bmehall22 Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Nothing yet! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7transmembrane Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 Is there any face book address for the class that starts January 6 2014. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7transmembrane Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 Can any prospective classmate tell me if it is possible to complete the ACT 33,34 , 73, and drug screening documents in any state other than Penn? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pittsburgher Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 Has anyone on the wait list heard anything yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nsesto Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 Has anyone on the wait list heard anything yet? Hey! I interviewed Nov. 21 for the January 2015 start date. I called and they said we should hear back sometime during the beginning of January! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsox0329 Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 Thanks for the update nsesto, I'm in the same boat. Let me know if you hear anything! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmehall22 Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Hey Nsesto, Thanks for the update as well. This wait is torture! Did they say how they will be contacting us, via email or mail or a phone call? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nsesto Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 Hey! I think if you get accepted you get a phone call and if not you get an email. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 Hello this is my first year at the U of Pittsburgh PA program. I can’t tell you how much frustration I and other students experiencing at this point. There are so many things that make us all upset: we have a test every week in one of our classes and we are not allowed to have our exams back so we can learn where we missed and what topics we need to study, and since the finals are comprehensive -- we don’t have a chance to improve for our finals. The professors are not very helpful either: the worst is physiology class where the professor goes over material so fast without explaining the concepts. She is just reading her slides to us without any explanations. Basically we have to memorize everything without any idea how physiology works. Lastly, our clinical rotations are outside of Pittsburgh, in other states like West Virginia and Ohio. we have to rent a hotel for each rotation. It would end up to be very costly to each student in the program. Imagine staying in a hotel for 5 weeks is each rotation, and 9 rotations total. It will be around 2,000 times 9 rotations. You will easily spend 20 K on rent staying out in hotels during your clinicals. Your best bet is making friends with everyone in the program so you could share living expenses with them, but it’s not guaranteed you could share rent with others. I don’t even know where I’m going to find additional money to allow this to happen. That’s why I have to work every weekend during my program to save additional money for my clinicals next year. Another point, the secretary Diane is a complete phyco, mildly said, I have to smile extra hard if I need to meet with a professor or make an appointment with one of the professors to discuss anything. Folks, here are some positives about this program; some professors are really good like Mr. Beck or Ms. Allias, they are very helpful and always willing to explain difficult subjects. Overall if I could go back in time, I’d never accepted their offer to attend this program. I wish I didn’t chose them, however, since their program is one of the shortest only 24 months, so I guess I will suffer but pursue my dream to become a great PA. Good luck to everyone applying in the spring of 2014. You will make it, just don’t give up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newbie2 Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Hi All! I am a second year student at the University of Pittsburgh and I felt like what was posted above deserves a response. I'm in my clinical year and not everything that was posted is true. First of all, not all of the 9 rotations are outside of Pittsburgh and for the ones that are an hour to two hours away, there is housing options. For example, one of the rotations only costs $325 for the five weeks, so no where near $2,000. The most I have heard of any student paying for the five weeks is $1,000. We came into the program knowing that at least three of our rotations would be outside of Pittsburgh and that we would have to travel. Some students have to travel more than others and that can be tough but PA school is meant to be tough and it's meant to build character. You don't get a golden trophy just for getting in. You have to work at it, ask questions, and STUDY. Not every professor is going to lay the material out in a way that's understandable for every student. Part of becoming a great PA is doing the leg work and filling in the gaps. That is why we get a book list. When I didn't understand what the professor was telling me I would look it up. If I still didn't understand, I would go ask questions. This program has one year to teach you everything you need to know before your clinical year and so far, in my clinical year I have felt very prepared for what's come my way. Every program has its downfalls but again part of becoming great at what we do is overcoming those weaknesses. I walked out of my didactic year with a desire to represent my program and myself in a respectful and professional way. If I have any issues with the program, then I talk to the program's staff. That is the only way to build a program and strengthen it. Posting stuff online instead of dealing with it internally is not the way to represent our profession, our program, or yourself. The University of Pittsburgh PA program has many strengths. The professors would do anything to help their students, they prepare you for the clinical year, and you have many opportunities through UPMC. It also has a few weaknesses but even in their weaknesses, you can learn to become a better student if you stay positive and work hard. Good luck to everyone applying this year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GCB50 Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Hello, I am a graduate of Pitt's PA program. I am very upset to see the recent post degrading Pitt's program. While I understand that the first year is very stressful, especially during those difficult Anatomy and Physiology