement a little earlier in the year.

I think I started it fairly late.

It was like.

Like maybe March.

So I wish I would have started it, like, in January just so I could have more time and be, like, less time crunched.

Because some of the programs I was applying to were rolling admissions.

And I mean, that inherently has a pressure aspect to it.

And then I would say before.

If it's before application cycle, really trying to get those volunteer hours in.

I know that it's been hard, like, with COVID and the restrictions and things like that, but I found it hard finding places that would allow me to volunteer so just as early as possible, just getting those connections to volunteer.

And then I know a few of my classmates actually started doing patient care, like, very early on in undergrad, which I. I didn't start doing that until senior year.

So I think it's definitely possible, I think, to not take a gap year if that's not something you're interested in.

But I definitely wish I would have started at least working a little bit earlier on because maybe I wouldn't have had to take as long of a gap, but.

Yeah.

And then.

Yeah, I think that.

I think those are the big things.

Yeah.

And you'll be okay either way.

Yeah.

At the end of.

It may take longer than you wanted to or look different, but it will be fine.

Yep.

That's what I keep telling people right now.

Thank you so much for your time.

Good luck with the rest of didactic and clinical.

We can give it two years and check back in and you'll tell us about your PA life, for sure.

Yeah.

I'm super excited for clinicals.

Yeah.

I. I hear that's, like, where everything kind of comes together.

Just makes it.

Yeah.

A lot more fun than sitting in a classroom.

A hundred percent.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Thank you so much for having me.

And hopefully this is helpful to someone out there, I'm sure.

Yeah, yeah.

No, it's great.

We.

We love having that inside scoop and hearing about every.

Everybody's path is unique, so it's always helpful to hear all those little tips and pearls that you have.

So thank you so much.

Yeah, you're welcome.