how to write pa school personal statement

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Do’s and Don’ts for Writing a Strong CASPA Personal Statement

It’s your ticket to the interview

May 15, 2019

By Erin Myhre

The CASPA personal statement is your chance to get an admissions committee to think, “I want to meet this applicant in person.” It’s your ticket to a PA school interview! Be prepared to spend many hours writing, rewriting, rearranging, editing, cutting, and polishing your essay. Give yourself at least a month to write and edit before you plan on submitting CASPA, and – this is key – have several proofreaders. Allow ample time for them to make suggestions, and for you to consider and incorporate their advice. Don’t ask more than three or four people to look over your essay, because multiple editors can quickly become overwhelming. Choose writers you trust and people in the medical field – a PA is great if you know one!

[ Pre-PA Resources ]

Before you apply

I highly recommend keeping journals about all your medical experiences, both shadowing and working. Writing things down not only helps you process what you’re learning, it provides you with an invaluable resource to return to when you need to write application essays. Instead of trying to remember how you felt three years ago doing some job or exactly how a particular patient encounter impacted you, you can go to your journal and read it. This makes essay-writing much easier because the journey that brought you to this point is already documented, and you aren’t starting from scratch.

[ AAPA Webinar: Rocking Your Personal Statement ]

Here are my main tips to help make your future personal statement fantastic.

Writing the statement – do’s and don’ts

• Do demonstrate your knowledge of the PA profession. Your essay should make it clear why you are pursuing medicine, and why you have chosen to become a PA specifically.
• Don’t say why you don’t want to be a different kind of healthcare provider, write about how you want to be a PA! This is a great place to demonstrate your knowledge of the unique profession. Be careful not to cast any healthcare workers in a negative light.
• Don’t say you’ve chosen to become a PA because of a better lifestyle or shorter/easier schooling. Even if this is part of the reason, it is not only somewhat misinformed, it gives the impression that you believe PA school is easy, or that you don’t want to work hard. Yes, PA school encompasses fewer months than some other graduate-level healthcare programs, but it is extremely challenging. PAs often have a good work/life balance, but not necessarily, especially in certain specialties.
• Don’t be vague. Don’t leave anything for the admissions committee to assume–use lots of examples, stories, personal experiences, and lessons you’ve learned. If you use any abbreviations (and there are lots of abbreviations in the healthcare world!), write them out the first time and include the abbreviation in parentheses.
• Do show, don’t tell. Instead of listing adjectives like compassionate, flexible, or determined, tell brief anecdotes that show how you embody these qualities. Everyone applying to PA school says they are passionate about the profession and care about people. Let the admissions committee see evidence of that in your life.
• Do make every word count. Not only do you need to be under 5,000 characters, you don’t want to distract or bore your reader by including extraneous details, long-winded explanations, and redundancies. Avoid long paragraphs, but be sure to have strong transitions when you break them up. Go through the essay and ask yourself critically: Does this word/sentence fragment make a strong contribution to my paragraph and overall essay? Do I really need it?
• Don’t use informal language or contractions. Absolutely let your personality and writing style shine through, but your essay needs to be polished and inspire confidence in your strong communication skills. Avoid cliches like the plague. This is also not the time to show off your knowledge of medical terminology. If some technical talk is necessary to explain a particular patient scenario, use the minimum to get the point across.
• Do consider incorporating a theme. A theme brings the whole essay together and makes it flow, and if you choose the right theme, it also makes it easier to write when you’re relating everything back to a central point. The theme should not be “medicine” or “why I want to be a PA”—these are already the core concepts of the essay. Make it creative, applicable, and personal. If it feels like you’re trying too hard to make a theme fit, try a different one.
• Don’t make this a resume with more words. The admissions committee has seen your application; they know your GPA and healthcare experience. If you have a low GPA or poor grade that you want to address, that is fine. But your essay is the place for you to talk about what sets you apart! How have your healthcare experiences strengthened your desire to go into medicine? How have your patient encounters impacted or changed you? How have you grown or been stretched as you’ve pursued PA school? How have you overcome significant challenges in your life? Be succinct, and don’t let your reader get bogged down by unnecessary details.
• Do make it unforgettable! Start with a hook that will immediately interest your reader. This could be a unique quote (I used song lyrics), or a story, really anything that will draw your audience into your world and make them wonder what the rest of the essay will say. Don’t choose something arbitrarily just so you have a story–write about something meaningful to you. It doesn’t have to be about medicine as long as you show how it contributed to your decision to be a PA, and/or relates to your theme. It’s okay if you don’t come up with your hook right away; just start writing and it will come to you.

Even more important than a good hook is a solid conclusion. Bring it back to your introduction, summarize or paraphrase the points you’ve made throughout the essay, and finish with a memorable one-liner that clinches your desire to be a PA. Don’t be afraid to spend a lot of time on this last paragraph, especially the last sentence!

One more thing: If (when) you find yourself getting frustrated or hitting a wall, take a break! Come back in a few hours or, better, in a couple days when your mind is fresh.

This essay may seem daunting, but remember this is the part of your application where you have the most control. Be yourself, and be authentic. Show the admissions committee how excited you are to be a PA, and convince them that they want to meet you as much as you want to meet them.

Additional Resources

Which PA School is Right For You? 5 Factors to Consider

6 Success Tips For PA School

Become a PA

Erin Myhre, MS, PA-C, is a cardiology and critical care PA at Piedmont Healthcare. She wrote this article in May 2019 while still a PA student at Pacific University. She is always happy to answer questions about CASPA or PA school in general, and you can reach her at [email protected] or Instagram @ealto499.

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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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Your PA personal statement is one of the most important  PA school requirements . A well-crafted, memorable statement is your golden ticket to a PA school interview and getting into the  best PA schools in the US or even a PA program in Canad a , so in today's blog, you'll learn what to include in your PA personal statement, common mistakes to avoid and you'll even be able to review PA personal statement examples.

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free initial consultation here <<

Listen to the blog!

Article Contents 14 min read

Pa personal statement example #1.

During my kindergarten graduation, I walked on stage and gave my exit speech: “When I grow up, I want to be a teacher because it’s easy.” Reflecting back, I see the comedy in my naivety as every profession has its own unique challenges. I had no intention to pursue medicine, as I often had a sense of jealousy towards the field. Growing up, my mother was also attending school, first undergraduate then medical school. Exposed to the rigor and competition of higher education, she felt the need to share the importance of dedicating my time to education. While my classmates had work-free weekends, I spent my time completing extra homework, assigned by my mother. Initially, I misinterpreted her teachings as favoritism for studies over spending our days indulging in games.

My passion to become a physician assistant took root the day my grandmother fell from the top of a ladder. My mother shouted for my help with two simple tasks: grab a blanket and call 911. Trapped by fear and hesitation, I was unable to react. This response may seem understandable; however, I was my harshest critic and felt shame from my inability to aid. Sitting in the hospital waiting room, I reflected on my actions and vowed to never again be a mere observer. With this experience, my outlook on the medical field began to change from that of jealousy to intrigue. I started to understand that my mother’s intentions were not to spend less time with me but rather she aspired to be in a position where she could offer herself to support others, an attribute I strive to emulate. My kindergarten dreams to teach were expanded to embody care and compassion, with goals to empower and provide protection to others feeling helpless.

Aware of my lack of knowledge pertaining to handling trauma, I enrolled in an emergency medical response course that equipped me with the skills to handle unforeseen situations, and the strength to grow from criticism. Others questioned my ability to complete this physically rigorous course, given that my stature is a mere four feet and nine inches. Using this criticism as motivation, I excelled in the course and partook in a twelve-hour responder shift. This exhilarating experience strengthened my ambition to study medicine, as my interests lie in the shortcomings of human-design.

As an emergency medical responder, I felt qualified to take care of my grandmother who had developed Alzheimer’s. Having younger siblings, I am accustomed to watching over others; however, caring for someone suffering from disease requires a greater state of patience and serenity. When her memories began to slip away, I felt uneasy trying to converse about false stories and recollections. As I spent more time with her, I became accustomed to quick-thinking and no longer felt nervous or scared. I was able to speak with her about any topic and noticed an overall improvement in my confidence. My role as a caregiver tested my ability to handle stressful situations as I learned to deal with feelings of both frustration and anxiety, improving my compassion and understanding of others.

Losing my grandmother sooner than anticipated fueled my drive to provide quality care. Physician assistants require more than academic knowledge, additionally keen characteristics of sociability, emotional and mental strength, and the ability to educate. I have been fortunate to have adopted these lessons and skills. In an effort to pay these gifts forward by healing, supporting, and teaching, I began to shadow a physician assistant in internal medicine.

My experiences alongside my grandmother are not unique to me. Through shadowing, I have seen various forms of physical and emotional trauma that patients face. However, unlike my grandmother, not everyone has a support system. When it comes to dealing with such obstacles, I have a passion to serve as a guide; always trying to consider different perspectives. Some may see my empathetic nature as a weakness, but in a healthcare setting, it is my greatest strength. When rooming patients at the doctor’s office, I would converse and inquire about not only their medical concerns, but their feelings and experiences. When nervous patients thanked me for making them feel comfortable, and patients struggling emotionally held my hand for comfort, I knew I had succeeded in passing on both strength and encouragement.

Although I was raised in a household where education was prioritized over indulgences, I matured to form my own beliefs. Life is not about choosing between learning and pleasure, but rather intertwining the two. I have found a field of study that to me is both a sweet and bitter indulgence, but gratifying nonetheless. Medicine is balanced by both miraculous and shattering moments each requiring their own forms of nurturing. Negative occurrences do not weaken my belief in medicine but rather serve as my motivation to continuously learn and be active in political and research-based medicine. Similarly, positive patient outcomes serve as a reminder for why I cannot let setbacks get in the way of working towards progress. I promise to use my knowledge and experience to foster a tangible outcome of health and manifest invaluable relationships.

• This statement utilizes strong transitional sentences to link paragraphs which creates an easy-to-read essay with excellent flow.
• At the end of each experience, this writer does an excellent job of reflecting. They discuss what they learned, why it was significant, and how it will help them in a career in medicine.
• Instead of discussing a variety of different experiences, the writer focussed on quality experiences over quantity. This allows each experience, whether the experience with their grandmother or the experience as an emergency medical responder to really develop throughout the essay, ultimately creating a unifying theme that ties together well in the conclusion.
• The essay really comes to life due to the inclusion of details that describe experiences and interactions that were significant to the writer such as time spent with their grandmother and patient interactions during shadowing.

Potential areas of improvement

Sarah’s statement was, overall, very well written—this is one we’d have a student submit with their PA application. However, we still asked an advisor to critique this statement (just to provide some perspective) and here is what they shared:

While this statement is compelling, in my opinion, it could benefit from a tighter focus by refining or trimming some earlier details to keep the narrative more concise. Additionally, balancing the emotional reflection with more specific examples of clinical skills would strengthen the overall message and showcase readiness for a PA role. It’s well done and certainly acceptable as-is, but if I had the chance to sit down with this student and offer this as a piece of final advice before they submitted it, I would!

7 More PA Personal Statement Examples

Pa personal statement example #2, pa personal statement example #3, pa personal statement example #4, pa personal statement example #5, pa personal statement example #6, pa personal statement example #7, pa personal statement example #8.

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The PA school personal statement is one of the most important of the PA school requirements.

Before you begin writing your physician assistant personal statement, it's important to understand the purpose of the personal statement. Essentially, your personal statement will serve as your introduction to admissions committees. It's a way for you to demonstrate why you have chosen to pursue medicine, and why you want to become a PA specifically.

Admissions committees want to understand where your first interest in becoming a physician assistant began, what memorable experiences you've had since that moment, and what steps you've taken towards turning that initial interest into desire and passion for the profession. As with all types of personal statements, your personal statement must address the “why” behind the profession. In this case, why do you want to be a PA? Why did you choose PA school over a related discipline, such as medical school or nursing school? What about the PA profession appeals to you and what have you done to explore the field? What contribution can you make to the PA profession?

Your PA personal statement is the first introduction of who you are and serves as a first impression to the admissions committees. It’s also a way to clinch a PA school interview and move on to the final round of admissions evaluations.

Keep in mind that you'll also be expected to answer this question, and other common PA school interview questions during your interview, so be sure to reflect a bit on your answer and craft a strong response for both your personal statement and your interview answer. Similar questions to this can come up during your PA school interview essay or you can explore your “why” when you’re asked “tell me about yourself” during your interview.

