tu3218 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Right now I'm a junior at my college. I actually went with a biology major with the aspirations to become a PA. Well sophomore year, I decided to take up nursing. Long story short, 2nd semester of my junior year I found out I didn't get into the nursing program. I feel lost now because I don't know if I should try nursing again or just go back and finish my bio degree. My original reason why I went for nursing instead was I didn't know if I would be able to get into PA school right away. My gpa now is a 3.3. Any ideas or suggestions? I've had a few people tell me to just get my BS in bio and I can still always go back for nursing. Organic chems I still have to take for bio worry me though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tu3218 Posted March 11, 2011 Author Share Posted March 11, 2011 How different is Ochem from regular chemistry? I took Chemistry for Allied Health Professions 1&2 at Towson for the nursing program and I got a B+ and B. It was never too difficult. I guess maybe the upper level course number had me thinking more about it. But if I did fine in those chemistry's, is Ochem a great deal harder? Also the Chem 2, was more focused on organic chemistry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizzyJ Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 if Ochem worries you, you might not be quite ready for PA school. you probably dont need ochem to function well as a PA, but you need the ability to hammer out tough amounts of knowlege, so its a bad sign to not want to pursue something because you are concerned it may be too rough.... PA school is rough. Ehh....O-Chem terrified me! But, I still turned out ok. Deep knowledge and understanding of O-Chem will have no influence on your ability to practice medicine (for the average PA). If you keep pursing nursing and then one day get into PA school, you would have a bit of a head start on your knowledge of medicine, over just getting a Bio degree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mktalon Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 I am not exactly sure what you are asking. You never mentioned if you are still interested in becoming a PA. It sounds like you still want to get into the nursing program. If you want to get into a PA school then you need to buckle down and get A's. If Chem wasn't too difficult then you should not have ended up with a B in the course. I am not trying to be a jerk, but you need to hear the reality of it. A 3.3 is just barely competitive IF you have some decent HCE, which I am assuming you don't. Another thing to note, "Chem for ..." classes are typically not as challenging General Chem for majors, which is what most PA schools require. I don't doubt that you can succeed in these courses, but by your contentment with a "B" I doubt your resolve to do what you need to get into PA school and succeed. My advice, if you really want to be a PA then resolve yourself to do it and buckle down. Your GPA is good enough that with some focused ambition you can pull it up and become a competitive applicant. Good luck with whatever you decide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tu3218 Posted March 11, 2011 Author Share Posted March 11, 2011 Yeah I still am interested in becoming PA, and yeah you are right. I think I'm just cutting myself short especially with just recently being declined from the nursing program. A little bit discouraging. I think I just have to step up my studying and do it more often then just before exams. As far as HCE, I have my EMT-B, but as just being a volunteer its hard to get up there because I have classes and work. So I plan on getting my CNA, that way I can still make money for the bills but also get my experience in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just_me Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Just want to add that most PA programs require chemistry for science majors and the typical xyz for allied health/nursing/healthprofessionls whatever does not meet that requirement so you may find yourself going back to chem I and II for science majors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tu3218 Posted March 11, 2011 Author Share Posted March 11, 2011 The one chem I took covered the chem I but I still have to take chem II along with the two Ochems. I still have around 1.5 years probably till I would finish my bio degree. Got side tracked because I started taking classes towards nursing. I'm guessing I could still apply to nursing and just see what happens along the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tu3218 Posted March 12, 2011 Author Share Posted March 12, 2011 Well at this point I have completed all pre-nursing courses. So I have nothing to take now except the classes left towards my bio major. I guess theoretically I could just take classes to raise my gpa, or retake any courses to try and raise my gpa but I don't want to do that still risk not getting into nursing. Then I would be be put back even more. So that's why I figured I go back to my original plan of getting a bio degree and going for PA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starseed22 Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 Ochem is its own animal. You really dont have much backround prep for what you will have to learn in a short amount of time for those classes. That is why it is used for many graduate schools as one of several indicators for how you might handle new complicated ideas and be able to apply them. The labs for the lecture class can be harder than the lecture itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just_me Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 Another two cents.....if you werent able to get into a nursing program with your stats you may find it even more difficult to get into a PA program with the same stats and no direct patient contact. If nursing is really what you want to do, I have heard that its a tad easier to get into accelerated nusring programs (1 year nursing programs meant for students who have a BS degree in something other than ursing) there are also many direct entry Masters in Nursing programs (google: MEPN). some of these lead to the title of clinical nurse leader, some are just a MS version of a BSN, some are actually entry level pathways into becomeing an NP (you attend for 1yr and get a BSN, work as a nurse for 6mos and then start on the NP portion of your training) and this entry level path also requires a BS degree in something other than nursing. As a back up plan, I put in applications to a couple accelerated BSN programs but later applied to direct entry Masters programs (due to loan money options) and got into a couple and received interviews with a few others (didnt attend). The application process is actually painless compared to the PA program application process Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tu3218 Posted March 12, 2011 Author Share Posted March 12, 2011 Yeah, I think I'm going to just finish my bio degree and try for PA school. If that doesn't work, go for an accelerated nursing program. I see what your saying about it being harder for PA compared to nursing, but at my school, gpa is all they look at. Whereas another program I applied too, I actually would have gotten in except that particular school requires extra prerequisites that I didn't have. I understand gpa is very important for PA school, but there are other factors that go into account. