The Nontraditional Physician Assistant (PA) Podcast

Kirsten Kamaha
  • 4.9 (9)
  • MEDICINE

This podcast details my rather unconventional path to becoming a physician assistant/physician associate (PA). I hope it can be a resource for others as well as an opportunity for me to chronicle my journey from pre-PA to PA student to practicing PA!

  1. 01/08/2024

    Episode 13: 2nd Semester Recap + Are You Ready for PA School?

    We're back with a new episode covering my 2nd semester of PA school and giving you some points to reflect on and consider whether you are truly ready for PA school! I encourage you to really take some time to seriously ask yourself some of these questions and take a hard look at where you can stand to grow and where you are already well-equipped. I am more than happy to help and advise pre-PAs, whether that means reading over essays/personal statements, reviewing parts of your application, or answering any questions you might have! If you would like to get in touch with me, you can follow me @the.nontraditional.pa_s or feel free to send me an email at kamaha.kirsten@gmail.com, or leave a voice note at my podcast page: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kirsten-kamaha. Please like, subscribe, and leave a note on what you found helpful or what you want to hear in the future. And if you like what you've been hearing, please take a moment to leave a review for the podcast so more people can find it! =) Music Credits: Intro Music by FASSounds from Pixabay Other incidental music provided by Anchor.fm

    35 min

  2. 08/21/2023

    Episode 12: My First Semester of PA School

    It's been a while but if you've been curious about how my first semester of PA school went, here is a little recap for you all! As usual, I have included some tips based on my own experience for how you can best prepare for PA school and hopefully be successful in your first semester as well! I am more than happy to help and advise pre-PAs, whether that means reading over essays/personal statements, reviewing parts of your application, or answering any questions you might have! If you would like to get in touch with me, you can follow me @the.nontraditional.pa_s or feel free to send me an email at kamaha.kirsten@gmail.com, or leave a voice note at my podcast page: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kirsten-kamaha. Please like, subscribe, and leave a note on what you found helpful or what you want to hear in the future. And if you like what you've been hearing, please take a moment to leave a review for the podcast so more people can find it! =) Music Credits: Intro Music by FASSounds from Pixabay Other incidental music provided by Anchor.fm

    26 min

  3. 04/15/2023

    Episode 11: My PA Program Orientation and Onboarding Process

    If you are applying this cycle and are curious what happens after you are accepted, or if you are in the fortunate position of having been accepted to a PA program and are wondering what's to come, in this episode I give you a glimpse into my PA school orientation and onboarding process. Full disclosure: I attended two different program orientations, with the program that I ultimately decided to attend holding their orientation in late March in preparation for our cohort beginning the program in early May. Having been through two orientations, I can tell you a bit about what to expect during and following orientation. Once you've been accepted to a PA program, you'll likely find that there is a lot of waiting with a few moments of craziness, when you're expected to get something taken care of very quickly. If you want to have a smooth transition from pre-PA to PA student (PA-S), listen in to hear more about the onboarding process and my suggestions on how you can better prepare for it! I am more than happy to help and advise pre-PAs, whether that means reading over essays/personal statements, reviewing parts of your application, or answering any questions you might have! If you would like to get in touch with me, you can follow me @the.nontraditional.pa_s or feel free to send me an email at kamaha.kirsten@gmail.com. Please like, subscribe, and leave a note on what you found helpful or what you want to hear in the future. And if you like what you've been hearing, please take a moment to review the podcast so more people can find it! =) Music Credits: Intro Music by FASSounds from Pixabay Other incidental music provided by Anchor.fm

    19 min

  4. 03/10/2023

    Episode 10: How to Write Your Best Personal Statement

    This episode is all about the oh so pivotal, yet oh so daunting personal statement that is required as part of your PA school application on CASPA. A poor personal statement can definitely lower your chances of getting invited for an interview while an amazing personal statement can make all the difference in landing an interview for someone who might not otherwise make the cut. I submitted 2 different personal statements and based on my experience, I have a lot of tips and tricks that will hopefully help make the writing process go more smoothly for you! Whether you're applying this cycle or plan to apply in an upcoming cycle, I believe this episode can give you a lot of insight into what the personal statement is, what PA schools want to see in the personal statement, and how you can present your best self through it! So have a listen and let me know what you think! I am more than happy to help and advise pre-PAs, whether that means reading over essays/personal statements, reviewing parts of your application, or answering any questions you might have! If you would like to get in touch with me, you can follow me @the.nontraditional.pa_s Please like, subscribe, and leave a note on what you found helpful or what you want to hear in the future. And if you like what you've been hearing, please take a moment to review the podcast so more people can find it! Music Credits: Intro Music by FASSounds from Pixabay Other incidental music provided by Anchor.fm

    33 min

  5. 02/11/2023

    Episode 9: Interview With Traditional-Turned-Nontraditional Recent PA School Grad Ariel

