There is no such thing as a “cookie cutter” ideal PA candidate. So do not be discouraged if you do not see or hear about a candidate with your specific background or experience!

Remember, candidates who get into PA school come from ALL walks of life. This includes diverse backgrounds – whether that is diversity in education, career path, upbringing, culture, socioeconomic status, geographic location, sexual orientation and more.

The practice of medicine is better, if the health care providers reflect the diversity we see in our patients!

Especially when looking at PA Class statistics from PA students who have been accepted in past admission cycles, it can be easy to get caught up and stressed over the “average GPA” to get in, or having the “right” health care experiences.

I recommend thinking of the admissions process as an opportunity for PA programs to get to know more about you! And only YOU can tell that story effective – your work and life experiences, extracurriculars, and demonstrating how your soft skills and competencies are a good fit for the PA profession.

Applicants with low, average, and high GPA do get invites to the MMI/PA School interview and acceptance into PA school! If you are interested in/passionate about the PA profession and qualify to apply, you should apply!

Everyone feels occasional self-doubt and lack of confidence. We tend to demonize negative feelings, however, I like to view feelings (positive or negative) as a way to inform you and motivate you to take action!

In fact, I think feeling self-doublt and lack of confidence is often an indicator of how important this is to you, and that you may also have unaddressed feelings around fear of failure. Just know that having negative feelings in Imposter Syndrome does not actually say anything about your inherent worth, capabilities, past, present or future accomplishments and successes!

Remember that health care programs in Canada (Physician Assistant, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Pharmacy, Medical Doctor (MD), Dentistry, etc.) are competitive across the board (it’s not just PA!).

The PA Admissions process (or any application process for that matter) may inevitably bring up feelings of stress and self-doubt in any candidate at any point.

If feelings of imposter syndrome come up, you can use this as an opportunity to practice and develop skills in stress management and regulating your emotions (a skill you’ll need to use regularly as a PA student and future practicing PA!).

There are many examples of successful PA applicants who did not get in on their first attempt.

If you are re-applying, just know that you are now BETTER prepared because you have already gone through this process before!

Use the time between now and the next admissions cycle to see how you can improve (do not submit the same application as last time).

Your patience, hard work and persistence will pay off!

Imposter syndrome can be overwhelming, but you do not have to do it alone or figure it all out yourself (life’s big journeys are usually not done alone!).

You can seek support from:

• Friends and family
• Reach out to a group or community of fellow Pre-PAs and PAs!
• A counselor or student advisor at your school
• Seek help from a psychologist or therapist (many who offer virtual and in-person sessions).

Think of it this way: you would encourage your future patients and health care colleagues to seek help when they need it – why wouldn’t that apply to you too?