colleen_1 Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 I'm planning on applying this coming cycle, and lack shadowing and volunteer hours. I am trying to get as many hours as I can, and was just wondering what others have as far as shadowing hours go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
needmorecoffee Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 I also am applying this coming cycle and have 90 hours across 5 specialties, the bulk of it in primary care. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colleen_1 Posted January 10, 2017 Author Share Posted January 10, 2017 Would you mind me asking what your other stats look like? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
needmorecoffee Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Sure, but as you will see after perusing this forum for a while, there's no cookie cutter candidate. It seems each school has something specific they're looking for and it's our job to make sure we're a good fit. Looking at minimum requirements on each programs website and the PA Applicant Stats page has been a huge help for me. Beyond that it's a crap shoot. Anyways, here are mine: -BS in Cell & Molecular Biology. I'll be 28 when I apply. -cGPA: 3.42 (poor grades from previous college attempt 10 years ago) -sGPA: 3.86 -GPA for last 100 hrs: 3.96 -720 hours as a Behavioral Health Tech on inpatient psych floor -600 hours CNA in the CVICU -100 hours CNA in neuro/trauma ICU -150 hours volunteering at free health clinic -90 hours shadowing PAs in primary care, cardiology, CV surg, trauma surg, and EM -I already have confirmations from two PAs, a cell biology professor, and work supervisor that they'll write LORs -I wrote my essay 4 months ago and have had several PAs read it and give feedback. -I'm an Eagle Scout Last piece is to take GRE. Currently studying. I've been highly focused (read: obsessed) with getting into PA school for almost 3 years; I'm psyched I finally get to apply in April. Hope this is helpful! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petunia Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 I had 600 shadowing hours... I think it helped... the interviewers asked lots of questions about my various shadowing experiences Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pabound2016 Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 I had around 40 hours of shadowing. Hematology, gastroenterology, cardiology were the specialties they were in. 4 total PAs. I was not asked about my shadowing experiences. I included them in my answers to the questions. IMO, you should be fine with at minimum 30-50 hrs of shadowing for most schools. Some programs do have specific requirements for shadowing, so make sure to check out their websites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
optimistic3 Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 I had about 20 PA shadowing hours and 50 MD shadowing hours, all in the same specialty (though it was two different clinics). No one said anything about it in any of my interviews. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenmood Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 0 at my first interview. Then I got about 20 hours, I think, before my other interviews. I ended up going to the first school. Get enough hours that you can speak eloquently about why you want to be a PA. That number will be different for everyone, but generally the more real world healthcare experience you have, the fewer shadowing hours are required to lend your application credibility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlynneg Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 I had about 50 hours of shadowing with 2 different PAs. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MT2PA Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 0. Got plenty of interviews. Only 1 school seemed to treat it negatively. The point is: do you know what PAs do? Do you know what the day-to-day is? Do you ACTUALLY know what you're getting yourself into? Shadowing isn't necessarily the only way to do that. Schools don't want to invest in someone that A: may drop out before graduating or B: leaves the field after 2 years of practice. Sure, they're in the business of making money, but any school worth its salt is working towards building a strong profession and the best way to do that is to train and produce great PAs that will advocate for the profession, set good examples, and provide great patient care. You can show them that without shadowing and volunteering but you better have strong support for your dialogue. That said, if a school requires it, have it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cop to pa Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 About 12. Two PAs, both in specialties i had no experience in. That's what i was able to talk about in interviews. I personally don't see any need for more than 2 dozen hours. HCE should help with exposure to the career, and shadowing should reinforce or expound on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante311 Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 25 hours from general surgery... but I work in healthcare as a Cardiopulmonary rehabilitation coordinator ( lead exercise physiologist) so I have extensive experience with PA's across many disciplines! :) I have been told this has been taken into strong consideration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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