Health records for PA schoolq

[moon12]

Hey guys I'm a long time lurker. I have couple of questions that are just like everyone else's.

 

1- Last summer I had a break down and my mom took me to the hospital so I would not try to hurt myself. I had to go through a psych evaluation and the doctor and the counselor told me that I was just overly stressed out from school, an abusive relationship, and my parents putting pressure on me. They told me I was released and gave me a week supply of Ambien to help me get back on schedule. The school I'm applying to does clinical rotations in this hospital. Will they be able to look at those records? I guess what I'm asking is if I apply for PA school, do I have to release that I was mentally unstable due to stress for a short period of time? Do most schools ask about this?

 

2- My senior year of HS (I'm a senior right now so this was ~3 years ago) I received a minor in possession of alcohol charge. I was NOT arrested. The charge was a class B misdemeanor in Texas. I did AA, community service, and paid my ticket. When I turn 21 in a few months, this charge will be expunged since I do not have any arrests or charges after this happening. Do schools just ask about arrests or do they also want to know about charges? Since this will be expunged, will this show on my record? The schools I'm applying to are in Texas as well. So there would be no confusion over state lines. 

 

3- Right now, my degree is in Child and Family studies. I will graduate will a 3.0 exactly. I have retaken bio 1 lecture once (made an F the first time and a C the second time) and chem 1 lecture once (made an F both times). I will NOT taken them at the school I'm at right now, I will retake them at a CC once I graduate. Both classes have around a 20 percent passage rates and the professors that teach them are ridiculous. Engineer majors that have passed calc 3 and diff equations cannot pass chem 1. There's something wrong there. My question is, does CASPA average in every attempt of science classes for your sGPA (like they do for cumulative GPA)? Since I have failed gen chem 1 twice and failed gen bio 1 once, will this significantly drop my sGPA? I will take them both again and make an A. Do Texas schools look down upon third attempts? Also, if you are actively involved in a community of a school you are applying (I will teach there for a year) will this help? Last question, I have a 3.0 from a CC and I will graduate from a university with a 3.0. I will take my pre reqs from another CC. Are these averaged for a cumulative GPA or is it done differently? 

[SoCalPA]

Ok. You have asked a lot. I will only speak to #1. First, you should make sure that you are stable enough to handle PA school. Read the forum.  From what i heard the didactic year is pretty stressful.  Not to scare you but just to be sure you have your stuff in order.  I'm sure there are some things you can do to limit your stress.  As for your parents, you will need them to provide support not pressure.

 

HIPPA states that nobody can have access to your medical records unless you give them permission.  There's really know way the program will find out about this unless you tell them.  You do not need to reveal this unless it becomes an issue and you need an accommodation. I doubt they will ask if you are mentally stable. I don't think that is legal.

 

Educating yourself will help you feel better.  If you have a bonafide disability (including mental health) research the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.  Contact the school's Disability Services office for assistance. 

 

Good luck!!  Just be sure you are ready!!  Make sure you are a good candidate for all that PA school requires. Only you will know!

[Z PA-C]

With CASPA all of your grades are averaged in. So yes, if you got an F the first time and an A the second time, your F won't be replaced with an A. It will average out to a C. It is pretty easy to calculate what your GPA would be with excel or check out some websites that will do it for you as well.

https://portal.caspaonline.org/caspaHelpPages/frequently-asked-questions/processing-your-application/grade-point-average-gpa-calculations/

[moon12]

Thank you so much SoCalPA and Aiviphung for replying! I really appreciate it!

 

aivi- One more question for you; is there any way to bring up my sGPA since I'm retaking bio 1 and chem 1 for the third time? Could I take physics 1 or something like that to bring up my sGPA even though it is not a prereq? Also, will the prereq GPA average in those C's and F's or does it take the new grade?

[Z PA-C]

Thank you so much SoCalPA and Aiviphung for replying! I really appreciate it!

 

aivi- One more question for you; is there any way to bring up my sGPA since I'm retaking bio 1 and chem 1 for the third time? Could I take physics 1 or something like that to bring up my sGPA even though it is not a prereq? Also, will the prereq GPA average in those C's and F's or does it take the new grade?

