leedeya Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 I'm new to the PA community, I used to be a pre-med student but i recently decided to change my track to pre pa I was wondering what are some good opportunities for the 1000+ hours that you need? Im gonna be a rising junior. I know that volunteering and EMT are good options but i was wondering what were some other ones as well? The conventional and like the stuff that'll set me apart from others maybe? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmism Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 Schools place a lot of weight on direct patient care, and they can differ in what they will and won't accept AND they usually have a point/ranking system on how valuable the PCE is. This is something that I didn't realize - many of my hours didn't count or weren't worth much. For instance, as for volunteering...pre-op as a pt escort didn't count for anything, but playing with kids in peds did. BUT that doesn't mean it's not worth anything in terms of schools that weigh heavily on community involvement. For some schools, being a patient transporter counts (although that would be an example of a low point/low value experience - but it would still count!), and for many places, being a scribe does NOT count (so beware!). Higher value experiences are CNA/STNA/PCA, EMT, paramedic, etc. As a rising junior, I would say that if you already have a little PCE from volunteering, use that to get yourself a part time nursing assistant position. Many places have nursing assistant positions that don't require state certification or will take prior experience in lieu of it. Plus, most major hospital systems offer tuition reimbursement, which would be an added benefit to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natalie2018 Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 I (as well as a lot of people in my program) worked as CNAs prior to school. I was able to get my certificate through an independent training program in about 4 weeks and started working once my license went active. Nursing homes are always understaffed so getting a job is easy and you could probably get an on call position pretty easily. At my work being on call allowed me to make my own schedule, so it would be nice while trying to juggle school as well. Best of luck to you!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
optimistic3 Posted April 23, 2017 Share Posted April 23, 2017 Most people become either CNAs or EMTs. Both are just a 1 semester course to become certified. Some places will take you on as a CNA or MA (medical assistant) without being certified, so you can look for that too. Check craigslist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HanSolo Posted April 23, 2017 Share Posted April 23, 2017 The best bang for your buck is EMT. It offers the most decision making capability with an entry level healthcare certificate. CNA is great patient contact but you don't really make any decisions. Even a 3rd on a truck is often part of the decision making process. Depends what you want and are comfortable with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corpsman89 Posted April 23, 2017 Share Posted April 23, 2017 You're really not going to stand out so much in your position in regards to job title itself. I am not saying you wont stand out personally, but if you want to do something quick and easy (EMT, CNA, MA) your not going stand out so much. With that being said, I would suggest EMT, as I feel that is the least common among the most common pre-PA health care experiences. While I wouldn't suggest it in your position (already in college) the best pre-PA experiences are things like paramedicine, respiratory, radiology tech. Also, what made you switch from pre-med to PA? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pabound2016 Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 I started to accumulate my patient care hours during the summer before my junior year of undergrad. I needed a job that would get me hours ASAP and I found that the CNA route was the fastest option (it's hard to find Paid EMT positions where I was at) I quickly got my certification (I was able to challenge the exam without having to take a course to save time) and luckily got a job at a hospital. I calculated how much I should work a week in order to be able to reach the minimum 1000 hrs for many PA programs. I planned to apply right out of undergrad. After I graduated I got around the hours I expected- ~1100 hrs. This is me working around 3-4 days a week (+ all my holidays) while studying full time at a pretty competitor undergraduate school. Being a CNA (among other things) still got me accepted to ~12/15 programs (Yale, Duke, Stanford, Arcadia, Lenoir Rhyne, Methodist to name a few). EMT will look good as you have more responsibilities and tasks over your patient, and it may help you stand out. But there are other ways to stand out. What I did to stand out was to keep myself involved in a variety of things i was passionate in while I was in undergrad. While working and studying full time, I held many leadership roles, volunteered at a local thrift store around 10 hrs a week, helped build a community garden, and tutor. Time management was crucial. I truly believe that this was what made me stand out (+stellar letters of recs, personal statement, supplemental essays) as I was pretty mediocre in my other stats (average GRE, ~3.5-3.6 GPA, minimum patient care hours as a CNA, and just graduating from undergrad). I had a pretty hefty list of activities done during undergrad (long term commitments). I didn't have much of a social life during my last two years of undergrad but it was all worth it. I was even able to incorporate some of them in my personal statement and supplemental essays and relate how it helped me get prepared for PA school. So yeah, there are other ways to stand out than the patient care job you choose. And once you choose what you want to do whether that be CNA or EMT, work super hard in being professional and showing passionate care to your patients. It'll help you practice in bringing that personal touch and stories to share during your interviews and will hopefully bring uplifting letter of Recs from your managers. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jdabrowski Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 I am a scribe but I do more than just note taking. Also what I was able to do was started volunteering at a local hospice center and since I am considered Pre-Med/PA for them they had me doing hands on patient cares with the CNA's and nurses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panglossian Posted April 26, 2017 Share Posted April 26, 2017 I work as an ED tech and I have several co-workers who are still in school. It really depends on what is available near you in terms of hospitals, nursing homes, EMS, private practices, etc. I would highly recommend an EMT certification, but it really comes down to what sort of healthcare you want to participate in. When you apply to PA school you will be writing about your HCE and thus I hope you do something you are passionate about! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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