Stuck and Confused

[DannyLuong]

Hi, im a Exercise Science major and I plan on going to grad school for a PA after my bachelors. The PA school that I am aiming for are USC and UC Davis. I currently have a 3.1 GPA and my science GPA is 3.5. If I raise my overall GPA would my chances increase? What are some HCE that I can do while I am a undergrad that will not stress me out? Also would my chances lower if I gotten Cs on some GE classes like art and urban analysis? But receive Bs and As in my science and important classes?

[PACdan]

Hi, im a Exercise Science major and I plan on going to grad school for a PA after my bachelors. The PA school that I am aiming for are USC and UC Davis. I currently have a 3.1 GPA and my science GPA is 3.5. If I raise my overall GPA would my chances increase? What are some HCE that I can do while I am a undergrad that will not stress me out? Also would my chances lower if I gotten Cs on some GE classes like art and urban analysis? But receive Bs and As in my science and important classes?

Yes, raising your GPAs improves your application and subsequently your chances of receiving an interview. PA schools like well-rounded students too. While lower grades in non-science courses won't hurt your sGPA, it will hurt your overall GPA and possibly your app.

 

As for HCE that "will not stress [you] out" during school, I think you need to ask yourself what that means. Does that mean you just want something easy and health-related to do while is school? Is that really what's going to prepare you for PA school?

 

What interests you about medicine? Where would you like to introduce yourself to the practices of medicine to gain knowledge/experience to be sure you want to practice it as a PA?

 

Don't look for the easy path in, you'll only do yourself a disservice.

 

[zoopeda]

You need to find HCE that sparks a passion for healthcare in you.  I say this because many things stem from HCE: strong LORs (from co-workers and supervisors), inspired content for your personal statement, a substantive interview conversation, and the theme of a compelling story about who you are as an applicant.  It also shows the adcom you have a clue about what you're getting into.  For me, my HCE became the foundation of my application and the inspiration for applying.  It's very obvious when applicants are just checking boxes and getting HCE hours done for the sake of fulfilling a prereq--as obvious to those who might otherwise be writing you letters of rec as it is to those who read over your application.  (Quality HCE doesn't have to be stressful; it just has to be of high quality for you.)  Every adcom I've talked to seemed to be looking for applicants that have come to the profession out of a positive experience working in healthcare and not the other way around.  Not to mention, your interviewers will ask a million questions about what drove you to such-and-such HCE.  Nothing's better than being able to speak enthusiastically for an hour about all that you learned and enjoyed about your HCE.  As for GPA, where are you in your studies?  If you're about to graduate, just note it takes a LONG time to raise a GPA.  I was in a similar situation.  I graduated with a B average in Philosophy and English Lit.  I pulled myself together ten years later, took all my prereqs plus a whole bunch of other science and math classes, and ended up with a 3.7 sGPA (which only raised my cumulative to a 3.2 or 3.3).  But my interviewer loved that story and suggested perhaps I was destined for the sciences.  I don't know if that's true, but it does seem better to me to have a higher sGPA if you have the choice.  Really research the schools you apply to and be sure you're not wasting your application on a school that only looks at cGPA, choose your schools wisely, and apply after you find yourself inspired by some aspect of HCE.  Good luck! 

[Guest MedLib42]

In addition to the advice from the above posts, I would say to check with UC Davis and USC to see which professions they consider to be the strongest as far as value of HCE. When I was applying, I found it varied from school to school (some liked scribes, some wouldn't take scribes; some thought surgical techs were "too specialized" to be good HCE, and other schools loved them). When I applied, the info was available with lists of professions that they accept on both UC Davis and USC PA program websites. If it isn't, I'd call them and ask.

 

Once you know what these schools consider good HCE, choose something that you have an interest in, that you feel might be fun for you personally. Choosing a "non-stressful" HCE experience may be hard, if that's all you're basing your decision on, because my personal experience is that the healthcare field is stressful in general, regardless of the profession (although I haven't tried every healthcare profession, of course :). But, it is what you make it - often the stress can be overridden if you're really fascinated with the area you're working in, and if you handle it well. Find something you're passionate about, and it will be much easier to deal with on-the-job stress. You can also then transmit that passion through your application and interview, which is really important. P.A. school - and the profession in general - can be very, very stressful, so when you apply to P.A. school, part of the screening process involves evaluating how well applicants can handle stressful careers, situations, and academics, and they are also looking for a passion for healthcare. So, I wouldn't necessarily advise trying to choose HCE solely based on how easy they it is or its low stress level (although I don't know your individual situation, and I always recommend making smart choices so that you're not overwhelmed or burnt out, either).

 

A lot of people choose to go the ER tech, EMT or CNA routes, or something like phlebotomy (phlebotomy isn't always acceptable to all schools though), because you can become certified relatively quickly (depending on requirements in your area) and work part time or PRN. Phlebotomy is probably lower stress than ER tech, EMT, or CNA, but it depends on where you work. Scribing is really great experience and often very student-friendly, doesn't require a certification, and I'd consider it relatively low stress. I think both USC and UC Davis will accept it (double check for sure though if you go that route). Since you are an exercise science major, perhaps physical therapy tech or assistant might be right for you? Some states require a longer certification process for this, however (it depends), but I know several current P.A. students who went the physical therapy tech or assistant route as HCE and loved it - I've never heard anyone say it was particularly stressful (I've never done it though). Again, whatever you choose, make sure it's accepted by the schools you're applying to and is something you have an interest in.