How I Got Into AA School

[@Danny54Gs]

You’re application is insane! From GPA to volunteer hours.

[@skohayward]

Thank you so much!! 🙏🙌

[@jacquelinecastro585]

thank you so much for this video !! super helpful and informative! it’d be awesome to hear some tips and advice on how you stay on top of things, as well as what to expect your first year of school! would definitely love to keep hearing updates on your overall experience in real time ! thank you again so much for making these videos !!:)

[@skohayward]

Absolutely!! I am definitely planning on it. I’ll talk about it in a future video but I plan to try to keep making videos in school, just less informational and more just showing you all what it’s like to be in AA school. Thanks so much for watching!! 🙏🙌

[@Bannanification]

I was eager to try to follow the path of CAA, but seeing such a bright kid and knowing that application rate is only 5% I think that I will fail. Being a foreigner, 35 years old and without science background will make me look silly. Best wishes to you, Jesse, you definitely can go beyond.

[@skohayward]

I believe that if you really put your mind to it, are patient, seek out resources and guidance the whole way through, I don’t see why you can’t pursue CAA! I would recommend joining the discord and going through the “international students” section and see how others have had success in the past. I have seen individuals older than 35 matriculate into AA school and med school. It can be done! If you need help we are all on your side and want to see you succeed. Good luck friend!!

[@vincentjackson4301]

Great video! I’m currently studying exercise science, but plan to take biochem and o chem over the next summer and semester before I apply. I know you switched out of it, but do you think exercise science would be looked at as “inferior” compared to applicants majoring in more common pre med majors?

[@skohayward]

Short answer: Absolutely not!! Long answer: I learned more about the human body in my SES classes than I did in some of my AA/premed prerequisite classes. Choose a major that you will have the most fun with and enjoy the most, because that will lead to the best grades. The dean of the medical school where I went to undergrad got a degree in “piano performance”, so you can major in whatever you want, and will be completely fine. I majored in psych and it wasn’t a problem at all. It actually came up in a lot of my interviews, so a unique major might even help set you apart from other applicants! Exercise science is a great degree to get in undergrad, and it will prepare you very well for AA school. And it’s fun!! (Totally not biased 😂).

[@keelinle]

TY FOR THE VIDEO!! Im looking in to Cu’s prerequisites,,, It says its preferred but would you recommend taking calculus and physics 1& 2 calculus based with lab?? currently taking calculus right now and its rough😰😰

[@skohayward]

Yes you have to take physics, it is required. But for calculus, I never took it and I still got accepted. If you can take it and get an alright grade I say stick with it. If you think you are going to fail the class and bring your GPA down, I’d say don’t take it.

[@jewelmendiola]

Can you make a video on how you adjusted your study strategy or what type of strategy you plan on entering AA school with?

[@skohayward]

Absolutely!! Like I mentioned, I realized I needed a concrete study strategy while taking immunology, and refined my strategy while studying for the MCAT. I know that my strategy will change as I go through AA school, but I will certainly make a video about what strategies and tips helped me the most!!

[@mkcolor0]

Please make a video for international students who have completed their bachelors in anesthesia and wanto become CAA

[@skohayward]

For sure!! I’ll do some research into it and try to bring it up in a video 😎

[@acelowk]

thank you for your help!!

[@skohayward]

You’re very welcome!! Thank you for watching 🙏

[@jhairherrera5078]

How much did you study a week through your college years and do you think someone could catch up in some aspect of high school science for college?

[@skohayward]

Honestly it varied so much how many hours I would study each week in college. By my last year when I finally got my study habits down, I’d probably be blocking off a couple hours each day to study/work on research. And yes you can definitely get a leg up in high school. Try to take dual enrollment classes in high school to knock out some early college classes (and maybe even some prerequisites like math and english). You could also take AP that I believe most schools will accept for credit in certain areas. Be proactive and try to understand how you study in high school so you can be more prepared for college!! But also don’t forget to have fun in high school. College is really different so always try to live in the present and not overwork yourself so early in your life.

