kenzie2012

My boyfriend and I have been in a long distance relationship already for the majority of 3 years, although the last year has been much easier being only an hour away from each other. However, I am moving 5 hours away in a few months to start my PA program, and I'm just worried about being able to make time to see each other. He has to stay here for a semester while he finishes up his undergrad degree, but then will be moving with/near me once he graduates depending on where he gets a job. We've always made it work in the past, but considering the workload of PA school, I don't know how many weekends I can really take off to see him? Not that I'm planning to see him every weekend, but once or twice a month would be nice. Is it possible to take weekends off without studying at all and still pass exams/keep up with the workload?

What did you end up deciding? I also got accepted off the waitlist to Kearney but not sure what to do since I would much rather attend the Omaha campus. I have family there that I could live with and I really don't learn well through distance-learning programs like Kearney's.. I don't know if they'd put me back on the waitlist for Omaha if I asked, but also don't know if I want to take that chance either.

Has anyone received a definite answer on their admission status yet? I don't know if I should just assume at this point that I didn't get in or if the situation with the program director would affect the decisions and when we hear back? I know they said January 15th at the interview, but that deadline is fast approaching :/

I am trying to decide who I should ask for a third letter of recommendation for my PA school application. Right now I have one professor who knows me well and who is also the head of the Bio and Chemistry department, as well as a PA who I have shadowed. As for my third, I have quite a few different options but not sure which would be best to choose. From what I have read on this forum it seems that having a LOR from someone who has worked with you in a clinical setting is a pretty important thing to have. The problem is, I haven't worked at one place long enough to really get a solid letter (I've worked as a phlebotomist during a summer in college, about 3-4 months at a plasma donation place, and just started a new job as a phleb at a major hospital in Denver). My options are 1) the laboratory manager at my first phleb job in my small hometown hospital, although I only worked there for a summer 2 years ago and didn't get to know her all that well. 2) The senior phleb at the plasma donation center I worked at for a few months. He really liked me and was disappointed to see me leave when I got my new job that I'm currently working at. He told me he had planned on making me a senior phleb within a few months because I had done such a good job working there. 3.) I could wait a few weeks and ask my current laboratory manager, but I will again have only worked for maybe 2 months by the time I would need to ask her for a LOR to get my application in on time. I do have 2 more people I could ask that know me very well, but have not seen me work in a clinical setting. I have another professor that I had several upper level courses with, worked for as a TA, and who was also my advisor who helped me figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I was also a division II track athlete and was pretty close with my coach, so I could ask him to write more of a character reference. Sorry for the long explanation, but I would appreciate any advice on who to choose for my last LOR. I would take 4 LORs but the caspa application only accepts 3 and I don't think the schools I am applying for take additional LORs. Thanks!

I have been trying for quite some time now to obtain a position to get some patient care experience hours, and I currently have two opportunities and do not know which to take. I just received an offer to work full time as a phlebotomist at a Level 1 trauma hospital in the Denver area, which would be an amazing opportunity for me as a phlebotomist (I worked as a phleb one summer in a very small hospital so this would be a big change.) I have also interviewed with a medical weight loss center looking for a Medical Assistant. Although I am not certified as a medical assistant they seem to be okay with training me should I get the job (I think I was the only applicant). The bad thing is they just started up a few months ago and are only getting about 5 patients a day maximum. I'm not sure which job to take? As far as PA school, MA would look better on an application, but as far as experience, working in a hospital I think would be much better for me to actually learn something, especially since I'd just be sitting around all day at the Medical weight loss clinic. The pay is better with the MA position though and hours are nicer. Any advice?

About 2 months away from finishing my undergraduate degree last December, I kind of switched directions from thinking I wanted to do medical research, to now pursuing a career as a PA. Because of my late decision though, I'm a little behind on the prerequisites and I'm concerned about my chances of getting into a program. I double majored in Biology and Chemistry with an overall GPA of 3.61 and a science GPA of 3.51. During one of my summers off school I worked as a phlebotomist (about 500 hours), so I figured that I could just continue phlebotomy as my HCE and make sure I get at least 2000 hours before I apply..however as I'm researching a little more, I haven't found anyone who has said they've gotten into PA school with phlebotomy as their HCE. I don't have a great GRE score: 149 verbal, 150 quant, and 4.0 writing. I also have not yet taken anatomy and physiology, but I would definitely make sure I have completed those before applying. I have 68 shadowing hours and have just started volunteering at my local hospital. I also have a total of 1 year experience in undergraduate medical research if that means anything. I know I don't have the greatest GRE or HCE, but I was hoping that the fact that I maintained a good GPA while obtaining a double major from a science and engineering school (SD School of Mines) and while competing in a Division II sport, it would set me apart and kind of make up for my other lacking areas. Do you think I still have a chance to get in? I'd be open to retaking the GRE, but it would be difficult for me to get a different form of HCE since just about everything requires certificate which can take quite a while to obtain.