Why did you (or why did you not) choose Augsburg?

[girdeend]

Hello,

I am currently looking into PA programs that are around my area, or have a distance education program so I do not need to relocate. I am most looking at either Augsburg College or the UW-Madison Distance Education program. I would really appreciate it if anyone could offer some information about why you chose Augsburg over other colleges, what you like/dislike about the program, difficulty, etc. Or, if you know any information about the UW-Madison program, I would love to hear that as well! I am also open to suggestions about other programs. Thanks!

[Guest PALois]

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[tavenne323]

I live in Minnesota too. Though all schools would require me to relocate. I am only applying to Madison's distance program. I only needed to take four prerequisites for UW Madison and was able to do it in two semesters. Whereas with Augsburg I would have had to take at least 8 classes and would have delayed me applying this year. Also, I got much better feedback from UW Madison when I had questions about the program. Never heard anything back from Augsburg. Bethel did respond, but I would have needed more classes for them too. I did get a brochure from St Catherine's. St Scholastica (which is in my hometown) would have required me to take 15 prerequisites. Even though it's local, I didn't have the money to pay for those out of pocket.

 

I took all four of my prepreqs for UW Madison online to see how I would do. Got A's in all of them and it was nice to be able to "attend" class when I had the time. I did miss having classmates. That was probably the only downside. But my family was very supportive and let me do my labs on them and listen to me talk about concepts.

 

 

Tiffany

 

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[Midwestbound]

Girdeend, I am a current first year Augsburg student. Why Augsburg over the other programs I was accepted to? First, I liked the academic schedule. We just finished 10 weeks of Anatomy and Physiology which was Monday-Thursday. You get Friday off! This stays true throughout most of the academic phase. I honestly don't know how I would of got through the last 10 weeks without a 3 day weekend, it was very intense. This gave me more flexibility to attend weddings and see family in the midst of studying. Also, Augsburg has more breaks. Right now I have a 3 week break till starting the next semester. The alternative is 31 months vs 26 months like some programs, but for me it is worth it to have more flexibility and sanity!

Second, rotation opportunities. Augsburg has very strong connections and sites for rotations in MN, WI, IA, and ND. They also have two full-time staff members who arrange rotations. Most students have their rotations set 6 months before starting their first rotation. The process will start in September for our class.

Third, PANCE pass rate is very high. Two things that matter to be a PA: achieve 75% or higher in your classes and pass PANCE. The curriculum at Augsburg is very challenging, but it is for good reasons. They want us to pass and they go beyond preparing us. You will be a very good PA and the upper Midwest community is aware of Augsburgs strong reputation.

Lastly, I would encourage you to go to an on-campus program. This is something I didn't consider important till these past 10 weeks. Our class has become very close and it has been one of the best experiences to be in a group of people with similar goals and interests. I understand if you have a family or other obligations, I moved 400 miles from my husband. Some of my classmates made similar sacrifices, one even moved 5 hours away from her baby. It's not easy, but your classmates are some of your biggest support for life and the material is sometimes better learned through interaction than self-study. I'm sure you would still get a great education and all necessary material at a distance, but I strongly feel the social aspect is important too.

I hope this helps! I did not apply or have any knowledge of UW, just providing what I can about my experience. Let me know if you have anymore questions about Augsburg. Best wishes for acceptances to you and everyone else striving to be PAs! It will be worth the crazy application process in the end!

[girdeend]

Thank you for your replies! They have all been very helpful! You brought up good points about online learning being difficult with science classes. And the 3 day weekend sounds great! But I also liked the idea of being able to do homework whenever works best for my schedule with online learning. With it being part time, it may also be a little less intense (if that's possible in PA school!). I have not heard back from Augsburg which makes it difficult to get more information about Augsburg. Madison was quick in responding. Definitely great points to think about! I only have 1 prerequisite to take for Augsburg, versus 2 for Madison. So there isn't a huge difference there. Augsburg seems like a great program, especially with the high PANCE pass rate, but it is almost double what Madison costs. I think that is a main reason why I am still on the fence about which one. Thanks again for all the great information you provided! Best of luck in being accepted! :)

[Midwestbound]

Augsburg is getting a brand new department and currently moving this week. This is probably why they are behind schedule on replying. I would think first week of September things should be in better order. Just have patience at this point in the process. They haven't made any interview calls yet. The interview itself says a lot for the programs and was something that certainly helped narrow down my options. Feel free to message me if you have any questions.