Nucs2PA Posted April 5, 2014 Share Posted April 5, 2014 I took my chemistry courses and the labs alone. These courses are very time intensive. Labs for 6 + hours a week, plus lecture, plus full time job and family commitments. Not to mention submitting lab reports and other assignments, as you know I have read that schools tend to look at the difficulty of the course load. I could handle more of a load if school were my full-time job, but the reality is that I have a full time job and I'm married with 3 children. Don't get me wrong. My family is beyond supportive, but I couldn't take a full load of classes and be able to do well with my schedule. Work is only somewhat understanding of my ambitions. At the end of the day, they need me when I'm scheduled. Also, I didn't have that many more class to take, so why not take the Chem classes and labs by themselves? I need to take Microbiology and the lab this summer, and I think it's easier than Chem, but I don't plan to take anything else with it because of the above and also because I'm doing some shadowing and studying for the GRE. I've been a full-time student much of the time I have been enrolled in college, but for some of the prereqs, I have taken them as I can fit them into my schedule. That's what I've had to do. Will my lack of a heavy science course load mean that I am viewed as a weak candidate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinntsp Posted April 5, 2014 Share Posted April 5, 2014 You said that you were a full time student for most of your time in college. If you did well and had tough course loads then you're fine. ADCOMs need some sort of assurance an applicant can handle PA school, but they are also busy people with kids, work, and school themselves, so they can empathize. I think the problem is moreso when an applicant has an English degree and all of their pre-req sciences are As/Bs, but they took one class at a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemon Bars Posted April 5, 2014 Share Posted April 5, 2014 I think you should continue as you are. Taking a heavy load will only cause problems with your work and family. And if your grades slip because of the work load, you may never get into PA school. That's my two cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHU-CH Posted April 5, 2014 Share Posted April 5, 2014 As I said elsewhere, it is by no means a deal breaker. I would think that a reasonable school should ask you how you plan to balance all these commitments. If I have a student come in and say "I would have had straight As, but I got Bs because of my other commitments" in the back of my mind (or even in the front of it) I am thinking if you maintain those commitments then those Bs will be Cs in PA school. Lots of students with families and other outside committments excel in PA school. I recall one student that had a child while in school, took a brief leave and then returned to graduate on time with her cohort. To me, that is a remarkable achievement. Nothing teaches you how to balance and prioritize things quite like being a parent. A lot of applicants won't believe this, but the adcoms want what is best for everyone. I want you to have a life you can enjoy. You can have a 4.0 but if you show up and convince me you will be miserable from stress in school and wind up with kids that hate you because they never see you and get a divorce, I am going to ask you to step back and think about things. Not long ago we admitted an applicant who thought long and hard about family obligations and asked to defer a year so the kids could get a little older. To me, this was a very well-thought out decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeatlesLVR Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 You said that you were a full time student for most of your time in college. If you did well and had tough course loads then you're fine. ADCOMs need some sort of assurance an applicant can handle PA school, but they are also busy people with kids, work, and school themselves, so they can empathize. I think the problem is moreso when an applicant has an English degree and all of their pre-req sciences are As/Bs, but they took one class at a time. well that sucks…. I was an English major! I also work full-time in the military, volunteer as an EMT for 12-hr shifts every weekend, kiss my family once in a while, maintain my PT scores for the Army, and still manage to squeeze in at least 2 classes/semester with A's... I thought that would make me a much stronger candidate due to my dedication to wanting to become a Physician Assistant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinntsp Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 well that sucks…. I was an English major! I also work full-time in the military, volunteer as an EMT for 12-hr shifts every weekend, kiss my family once in a while, maintain my PT scores for the Army, and still manage to squeeze in at least 2 classes/semester with A's... I thought that would make me a much stronger candidate due to my dedication to wanting to become a Physician Assistant. See the post above yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nucs2PA Posted April 6, 2014 Author Share Posted April 6, 2014 I will be replacing my full-time job, with full-time school when I get in to a PA program. So, that is one commitment that will change. My family has already made sacrifices for me to pursue this goal. I feel ultimately it will be better for all of us in the long run. The sacrifices we have made as a family thus far will not be in vain. That motivates me even more! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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