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Aspiring PA needs help!


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Hello all,

 

I'm in need of some serious advice, either from someone who has been in a similar situation or can help out in general. I'll start with some backstory.

 

I'm currently a medical social worker and about a month ago realized that I probably should have gone into medicine instead of social work. The hard part is what I do isn't considered hands on and I don't have any prerequisites so I have to do it all. I'll lay out my plan and if anyone could help out with it hard be great because I'm a bit nervous about the process and the fact that it'll take me a few years to complete everything since I currently work full time.

 

I plan on taking all the prerequisites at my community college since all of the classes, with labs, are offered there. Unfortunately, this will take me about 2-3 years because I simply cannot leave my job to pursue his full time. My worry is whether schools will frown upon be doing these classes at a CC. I haven't read anything stating so, but it is a concern.

 

I plan on getting my CNA in the coming months and hope to work somewhere super part time, since I'll have school on my plate as well. I also currently volunteer at a medical clinic for patients who don't have insurance and do scribing there. Once I get my CNA there is a chance I could get approved by the medical director to do flu vaccines, urinalysis and blood sugar checks if I prove that I am competent enough to do so.

 

I haven't sorted out he shadowing yet, but once my ducks are in a row I'll start looking into it more.

 

My gpa from my undergrad (psych) was a 3.1 and my masters gpa was a 4.0 so I hope to maintain hat range and stay at a 3.5 for science once I start classes.

 

I currently speak Russian and intend on learning Spanish because I have always been interested in it.

 

Please give me whatever advice you can offer, I really want to make this happen but am becoming so overwhelmed at the requirements since it's been a while since I have actually had to do this kind of thing.

 

I reside in California and can't leave the state so all programs I apply to will be in ca. Im in the Bay Area so if someone is local, I'd love to talk further. I don't know if my age matters, but I'm 26. Do I have a fighting chance here? Will my current degree help me stand out?

 

Thanks in advance for any help!!

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Your path to PA school is very doable. Medical Social Work is fantastic Health Care Experience (HCE). What's your time frame like for when you want to apply? You'll be fine at the vast majority of places with CC credits. Aim for a 4.0 for those classes. 3.5 is just average - and you want to be better than average. I'd think a program like Western might fit your profile given the lack of PCE but good GPA and HCE. UC Davis also comes to mind, especially with your background in social work.

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  • 5 weeks later...

jdasar, I was in a similar boat a couple years ago when I started the process of applying to PA schools here in northern California. I am still working full-time while taking coursework at community colleges in Woodland, Fairfield and Sacramento and I can honestly say that this has been the absolute busiest time of my life. That said, it is still very possible for you to make this plan work. This is the first year I was able to submit my CASPA to three school. Rejected by one, waitlisted by another and still waiting to hear back from another school. If it doesn't work out this year, then I know I will be a better applicant next cycle.

 

The important thing for you to do is decide whether you really want this path. If you do, then make a plan and make the hard decisions you need to make considering the schedule you develop for yourself. Just make sure that you are being realistic. Don't be surprised if it takes 2-3 years. That is essentially how long it has taken me coming from a liberal arts BA and MA background with two courses each term.

 

Also, contact the schools you are interested to apply to and let them evaluate your health care experiences. Schools like UC Davis may take a long time to respond, but someone will eventually get back to you.

 

If you want to talk more, private message and we can set up a phone call. Good luck.

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