[@myp.l.6985]

Thank you so much for making this video, it was very eye opening as to what it takes to become a CAA!! Congrats on your acceptance!! Quick question, did you ever have to get a certification as a phlebotomist or was it a volunteering opportunity through which you got to learn phlebotomy skills?

[@skohayward]

Thank you! A little bit of both actually. I was volunteering and helping out at a cancer rehab institute at my undergrad and my supervisor offered to get me phlebotomy training. So I did that and worked outpatient for a couple years but when I graduated, I got my CPT certification and I believe that opened doors for me to work at inpatient at larger hospitals. That’s what I did, but I know others that did it differently by enrolling in a phlebotomy course or something along those lines. Hope this helps!

[@ThePhaze1001]

I'm interested in becoming a CAA and have been doing lots of research into what makes a competitive application. I was contemplating becoming a phlebotomist & would love to learn more about it from you. Please let me know if you're interested to talk more about it, and thanks for the video!

[@skohayward]

Absolutely!! I am definitely planning on talking about it in a future video (probably along the lines of talking about all kinds of clinical experience). I’m somewhat biased, but I think phlebotomy is incredible patient care experience. I’ll make a video on it for sure!!

[@jacksonyarborough5260]

I am very I treated in getting accepted into a CAA program. I am also from Colorado but am open to going anywhere in the country. I am on the side of I have a ton of health care experience but not a crazy high GPA. Is there anything you would recommend to either boost my GPA or to set me apart even with a lower GPA?

[@skohayward]

Having a lot of healthcare experience is a great boost to your application!! I would say to really smash the MCAT/GRE. Oh and if you have low grades in prerequisite courses, you could try retaking them to get an A. Hope this helps!!

[@KYoung2]

Hey Jesse, Im a current Respiratory Therapist with just with a bachelor in biology, my grades/gpa is just hitttng the minimum requirement, no MCAT/GRE, how are my chances?

[@skohayward]

I’ve seen a lot of RT’s go down the AA path!! It’s obviously incredible patient care experience. Without looking at the rest of your app, I’d say you’ve got a pretty good shot at the two schools that don’t require test scores (MCW and VCOM). Keep in mind MCW has a pretty strong in state bias though. RT is really helping your application but I would really recommend taking the MCAT or GRE to significantly increase your chances of entry considering how competitive everything has gotten. Good luck either way!!

[@kristivang3488]

Do you know if ucd allows remote classes in prerequisites?

[@skohayward]

I would recommend emailing CU to make sure. I believe they accept online courses from accredited universities but always be sure to double check!!

[@NemoEnglish-v9w]

Congratulations for getting accepted!!!! I am very interested in getting accepted to CAA school. Would you recommend getting connected to CAA programs before applying? I know that some school like CU have a rolling admission. Do you think applying in June or July would hurt my chances of getting accepted? Thank you so much again for making this video.

[@skohayward]

Thank you!! I don’t think it’s necessary and really can’t say how much it really impacts a programs decision to accept you or not, but it can only help your case if you can. It won’t make up for poor stats or gaps in your application, but it would be a good thing to talk about in your interviews. I applied in July and was just fine. However, since applications are getting more and more competitive, apply as early as you possibly can to maximize your chances of programs seeing your application (still only apply if you feel you have made your application as strong as it can be). CU says on their website now: “All applicants should apply early as possible for the best chance of admission”. Good luck!!

[@steelfn7554]

Can you take the MCAT and the GRE?

[@skohayward]

You can!! Just be aware that CU requires the MCAT only and doesn’t accept the GRE. And some programs, such as MCW and VCOM don’t require either.

[@Kencan254]

Why didn't you go to medical (DO or MD) school instead? Your GPA is competitive, and you passed the MCAT.

[@skohayward]

I might make a full video on this sometime.. but the short answer is that I felt that although it would be fun to challenge myself with medical school, I had other priorities that I didn’t want school to hinder, such as my relationships with my wife, family, future children, and my faith in Christ. Residency was something that I knew would be incredibly difficult and time consuming and I fell in love with the AA profession because of the quicker access to anesthesia and getting to work straight out of school. It just aligned better with my priorities, and I ran with it once I knew I wouldn’t have the regret of not pursuing medical school. There’s more to it than this, but this is a good summary and I’ll discuss it more in the future. Hope this answers your question!!

