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Does anyone know why CASPA does not consider Developmental Biology as a science course? I thought it would contribute to science GPA. Am I missing something?

Hi everyone, I know that there are a ton of posts about which route would be the best way to get to PA school but I want to get more advice/opinions for my own specific case. I took all of my pre-reqs at Rutgers University and graduated May 2017. I have shadowed an ER PA, a pediatrician and have worked as a medical scribe for over 1 year. I also recently started volunteering at UPenn as a nursing assistant. My cGPA: 3.31 and sGPA 2.89. I haven't taken my GRE yet but I plan to by the end of the year at the latest. I had my heart set on applying after 1 gap year but became very discouraged after I calculated my sGPA. I didn't realize that my sGPA did not meet the minimum to apply so I didn't want to spend all that money applying but end up getting rejected. With that being said, I know I need to take other science courses or retake some of the science courses I received a C in. I just don't know whether I should find a post-bacc program or just take some classes at CC to raise my GPA. After reading through many posts, I have a feeling that it does not matter where you take the courses, it just depends on how much money and time you are willing to spend. I know I also know I need to gain more PCE/HCE experience to become a better candidate. And at same time, I don't want to delay applying to PA programs any longer. What do you guys think I should do from here? One of the PAs who was going to write me an LOR said that I should maybe try to apply this year b/c schools like to see persistence. I'm just not sure of how to approach my situation. I was also interested in maybe being a physical therapy aide or a medical assistant but this requires a certification. Basically, I am asking for your advice on the best way to improve my application within the next year when I apply. I would really appreciate your advice and help!!! I have been very stressed out lately and it would mean so much to hear from you guys/your experience. Thank you so much for taking the time to read through my situation!!!

I was wondering if these courses would be factored into my science gpa or not? Psychopharmacology of Alcohol and Drug Abuse and Psychotherapeutic Medications Introduction to Public Health

Hello everyone! I am in need of some feedback on where I stand with my chances of acceptance as well as my current path and advice on where to go from here. I am 23 years old and a recent graduate (May 2017) from Texas Tech University and was on the Pre-PA route. I received a B.S. in Biology along with a minor in both health professions and spanish. I finished with an overall cumulative GPA of 3.20 and a science GPA (I think...kinda confused on how they calculate this) of a 2.73. I have my CNA license, shadowing hours in multiple states within the USA at different types of practices (private and public), and have international experience in the Surgical & Trauma unit at a public hospital in Santiago, Chile. I am fluent in both english and spanish. One of my major obstacles is my science GPA. A lot of the schools would like to see a lot higher GPA than what I have assumed mine is. I have a total of 160 credit hours. I am trying to decide if I should retake any classes I received a C in OR take new classes that are prereqs for some of the schools, such as abnormal/developmental psychology. What is yall's opinion on this? Another obstacle I am having is that I need clinical experience. I only have my CNA license, but I have been trying to get a job as a phlebotomist or medical assistant. I know both of those certification courses are too long and costly for me to take right now so that is why I am going for those jobs without certification. Any recommendations on how to approach this issue would be greatly appreciated! Overall, my deal with myself right now is that I am having doubts on my future chances of admission to PA school after spending all that time in undergraduate working towards that goal. I am stuck on what my next move or focus should be. Where do you all think I stand as of right now with my chances AND what do you all recommend my next move should be? Thank you for the help!! Jack **also attached is my resume Resume.docx

Hi everyone! I have a question for those of you with some experience or knowledge about admissions committees or the selection process in general. Which GPA do adcoms hold in higher esteem: the BCP GPA or the Overall Science GPA? I'm wondering this because I was surprised when I got my CASPA GPAs back and saw that my Overall Science GPA is significantly higher than my BCP. Thanks in advance for any insight you may have and good luck to all of my fellow applicants!

