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Next, youll be prompted to enter in the Experience Details. CASPA will ask for your Title at the experience and the Type of Recognition you received through this experience (compensated, received academic credit, volunteer). How do you calculate your hours? They can be accessed from the sidebar as well as the TOP menu bar. Todays post is going to discuss the ways to properly and strategically describe your experiences that you enter into CASPA. In the CASPA application for documenting shadowing hours, what should be written in the description/key responsibilities section? I have gained many qualities that will help me as a future PA. Can you see the difference that a thoughtful description of your experiences can make on your application? Pep Talk #16: How Many PA Programs Should I ApplyTo. Let's cover what to do for the most common experiences you might include in your application. Your description of any experience should be factual. In mine, I wrote specific things that I witnessed - lacerations, sutures, MVCs and so on. You start by selecting the programs you wish to apply to, then you submit one application that includes all necessary materials. hbbd```b``+@$6,oA$.XefS0L`,} ; Everyone else (those with lower GPAs and minimal healthcare experience) should apply to 20 or more. Note that since each program's definitions and requirements vary, CASPA has no specific preference as to which category you choose. Your personal statement is the place to describe the impact of your experiences. Instead, try to submit around mid June. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Describing your background in this way will allow the person reviewing your application to better understand the breadth of your experience. The new CASPA cycle will open on April 26, 2018. Its important to put a lot of thought into these descriptions, because this is the only information that admission committees receive regarding your experiences. You will then enter the number of average weekly hours and the number of weeks. CASPA defines verification process as follows: Verification is the process used to ensure all of your coursework was entered correctly and consistently. This will strengthen your application tremendously! If you are looking for the best PA schools in Minnesota, here is a guide to top-notch schools. For example, prescribing medication, performing procedures, directing a course of treatment, designing a treatment regimen, actively working on patients as a nurse, paramedic, EMT, CNA, phlebotomist, physical therapist, dental hygienist, etc. To give an idea, here are two contrasting examples: Example 1 (loaded with details): For over three years, I have been working as a clinical assistant at an Internal Medicine practice. This is a person that programs can contact to verify that this experience occurred. CASPA experiences 2022-2023 cycle - describing the same job at different locations. For each entry, you'll add experience type, organization information, supervisor information, beginning and end dates, experience details (compensated/volunteer, weekly hours, total hours) and, finally, a description of your responsibilities in the role. Hey all, Im curious if the use of "bullet points" are encouraged instead of typical narrative paragraphs in description of experiences. These categories are broadly based on feedback from various physician assistant programs and are not a comprehensive list of every type of experience. Six programs is the bare minimum, and only for top tier students (over 3000 hours patient care experience, 3.5+ GPA and strong essay). You should also go over how your family life was when you were growing up. Plus, some schools might have different or additional requirements which you will need to make sure that you're not missing anything. (LogOut/ Hi, I saw on a YouTube video that someone suggested to describe the experience and include a brief explanation of what they also learned from that experience. Volunteer work done outside of the health care field; for example, working for Habitat for Humanity, tutoring students, participating in or working for a fundraiser walk or blood drive, etc. Select the appropriate experience type from the drop-down. This section is found under the Supporting Information section of CASPA. You can all Whateverville and to figure out whats going on. Most will lack any of their writers unique personality. If you feel you have an experience that may not relate to PA school, but may make you stand out as an applicant, then definitely add it! You will then be prompted to enter the Experience Dates, which will give you the chance to enter both the start and end date, whether it is a current experience, and the status of the experience (full-time, part-time, per diem, temporary). Describe everything. For example, a 40 hour a week position with 10 hours a week of research and 30 hours a week of direct patient care would be entered under both Research and Patient Care types with the appropriate hours and duties listed within each entry. First, lets break down the Experience section of CASPA. I'm just wondering how much detail to go into because of the 600 character limit. (LogOut/ You can either use a bullet format or paragraph but stay consistent throughout all experience descriptions. Most students list them but leave the experiences description blank. Each of these make positive contributions to your ability to be a successful PA student and will be valued by admissions committees when you look at your CASPA application. If you have any specific questions about a particular experience, feel free to shoot me an email. Agreed with both responses above. Anticipating