[@kratosrivia2498]

Great video, do you recommend applicants to get into hospital/clinical volunteering even if they already have a job like an EMT? Or would you recommend your extracurriculars/volunteering to be something other than medicine?

[@skohayward]

EMT is incredible patient/healthcare experience!! At the end of the day, just do what you are passionate about. If it is more medical experience, then that’s awesome. But if not, that is completely fine. I think it’s good to showcase your hobbies and experiences outside of medicine as well. But if you are already an EMT, you are ahead of the curve when it comes to getting quality experience in the medical field. Good luck!!

[@TalyssaWilliams]

Hi, great video. So can you complete school if you have a misdemeanor?

[@skohayward]

I actually am not sure. There is a section on your application where you can explain any previous disciplinary action or misdemeanors, you could possibly use that to clear up the misdemeanor and explain how you have grown and learned from the situation. However I am not aware of any current students with a past misdemeanor history.

[@justinrussell9391]

Is it true that Colorado only takes the MCAT but not GRE?

[@skohayward]

That is correct!!

[@justinrussell9391]

@ thank you Jesse

[@justinrussell9391]

I’m trying to stand out for the AA program.

[@skohayward]

The MCAT is a great way to do that! I think most people and most programs will tell you they don’t prefer the MCAT over the GRE, but I personally think it shows a lot that you would attempt a harder exam. Just remember that a good GRE score is better than a bad MCAT score, so make sure you really put your all into the MCAT!!

[@justinrussell9391]

@@skohayward yes. I’m going to do the gre. Less of a time commitment I’m finishing science and math course work

[@laminjawo5586]

Did you take the Mcat or GRE. Congrats bro

[@skohayward]

Ayyy thanks bro!! I took the MCAT last April.

[@laminjawo5586]

@ what’s the competitive Mcat score needed for AA school. I will apply this coming cycle. I”m taking the June Mcat, I already got the Kaplan books. my SGPA is 3.3. Most of my pre-requisite, I got TWO B- , Two B+ and Two Bs but the rest are all As based on the pre-requisites I see on your transcript. I’m from NYC. I will take intro to immunology and intro neuroscience for summer session. For fall 2025, I want to take genetics and cell and molecular biology( schools from Florida required it.). However, the problem on my end is if I submit my application in August 2025, I will still have pending classes for the fall 2025 on my transcript. Some of my friends said you can have pending classes is reasonable.

[@skohayward]

For the MCAT: typically a passing score for AA school is >500. To be competitive, I’d say shoot for >505. That will open a lot of doors to many different programs, especially as the cycles continue to get more competitive. For pending classes: each school is going to be different as far as how much wiggle room you have with pending classes. Some want to at least see that you are enrolled in these classes. Some have a maximum number of pending classes you can have before your application is no longer considered. So I’d recommend going through each programs website and getting an idea of what restrictions they have regarding pending prerequisites.

[@steelfn7554]

What’s the discord link!!

[@skohayward]

discord.gg/caa-706407688359247924

[@savannahannalay7296]

Keep it up! I am currently doing my pre reqs for it! Hope to see more videos about resources for studying the borad exams and study tips :)

[@skohayward]

Good luck with your prerequisites!! I’ll keep that in mind, I’d love to share some helpful strategies I have learned for studying.. especially for the MCAT

[@Jonathan-c3y]

Does it matter what college I go to?

[@skohayward]

As long as it’s an accredited university, you can go wherever you like!!

[@jacoblemaster1635]

If I originally didn’t plan for This profession and took my science classes at a community college, would I need to retake them at a 4 year state college?

[@skohayward]

Nope! As long as you took them at an accredited institution you should be fine. If you ever want to make sure you can always reach out to programs and inquire directly if the classes you took fulfill their requirements.