Any chance for a PA school???

[Thuyngantieu]

Hi everyone. I will graduate BS (Biochemistry) in this December. My GPA is 3.78 and science GPA is 3.8. I do not have much of HCE. I only did shadow PA ( I did for 2 PA and had over 100 hours) and volunteer at hospital for 110 hours. I would like to ask do I get any chance to go to a PA school if I apply in April, 2014?

[Latina PA]

Well you have time to get some HCE from now to April, so start looking into that

[Casita80]

There are three types of PA schools. There are PA schools that weigh heavily on your HCE(like University of Utah), PA schools that weigh heavily on your academic record that put little weight on your HCE, and PA schools that weigh heavily on both(like Duke). You have a very competitive GPA, but not very competitive HCE hours. If I were you I would either wait and get more volunteer and HCE hours, or look for programs that do not require HCE. I live in Idaho so I know for instance that Idaho State does not require health care experience. I also agree with what was said by Maria70. You could reasonably get over 600 HCE hours between the beginning of January and the end of April. Good luck!

[NathanLe]

I had about 700 HCE hours when I submitted my CASPA app this current cycle (I've since racked up many more). My GPA was similar to yours, I had shadowed multiple PAs, had some volunteer experience (not medically oriented), and received solid letters of recommendation from two PAs and a science professor. I spent a ton of time on my personal statement and I feel like it did what I needed it to. So far, I've received 4 interview invites, have gone to two interviews, and have been accepted to a great program. 

 

All that to say - it's possible to get accepted without thousands of hours of HCE. However, I would get as many HCE hours as possible. And beyond simply racking up hours, try to get the best experience that you can. I was fortunate and found a 'diamond in the rough' job as a radiology technician assistant that has taught me tons, and it didn't require any official certifications (all on the job training). 

 

You may decide you want to wait another year and gain more HCE experience. It's all about your goals, the program you want to get into, and how well rounded the rest of your application is. Good luck!

[UGoLong]

It's time to trot out one of my late Mother's sayings: "What's the worse that can happen? You won't get in. And are you in now? Well, no..."

 

Assuming you can afford the costs of applying and interviewing, I know of no downside to applying. That said, I would echo the comments of others and beef up your experience between now and when you apply.

 

Good luck!