Books
The Ultimate Guide to Getting Into Physician Assistant School
This was one of the very first books I purchased when I decided to pursue this career. I can’t recommend it enough! It provides an overview of the profession, general description of what PA programs are looking for, and advice on each step from setting goals to financial aid.
Physician Assistant School Interview Guide
This was by far the best resource when preparing for interviews. It walks through general interview tips, types of interviews, possible interview questions, and more. I went through each part of this book and created a document briefly listing answers to potential questions and general information I wanted to make sure I communicated at each interview. Savanna Perry is one of my favorite PAs and offers the best advice.
The Applicant’s Manual of Physician Assistant Programs
This book contains an overview of each program. I started narrowing down which programs I wanted to apply to by going through each page of this book. I’m someone who generally prefers printed books, so I began by going program-by-program in this book. It’s not as necessary if you use My PA Box, but still a great place to start. I added the information to a giant spreadsheet of all programs and began sorting through them to narrow it down.
Blogs
These are some of my favorite blogs by current PAs:
Be a Physician Assistant
The PA Platform
The Humerus PA
The PA Life
They have posts and podcasts on just about every topic related to PAs. If you are interested in a specific topic, searching for the blog name and the topic will usually get to the right page.
Websites
The websites for the American Academy of Physician Assistants and your state chapter are great starting points. Being from Colorado, I used the website for the Colorado Academy of Physician Assistants, but each state chapter will be a little different.
I highly recommend using My PA Box to determine which programs you want to apply to. The website was launched just before CASPA opened the year I applied, at which point I had already spent a couple hundred hours doing research on my own to determine which programs I was applying to. This is a great resource that summarizes that information for each program. If you pay to join, it will even match you and your credentials to programs.
Instagram Profiles
There are so many incredible PAs sharing their experiences on Instagram! My two favorites are @jadamarie.pa and @stethoscope.kat. Jada started fall of 2020 at Campbell University in North Carolina. Kat graduated from PA school in 2019 and is now working in primary care. They are both so authentic and encouraging in what they share!