Career change, MLS to PA

[mlsclm]

Hello all, this forum has been wonderful to read, thank you.  

I have been an MLS for 5 years now, and have decided that PA school is something I want to pursue.  Working behind the scenes was an easy choice in my formative college years; I didn't feel I had the "guts" to be a nurse.  But I am compassionate and motivated and want to help with the underserved, and I believe that and the desire to further my career has brought about the choice to come out from lab.  I'm not interested in healthcare management. I briefly considered healthcare informatics because of cost and time to attain the degree, but it won't satisfy the need to make a difference in my community.  So, those are my reasons.

I have work to do.  My GPA was strong my last 4 years of college, but I have many F's from failing to withdraw when I first started college right out of high school.  All were retaken and aced, and I expect to have to explain this in my PS and (hopefully) any interviews.  But the CASPA calculation is worrying me.

Then there is the GRE, need to take that and am hoping I can score high enough.

But the biggest concern I have is HCE.  I have read in a couple of threads that some schools allow lab time to count as HCE, but if I'm honest with myself I have had very little (zero) patient contact.  I'm a bench tech in microbiology, the facility I work at employs phlebotomists.  I could offer to help with phlebotomy since they're often short but the exposure to patient care is limited, IMO.

So this very long winded post comes to the point: what advice can I get on the best route to take?  I intend to set up shadowing in multiple specialties, with more hours in FM or IM at the county hospital which serves most of the lower income residents in our area.  Hopefully this isn't too much of a challenge.

My husband is a medic, so I've considered the EMT route.  Does getting an EMT cert seem like a step backwards, or rather, an extraneous step?  Would an MA gig be better?  I feel either would be better than phleb simply for the hands-on experience, and the interaction with the rest of the healthcare team involved in direct patient care.

Thanks for any advice

[mlsclm]

I've called my first choice school, and they seem to put emphasis on observation/shadowing above hands-on experience. She even suggested I ask my own health care providers for opportunities to do this. It seems a little too simple though!

[Guest MedLib42]

Both EMT and MA are great experience. EMT is generally universally regarded as top quality healthcare experience by most (if not all) schools, so I certainly don't see it as a step backwards or extraneous. MA is generally regarded as top quality experience too, although the quality of MA experience can depend on your specific duties wherever you wind up working - some MAs do more histories and paperwork, which isn't always as highly regarded, and others do more vitals, injections, and that sort of thing, which is great experience. I would recommend choosing the one that fits your goals and interests best. If you're able to get a position working in an underserved area with an MA cert, you might go that route, to give you the exposure to the population you're interested in serving as a PA.

 

The shadowing is great, and you'll also want to make sure you have a significant amount of volunteer work as well (it can be medical and/or non-medical, although with your interests you might want to look into underserved/free clinics and medical mission trips). 

 

As far as GPA, keep in mind CASPA will calculate undergrad and grad GPAs separately (if applicable), so you'll need to know your cumulatives for each separately to figure out if you have deficiencies and what you need to improve. You can use an online GPA calculator if you need to calculate it yourself: http://www.back2college.com/gpa.htm

[Guest MedLib42]

I've called my first choice school, and they seem to put emphasis on observation/shadowing above hands-on experience. She even suggested I ask my own health care providers for opportunities to do this. It seems a little too simple though!

 

Observation/shadowing is really important for pretty much every school, but how they rank it can vary. Some schools actually don't require any healthcare experience, some only prefer/recommend it (so for these, some schools may place much more emphasis on shadowing and less on hands on care). There are still some schools that want as many as a thousand hours of traditional, hands-on, paid direct care (EMT, MA, etc). So keep doing what you're doing and call the schools you're interested in - find out what their preferences/requirements are, as they can vary quite a bit. 

 

I still might recommend at least a little hands-on patient care prior to PA school, though, even if it's not required, since it helps you get your feet wet, decide whether direct care is for you, and gives you valuable resources for recommendations and experience to draw on for personal statements and interviews.

[mlsclm]

Delighted with the feedback, thank you.

[balsam88]

I'm a former MLS/MT and ran into a similar problem. I applied to two programs, one of them accepted lab hours as health care experience and one didn't. My job however required me to do phlebotomy during the morning shift so I was able to get those hours to count, and I got into the program that didn't count my lab hours :)

[GreatChecko]

More schools than you think will take the phleb experience, just start looking around. It doesn't get too much more intimate than having to shove a needle into someone arm. 

