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more clinical experience vs early application?


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Hey everyone,

 

I'm looking to apply in the 2015 cycle. I'll be getting my EMT-B license in december, and then I'll need to complete my final semester for my BS. My school works on a Trimester schedule.  My question is, would it be more beneficially to work as an EMT from january to april (hoping to accumulate 500 hours or so), put in my application, and then finish my BS? Or should I finish the BS by april, get a job and put in my application later; after having a chance to rack up some hours? Would you consider an early application to be more or less important than HCE?   

Also I heard from a friend that some schools consider the clinical experience you will accumulate by the time you will matriculate  ( rather than when you apply) if currently employed. Is this a myth?  Thanks in advance:)

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How many hours will you have if you apply early - and how early would you apply?

 

When would you apply "late" and how many hrs would you have then?

 

As far as schools considering what you will have, that is entirely up to the school and how they feel at that time.  My personal opinion would be to only count what you have at the time of application.  Otherwise everyone can say they plan to work 40+ hours/wk of HCE til the 1st day of PA school, and then what is the point?

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As far as schools considering what you will have, that is entirely up to the school and how they feel at that time.  My personal opinion would be to only count what you have at the time of application.  Otherwise everyone can say they plan to work 40+ hours/wk of HCE til the 1st day of PA school, and then what is the point?

Some top schools on rolling admissions schedules encourage early (i.e. May) applications and accept HCE projections through fall deadlines on the initial CASPA app.  

ie...

By Oct 1:

OHSU - http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/education/schools/school-of-medicine/academic-programs/physician-assistant/applicants/hce.cfm

Duke - http://paprogram.mc.duke.edu/Admissions/Prerequisites/

 

By Matriculation:

Wake F - http://www.wakehealth.edu/Academic-Programs/Physician-Assistant-Program/Admission-Requirements.htm 

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Thanks for the help! It looks like the general consensus is to finish up the BS then apply.  I'll probably put in the application in at the end of June. Is that too late?  By that time I hope to accumulate about 300 hours, with a deadline projection of 600-800 hrs.  Also I appreciate this list of schools zoopeda, that's really helpful.

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Make no mistake, those are extremely competitive programs with accepted applicant HCE averages far higher than a few hundred hours. The point was that if these schools accept projected estimates, certainly dozens of others will as well. You might also look into schools with affiliated undergrad programs (ie 5 yr BS-MPAS tracks, DeSales cones to mind as one of many.). Good luck!

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