The Pre-PA Club

"What's my CASPA GPA?" is the question I get more than any other.

And the honest answer is that it's probably not what you think, because CASPA calculates it differently than your school does. Every attempt counts. Retakes don't erase the original. That surprises people every year.

So in this episode I walk through Mappd, which is where you can actually build this out - enter your coursework, get your real CASPA GPA breakdown, log your experiences and hours as you go, and track which prerequisites you still owe each program.

The reason I like it is that it turns a vague anxiety into a number and a list. You stop wondering whether you're competitive and start seeing where the gaps are while there's still time to close them.

Mappd also has one-on-one advising and mock interviews if you want a person involved.

What I cover:

• How CASPA calculates GPA and why it differs from your school's number
• Setting up your coursework in Mappd
• Logging experiences and hours as you earn them
• Tracking prerequisites program by program
• Spotting weak points early enough to fix them
• Advising and mock interview options inside Mappd

Resources:

CASPA GPA Calculator: https://www.thepaplatform.com/pa-school-caspa-gpa-calculator

Free PA School Application Timeline: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/free-application-timeline

Mock Interview: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/mock-interview

Pre-PA Counseling: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/pre-pa-counseling

Mentioned in this episode:

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Cassidy was a clinical registered dietitian. Then she became AAPA's 2022 PA Student of the Year.

Her dietitian background wasn't a detour. It was direct patient care, in a hospital, with real clinical responsibility - exactly the kind of experience that makes an applicant credible. She graduated from Missouri State and clearly made the most of it.

What I want you to take from this one is how deliberately she picked her schools. Not by ranking. By program size, tuition, and how much support students actually get. Those three things shape your next two years far more than a name does.

She was also proactive about landing her first PA job. She networked during rotations instead of waiting for postings to appear after graduation. That's how most good first jobs happen.

What we cover:

• Working as a clinical dietitian and using it as patient care experience
• Choosing programs by size, cost, and student support
• What being PA Student of the Year involved
• Getting the most out of PA school beyond grades
• Networking during rotations to find your first job
• Advice for anyone coming from another healthcare field

Resources:

PA Program Map: https://www.thepaplatform.com/pa-platform-map

Free Resume Download: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/free-resume-download

Free PA School Application Timeline: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/free-application-timeline

Pre-PA Counseling: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/pre-pa-counseling

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Watching your friends get in while you're getting rejection emails is its own specific kind of awful.

Jacklyn lived that for three cycles. She's honest in this episode about how discouraging it got, which I appreciate, because the highlight-reel version of this process helps nobody.

What she did between cycles: worked as a medical assistant, retook science courses, shadowed, volunteered. Not one dramatic fix. A stack of small, boring improvements that added up.

She's now in the inaugural cohort at Keck Graduate Institute in Claremont, and she's proud of that - being part of the first class at a program is its own kind of opportunity. Newer programs are worth a serious look, especially as a reapplicant.

Three cycles is a long time to hold onto something. She did it.

What we cover:

• Three application cycles and what changed each time
• Working as an MA to build patient care hours
• Retaking science courses to move a GPA
• Handling it when peers get in before you do
• Choosing a brand-new program and what that's like
• Staying committed when the timeline stretches

Resources:

CASPA GPA Calculator: https://www.thepaplatform.com/pa-school-caspa-gpa-calculator

PA Program Map: https://www.thepaplatform.com/pa-platform-map

Pre-PA Counseling: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/pre-pa-counseling

Pre-PA Academy: https://prepaclub.thepaplatform.com/landing/academy

Mentioned in this episode:

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Happy PA Week. I built you something.

The Pre-PA AI is free, it's available around the clock, and it's trained on my own material - the books, the podcast episodes, the videos, all of it. So when you have a question at 11pm about interviews or CASPA or a specific part of the process, you can just ask instead of scrolling through five years of episodes hoping to find the one.

It's not a replacement for talking to a real person about your specific situation. But for the questions that have straightforward answers, it's faster than waiting on me.