that your CASPA calculated GPA will be either higher/lower/or about the same as your undergraduate GPA will keep you informed and prepared when deciding which programs you should ultimately apply to. List it as a "Current" experience. What you learned from your personal medical experiences. One last note: Some of your experiences may be long ago, and maybe you can't find your supervisor's information or specific details about the experience. example: experience is a CNA, and along with describing the job duties, you would include how you learend to work with different personalities and work in a team better. Designed by Social by Design. %PDF-1.6 % A good essay starts with being original and taking a risk or two. This is how I formatted my experiences on CASPA to give myself the best chance to get selected. We are also in the planning stages for a webinar on making your CASPA application shine. When you're faced with the CASPA experience descriptions, just stick to the facts and only include what's relevant. Best Physician Assistant (PA) Schools in Delaware. At this part of the PA school application process, youll have to brush up on your interview skills. Through this role, I have gained valuable clinical experience, strengthened my communication skills with both patients and fellow medical colleagues, increased my medical knowledge, and learned the art of team-based care. Keep in mind that CASPA site has a vast help center, a great quick start guide and a live chat service. myPAresource inc.,2020. Here is where you will explain to the admissions committee your responsibilities, job duties, level of involvement, etc in this particular experience. If you were a server at Applebee's and are dying to list it on your application (there's no mandate that you MUST include it), just say you were a server. Although you can enter any experiences that you believe are relevant to your application, we recommend focusing on those experiences within the last 10 years and at the collegiate level and above. So, if position duties encompass more than one section, enter the position in both sections and divide the hours and duties accordingly. Keep in mind that it is important to balance your healthcare experience with other experiences that make you unique as an applicant and accurately reflect the person you are. Join us. Which is correct, bullet points or paragraph form?? Do you think it would help get an interview? You want to jam-pack this section with details about the experience and your role. The experiences section of CASPA is a crucial part of your application. I maintain a neat and clean environment for each patient. Experiences in which you held a leadership role within an organization, such as the president of a club, fraternity/sorority, etc. If you are going to share an experience make sure it is not a clich and it is absolutely necessary as to why this experience played a role in wanting to become a PA! This can be really helpful when you've held several similar positions. Our advice: write a brief paragraph about the home you grew up in. All tutors are evaluated by Course Hero as an expert in their subject area. Worked closely with nurses, PAs, and physicians to appropriately implement care plan for patients and discuss any of my duties that required clarification. Through this role, I have gained valuable clinical experience, strengthened my communication skills with both patients and fellow medical colleagues, increased my medical knowledge, and learned the art of team-based care. Applying to PA school can be challenging and time consuming. Verified means the fat lady has finally sung. Also, if you have taken courses outside of the main college you earned your degree at, you must use these in your cumulative/science GPA calculations. Note that this may take a few weeks, but the average time it takes for your application to be verified is two weeks. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, https://www.reddit.com/r/prephysicianassistant/search?q=bullet%20points&restrict_sr=1. Shadowing Want more help on your CASPA application? Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. But, that doesn't mean you are required to spend hours figuring out what to include or mulling over what to write in the sometimes-intimidating "description" section of each entry. I would put in any experience you've had since college. Click Contact Us up top. Basically, your goal should be to succinctly describe your setting (including the types of patients you cared for), the general scope of your patient care, and any areas in which you went above & beyond that. Otherwise, leave it out. What you discovered from a friend or family member in the healthcare field that touched you. If they dont know you, they cant like you enough to invite you to interview. For more help, consider our ebook on essays, or hire us to coaching you through the process. Upload or insert images from URL. