2021-2022 CASPA Overview

Presented by: Heather StormProgram Manager, Member Experience

Agenda

• PA Profession Overview• PA Education

• Review of CASPA Application• New enhancements• Tips for application planning• Common Mistakes• Applicant and matriculant profiles

• Resources & Upcoming Events• Q&A

PA Profession Overview

PAs…

• Are medical professionals who are nationally certified and licensed within a state to practice medicine

• Are educated at the graduate level as medical generalists• Practice in all 50 states & DC and the U.S. territories• Can:

• perform histories and physical exams• provide preventative care• order/interpret diagnostic screening tests• diagnose and treat illness, develop follow-up plans and referrals• perform inpatient and outpatient procedures• assist in surgery• prescribe medicine, counsel, and educate patients

PAs…

• Can move between specialties without a need for additional formal education or training

• Scope of practice are determined by education and experience, state law, policies of employers and facilities, and the needs of the patients at the practice

• Practice in every medical and surgical specialty and setting• Top seven specialties in 2019

• Family medicine, orthopaedic surgery, emergency medicine, urgent care, internal medicine (general), dermatology, hospital medicine, no medical specialty

Source: American Academy of PAs.(2020).2020 AAPA Salary Report.Alexandria, VA

PA Education

• Master’s Degree (27 months or 3 academic years)• PA programs include classroom instruction and clinical training• 2,000 hours of clinical rotations required to graduate

• Internal medicine, family medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics & gynecology, emergency medicine, and geriatric medicine

• Must pass national certifying exam (PANCE) and state licensing exam after graduation

PA Programs Across the Country

2021-2022 CASPA Application

CASPA Application at a Glance

CASPA Application: Four Quadrants

• Personal Information• CASPA Applicant User Agreement and Release / Advisor Release• Biographic Information & Contact Information• Citizenship Information• Race & Ethnicity Information• Family Information & Environmental Factors• Other Information (COVID-19 Impact essay)

• Academic History – typically takes the longest to complete• High Schools Attended• Colleges Attended• Transcript Entry• Standardized Tests

CASPA Application: Four Quadrants (cont’d)• Supporting Information – encourage you to complete this

first• Evaluations – before submission, applicant must have requested

at least 2 letters and before you can reach the queue for verification two letters need to be received.

• Experiences• Achievements• Licenses & Certifications• Essay – please explain why you are interested in being a PA (5000

characters)• Memberships

• Program Materials• Program specific questions or requested documentation• How much time is required to complete this section depends on how

many programs an applicant selects and what those programs require

21-22 Enhancements

• Inclusion of Program Deadline Requirements• Inclusion of Program Selection restrictions• Inclusion of Applicant Preferred Pronouns• Inclusion of Daca status

Enhancement: Deadline Requirements

• Programs are now required to include their deadline requirement along with their deadline date, Criminal Background Check participation and enrollment semester.

Enhancement: Program Requirements

• This feature allows schools with multiple programs to set a rule to either allow applicants to apply to all programs or restrict applicants to apply to just one program at that school.

Enhancement: Applicant Pronouns

• Applicants will now have the ability to select their appropriate Gender Pronouns.

Enhancement: Inclusion of DACA Status

• Applicants indicate if they are the recipient of the DACA status

Application Process: Dates & Requirements• The 21-22 Application launches April 29, 2021• Open and deadline dates vary by program

• June 15, July 1, August 1, September 1, October 1, November 1, December 1, January 15, March 1, and April 1

• Fees for the 21-22 Cycle• Initial Submission - $179• Additional Designation - $55

• Fee Waiver Program• Covers only the initial application fee• Must submit either your own Federal Income Tax Return or if you were

claimed as a dependent by a parent or guardian you are required to submit that individual’s Federal Income Tax Return.

