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Admissions Straight Talk

Admissions Straight Talk

Linda Abraham 145 Episodes Sep 10, 2026

Advice from experts on the MBA, medical school, law school, and graduate school admissions process.

Episodes

Inside the University of Iowa’s Top-Ranked PA Program [Episode 629]
Inside the University of Iowa’s Top-Ranked PA Program [Episode 629] Sep 10, 2026 1934 Send us your admissions questions!What makes the University of Iowa Physician Assistant (PA) Program one of the country’s top PA programs? In this episode of Accepted’s Admissions Straight Talk, host Dr. Valerie Wherley speaks with Thomas O’Shea, PhD, MEd, director of administrative and student services for the University of Iowa’s PA Program, about the program’s structure, curriculum, clinical tr
From Military Service to PA School: Advice for Veteran Applicants [Episode 628]
From Military Service to PA School: Advice for Veteran Applicants [Episode 628] Aug 27, 2026 1390 Send us your admissions questions!How can military veterans translate their service, leadership, and clinical experience into a strong PA school application? In this episode of Admissions Straight Talk, host Dr. Valerie Wherley speaks with Brandon R. Beattie, MMSc, PA-C, assistant professor and program director, about the George Washington University (GW) PA Program, the military roots of the PA p
Inside Wake Forest’s PA Program: Inquiry-Based Learning, Service, and Leadership Training [Episode 627]
Inside Wake Forest’s PA Program: Inquiry-Based Learning, Service, and Leadership Training [Episode 627] Aug 13, 2026 1349 Send us your admissions questions!What makes Wake Forest University’s Physician Assistant Program different from the hundreds of PA programs applicants can choose from?In this episode of Accepted’s Admissions Straight Talk, host Dr. Valerie Wherley speaks with Sobia Hussaini, MHA, assistant professor of PA studies and director of admissions and strategic recruitment for PA studies at Wake Forest U
Can You Get into Grad School with a Problematic Academic Record? Here’s What Actually Works [Episode 626]
Can You Get into Grad School with a Problematic Academic Record? Here’s What Actually Works [Episode 626] Jul 30, 2026 1349 Send us your admissions questions!What do you do when your transcript tells a story you would rather not tell? In this episode of Accepted’s Admissions Straight Talk podcast, host Dr. Valerie Wherley is joined by Dr. Rachel Slutsky, an Accepted admissions consultant and Harvard PhD, to discuss one of the most common – and most feared – obstacles in the graduate admissions process: a problematic ac
Inside the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific: A DO School That Trains Holistic Physicians [Episode 625]
Inside the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific: A DO School That Trains Holistic Physicians [Episode 625] Jul 16, 2026 2405 Send us your admissions questions!What exactly is—and isn’t—a DO? And what does it take to get into a Tier 1 primary care medical school that operates across two very different campuses?In this episode of Accepted’s Admissions Straight Talk, host Dr. Valerie Wherley sits down with the leadership and a current student from the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP) at Western Univers
How to Get Selected for a Fulbright and Other Competitive Fellowships [Episode 624]
How to Get Selected for a Fulbright and Other Competitive Fellowships [Episode 624] Jul 2, 2026 1193 Send us your admissions questions!What does it take to get selected for a Fulbright or Boren Fellowship? In this episode of Accepted’s Admissions Straight Talk podcast, host Dr. Valerie Wherley sits down with Steven Tagle, an Accepted admissions consultant and fellowship specialist, to break down two of the most prestigious, and most misunderstood, awards in graduate education.Steven draws on his
USC Chan Doctorate of OT Program: Innovation, Leadership, and a Holistic Path to Occupational Therapy [Episode 623]
USC Chan Doctorate of OT Program: Innovation, Leadership, and a Holistic Path to Occupational Therapy [Episode 623] Jun 18, 2026 1538 Send us your admissions questions!This episode of Admissions Straight Talk covers what it takes to get accepted into the top-ranked Entry-Level Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program at the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. Host Dr. Valerie Wherley speaks with Dr. Amber Bennett, associate professor of clinical occupational therapy at USC Chan, to break do
WashU Doctor of Physical Therapy Admissions: Inside a Top-Ranked Program [Episode 622]
WashU Doctor of Physical Therapy Admissions: Inside a Top-Ranked Program [Episode 622] Jun 4, 2026 1628 Send us your admissions questions!What should applicants know about WashU Medicine’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program?In this episode of Admissions Straight Talk, Dr. Valerie Wherley speaks with Dr. Steven Ambler – professor of physical therapy and orthopaedic surgery, division director of education, and DPT program director at WashU Medicine – about the program’s curriculum, culture, stud
How This Reapplicant Got into PA School [Episode 621]
How This Reapplicant Got into PA School [Episode 621] May 21, 2026 882 Send us your admissions questions!This episode of Admissions Straight Talk covers the essential strategies for overcoming rejection and successfully reapplying to physician assistant (PA) programs. In this episode, host Dr. Valerie Wherley speaks with Cassandra Zoetjes, a first-generation college student and current PA student at Sacred Heart University who successfully navigated three application
How to Get the Most Out of Premed Shadowing [Episode 620]
How to Get the Most Out of Premed Shadowing [Episode 620] Apr 30, 2026 982 Send us your admissions questions!What does it take to maximize your premed shadowing opportunity, and why does this experience matter so much in your application?In this episode of Admissions Straight Talk, Dr. Valerie Wherley speaks with Dr. Rachel L. Schreiber, a board-certified allergist/immunologist and former president of the Greater Washington Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Society. Recogn
How to Get into Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine [Episode 619]
How to Get into Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine [Episode 619] Apr 16, 2026 1815 Send us your admissions questions!What does it take to stand out and become a competitive applicant to Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine (TUCOM), and what makes this program unique among osteopathic medical schools?In this episode of Admissions Straight Talk, Accepted consultant and podcast host Dr. Valerie Wherley speaks with Dr. Alesia Wagner, associate dean of academic
Baylor College of Medicine: Admissions, Curriculum, and What Makes a Strong Applicant [Episode 618]
Baylor College of Medicine: Admissions, Curriculum, and What Makes a Strong Applicant [Episode 618] Apr 2, 2026 1584 Send us your admissions questions!What does Baylor College of Medicine look for in applicants, and how is its program evolving to meet the needs of today’s medical students?In this episode of Admissions Straight Talk, host Dr. Valerie Wherley speaks with Dr. Jesus Vallejo, senior associate dean of admissions at Baylor College of Medicine. Together, they explore Baylor’s dual-campus model, early cl

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