skhalid Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 Hello everyone! I was hoping I can get some advice from people, more specifically some nutrition majors out there. I am in my last year of UG and have been pursuing a degree in dietetics up to this point. Going to PA school has been something I've wanted to do for a while but just recently decided that my desire to go to PA school and become a physician assistant was greater than my desire to be a dietitian. I'm in my last year with a GPA of 3.89 and involvement in a few different organizations at school with one leadership role. I also do Nutrition related volunteering at a local hospital. However, I'm unsure if going to PA school is a smart move. My initial plan was to go ahead and get my degree in dietetics, work as a scribe for a year to gain more clinical experience while taking 3 more classes I need for PA school, and then applying after a year. If all else fails, my plan was to apply for a dietetic internship, which I'd be able to do since I got my degree. However, I'm unsure if this is a good plan. Any advice? Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dlenoci Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 Hello everyone! I was hoping I can get some advice from people, more specifically some nutrition majors out there. I am in my last year of UG and have been pursuing a degree in dietetics up to this point. Going to PA school has been something I've wanted to do for a while but just recently decided that my desire to go to PA school and become a physician assistant was greater than my desire to be a dietitian. I'm in my last year with a GPA of 3.89 and involvement in a few different organizations at school with one leadership role. I also do Nutrition related volunteering at a local hospital. However, I'm unsure if going to PA school is a smart move. My initial plan was to go ahead and get my degree in dietetics, work as a scribe for a year to gain more clinical experience while taking 3 more classes I need for PA school, and then applying after a year. If all else fails, my plan was to apply for a dietetic internship, which I'd be able to do since I got my degree. However, I'm unsure if this is a good plan. Any advice? Thank you! Hey there! I too pursued a degree in dietetics during my UG. Like you, I originally had set my sights on becoming a dietitian early on. At about the halfway point, I discovered the PA profession and knew thats where I needed to be. Despite the desire to become a PA, I still wanted to receive a degree in dietetics and nutrition, as I knew it would provide me with a good base and "preventative" mindset going into medicine. Plus, I still liked nutrition! Obviously, the Dietetics degree lacks some pre-requisites required for PA School (Orgo, Anatomy, etc). I decided to prolong my graduation and take those within my degree, so as to boost my GPA. You don't seem to have to worry about that part. Being part of a few organizations and volunteering were also part of the deal. Additionally, I also obtained a job as a medical scribe, and quickly grew into a leadership role within my respective company (Quality experience hours). Fast forward. I graduated, took a few months to prep for the GRE, and did fairly well (Magoosh is the BOMB). Its about 2 months till the CASPA open date at this point. I reach out to my LOR authors and prepare my personal statement (Quite possibly the most important part). I apply during the CASPA opening week. Checked my application for mistakes about 25 times and submitted. Interviewed at a few and got into one of my top choices. Ill be starting in January! Everything above was laid out from the moment I decided I wanted to be a PA. In my mind, there was no other option. I set out a plan of action and stuck to it religiously! You are on the right track, but you need to do your research and think long and hard about whether you truly want to commit to it. If you do, take my experience as proof that it is absolutely possible. PS: My GPA wasn't nearly as high as yours. You got this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skhalid Posted November 8, 2016 Author Share Posted November 8, 2016 Hey there! I too pursued a degree in dietetics during my UG. Like you, I originally had set my sights on becoming a dietitian early on. At about the halfway point, I discovered the PA profession and knew thats where I needed to be. Despite the desire to become a PA, I still wanted to receive a degree in dietetics and nutrition, as I knew it would provide me with a good base and "preventative" mindset going into medicine. Plus, I still liked nutrition! Obviously, the Dietetics degree lacks some pre-requisites required for PA School (Orgo, Anatomy, etc). I decided to prolong my graduation and take those within my degree, so as to boost my GPA. You don't seem to have to worry about that part. Being part of a few organizations and volunteering were also part of the deal. Additionally, I also obtained a job as a medical scribe, and quickly grew into a leadership role within my respective company (Quality experience hours). Fast forward. I graduated, took a few months to prep for the GRE, and did fairly well (Magoosh is the BOMB). Its about 2 months till the CASPA open date at this point. I reach out to my LOR authors and prepare my personal statement (Quite possibly the most important part). I apply during the CASPA opening week. Checked my application for mistakes about 25 times and submitted. Interviewed at a few and got into one of my top choices. Ill be starting in January! Everything above was laid out from the moment I decided I wanted to be a PA. In my mind, there was no other option. I set out a plan of action and stuck to it religiously! You are on the right track, but you need to do your research and think long and hard about whether you truly want to commit to it. If you do, take my experience as proof that it is absolutely possible. PS: My GPA wasn't nearly as high as yours. You got this! Hello! Thank you so much for replying! I was honestly really hesitant about it only because I was unsure of my chances of getting into PA school. I had read stories of people who have a great deal of work experience and volunteering, but still could not get in. My biggest fear was not being able to get in because I may not be on par with the amount of hours I have in a clinical setting compared to other students. But I'm really glad you gave me your words of wisdom! It is definitely something I've been wanting for a while and will start researching more programs as soon as possible. Much congratulations to you and getting into PA school! You'll do great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dlenoci Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 Hello! Thank you so much for replying! I was honestly really hesitant about it only because I was unsure of my chances of getting into PA school. I had read stories of people who have a great deal of work experience and volunteering, but still could not get in. My biggest fear was not being able to get in because I may not be on par with the amount of hours I have in a clinical setting compared to other students. But I'm really glad you gave me your words of wisdom! It is definitely something I've been wanting for a while and will start researching more programs as soon as possible. Much congratulations to you and getting into PA school! You'll do great! It can be daunting at times to think about the uphill battle ahead. I felt it. We all did. I also was hesitant after reading several admission "horror" stories, but I stuck to it and worked harder as a result. Remember, PA schools want a well-rounded applicant. Its not about the highest GPA or highest amount of hours. Its about the quality of all you've done and how you've used that to prepare yourself to be a successful PA. Nonetheless, I would suggest looking for a patient-care experience gig asap and start building those hours. Feel free to pm me if you have any more questions. Best of luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlumsden Posted November 9, 2016 Share Posted November 9, 2016 We had a dietician in our cohort. She was awesome, and worked for a few years doing diabetes and nutrition education. If you find the correct position, and work it for a year or two, you stand to become a pretty competitive applicant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lauren R Posted November 9, 2016 Share Posted November 9, 2016 You can definitely do either. Shadow people with both careers and see which one is more interesting to you. I don't think the path you take matters as much as the destination in which you arrive. Figure out what you want to do and you'll be able to make it happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sballard17 Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 I also went to school for dietetics. Completed my internship in 2003 and worked as a dietitian for several years prior to (and during) PA school. I felt that my UG education and they experience I gained in the hospital while working as a dietitian were an excellent base for PA school. I graduated PA school in 2008 and could not be happier with my choice. I hope you are still pursing that path and trust that the education you already have is an excellent foundation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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