Episode #25: Hannah Keith, UofT PAS1 | Journaling as a Winning PA Admissions Strategy
From Pre-Med to Pre-PA
How Journaling Helped Hannah Build a Competitive PA School Application
When you’re navigating the road to becoming a Physician Assistant in Canada, there are a lot of unknowns. This is especially true when you're choosing between different career paths, managing self-doubt, and trying to stand out in an increasingly competitive applicant pool.
In this episode of the podcast, we sit down with Hannah Keith, a first-year PA student at the University of Toronto, who shares her honest and thoughtful journey to PA school. Hannah was accepted to both McMaster and U of T and what helped guide her was something simple but powerful: journaling.
EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of the podcast, we sit down with Hannah Keith, a first-year PA student at the University of Toronto, who shares her honest and thoughtful journey to PA school. Hannah was accepted to both McMaster and U of T, and what helped guide her was something simple but powerful: journaling.
What We Cover in This Episode:
The “Why PA” Pivot: How Hannah shifted her focus from a lifelong goal of medical school to the PA profession through intentional research and journaling.
Building Your Experience Bank: Hannah’s strategy for using an Excel sheet to map her volunteer and work experiences (like being a fitness instructor and teaching calculus) to the CanMEDS-PA roles.
Direct vs. Indirect Patient Care: Why working as a medical receptionist provided the “rapport-building” skills necessary for PA school, even without prior certifications.
Resilience and GPA: A candid look at overcoming a rocky start in undergrad and why a high GPA is about long-term perseverance, not a perfect score on every test.
Family & the “New” Profession: Tips on how to bring family members along your journey to help them understand and support your choice of a non-traditional medical career.
Interview Prep: Using resources like Doing Right and Mock MMIs to prepare for the Kira Talent and virtual interview process.
“The moment I stopped aiming for medical school and started choosing what actually aligned with my values, everything became clearer—and I got in.”
HANNAH, PA-S1, University of Toronto BScPA Program
3 Key Takeaways from Hannah:
1. You Don’t Need to Know Everything Right Away. Hannah didn’t commit to PA school overnight. Her clarity came through conversations, research, and reflective journaling over time.
2. Journaling is a Strong PA Admissions Strategy. She mapped her experiences to CanMEDS roles, practiced for the Kira Talent interview, and strengthened her essays using simple, consistent writing prompts.
3. Choose a School That Matches Your Learning Style. After getting accepted to both McMaster and U of T, Hannah chose the program that fit her strengths, lifestyle, and long-term goals.
About OUR GUEST
Hannah, UofT BScPA 1st year Student
Hannah is a first-year PA student at the University of Toronto. Originally from British Columbia, she has a background in biology and specialized graduate training in aging and health. With experience ranging from overseas clinical observation in Malawi to working in local family practices, she is passionate about team-based care and the future of the PA profession in Canada.
Resources Mentioned
Follow Hannah’s PA journey on Instagram @hannah.the.pa
Use the PA Professional competencies listed on CanMEDS-PA to help you reflect on your previous experiences for PA Admissions