You can definitely take science courses that are not pre-reqs to bring up your science GPA. CASPA does not actually have a prereq GPA calculation because each program has their own specific prerequisite courses so usually the individual schools will calculate that themselves. You may want to contact the programs you are interested in applying to and ask them if they consider grade replacement with prerequisite courses. The three GPAs that CASPA calculates are below in combination with the different charts listed in the link that I provided in my last post.

 

Science GPA

Your Science GPA is calculated based on these course categories: Biology/Zoology, Inorganic Chemistry, Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics, and Other Science.

 

Non-Science GPA

Your Non-Science GPA is calculated based on these course categories: English, Math, Social/Behavioral Science, and Other Non-Science.

 

BCP GPA

“BCP” stands for “Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.” All courses labeled as Biology, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, or Physics are included.

[Maynard]

avid- One more question for you; is there any way to bring up my sGPA since I'm retaking bio 1 and hem 1 for the third time? Could I take physics 1 or something like that to bring up my sGPA even though it is not a prereq? Also, will the prereq GPA average in those C's and F's or does it take the new grade?

I'm curious, what other prereqs have you taken and how did you do in them?

[EMEDPA]

seriously consider a part time program for a less stressful academic experience. there are 7-8 or so. there is a list in pre-pa stickies. these programs split the first year into 2 years then do the third year as a full time year along with other 2nd yr students. some folks do this so they can work( I worked as a medic 20-30 hrs/week yr 1 and 2), other folks do these to have more time for family, etc. I think it's a good option for anyone because it really allows you to focus on the material of 3 classes at a time and learn it rather than skimming the material from 6 to keep your head above water.

[moon12]

 

You can definitely take science courses that are not pre-reqs to bring up your science GPA. CASPA does not actually have a prereq GPA calculation because each program has their own specific prerequisite courses so usually the individual schools will calculate that themselves. You may want to contact the programs you are interested in applying to and ask them if they consider grade replacement with prerequisite courses. The three GPAs that CASPA calculates are below in combination with the different charts listed in the link that I provided in my last post.

 

Science GPA

Your Science GPA is calculated based on these course categories: Biology/Zoology, Inorganic Chemistry, Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics, and Other Science.

 

Non-Science GPA

Your Non-Science GPA is calculated based on these course categories: English, Math, Social/Behavioral Science, and Other Non-Science.

 

BCP GPA

“BCP” stands for “Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.” All courses labeled as Biology, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, or Physics are included.

 

Thank you for sending that. At the university I attend, Geology is a physical science class with a lab. I have taken geo 1 and 2. Will these be considered in my Science GPA?

[moon12]

I'm curious, what other prereqs have you taken and how did you do in them?

I have taken human anatomy made an A in the lecture and a B in the lab. I have also taken human physiology and made an A in lecture and lab. Physics isn't required in the school I will apply to but I made an B in the lecture and lab. 

[moon12]

seriously consider a part time program for a less stressful academic experience. there are 7-8 or so. there is a list in pre-pa stickies. these programs split the first year into 2 years then do the third year as a full time year along with other 2nd yr students. some folks do this so they can work( I worked as a medic 20-30 hrs/week yr 1 and 2), other folks do these to have more time for family, etc. I think it's a good option for anyone because it really allows you to focus on the material of 3 classes at a time and learn it rather than skimming the material from 6 to keep your head above water.

Thank you so much for sending that info. I will really look into those programs and consider it. I have been taking 19-21 hours since my break down making A's and B's, so I'm learning to manage my time better. 

[EMEDPA]

this may be out of date but was good as of a few years ago:

List of part time (2 yrs of classwork in 3 yrs) programs:
According to the Physician Assistant Education Association website there are 7 schools which offer a part time option.

1. University of Maryland Eastern Shore (Maryland)
2. University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (New Jersey)
3. D’Youville College (New York)
4. Daemen College (New York)
5. Drexel University Hahnemann (Pennsylvania)
6. University of Washington (Washington)
7. University of Wisconsin-Madison (Wisconsin)