Competitive Applicant

Picking a Major

All AA schools require applicants to have a bachelors degree from an accredited institution before applying. However, there is no required major, and all applicants majors are considered equal, so as long as they have the required prerequisites which the program requires. Many students who plan on going to AA school choose to major in biology, because of the fact many of the required prerequisite courses coincide with said degree. The only issue is there are quite a few more courses besides “General Biology” or “Biochemistry” that coincide with a biology degree, which may prove to be quite difficult. This would ultimately weigh on your overall GPA, potentially making you a less competitive applicant.

The other issue is of course if you are unfortunately not accepted into AA school, getting a job you enjoy with a biology degree may not be easy. The prerequisite course needed for all AA programs can be taken while getting any degree. Considering all this, as well as the competitiveness of AA programs, it may make sense to get a degree which you can use as a backup, in the unfortunate, rare case you are not accepted. As in a degree you wouldn’t mind getting a job with if you need to use it.

If you are soon going to college, or just starting your college career, many universities are now offering bridge type programs. As in 5-6 year programs where you receive both an undergraduate degree and masters degree in AA studies. If you are a disciplined student, and well aware this is the path you want to take, it would be quite beneficial to apply to one of these programs. These schools typically give their own students preference when it comes time to interview for AA school, meaning you will have a better chance of getting into their program.

Grades

The hands down biggest factor for most AA schools is your overall GPA. As you may be aware, getting into AA school is very competitive, and schools only want the best and brightest to attend their programs. Considering this, you want to try to get the very best possible grades in not just prereq courses, but all your classes. The average overall GPA score of schools around the country ranges from 3.2 all the way up to 3.9.

There are three GPAs you should be focused on:

1. Overall GPA – This is the total combined GPA of all the courses you have taken from all the colleges you have attended.
2. Science GPA – This is the total combined GPA of courses deemed “science based” with examples being biology and chemistry courses.
3. Prerequisite GPA – This is the total combined GPA of prerequisite courses the program you are applying to requires. While similar, many schools do have variations in their required prereqs, meaning this number can change depending on the school you are applying to.

Most programs handle their application through CASAA, which is the central application service for anesthesiologist assistant programs. If your grades are not good, it is highly recommended you retake any courses which you performed poorly in. For the overall and science GPA, CASAA averages any retaken courses into their calculations. For example:

You received a C in Microbiology (2.0) the first time you took the course. After retaking the course, you received an A in the class (4.0). Your CASAA calculated science GPA would be a 3.0 ([4.0 + 2.0] / 2).

The prerequisite GPA is a little different. For this GPA, CASAA only uses the highest grade you received in all your courses to calculate the score. For example:

You received a C in Microbiology (2.0) the first time you took the course. After retaking the course, you received an A in the class (4.0). Your CASAA calculated prerequisite GPA would be a 4.0.

While the prerequisite GPA calculation is beneficial for those who performed poorly in a course, the overall and science GPA is still largely taken into consideration by PA schools. It is quite difficult to greatly increase a low overall GPA once a number of courses have already been taken. Considering this, it is in a student’s best interest to perform well the first time in a class, and avoid having to worry about this scenario.

Standardized Tests

There are three tests which may be considered by AA schools. They include:

1. GRE
2. CASper
3. MCAT

Our website page dedicated to more information about these three tests can be found here. Most schools only require the GRE and some schools do not require any standardized tests. Grades are typically weighted much more heavily than standardized tests for most schools. If your grades are lacking, an outstanding GRE score can make you stand out from the pack. However an average, or even above average GRE score with lacking grades won’t do much.

Patient Care Hours

Many schools have some type of minimum you must complete in terms of patient care hours (PCH) in order to be accepted into their program. Know these minimums are meant to be exceeded. Typical applicants have many more hours than any minimum required. There are some AA schools which have no minimum PCH requirement, but even these schools still like their applicants to have some experience in health care. That’s not to say you can’t get into a school with no PCH, however you better have an outstanding GRE and GPA, or else you don’t have much of a chance.