 

I would highly encourage you to look for other ways to get hands on experience. Look for a clinic you can volunteer at doing intake, or see if you can swing getting a PT job as an MA or CNA. Get creative and call around. I say this because things are starting to get very competitive out there and anything you can do to bolster your resume and application will help. Plus, more direct patient care time before starting PA school will only help when you're knee deep in it during your first semester. 

[cinntsp]

You do not need to become an EMT or MA to check the HCE box. Plenty of schools value med tech experience. You will have no shortage of options.

 

Source: MLS turned PA

 

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[mlsclm]

Thank you for the feedback. I will focus on shadowing in the next year, and consider taking some post bacc courses to boost GPA/show some initiative. Anatomy, med term, maybe biochem.

 

I am still considering an EMT cert. How can I expect to get an LOR from a PA or MD without hands-on experience, working as part of a team? Assuming I can find work in an ED...I know I could ask the director of the MLS program, and my supervisor for the past five years, but interaction with docs in my line of work is generally over-the-phone. I will also look for opportunities to do phlebotomy, when they are short, maybe I can tag along with the chem techs for stroke alerts...

 

Thanks again for the advice!

[fakingpatience]

I am still considering an EMT cert. How can I expect to get an LOR from a PA or MD without hands-on experience, working as part of a team? Assuming I can find work in an ED...I know I could ask the director of the MLS program, and my supervisor for the past five years, but interaction with docs in my line of work is generally over-the-phone. I will also look for opportunities to do phlebotomy, when they are short, maybe I can tag along with the chem techs for stroke alerts...

 

Thanks again for the advice!

 

 

Working as an EMT (or even paramedic) on the ambulance won't probably make it any easier to find docs or PAs for LORs.  At least where I am we don't see the same ones consistently enough to have that relationship to ask for a LOR, unless you've worked there for a few years.    ED tech would probably work though!  

 

As a MLS could you find a job at a small clinic, where you have daily interaction with all the clinitians?  

[mlsclm]

I had the same thought and discussed it with my husband (who is in a truck at all times); I came to the conclusion that a tech job would be ideal.

 

As to your question...sigh. I am laughing and kicking myself again, passed an opportunity to work in an MOB lab where I would have done phleb and had an in with any doc practicing in the building. Hindsight!!!! But had I taken that job I wouldn't have had the time off with my toddler that I wanted, which probably wouldn't have led to the soul-searching that has put me on this path (very very recently decided to look into this career).

 

Not related at all, but I'm going to admit that I'm not cut out for being a SAHM. Phew, it feels good to let that out there.

[cinntsp]

How can I expect to get an LOR from a PA or MD without hands-on experience, working as part of a team?

I got one from our main pathologist.

 

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[DStillwagon]

I also got a LOR from our Pathologist.

[mlsclm]

What was the degree of interaction with the pathologist, if I may ask? Was it here and there or was there an established rapport? I work at a large central facility, where I rarely see a pathologist but in passing; I also work in a small facility where the techs and the pathologists have a more personal relationship, but I would not feel comfortable asking straight off for an LOR. I will bring up the topic when I next have an opportunity.

[cinntsp]

Our pathologists were in our lab interacting with us daily.

 

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[DStillwagon]

Mine as well works closely with the techs in the lab. If we have a diff for review he comes to the bench.

[mlsclm]

Hmm, one of the drawbacks to Micro, I suppose...

[db_pavnp]

I feel in today's work environment, you can count yourself lucky if you work in a lab and have exposure to a pathologist.  So many smaller hospitals have outsourced them to pathology groups now.

[mlsclm]

Well, I have set up two 8 hr days shadowing a PA in our ED. One day in fast track. Waiting for approval from education, and trying to figure out what to expect. I've been reading the fast track disasters thread but doubt I'll see anything that exciting!

 

Can you ask too many questions? What might be some important ones to ask? Can I expect to be asked anything about motivations, pimp-type questions?

[db_pavnp]

I feel you can absolutely ask too many questions, and easily the wrong questions, depending upon the personality of the individual you are shadowing.

[GreatChecko]

I doubt you'll be "pimped." if anything, it'll be more questions about what you want to do, motivations, and maybe about your current job. Feel things out with whoever you are shadowing and how busy the shift is. Don't be afraid to ask questions, but find the appropriate time. It's much the same as if someone shadowed you in the lab. Just put yourself in their shoes.

 

Don't forget to enjoy the experience as well. Have a great time!