In short, your personal statement is an important tool to getting through the initial rounds of PA school admissions, it provides background information on you to admissions committees and puts a face to your application.

Here's a summary of the requirements for PA school:

How to Write an Impactful PA Personal Statement

#1 be honest.

No two personal statements should be alike, each person has had their own set of experiences that have led them to want to pursue this vocation. So don't try to fabricate your statement, butter up the admissions committees, or exaggerate your experiences. Instead, be honest, tell the admissions committees about your exposure to medicine, what you've learned, how you've grown, what you have accomplished, why it was important and how all of these experiences led to you wanting to become a PA. Stick to the main reasons why you want to be a PA and why you want to pursue the profession specifically.

#2 Highlight Your Experiences and Skills

You want to highlight a few experiences that have helped you understand more about the life and work of a PA and ultimately helped solidify your decision to pursue this field. You can talk about your reasons for choosing  PA vs MD  if its relevant to your experience. Reflect on the instances that sparked your interest in the field or made you consider a career as a PA. Think about your volunteering, shadowing, and clinical experiences and reflect on any moments that have stood out for you or were significant in developing your interest in the profession. Remember to use details and specific examples to highlight the skills and lessons you earned from these experiences, including how they’ll help you accomplish your goals as a future PA and why they motivated you in the first place. Perhaps your participation in creating a treatment plan for a particular patient stood out for you or you witnessed an interaction between a physician assistant and a patient during your shadowing that gave you further insight into the profession. In short, you need to be able to answer why the PA is the best route for you, and what you’ve done to prepare yourself for this career.

For example, if you want to work specifically with underserved communities, and you’ve taken on volunteering opportunities that put you into contact with such communities, this is a great experience to include in both your personal statement or as some of the  best extracurriculars for PA school . If you want to work among immigrant or refugee communities and took the time to learn a new language in order to better communicate with these individuals, that will not only show initiative, but also dedication to effectively communicating with patients you want to help serve in the future. Also think about which of the  PA specialties  you might want to work in and what experiences you have which can contribute to this specialty.

When it comes to sitting down and writing your PA personal statement, it's important to note that the most successful statements are those that tell a story. Not unlike a  medical school personal statement , your PA personal statement is not a recitation of your CV. Listing accomplishments, awards, and your education will not interest the admissions committee; as mentioned above, you have to be quite specific and choose only the most important experiences to touch on. Information about your life and accomplishments is already available in your  medical school resume  and elsewhere in your application; the personal statement is a piece of art, not a dry informational document. It should allow members of the admissions committee to gain insight into your personal story and take them on your journey to becoming a PA.

In addition to being captivating (humans love stories; they elicit emotional responses), writing your personal statement in the form of a story is also beneficial because it helps communicate vital information in a chronological manner. The last thing you want, other than a boring personal statement, is one that doesn’t make sense and leaves admissions committee members confused. Jumping from one point in time to the next, from one experience to the next without order will only create a disjointed, unstructured essay. Instead, tell your story chronologically, beginning with an introduction to your interest or exposure to medicine, flowing into a few significant experiences throughout your life, and ending with a powerful conclusion that ties the entire essay together.

#4 Be Original

You are not like anyone else; despite what you might think, you're an original personal with individual thoughts, experiences, and interests. Don't get sucked into using clichés, common quotes, and unoriginal statements. It's not about writing what you think the admissions committee wants to hear such as “I want to be a doctor because I want to help people” or “I've always dreamed of becoming a doctor”.

Let your personal statement highlight what makes you unique as an applicant, how your personal qualities complement the profession, and what skills and key competencies you can bring to the entering class. Overall, it's important to consider what experiences and skills distinguish you from other applicants. Admissions committees will be reviewing hundreds if not thousands of PA school personal statements; what is going to make your statement stand out? What do you have to offer? How can you contribute to the profession?

Why show, don’t tell is the #1 rule to follow for personal statements:

Common PA Personal Statement Mistakes to Avoid

#1 reciting your cv.

Admissions committees already have this information, so this isn't suitable for your personal statement. Focus on quality of experiences. When brainstorming, write down the most significant experiences, either professional or personal, which led to you pursuing a career as a PA.

#2 Casting Yourself as the Victim

Many people have experienced difficult situations, such as emigrating from another country or suffering an injury. This can be powerful to discuss in your PA personal statement, but only if you can show resilience and ensure you're not playing the victim. As a general rule of thumb, be sure to only include an experience if you can discuss how it shapes you as a person, how it helped you grow, and will help you become a better future physician assistant.

#3 Telling Instead of Showing

It's not enough to say statements such as “I am a good listener” or “My experience shadowing has made me compassionate”. You need to show, or demonstrate, how you are a good listener, and how shadowing has helped you become compassionate. Discuss how interacting with patients helped you develop compassion or how your listening skills helped a specific patient with their problem. Discuss real experiences that can support and provide evidence for any statements.

The opening sentence in your PA school personal statement is the hook for your entire essay. If it's not enticing, unique, and memorable, you risk your essay blending in with the thousands of other admissions essays and ending up at the bottom of the pile. Your opening sentence and paragraph need to be engaging, you want to create a sense of desire so that admission committee members won't want to put down your statement, they should want to continue reading to find out the rest of your story. Remember that admissions committees tend to read these essays quickly, so if you don’t grab their attention right away, your essay will be quickly forgotten. PA school personal statement editing can be a big help in rewriting or tweaking your essay so it is polished and engaging. It’s always a good idea to get another set of eyes on your essay, too, to make sure there are no mistakes or get objective feedback. For students who want professional feedback on their work, expert physician assistant application help can be a great resource to use.

Having trouble writing a good introduction? Check out our tips:

#5 Failing to Have a Strong Conclusion

Just like a strong introduction, a good conclusion bookends a strong PA personal statement. A strong concluding paragraph not only sums up the main points of your previous paragraphs, but it should end on an engaging note. You want to leave the admissions committee wanting to know more about you, as this makes them more likely to call you for an interview. Your conclusion should be more than just “this is why I’ll make a good PA”, or “and that is why the PA profession is for me.” Your conclusion should bring back your main points, but an excellent closing statement can call back to your engaging opening sentence while also inviting the reader to continue the conversation.

#6 Relying on Clichés

The purpose of your PA personal statement is to stand out, not blend in. So don't use clichés and popular quotes that are tired and dry. Be original and use your own thoughts instead of the thoughts of others. It can be easy to fall into the habit of using common phrases or cliched language, but revising your draft can help you pick these out and rewrite them.

#7 Failing to Reflect

Any experience you describe in your PA personal statement should be followed by thoughtful reflection. You can't simply state that you worked as a research assistant in a lab and contributed to a publication. Think about why you want to discuss an experience in the first place and always be answering, why was it significant? What did you learn from it? How will it help you in your career as a physician assistant? How did this experience encourage me to become a PA? Your personal statement should demonstrate a deeper understanding of yourself and your goals, so self-reflection and self-insight is key here. While you’re brainstorming ideas for your personal statement, take some time to ask yourself these questions.

#8 Grammatical Errors and Spelling Mistakes

Your PA personal statement should be free from all errors and mistakes. Keep in mind that your personal statement is a direct reflection of who you are as a person. Mistakes indicate that you rushed your statement, are not detail-oriented and that you're not really invested in your potential career. An excellent PA personal statement has been through many revisions and has had multiple reviewers. It's a good idea to seek professional help such as a medical school advisor not only to ensure your statement is free from errors but so that you can receive personalized feedback on your statement to ensure you are putting your best self forward.

Want more PA personal statement tips?

Your personal statement will be structured as a short essay, with an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion. Your opening paragraph should serve as a short introduction of yourself and why you want to become a PA. The body paragraphs will outline specific examples or experiences you have which contributed to your journey to become a PA, and the conclusion will sum up your statement while inviting the reader to continue the conversation.

To write a good personal statement for PA school, you’ll need an intriguing and engaging introduction, 1-3 significant experiences or examples of how you are suited for the PA profession or why you want to become a PA, and a strong conclusion which invites admissions committees to learn more about you.

Your PA school personal statement should be between 500 and 750 words. The typical limit for personal statements is 5,000 characters, with spaces included.

PA school admissions committees are interested in your personal statement because they want to know more about your background, personal qualities and why you want to become a PA. It should include significant personal and professional experiences you have which led you to the profession and contributed to your desire to become a PA. Admissions committees expect to see some self-reflection and insight into your goals and motivations. They also want to see that you have the skills and qualities of a good physician assistant.

The best way to stand out in a PA personal statement is to have both strong writing and a strong story. Admission committees will read thousands of personal statements outlining many different stories, but you can stand out by providing interesting details and weaving an engaging story. The details of a personal story will be remembered more clearly by your reader than generic statements about your experience shadowing a PA, so remember to personalize your essay and make it unique!

In a PA statement, avoid reciting your resume or relying on cliches. It’s also important not to have any grammar or spelling mistakes. Most importantly, don’t talk about pursuing a career as a PA due to a failed medical school application or because you view it as a “back-up” option. You should have a strong reason for applying to PA school specifically, not because it is “easier” than medical school or related professions.

Yes. You should write out “physician assistant” in the first instance, but you can include the “PA” abbreviation in follow-up instances. 

Your opening statement needs to “hook” your reader or engage them right off the bat. A good way to start is with a personal story or statement that sums up the key theme of your essay. 

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Pa school personal statement: complete guide + examples.

Reviewed by:

Akhil Katakam

Third-Year Medical Student, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University

Reviewed: 11/6/23

If you’re applying to a Physician’s Assistant program, you will be asked to write a personal statement. Continue reading as we outline the dos and don'ts of your PA school personal statement. 

Are you wondering how to write a unique, stand-out personal statement for PA school? We’ve got you covered with our complete guide to writing a stellar personal statement. 

This one document has the power to set you apart from the competition, giving admissions committees a deeper understanding of who you are beyond your academic achievements and test scores. 

In this guide, we'll walk you through the dos and don'ts of crafting a compelling personal statement that will leave a lasting impression. 

Get The Ultimate Guide on Writing an Unforgettable Personal Statement

How To Write a Strong PA School Personal Statement

The first step is understanding what a personal statement is. A personal statement is a piece of writing that shares who you are to admissions committees. Many programs like humanities and social sciences ask applicants to write personal statements to learn about the applicant on a more intimate level. 

Unlike a statement of purpose, a personal statement focuses more on you and your interests and hobbies rather than academic achievements and accomplishments. 

A personal statement is usually less formal and may take a storytelling approach as you share how your experiences have shaped you and led you to apply to the specific program. 

While the tone is less formal than a statement of purpose, make sure your personal statement is well-written and engaging to your reader. You should proofread and edit your writing multiple times before submitting it. 

When writing a personal statement, think about answering some of the following questions: 

• Why did you pick this program?
• What experiences do you have that makes you a good candidate for the Program?
• What can you bring to the program?
• What can the program bring to you?
• What achievements are you proud of?
• What setbacks or challenges have you overcome?
• What are your career goals, and how does this program help you achieve them? 

As most personal statements are about 500 to 600 words, or two pages double-spaced, you won’t have the space to answer all of these questions. Pick a few to focus on. 

Now that we have a pretty good understanding of the expectations and tone of a personal statement let's discuss how to write a strong personal statement for PA school. 

The first thing to do before you begin writing is to read the school’s instructions carefully. Different schools may ask you to include specific pieces of information in your statement. The key to impressing the admissions committee is to demonstrate that you are detail-oriented and have actually read through the instructions. 

Admission committees for PA schools want to know if you are right for the field before admitting you into the program. If they think you won’t make a good PA, then they most likely won’t accept your application. 

Your personal statement for a PA school should demonstrate why you want to be a Physician Assistant and why you would make a good PA. When writing your statement, highlight specific attributes and characteristics that make up a good PA. Some specific traits to highlight may include:

• Attention to Detail 
• Compassion 
• Confidence 
• Problem-Solver
• Emotional Intelligence 
• Commitment 
• Professionalism  

All of these traits make up a successful Physician Assistant . Use specific examples from your personal experience to show off your great traits. As the saying goes, show, don’t tell. Pick a couple of examples that demonstrate you possess one or more of these traits for your personal statement. 

Successful PA essays are not about job experience; in fact, you should think of a well-rounded approach to medicine. For example, think of extracurricular activities that have shaped your interest in medicine and helped you grow as a person. 