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just_me Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 Yeah, I think I'm going to just finish my bio degree and try for PA school. If that doesn't work, go for an accelerated nursing program. I see what your saying about it being harder for PA compared to nursing, but at my school, gpa is all they look at. Whereas another program I applied too, I actually would have gotten in except that particular school requires extra prerequisites that I didn't have. I understand gpa is very important for PA school, but there are other factors that go into account. True BUT for many programs everything tends to balance things out...in other words direct patient experience may help when the GPA is lacking. Either way, now you need to take sciences for science majors.....nursing level pre-reqs wont cut it Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tu3218 Posted March 12, 2011 Author Share Posted March 12, 2011 Yeah, well to finish my bio major I need genetics, molecular bio, advanced physiology, gen chem II, and ochem II. So I'm gonna get all those classes in. An I talked to a PA today at work and I'm gonna get going on getting some shadowing done and work on getting my EMT-B to CNA certification so I can get hands on. Do you know any other ways that count as work experience that looks good? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just_me Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 I was talking about the chem...you said it was for nursing....you should take one for science majors As far as direct patient contact EMT-B is a great path...if you could go on to paramedic then thats even better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tu3218 Posted March 12, 2011 Author Share Posted March 12, 2011 yeah the one chem I took for nursing works for science chem, but I still have to take another one. I've thought about the paramedic but to me thats a complete separate route. Meaning, I don't think its possible to be working on getting my bio degree and also work on getting paramedic. Unless you meant after I complete my bio degree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just_me Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 You have asked each program you are thinking about applying to about that chem? I ask because there are many programs out there that will not accept it because typicallysciences for nursing majors are typically a watered down version....you need the one that pre-med students take. If your school only has the one sequence then thats fine but if you have both versions you will need the higher to qualify for 95% of programs out there As far as paramedic Im not sure how your state works but here in FL most paramedic programs require that you have EMT-B experience so it would be something to go into after some months working as an EMTB so if thats after your Bio degree then.... yeah the one chem I took for nursing works for science chem, but I still have to take another one. I've thought about the paramedic but to me thats a complete separate route. Meaning, I don't think its possible to be working on getting my bio degree and also work on getting paramedic. Unless you meant after I complete my bio degree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tu3218 Posted March 13, 2011 Author Share Posted March 13, 2011 Oh alright, I'll have to check into that chemistry. My advisor stated that the one counted, but that I still need to take general chem II. I'll have to clarify that though to be sure. Thanks for the help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just_me Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Yeah to your advisor it might be enough for the science requirement at your school but your advisor cant speak for the PA programs...I have only seen maybe one or two that would take a science like that but the others want you to take the same chem that pre-med students take. Id hate for you to apply only to find that the programs youre looking at wont take it Oh alright, I'll have to check into that chemistry. My advisor stated that the one counted, but that I still need to take general chem II. I'll have to clarify that though to be sure. Thanks for the help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tu3218 Posted March 13, 2011 Author Share Posted March 13, 2011 My school I go to has a program, and when looking at the prereqs I didn't see anything particular about chems. http://grad.towson.edu/program/master/past-ms/prospective/ar.asp Now of course, I would apply to other schools so I would still have to check about making sure they will work for others programs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just_me Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 yeah their pre-reqs seem easy. now I just looked at your course catalog and you might want to take a look too. your program requires biochem....at your school the pre req for biochem is either essentials of orgamic chem OR organic chem II both of those courses requiure chem 111 general chem II as a pre req which requires chem 110 general chem I as a pre-req---now neither of these are chem 105/106 which is the chem for allied health that you have take so it seems that even though chem I and II for science majors is not required by your program....it is required to obtain a pre-req that you need for your program Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just_me Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 http://www.towson.edu/main/academics/ugrad/documents/TU_Undergrad_Catalog_2011.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tu3218 Posted March 14, 2011 Author Share Posted March 14, 2011 Yeah, it seems there isn't much requirements for the PA program. But like you said I still need to take those classes for my bio degree. It seems I'll take a lot of classes I probably wouldn't need for a majority of programs but I'm that just goes in hand with a bio major. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just_me Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 sorry...when I said "your program" I didnt mean your bio program I meant that PA program you sent me the link to. It requires biochem and bio chem requires that while stem of classes In all actuality most programs will require the general chem, but a lot ask you to choose between organic I or bio chem.....there are a few that out right require organic I and then that a couple that require organic I and II Think about it this way.....taking all those courses will help you meet the requirements academically for just about every program out there.....I would aso take genetics Yeah, it seems there isn't much requirements for the PA program. But like you said I still need to take those classes for my bio degree. It seems I'll take a lot of classes I probably wouldn't need for a majority of programs but I'm that just goes in hand with a bio major. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tu3218 Posted March 14, 2011 Author Share Posted March 14, 2011 Oh okay, I see what your saying. I just want to get them all over with as quick as possible, but also not putting to many lab courses together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just_me Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 I wouldnt recommend overloading with sciences either....two at the most and if you have to be full time I would take two health science courses to balance everything out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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