Nontrad applying in 2014 - what steps can I take right now to strengthen my profile?

[gbvan]

Hello! I'll be applying for PA school next summer, and since, especially with the HCE, these apps look like they require some forethought, I wanted to see if anyone had an opinion on what steps I can take to make sure I have the strongest application possible. Ideally, I'd like to apply to a limited number of local schools, but I'm open to applying OoS as well.

 

So, a little about me:

 

Undergrad Ed School: University of California, Berkeley. B.A. in Psychology, with Honors

Cumulative Undergrad. GPA: 3.633

Science Undergrad. GPA: 8 older Bio credits with a 4.0 (from 2008-2009), 4 more Bio credits with a 2.7 (planned to start pre-reqs in Fall 2012, started with a Bio class but ended up going through a very difficult time in my personal life. But I plan on retaking either this or a more difficult course later to prove it was an anomaly, so I'm not too worried about it). So, 3.38 overall, but I expect that to rise.

 

 

Age at application time : If everything goes according to plan, 27.

1st GRE: 325 (162 V, 163 Q, 5.5)

 

 

Direct Patient Care: I currently volunteer as a medic at a local free clinic, which is a pretty amazing experience because it means that I'm basically already fulfilling a PA's role. I see my own patients, take histories, perform exams, order diagnostic tests, diagnose, prescribe medication, and administer injections (but I do this all under someone else's license). That's about 20-25 hours per month, and I intend to lean pretty heavily on that experience when the time comes to write my application essays.

 

For the rest of the HCE, I'm taking the NREMT in three weeks, and, if everything works according to plan, I'll start working as an EMT-B or, preferably, an ER Tech within the next few months. I'm hoping to do that part-time, 24-30 hours a week, so that I can still keep my other job as the instructor of a medical administrative assistant course at an adult school, since the pay there is really good and will help keep me afloat since EMT-B jobs don't pay all that well.

 

With those two things in mind, I should hopefully be brushing right up against 2000 hours come application time next year.

 

Indirect Patient Care: I worked as a care coordinator for a family medicine practice for a year. It was a really small office, so my job was basically anything the doctors didn't do. I can go into more detail if anyone's curious, but I figured I'd leave it at that for now since it's not as relevant.

 

 

Extracurricular/Research Activities: Completed an independent senior honors thesis in cognitive neuroscience at Cal. Spent about 2 years working in different CogSci labs there. Other volunteer experience that comes to mind includes the 2 years I spent serving as a coach for my youngest sister's softball team.

 

Other: This is more sappy, personal statement fodder, but part of my Deep, Character-Building Backstory is that I moved out when I was 18 (had a pretty hellish upbringing, got the hell out of Dodge at my first chance), so I worked full-time or almost full-time while attending classes in order to fully support myself and pay my way through school. Cool bonus for me - Berkeley was my dream school ever since I knew what college was, so being able to earn my way to and through there is pretty damn satisfying, and something else I'll probably include in my PS.

 

---

 

My first choice school is Samuel Merritt, both because I've heard great things, and due to the location. I'd really love to stay in the area, primarily so that I can continue to volunteer at the free clinic (it's an amazing, amazing experience). I intend to apply to Stanford (even though I probably won't have hit the HCE hours they request by the time I apply), maybe Touro (I don't love what I've seen from them, but I'm also taking into consideration that I could be wrong, since I haven't seen a whole lot), and I'll sprinkle some OoS schools in there eventually. But really, SMU is where it's at for me.

 

If anyone has any advice on what my profile might be missing, I'd love to hear it!

[SSG2PA]

I currently volunteer as a medic at a local free clinic, which is a pretty amazing experience because it means that I'm basically already fulfilling a PA's role. I see my own patients, take histories, perform exams, order diagnostic tests, diagnose, prescribe medication, and administer injections (but I do this all under someone else's license). That's about 20-25 hours per month, and I intend to lean pretty heavily on that experience when the time comes to write my application essays.

 

Not sure what type of training you received, but I would be careful with strong statements like that. A combat medic or Navy corpsman might get away with saying something like that, because war-time medicine has a very special scope of practice, but a volunteer at a free clinic?

 

I am curious if you have ever worked with a PA?

 

My wife is in the middle of her 3rd semester at SMUs MPAS program, and many of her classmates (those that I know personally) have resumes that include paid HCE and volunteering. Also, keep in mind that their program director and all of their teaching staff (professors) that are practicing PAs work in our area. I am certain that they know the limitations of the volunteer-providers at your location.

[mbalaban]

Umm, my big question is how do you volunteer as a medic doing essentially a pa's role and are going to go get nat reg as a basic? That's confusing to me. If you were a corpsman or military medic, I know most states will give you a basic's license, or intermediate, or even a medic I believe. So I'm confused on how you are a medic but going to challenge NR's emt test?

[winterallsummer]

Direct Patient Care: I currently volunteer as a medic at a local free clinic, which is a pretty amazing experience because it means that I'm basically already fulfilling a PA's role.!

 

Is this a joke??

[gbvan]

I thought I did an okay job of clarifying the free clinic, but I'll add some extra detail since people seem kind of confused. The clinic is acute-care only, no chronic care. I did all my training there (so, I don't have any certifications, which is why I'm taking the EMT-B), I have my own patients who I see in appointments on my own, whose care I am in charge of (and, if people are curious, we as the medics practice protocol medicine under another physician's license).

