Natalie, UofT PA-S1
Natalie is an incoming University of Toronto PA student about to start PA School in September! She worked as a Registered Midwife prior to applying to the PA programs, and her path to PA has been non-traditional as a mature candidate.
Natalie’s Pre-PA Stats
Accepted:
University of Toronto, PA Consortium
Education:
BHSc. Human Kinetics from University of Ottawa (2001)
BHSc. Midwifery from McMaster University (2007)
GPA:
Cumulative GPA 3.65 out of 4.0 on the OMSAS scale
Health Care Experience Hours:
Registered midwife in Ontario and Alberta >10,000
My Interests and Hobbies:
My interests include knitting (and anything crafty), photography, hiking, camping, riding my vintage Vespa, exploring new restaurants/cuisines, and definitely spending time with my family!
Fun Facts:
I’m a mature applicant (turning 43).
I’m a Mom of a 10-year-old daughter
I currently live in Calgary, Alberta
Deciding to pursue PA
I’ve had the pleasure of being a Registered Midwife for the past fourteen years. While this profession has been extremely rewarding it also comes with its own challenges.
I really wanted to be able to stay in a primarily patient-focused role while having the option of lateral mobility and a better work-life balance. PA seemed like a perfect fit for me!
What I think helped me stand out on PA Admissions
I definitely think my health care experience as a primary care provider worked in my favour and also a reason why I choose to apply exclusively to the University of Toronto PA program.
I also think I had a strong referee who was able to strengthen my application.
I just tried to be genuine and thoughtful in all my responses – hopefully, that helped as well.
My tips for Canadian Pre-PA Applicants
I don’t think you have to have it all figured out right from the very beginning. The application process allows for a lot of preparation as you move through the steps. Just take it one step at a time and it won’t be so overwhelming. I would encourage applicants to do a lot of research. My starting point was always the Canadian PA website but I also found many great YouTube, Facebook and Instagram accounts of people who have gone through the process and have had sage words of advice.