Make sure to work on your personal statement well in advance of submitting your application. This will help ensure you have ample time for revisions, meet the application deadlines and can present the best possible version of yourself to the admissions committee.

What To Avoid In Your Personal Statement for PA School

There are a lot of tips on how to write a good personal statement for med school that you can use for a PA personal statement. However, it is important to know what to avoid doing as well. 

Don’t be dishonest and disingenuous in your personal statement. Admissions committees read thousands of personal statements and can spot those who feel off or insincere. 

You don’t have to be a perfect person or perfect applicant to get accepted; be yourself and be honest. In fact, acknowledging challenges or setbacks that you have faced and overcame is a great way to demonstrate your resilience and problem-solving skills that make you a stronger candidate! 

Also, avoid generic clichés and overused quotations in personal statements. This can include statements such as “I want to be a PA because I love helping people.” General statements such as this are overdone and come across as dull and impersonal. 

Also, steer clear of fixating on salary details. Focusing too much on the money aspect might make it seem like your main motivation for becoming a Physician's Assistant is financial gain, rather than a true passion for patient care and healthcare. Instead, let your personal statement shines with your real-life experiences and genuine enthusiasm for this profession.

Instead, try some suggestions for engaging ways to start your PA personal statement from Hamilton University: 

• Standard: Simply state what you will be talking about in your paper, basically like a thesis statement. 
• Creative: Find a creative and unique way to begin your personal statement. For example, you can start your piece with a relevant quotation that speaks to you and relates to your experiences. 
• Action: Begin in the middle of a story to draw your reader right into the action. 
• Personal: Start off your statement by revealing something personal about yourself that has led you to your interest in medicine. 
• Informative: State a fact that leads into your personal experiences. 

Avoid academic jargon or overly complicated language in your personal statement as well. Keep it simple and easy to read. Being over-dramatic can be off-putting and impersonal. Your personal statement should reflect who you are, so be authentic and genuine. 

It can be difficult to write something intimate about yourself for strangers to read. It can also be hard to balance between humility and boasting. If you need some extra help, you may find some tips on how to write a recommendation letter for yourself helpful. 

While a personal statement is not the same as a letter of recommendation, there are some core similarities. 

PA School Personal Statement Example

Now that we have discussed the components of a personal statement for PA school, let’s check out some essays that were accepted for PA programs to give you an idea of what a good personal statement looks like. 

Here is an example of a well-written personal statement: 

“Hey Doc, you might want to have a look at this.” On my computer rested a radiology report for a patient I saw with my rural preceptor. She came to the office with left upper quadrant pain, early satiety, and abdominal distention. Due to the patient’s age and family history, I was worried that her vague symptoms could be related to ovarian malignancy; thus, I enquired to my preceptor if he thought ultrasonographic imaging would be appropriate. He readily agreed with my rationale. This report reflected my gut feeling that something was wrong: “There are multiple solid masses in the liver…dominant mass measures 17.0 x 12.9 x 18.1 cm. Follow-up CT recommended.” Although it may sound strange, reading those words convinced me I wanted to become a radiologist. 

I wanted to be the person to give an answer for that patient. I wished I could have performed the patient’s ultrasound examination and subsequently analyzed the findings. One of my family medicine patients suffered mortal complications from the rupture of a massive basilar artery aneurysm, and I used his tragic CTA findings to give insights on how to understand the Circle of Willis and how its anatomy explained the patient’s unfortunate condition. 

I had done research one summer centered around using microbubble contrast-enhanced ultrasound to characterize indeterminate renal lesions. I began the project as someone who was incapable of understanding what those series of words actually meant, but by the end I was trying to explain the various septations and wall patterns of lesions suggestive of malignancy to my exasperated, but thankfully supportive, parents. It is this constant teaching aspect of radiology that attracts me to the field. The most obvious instruction one gives as a radiologist is assisting physicians with disease diagnosis and pathology localization, but I see a burgeoning, ever-questioning group of pupils waiting ahead for radiologists: their patients. 

As society becomes increasingly tech-savvy, there will be an increasing desire from patients to access their medical images digitally. With that, there comes the concurrent expectation that radiologists will have to be responsible in disseminating this information, as well as explaining the abnormalities. As this latter role has traditionally been in the hands of primary care physicians and/or specialists, radiology will have to adapt and rise to this challenge. 

I am looking for a residency program that wants to prepare its students for this inevitable future. Such a program would obviously need to be strong in giving its future radiologists extensive breadth and depth in commonplace and emerging image modalities with distinguished skills in fostering student independence. As part of that independence, the program must have a strong emphasis on how best to explain radiologic findings for both physicians and laypeople. Additionally, I hope for ample opportunities for resident research, as well as strong mentorship from both upper level residents and faculty.”

Why this personal statement works : The student clearly outlines their goals and how these goals relate to the PA program. The student also clearly demonstrates how their background and personal experiences support their career goals which shows the reader that they are capable of being a great candidate for a PA program.  

Here is another excerpt from a statement that shares a personal story: 

“Do you think we can take in a 2-year-old?” Unsure if my wife was joking, I stopped midway up the steep hill on 19th Street in Birmingham to catch my breath, which was now short for reasons other than the strenuous walk. My wife went on, explaining that her niece, Gabby, needed a home. Nobody else in the family was able to help, and if we didn’t, she would likely end up in foster care. Though we later discussed it at great length, my mind was made up before I submitted the hill. My parents, who worked at a children’s home in Alabama for most of my life, showed me the impact a loving home could have on a child’s life. I couldn’t imagine saying no to this little girl. Less than a month later, we received full custody of Gabby and it became the three of us (plus the cat). It was my first year of medical school, my wife worked full-time, and we were the sole caretakers of a toddler. Through all the stresses of those early times, one thing stands out in my mind as perhaps the most stressful of all—her nighttime cough. That cough kept us awake at night. Each time Gabby let out a string of coughs, I crawled down to the edge of the bed and put my hand on her chest to make sure she was still breathing. We had been told that she might have asthma, but that was all we knew. We didn’t have any of the documentation most places required for care. We had no Medicaid information, Social Security number, birth certificate, or medical history—only a piece of paper signed by a judge that said we were responsible for her. My wife and I were at a loss—how could we care for this child if we could not get her most basic healthcare needs met? Thankfully, we stumbled upon Christ Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health center (FQHC) in Birmingham. 

Christ Health Center was exactly what our family needed. In addition to caring for Gabby’s needs when most other places would not, I saw there a model of the sort of clinical work I intend on doing after residency. I was so impressed I signed up to do an elective rotation with them between first and second year. Prior to that, I was fairly certain I wanted to practice family medicine and work with the underserved in some way; after my first day at Christ Health Center, there was no doubt left in my mind. My draw to family medicine in general, and FQHCs in particular, is the potential for community change. At Christ Health Center, patients often came in with their entire families and everyone in the room had an issue to address, medical or otherwise. I learned some of the nuances of working with a community and gained skills necessary to help meet these needs. Usually, it was just a word of reassurance; other times, it was patient and family education; and occasionally, it was setting them up with resources for food and housing. 

The lessons of those few months are often in my mind as I see patients. During my family medicine clerkship, I was tasked with doing the H&P for three different children in the same room. Inside, I found a frazzled mother completing paperwork while the kids scrambled about the room. She tried her best to calm them as I started on the histories, but to little avail. She grew more and more dispirited as she continued answering, “I don’t know.” Finally, on the verge of tears, she said, “I’m so sorry. I just got custody of all three of them and don’t know anything about their histories.” I paused, remembering Gabby’s nighttime cough. Finally, I said, “Don’t worry, we’ll take care of them. I know exactly how you feel.” 

Why this personal statement works : This student takes a slightly different route than the first example but is also an effective way to write a captivating personal statement. 

This statement reads more like a story, and the reader gets to know the student on a closer level. 

By creating this sense of intimacy, the student demonstrates that their empathy and their ability to overcome personal challenges makes them a great candidate for a PA program. 

Both examples are strong, so the route you want to take is up to you.

Still have some questions? Keep reading as we answer some of your frequently asked questions. 

1. What Should Be In A Personal Statement for PA School?

You should highlight some of your traits and experiences that make you the right fit for the program and the field. Make it personal and make it about you, but remember to also be genuine and humble. 

A personal statement is your opportunity to introduce yourself to the admissions committee. Think about how you want to present yourself and what you want the admissions committee to know about you. 

2. How Do You Write A Unique Personal Statement for PA School?

The most important piece to writing a unique personal statement for PA school is to be yourself and write from your heart. 

3. How Long Should a PA School Personal Statement Be?

This all depends on the school and their instructions. However, most personal statements range from 500 words to 1,000 words. Unless stated otherwise, they should never be longer than 1,000 words. 

Final Thoughts

A personal statement is a key piece of your application. Like your interview , it’s your chance to introduce yourself to the admissions committee and really stand out amongst other applicants. A PA school personal statement is also a great opportunity to show off your writing and communication skills. 

Remember to read through the instructions posted by the school, keep it personal and honest, and proofread and edit before submitting. Follow these key steps to write a personal statement that will impress admissions committees.

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January 26, 2024

Writing Your PA School Personal Statement with Impact [Including a PA Personal Statement Example]

There are approximately 300 accredited PA (physician assistant) schools in the United States. In the most recent application cycle, these schools received more than 27,000 applications. The matriculation rate for PA schools hovers near 30%, which is lower than the approximate 40% matriculation rate for medical schools. Is becoming a PA a competitive process? Yes! Is it impossible? No!

For you to stand out in this crowded applicant pool, your  personal statement for your PA application  has got to shine from the first sentence to the last. It needs to tell a compelling story that focuses on your sustained interest in the field, while at the same time building a case for your qualifications. It should not rehash your CV, be loaded with clichés, or focus solely on a story that portrays you as a victim.   

The character limit for the CASPA (Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants) personal statement is 5,000 – which includes spaces ! Some people at first believe the limit is 5,000  words  and end up having to severely cut back their overwritten drafts. Don’t let this happen to you! 

The following successful essay responds to the question, “Why PA?” After reading this essay, you’ll understand why the candidate was accepted into a PA program.  The individual has given permission for their essay to be shared publicly. All personal identifiers and details have been removed to protect their privacy.

PA School Personal Statement Example

I was nine years old and in the middle of Mrs. Russell’s third grade class when my stomach began to itch uncontrollably. I remember thinking to myself, “Did I get bitten by a bug?” Completely distracted by the incessant itching, I asked Mrs. Russell if I could go to the nurse’s office. When the nurse lifted my shirt, I saw the biggest “bug bites” I had ever seen covering the majority of my stomach. She quickly called my mom, who took me to several different doctors as the “bug bites” continued to spread all over my body. None of the doctors could figure out what was wrong with me until I saw a Dermatology PA. He immediately diagnosed me with a delayed allergic reaction. He gave me a medication that almost immediately made the hives disappear. I no longer struggled to open my eyes! It was like magic! To this day, I still have no idea what caused that allergic reaction, but I am grateful for this experience, because it introduced me to a PA who continued to touch my life and cultivate my interest in medicine and healthcare.

Year after year, my love of learning continued to flourish. I began taking gifted classes in math and science in the fifth grade and continued to take honors and advanced placement classes when I reached high school. In addition to my studies, I also began to play volleyball and softball. Through these sports, I learned the skills that a textbook could not teach me, such as accountability, integrity,  teamwork , and leadership. Through my academic achievements, active participation in numerous school clubs, and leadership role as the captain of my volleyball team, my high school nominated me to participate in a National Youth Leadership Forum in the summer of ——. I attended lectures by a PA, a nurse, a chiropractor, a veterinarian, and several physician specialists. In addition to the lectures and countless group activities, I visited several medical facilities. In one of the labs, I saw a table displaying human organs infected with different diseases and cancers. To my surprise, I was eager to touch them and learn why the people they once belonged to could not have been saved. From that experience on, I became determined to pursue medicine.

My  interest in the PA profession  quickly became a driving force in my life after my mom was diagnosed with Stage IV Melanoma in February —— and quickly passed away in October of that year. I was devastated upon hearing her diagnosis. How could this happen when she went to the Dermatologist every three to six months? The same Dermatology PA who had healed me with his “magic pills” spent a significant amount of time with my mom after her diagnosis. He met with her and my dad following a long day of seeing patients, to determine if he had missed something in her regular exams. He also made himself available to my entire family and recommended specialists and experimental treatments. He explained everything we did not understand along the way. It is because of the compassion, sincerity, and care he provided to my mom and my family during this difficult time that I became certain I wanted to pursue my love of medicine as a PA.

