NEED HELP APPLYING

[ppatel428]

Hi so i wanted some advise on what i should do to make sure i get into a PA program. I currently go to Hunter college but i am thinking of finishing up my bachelors in economics and doing a post bacc program to retake some science classes. I currently have a 2.9 gpa overall and doing volunteer at a hospital as well as work at NYU Hospital for joint disease. I am also thinking of doing research at the hospital that i am volunteering at. Please let me know what else i can do to get into a program. Any criticism and advise is welcomed. Thanks for taking the time to read this

[UGoLong]

You ask a difficult question. I gather that you are a non-science undergraduate, have a so-so grade point thus far, and it's unclear what your healthcare experience is.

 

Most importantly to me; your posting doesn't tell me much about why you want to be a PA. The fact that you are asking others if you should apply also makes me think that you aren't that sure why either.

[Johnson2018pac]

Well nothing is going to guarantee you will get in. It's extremely competitive and even if you had a 4.0 you still might not get in if you do poorly in the interview. Find the schools you are interested in, look at their admission requirements, complete all of them and work on anything you may be deficient in. That is the best advice I can give you based on your post.

[ppatel428]

Well my hce is me working at a radiology company for 1 year and now working at nyu hospital for joint disease and yes i am a nonscience major with a 2.9gpa and i want to raise it to a 3.5 and i want to become a pa because i genuinly like helping people and am enthusiastic about learning more about the field of medicine with a hands on experience. I am only asking others because i want experienced peoples first hand experience as to how tough it is to become a pa. Telling me that getting into pa school is extremely hard because that doesnt really gauge how hard it is and if i have a second chance at fulfilling my thirst for medical knowledge.

[ppatel428]

Ramodian your advice is actually very helpful. I am basically ready to do almost anything to make sure im able to get into pa school. But thank you very much

[Timon]

Have you read the forums or conducted a search on low GPA applicants? 

 

I ask because there is absolutely nothing unique about your situation and there are tons of threads on this forum about it. 

[ppatel428]

Yes i have read the low gpa forums but they only seem to confuse me about my chances of getting into pa school

[Timon]

What about it confuses you?

[LESH]

Well, you made your way to the PA forum that's a good start. If I may, I'd recommend that you start reading more of the post from folks in your situation. You have already identified one obstacle that you need to over come so that's a plus. Now it is up to you to do the research and find what you need to strengthen your application. There has already been some very good advice given so far IMHO.

 

There is more information for a Pre-PA on the internet these days than ever before. There's books, PA coaches, You tube, Facebook, Interview Workshops, help with writing the perfect essay...you name it. I just did a search on "How do I get into PA school" and got  63,800,000 results on Yahoo. LOL

 

So figure out which PA programs seem to meet you particular need, find out what you need to do to get and interview, review all the materials out there on interview techniques, shadow PAs, talk with PAs figure out if being a PA is for you. As far as the "what are my chances?" question...there are PA programs out there that say their GPA minimum is 2.75. There are folks that get into PA programs with a 2.9 GPA. However, when you look at the data published by the AAPA or PAEA you don't see that reflected to any large degree.

 

So work on increasing your GPA, Keep getting HCE, you might consider doing community service. Keep searching the forum. Hope this helps and good luck in your PA endeavors.

 

[cnguyenle]

Here is my advice. Get your BS degree. Pick up your GPA (As high as you can get it but make it at LEAST 3.0. Even a 3.0 isnt considered high and you will may have problems) and take the required pre-reqs needed by the schools you are interested in. While doing that get some HCE that the school recognizes. Then apply and pray. It doesnt hurt to shadow.

[HumbleSauce]

I had a lower GPA than you after my Liberal Arts BA.  I went back and took science courses including genetics and organic with lab. I got straight A's in all of them.  It is important to show you can handle science courses well, while bringing your GPA up.  If you cannot do undergraduate sciences, most master programs with very accelerated science courses will not look at that favorably.  Research is good and has definite merit, but I think there are better ways to gain experience that could help your application. Many students become CNA's or MA's.  They are definitely good ways to get patient experience, but you really want to go beyond most students because you have to offset your GPA.  I worked as a scribe, MA, ER technician, and EMT.  It is also important to do well on the GRE or MCAT, depending on the test your program requires(I suggest top 30% of GRE test takers).  The GRE can be difficult at first, but with a few months studying, most should be able to learn the traps set before them.  Many programs want you to shadow PA's in different settings to get a broad picture of the profession and also make sure it is a good occupation for you to pursue.  My interview asked each applicant how many shadowing hours they had accumulated.  Most of mine were on the job, as I worked with PA's every day.  Even so, I still shadowed some in other specialities while I was not working.  The shadowing also allows you to make relationships for people you can request to write your letters of recommendations.  Research the schools you would like to apply, but most desire at least one PA, medical provider at your work, and perhaps a favorite professor you spend most time with in office hours. Just getting interviews is a difficult process.  If I could stress one thing, apply as early as possible.  Many programs have rolling admissions, which means very attractive applicants might miss acceptance due to late submissions that still fall in the allotted time given to apply. Make sure you do your due diligence with research before pursuing this profession, as it is a very, very competitive process. Good luck to you.