Endeavor

Hearing this perspective makes me want to go back and change my vote on the name Praxician; I think it may allow the profession to keep the PA abbreviation since that's also a big issue to some.

Phlebotomy really pigeon holes you in term of experience. I mean it is experience but realistically how much medicine or medical knowledge are you gaining from drawing blood all day? Patients usually don't like it and makes it hard for a person to even gain some social skills from it. Personally, from the options you listed I think MA is great experience. You get to do vitals, take dipstick urine samples, draw blood, room patients, assist the provider with whatever procedures, chart etc. In some cases you can even learn how the provider thinks, makes for a good letter of rec aswell!

Talking to nurses interested in the PA route always comes down to the multiple pros and the understandably the biggest con. Pros: Better "medical" education. You already have good experience and the "medical" model will build on it immensely. You'll be a great provider. More lateral mobility. And stronger guaranteed clinical sites (vs most NP schools that make you find your own clinical sites) The Big Con: You won't be able to work much or at all during PA school, so it'll be a much more expensive and challenging endeavor. It usually boils down to your financial status, which most of the time includes responsibilities at home. Sidenote: CASPA averages all your GPA(s) from every single college course and populates a cumulative GPA and a science GPA. Nursing courses count as science courses. So I think your GPA will be on the average side. Your patient care experience will definitely separate you from the bunch. If you do decide PA, make sure you know how to articulate why you chose the PA route over the NP route. I think if you apply to around 5 schools you will have a good chance.

If you can withdraw with passing then go for it. Focus and finish on your other course that counts towards PA school!

If you live in/near a big city than I'd recommend Uber/Lyft. Easy to sign up and you can earn up 25-30$/hour. Mindless work, work whatever hours want

Thank you for actually answering the question!

Haha, I guess I meant those who are for it and those who are against it. Which now that I think about it might be irrelevant to the original question. Or maybe not, we're always detained by our own biases. Still would love to hear the differing opinions!

Hey guys, in your opinion how would "Medicare for All" affect the PA profession, and other medical professions (physicians, nursing, PT/OT etc.) Some topics that come to my mind include provider well-being, compensation, workload, job market, patient care and anything else you can think of. I would like to hear both perspectives if possible! Thank you.

Medical terminology is huge. I think being a scribe right before PA school is going to help you immensely, really wish I did the same. Pay attention to how/when the provider is ordering labs, imaging, consults etc. Knowing how to write an HPI will also be a huge advantage. Also, depending on your program I would review my basic systems physiology as well.

Sounds like you're just a human who forgets things. I find myself having poor craftsmanship as well, but primarily because I was never interested/ didn't practice too much. With practice comes permanence. Medicine is a wide-ranging field. Perhaps you won't be the best at surgery or procedural skills (more detail oriented) but will be just fine doing inpatient medicine or Psych and that's OK. I wouldn't let that deter you, especially if you have what it takes to get into, and ultimately pass PA school.

What do YOU mean by "detail oriented"? Can you give some specific examples? @belozory

I'd keep the scribe job and be a CNA/PTaide. Honestly, there's so much to learn in PA school, but I realize those in my class with higher quality PCE hours (nursing, Medics, EKG technicians, MAs, scribes) had more time to focus on actual "medicine". Where as those of us (including myself) with lower PCE hours were struggling with a lot of the medical jargon, basic labs, imaging etc. Sure you don't interact with a patient as scribe but you're getting to see how the mindset of a clinician works, what steps they take to come up with a diagnosis, how to work up a patient, as well as the medical jargon and much more. Along with my CNA experience, I wish I would've scribed part time as well.

Yes, you can definitely take them online. Simple google search you'll find tons of schools offering those online classes. Personally, I'd try to limit the amount of online science classes you take and search for nearby universities that offer those courses. But to answer your second question, heck no you're not too late. Honestly, with your patient care experience as an OTA you can become a much stronger PA than those of us with much more basic experience.

What's an elective you would recommend? I'm not looking for general advice (like pick an elective you're interested in) but rather a specific recommendation in something that you think is cool or something you wish you would've rotated through as a PA-S or a field that would be really beneficial to any PA. Thanks!

Having a 4.0 will definitely not hinder your application to PA school. Since your grades are perfect they'll likely pressure you on other areas of your application. If your application is somehow perfect (4.0 Biochem student with 5 years paramedic experience who volunteered in Peru etc..) rare but it happens they can find something nitpicky about your personal statement or other experiences just to see how you respond. Lots of schools are turning to the MMI interview format. So although you might be a near perfect candidate on paper you might be a terrible or subpar interviewee.