I have 10 days (7 more "working" days) until GRADUATION!! It is hard to believe that the day is almost here, but I am beyond ready to be finished with school forever (well at least I think so...)!
These last few weeks at in Surgical Pathology at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center have been very busy with specimens ranging from placentas to breast cases to colectomies, which is nothing out of the ordinary. There haven't been any "crazy" specimens lately, which is bittersweet since we don't want a patient to be sick, but at the same time, we don't get some of the experience we would like. On top of our clinical rotations, we took our final test of our graduate career last Friday. Our final exam had 100 multiple choice questions that ranged from Disease Mechanisms to Lab Management to Autopsy. This test was little different from our other exams in that we had to make an 80 or above in order to pass. That made this test a little more stressful than usual, but I was confident that our whole class would be just fine.
The only other test we have to take is the Board Certification Exam so we can be certified by ASCP to work as a PA. I'm taking it the week after graduation while everything is still very fresh in my mind since I've been studying hard for the last two years. It was recommended to me by previous students, and even though I haven't taken it yet, I would still highly recommend it to students currently still in the program.
The countdown is on and I'm ready to see what our careers have in store for not only me, but all of my classmates as well! :)
Hi Hannah,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Kasey Bradburn. I'm applying to PA programs right now and just received an interview invitation for West Virginia University! I was hoping you would be willing to give me some advice regarding the interview process at West Virginia? The best way to prepare, what to expect, what types of questions they might ask, and anything else about the program that you think would be good for me to know.
Thanks!
Hi Kasey,
DeleteCongratulations on having the opportunity to interview for the program! As for the interview process, it is more low key. The faculty are very nice and try to make the experience as painless as possible (of course, as the interviewee, you are always a little nervous). They usually begin with a simple writing prompt. When I interviewed, I had to write about my favorite dessert, but now I believe they give you an object and you have to describe it in detail as you would at the grossing bench. It's mainly just to ensure that you can write and put your thoughts into words. As for interview questions, they will ask some of the following:
Tell me about yourself
Tell me about a time you had to multitask and how you handled it.
Why did you choose the WVU program?
Tell me about your shadowing experience.
Why do you want to be a PA?
How do you handle stress?
After the interview, they will give you a tour of the Health Sciences building (where your classes will be) and take you over to the hospital to see the gross room. Usually, current students do the tour and you are welcome to ask as many questions as you like about the program, living in Morgantown, and anything else. I hope this helps and good luck! :)
Thanks Hannah! I appreciate you getting back to me so quickly!
ReplyDeleteAlso, if you don't mind me asking. What are the things that you loved most about the program at WVU?
You're welcome! As for my favorite things, you are with a close knit group (16 is usually how many they take) so you get a more personal experience. You have a lot of opportunity for one-on-one work as well as just having a good relationship with your classmates and professors/instructors. Also, you are able to work in the gross room and autopsy throughout the didactic year (1st year). This hands-on experience helped put what we were learning into perspective and gave me more confidence when we jumped into our clinical rotations. Finally, even though moving from place to place every 6 weeks can get tiresome, I loved being able to experience working in multiple places, from community hospitals to university associated ones. You are able to see the differences in the types of specimens they get and how they tend to go about things. Overall, it was nice to have that experience and played a huge role in how I picked my current employer!
DeleteThanks again Hannah! You have been really helpful, and I really appreciate you taking the time to respond to my questions! You're the only person so far that has taken the time to do so.
ReplyDeleteHello, I'm just wondering cause I can't up to date information about the future prospects, but what are the starting salaries range for new graduates? I'm considering entering this field, I just want to understand the financing and after factoring cost of living and taxes would you have enough to pay back the loans? I just want to get a clear financial picture and don't really know any pathologist assistant to ask on this.
ReplyDeleteHello, it is difficult to find up to date information, but from experience the range is anywhere from about $80,000 to $110,000 (definitely varies based on where you live since some areas are a much more expensive to live in than others). As for paying back student loans, I will be able to pay back easily within 5 years with a goal of doing it in a little over 3 (I have about 100,000 in student loans). However, this will vary based on other debt or payments you may have, such as a car, house, wedding, etc. I live in California and just with budgeting, I will have plenty after taxes and bills to pay student loans as well. I hope this helps, it's really one of those things that will vary greatly from person to person based on their situation but the salary range is a good estimate on what to expect.
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ReplyDeleteHi!
ReplyDeleteCan you assist me? Did you try aronia chokeberry?
Thanks!
Anthony
Hi! I am a current first year in the WVU program. I will be starting clinicals in a few months and have been thinking about the job hunting process (I know it's still early, but I love planning ahead!). I have had my goals set on Stanford Health since prior to starting the program because I really enjoyed working in a large university research/teaching hospital and would love to return to that environment. Do you have any advice on the interview process or just general things to focus on throughout my clinicals and job hunting process? Thank you so much!
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