classes, that is no reason to be untruthful and unprofessional. I know that the program really stresses professionalism, and I doubt that calling a staff member a name and giving her actual name is anywhere near what is expected from you as a future PA. I would expect someone in this program to show some forethought regardless of your personal feelings. That secretary puts in countless hours for the school, and you should respect that. Please do represent yourself this way when you are out on rotations. It makes the program look bad, and makes it difficult to secure future rotations there. I can vouch for Newbie2 that only about 3 of the rotations have to be out of the area. No student will have to spend anywhere near $20,000 for hotel costs. And do you really expect one clinical coordinator to not only secure clinical rotations for you, but a place to stay too? That is outrageous. My friends who went to other programs all went through the same thing. For all of those who applying to Pitt, I feel like I got an exceptional education. The faculty will do anything for their students provided that they ask for help if they need it. I was repeatedly complimented on my knowledge base and professional attitude. Many of my clinical preceptors could not say enough good things about Pitt students. I, and the majority of my classmates, easily got jobs. I hope that is still the case in years to come, and not ruined by the attitudes of a few entitled students. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PA1226 Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 I heard about "Max's" post on this site and, as a graduate from this program, I had to read it for myself. After reading, I created an account specifically to address these misguided and untrue words. There are so many things that make us all upset: we have a test every week in one of our classes and we are not allowed to have our exams back so we can learn where we missed and what topics we need to study, and since the finals are comprehensive -- we don’t have a chance to improve for our finals. All PA programs are difficult and complaining about 1 exam per week is juvenile. This isn't an undergraduate degree you're pursuing, it's an accelerated master's degree. These frequent exams taught me time management and they're the reason why you graduate in 24 months. As for viewing old exams, there is a reason behind this. Please speak with your adviser. We made a practice of jotting down questions we were unsure of after the exam so we could look them up or ask the professor before/after class. The professors are not very helpful either: the worst is physiology class where the professor goes over material so fast without explaining the concepts. She is just reading her slides to us without any explanations. Basically we have to memorize everything without any idea how physiology works. I believe the other posters have addressed this. If you need explanation refer to the course textbook or ask the professor on your own time. Again, this is not an undergraduate degree. Lastly, our clinical rotations are outside of Pittsburgh, in other states like West Virginia and Ohio. we have to rent a hotel for each rotation. It would end up to be very costly to each student in the program. Imagine staying in a hotel for 5 weeks is each rotation, and 9 rotations total. It will be around 2,000 times 9 rotations. You will easily spend 20 K on rent staying out in hotels during your clinicals. Your best bet is making friends with everyone in the program so you could share living expenses with them, but it’s not guaranteed you could share rent with others. I don’t even know where I’m going to find additional money to allow this to happen. That’s why I have to work every weekend during my program to save additional money for my clinicals next year. 1. This was no secret before you accepted admission. 2. Only up to 3 rotations are outside Pittsburgh, unless you request more otherwise. 3. Hotel is not your only option. I actually don't know anyone from my class who stayed in a hotel. They used student housing provided by the facility (for a reduced rate) or family/friends in the area. There are also B&Bs that previous years' student have used and made deals with in the past if you need. 4. Every PA student (and med student for that matter) travels. There are many PA students in the state of Pennsylvania making rotation sites harder to come by. During rotations you'll meet PA students from everywhere, often who have traveled much further than you to get the chance to learn at the large UPMC teaching facilities. Another point, the secretary Diane is a complete phyco, mildly said, I have to smile extra hard if I need to meet with a professor or make an appointment with one of the professors to discuss anything. This is completely disrespectful and I can't believe anyone would air this kind of personal issue with staff on a public website. Kindness begets kindness. Diane works extremely hard for this program and truly cares for the students. Folks, here are some positives about this program; some professors are really good like Mr. Beck or Ms. Allias, they are very helpful and always willing to explain difficult subjects. I These are by no means the only positives in my opinion. Because of this staff under Dr. Opacic's leadership I have graduated a difficult program, been praised on my knowledge base and clinical skills during my rotations, and have gone on to be a productive, professional and competent PA-C in the medical community. Overall if I could go back in time, I’d never accepted their offer to attend this program. I wish I didn’t chose them, however, since their program is one of the shortest only 24 months, so I guess I will suffer but pursue my dream to become a great PA. I'm sorry you don't feel as thankful as I did to be part of this PA academic family. They have always supported and continue to support me. I urge all pre-PA students to do their own research on all of their PA school options and please do not take this one misguided rant of an opinion as anything close to the truth. When it comes to PA school (and many other things in life) you get back what you put into it. You can't expect lecture slides to spell every detail out for you. This faculty doesn't coddle students through school but guide them using the student's own determination. I am a proud graduate of Pitt's PA program and, while difficult, those struggles have made me a better provider. