Journaling to Build a Strong PA School Application

In this inspiring episode, Hannah Keith shares the full arc of her journey from aspiring pre-med to pre-PA, to being accepted to both the University of Toronto and McMaster’s Physician Assistant programs.

Now a first-year PA student at U of T, Hannah walks us through the real decision-making, mindset shifts, and strategies that helped her build a standout application while staying grounded throughout the process.

She speaks openly about navigating uncertainty, comparing career paths, and why journaling became one of her most valuable tools. It supported her self-reflection, strengthened her supplementary application, prepared her for the Kira Talent interview, and helped her connect her experiences to the CanMEDS roles that define PA practice in Canada.

Topics we cover in this episode:

• How Hannah decided between medical school and the PA profession

• The self-reflection process that clarified her goals and values

• Tips for writing your supplementary application and mapping your experience to CanMEDS

• Building a story bank for interviews using journaling

• Her experience as a U of T PA student and how it compares to her expectations

• Choosing between multiple PA school acceptances

• Areas of clinical interest including geriatrics, primary care, and international health

• Advocating for the profession through social media and mentorshi