Throughout my undergraduate career, as well as the time since I graduated, I have continued to explore the medical field to learn as much as I can about becoming a PA. Through countless hours of  shadowing and volunteering  as a medical assistant at —— Dermatology, I have learned how crucial teamwork, effective communication, detailed note-taking, and compassion are for effective patient care. There have been numerous instances where doing a simple and nearly painless biopsy could have turned into a serious and most certainly uncomfortable medical situation. By taking thorough patient histories, accurately noting any allergies, and verbally communicating these notes to the practitioner, I have been able to ensure that patients receive the best care possible while averting any avoidable crises.

Every challenge and opportunity that I have encountered since I was the itchy little girl sitting in Mrs. Russell’s class has brought me to this decision. My mom’s passing has only made me more passionate about this profession and has given me a new appreciation for life that I hope to share with my patients and community. With my love of learning and helping others, as well as the skill set I will gain from a PA program, I am certain that I will have the tools needed to become a valued member of a larger care team. I am eager to see how these opportunities will positively impact not only my life, but also the lives of others.

What makes this PA personal statement outstanding?

This essay shows that the writer invested the question “Why PA?” with a great deal of thought. It is exceptional for the following reasons:

1. The writer specifically explains “why PA” from the first paragraph to the last.

She writes with honesty and skill, directly responding to the essay prompt. Each paragraph illustrates an additional reason that becoming a PA is the only profession for her. She builds her case by discussing her academic achievements (advanced placement and honors classes in math and science), shadowing and volunteering as a medical assistant, and learning to appreciate the essential “soft skills” of compassion, sincerity, and care in a PA, which convinces the reader that she is grateful for, dedicated to, and thirsts for knowledge in the field of medicine. For these reasons, the candidate was  invited to interview  and received an acceptance.

2. The writer demonstrates a longitudinal pattern of behavior and involvement that supports her educational goal.

In my experience,  past behavior predicts future behavior . This candidate’s pattern of behavior aligns with the work and responsibilities of a PA. With a love of learning and teamwork, as demonstrated by the experiences she chose in the medical arena, the writer proves through her long-term involvement with medicine that she will seamlessly fit into the role of PA. It is clear how much effort she has invested into preparing for this career.

3. An appealing balance of personal motivations and professional goals are represented in the essay.

From her childhood experience of being successfully treated by a PA to appreciating the clinical skill and sensitivity of PAs she encountered over the years, this writer’s motivations are a perfect blend of the personal and the professional. She writes convincingly about why this career path will be so meaningful on multiple levels. By drawing on both her personal contact with the profession and her preparation for it, she convinces readers of the variety and depth of her commitment. Each paragraph builds from personal to professional motivations, culminating in a conclusion where she ties the two threads together.

The profession of PA continues to grow in stature and popularity. When submitting your CASPA, remember you will be evaluated on the competitiveness of your holistic portfolio, with the personal statement being a critical component. Take time to craft your narrative, leave yourself additional time for reviewing and editing your drafts, and ensure that the statement you submit will captivate the admissions committee!

As the former assistant dean of student affairs and career development at the William Beaumont School of Medicine, Dr. Valerie Wherely worked directly with the dean of the School of Medicine, the associate dean of student affairs, the associate dean of clinical curriculum, and the assistant dean of admissions, as well as with Year 4 students on both residency application reviews/critiques and mock interview preparation. Work with Valerie! Schedule a free consultation today!

Related Resources:

• How to Get into Physician Assistant Programs , podcast Episode 515
• Reapplying to PA School: Tips on Polishing and Refining Your NEW Application
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Crafting Your PA School Personal Statement – A Comprehensive Guide

• September 20, 2022
• Sharjeel Shaw PA-C

A personal statement allows you to share the integral details of your pre-PA journey with admission committees. It’s a chance to showcase attributes that are not already included within your CASPA application. It should be genuine, memorable, and honest.

It should demonstrate your strengths and convince the reader that you have what it takes to become an outstanding Physician Assistant. A rock-solid personal statement can be the one thing that sets you apart from other applicants with similar stats.

It’s your opportunity to catch the attention of admission committees and make them want to meet you in person. A well-crafted personal statement can be your ticket to an interview.

BRAINSTORMING

Write down anything and everything that comes to mind. Think bullet points, not novels. And remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither are personal statements.

• Think back to the moment you decided you wanted to become a physician assistant. Where were you? What were you doing? Did the decision come easy? Or did it require a lot of time and reflection?
• When was your first encounter with a physician assistant? How did you first hear about the profession?
• What experiences have you had along the way that have solidified your career choice? Was it a patient encounter, an experience with a family member, or a day you spent shadowing a PA? Think about experiences that spark emotion.
• Why did you choose to pursue a career in healthcare?
• Why did you choose to become a PA over all other healthcare careers? What aspects of the profession are most appealing?
• What personal attributes do you possess that make you a qualified applicant? What experiences have you had that prove that you exemplify those traits?
• What qualities do you possess that will make you a successful PA student and successful practitioner? What experiences have you had that prove that you exemplify those traits?
• Why you vs. the thousands of other applicants? What makes you unique?
• What obstacles have you overcome?
• What are your goals? Describe the type of practitioner that you aspire to be.
• What morals and values do you uphold?

WRITING A FIRST DRAFT

Try free writing first before you start to worry about formatting or flow. Getting your ideas down on paper is the first step. There’s no need to write your entire first draft in one sitting. If you’re experiencing a writer’s block, take a break and come back to it.

     Logistics

• 5000 characters
• Tabs, italics, and bold will not convert when uploaded to CASPA
• Hit return twice between paragraphs

     FORMATTING

• Introduction with a hook or catchy story
• Multiple body paragraphs – each with a separate story or theme
• Strong conclusion that ties in information from intro/body paragraphs

     CONTENT

• Don’t rewrite your resume – demonstrate your attributes with stories
• Demonstrate your knowledge of the profession – specific to PA school, not healthcare in general
• Be authentic – let your personality shine through
• Consider including an overarching theme to tie everything together
• If you chose to address applicant red flags, don’t make excuses – demonstrate growth and improvement

     PROOFREADING

• Use thesaurus.com if you find that you’re repeating a word or phrase frequently
• Read it out loud in order to assess flow and pick up on grammar/spelling mistakes
• Have 2-3 trusted peers/mentors look it over – input from too many sources decreases authenticity

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PERSONAL STATEMENT DO’S AND DON’TS

The personal statement requirement for PA school is one of the most important parts of your application. Your personal statement gives the admissions committee an inside look at your personality, aspirations, and experiences. This is an opportunity to show PA programs why you chose to pursue the PA field and why they should choose you to be a part of their next cohort of student. Use your personal statement to your advantage as an applicant! Expand on yourself and the experiences that ultimately led you to pursue the PA profession.

Here are some “Do’s and Don’ts” for the PA school personal statement:

Introduction:

Do: Grab the admission committee’s attention in the introduction paragraph right off the bat.

Tell a story, explain an experience, or make a strong statement. Imagine how many essay introductions admissions committees will read… how will yours stand out? Use your unique journey to capture the reader’s attention.

Don’t: Start your personal statement off with a cheesy quote, a cliché, addressing the reader directly, or with a joke.

Although it is important to stand out, do not start your essay in an unprofessional way. This personal statement is supposed to encompass your passion for the profession and prove to admissions committees why you are a mature applicant who is ready for PA school. Keep it formal and do not address the reader directly anywhere in your essay.

Do: Use formal language and correct sentence structure.

Since this a professional essay, it should be written like one. Use full, complete sentences, proper punctuation, and always spell check. You may get creative with your writing style, but do not include anything that could take away from the overall message of the essay.

Don’t: Use informal language, unnecessary adverbs and contractions.

Avoid using informal language, such as slang words and contractions. Unnecessary adverbs, such as “very,” “really,” and “truly” should be cut out because they take up more space and lack authenticity. “I am dedicated to the PA profession” reads much better than “I am really dedicated to the PA profession.” Also, do not use abbreviations or acronyms without writing out the whole word first. For example, write out physician assistant (PA) once, then use PA throughout the rest of the essay. Since every character counts, you do not want to waste them by repeatedly writing out physician assistant.

PROFESSIONAL PERSONAL STATEMENT REVISION

Do: Emphasize why the PA profession is the only profession for you.

Show admissions departments your commitment to the PA profession through your personal statement. Demonstrate your knowledge about this profession and the specific aspects that draw you to it. Use firsthand examples of how you know this specific career is the right path for you.

Don’t: Mention other healthcare professions and go on a tangent about why being a PA is better.

Do not bash other professions or say that the PA profession is better. As a PA, you will work in a team of healthcare providers to care for patients, including physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, physical therapists, speech language pathologists, etc. Do not say anything offensive about these professions. Instead, focus your essay on “WHY PA,” and not “why not every other profession.”

Show, don’t tell:

Do: Include the most impactful moments in your life that solidified your aspiration to become a PA.

No two people have the exact same experiences, so use your unique encounters to stand out from other applicants. This could be from when you were a child, completing your patient care experience hours, shadowing, participating in a mission trip, etc. Always relate your stories back to the main point of the whole personal statement— why you are interested in being a PA student!

Don’t: State a list of adjectives to describe yourself.

It is great and important that you are a kind, caring, hard-working, dedicated individual… but use the space in your personal statement to show this to programs. Use specific examples of times you demonstrated perseverance, were impacted by a patient, inspired by a fellow healthcare worker, learned something significant from a shadowing experience, etc. Avoid making statements that could better be understood through a short anecdote.

You are applying to be a PA student, not a PA:

Do: Reinforce why you are qualified for PA school and will be a successful PA student.

Being a successful PA student means staying dedicated to the long years of furthering your education. Express your desire to learn and willingness to put in the work to complete the rigorous coursework required in PA school!

Don’t: Focus on being a practicing PA-C and what specialty you are interested in.

Although it is exciting to think about your potential future as a PA-C, do not create made-up scenarios of you as a practicing PA. Also, avoid stating the specific specialty fields you are interested in. As a PA student, you are trained as a generalist. Picking one specific “dream” specialty may deter admissions committees, especially from programs that have a focus on primary care.

PERSONAL STATEMENT EDITS

Conclusion:

Do: Summarize your passion for becoming a PA and leave the reader wanting to invite you for an interview.

This is the last paragraph of your essay that admissions committees will read, make it a good one! The conclusion should wrap up all key points of your essay in a new way. Tell these schools why they need you as a PA student and how you can contribute to their next cohort.

Don’t: Repeat sentences already stated in the essay.

You only have 5,000 characters for this essay, so do not repeat any sentences or phrases already stated. It is okay to repeat main ideas, but do not use the exact same phrasing.

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Steps to Writing a Personal Statement

Your personal statement is one of the most important essays you will ever write, no stress, right? Today I am breaking down the steps to writing your personal statement so it isn’t quite so daunting. I also have a FREE Two Week Personal Statement Challenge to help you get your first draft on paper.

LOGISTICS: The essay is 5000 characters, including spaces. This trips up a lot of people when they finish writing their essay and enter it on CASPA; it will end up over the character limit because of not accounting for spaces. 5000 characters including spaces comes out to a little over a page, single spaced, regular 12 font. 

Keep in mind, if you have to reapply, your personal statement does not carry over between cycles. That is one thing that you would have to resubmit. Once you've submitted your application, you cannot change your personal statement. Make sure that first submission has it exactly the way you want it. It also needs to be general and not specific to a program because you have one essay that goes to every single program. You may have supplemental essays that are specific for each program.

PROMPT: Usually, this is some variation of “ Why do you want to be a PA? ” Most recently, it was “Discuss your motivations for becoming a physician assistant, and explain why you chose the physician assistant career.” Keep this prompt in mind as you're writing. Your essay will be copied directly in CASPA. However, that should not be the only place you write it. I recommend using Google Docs online to save automatically instead of a Word Document. Save frequently so you can copy and paste it into CAPSA. 

So let’s discuss! What does it take to have a really great essay?

BRAINSTORMING PHASE: First and foremost, for those who are not applying currently but may be applying in the next few years, you are in a “brainstorming” phase. Open a note on your phone or have a document somewhere – just jot down ideas. If you see a patient who leaves an impression on you and makes an impact, go ahead and write it down. A year, or two years from now, you may not remember those important encounters. Keep a running list so when it comes to write, you’re not staring at a blank piece of paper and feeling writers’ block.

