Are you thinking of applying to PA school in the future? This is a big undertaking, and it can be confusing if you don’t know where to start! In this post, we’re going to talk about some of the things you’re going to need for your Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) application. Most importantly, we’ll discuss what counts as patient care hours for PA school so you can be sure your application has everything it’s supposed to when you click that “submit” button.
Let’s begin, though, with a brief overview of the application process itself, starting with the system you’ll be using to submit your application materials.
What is CASPA?
Applications for PA school are done through CASPA, which is a service of the PA Education Association (PAEA). With CASPA, you can apply to multiple PA programs with a single application, similar to the Common App for undergrad.
This makes applying to PA school a streamlined, hassle-free process, and it helps you focus on the content of your application rather than the logistics of applying.
What should I include on my PA school application?
There are various PA school requirements that you’ll need to meet before submitting your final PA school application. CASPA will ask for personal information, academic information, evaluations from mentors or peers, a personal essay, awards and accolades, and experiences. Experiences can include healthcare experience, non-healthcare experience, volunteer work, shadowing, leadership, teaching, research, and last (but not least) your patient care experience!
Which brings us to the topic at hand. What do we mean by patient care hours? And what counts as patient care hours for PA school?
What is patient care experience (PCE)?
Many programs you apply to will require a certain number of hours in patient care experience (PCE). But what, exactly, does that mean?
PCE is experience in which you’re directly involved in the care of a patient. This can include things like assisting in procedures, helping a patient with physical therapy, direct care of patients in the hospital as a nurse, paramedic, or nursing assistant, among other things.
PCE can be either paid or unpaid, but keep in mind that some schools do require paid PCE.
What’s the difference between healthcare experience and PCE?
You may be asking yourself, what’s the difference between healthcare experience and PCE? The answer lies in the level of direct involvement with the patient. There are many healthcare experiences that are not directly related to patient care. This includes things like cleaning patient rooms, delivering food to patients in the hospital, or answering phones in a clinic or hospital setting.
These are all experiences that are related to healthcare as a whole, but are not involved in direct care of the patient. Healthcare experience is valuable and important, and many programs like to see that you have a well-rounded body of experience in a variety of settings. Healthcare experience cannot be included in PCE, but be sure to add it to your application in the healthcare experience section.
How do I earn patient care hours for PA school?
If you’re looking to get some PCE, here are a few tips to get you started:
1. Network!
Do you know any PAs, physicians, physical therapists, etc.? If so, ask them if they know about any potential job opportunities or internships that you could apply to. Oftentimes knowing someone in the industry can help you get your foot in the door.
If you don’t know anyone in the medical field, it can also be helpful to connect with your university’s pre-PA club. There are often opportunities that other prospective PA students are willing to share with their fellow club members. The local health care systems in your area may also have a careers website where you can look for possible opportunities.
2. Get a certification.
Sometimes having a certification can help you gain more PCE prior to applying to PA school. Having a certification such as a certified nursing assistant, medical assistant, or paramedic is a great stepping stone towards getting a job in those fields.
Additionally, having different certifications can actually better prepare you for PA school. Gaining education and experience in the medical field can make you more familiar with medical terminology, policies and procedures, and various medical conditions you may encounter as a PA student.
🩺 Want to make sure you’re prepped for PA school? Try out our Pre-PA practice questions from anatomy and physiology to medical terminology, professional practice, and more!
3. Look for PCE opportunities you enjoy.
There are many different experiences that can count as PCE. When you enter your PCE into CASPA, there will be a space where you can put a description of the PCE, as well as how many hours you’ve spent in each unique experience. You’ll also be asked for information about the organization and supervisor where you had your PCE.
It’s important that you be as detailed as you can when you’re describing your PCE, while at the same time staying concise. Each description should feel like a mini-essay, in which you describe the things you did, what you learned, and how that’ll make you a good PA in the future. If you’re enjoying your PCE, it’ll be much easier to write a convincing description! Feel free to explore your interests and look for opportunities that align with those interests.
4. Get started early!
While CASPA doesn’t have a requirement for the number of PCE hours, many PA programs will, and these numbers can range from 250 to 3,000 hours. One thing we can’t make more of is time, so if your dream program requires a higher number of PCE hours, it’s important to start getting those hours now.
You can add as many different PCE opportunities as you want to your application, so look for every opportunity you can to get more experience!
Final Thoughts
While the application may seem daunting, as long as you get started early and understand what counts as patient care hours for PA school, you’ll be fine. Generally speaking, it’s important to understand the CASPA requirements, and the CASPA website does have a quick start guide that can help you understand what’s needed. They also have a CASPA applicant help center on their website if you have any questions.
Applying to PA school is a big task, but the reward is the opportunity to join the ranks of the thousands of fantastic PAs making a difference in their communities every day. Follow the tips in the post, and you’ll be ahead of the pack when it comes to what counts as patient care hours for PA school, among other things. Good luck out there!
Looking for more (free!) resources ot help you prepare your PA school application? Check out these other blog posts!
