Natalie, UofT PA-S1

Natalie is an incoming University of Toronto PA student about to start PA School in September! She worked as a Registered Midwife prior to applying to the PA programs, and her path to PA has been non-traditional as a mature candidate.

Natalie’s Pre-PA Stats

Accepted: 

• University of Toronto, PA Consortium

Education:

• BHSc. Human Kinetics from University of Ottawa (2001)

• BHSc. Midwifery from McMaster University (2007)

GPA:

• Cumulative GPA 3.65 out of 4.0 on the OMSAS scale

Health Care Experience Hours:

• Registered midwife in Ontario and Alberta >10,000

My Interests and Hobbies:

• My interests include knitting (and anything crafty), photography, hiking, camping, riding my vintage Vespa, exploring new restaurants/cuisines, and definitely spending time with my family!

Fun Facts:

• I’m a mature applicant (turning 43).

• I’m a Mom of a 10-year-old daughter

• I currently live in Calgary, Alberta

Deciding to pursue PA

I’ve had the pleasure of being a Registered Midwife for the past fourteen years. While this profession has been extremely rewarding it also comes with its own challenges.

I really wanted to be able to stay in a primarily patient-focused role while having the option of lateral mobility and a better work-life balance. PA seemed like a perfect fit for me!

What I think helped me stand out on PA Admissions

I definitely think my health care experience as a primary care provider worked in my favour and also a reason why I choose to apply exclusively to the University of Toronto PA program.

I also think I had a strong referee who was able to strengthen my application.

I just tried to be genuine and thoughtful in all my responses – hopefully, that helped as well.

My tips for Canadian Pre-PA Applicants

I don’t think you have to have it all figured out right from the very beginning. The application process allows for a lot of preparation as you move through the steps. Just take it one step at a time and it won’t be so overwhelming. I would encourage applicants to do a lot of research. My starting point was always the Canadian PA website but I also found many great YouTube, Facebook and Instagram accounts of people who have gone through the process and have had sage words of advice.