The rest of this episode is FAQ, with a focus on two groups. If you're waitlisted, there are things you can do rather than sitting and refreshing your email. And if you're reapplying, the work starts now - find the weakest part of your application and go fix it before the next cycle opens.

What I cover:

• What the Pre-PA AI is and how to use it
• Questions it handles well and questions it doesn't
• What to do while you're sitting on a waitlist
• Diagnosing the weak spot in your own application
• Planning a reapplication instead of repeating one
• Listener questions from PA Week

Resources:

Free PA School Application Timeline: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/free-application-timeline

Pre-PA Counseling: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/pre-pa-counseling

PA School Interview Guide: https://www.thepaplatform.com/physician-assistant-school-interview-guide

Pre-PA Academy: https://prepaclub.thepaplatform.com/landing/academy

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In today’s discussion, we engage with Dr. Ryan Gray and Rachel Grubbs, unveiling the significant developments surrounding Mappd, a comprehensive application tracking tool designed to assist pre-health students. Mappd aims to enhance the experience of pre-PA and pre-med students by providing them with essential resources and guidance as they navigate their academic journeys. We also address a plethora of inquiries regarding the intricacies of applying to PA school, particularly during the ongoing application season and interview preparation. As we reflect on our shared mission, we emphasize the importance of building a supportive community for aspiring healthcare professionals, ensuring they are well-informed and prepared for their future endeavors. Join us as we explore these pivotal topics, aiming to illuminate the path for those aspiring to enter the field of physician assistance.

Takeaways:

• Savanna Perry discussed the importance of utilizing Mappd, a free application tracker, for pre PA students to monitor their application progress effectively.
• The podcast featured insights on MappdCon, an upcoming event aimed at connecting pre PA and pre med students with admission panels and networking opportunities.
• Listeners were reminded that experiences in retail or non-medical fields can and should be included in PA school applications to showcase essential skills.
• Savanna emphasized the value of interviews, stating that being prepared for Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) can significantly impact admission chances for prospective students.

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Rachel applied three times. She's in.

Two rejections is where most people quit, and I understand why. It's expensive, it's exhausting, and it starts to feel personal. Rachel kept going, and more importantly, she kept changing things.

The move I want you to steal from her: after a rejection, she asked the schools for feedback. Not every program will give it, but some will, and that's information you cannot get anywhere else. It beats guessing at what went wrong for another twelve months.

She's a radiologic technologist, which gave her strong patient care experience and a non-traditional path into this. That background became an asset once she learned how to frame it.

If you're staring at cycle three, listen to this. Persistence only works when it's paired with change.

What we cover:

• What happened in cycles one and two
• Asking programs for feedback after a rejection
• What she actually changed between each application
• Rad tech experience as patient care hours
• Staying in it emotionally through repeated rejection
• Knowing when to adjust your program list

Resources:

Free PA School Application Timeline: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/free-application-timeline

Pre-PA Counseling: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/pre-pa-counseling

Pre-PA Essay Review: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/pre-pa-essay-review

Pre-PA Academy: https://prepaclub.thepaplatform.com/landing/academy

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Three volunteers. Real questions. No editing.

This is live mock interviews, and it's uncomfortable to listen to in the best way. You hear people think on their feet, land some answers, fumble others, and get feedback in real time.

We hit the two questions that come up everywhere. "Why do you want to be a PA?" - which sounds easy and is not, because most people answer it with a story about their aunt instead of a reason. And "What's your biggest weakness?" - where the trap is picking a fake weakness like caring too much. Pick a real one. Say what you're doing about it. Move on.

The thing that makes mock interviews work is hearing your own answer out loud. It sounds completely different in your head. Every time.

I also mention Mapped, our application tracker, which keeps your programs, deadlines, and requirements in one place instead of scattered across six browser tabs.