[Patho]

Hello all, this forum has been wonderful to read, thank you.  

 

I have been an MLS for 5 years now, and have decided that PA school is something I want to pursue.  Working behind the scenes was an easy choice in my formative college years; I didn't feel I had the "guts" to be a nurse.  But I am compassionate and motivated and want to help with the underserved, and I believe that and the desire to further my career has brought about the choice to come out from lab.  I'm not interested in healthcare management. I briefly considered healthcare informatics because of cost and time to attain the degree, but it won't satisfy the need to make a difference in my community.  So, those are my reasons.

 

I have work to do.  My GPA was strong my last 4 years of college, but I have many F's from failing to withdraw when I first started college right out of high school.  All were retaken and aced, and I expect to have to explain this in my PS and (hopefully) any interviews.  But the CASPA calculation is worrying me.

 

Then there is the GRE, need to take that and am hoping I can score high enough.

 

But the biggest concern I have is HCE.  I have read in a couple of threads that some schools allow lab time to count as HCE, but if I'm honest with myself I have had very little (zero) patient contact.  I'm a bench tech in microbiology, the facility I work at employs phlebotomists.  I could offer to help with phlebotomy since they're often short but the exposure to patient care is limited, IMO.

 

So this very long winded post comes to the point: what advice can I get on the best route to take?  I intend to set up shadowing in multiple specialties, with more hours in FM or IM at the county hospital which serves most of the lower income residents in our area.  Hopefully this isn't too much of a challenge.

 

My husband is a medic, so I've considered the EMT route.  Does getting an EMT cert seem like a step backwards, or rather, an extraneous step?  Would an MA gig be better?  I feel either would be better than phleb simply for the hands-on experience, and the interaction with the rest of the healthcare team involved in direct patient care.

 

Thanks for any advice

There's already been a lot of good advice given, so I'll just tell you my story and see if it can help you.

 

I've worked as a MLS for 5 years also and decide in early 2014 I was going to become a PA. I contacted several places to volunteer at and ended up at a community health clinic and the national institutes of health. Shortly afterwards, I shadowed a physician and two PAs at my hospital. I got a LORs from a professor, lab supervisor, and the manager of a public health initiative I worked with. Meanwhile, I used my education reimbursement from my employer to take A&P I and II, medical terminology, and psychology. I complied around 500 hours of other HCE, and the rest were my lab work hours.

 

A year later I applied and was accepted to a school in the area. You can take multiple routes. I was feeling extremely uninspired and felt stuck, so I did what I could in a year and took my chances with the application process. Good luck to you and your PA journey. It can be done.

[mlsclm]

Thank you for sharing! Sounds like my state of affairs, exactly. I had not thought about tuition reimbursement, thanks, I'll have to look in to that. I will take this as motivation and get the ball rolling! I really need to get the volunteer work started, which I have wanted to do for some time, but have needed the kick in the butt to look past the day-to-day wife/mom pattern I've been in for while. Thanks again.

[mlsclm]

First shadowing experience in fast track was a great start. Shed a bit of nervousness and am ready for the day today on the other side, hoping to see more urgent cases. Most interesting thing was a dvt; learned they can be treated outpatient now. Saw a couple of vets punted to the ED by the VA, that's disappointing. Mostly charting, and this facility has a setup that gets them in and out without workup if the patient agrees with the PA that urgent care not necessary. But that led to a few scrips for abx/pain meds that I wondered were prudent...but that is for me to learn later on in the process. Overall a very positive experience, we'll see what today brings, so far I thing this might be the path for me.

[mlsclm]

Another positive experience today, not in fast track but still nothing crazy. Acute kidney failure, hepatic encephalopathy, A-fib, hyperglycemia, SBO, and a dislocated hip. Unsuccessful attempts to reduce, poor patient. No belligerence or violence, no overt drug-seeking, no drama. My mentor for the day loves their job, had been at it for a long time, had no complaints. Had worked in otger specialities but EM longest, and preferred. Reviewed xrays, EKGs, labs. They said variety of cases/skills made for a less stressful PANRE experience. They made it look simple, but the amount of time charting was nuts. PA and doc relationship seemed great, and they appear to be well respected by the nurses.

 

I was only allowed two shifts in the facility, 2 shifts every six months is policy, and I was lucky for the opportunity. Wondering how difficult it will be to pick up in other offices/hospitals. Sharing all this in hopes it is of interest or helps those in my shoes looking to get started with the PA application process.