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Note that your experiences will not display on your application in any specific order, regardless of the dates entered. as you are currently involved in the role. Also, it is a good idea to have these proofread, just like your personals statement should be. Enter information about your supervisor at the organization. You never know who will be reading your application and whether that certain experience might catch the attention of the reader! This portion of your application will be discussed in detail below. The project included assessing the time from arrival to discharge . Instead say: I communicated with both providers and scribes. Avoid this mistake! I suggest keeping this information saved on a Microsoft word document or on a Google document. If you submit an application to a program that has a hard cutoff cumulative GPA requirement of 3.2 and your CASPA calculated GPA is a 3.19, your application will basically be automatically rejected, which means if youre a low GPA applicant, youll have to attend community college in order to raise your GPA to a high enough standard to get into PA school. I'd say stick to your roles/ responsibilities! My tasks included, but were not limited to, taking patients' vitals signs and blood sugar checks. If you feel you have an experience that may not relate to PA school, but may make you stand out as an applicant, then definitely add it! I'm trying to fill out my experiences, is it okay to use subjective information/words? List what you observed, accomplished, or learned without describing how you felt about it. Once you add the experience, you'll be prompted to categorize the "Experience Type" based on the following categories: Non-Healthcare Employment Research Volunteer Patient Care Experience* Healthcare Experience* Shadowing Leadership Experience Extracurricular Activities Step 6: Finally, the last step is giving authorization for the PA programs to contact these organizations/supervisors. Include any other impressive aspects about this specific experience. I have been involved in nursing research in the past through my participation on a project focused on improving the efficiency of the discharge process from the emergency department. Most students list them but leave the experience's description blank. Do not include paid work experience in this section. I have a similar question. It also avoids the "not limited to" statement from the original. In the supporting materials section of CASPA, you are given the opportunity to list and describe the various roles that add to your application. For example, if you worked as a CNA at your community hospital, describe what you did, what other healthcare workers you were on a team with, how it has inspired you to continue your journey to become a PA, general skills and values you gained, etc. Conquering the PA school application process is a rite of passage for every future PA student. Options to categorize you experiences include non-healthcare employment, research, volunteer, patient care experience, healthcare experience, shadowing, leadership experience, extracurricular activities, and teaching experience. You should, however, always say "yes" to authorizing contact with the organization or individual when prompted on the CASPA application, even if you don't have all of the details available. CASPA will automatically calculate the total number of hours based on these numbers, and this calculation will show up directly under the numbers you have entered. How to use this in your personal statement: Bring together shared experiences - in this example the author hints at her medical heritage when she says: "I gleaned some insights into the profession from my father", and ties this into her shadowing experience. By This is the only information that PA programs are given about your patience care experience, so the information that you provide in this section will serve as the only reference a program has when determining your quality patient care experience. 338 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<3DEFC28824D45D47906D5F311E7E49C6>]/Index[311 52]/Info 310 0 R/Length 121/Prev 178179/Root 312 0 R/Size 363/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream If you've kept a journal of your healthcare experiences, it will . Feel free to add as many experiences that you would like. Several schools offer PA programs. It is best to aim to have your application submitted a few weeks prior to this deadline, so that by the time that December 1st deadline rolls around your application is submitted AND verified. Getting Started with Your CASPA Application Creating and Managing Your CASPA Account Adding and Deleting CASPA Programs Filling Out Your CASPA Application List what you observed, accomplished, or learned without describing how you felt about it. CASPA experience descriptions . Your experience's individual job description and responsibilities should determine the category you select; however, it is not guaranteed that your experience will be accepted by every program in the way you categorize it. Take advantage of the space they allow you to further prove your readiness for PA school and always max-out each description box. In this section you list all of your experiences, from PCE to HCE to volunteering to shadowing and more! Sometimes waiting makes sense, but in most cases applying too late is the bigger risk. List the additional number of weeks you have completed since originally submitting your application. If you have any specific questions about a particular experience, feel free to shoot me an email [here]. Pay particular attention to the difference between the first two, which are frequently confused. How to Choose Your Best Programs: Understanding Curricula, What Is Optimal Team Practice? I've been a practicing PA for many years, and I help future PAs, like you, get ready for PA school & practice as a new PA. Starting Your CASPA Application Get started with an overview of the process, important dates and fees, and contact information. Copyright 2022 Be a PA Consultants, All rights reserved. Paste as plain text instead, ^lW(y $k^ r x#1, 0 | Any experience working on a research project, preferably in addition to or outside of regular classroom work. CASPA provides a general guideline of limiting your entries to the past ten years of experience and including only activities that are college-level or above. This section is found under the Supporting Information