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Hello! Would love some advice from other prospective PA students. It is November, and I am still waiting to hear from six schools. I have been rejected from four. No interviews yet. Overall GPA: 3.0 Science: 2.9 HCE/PCE: >1000 Medical Scribe hours in ER and outpatient urology Volunteer: 900 hours with mission trip to Romania orphanage, soup kitchen, youth camp, community cleanup, etc. Also have 150 shadowing NP, Dr, and PA in different specialties And thousands of hours with extracurriculars: dance, college clubs (medical and science), tutoring, and was a TA for anatomy, biology, and chemistry OK here is what I am wondering. I know my application is not competitive... should I retake upper level science courses at a community college or apply for a post bacc program? As you can see, it will take a significant number of courses to raise my 2.9 science GPA. I will do whatever it takes to become a PA. I am thinking I should just bite the bullet and apply for post bacc program such as Hofstra or Marymount Manhattan. Any insight at all would be extremely helpful.

If you’ve already applied to PA school or you are considering applying and your GPA is not competitive enough for admission, you might consider postbaccalaureate programs (“post-bacc” programs) or master level programs. These programs require an undergraduate degree as a prerequisite, but they are not always considered graduate education. Some programs are considered “continuing education” and can lead to a graduate degree, a certificate, or aid you in meeting the entrance requirements to a physician assistant program. Read more on my blog, here. My blog is DoseOfPA.blogspot.com. Feel free to read, subscribe, or comment on any article with questions or suggestions. Thanks