PA Practice Brief: The Continuity-Flexibility Tradeoff
The Be a PA Blog|Be a Physician Assistant
by Ryanne Coulson
1d ago
In PA Practice Briefs, I share an inside peek at my real-life PA practice and the issues that arise monthly. Here's what has been coming up lately.  For the first 12 years of my PA career, I worked primarily in outpatient medical oncology. Aside from side gigs to pay off my student loans and the occasional moonlighting shift with my department's inpatient unit, my PA work involved longitudinally caring for patients. I would assess my patients as they received chemotherapy every few weeks. If they were among those who were curable, I would continue to see them every few months after CT ..read more
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5 Quick Moves That Will Fortify Your Start to the Upcoming Application Cycle
The Be a PA Blog|Be a Physician Assistant
by Ryanne Coulson
1w ago
The latest CASPA application cycle is just around the corner. Though a few programs with late-cycle deadlines are still accepting applications, the current cycle will close in the coming weeks. When it does, CASPA accounts temporarily pause, during which you won't have access to alter any information within your application portal until the new cycle officially opens.  However, as we near this between-cycle period, there are a few simple steps you can take now to help ease the start of the new application season and hit the ground running once it's upon us.  Even if you're applyi ..read more
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4 Pre-Application Steps to Take for Your Top-Choice PA Program
The Be a PA Blog|Be a Physician Assistant
by Ryanne Coulson
2w ago
Most PA school applicants or near applicants have a top-choice program in mind. The one PA program that, should you get into it, would have you happily giving up all other options.  A school may be at the top of your list because its location means you wouldn't have to relocate, or it's somewhere you've always wanted to live. Perhaps it beats out other potential choices because of its lower cost, which could help you avoid student loans or at least lower their total.  Maybe it's a top pick by default because getting in would help you avoid the need for additional prereq courses o ..read more
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How to Find Better Time Balance as a PA Student
The Be a PA Blog|Be a Physician Assistant
by Ryanne Coulson
3w ago
If you've heard anyone talk about being a PA student or are (or have been) one yourself, I'm sure you've heard the analogy before. Learning as a PA student feels like drinking from a fire hose.  Though the saying may be overused and feel over-worn, the concept it conveys remains true. PA training entails the delivery of more information than any one person can absorb in a mere couple of years. But many PA students still feel compelled to try.  When you are fascinated by the material and eager to learn, the instinct to understand and retain as much knowledge and as many skill ..read more
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PA Practice Brief: The Differences Between NPs and PAs in the Wild
The Be a PA Blog|Be a Physician Assistant
by Ryanne Coulson
1M ago
Welcome to the latest PA Practice Brief, where I provide a frontline glimpse of my clinical work as a PA. In these Briefs, I share details on newly arising topics or recurrent themes in my PA career that might be relevant to your own future work and deliver an inside look at issues future PAs might be curious about or may not have known to consider.  This past week, I lost my hospital ID badge. I held out hope it would find its way back to me, knowing that while replacing the photo ID might be simple, getting the additional three access passes attached to it would prove to be a he ..read more
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How to Decide If You're Ready to Apply to PA School (When You're Unsure)
The Be a PA Blog|Be a Physician Assistant
by Ryanne Coulson
1M ago
Questioning whether you're ready to apply to PA school is an exercise that nearly every aspiring PA participates in, especially as the application cycle grows nearer.  While you might dream of a scenario where abundant patient care hours, prerequisite classes that are fully completed (and aced), and valuable experiences help your application shine, few candidates apply with what they'd consider to be a flawless application.  Consequently, most PA school prospects find themselves wondering about the right time to apply to PA school. Do you try to get more experience or take on a f ..read more
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How to Weigh If a Postgraduate PA Fellowship Might Be Right for You
The Be a PA Blog|Be a Physician Assistant
by Ryanne Coulson
1M ago
The condensed, fast-paced nature of PA training is a distinctive feature of the career. With most PA programs, you can be in and out, have your master's degree, and be ready to practice in just over two years.   If the relatively short runway to becoming a medical provider has influenced your pursuit of a PA career, taking on a postgraduate residency or fellowship may seem counterintuitive.  Or perhaps you fell in love with a specialty as a PA student, and having some extra time dedicated to training in that area sounds pretty great.  However, if you'd like to avoid di ..read more
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4 One-Day Activities That Can Help Boost Your PA School Application
The Be a PA Blog|Be a Physician Assistant
by Ryanne Coulson
2M ago
Nearly everything that goes into applying to PA school takes careful time and consideration, from making sure you have just the right combination of prerequisite courses knocked out in time to maintaining set weekly hours in a patient care role to hit a predetermined goal. But the months leading up to your PA school application can seem to move faster than standard time, impacting how and where you spend your time.  Due to time constraints, some applicants abort planned activities, like taking the GRE or a few prereq classes, even when this might mean forgoing eligibility for other pr ..read more
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2-Minute Mentor: “How Important Is Leadership Experience as a PA School Applicant?”
The Be a PA Blog|Be a Physician Assistant
by Ryanne Coulson
2M ago
Time is a finite resource, especially for a busy aspiring PA. Due to the constraints of time and space, you won’t be able to do everything one might do to become a competitive applicant — at least not if you’d like to be a PA student sometime before the next decade. But knowing how to balance your efforts and what to dedicate your time to can be a touch more complex than a predetermined number of hours. However, with a little strategizing, you can create a personalized plan that will work for you and resonate with your target PA schools. In our latest 2-Minute Mentor session, we’re exami ..read more
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6 Things That Your PA School Essay Does *Not* Need to Include
The Be a PA Blog|Be a Physician Assistant
by Ryanne Coulson
2M ago
Of the many steps involved in applying to PA school, writing a personal essay is often the most challenging and intimidating for future PA applicants.  As such, PA school hopefuls usually spend some time skirting around the edges of essay creation, researching essay writing tips and recommendations, reading through example statements, and, often, coming away from it all more overwhelmed than before.  Trying to share your reasons for wanting to be a PA in a way that's catchy yet genuine, interesting yet not over the top while also incorporating all of the essay-writing tips you fi ..read more
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