    If you've been listening to the podcast recently, you probably know that I've been hinting about having a guest on the podcast. If you were excited about that, then this episode will definitely make your day! Ariel Campa, recent PA school graduate, mom, and creator of the Becoming a PA podcast, agreed to join me on the podcast to share about her PA journey and pass on some wisdom she's gained along the way. Tune in to hear how she balanced PA school, family, and life in general as well as her advice for those navigating a similar path. You can follow Ariel on Instagram @pa_leira or check out her podcast @becomingapathepodcast I am more than happy to help and advise pre-PAs, whether that means reading over essays/personal statements, reviewing parts of your application, or answering any questions you might have! If you would like to get in touch with me, you can follow me @the.nontraditional.pa_s  Please like, subscribe, and leave a note on what you found helpful or what you want to hear in the future! And if you like what you've been hearing, please take a moment to review the podcast so more people can find it! Music Credits: Intro Music by FASSounds from Pixabay Other incidental music provided by Anchor.fm

    37 min

  6. 01/30/2023

    Episode 8: What to Work On Now If You're Applying This Cycle + How to Write CASPA Experience Descriptions

    If you're gearing up to apply to PA schools this cycle, this episode covers a lot of useful information! In this episode of the Nontraditional PA Podcast, I go over what you can be working on now to ensure early submission of your best PA school application, and I offer an in-depth look at how to craft strong descriptions in the experiences section of CASPA.  The experiences section is a pivotal part of your PA school application. Through it, schools get to learn a lot more about you, your personality, and what's important to you, so you definitely want to spend some quality time on your descriptions and make your experiences stand out when admissions committees review them. On a personal note, it took me a ton of time to get all my information together and to write my descriptions, so the earlier you get started on them, the earlier you will have your application complete and ready to submit. And if you are applying to schools with rolling admissions, applying early is key! If this episode truly motivates you, know that you can even get started with making your CASPA account and typing your descriptions in now before the next cycle opens, and they will still be there for the upcoming cycle! **Helpful hint: Always save everything you write in another document though, just in case!! **  Good luck to all of you who are getting ready to apply!!  =) I am more than happy to help and advise pre-PAs, whether that means reading over essays/personal statements, reviewing parts of your application, or answering any questions you might have! If you would like to get in touch with me, you can email me at kamaha.kirsten@gmail.com or follow me on Insta @the.nontraditional.pa_s. Please like, subscribe, and leave a note on what you found helpful or what you want to hear! If you like what you've been hearing, please take a moment to review the podcast so more people can find it! Music Credits: Intro Music by FASSounds from Pixabay Other incidental music provided by Anchor.fm

    23 min

  7. 01/19/2023

    Episode 7: Quitting Your PCE Job Early On--Is It a Red Flag?

    If you have worked a difficult PCE job or in a toxic healthcare environment, you may be asking yourself how much longer you can hold out and if it will "look bad" to PA schools if you leave the job early on. Or maybe you're in the position of recently starting one job and shortly thereafter were offered another job that you were more interested in. If you're wondering whether PA schools will view your leaving a PCE job relatively soon after being hired as a red flag to PA school admissions teams, you're not alone, and this episode is for you! Tune in to hear my insights on this common pre-PA issue. I am more than happy to help advise, read over essays/personal statements, review any parts of your application, or answer any questions you might have! If you would like to get in touch with me, you can email me at kamaha.kirsten@gmail.com or follow me on Insta @the.nontraditional.pa_s. Please like, subscribe, and leave a note on what you found helpful or what you want to hear! If you like what you've been hearing, please review the podcast so more people can find the podcast!  Support the podcast here: https://anchor.fm/kirsten-kamaha/support Music Credits: Intro Music by FASSounds from Pixabay Other incidental music provided by Anchor.fm

    7 min

  8. 01/06/2023

    Episode 6: The Cost of Applying to PA School

    Maybe you've decided that physician assistant/associate (PA) is the career for you, and you've already begun planning out your steps to making that dream a reality. Maybe you're still considering whether this career is a good match for your lifestyle and your family obligations. Hopefully this episode will prove helpful wherever you're at in the process. In this episode, I highlight not only what's involved in applying to PA school but the associated financial costs so that you can make a plan of action and be successful, even if you're on a tight budget or have limited income. Throughout the episode, I provide some ways you can potentially save money and reduce the financial burden while gaining admission to PA schools. I hope that this episode encourages you to figure out what your best options are and that it also inspires you to reach out and utilize your fellow pre-PAs, PA students, and practicing PAs as resources during the process. As I mentioned during the episode, I am more than happy to help advise, read over essays/personal statements, review any parts of your application, or answer any questions you might have! If you would like to get in touch with me, you can email me at kamaha.kirsten@gmail.com or follow me on Insta @the.nontraditional.pa_s. Like, subscribe, and leave a note on what you found helpful or what you want to hear! Support the podcast here: https://anchor.fm/kirsten-kamaha/support Music Credits: Intro Music by FASSounds from Pixabay Other incidental music provided by Anchor.fm

    33 min
See All (14)

Trailer

4.9
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

This podcast details my rather unconventional path to becoming a physician assistant/physician associate (PA). I hope it can be a resource for others as well as an opportunity for me to chronicle my journey from pre-PA to PA student to practicing PA!

Information