Most schools care more about your GPA versus your PCH, however there are schools which put a lot more emphasis on this aspect of your application. As in, they care more about your patient care experiences and the number of hours you have than your GPA or GRE score. These programs usually have something listed in their mission statement or values which indicate this.

While typically similar, there are differences in the types of jobs applicants can have for PCH, and if shadowing can be added to these hours. Here are some typical jobs which count:

• EMT
• CNA
• Phlebotomist
• Nurse
• Medical Scribe
• EKG Tech
• PT Aide

If you’re unsure if your current job will count towards hours, make sure to contact the schools you are applying to. Some schools accept quite a few different jobs, which even include time spent as a veterinary technician, so it’s always worth it to ask. Ultimately the more medical hours you have, as well as having varying medical jobs, will make your application more competitive.

Shadowing

Shadowing used to be easy, but unfortunately it is becoming harder to find a AA who will let you shadow them. While not many schools require shadowing hours, many schools recommend it. This means if you don’t have any shadowing hours, it will not make your application as favorable as someone who does. AA schools tend to prefer their students shadow AAs versus other medical providers (e.g. NPs, MDs, etc.), as they want the student to understand the inner workings of the profession. A competitive applicant will have many shadowing hours from AAs in varying specialties.

To acquire shadowing hours, you have to call or stop in offices. Some hospitals allow students to shadow, and some colleges have affiliations with providers. If you’re having trouble finding a AA who will let you shadow them, private offices tend to be the friendliest towards students, as there are sometimes hoops to jump through if you try shadowing AAs who work for larger organizations. It’s not unheard of to get ten “no’s” before getting one “yes” when trying to find a anesthesiologist assistant who will let you shadow them. This activity tends to be a tough one, but definitely needs to be accomplished to be a competitive applicant.

Volunteer Work

While not required by schools, volunteer hours can make your application stand out for the better. All AA schools are looking for applicants who display philanthropic characteristics. They want to know you truly care about other human beings, and are not just going into the profession for the money. Volunteering in your community shows schools these characteristics. Here are some examples of quality volunteer work:

• Working at a soup kitchen
• Helping at a church
• Delivering meals on wheels
• Mentoring children or at risk teens

The more volunteer hours and differing volunteer work the better, as it shows you are a compassionate human being who cares about her or his community.

Recommendation Letters

Most programs required three recommendation letters when you apply. It is highly recommended to have at least two of these letters from medical professionals (e.g. MD, DO, CRNA, AA). Some AA schools even require a letter from an actual AA. Considering this, it’s beneficial to network and maintain a beneficial relationship with your coworkers, as you are going to need to ask for their help when submitting a letter. For the third letter, a professor from your school or a supervisor from your place of work is a good choice. You can have up to five recommendation letters on your CASAA application.

Personal letters from friends, family, or pets are generally looked down upon, as AA programs understand these individuals will likely be somewhat biased in their recommendation of you. Considering this, it is wise to not submit any personal letters of recommendation. Some AA programs even specifically state on their website they will not accept personal letters.

Personal Statement

The personal statement is one of the most important parts of your application. This is your chance to show the admissions committee who you truly are, and why you deserve to go to their AA school. This is also the time you can explain any poor grades, gaps in employment, etc. which may be associated with your application. There are example essays online which are beneficial to get a idea of what an essay looks like, however we advise students to steer clear of writing anything close to these “example essays” for plagiarism concerns.

Your essay has to be your own work and in your own words; it has to be unique. Some examples of items to include would be:

• Why you want to be an AA
• What makes you stand out from other candidates
• Healthcare experience
• Volunteer experience
• Personal struggles you’ve gone through
• Unique life experiences you’ve had

Many schools place a bit of weight on the personal statement, and it can easily separate you from a similarly qualified candidate. This is an excellent book on Amazon which helps students with writing their personal statement we recommend which can be found here.