hopeful92 Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Hello! I graduated a few days ago with a BA in Psychology. My GPA is SUPER low (2.3) because I never really thought about my career. I did not know what I wanted and felt like I was wasting my time. Now, post-college, I'm back in my parents house and trust me, I want to be out of here ASAP. I also know what I want out of life. I want to be a PA and I will work as hard as I possibly can to achieve this goal. I don't have much guidance though because no one in my family is a PA.I used to be a bio major (I took bio 1 and 2 and chem 1). I got below a C in all of them. So now, I have to take all my science pre-reqs in order to apply to PA school. I am also looking into becoming an EMT to get my health care experience. How should I go about taking my pre-reqs? Should I take a post bacc program (some require high GPAs) or just go to a local college (I'm from Long Island) and take the courses seperately and not in a program?Finally, the MOST important question for me: IF I do extremely well in my pre-reqs and get a great GRE score AND get all the necesary EMT hours, do you think that I have a good shot at PA programs?Any help would be VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polarbebe Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Please post in pre-PA section. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hopeful92 Posted May 23, 2014 Author Share Posted May 23, 2014 I'm new here but I will! Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nandosport Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Hi! Fellow pre-PA student here. You need to get your cumulative and science GPAs up to at least a 3.0. I would take the EMT course. Find a job (the hard part in my neck of the woods). Get thousands (way more than bare minimum to combat your low GPA) of hours of healthcare experience. While you work, you can take 1-3 science classes a semester at a local college to raise your GPA/complete the prereqs. Also look through the CASPA website about what courses factor into science GPA. I think, but double check on CASPA's website, EMT courses actually factor into your science and cumulative GPAs by way of the 'other science' category. Good luck! Sent from my LG-P769 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedicinePower Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Definitely retake the biology and chem courses, making sure you get a high B or an A. From there take the rest of the pre-reqs and own them! You've got an uphill battle but if you work hard then you can definitely succeed! EMT is a good choice for an intro to medicine. Try to take classes part-time and work full or part-time as an EMT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Febrifuge Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 Get evaluated for learning disabilities, as well. Looking back, it was obvious I've had ADHD my whole life, but in high school and college I was your typical "smart dude, I guess he doesn't care much about school and that's why his grades are lousy." It was only partly true. Now that you're trying to put together and then pursue a plan that involves grad school*, you need to get those ducks in a row. It's worth it to get tested to see if one of those ducks is actually a squirrel. * not to mention, join a career that involves large amounts of reading, synthesizing, and decision-making Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hopeful92 Posted May 28, 2014 Author Share Posted May 28, 2014 All these responses were great! Thank you so much! I know I've got an uphill battle but I will be trying nothing but my hardest from here on out! Thank you so much again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deadliftyourspirits Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 Manage your expectations, make a timeline for the next few years and create benchmark goals. Download a GPA calculator spreadsheet and figure out how many classes you need to take to get to the coveted 3.0 threshold. I would shoot for nothing less than As in all of your upcoming classes and definitely get that EMT cert. I would accumulate as many HCE as possible and try like hell to get a hospital position as well (CNA, ER tech). I would aim for minimum 4,000 hours of HCE. More HCE will offset your GPA for some schools. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nontraditionalChris Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 I ran the numbers (because I'm in a similar boat, albeit at a much later stage in the life game) and assuming 120 credit hours already taken during your four years of undergrad, you would have to take anywhere from 21 four-credit-hour to 28 three-credit hour classes -- and get a 4.0 in every one of them -- to raise your GPA to a 3.0. Unless you're willing and able to make that kind of long-term investment (and do everything possible to ensure the necessary return) I would focus on programs that focus on your most recent credit hours, and nail their specific course requirements. Best wishes. I feel ya. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoopeda Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 Great comments. I'll add: don't bank on GRE score. Every top school I've called (many) claims GRE is "by far" the least important aspect if the application. By contrast, every one claims GPA is MOST important followed by amount of quality patient contact hours. Hope that helps; good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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