Why?
Physician assistant programs want applicants who are well-rounded. While they do take quantitative measures like GPA, hours of experience, and test scores into consideration, they will also review applications holistically. Getting involved in volunteer activities and other extracurriculars speak to who you are as a person, what you care about, and show that you can manage many activities at once.
The types of experiences matter to an extent. Getting involved in volunteering demonstrates altruism, and what you choose to volunteer with can show your interests. Joining the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) and state chapter will keep you informed about the profession and give you opportunities to network. Involvement in a pre-PA or medical club also shows your commitment to the PA profession. While not required, these are some examples of activities that may be beneficial to get involved in.
My Experience
I joined the AAPA and the Colorado Academy of Physician Assistants (CAPA). This gave me access to pre-PA resources, and I received a monthly journal from the AAPA that kept me up to date on PAs. There is a cost associated with joining, which I budgeted for before doing so.
I also joined the club for students interested in human health, called Premedica Club at CSU. Guest speakers and monthly meetings taught about various careers in healthcare. They also offered events like a suturing workshop that members could participate in.
Aside from those activities directly related to being a physician assistant, I was also part of a campus ministry and Spanish club. I held leadership positions in the campus ministry to develop my leadership capabilities, and Spanish club gave me the chance to practice speaking the language.
Finally, I volunteered in two places. First, I helped with the children’s ministry at my church by providing childcare once each month. Second, I volunteered as a CNA at a nonprofit Christian medical clinic providing pregnancy testing, pre-abortion screening, routine STD screening, professional relationship counseling, and sexual health education.
Advice
It is vital to learn good time management with the commitments you will have. Choose opportunities that will make you a better candidate for PA school not because of the quantity, but because of the quality of the experiences and what you learn from them. My best advice would be to choose activities that you will be able to talk about during interviews. Be intentional about which activities you commit to, and make sure that they will be valuable experiences.