section of CASPA. Since patient care hours are a huge element of your application for many PA programs, its important that you carefully and strategically explain your experience so that PA programs get a clear understanding of that specific experience. If you want the reader to take you seriously, dont try to sell them a used car. The application process is painful enough. I'll share with you the three things PA. transcripts, references, and your personal statement). But, if you were instrumental in coordinating a blood drive or participated in a medical mission trip, you should provide some more detailed information about that activity. Instead say: I cared for and interacted with patients. Inside PA Training offers a comprehensive CASPA Application Review service so your application will look its absolute best. Why would you pass on giving them a few details about you? Stay tuned for the answers to all . Options to categorize your experiences include non-healthcare employment, research experience, volunteer, patient care experience, healthcare experience, shadowing, leadership experience, extracurricular activities, and teaching experience. In the supporting materials section of CASPA, you are given the opportunity to list and describe the various roles and work experience that add to your CASPA application. It depends a little on your exact responsibilities, but in most cases ER volunteer work should be classified as Healthcare Experience (because the Volunteer category is for non-medical types of volunteering, and you had patient interaction, but were not responsible for the patients care). This portion is one of the few parts of CASPA you can work on before the cycle opens. For this reason, many applicants are tempted to expand on their experience in narrative or emotional ways. The level of detail you should include for a volunteering entry depends on the relevance of that experience to a career in medicine. Once you add the experience, youll be prompted to categorize the Experience Type based on the following categories: After categorizing the experience, you will enter details about the organization (name, location, etc.) Every week or so you should log into CASPA to check your applications progress. If you showed up for the day to volunteer, keep the description simple and don't embellish. This portion is one of the couple parts of CASPA you can work on before the cycle youll be applying. This standardization is achieved by using your coursework to create a standard set of GPAs, ensuring you are compared to other applicants fairly and equally.. Here is a quick guide to constructing an experience description that adequately communicates your time in that role: Introduction sentence to summarize what the experience was. Since credit values, grade values, and course subjects vary widely from school to school, your programs need some type of standardization so they can accurately compare applicants. Aim to be as descriptive as possible when completing your CASPA application. Research Please read our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) before submitting questions. I assist each doctor with a variety of tasks, which include aiding them in dressing wounds, chaperoning breast and pelvic exams, and contacting patients with lab work results. Enter the date or date range in which the experience took place. You will have their attention, and a good essay can leverage that attention into an interview. Once your application is submitted and all required material is received, your applications status will update to Complete. Your application is then in line to be verified. If you struggle to understand what to put for your experience, it can help to break ideas into bullet points. All Rights Reserved. The essay is your chance to tell them whatever you think they should know about your desire to become a PA, and to do so as you see fit. So sorry I'm just replying, I'm in my 2nd week of PA school and getting my ass handed to me lol. Let the experience speak for itself by saying specifically what you did. Step 4: Next, youll be prompted to enter in the Experience Details. CASPA will ask for your Title at the experience and the Type of Recognition you received through this experience (compensated, received academic credit, volunteer). Step 3: You will then be prompted to enter the Experience Dates, which will give you the chance to enter both the start and end date, whether it is a current experience, and the status of the experience (full-time, part-time, per diem, temporary). Powered by Invision Community, Welcome to the Physician Assistant Forum! As DarcyJ stated, save the stories for your essays/ interviews! Many applicants are surprised by their CASPA calculated GPA. All rights reserved. Extracurricular Activities document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Design a site like this with WordPress.com. Its important that you use the 600 characters in such a way that gives PA programs a clear understanding of the specific experience that you are describing. This is the only information that PA programs are given about your patience care experience, so the information that you provide in this section will serve as the only reference a program has when determining your quality patient care experience. Tips for Updating Your Personal Statement as a Reapplicant, my PA Resource, PO Box 153, Woodstock, GA, USA, Maximizing the Experience Description Sections of CASPA. Make this part easy by not stressing over the blank spaces. This takes an idea that is an inspiration and turns it into something more concrete, which is more factual and applicable to future practice. Liaison International. The Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) simplifies