PLANNING OUT THE WRITING PHASE: I recommend starting your essay no later than the January before you apply to PA school. The application opens up in April, and you don’t want to be scrambling in April, May, or June to get your essay done. You will have plenty of other stuff to do like entering transcripts and keeping up with letters of recommendation. Your personal statement ideally should be done before you get to the application. Give yourself time, making sure there are no errors and then get others’ opinions.

My favorite way to write and your preference may be difference. What works for me is just getting words on paper. It can seem more difficult if you are trying to write the perfect introduction and not feeling like you have anything to say. That may come later! Don’t feel like you have to write your essay in order, but just get some thoughts on paper. Pour out your words and passion about why you want to be a PA and then change it and edit later. Your first draft will definitely not be your last draft and may not even have the same main ideas. 

Sit down for 30 minutes with no distractions, no computer, no email, no phone. If you want to type it, that's fine. If you want to write it, that's fine. Think about what has influenced your decisions, gotten you to the point of applying, and your other pivotal moments. 

CONTENT : These are the questions that I'm looking for answers to in your essay.

What made you interested in medicine?

You need to show that this is not a last-minute decision; but something that has developed. You don’t need a dramatic story or event that made you interested in medicine. For me, I’ve always been interested in science. My sister had some health problems as a child, which exposed me to medicine. Honestly, I prefer the essays that are not as dramatic. You can read my personal statement here .

How did you find out about the PA profession?

To become a PA, you most likely considered other medical professions at some point, especially medical school, because they're so similar. I found out about the PA profession through my dad. He had a doctor's appointment for a cold and ended up seeing a PA. He thought she was great, and came back home and told me about it. You want to show how you found out about the profession and describe your journey through this process. It needs to relate back to the prompt!

What appealed to you about the PA profession?

Don’t feel like you need to compare med school vs PA school directly in the essay, especially because you are limited on space. Break down where your interests came from and focus on more than just the perks of the career. Talk about the day to day responsibilities of working with a physician, working as part of a team, and the job itself. Emphasized getting to take care of patients and being directly involved with their care. You can mention the flexibility and lateral mobility, but those should not be the primary reasons you want to be a PA; it should be about the patients more than your benefit.

Do you have a good understanding of what PAs do?

I want to know you have a good understanding of what PAs do, and this comes from your shadowing or work experience with PAs. If you read your essay and think you could have pulled the information from Google, then you are probably being too generic and general. Avoid generic and include things that are specific to you and what you saw. Anytime you can use a specific example or story in your essay, that's more effective. Show more than tell that you know what a PA is and what they do, and use those experiences to model the type of provider you want to be as a PA.

I've read so many essays that don't even say the phrase “physician assistant” or “PA” until the conclusion or the last two paragraphs. PA should be stated much sooner in your essay because that is the main idea and focus of your essay.

What will make you a successful PA student?

I want to know how you've prepared to be successful as a PA student. Keep in mind that you're currently applying for a spot as a PA student, not yet as a PA. Show the programs that you're academically prepared with your current history and GPA, upward trends, and strong time management skills needed to succeed as a PA student.

ORGANIZATION:

Ideally, the events in your essay should go in chronological order. Sometimes when I read essays, the events jump all over the place, and I can’t focus on the main points because it’s hard to follow. If you reread it and have a lot of questions, or someone editing has a lot of questions, that is a red flag! Admissions committees read thousands of essays. They should not have to try very hard to figure out what you are talking about.

Don’t sleep on your conclusion. A distinct conclusion needs to sum up your strengths and reiterate why you are the best choice as a PA student in their program. Don’t skimp on the conclusion because of the character limit.

I want to see correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation. With abbreviations, fully write out an abbreviation first, and then throughout the rest of your essay, you can write PA for example, instead of physician assistant. You would write “physician assistant (PA)” at first, and then you can use PA throughout the rest of your essay.

Look at content and make sure that everything relates back to the prompt of “Why do you want to be a PA?” In addition, the story needs to be easy to follow – can I figure out what is going on without too many questions or feeling confused?

Consider getting an outside opinion .

I do think it is important to have other people read your essay. You can read your own essay over and over, and you will never feel like it is done. Eventually, you will have to submit. By getting others’ opinions who know your voice or who do not know your voice, that can help ensure you have a strong essay. Friends and family can help make sure it sounds like you. However, the one caveat - if someone is not familiar with the PA school application process or profession, take their advice with a grain of salt because they may offer advice that is not applicable. For example, I don’t think creative writing stories are appropriate for this type of essay. In addition, try to have a PA read your essay. But again, if they aren't really involved in that process, they may or may not give you the best advice.

If you are in undergrad, look into resources at your school. If you have a writing center, or an advisor, or someone who can help you with your essay, take advantage. The PA Platform also offers essay editing services .

Warning! I definitely encourage you to join our pre-PA Facebook group . However, be careful of asking random people to read your essay. They may be writing their own essay and decide to “borrow” parts of yours if it’s very good. Brian has actually heard of that happening at a school where two people ended up turning in the same essay, which is terrifying to me. Definitely make sure that anyone you're letting read your essay that you trust them.

Download the first chapter of the PA School Personal Statement Guide!

How do I bring up something that may be a red flag? Or should I? How do I talk about it? My rule of thumb is to only bring an issue up if you think it needs explaining and would prevent you from getting an interview. One or two Cs probably doesn't need explaining, but a full rough semester or an overall low GPA may need addressing to give you a chance to clarify. Supplementals offer the opportunity to go more in depth. If you have faced any legal issues, you do have to disclose those on your application. CASPA has a little spot to talk about them. However, if you feel like you need to go more in depth, be positive, get straight to the point, and be as direct as possible. Do not blame a teacher. Do not blame your circumstance. Just explain what happened, and how you can improve. The most important thing is that you own what happened and show improvement from the experience.

Here are some general mistakes :

“Physician ' s assistant” – If you put this in your essay, and I'm editing, you are going to get ALL RED, BOLDED TEXT. Make sure you know the name of the career you are applying for. There is no apostrophe s in the name. It’s just physician assistant. I don’t personally take offense to a misspelling like this, but you never know who will be reading your essay.

Confusion with timing and jumping back and forth – The writer will talk about working where they work now, but then go back to where they used to work. And then when they shadowed this one time. It's just hard for you to figure out how you actually made decisions with that type of format.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling again!!!

This is a big one . Taking the focus away from you. It's good to use stories and examples, But be cautious that you do not let the focus become on the subject of your story. If you're talking about a patient or your grandma, I should still learn more about you and your role in that story then I do about the person you are talking about. I don’t want to know more about Miss Smith than I know about you. Don’t waste that space on someone else, keep the focus on you

Quotes and clichés - Please don't start your essay with a random quote. It's just not effective and it uses space. Same thing with rhetorical questions and speech. It messes with the flow. Try to use different wording to avoid those types of situations. Also, you don't need to say to the reader, “Thank you so much for your consideration.” These types of phrases just aren't necessary in this type of formal essay.

Check out my Personal Statement Mistakes video on Youtube to help you avoid making some of the most common mistakes people make when it comes to writing their personal statement.

For Reapplicants → The reason why you want to be a PA may not change, but the personal statement should not stay the exact same as the previous cycle. Use some different examples or a different format. Also, if you do reapply to a program and met the minimums, but did not get an interview, really think about your essay and see if that may have been the reason you didn't get interviews.

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Do’s and Don’ts of Writing an Outstanding PA School Personal Statement

As a pre-physician assistant student, one of the most important components of your application to PA school is your personal statement. This is where you shine! Your personal statement is a chance to showcase your unique experiences, skills and motivations for becoming a PA. Here are some do’s and don’ts to help you write a personal statement that stands out from the crowd!

Do : Find your “deeper why”. Your personal statement should be personal (hence the name) and grab the reader’s attention. Brainstorm and find your deeper why to help connect with the reader and showcase your passion and heart. Focus on the “why” when you’re writing your essay to stand out from the crowd. You’re a unique individual, which unique experiences, and only YOU can tell your story

Don’t: Use cliches or generic statements! Avoid using cliches or generic statements in your personal statement. Admissions committees read hundreds of personal statements, and they can quickly spot a generic statement. Be specific and use concrete examples to showcase your experiences and motivations for becoming a PA.

Do: Showcase your experiences Your personal statement should showcase your experiences, both in healthcare and outside of it. Admissions committees want to see that you have a well-rounded background and are passionate about patient care.

Don’t : Ramble or go off-topic Stay focused on your main topic and avoid rambling or going off-topic. Admissions committees are looking for a clear and concise statement that highlights your qualifications and motivation for becoming a PA.

Do: Edit for both content and grammar. While we believe the most emphasis should be placed on content, typos and grammatical errors can detract from your message and make you appear careless. Have someone else read your statement and provide feedback.

Don’t: Plagiarize or copy. Avoid plagiarism or copying from sample personal statements you find online. This is unethical and can harm your chances of being accepted into PA school.

Your personal statement is a critical component of your PA school application. Follow these do’s and don’ts to create a personal statement that showcases your experiences, qualifications, and motivation for becoming a PA. With a killer personal statement, you can stand out from the crowd and increase your chances of being accepted into your dream PA program.

Not sure how your CASPA application and personal statement measure up? Get your app and personal statement editing in our CASPA App Editing and Zoom Feedback Service. You have worked too hard, too long, and are too close to your dream to not make sure your app is exceptional!

The 2-Step Prep for Your PA School Personal Statement

Starting a PA school personal statement can seem overwhelming. After months or years of hard work, the CASPA application tasks you with summing up your story in just 5000 characters (around 700-800 words).

Most applicants wait until they are ready to sit down and knock out the entire essay to start writing. However, this approach usually leads to weeks of procrastination until the “right” time (or a looming application deadline) comes along.

There is a better, less pressure-filled way to set about the personal statement. It is an approach that has some built-in procrastination in the plan. By design, it allows you to start working on your essay without writing a single sentence.

In this post, we will outline the two steps that will help prepare you to write your essay. These steps are pressure-free. They allow you to take the time you need to design your most effective PA school essay.

Follow these 2 steps, and much of the hard work of your essay will be done before you ever start writing.

1. Make a list of what you want to include in your PA school essay, then stop there

One week before you start writing your essay, make a list of the key points that you want to cover in your statement. These do not need to be in a logical order, a simple list will do for now.

Your list should include around 3-5 experiences that demonstrate your work towards becoming a PA. These might include direct patient contact or healthcare experience roles, volunteering, academic experience, and shadowing. Check out the Experience Idea List if you need help with this.

If you have a story from one of these experiences that you want to cover in your essay, like a particular patient interaction from your PCE role, include it on the list as well.

Once you have decided on what experiences you will include, consider how you will open your essay. You may want to use a specific story from one of your experiences, or tell about how you first became interested in a career as a PA.

Your opening story will be used to build the backbone of your essay. You will definitely use it again in the conclusion, and may even weave it into the body of the essay if it is appropriate.

You do not need to nail your opening story down just yet, but add potential ideas to the top of your list as they come.

Making this list in advance will help you to decide what is most important to you to include in your essay.

Remember, the essay is short, so you have to curate your content. Be selective so you can be sure to spend enough time highlighting your strongest experiences.

After you have jotted down your list, let it sit for at least 4 days.

Mulling over your ideas for a few days without putting any pressure on yourself to write is essential if you want your essay to develop naturally.

During these few days, spend your time doing things other than completing your CASPA application. The space you give your brain will help you gain clarity on what you want for your essay.

2. Make a rough outline for your personal statement, then walk away

Two to three days before you start writing, start developing your list into a more formal outline.

Do not be tempted to dive into writing just yet. Developing the structure before you start writing will help you to create an essay that flows rather than one that seems disconnected or forced.

The outline should begin with your narrative opening story and transition through your experiences, with the goal of demonstrating your commitment and desire to be a PA.

The most natural way to do this for the majority of applicants is chronological. Some experiences may overlap, but in general you can arrange the flow of your essay based on the sequence of your experiences.

One way to structure the flow is outlined here. If you would like to structure your own experiences into a similar flow, download the personal essay outline worksheet to help you get started.

Your outline does not have to be perfect, especially on the first try. The idea is to start ordering things in your mind so you can see how the flow of your essay can develop naturally.

Once you have your preliminary outline, let it sit for a couple of days. Give your mind some space again to work on this while not under immediate pressure to write your essay.