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opacicbestpa Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 This comment should be a warning to new applicants. Yes, maybe you read the above comment and you might think oh wow it was very well written and very convincing. . . If you got that idea, which I did too, then we can agree that the comment above sounds like it was written by a professor. Who knows . . . but they really made it sound like it’s an awesome program. Now, let me share with you the point of view from a student, which really should be your concern since you are going to be one of us if you decide to come to this program. First, let’s start with the most annoying thing, which not only me but everyone else is complaining about: professors do not return your exams. That’s right, they keep them. They don’t even show you how well or bad you did. They just tell you the percentage you got, and who knows if that was really your score. What I mean is that how would you know if you really got that grade? You better be praying that you are not one of the unfortunates that the professors do not like. And there are many who they don’t like, especially if you are not one of the pretty blond girls in our program. If you are not getting the big picture by now, let me explain it to you again. If you are coming to this program you will have to kiss everyone’s ass. What do I do? I kiss ass too, I don’t have a choice. I always make sure to see professors after class and tell them basically that I love them, specially their classes. I love the way they only read slides for every single class, which come to be about 8 hours every day. Can you imagine how annoyed we all are sitting for hours and looking just at a slide show! We are also all terrified to have the craziest teacher coming back from her pregnancy leave. She has already stopped by campus, making many of us feel anxious on purpose. It’s like she tries her best to makes us all feel stupid. She is in charge of our rotations as well and we are not going to find out where we are going until very last minute. She will either send us to Ohio, West Virginia or Washington DC. Whatever her choice is we can’t make any plans about where to stay until about a month before rotations start. It’s been just so frustrating, and everyone is so depressed. I bet many of us are taking Zoloft. In my opinion it shouldn’t be like this. We worked so hard to be in graduate school and now we are so unhappy because of the nasty professors in this program. I only wish time would go faster so we could graduate and never see them again. On top of everything we have to pay so much money. I will give you heads up: The program is 6 semesters. So whatever the tuition is that they posted in their website, it is not taking into account two summers. Please think twice before you apply here, unless you are really desperate to get in into PA school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjordanx2 Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 This is a warning to anyone reading the above comment. This person, one of my classmates apparently and unfortunately, is not cut out to be a PA. I'd like to start out by saying that I am also a first year, and a male (Not one of the "pretty blondes"). It's true that professors do not return our exams. Occasionally our scan-tron sheets are included in our student files that you can look through at the office, and when I've checked my grade versus what the scantron says, it's always been the same. Unless, of course, our professor threw us some points back for a bad question that many of us missed. Also, our professors are pretty transparent about what we missed. If you go and talk to them, they are happy to tell you what area (and it's usually specific enough for you to know the exact question) of the exam you struggled with. I'm one of the "quiet students", according to my professors, and I can promise you that I have never "kissed-ass", and I'm doing just fine. It concerns me that this person thinks there is such a conspiracy from the professors. The incident involving our "Craziest" teacher who is currently on pregnancy leave, involved her walking into our lecture with her newborn baby to introduce the little guy to us (I know we all hate when class is interrupted by adorable infants, but hey, sometimes the worst happens, right?). And finally, this person apparently had a misapprehension about what PA School was going to be like. I'd like to take a moment to address any applicants who have actually done some research and you can decide for yourselves if this sounds unreasonable. 1st, our program starts in january and goes 24 months (average is 27 months straight), and for all 6 semesters the approximate cost of tuition for two years will be 65-70k (which is a pretty good deal, the other schools I applied to were closer to 75-84k total). Also, None of our rotations are in DC, or west virginia... Unless we plan one of our own rotations there (We get to choose the location for 3 out of 9 if we set them up ourselves, and choose one elective specialty). We may have to go to Erie, a hospital outside of Youngstown (about an hour and a half from campus, or less), or Maryland when we get assigned rotations. They tell you this information at the interview, and a few times during the year. Not to sound mean (Said the guy who is about to say something kind of mean), but it doesn't sound like this person pays much attention. Maybe they'd be having an easier time if they stopped kissing-ass and spent more time paying attention and studying. I love my program! All our professors are characters, sure, and some are even a little intimidating sometimes, but every one of them has our backs. We work hard every day and have a lot of stresses, but we get through it together. We look out for each other, as students, and share study guides, charts, notecards, and really any other form of study guide with one another to get by. The 2nd years are amazing and always willing to share their insights on how to help as well. PA School is hard. I won't B.S. you there. It is a full time commitment, and any PA you have shadowed will surely tell you that was their experience as well. If you're used to getting all A's all the time, every single one of your classmates will also be used to that (Cause PA School is real competitive), so you may not get all A's anymore (probably, actually). But if this is your terminal degree, does it really matter? No.... I'll just answer that one for you. I may have gone on a bit of a rant here, but laziness and self-victimization are not the qualities of PA's. Hard work, humility, and working together will take you far. I wish you all good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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