 

Of course, I wouldn't word it that strongly in an application, but I figured that, for the purposes of brevity here, it would be easier to just shorten it up to that phrasing. I didn't think people were going to react so forcefully to it. I'm not trying to put myself on the same level as a PA or anything arrogant like that (especially since, while it's valuable experience, it is only 20-25 hours per month), I'm just trying to convey that have experience in a similar role. Plus, like SSG2PA said, since I"m (ideally) applying locally, the schools in this area will almost definitely have an understanding of what goes on at that clinic, so however I end up wording my discussion about my experience in my PS will make a bit more sense to them since they'll have more context.

 

Hopefully that help clears it up for people who are confused (or, apparently, angry) about my phrasing. Any advice someone can give about how to strengthen my profile in general would be much appreciated!

[mbalaban]

Umm, maybe I'm missing something here but how the hell can you "practice protocol medicine under another physician's license" while you have no credentialing of any kind to go along with it? What doc would allow you, a person without any formal training or certification to see patients? I think that is #1 illegal, and #2 a HUGE HUGE liability risk and ASKING for a lawsuit. What exactly would you be doing with/for these patients?

 

If what you are saying is true, why the heck would anyone go to school and not just do what you are and work under a physician without any formal training or certifications? I'm sorry to be calling BS on this story but it just doesn't sound right.

[winterallsummer]

Let me get this straight, I come into your clinic sick and if the PA or doc is busy, I am expected to see someone who lacks any true formal training and was informally trained as an EMT, and they are expected to work me up, diagnose and treat me?

 

It is insulting to someone who is currently in school busting their butt, and furthermore, it is a huge liability to you, the provider at the clinic, and a huge health risk for any of your "patients". Someone without any training could easily mistake a SAH for a migraine, epiglottis for strep, Ewing's sarcoma for growing pains, and the list goes on and on. Furthermore, I find it impossible to believe you are prepared to treat the vast majority of patients who come into an acute clinic anyways.

 

PA school is very, very difficult. Even once you graduate, you are not necessarily prepared to see patients entirely on your own. It is demeaning for you to compare yourself to a PA when you have basically no real medical training. Even if you are trained as an EMT, it is insulting to compare that and some volunteer work to what PA school entails. Most importantly, it is dangerous with huge legal implications. If it hasn't happened yet, it won't be long until you miss something huge and it all comes crashing down, ruining any future you have as a PA and causing whoever you volunteer for to lose their license. I say this not to argue with you but as real, honest advice - you need to take a huge step back (if you are being honest here) and walk away from any clinic that expects Joe Schmoe to treat patient's in the same capacity a PA would, because it is a recipe for disaster.

 

I can't tell if you are being serious or maybe you don't have a solid idea of what a PA actually does.

 

As far as advice, I can tell you that if you apply to any school with anything close to the information you've presented here, you are going to have a very tough time explaining yourself if they even offer you an interview, simply based on this statement alone. I know you probably are feeling bullied or ragged on, but you need to carefully re-read what you wrote. Other practical advice would include shadowing, upping your sGPA, humbling yourself in the way you come across on paper and lengthening your list of schools you want to apply to.

[SSG2PA]

^in short; the scope of practice you describe comes off as undermining the importance of clinical training, it sounds illegal, and dangerous. No offense, but for a volunteer with that kind of scope, it sounds made up.

 

As for advice, try to get some paid HCE, find a PA to shadow to see firsthand what a PA actually does, and finish all your prereqs with the best grades possible.

 

I PM'd you. I am in your area until Aug (before school starts for me), if you want to chat let me know. Best of luck.

[mgariepy14]

Where did you get your training to "diagnose and prescribe medications"

[gbvan]

Let me get this straight, I come into your clinic sick and if the PA or doc is busy, I am expected to see someone who lacks any true formal training and was informally trained as an EMT, and they are expected to work me up, diagnose and treat me?

It's a free clinic, not a medical clinic. There are no PAs or docs, it's all lay healthcare professionals.

 

PA school is very, very difficult. Even once you graduate, you are not necessarily prepared to see patients entirely on your own. It is demeaning for you to compare yourself to a PA when you have basically no real medical training.

 

In my second post, I was really specific in mentioning that that wasn't my intention at all, I chose those words for the sake of brevity so that people didn't get stuck reading a more long-winded post than necessary. I didn't expect people to be more focused on chewing me out for both my phrasing and because they don't understand how where I volunteer functions (not by fault of their own, but because I didn't provide all the details, which would take a hugely long post to explain... which makes sense considering that the questions everyone asked re: how the legality works are valid and have long, convoluted answers) than offering me useful advice.

 

But hey, that's kinda how the anonymity of the internet functions.

[gbvan]

^in short; the scope of practice you describe comes off as undermining the importance of clinical training, it sounds illegal, and dangerous. No offense, but for a volunteer with that kind of scope, it sounds made up.

 

As for advice, try to get some paid HCE, find a PA to shadow to see firsthand what a PA actually does, and finish all your prereqs with the best grades possible.

 

I PM'd you. I am in your area until Aug (before school starts for me), if you want to chat let me know. Best of luck.

 

Thanks, I just saw your PM! And thanks for the extra advice here as well :)

[kris_]

Hi gbvan, I'm going to ignore all of the comments about your job and focus on your main question. I too have found that if I word something incorrectly on here I tend to get verbally massacred.

 

If I were you, I would definitely shadow a PA or even better multiple PAs! Some schools require PA shadowing, while others do not. Either way it's great experience and will give you an idea of what the scope of PA practice is.

 

Next, I would try to find some paid HCE. If you are in an area with research clinical research is great and you can have a lot of responsibility. I do procedures on patients and similar to what you were saying I "prescribe medication" in the sense that the study dr writes out scripts, I choose which one I need for my research patient, I explain the medication to them, and call it into a pharmacy.

 

Lastly, do you have any leadership experience? Good luck!

[MedicinePower]

Good luck on the NREMT exam and prereqs.