Considering PA school at 40

[gbook]

Hi forum,

 

I've been interested in becoming a PA for years, and I think the window is narrowing (or expanding) for that to happen. I have two questions:

 

1) What are my chances of being accepted into a pa program?

2) If I have a chance to become a PA, what are my concerns for starting school at 40

 

First, my history. I graduated in 2002 from undergrad with a comp. sci. degree. GPA of 2.4. I had always been interested in medicine, but didn't feel I had what it took to pursue it. For the next few years I retook a bunch of science classes (chem, bio, A&P) and got all A's except for one B. Then I went to grad school for biomedical engineering masters and got a 3.9 GPA. I've also worked in research for years: running EEGs, MRIs, working in the OR, etc. What are my chances of satisfying the admissions requirements?

 

When applying to grad schools in 2008, I had seriously considered PA school. But a series of factors made me choose biomed engineering instead... my undergrad GPA, we had a new baby and I was concerned about the time spent at school instead of home, the cost of PA school, and that I liked working in research. I've been working in research since undergrad, and I've loved it. I got to do a lot of clinical work without a clinical degree, because it was research: manning equipment in the operating room, performing EEGs and MRIs, doing patient histories. And I got to tech-stuff. But... as things happen, I've moved up the administrative ladder and no longer do anything clinical.

 

I'll turn 38 this summer. I have 3 kids ages 9,5,3. If I retake A&P, the soonest I could apply to schools is when I am 39/40 and start when I am 40. But I need to consider the cost and time requirement for 2 years of schooling. Would my wife be able to support us during that time, etc. Something more realistic is starting school at 45 to have a few years to save money and have the kids be more self-sufficient. What are the considerations for starting school at 40-45?

 

Thanks!

[MyNameWasUsed]

To answer your first question, it depends on a variety of factors. Usually these are: GPA, GRE, personal statement (PS), letter of rec (LOR), healthcare experience (HCE), and patient care experience (PCE). Your undergrad GPA is low but i don't think that'll matter since that was over a decade ago. Your 3.9 in grad school should be more than suffice. From what you've stated, it seems like you have some health care experience and several years of research which doesn't hurt but i'm not sure how much it helps either. Overall, I think your chances are good as long as you meet the programs requirements. Some programs require 1000 HCE some require 2000 HCE. Some require specific prereqs and GRE scores etc etc. Look up the programs to be sure you fit the requirement or you'll wasting money. 

 

I dont think you'll have any concerns with entering PA school at age 40. Many people do it. It's not a big deal. The PA profession was originally targeted to older applicants. It's just recently that it has become more appealing to the youth. 

 

As for finance, you can take out loans and I think you should start at 40. 

[cop to pa]

FYI, I matriculate this June, and turn 40 this November.

[gbook]

 

As for finance, you can take out loans and I think you should start at 40. 

 

Thanks for the info. I figured the higher GPA in grad school would be helpful. My only concern is then with the family. I'd have to slog through the 2 years  of school while still trying to keep a family. But! it would be worth it.

[mgar123]

 A friend just graduated PA school at 53!

[MedicinePower]

http://www.amazon.com/Old-Man-Campus-middle-aged-assistant/dp/1479372099/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1455750902&sr=8-1&keywords=old+man+on+campus

 

Written by our very own UGoLong who went to PA school after a similar career.

[PAtoB]

41 years old here when I get out in a few months. 3 others in my class are 50+, and another fellow is nearly 50.

First: the biggest question to start with given 3 kids at that age is: how willing and able is your wife to handle 100% of the household, extracurricular stuff and money, on top of a job if she works? That's where I started in my journey, and not gonna lie: the first two semesters of PA school are hell from that standpoint, and the duration of the stress will challenge your relationship like no other. So if there's enough advance talking/prepping/mental planning and acceptance, the rest after that takes care of itself.

 

You can take loans, but with a family of 5 and potentially a mortgage and all the other expenses, unless your wife is also working, it'll be extremely tough without nicely padded savings.

I also had a sub-3.0 GPA when i started this journey.

The nice thing is the age and life experience is an advantage in certain areas, and that's hard to explain here without going into more detail. But basically it's this: if you want it, you'll do what it takes with your partner to do it. I'm doing it with two elementary school-aged kids at home and a wife working full-time in a job that requires her to travel. Hasn't been easy - I don't have the faintest memory of my youngest playing soccer during the fall semester, my first in PA school. My wife is annoyed by my inability to know my kid tried soccer for 3 months. I literally don't remember that bcuz I was buried in the books. It gets easier during clinical year - more like working an unpaid internship, 100 percent less study stress, etc. PM me if you want - willing to answer questions, etc.

[AlmostaTexan]

I have a friend that went to med school when she was 58. I don't think age is an issue. I think maturity is. 