• Guidelines and instructions: https://help.liaisonedu.com/CASPA_Applicant_Help_Center/Starting_Your_CASPA_Application/Getting_Started_with_Your_CASPA_Application/3_CASPA_Application_Fees

Applicant/Application Tips

• Applicants typically apply to an average of 7 schools so if possible try to cast a wide net

• Look at the Mission and Vision of the programs you are interested in to see if they match your values

• Work with your references as far in advance as possible• Finding Experience Hours

• Build relationships with local hospitals, clinics, and offices• Keep track of graduates who are willing to provide shadowing

experiences for area students and applicants• Utilize campus career center to develop shadowing opportunities within

the field/alumni• Virtual shadowing

Applicant/Application Tips (cont’d)

• Patient Care Experience• Hands on and directly responsible for a patient’s care

• Performing procedures, directing a course of treatment, or actively working with patients

• Examples: EMT, nurse, paramedic, physical therapist, dental hygienist, etc.

• Health Care Experience• Work in a health or health-related field

• Might have patient interaction, but not directly responsible for a patient’s care• Examples: scribe, medical assistant, delivering patient meals, record keeping,

etc.

• Note: Some positions, like CAN, can fit under either category depending on the job description

Common Mistakes: Filling out the CASPA App• Personal Information

• Include alternate or previous names • Colleges Attended

• List all schools from which college-level credit was awarded• Do not list hospitals or work completed during military service• Know if the school is on the quarter, semester, or unit credit system

• Coursework• List all transfer credit under the college which originally awarded the

credit• Make the appropriate conversions for schools on a unit credit system• AP credit cannot be itemized unless it is itemized on the transcript in

which it appears

Common Mistakes: Filling out the CASPA App (cont’d)• Letters of Reference

• Do not use extra reference slots for references not requested by programs

• Know that committee letters only count as one letter when submitted• Personal Essay

• Save, leave the section, then return to proofread, especially if copy/pasting

• Experiences• When entering weeks/hours, only enter those completed at time of

submission• Pre-requisite Matching

• Meet, do not exceed, pre-req requirements

Common Mistakes: Missteps Regarding the Process• Fee Waivers

• Ensure documentation is correct, especially if claimed as a dependent• Application is blocked from being submitted during waiver review (10

business days)• Once awarded, application must be submitted within 14 calendar days

or waiver is lost• Transcripts

• List schools attended on application prior to requesting transcripts• Ensure adequate information is supplied to the school to ensure they

send the correct documentation• Understand turnaround times for schools to send transcripts• Clear up any financial or other holds with schools prior to opening up a

CASPA application

Common Mistakes: Missteps Regarding the Process (cont’d)• Professional Transcript Entry (PTE)

• Paying for PTE still requires applicants to separately request and pay for their transcripts

• PTE does not begin until all transcripts are received AND app has submitted to 1 program

• Apps will not move to verification until the PTE work is approved by the applicant

• Verification• Individual transcripts are not verified• An applicant’s coursework is verified once

• Application Status• Review status on Status Menu for each program – follow up with

customer service

Applicant (19-20) & Matriculant (18-19) ProfilesCategory Applicant (19-20) Matriculant (18-19)

Age 26 25

Sex 26% Male / 73% Female 27% Male / 73% Female

GPA - NS: 3.7 / S: 3.5 / O: 3.5

GRE Percentile (Self-Reported) A: 54 / Q: 39 / V: 51 A: 63 / Q: 48 / V: 39

Experience Hours 2500 2500

Average Designations 7.4 7.3

Resources

• CASPA Applicant Help Center• https://help.liaisonedu.com/CASPA_Applicant_Help_Center

• CASPA Customer Service• caspainfo@caspaonline.org or (617) 612-2080

• PAEA Website – Advisors & Pre-PA Students page & Directory• https://paeaonline.org/how-we-can-help/advisors

• Contact us: • Email: students@PAEAonline.org• Facebook: www.facebook.com/PAFocus• Twitter: www.twitter.com/pa_focus• Instagram: www.instagram.com/pa_focus

Upcoming Events

• April PA Program Virtual Fair – Join and speak to admissions staff and faculty from PA programs around the country as well as CASPA reps.

• April 7 from 9am-9pm ET• Free to students & advisors• Register here: https://www.careereco.com/events/pa

• July PA Program Virtual Fair – Join and speak to admissions staff and faculty from PA programs around the country as well as CASPA reps.

• July 20 from 9am-9pm ET• Free to students & advisors• Register here: https://www.careereco.com/events/pa-July2021