the process of applying to physician assistant programs. Pasted as rich text. A question? Pretty straightforward, right? Again, if you have a comment, leave it below. Step 2: After categorizing the experience, you will enter details about the organization (name, location, etc.) . So, what does that look like? (And Why It Should Matter to You), How to Describe Your Experiences in Your CASPA Application, How to Avoid Application Misconceptions as a PA School Candidate, How to Conquer the Length Limit Struggle with Your PA School Essay, How to Use Passive Tactics to Create a Better Future Application Essay, The Easy Right-Now Steps to Take If Not Applying to PA School Until Next Cycle, How to Wipe Out Vagueness to Improve Your PA school Application and Essay, How to Create a PA School Essay That Helps Readers Follow Your Story, How to Plot Out CASPA Entries Using Real Candidate Examples, 3 Methods for Starting Your PA School Essay When Writing Is a Struggle, How to Plan Your Update Strategy Before Applying to PA School. All Rights Reserved. Certain information from your application transfers over from one application cycle to the next (i.e. The "experiences" portion of CASPA is one of the most valuable parts of your application! You want to make them see you as a real person theyd like to meet (interview). There are free online resources that can help you estimate it. and your supervisors information (name, title, contact information). Did you also write about what you learned from the time you spent shadowing each specific person or just what you witnessed? Also, the last bullet point takes a vague statement from the original paragraph and describes a direct lesson. It's essential that this information is accurate as a PA program may reclassify your experience from PCE to the less-favored HCE if your described level of responsibility does not meet their standards for PCE. . Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences (Mary Baldwin University) 2022-2023 Cycle. The blank space is just about the facts. You know this is a competitive undertaking, so cast a big net. Please try again. Third, be familiar with the difference between CASPA application submission and verification. I'd say stick to your roles/ responsibilities! laurentx3 Sentence to describe your main role, your responsibilities, who you worked alongside, etc. If you are unsure how an experience should be classified, we recommend contacting CASPAs customer service line and asking them. Check out the r/PAstudent subreddit once accepted and r/physicianassistant after graduation. Remember not to overstate your role. By definition, these experience will be non-health care related, but you can be the judge on what skills may be useful to your future as a PA. For over three years, I have been working as a clinical assistant at an Internal Medicine practice. This means that your application either needs to be submitted and paid for by that specific date, or needs to have been submitted, paid for, AND verified by the date stated. In mine, I wrote specific things that I witnessed - lacerations, sutures, MVCs and so on. Maintained a clean environment for each patient and followed standard precautions. Your CASPA GPA may be slightly different than your universitys calculated GPA for a few reasons. They can be accessed from the sidebar as well as the TOP menu bar. In this video I tell you how to successfully format your experiences such as your PCE, volunteering, etc, to be more competitive to PA school admissions. Its important that you use the 600 characters in such a way that gives PA programs a clear understanding of the specific experience that you are describing. Patient Care Experience* Schools with rolling admissions usually have few seats available by that late in the year, and interviews for them are already well underway. Teaching Experience, *if you find yourself confused about the difference between, PCE and HCE, please refer to [Pep Talk #8] for clarity. Allowing PA programs to contact these people gives your experiences more validity. Be very picky about the words you use to describe your experiences and avoid using any filler words or sentences. How should you word your experiences? For example, how would you classify volunteering in an emergency room Volunteer, Patient Care Experience, or Healthcare Experience? CASPA will tell you if your application hits a snag of some kind, and if it does, you can fix it quickly to avoid delays. Conclusion sentence connecting the experience back to your goal of being ready for PA school. Clear editor. CASPA will use grades from every course youve ever takencourse grades from undergraduate classes, random online courses, community college courses, etc. PAI 19: How to open your PA School Application Essay, PAI 17: Medical Ethics Interview Questions, PAI 14: PAs and Continuing Medical Education. . You don't have to avoid sentences completely in your descriptions, but overall, your descriptions should be direct and to the point, whether you are using bullet points or not. Maybe you led a team of volunteers or you worked with another organization on a project, either of which shows a higher level of responsibility in your role requiring skills that could help you in a future career as a PA. Youll check either the yes or no box. Not describing invites the reviewer to skim through this section without spending time thinking about the great things you have accomplished. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. You will then enter the number of average weekly hours and the number of weeks. What sort of details should you include? With only 600 characters, it may be hard to include everything you want.