Episode #12: Aurthi, UofT PAS1 | Life in 1st Year PA School
A single Google search changed Aurthi’s career path. She was looking for a medical career with meaningful patient care and a shorter training timeline than medical school.
The search introduced her to the Physician Assistant profession. In this episode, Aurthi shares how she moved from kinesiology student to first year PA student at the University of Toronto, and what the journey looked like along the way.
Episode Summary
In this episode, I speak with Aurthi, a first year Physician Assistant student at the University of Toronto. She walks through her path from studying kinesiology and medical sciences at Western University to discovering the PA profession and deciding to pursue it instead of medical school.
Aurthi explains how she built patient care experience through volunteering, working as a kinesiologist in physiotherapy clinics, and serving as a medical assistant. We also discuss GPA expectations, healthcare experience requirements, and the differences between applying to Canadian and American PA programs. She also describes what the first year of PA school at UofT looks like, including residential blocks, online learning, clinical experiences, and study strategies that helped her stay organized in an accelerated program.
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0:00 Intro
3:45 My HCE Hours
7:12 Tips for Diversifying Pre-PA Health Care Experiences
8:13 My Undergraduate GPA
11:16 Group Study in PA School
12:16 Trying different study methods in Undergrad
13:17 Deciding to pursue PA
17:10 Benefits of shadowing PA
24:39 Residential Blocks
27:37 PA Class “Intro to the PA Role”
30:22 Longitudinal Clinical Experience
33:24 a Typical Week in 1st year PA School
37:04 Interprofessional Education
38:48 Upper year Buddies
40:11 Clerkship
42:12 What to do before starting 1st year PA School
45:06 How I tackle learning medical cases and medications
“What should I do to make my application stand out?”
“That’s a common question I get from Pre-PAs… There’s no magic formula. Just do what genuinely interests you. When you do what interests you, you shine in that field, and your passion shows—especially in interviews.”
AURTHI, PAS1, UOFT BSCPA
Tips from Aurthi
There is no single path to gaining healthcare experience for PA school. Students enter programs from many clinical and professional backgrounds.
GPA improvement across undergraduate years can strengthen an application. Admissions committees often evaluate progression and balance with extracurricular involvement.
Observerships and conversations with practicing PAs help clarify the day to day responsibilities of the role.
The PA role offers flexibility across specialties and clinical settings, which attracts students who want variety in their careers.
The first year of the University of Toronto PA program combines online learning with in person residential blocks that focus on clinical skills and hands on training.
Organization systems such as weekly planning, checklists, and structured study blocks help students manage the accelerated pace of PA school.ple schools, start by reflecting on how you learn best—and pick the program that supports that.
About Aurthi
Aurthi is a first year Physician Assistant student at the University of Toronto with a background in kinesiology and medical sciences from Western University. Before entering PA school, she gained patient care experience working as a kinesiologist in physiotherapy clinics and as a medical assistant. She also documents her PA journey and shares information about the profession with pre-PA students through her social media platform @aurthi.pa
Resources
Visit the UofT BScPA Program Website
Follow Aurthi on Instagram @aurthi.pa
