Why PA over Med School?

[moy505]

 

 

 

Besides, whether or not anyone wants to admit it or talk about it, PA schools are, with respect to academics, worlds easier to get into than med school beacuse the GRE<MCAT, no matter how you slice it up.  To top it off, there is nice selection of PA schools who do not require the GRE at all.  The MCAT isn't just another step in getting into med school, it is a huge life event that consumes your life for the year prior to applying for med school.  It's not just as easy as "oh, the kids should just take the MCAT and get in."  Bah ha!  That comment shows that the commenter has never really been around the pre-med crowd.  Additionally, the commitments are worlds apart.  2 years with no residency vs 7 years just for the quickest residencies and close to 10 for subspecialties when you throw in board certs.  It is another animal all together, they really should not be given this dichotomy that perpetually pops up.

 

 

 

As someone who scored a 30 on the MCAT, its really not that bad. If you did decent on your prereqs (3.5+gpa) and follow the SN2ed method on SDN you just study for 3 months over your  summer break and you should get at least a 28+ if not well above a 30. PA school is a lot harder than getting a 30 MCAT over 3 months of summer studying.

[camha92]

The MCAT is a difficult entrance exam, arguably the most difficult. But it's not impossible for PA students to attain a 30+. The time it took me to get my health care experience (roughly a year), I could've gotten over a 30 easily. This comparison is based on the scores of some of my classmates in my major who are going to or currently in med school. Not to mention, they only spent one summer studying for the MCAT. 

[Maynard]

I've taken both the MCAT and GRE and scored in basically the same percentile on both. It takes a lot more preparation to score well on the MCAT, but it doesn't take more aptitude.