What I cover:

• Three unedited mock interviews with live feedback
• Answering "why PA" with an actual reason
• The biggest weakness question and how not to blow it
• What interviewers hear that you don't
• Practicing out loud before it counts
• Tracking programs and deadlines with Mapped

Resources:

PA School Interview Guide: https://www.thepaplatform.com/physician-assistant-school-interview-guide

Mock Interview: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/mock-interview

PA School Interview Course: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/pa-school-interview-course

PA Program Map: https://www.thepaplatform.com/pa-platform-map

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Cierra spent five years in human resources before going back to medicine.

Medicine was her first love. She talked herself out of it, built a career somewhere else, and then couldn't stop thinking about it. If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you.

The logistics are the hard part and she doesn't sugarcoat them. She knocked out prerequisites while working full time. She volunteered. She scribed. Nights, weekends, whatever fit. Career changers don't get a clean runway - you build the new thing while the old one is still running.

What I'd add is that HR gave her skills most applicants don't have. Difficult conversations. Reading people. Handling conflict without escalating it. Those transfer directly to patient care, and she knows how to say so.

What we cover:

• Leaving HR to go back to medicine after five years
• Fitting prereqs around a full-time job
• Getting healthcare experience through volunteering and scribing
• Translating non-clinical skills into something admissions values
• Handling doubt from yourself and from other people
• What she'd do differently if she started over

Resources:

Free Resume Download: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/free-resume-download

Free PA School Application Timeline: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/free-application-timeline

CASPA GPA Calculator: https://www.thepaplatform.com/pa-school-caspa-gpa-calculator

Pre-PA Counseling: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/pre-pa-counseling

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Elijah's undergrad transcript was rough. He got in on his first try anyway.

That combination almost never happens by accident, so I wanted to know exactly what he did.

He did a master's program and performed. That gave admissions recent, graduate-level evidence that he can handle the coursework, which is the whole thing they're worried about with a low GPA. He also stacked up varied patient care experience instead of grinding out hours in one place.

What that builds is an upward trajectory, and that's the phrase to hold onto. Committees aren't only looking at where you started. They're looking at the direction you're moving.

He also didn't hide from his record. He owned it, explained it, and let the newer work speak. That's a much stronger position than hoping nobody notices.

If your GPA is the thing keeping you up at night, listen to this one.

What we cover:

• What his early academic record actually looked like
• Using a master's program to prove current academic ability
• Building varied patient care experience on purpose
• Showing an upward trend instead of explaining away a number
• Addressing a weak GPA in essays and interviews
• Getting in on the first try with a rough transcript

Resources:

CASPA GPA Calculator: https://www.thepaplatform.com/pa-school-caspa-gpa-calculator

Free Resume Download: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/free-resume-download

Pre-PA Counseling: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/pre-pa-counseling

Pre-PA Academy: https://prepaclub.thepaplatform.com/landing/academy

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Wear the suit. Yes, even on Zoom.

Part two of interview prep is the logistics episode - the unglamorous details that quietly shape someone's first impression of you.

Dress professionally. A suit is still the standard, and virtual doesn't change that. Nobody has ever been rejected for being too polished. Check your background, your lighting, and your camera angle ahead of time, and do a test call with a friend.

For in-person, bring copies of your resume if they ask for them, and a headshot if it's requested. Know where you're parking. Get there early.

Then the part everybody actually worries about: nerves. Being nervous is fine and normal, and interviewers expect it. What helps is preparation, not pretending to be calm. And be genuine. Rehearsed answers land flat, and faculty have heard the polished version a thousand times.

What I cover:

• What to wear for in-person and virtual interviews
• Setting up your space, lighting, and camera for a virtual interview
• What to bring to an on-campus interview day
• Managing nerves without faking confidence
• Being genuine instead of reciting a script
• Practicing enough that you stop thinking about the format

Resources:

PA School Interview Guide: https://www.thepaplatform.com/physician-assistant-school-interview-guide

PA School Interview Course: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/pa-school-interview-course

Mock Interview: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/mock-interview

Free Resume Download: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/free-resume-download

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