gamecaco4 Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 I'm reconsidering my bachelor's choice. I'm worried that if I don't get into the PA program on the first try, I'll be unable to get a job with a bachelor's in allied health sciences. I have been searching for potential jobs out there that one with this degree could get and keep coming up with nil. I'm also worried that going BSN would look bad when applying for the PA program. Any ideas or advice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator LT_Oneal_PAC Posted March 22, 2014 Moderator Share Posted March 22, 2014 Doing a BSN would not look bad. Probably the opposite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamecaco4 Posted March 22, 2014 Author Share Posted March 22, 2014 Doing a BSN would not look bad. Probably the opposite. Whew! I was hoping I'd get a reply either way. The more I look into AHS, the more I think I'd be really disappointed and end up with another degree that is pretty much useless. Thanks for your feedback, Oneal! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
honeybell2012 Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 I'm curious - do you work as a nurse now or would the BSN be your first nursing degree? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorpsmanUP Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 The other benefit of picking up the RN is it allows you some flexibility after PA school to grab the NP for legislative practice rights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matchb0x Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Look for Medical Lab Technician degrees, (i believe that's the name), its a bachelor's degree that leads to a job working in a lab, it pays similar to a nurse and cover all the pre-reqs for pa/med school. HCE would be a concern I suppose, but that is easily covered with a cna license which are easily achieved. Or go nursing. I would caution that nursing can be quite a pain in the butt (I am one) as you will deal with all sorts of silly stuff in a nursing program. as always, your mileage may vary. I am in the process of knocking out pre-reqs so i can start applying and a BSN does NOT cover the pre reqs as their is a disturbing, to me, lack of science in nursing education. Things to consider... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator LT_Oneal_PAC Posted March 23, 2014 Moderator Share Posted March 23, 2014 Look for Medical Lab Technician degrees, (i believe that's the name), its a bachelor's degree that leads to a job working in a lab, it pays similar to a nurse and cover all the pre-reqs for pa/med school. HCE would be a concern I suppose, but that is easily covered with a cna license which are easily achieved. Or go nursing. I would caution that nursing can be quite a pain in the butt (I am one) as you will deal with all sorts of silly stuff in a nursing program. as always, your mileage may vary. I am in the process of knocking out pre-reqs so i can start applying and a BSN does NOT cover the pre reqs as their is a disturbing, to me, lack of science in nursing education. Things to consider... The prereqs for CLS does not include AP 1&2, and psych if your program requires it. Nursing lacks gen chem 1&2, and orgo if you need it for certain schools. So I see it as a toss up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorpsmanUP Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Or you can cover your bases and just do both like I did; though since the Navy was paying for it that may have had something to do with it. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamecaco4 Posted March 23, 2014 Author Share Posted March 23, 2014 I'm curious - do you work as a nurse now or would the BSN be your first nursing degree? I'm not a nurse now. I wanted to go RN out of HS in 1998, but my mom is a nurse and I was a bratty teenager who wanted to move out. Had I gone RN, I was told I couldn't move out and had to go to the CC an hour away. I've never lost the desire to get into medicine and have regretted not doing it back then. Look for Medical Lab Technician degrees, (i believe that's the name), its a bachelor's degree that leads to a job working in a lab, it pays similar to a nurse and cover all the pre-reqs for pa/med school. HCE would be a concern I suppose, but that is easily covered with a cna license which are easily achieved. Or go nursing. I would caution that nursing can be quite a pain in the butt (I am one) as you will deal with all sorts of silly stuff in a nursing program. as always, your mileage may vary. I am in the process of knocking out pre-reqs so i can start applying and a BSN does NOT cover the pre reqs as their is a disturbing, to me, lack of science in nursing education. Things to consider... I actually considered medical lab sciences awhile back and kind of forgot about it. It's something to look into, especially to compare pre-reqs for the PA program. The prereqs for CLS does not include AP 1&2, and psych if your program requires it. Nursing lacks gen chem 1&2, and orgo if you need it for certain schools. So I see it as a toss up. Good point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
db_pavnp Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 I am an MLS. I would strongly suggest RN over MLS. Take your chemistries on the side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorpsmanUP Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 In all seriousness I would concur on the RN, it allows you to get an NP for practice rights if the AAPA never gets its act together, and barring the military, it is hard for MLT/MLS to get good patient contact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamecaco4 Posted March 25, 2014 Author Share Posted March 25, 2014 BSN is definitely my top choice right now. I have all of next year to take the pre-reqs for the PA program as I missed the deadline for the BSN application to start in May or August of this year. We shall see! advising appointment set up for the 16th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matchb0x Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 The prereqs for CLS does not include AP 1&2, and psych if your program requires it. Nursing lacks gen chem 1&2, and orgo if you need it for certain schools. So I see it as a toss up. this is surprising to me as my friend got this very degree enroute to medical school. he is currently a second year med student, perhaps he took'em on the side as he graduated his bachelor's and made it first attempt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matchb0x Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 In all seriousness I would concur on the RN, it allows you to get an NP for practice rights if the AAPA never gets its act together, and barring the military, it is hard for MLT/MLS to get good patient contact. An NP is NOT a PA and the models are very different. I have a BSN and could be in a NP program right now, if i wanted, i don't. These are all personal preferences and one is not necessarly better than the other but it is worth considering the differences as they will make a difference to the experience. to those considering nursing: I should clarify as i can sound like a hater when i am not. Nursing is a wonderful field, one in which you can truly make a difference. You get to know the patient beyond the signs and symptoms, beyond the disease process. It teaches you to really engage the person as a person, what a novel concept! However, there are many frustrating parts where they go to far. Google the "caritas processes" and get a puke bucket cuz the fluff is over the top. as i said in another place, there is far too little sciences in nursing school for some uknown, to me, reason. I do belive that when I am a PA, I will be a far better care provider because of the experiences I have had as a nurse. Just know, the road will be bumpy, unexplainably so at times. The road may be longer because of the extra sciences you'll need to take (unless you can work them in on the side). And although things have improved amongst the younger generation of doctors and nurses, there is still plenty of old school children that continue to carry on the old and tired MD vs RN battle. Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator LT_Oneal_PAC Posted March 25, 2014 Moderator Share Posted March 25, 2014 this is surprising to me as my friend got this very degree enroute to medical school. he is currently a second year med student, perhaps he took'em on the side as he graduated his bachelor's and made it first attempt. Medical school doesn't require A&P, micro, or psych, common PA prereqs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorpsmanUP Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Perhaps I was unclear, if you look at what I wrote the reference was for the NP to be for practice rights not for education. I freely admit that the PA curriculum goes into more depth on the basic sciences, hence why I chose it. While at the end of the day they may do the same job the nursing associations have done a much better PR job when it comes to legislation; and that is all it is, a PR job. The idea that NPs practice advanced practice "nursing" and not medicine is crap and everyone in healthcare knows it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.