Unusual Healthcare Experience (advice on how to frame)

[dpforman]

I am in the final stages of my CASPA application, and am about to begin the personal statement, which I have been dreading. I am generally a good writer, but I want to make sure that I do this well. I initially graduated from college planning on applying to veterinary school, so I have spent the last two years working as a veterinary technician. I've racked up over 1000 hours working as a vet tech, but along the way I decided that PA school was more along the lines of what I hope to do with my life.

 

I have narrowed down the schools that I would like to apply to, including only the ones that accept the prerequisites that I have already taken, and that accept veterinary technician hours as healthcare experience. I am looking for advice on how to frame my unusual experience in a positive light -- as I have already have narrowed down my schools of application to the ones that accept my hours as direct patient care, I just want to be sure that they know that I have used those hours to reflect upon why I should become a PA. How can I make it clear that working as a vet tech has given me experience that will be valuable as a PA student? Does anyone have a success story as a former vet tech turned PA student? Some examples of my responsibilities as a vet tech include hands on experience with both the pet and the owner such as:

 

-Maintaining proper and complete medical charts 

-Ensuring the safety of pets, clients and associates by utilizing safe restraining 

techniques 

-Performing fecal examinations, tonometry, venipuncture, catheter placement, radiographs, IV/SQ fluid administration, vaccinations, and physical examinations 

-Executing routine laboratory tests including IOF, CBC, electrolyte, urinalysis, and fecal tests 

-Educating pet owners on proper care of sick animals, including filling/administering prescription medications and instructing owners on usage

 

 

Thank you in advance for your advice!

[JohnnyM2]

Problem is....You haven't really said why you want to be a PA vs veterinarian and you are going to have to address your change of interest in your personal statement. Are you able to provide a convincing reason for the change? Have you worked, at all, in an environment where people are being treated? How do you really know you want to be a PA? If you spend enough time on this forum, you will find that even some PAs don't like being PAs, for a variety of reasons. Schools aren't just trying to check off some boxes; they are trying to find people with the intelligence, drive, passion and motivation to get through school, pass the PANCE and find a real vocation as a PA. You need to be sure this is what you really want to do or you may not be happy with your career, assuming you get in. If you haven't already done so, you should spend some time shadowing PAs and spend a year working in (human) patient care.

 

Sent from my Kindle Fire HDX using Tapatalk 2

 

 

[PACdan]

Out of curiosity, how common is it for PA programs to accept vet tech work as HCE? Anyone know?

 

I would imagine this must be rare (never heard of it).

[rcardill]

I don't think they accept vet tech experience because it doesn't allow you to work with patients.

[Z PA-C]

No it is definitely not common for PA programs to accept vet tech experience as HCE but with that being said -some- will.

I wonder if there are more programs that will accept vet tech experience or more programs that will accept no experience? Either way you could apply to both of those and see where that gets you if you don't mind shelling out the money for it and don't really care what program you attend.

If it were up to me though I WOULD NOT apply this cycle. Your science GPA isn't that great and you really seem to be limiting yourself severely in terms of meeting prerequisite courses and HCE. Even if a program accepts vet tech experience that does not mean it is competitive experience. 1000 is the minimum for a lot of programs and you're up against people with years, sometimes even decades of healthcare experience. Not to to mention the fact that you have no experience treating -people-. You wanted to be a veteranarian but then decided you didn't want to anymore after being a vet tech but decided you want to be a PA without working at all with people in a healthcare setting? How do you know you won't like that either? My advice would be to take more prereq classes and get a job in healthcare seeing people and possibly applying next cycle.

PS I'm not one of those that thinks it's absolutely necessary to spend a whole career in healthcare before starting PA school like some people on this forum do but I am an advocate for knowing without a doubt healthcare is where you want to be and believe you have to get your hands dirty to know for sure