Hi guys! I'm hoping someone can give me some insight or personal advice for my current situation. So basically, I took Ochem in the spring of 2017 but failed it with a D because I was going through a tough time and a lot of stress. My mother passed away a month after spring semester started and during midterm week. Chem is already a tough subject for me because I'm more of a biology person (hence why Im majoring in BIO), but because of my situation I was having a really tough time concentrating in school. And to make it worse, my ochem teacher was a total ass and wasn't lenient of my situation so I ended up taking my midterm 6 hours after I landed home from the airport. (mom funeral was in cali) However, I was in a bad situation mentally and started to go downhill in ochem. It affected my gpa badly, so i ended up retaking the class this summer and got stuck with the same asshole teacher since she was the only one teaching this course. I've worked really hard in this class, while balancing my other classes and Hospital work, however, I still might get out of this class with a C. Which isnt great, but it's still passing. So my question is, how bad will this look on my transcript? I'm doing well in my upper bio classes, but it's only ochem that's really the struggle for me. I know that when you retake a class, you have to aim and make like an A in it to show that you understand the material, which I clearly didnt do. How badly will this affect my chances when applying to PA school? I am aiming to have an upward trend from here till I graduate and hoping to Ace all of my upper level major classes. And I think i can graduate with a cumulative and science gpa of 3.4. I am also currently an ED scribe, trying build up patient care hours. I also have hospital volunteer hours since middle school, and I'm positive I can get some great recommendation letters from the physicians and PA im working with. The only thing that really worries me is my GPA, and that one D I have. It would be amazing if I can get some advice or feedback regarding this. Thank you in advance!

Hi, I just wanted to see if someone could clarify what counted toward cumulative science GPA calculated in CASPA. I looked on the CASPA website for what counts, and I know the hard science could count. Under their "Other" classes section, it listed "Health Science". I am an undergraduate Health Science Major and I have several classes under the category of "Health science" related to my major but I don't know which ones would be considered. Some of these are Healthcare Research, Communication Skills in Health Care, and American Healthcare System. While listed under "Health Science" they are not necessarily hard science related. Other classes I am wondering that count towards science GPA is Biostatistics (another health science class), Moral and Social problems in healthcare (under sociology, our school's bioethics equivalent), and BioPsych (under psychology). Thanks!

Hi, College junior here looking for advice on recovering from low science/pre-req grades. Does anyone on this forum have advice for recovering from low chemistry grades? Since they're a part of many program prerequisites, I want to know if admissions will look at advanced courses etc. Since they are "passing" I don't know whether to spend the money retaking these courses, or if doing better (A) in Orgo II and Orgo lab would suffice to show that I am competent in chemistry. My stats in general bio aren't as great either - no C grades, but Bs. Will improving my oversall sGPA make any impact on programs that see poor prereq grades? As a note I am a science major, so I still have more advanced science classes to take. Gen Chem I (5): C Gen Chem II (5): C Orgo I (4): C Orgo lab (1):TBD Orgo II (4): not taken, not sure if I should or will have to in the future Biochem (3): C Personal sidenote: I really, really regret doing so badly in gen chem. I took it my freshman year and I beat myself up over it b/c then even if I did better in later sciences I would at least have some sort of prereq cushion. Oh well, moving forward. [Edit]: I'm not sure why "college junior" is highlighted or why it links to some random webpage. Please ignore.

Obviously, biology, chemistry. and physics classes would fall under this grouping, but what about classes in fields like psychology or ecology?

Hi there! I would really appreciate any help anyone can give me about this matter. I am about to be a senior in college and by my calculations I don't think I can reach the general 3.0 cumulative GPA minimum. I really have my heart set on PA school but my grades just aren't high enough. I go to a competitive 4-year university and am getting a BS in Biological Science w/ a Physiology emphasis. I have one year left and by my estimations I will only be able to reach a 2.85 cumulative GPA and a 2.56 science GPA if I were to be realistic about what I think I could get. My biggest issue with grades in college was with chemistry. I had a very weak base in chemistry and any class that built off of it just ended up...bad. Unfortunately I cannot retake classes that I got a C in at my university so I would really like rebuild my basics after I graduate. I understand that taking more classes will have a diluted effect on my cumulative and if I don't do well in them a second type I'm basically screwing myself over. However I have good reason to believe I can do better once I am in a different environment if I am given the opportunity to rebuild my foundations/prereqs (long story involving drama and stuff so I'm going to leave it at that). From my calculations I can conceivably bring my cumulative to a 3.0 in approximately a year and my science to a 2.7. I have been looking into formal post-bac programs like at SFSU or Cal State East Bay. But there isn't as much leniency on what I can take. I have also been looking into open university courses where I could just pick courses I need and take them as is. I know that the post-bac's can give you a certification or something at the end but I don't know if that really matters. So... Does it matter if I do a 1-year post bac or 1-year of classes at an open university? What are some other good post-bac programs for a science major who is trying to raise her GPA? I would really like to get certified as an EMT and work as well. I plan on taking up to 2 years "off" (doing post-bac, working for hours, etc). Any help would be greatly appreciated.