I am 36, if all goes to plan I will be applying to PA schools when I'm 40. I'm pretty excited about it actually. 

 

Good luck!!

[UGoLong]

MedicinePower, thanks for the book reference!

 

As noted above, I went to PA school when I was older than you will be. It is very doable, and the experience of a lifetime. Depending on how far from home you go, it isn't much different from all those people who have jobs where they have to travel all week.

 

For me, it was a chance to go back in time and be a full-time college student again. It was also a chance to branch out and try something very different as a career. You would be surprised how your experience in other careers translates well as a PA.

 

Take your time preparing and saving some money if necessary. I was 51 before I even took a prerequisite, so you've got time.

 

Good luck! The world needs more people willing to take a shot at their dream, no matter how old they are.

 

Good luck!

[whoRyou]

... For me, it was a chance to go back in time and be a full-time college student again. It was also a chance to branch out and try something very different as a career. You would be surprised how your experience in other careers translates well as a PA.

 

Take your time preparing and saving some money if necessary. I was 51 before I even took a prerequisite, so you've got time.

 

Good luck! The world needs more people willing to take a shot at their dream, no matter how old they are.

 

[Lyndhurst]

I am halfway through my didactic year and will be turning 42 this year. In my class the average age is 27 but the median is probably closer to 25. 

 

Time management is a consideration, there is a lot of work to do in school and that does cut into family time. The work is itself is not that difficult but the volume is high. The drinking from a firehouse metaphor is over used because it is accurate.

 

I find my class mates to be really helpful and PA school might be the most collaborative and pleasant working environment I have ever experienced. We all help each other with study guides and tutoring, people have no problem sharing resources they find or create. The faculty are helpful and invested in our success. It is quite refreshing compared to some work environments I have experienced.

 

I would say that when choosing a program I would rate cost as the number one deciding factor. Full disclosure I did not do that, I chose the school with the best facilities. However now that I am halfway through the year as much as I enjoyed the sims and osces and playing around with all the toys the program has, I wish I had saved money by going to a cheaper program. I'm not even sure how valuable cadaver lab was in anatomy, and that was originally something I thought would be very important. Rotations are much more important so try and find out how secure rotation sites are. Will you have to travel for them? Are any out of state? 

 

In your position I would take the time to secure my financial position, if you have a choice between various programs find the cheapest one, the shortest one and then see what they require for admissions. 

[gbook]

I am halfway through my didactic year and will be turning 42 this year. In my class the average age is 27 but the median is probably closer to 25. 

 

Time management is a consideration, there is a lot of work to do in school and that does cut into family time. The work is itself is not that difficult but the volume is high. The drinking from a firehouse metaphor is over used because it is accurate.

 

I find my class mates to be really helpful and PA school might be the most collaborative and pleasant working environment I have ever experienced. We all help each other with study guides and tutoring, people have no problem sharing resources they find or create. The faculty are helpful and invested in our success. It is quite refreshing compared to some work environments I have experienced.

 

I would say that when choosing a program I would rate cost as the number one deciding factor. Full disclosure I did not do that, I chose the school with the best facilities. However now that I am halfway through the year as much as I enjoyed the sims and osces and playing around with all the toys the program has, I wish I had saved money by going to a cheaper program. I'm not even sure how valuable cadaver lab was in anatomy, and that was originally something I thought would be very important. Rotations are much more important so try and find out how secure rotation sites are. Will you have to travel for them? Are any out of state? 

 

In your position I would take the time to secure my financial position, if you have a choice between various programs find the cheapest one, the shortest one and then see what they require for admissions. 

 

Cost is also the biggest factor for me. I think the caliber and number of toys at the program, as well as the name of the school, is not too important once you graduate.

 

I live in central CT, and there are currently only 3 programs within 50 miles of my house (and hopefully a 4th opening soon), but they are all at least $85k. I've been thinking a lot about finances and return on investment... I spent about $20k on my masters, and it turned out to be well worth it. With a masters I was able to get a raise of about $20k/yr. So over the past 4 years, I've more than paid for it and the time I spent working half time during the education. Hopefully it will be a positive ROI as a PA.

[GoGetEm29]

Hi, thanks for posting this as I have been thinking about a career change to PA, but wasn't sure if starting at 37/38 would be too late. I have a low undergrad GPA 3.06 in Education, but that includes replacement courses so I know it'll drop even lower. That was in 2006. In 2013 I earned a 4.0 in my master's, Applied Behavior Analysis. Hoping that will help make up some for my undergrad. I still have to take all of my science prerequisites because nothing I took in undergrad counts (think Astronomy, Earth Science). My husband is completely supportive, so I guess that's on my side, too. I'll be leaving my job and looking for a tech position at the local hospital while I take my prereqs for HCE. It's nice to see I'm not alone. Who knows if I have a chance, but this thread is giving me a glimmer of hope.