Preparing for your PA school personal statement a week before you actually start writing can give you significant clarity with what you want to include.

Spend less than an hour on two occasions during that week, and you will set up your brain to work on and improve your essay structure in the background of your day.

By following these two simple exercises, you can be prepared to write your PA school essay without the pressure or guilt that procrastination can bring.

Know what else can take the pressure off of writing your PA school essay? Having your essay reviewed and edited by someone who has been in your position. Whether you are starting from scratch or already have a first draft, getting holistic application and essay guidance with one of my Application Bundles can help you create an essay that PA programs will notice.

The PA School Personal Statement: First Draft Must-Dos

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How to Write a PA School Personal Statement: Common Mistakes to Avoid

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What is the purpose of a pa school personal statement .

The personal statement is an opportunity for you to tell PA school admissions committee what you want them to know about you to convince them to accept you. A few years ago, a PA faculty who sat on an admissions committee at a PA school made a good analogy about the PA school personal statement.

She asked students to imagine that the director of admissions at their top choice PA school calls them out of the blue and says you have 4 minutes to convince me that I should give you an interview at our PA school. What would you say in those 4 minutes?  Whatever you say should go into your personal statement.

  A personal statement should achieve a few key goals :

• It should explain how you became interested in the PA profession
• It should provide insight into why you are drawn to the PA profession. Ideally you should use experiences participating in patient care, shadowing, and volunteering to show what you like about being a PA.
•  It should give the reader some insight about what qualities make you a good candidate for PA school and the PA profession. This should not be a laundry list of generic positive qualities like being hardworking or being smart. Instead it should be a handful of specific qualities and a demonstration of how you acquired these qualities through your personal or professional experiences.

The most common PA school personal statement mistake! 

The most common mistake applicants make in their PA school personal statement is not clearly and explicitly articulating why they want to go into the PA profession.

Often, the applicant will dance around the topic without stating it explicitly. Some applicants completely avoid the topic and just say that they want to be a PA wihtout saying why at all.

Below is an excerpt from a recent essay which demonstrates this point. In this example, after describing a clinical experience where she worked with underprivileged populations, she concludes the paragraph by saying:

“…these personal interactions with patients further motivated me to pursue the medical profession.”

In reading this, one is left to wonder why and how these personal interactions further motivated her to pursue the medical profession and specifically why she chose to become a PA?

 This sentence could be improved if she adds to it and makes her point more directly with clear reasons for why she wants to be a PA. For example, one way to improve this would be to modify this sentence and say:

“… these personal interactions gave me a sense of satisfaction that I had not previously experienced elsewhere. I realized that as a physician assistant, I would have the opportunity to interact in a meaningful way with those I am privileged to serve and earn their trust on a daily basis. As a PA, I would be uniquely positioned to care for patients in areas where there are physician shortages.”   

Some students tell us that they avoid citing their reasons for entering the PA profession becuase they fear that they would sound generic. They argue that everyone has the same reasons for wanting to become a PA and as a result, any reason they provide will not be original.

This can be avoided by drawing on your personal experiences. If you demonstrate how you gained exposure to the PA profession and draw on examples from those experiences to demonstrate why the PA profession appeals to you, you will not sound generic.

If you write in an essay:

 …” I want to be a PA because I enjoy working in teams and serving patients,”

and you do not demonstrate where you saw teamwork, it will sound generic.  But if you go on to explain that you witnessed this teamwork in particular settings or discuss your experiences working in a team ideally with examples, your argument will be unique and compelling.

Other common PA school personal statement mistakes:

Using hyperboles :  take the following three examples taken from different pa school personal statements:.

• “ Working with a diverse patient population at the inner-city clinic, I was able to communicate with patients who were from different walks of life. As a physician assistant, the most important skill I possess will be patient communication.”
• “ I am looking forward to a career where I can save lives every day as a practicing PA”
• …” In my freshman year of college, I was extremely immature and did not care at all about my education. My grades suffered and this affected my overall GPA.”

Where are the hyperboles in these statements?

In the first, the applicant is asserting that the most important skill he possesses will be patient communication. It’s true that patient communication is very important but is it the single most important skill? Is clinical judgment less important than patient communication?  Staying away from extremes can make you sound more grounded and mature and it demonstrates more nuanced thinking.

A slight change in phrasing can fix the problem with that sentence:

“…As a physician assistant, one important skill I possess will be patient communication.”

In a similar vein, in the second example, the language of ‘ saving lives every day ‘ can come across as exaggerated.  Grandiose statements like ‘saving lives’ reveal to admissions committees that the applicant does not fully understand the limits of medical care. It may also suggest a lack of humility on the part of the applicant who sees themselves as the sole savior of patients without recognizing that patient care occurs in teams with many players involved.

Instead of using heroic language like ‘ saving lives ‘, it may be better to say something like:

‘ I am looking forward to a career where I can work with patients to manage their illnesses and improve their quality of life ‘.”

The third example can also be improved by just slightly changing the wording. It may be better to say:

“ In my freshman year of college, I did not possess the maturity and motivation needed to do well in my courses. My grades suffered, and this affected my overall GPA.

There is no need to use ‘extremely’ or ‘at all’ to get your message across. These expressions don’t make your case stronger; they only make your writing less smooth.”

By keeping a more moderate tone, you sound more mature and demonstrate greater sophistication in your thought process.

Opining with authority:

Consider the following examples from two different PA school personal statements:

• …” PAs must work well in teams to succeed. This is a skill I can bring with me to any school.”
• “More PAs should work in underserved communities and provide care to populations that cannot access care.”  

Most people would agree with both of these statements. However, they are the writer’s opinion and not hard facts. Moreover, they are coming from an aspiring PA, who is not yet an authority on the PA profession. This applicant would sound more humble if they presented these ideas as their own opinion.

 This again is a fairly simple fix:

• “I believe PAs must work well in teams to succeed. This is a skill I can bring with me to any school.”
• “More PAs could work in underserved communities and provide care to populations that cannot access care.” 

  Notice how you change the tone of the sentence by just adding  ‘I believe’  or changing  ‘should’  to  ‘could’.” .

In the case of the second example, by using the word  ‘could’ the writer sounds like they are suggesting something as opposed to imposing their personal view.

Also notice that in the first example, the writer asserts that teamwork is a skill they can bring to any school. It also helps in these scenarios to present your attributes or qualities as an opinion.  It sounds much better if you say:

“I feel this is a skill I can bring with me to any school.”

Not showing how a skill was acquired : 

Consider the following examples from two PA school personal statements:

“In Ecuador, my inherent ability to relate to others allowed me to connect with patients and ease their worries as we provided free medical care.”

  “I know that PAs need to work well in teams. I have always been a team player, a skill that will in fact be an asset in my PA career.” 

One common adage about PA school personal statements is to show, not tell.  Neither of these two applicants describes how they developed these skills. They would make a much stronger case if they showed the reader how these skills were developed as opposed to just asserting that they possess the skill.

In the first example, the applicant even asserts that she has an innate or inherent ability to connect with people. Having an innate skill does not necessarily make one more qualified for the PA profession. Admissions committees are not necessarily interested in individuals who were born with a talent but those who worked hard to cultivate that talent. The above examples could be changed as follows:

•   “Through my diverse travels and interactions with individuals of diverse backgrounds I learned to relate to others. This skill helped me in Ecuador as we provided free medical care to the local community.”
•   “I know that PAs need to work in teams. My expeirences as a Division II athlete and my involvement in research helped me to develop valuable teamwork skills. I hope to build on these skills as a PA student.”

In the second example, notice how the applicant also changes the wording to say that she hopes to build on the skill in PA school. In doing so, she recognizes that while she possesses a skill, she will need to further develop it to succeed.

Using “I” instead of “we”  

Consider the following excerpt from a PA school personal statement, where an applicant describes his research experience:

“Working in the laboratory of Dr. X, I was able to identify molecular pathways that contribute to ovarian cancer pathogenesis in mice.”

On the surface, there is nothing wrong with this sentence. The applicant is presenting his involvement in a research lab and outlining what he did.  It may in fact be entirely accurate that he was able to identify molecular pathways that contribute to cancer pathogenesis.

But it’s also very unlikely that he did this all by himself.  Most students do research with a professor who oversees the project and in this particular case, there was a post-doctoral fellow with whom this student worked. By not acknowledging the fact that this was a team effort, he runs the following risks:

1) He may be perceived as lacking strong teamwork skills or an awareness of the fact that a team of people contributed to the identification of these molecular pathways.

2) Another more dangerous risk he runs is that to some readers, he may come across as wanting to take all the credit for the achievements of a group of people. In doing so, he doesn’t only come across as unaware but as self-serving and egotistical.

Another place where applicants make this mistake is when they talk about their clinical experience.  In a recent PA school personal statement, an applicant asserted:

“As a medical assistant in a dermatology practice, I take care of patients with a variety of dermatological problems including skin cancer.”

The same person went on to talk about the satisfaction of seeing smiles on “my patient’s faces.”

This is problematic because the medical assistant only plays a small role in caring for patients as compared to the physicians, PAs, nurses, and other more senior members of the healthcare team. The person reading this essay may be left with the impression that the applicant is intentionally overstating his role to sound impressive. It may come across as disingenuous and dishonest.

 The good news it’s very easy to remedy this language.  Consider the following change in the second example:

“ As a medical assistant in a dermatology practice, I participate in the care of patients with a variety of dermatological problems including skin cancer.”

By changing “ I take care of”  to “ I participate in the care of” , the applicant is acknowledging that this was a group effort.

It is especially important to avoid “I” and “my” when talking about clinical experiences, where it truly takes a team to care for patients. This idea of teamwork is at the core of the PA profession.

In non-clinical settings, if there were times when you did something independently, you should take credit for it. For example, if you were the treasurer of a campus club and you were the sole person responsible for managing the budget of the organization, it would be perfectly OK to say, “ As treasurer, I was responsible for organizing the budget ” or “ I led fundraising efforts ”, but wherever others were also involved, make sure to acknowledge the group effort.

The boring hook with a patient: 

The introductory sentence of a PA school personal statement is meant to capture your reader’s attention, grab their interest, and make them want to read more.  Too many essays start with a boring and bland introduction like the ones in the following two examples:

“My interest in healthcare dates back to my childhood visits to my pediatrician’s office. Whether it was for a simple ear infection or a wellness checkup, I looked forward to these visits where I would play with all the doctor’s instruments.”  

Notice how the intro starts with, “My interest in … dates back to…” This is a very common start to the essay. There are two problems with these introductions. First, it is boring. Put yourself in the shoes of the people reviewing your applications. They are likely sifting through 50 or 100 applications and yours will be somewhere in the middle. When they see this introduction, they will not be very inspired.

Secondly, the argument that one would become interested in healthcare because they spent time at their pediatrician’s office as a young child is not very compelling. A 10-year-old has all sorts of interests and career aspirations, many of which are not realistic, and most of which are not based on a meaningful understanding of the profession.

The example lacks depth. There is nothing profound about wanting to play with a stethoscope or looking forward to these visits that will convince the reader that this applicant was influenced to enter medicine. This applicant completely scrapped the example and focused instead on how service through the church from a young age planted the seeds for giving back. She then went on to explain how this service-oriented mindset evolved into a passion for medicine in college through various professional and academic experiences.

The bottom line:

• Strive for a more interesting start.
• Put more focus on meaningful deeper experiences, particularly those in more recent years, that have influenced your decision to go into the PA profession.

Undermining the seniors

One of the toughest aspects of writing a personal statement is striking the right balance between talking yourself up and sounding humble. This is not an easy task, which makes the PA school personal statement all the more difficult to write. There are certain ground rules to keep in mind as you talk yourself up.

One of those ground rules is to never undermine the superior.  Consider the following example from a PA school essay:

“ While checking on a patient one afternoon, I noticed his wound dressing had not been changed for a few days. The patient was distressed; I immediately notified the nurse who came in and changed the dressing. Later, the patient grabbed my hand and tearfully thanked me for my concern and compassion “

There are a couple of problems with this account. First, it implies that not one other person on the team, including the nurses, PAs, and physicians – who are all more experienced than this volunteer – had noticed the unchanged dressing wound. It’s hard to believe that something like this would go unnoticed for several days. Also, putting down other members of the healthcare team – particularly those with more knowledge and experience – to elevate yourself as an applicant will only make you look bad. This was not a direct put-down but it was implied.

