Any experience with a low GPA?

[aly90]

Hello all

 

I know this topic has been talked about a lot but I want to see first hand if anyone has been accepted to PA school with a low(er) GPA.

 

Is it extremely rare for the admissions to consider GPA's under 3.0 regardless of what their minimum GPA requirement is? My GPA is at a 2.9 overall and 3.0 science which I calculated CASPA GPA would make it a 2.81 overall due to not recognizing grade forgiveness. However, in my last year and a half of undergrad, I had gotten a 3.3-3.8 GPA each quarter and have a strong upward trend in my GPA esp. in upper level science courses.

 

Since graduating this past fall quarter, I plan on taking a gap year or two before applying to obtain more HCE through my CCE program and might pick up CNA and/or medical scribe, if time permits. I was also on the fence about retaking science courses which I got a C/C- and possibly additional classes at a community college to improve my GPA. But since I graduated with a total of ~220 units, it would likely take a year or more full time to reach above a 3.0 even if I managed all A's (and even then so, I've looked into schools and their statistical average GPAs are ~3.4 which is still far off from 3.0)

 

Any advice on what would be the best outcome for me? Should I just scrap the PA and look into something else? Should I spend time retaking classes at a CC to improve my GPA or should I just keep my current GPA and work full time for more direct HCE hours? I do still want to enter the PA field but I don't want to waste time if my chances are extremely unlikely.

 

Thanks!

[rev ronin]

Retake C's, take additional science courses, and get your cGPA up to a 3.3-3.4, with sGPA higher, and you should have a decent shot.  Anything less than that in GPA needs to be made up for in high-quality HCE, and CNA/Scribe ain't it.

 

You can be a PA... if you want it bad enough.  It won't be an easy road, because CASPA doesn't do grade forgiveness (although even if it did, your GPAs don't seem to differ *that* much) Two years may well be too short.

 

Things are getting less competitive in some ways (HCE), but more in others (GPA), and that is not in your favor, because GPA averages (well, duh, that's what the "A" is...) but HCE accumulates.

[SCHW9076]

It can be done, but not easily. I had 3.2 cGPA and 3.1 sGPA. BUT, I had like 13,000 HCE as a paramedic. You should consider getting better quality HCE in addition to raising your GPA. In all the interviews I had, the primary focus was on my experience in the field as a medic.

[AliB]

As Rev says, if you want it, you can make it happen, but there's not a shortcut.

 

In my personal experience, no, if you don't have a minimum of 3.0 GPA, most schools won't bother to look at your application. A few schools that rejected my application told me as much, regardless of their program's website saying that they considered those with slightly less in certain conditions (I hoped my poor grades being from long ago would qualify; no go). With thousands of applicants for only a few seats, they have to start somewhere to cull the group!

 

I start in May, but it took effort to get interviews and acceptances this year. I took 64 hours in 2 years earning a 3.94 for the coursework (mostly sciences -- prereqs, useful classes, and a couple of 'retakes' due to elapse of time) AND I concurrently worked full-time (which gave added weight to my application). I also already have 6K+ HCE hours (EMT, lab tech, rad tech, nurse) and a lot of life experience to round out my application and offset the low cGPA resuting from my bachelors degree (a 2.6; I also already have a masters with a 3.6).

 

Your upward trend in GPA is a good thing, and can only help once you are considered and possibly interviewed. But, yes, you'll likely need to get past the 'magic' 3.0 to be considered by most programs today. And, GPA is just one part of the package; with a low GPA, you need to have more exceptional attributes or experience in other areas. I was accepted by multiple schools with a cGPA of 3.04, but there's much more to my story; it's not all about GPA.

[aly90]

Thanks for your inputs. I will definitely spend some time taking science courses at a CC to raise up my GPA.

I'm only considering CNA because I heard and looked in my area that it is difficult to find a job in EMS (California specifically). I would need a marketable job to supplement myself financially.

[EMEDPA]

Thanks for your inputs. I will definitely spend some time taking science courses at a CC to raise up my GPA.

I'm only considering CNA because I heard and looked in my area that it is difficult to find a job in EMS (California specifically). I would need a marketable job to supplement myself financially.

consider a medical assistant or LPN program at a community college. this would build your gpa and give you a marketable skill much better than cna or scribe.

[PAtoB]

Hey there. I started with a 2.86 GPA from undergrad years (in journalism, so very few science courses), and wound up rocking every pre-req class (like 56 credits or so) to raise that to 3.1-something, and was 3-for-3 on interview invites and accepted into two programs (never interviewed at the third) - one of the programs accepted 20 students out of nearly 500 applicants.

 

Deciding to pursue PA school meant a complete 180-degree move for me, and it took about 3 years to complete all the pre-reqs as a part-time student and work part-time as a CNA to build hours. Like Aly said above, it's not just the GPA, and you can do things to compensate in other areas: bank quality HCE hours, volunteer if you can, be smart about who you seek out for LORs, and write, rewrite, edit, re-edit and get lots of feedback on your personal statement before finalizing it.

 

You can do it! If you want it bad enough and know well enough what it takes, you'll do what needs to be done and get in.

[MB3]

AliB, what is your master's in? 

[SoCalPA]

There's at least one school in CA that does grade replacement and recalculates the gpa. Research the programs for their specific requirements.

[AliB]

AliB, what is your master's in?

 

My MS is in Computer Science. :) My bachelors is a BBA in Business Analysis and MIS. I worked in business and technology for quite a number of years before deciding on a career change back to health care. I'm not a typical applicant.

[Dante311]

Hey there. I started with a 2.86 GPA from undergrad years (in journalism, so very few science courses), and wound up rocking every pre-req class (like 56 credits or so) to raise that to 3.1-something, and was 3-for-3 on interview invites and accepted into two programs (never interviewed at the third) - one of the programs accepted 20 students out of nearly 500 applicants.

 

Deciding to pursue PA school meant a complete 180-degree move for me, and it took about 3 years to complete all the pre-reqs as a part-time student and work part-time as a CNA to build hours. Like Aly said above, it's not just the GPA, and you can do things to compensate in other areas: bank quality HCE hours, volunteer if you can, be smart about who you seek out for LORs, and write, rewrite, edit, re-edit and get lots of feedback on your personal statement before finalizing it.

 

You can do it! If you want it bad enough and know well enough what it takes, you'll do what needs to be done and get in.

Where did you apply?