Are you contemplating graduate school? This decision can cause stress for students as they map out their desired future. Choosing grad school brings with it considerable work, research and vulnerability during the application process. Heather Pozzi is a friend of mine who has impressively achieved acceptance to Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, despite her program’s 99 percent chance of rejection for outside applicants. MCPHS is a university focused on medical and health-related science programs. Heather was happy to share her valuable advice with students who are also thinking of applying to graduate school.
Her Campus (HC): Why did you choose to be a Physician’s Assistant?
Heather Pozzi: For me, being a Physician’s Assistant (PA) was not always the exact position I thought I was going into. So, when I first applied for undergraduate, I actually applied as law and it was kind of like when you flip a coin… I always thought I was not smart enough for the science field but when I submitted my application for law, I knew that was not my passion. I have to thank my school Endicott College and my advisor Kim Penny for recommending being a Physician’s Assistant to me.
HC: What was the hardest part of applying to graduate school?
HP: The hardest part of applying to grad school for me was completing all of the essays because each school individually had their own—sometimes even two—and on top of that, I had to write a personal statement. The personal statement was the easiest because I am passionate about the Physician’s Assistant position, but the emails you had to write, in the variety you had to write them, were slightly difficult for me.
HC: What would you recommend for students who are applying to graduate school or thinking about doing so?
HP: Some advice I would have for people who are thinking about applying to grad school or are in the process of it, is to get a head start on it because it does take a lot of time and it is an important part of your life. Even though the essays were hard for me to do, I definitely wanted the time necessary to do them properly and make my best work because, in the end, that is what they are judging you on… They don’t know your personality, they don’t know you and they won’t know unless you get an interview and to be able to do that, you have to get to that point first.
HC: What advice do you have for students who do not get accepted their first time applying to grad school?
HP: For me, I was fortunate enough to get in my first time, but I know that is very rare and I am grateful for that opportunity… I had my plan, my job at Mass General Hospital, and if I were not to get in, I would continue to work full-time, expand my horizons, get connections, reach out to my PA friends, shadow some more and really work on my resume and build my experience… If you are applying to grad or PA school, and you do not get in the first time, I really encourage you to keep pushing forward and take the year that you have off to reapply and try to improve yourself. Don’t lay back because it is very easy to lose focus of what you are trying to go for… Push through, really work for what you want and to get what you want comes with hard work… I would definitely encourage people to be their best person, be their best selves and really put the time in.
Thank you, Heather Pozzi for this valuable insight on the pressure of applying to grad school, how to overcome it and achieve our academic goals. Congratulations!
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