Another common way applicants inadvertently put down healthcare staff is when they talk about a bad experience with a physician as a source of motivation for going into the PA profession. A few years back, one PA student’s personal statement started with an account from his adolescence of witnessing his grandfather suffer a long and drawn-out illness, to which he eventually succumbed.

The applicant then went on to explain how he believed that his grandfather’s death could have been prevented if the doctors caring for him had been more attentive and communicative. He argued that this experience inspired him to go into the PA profession because PAs care more. The problem with this example again is that the student is criticizing those with more experience and knowledge. It was not clear on what basis he – with his limited knowledge of medicine – could properly ascertain if poor clinical decisions had been made.

The original example about the wound dressing has another problem. It has a self-congratulatory tone, where the applicant is praising himself and in doing so, he does not sound humble. As explained earlier, it’s always good to show how a skill or talent was acquired when talking about yourself in a personal statement. This applicant is not putting any focus on the acquisition of the talent. Essentially, the message is as follows: I was more capable than others, the patient thanked me for my great qualities, and I saved the day. Not mentioned is where the skills were acquired or how experiences like this furthered his motivation for medicine.

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• Start at the End: Advice for your PA School Personal Statement

August 2, 2022 By Deanna Matzen (PA School Admissions) 1 Comment

Not sure what to include in your personal statement?

Start at the End!

The conclusion should summarize your entire essay. Consider the structure of an elevator pitch to write the conclusion of your PA school essay and guide the content of your personal statement !

Hi, I'm Deanna Matzen, an editor at the PA life and host of power up the PA life community .

I wanted to bring you a piece of advice that I give my editing clients frequently when I'm working on their personal statements. And that is to start at the end.

"If you are writing a movie, solve the climax first. If you're opening a restaurant, begin with the experience you want the diner to have when she walks in and enjoys a meal. Figure out where you want to go then work backward from there." - A little trick that Scorsese, Spielberg, and Disney use when making movies.

This advice is based on the four-step elevator pitch utilized by job seekers. And while you're not a job seeker, you are asking the admissions committee to invest in you - to invest in you as a future PA student and a future PA.

The four components of an elevator pitch:

• Start by introducing yourself
• Provide a summary of what you do
• Explain what you want
• Finish with a call to action

That's pretty close to a personal statement. I would make a couple of adjustments to the structure that I talk about in the video .

So, let's think about the conclusion that you write for your personal statement. If you were to use it as an elevator pitch, what would it look like? Well, it has four components.

The four components of the PA school personal statement

One is a connection to your introduction - that opening story you use to grab their attention and to illustrate why you want to be a PA .

And then in your essay, you should summarize somewhere what you would bring to the PA profession . You want to show them that you are not only qualified through your life experiences, your professional experiences , and your volunteer experiences but that you demonstrate qualities and attributes that are necessary to the PA profession .

You should also in your essay explain why you want to be a PA .

We encourage three core reasons, just kind of a nice round number, and those reasons should ideally be matched to your own qualities, your fit for the profession, but also the desire you have for your future career, and your aspirations.

This is a vision or mission statement , what you want to accomplish, what kind of care you want to provide to whom, and for what purpose.

And that purpose is really the outcomes for your patient.

Your call to action is what you want to accomplish as a future PA and the subtext without saying it directly is "I hope you'll see the value in investing in that and investing in me." But you're not going say that you're just going to show them the vision. It's all implied.

So, these are the four components that should be in your conclusion and the four components that should be in your essay, however you structure it.

There's a variety of ways to do this, but certainly, you should have an introduction, that if it doesn't tell a story, should set up a complex and interesting conflict that we want to see resolved.

Maybe it's an internal conflict you had as you were trying to decide on a career path or switching from a career path . Or it is a conflict within your own personal medical experience, and you wanted to help be part of the solution.

There are a lot of ways to proceed, but your opening should engage readers enough to keep them reading on to learn why you want to be a PA - The specific reasons how you learned about the PA profession to determine that you are a good fit.

Demonstrate your value, show your preparation through work, and then push it forward.

All right. I hope that's helpful for those of you who are feeling a little stuck on your personal statement. Not sure where to start, start at the end!

Still not sure where to start? We can help...

• The Physician Assistant Essay and Personal Statement Collaborative

View all posts in this series

• How to Write the Perfect Physician Assistant School Application Essay
• Do You Recognize These 7 Common Mistakes in Your Personal Statement?
• 7 Essays in 7 Days: PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 1, “A PA Changed My Life”
• PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 2, “I Want to Move Towards the Forefront of Patient Care”
• PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 3, “She Smiled, Said “Gracias!” and Gave me a Big Hug”
• PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 4, “I Have Gained so Much Experience by Working With Patients”
• PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 5, “Then Reach, my Son, and Lift Your People up With You”
• PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 6, “That First Day in Surgery was the First Day of the Rest of my Life”
• PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 7, “I Want to Take People From Dying to Living, I Want to Get Them Down From the Cliff.”
• Physician Assistant Personal Statement Workshop: “To say I was an accident-prone child is an understatement”
• 9 Simple Steps to Avoid Silly Spelling and Grammar Goofs in Your PA School Personel Statement
• 5 Tips to Get you Started on Your Personal Essay (and why you should do it now)
• How to Write Your Physician Assistant Personal Statement The Book!
• How to Write “Physician Assistant” The Definitive PA Grammar Guide
• 101 PA School Admissions Essays: The Book!
• 5 Things I’ve Learned Going Into My Fourth Physician Assistant Application Cycle
• 7 Tips for Addressing Shortcomings in Your PA School Personal Statement
• The #1 Mistake PRE-PAs Make on Their Personal Statement
• The Ultimate PA School Personal Statement Starter Kit
• The Ultimate Guide to CASPA Character and Space Limits
• 10 Questions Every PA School Personal Statement Must Answer
• 5 PA School Essays That Got These Pre-PAs Accepted Into PA School
• 7 Questions to Ask Yourself While Writing Your PA School Personal Statement
• 101 PA School Applicants Answer: What’s Your Greatest Strength?
• 12 Secrets to Writing an Irresistible PA School Personal Statement
• 7 Rules You Must Follow While Writing Your PA School Essay
• You Have 625 Words and 2.5 Minutes to Get Into PA School: Use Them Wisely
• What’s Your #1 Personal Statement Struggle?
• 31 (NEW) CASPA PA School Personal Statement Examples
• How to Prepare for Your PA School Interview Day Essay
• Should You Write Physician Associate or Physician Assistant on Your PA School Essay?
• Meet the World’s Sexiest PA School Applicants
• PA School Reapplicants: How to Rewrite Your PA School Essay for Guaranteed Success
• How to Write a Personal Statement Intro that Readers Want to Read
• PA School Reapplicant Personal Statement Checklist
• How to Deal with Bad News in Your Personal Statement
• Inside Out: How to use Pixar’s Rules of Storytelling to Improve your PA Personal Statement
• Ratatouille: A Pixar Recipe for PA School Personal Statement Success
• Personal Statement Panel Review (Replay)
• Mind Mapping: A Tool for Personal Statements, Supplemental Essays, and Interviews
• Elevate Your Personal Statement: Using Bloom’s Taxonomy for Impactful Writing

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About Deanna Matzen (PA School Admissions)

Deanna Matzen is a gifted interviewer, editor, coach, and listener. Her passion for the PA profession has drawn her to The PA Life with years of experience as a university professor, Pre-PA advisor, scientist, and professional writer. She has helped hundreds of pre-PAs find their unique story and tell it with confidence and heart. Deanna strives to be a voice that helps others articulate what they want in life while also challenging them to grow into who they are meant to be.

Reader Interactions

May 3, 2023 at 5:44 am

My 2nd cycle, wish me luck. Thank you so much for your critique.

The distinctive stench of alcohol, vomit, and antiseptics permeated the air, igniting my senses and I was firing on all cylinders; It was going to be a very busy night. As a clinical care technician (CCT), supportive yet crucial is my contribution to the mosaic of activity that is the ER. Not quite ready to start my shift, the transfer call from EMS alerted the team. The rhythmic pumping of the Lucas machine confirms the patient has arrived. I would feed off the energy of my coworkers; experiencing a co-adrenalin rush.

“One, two, three”, the medic commands as we move the patient off the gurney and onto the stretcher. Compressions start and I feel my own heart rate racing as I stay utmost focused on my tasks. I instinctively knew who to trust and where to double-check things, evaluating the needs of the team rapidly. From this body of intense activity, I hear, “Roman you’re up”. Taking over compressions was not only exhilarating but actually an honor; a testament of confidence from the team. I was hyper-cognizant that I wasn’t just doing compressions on a patient with no pulse; I was doing compressions on a patient who had a full life. In my mind, my goal became more than just getting a heartbeat; it was getting a heartbeat and saving this life.

My CCT position provided me with direct patient interaction and additional clinical skills such as phlebotomy, performing EKGs, and point-of-care testing while functioning in a more hands-on role. I observed how involved the PA was with the care team and how much the clinical staff relied on them for additional support throughout the day. One of the most fulfilling aspects of my position was when my supervisor asked me to teach the medical students phlebotomy techniques. I implemented this mentorship with the patience, support, and encouragement I appreciated when learning a new skill. Several of my coworkers also asked for my tips and demonstrations in drawing blood. My experiences working alongside the PAs in the ER fostered my characteristics of efficiency, precise communication, focus, empathy, and the ability to multitask. As stimulating as the ER is, I want to explore more and shadow PAs in many other specialties.

It was in the Cardio-Thoracic ICU that I engaged in thoughtful and deep observation in the role of a PA. During morning rounds alongside the MD, Intensivist, and RN, I observed how involved the PA was with the care team and how crucial their attention to detail enhanced the patient outcome. They often encouraged me to assist in bedside procedures, attend morning rounds, and review any questions I had. It was amazing how much learning was taking place while shadowing PAs; I researched procedures, diagnoses, and care plans nightly. The nature of the ICU exemplified a genuinely collaborative working environment in which the PA played a significant role. Interpreting lab results, ordering diagnostic tests, conducting procedures at the bedside, or assisting in the OR presented itself as the most coveted career path for me. My shadowing of PAs immersed me in the collaborative workflow required of the care team and cemented my conviction to pursue the PA application process.

To further balance and enrich my healthcare experience I secured a part-time position at the Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program; a Boston- based non-profit clinic providing crucial healthcare services to Boston’s homeless population. This position amplified the need to practice the greatest compassion, honoring the dignity and reaffirming the humanity of those individuals usually invisible to us. While taking Molly’s vital signs, the struggles she lives revealed her story through her deeply wrinkled face and rough hands. “Hello Molly”, the warmth of my touch quickly relieved her cold and discolored fingertips. After completing her vitals when she was about to see the physician, “Here take these;” I gave Molly my wool gloves. Is this all I can do? I absolutely treasured the emotional rewards however I felt frustrated and empty for being unable to do more clinically. Attending a program committed to working with the underserved fosters my belief that I can play a part in gnawing away at healthcare inequities of a diverse, and constantly changing population.

Every experience I’ve had working alongside PAs since 2019, from desk to bedside, has enriched my knowledge of who they are, what they do, and has directly cemented my decision to pursue this profession. Between my recent work and extensive shadowing experiences, I’ve confirmed much about myself; my ability to multitask, remain calm, be efficient, and be empathetic, all while working incredibly long shifts with few breaks. These characteristics have shaped me into the PA I aspire to be.

