Olivia Graham, PA-C

How long does it take to become a physician assistant? If you’re wondering how long your overall PA journey will take, there are a few variables to consider first. The pathway to becoming a PA varies depending on where you are in your career and your educational background. Here’s an overview of how long PA read more…

Are you thinking about becoming a travel physician assistant (PA), but wonder if it’s the right move for you? If so, you’re not alone. It’s normal to have questions about this rewarding (yet challenging) career path. In this post, we’ll going to review what you need to know, including the great financial benefits that come read more…

According to Google, some of the most common questions people have about physician assistants (PAs) are the following:  “Is a physician assistant a doctor?”“Can a physician assistant prescribe medication?” “What are physician assistants not allowed to do?” As someone who has been practicing as a PA for almost three years now (and in graduate school for read more…

If you’re a pre-PA student, it can be a bit overwhelming keeping track of what you need for PA school on top of your other undergraduate requirements! While there can be some variation among PA schools as to what they expect from applicants, there are some PA school requirements that are nearly universal that you read more…

When you sign up to take the PANCE, of course the goal is to pass it on the first try! Still, if you’re anything like me and your nerves are high leading up to your exam, you may find yourself having anxious thoughts like, “What if I don’t pass on the first try? What would read more…

One of the best perks of the PA profession is the diversity of career paths you can take after graduation. It’s so interesting looking back and seeing where all my classmates ended up! I have friends across the board of physician assistant specialties, which is especially helpful when looking for advice. With such variety of read more…

Congratulations, you’ve landed a PA job interview! It’s exciting, but you may also find yourself wondering what to expect during it. Whether you’re applying for your first PA job out of school, transitioning specialties, or moving locations in your same specialty, there are some predictable questions you can expect. By reviewing them ahead of time, read more…

Congratulations! You’ve made it into your didactic year of PA school! Now, what should you expect? The didactic year of PA school is—in all honesty—something of a whirlwind. This is when you’ll learn the foundation of your medical knowledge, prepare for your clinical year and the PANCE, and ultimately the fundamental skills you’ll need to read more…

If you asked 10 physician assistants about their day-to-day life, you would likely get 10 different answers. There is so much variety in this career! One thing that’s true for all PAs, however, is that their work life balance is completely dependent on their position. So, if you’re like many PAs who were attracted to read more…

How much do physician assistants make? If you’re on the path to becoming a PA-C, there’s a good chance you’ve pondered this question. The short answer is that, according to the AAPA Salary Report, the median salary for a practicing PA in 2023 was $127,000. The long answer is that in order to understand the read more…

Job shadowing is a fundamental part of the journey to becoming a physician assistant. This experience gives pre-PA students the opportunity to follow a practicing physician assistant in their day-to-day life.  For many potential PA students, job shadowing can be eye-opening. It often is the time they truly decide that physician assistant is the career read more…

As we all know, getting through PA school is no easy task. From multiple exams a week to balancing clinical year and PANCE prep, it takes a lot of time, dedication, and resilience to succeed.  After I graduated in May 2021, I was inspired to help future PAs achieve their dreams, so I started with read more…

Performing well on your end-of-rotation (EOR) exams is essential. Unsurprisingly, those who consistently perform well on their end-of-rotation exams are more likely to do well on their PANCE and ultimately feel more confident in their first year of practice (and beyond)! To set you up for success as a new PA, we’ll talk about some read more…

Certificates of Added Qualifications (CAQs) for physician assistants were developed in 2011, in the hope of providing added distinction for PAs in specialty areas.  If you’re thinking about getting a CAQ, you probably have some questions about them. In this post, we’ll take a look at some basic information when it comes to getting a read more…

Congratulations, you did it! You finally took the PANCE. You hit submit and have left the testing center. Now, after months of studying and preparing, two questions inevitably arise: When will I get my score? And what should I do while I’m waiting?  In this blog, we’ll answer both questions for you! Let’s begin by read more…

The PANCE is a rite of passage we all have to endure on the road to becoming a PA-C. The question is, with everything you have to know for the test, how do you go about creating a PANCE study guide? At times, exam prep can seem as big a mountain to climb as the read more…

Taking the PANCE is the culmination of your PA school journey. Everything you learned comes down to passing this one test before you can FINALLY put your knowledge to work. The odds of you passing the boards are high, especially if you put in the work—the PANCE pass rate was 92% in 2022, so the read more…

As you start to think ahead to your “next steps” after PA school, you may be considering ways to enhance your clinical skills, expand your network, and make yourself a more competitive candidate for your dream job. Remember, your number one priority as a PA student is to focus on your didactic coursework, clinical rotations, read more…

I have written a lot of generalized blog posts on the PA experience, but I have yet to take the time to really explain my career. While I’ve known for some time that I wanted to go into the field of Cardiothoracic Surgery, I did not actually get this position right out of graduate school.  read more…

Transitioning from the didactic portion of the PA program to clinical year can be a whirlwind. At this time, you will go from sitting in class all day to working a full 40-hour week. Although there is a reduction in the number of exams you may have to take, there is definitely no shortage of read more…