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Writing Your Physician Assistant (PA) Personal Statement [Plus Sample Essay] Writing Your Physician Assistant (PA) Personal Statement [Plus Sample Essay] By accepted.com - Jun 12 , 09:30 AM Comments [0] While there are many different ways to approach writing a personal statement (PS) for your PA application , I am including a successful example here. The character limit for the CASPA application PS is 5,000 characters with spaces. In this essay, you are responding to the question, “Why PA?” To write a compelling essay, take some time to reflect on this question. After reading the essay below, you’ll understand why this student was accepted into a PA program. The student has given permission for it to be shared publicly. All personal identifiers or details have been removed to protect the privacy of the student. << Work with an admissions pro to create a PA application that gets you accepted to your dream school! Click here to get started. >> Sample PA personal statement: I was nine years old and in the middle of Mrs. Russell’s third grade class when my stomach began to itch uncontrollably. I remember thinking to myself, “Did I get bitten by a bug?” Completely distracted by the incessant itching, I asked Mrs. Russell if I could go to the nurse’s office. When the nurse lifted my shirt, I saw the biggest “bug bites” I had ever seen covering the majority of my stomach. She quickly called my mom who took me to several different doctors as the “bug bites” continued to spread all over my body. None of the doctors could figure out what was wrong with me until I saw a Dermatology PA. He immediately diagnosed me with a delayed allergic reaction. He gave me a medication that almost immediately made the hives disappear. I no longer struggled to open my eyes! It was like magic! To this day, I still have no idea what caused that allergic reaction, but I am grateful for this experience because it introduced me to a PA who continued to touch my life and cultivate my interest in medicine and healthcare. Year after year, my love of learning continued to flourish. I began taking gifted classes in math and science in the fifth grade and continued to take honors and advanced placement classes when I reached high school. In addition to my studies, I also began to play volleyball and softball. Through these sports, I learned the skills that a textbook could not teach me, such as accountability, integrity, teamwork and leadership. Through my academic achievements, active participation in numerous school clubs, and leadership role as the captain of my volleyball team, my high school nominated me to participate in a National Youth Leadership Forum (NYLF) in the summer of 2009. I attended lectures by a PA, a nurse, a chiropractor, a veterinarian and several physician specialists. In addition to the lectures and countless group activities, I visited several medical facilities. In one of the labs, I saw a table displaying human organs infected with different diseases and cancers. To my surprise, I was eager to touch them and learn why the people they once belonged to could not have been saved. From that experience on, I became determined to pursue medicine. My interest in the PA profession quickly became a driving force in my life after my mom was diagnosed with Stage IV Melanoma in February —-, and quickly passed away in October of that year. I was devastated upon hearing her diagnosis. How could this happen when she went to the Dermatologist every three to six months? The same Dermatology PA who had healed me with his “magic pills” spent a significant amount of time with my mom after her diagnosis. He met with her and my dad following a long day of seeing patients, to determine if he had missed something in her regular exams. He also made himself available to my entire family, recommended specialists and experimental treatments. He explained everything we did not understand along the way. It is because of the compassion, sincerity, and care he provided to my mom and my family during this difficult time that I became certain I wanted to pursue my love of medicine as a PA. Throughout my undergraduate career as well as the time since I graduated, I have continued to explore the medical field to learn as much as I can about becoming a PA. Through countless hours of shadowing and volunteering as a medical assistant at ——— Dermatology, I have learned how crucial teamwork, effective communication, detailed note taking, and compassion are for effective patient care. There have been numerous instances where doing a simple and nearly painless biopsy could have turned into a serious and most certainly uncomfortable medical situation. By taking thorough patient histories, accurately noting any allergies, and verbally communicating these notes with the practitioner, I have been able to ensure that patients receive the best care possible while averting any avoidable crises. Every challenge and opportunity that I have encountered since I was the itchy little girl sitting in Mrs. Russell’s class has brought me to this decision. My mom’s passing has only made me more passionate about this profession and has given me a new appreciation for life that I hope to share with my patients and community. With my love of learning and helping others as well as the skill set I will gain from a PA program, I am certain that I will have the tools needed to become a valued member of a larger care team. I am eager to see how these opportunities will positively impact not only my life, but also the lives of others. Components of a successful physician assistant personal statement This essay is exceptional for three main reasons, among others: The student directly responds to the essay prompt. Each paragraph represents a different reason why becoming a PA is the only profession for this student. In reading it, you sense the applicant’s gratitude towards, dedication to, and thirst for knowledge in the field of medicine. It’s honest and well written. For these reasons, the student was invited to interview and received an acceptance. In my experience, past behavior predicts future behavior . This student shares a pattern of behavior that aligns with the work and responsibilities of a PA. With a love of learning and teamwork, as demonstrated by the activities described above and how long term the student’s involvement has been in them, you can see how well this student will fit into the role of a PA. The student also reveals how much effort has gone into preparing for this career path. View our Physician Assistant CASPA Application Package for help creating an exceptional application and personal statement that will get you accepted to the PA program of your dreams. Related Resources: From Example to Exemplary , a guide to writing outstanding application essays How Did This Successful PA Applicant Get Accepted? a podcast interview with a soon-to-be PA student How to Get Accepted to Physician Assistant (PA) Programs The post Writing Your Physician Assistant (PA) Personal Statement [Plus Sample Essay] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog . About the Author accepted.com Leave a reply. You must be logged in to post a comment. [0] Comments to this Article Latest in Blog Prep Scholar Data Sufficiency Problem Solving GRE Question of the Day Admissionado Accepted.com Applications Bschool Life Top Stories Recent Comments Aelish Green on 3 Tips for Showing Strengths in Your Application Essays Awani Patil on How Meaningful Is The GMAT? Jimmy Wilson on Welcome Note from the Founders Main navigation Active Discussions General GRE Questions & Strategies GRE Quantitative Section GRE Verbal Section Share GRE Experience Tech Support Forum Highest Kudos Forum Posts Target Test Prep Manhattan Prep Sherpa Prep GRE Resources Best GRE Books Free GRE Tests Verbal Flashcards GRE Success Stories What is a Good GRE Score? Best GRE Course Reviews Copyright © 2022 Prep Club for GRE GRE® is a registered trademark of the Education Testing Services® (ETS ®). Prep Club for GRE website has not been reviewed or endorsed by ETS 421 IMAGES Write The Perfect PA School Personal Statement [With Examples How To Write Your PA School Personal Statement (step-by-step) PA Personal Statement Writing Support The 2-Step Prep for Your PA School Personal Statement｜Be a Physician How To Write A Personal Statement For PA School Writing Your PA School Personal Statement with Impact VIDEO Physician assistant school rejection? Tips for a PA school reapplicant HOW TO WRITE YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT FOR PA SCHOOL PA School application RED FLAGS 🚩 PA School Personal Statement Live Editing with Savanna Perry Medical school is four times harder than PA school My Biggest PA School Interview Mistakes COMMENTS 12 Secrets to Writing an Irresistible PA School Personal Statement Secret 2: Cut the Drama. Universally, interviewees mentioned the use of drama in essays, and not in a positive way. Go for the heart, not the drama. If your personal statement is superficial, you have a problem. Exercise: Read the first sentence of your essay aloud. Do's and Don'ts for Writing a Strong CASPA Personal Statement Writing the statement - do's and don'ts. Do demonstrate your knowledge of the PA profession. Your essay should make it clear why you are pursuing medicine, and why you have chosen to become a PA specifically. Don't say why you don't want to be a different kind of healthcare provider, write about how you want to be a PA! 31 Physician Assistant Personal Statement Examples Below, are 31 PA school application essays and personal statements pulled from our FREE personal statement and essay collaborative comments section. This is an unedited sample of PA school essay submissions, meant to provide you with some insight into how other applicants are approaching their CASPA personal statements. Real World PA School Personal Statements These Write The Perfect PA School Personal Statement [With Examples] 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 ... 8 Standout PA Personal Statement Examples to Inspire Your Own To write a good personal statement for PA school, you'll need an intriguing and engaging introduction, 1-3 significant experiences or examples of how you are suited for the PA profession or why you want to become a PA, and a strong conclusion which invites admissions committees to learn more about you. PA School Personal Statement: Complete Guide + Examples Learn how to write a stand-out PA school personal statement in this complete guide. We discuss PA personal statement samples, format, and more. Get in touch: +1-800-727-0780. ... The most important piece to writing a unique personal statement for PA school is to be yourself and write from your heart. ... Writing Your PA School Personal Statement with Impact Writing Your PA School Personal Statement with Impact [Including a PA Personal Statement Example] There are approximately 300 accredited PA (physician assistant) schools in the United States. In the most recent application cycle, these schools received more than 27,000 applications. The matriculation rate for PA schools hovers near 30%, which ... How To Write Your PA School Personal Statement (step-by-step) #CASPA #personalstatement #physicianassistant0:00 intro0:57 pre-writing15:41 major and minor themes19:54 the first paragraph22:43 the second, third and fourt... The Ultimate PA School Personal Statement Starter Kit 7 Essays in 7 Days: PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 1, "A PA Changed My Life". PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 2, "I Want to Move Towards the Forefront of Patient Care". PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 3, "She Smiled, Said "Gracias!" and Gave me a Big Hug". How to Write the Perfect Physician Assistant Personal Statement for PA 7 Essays in 7 Days: PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 1, "A PA Changed My Life". PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 2, "I Want to Move Towards the Forefront of Patient Care". PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 3, "She Smiled, Said "Gracias!" and Gave me a Big Hug". Crafting Your PA School Personal Statement Follow myPAbox YouTube channel at @mypabox. A personal statement allows you to share the integral details of your pre-PA journey with admission committees. It's a chance to show case attributes that are not already included within your CASPA application. A well-crafted personal statement can be your ticket to an interview. How I wrote a successful PA school personal statement This is not an all encompassing guide to writing a personal statement for PA school, it is simply the way I wrote my personal statement. I am writing this to give prePAs an insight on how I went about writing my personal statement. I went 2 years without an interview and after applying these concepts I had a 40% interview rate s=20. PERSONAL STATEMENT DO'S AND DON'TS Use your personal statement to your advantage as an applicant! Expand on yourself and the experiences that ultimately led you to pursue the PA profession. Here are some "Do's and Don'ts" for the PA school personal statement: Introduction: Do: Grab the admission committee's attention in the introduction paragraph right off the bat. PA School Personal Statement Guide In Physician Assistant Personal Statement Guide, Savanna Perry, PA-C walks you through the essential steps to making your essay stand out. You will learn to showcase who you are in a way that will leave your admissions committee reader excited to meet you. Acceptance to PA school is becoming more competitive each year, and this book provides ... Crafting a Killer Personal Statement for PA School Step 3: Write a Killer Intro. Your introduction should grab the reader's attention right away. Start with a vivid story or a powerful statement. Avoid clichés like "I've always wanted to be a PA" - instead, dive right into a moment that showcases your passion. Example: "The first time I held a patient's hand during a difficult ... Steps to Writing a Personal Statement Pour out your words and passion about why you want to be a PA and then change it and edit later. Your first draft will definitely not be your last draft and may not even have the same main ideas. Sit down for 30 minutes with no distractions, no computer, no email, no phone. If you want to type it, that's fine. Writing Your PA School Personal Statement with Impact [Including a PA There are approximately 300 accredited PA (physician assistant) schools in the United States. In the most recent application cycle, these schools received more than 27,000 applications. The matriculation rate for PA schools hovers near 30%, which is lower than the approximate 40% matriculation rate for medical schools. Is becoming a PA a competitive process? Yes! Do's and Don'ts of Writing an Outstanding PA School Personal Statement Your personal statement is a chance to showcase your unique experiences, skills and motivations for becoming a PA. Here are some do's and don'ts to help you write a personal statement that stands out from the crowd! Do: Find your "deeper why". Your personal statement should be personal (hence the name) and grab the reader's attention. The 2-Step Prep for Your PA School Personal Statement Starting a PA school personal statement can seem overwhelming. After months or years of hard work, the CASPA application tasks you with summing up your story in just 5000 characters (around 700-800 words). Most applicants wait until they are ready to sit down and knock out the entire essay to start writing. How to Write a PA School Personal Statement: Common Mistakes to Avoid A few years ago, a PA faculty who sat on an admissions committee at a PA school made a good analogy about the PA school personal statement. She asked students to imagine that the director of admissions at their top choice PA school calls them out of the blue and says you have 4 minutes to convince me that I should give you an interview at our ... Start at the End: Advice for your PA School Personal Statement 7 Essays in 7 Days: PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 1, "A PA Changed My Life". PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 2, "I Want to Move Towards the Forefront of Patient Care". PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 3, "She Smiled, Said "Gracias!" and Gave me a Big Hug". Writing Your Physician Assistant (PA) Personal Statement [Plus Sample While there are many different ways to approach writing a personal statement (PS) for your PA application, I am including a successful example here. The character limit for the CASPA application PS is 5,000 characters with spaces. In this essay, you are responding to the question, "Why PA?". To write a compelling essay, take some. I reviewed 14 personal statements over two days! Here are my ... Here are my take-aways: : r/prephysicianassistant. I reviewed 14 personal statements over two days! Here are my take-aways: Hey ya'll, The personal statement is hands down one of the most difficult parts of applying to PA school. Here are some take-aways from evaluating a number of essays over the weekend that may help you as you start to ... assignment essay homework paper phd report resume review speech thesis