RRivas2004 Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 Just some pointers for those that got accepted and those who are thinking about applying... - PA school is ALOT easier when you have a solid medical background to help understand the mountain of info you need to learn. Get a job and learn as much as you can beforehand. - MDC is a pain to get private loans for...start looking at loan options and save your money. Financial aid department can be annoying.. - The 1st year goes by so fast, you learn ALOT but you also realize you don't know anything yet. Stay humble, stay honest. - Physiolgy, Pathophysiology, anatomy, and pharmacology are your foundations. If you are solid in these subjects you will be ok. - Buy a review book with practice questions for the PA boards and start doing questions early, early as in the first semester..so you get used to the format. This will be of greatest benefit to those students with poor test taking skills or test anxiety (very common). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolombian Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 Dear RRivas: Thank you for publishing such usefuladvice. I was selected for 2013 class, and I am completing my application. I amliving in Manatee County, about four hours driving to Miami, and I need a placeto live. I am looking for a place to sleep, to study, and preferably near tothe Medical Campus. If you know somebody who rent or want to share a room, Iwould thank you for any help. Attentively, Hernando Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanoo07 Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 Thank you RRivas! your posts are so helpful! Please post more! how was your first day in the program? how about a summary of your 1st year!? :) I would also like to know which review book do you recommend and which ones you don't. Thank you :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idelsis Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 Hi, I'm a MDC Alumni... class of '07. The one book I think every P.A needs is Boards and ward!! I agree with Rivas, stay humble...be honest and study hard from the very start. By the end of the program you will be more than ready for the PANCE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RRivas2004 Posted July 11, 2011 Author Share Posted July 11, 2011 Pick up boards and wards, buy a Kaplan review book for USMLE step 2. The difficulty level of USMLE questions ( The licensing exam for MD's) is in my opinion much more in depth and difficult than those in the Physician Assistant review books... If you take your time to study out of the USMLE review book you will have an excellent grasp of the material for your classes and then later the PANCE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanoo07 Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Thanks you guys! Also, do you think i should buy all the textbooks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RRivas2004 Posted July 12, 2011 Author Share Posted July 12, 2011 Wait for school to start, some of us may want to sell you our books if they are using the same ones. Start looking for your Stethoscope, Opth/Otoscope. You'll need it for physical dx lab. Hernando, wait for the orientation week to meet your classmates then you can figure out living arrangements for down here. I would check the El Nuevo herald newspaper to find an apartment in Hialeah or south miami. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PA4_13 Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 RRivas, just a quick question. Do the professors normally provide the powerpoint presentations before class? The reason I ask is that a friend in another PA program mentioned that her professors provide the pps before class and she was able to print them out in an outline format rather than a 65 page packet of slides. Thanks ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RRivas2004 Posted July 17, 2011 Author Share Posted July 17, 2011 usually they dont send them out in advance..they bring a flash drive with them to class then you can have someone forward it to the rest of the class. Its kind of hard to study in advance honestly. Just try to keep up with whats going on and study for the tests as you go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PA4_13 Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Thanks for your reply ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PA4_13 Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Thanks for your reply ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julius Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Board and Wards by Ayala? I see some reviews on amazon about it and the reviews for the newer one, 4th Ed. , aren't that great. Which book exactly have you had success with? Thank you in advance. I will look into the Kaplan as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julius Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Board and Wards by Ayala? I see some reviews on amazon about it and the reviews for the newer one, 4th Ed. , aren't that great. Which book exactly have you had success with? Thank you in advance. I will look into the Kaplan as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julius Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Also are you referring to the Kaplan CS , ck, or Q book? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julius Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Also are you referring to the Kaplan CS , ck, or Q book? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RRivas2004 Posted July 31, 2011 Author Share Posted July 31, 2011 Yes to Boards and Wards by Ayala. Its quite useful, dont listen to the reviews... Kaplan clinical knowledge for USMLE step 2 and Q book for step 2. Kaplan Qbook and/or review for USMLE step 1 was useful for the Physiology questions with Dr. Lotoki. (Human Physiology Phd) however I don't know If he will be teaching phys for the next class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RRivas2004 Posted July 31, 2011 Author Share Posted July 31, 2011 Yes to Boards and Wards by Ayala. Its quite useful, dont listen to the reviews... Kaplan clinical knowledge for USMLE step 2 and Q book for step 2. Kaplan Qbook and/or review for USMLE step 1 was useful for the Physiology questions with Dr. Lotoki. (Human Physiology Phd) however I don't know If he will be teaching phys for the next class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futurePA21 Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 hello everyone, i am submitting my application for the 2015 class on Thursday & I must say i am MORE than nervous, scared, anxious and just an overall MESS, I am so stressed as I want to get into the MDC program soooo badly. I have about 1000+ pt contact hours, gpa is only a 2.8 tho :/ a bachelors in Health Admin, a Health Science minor, a liscene in phlebotomy, BUT my anat 1 & II claases wont be completed BEFORE i submit my app. Due to this reason I have typed up a letter of intent to attach to my application, at this point i just dont know what else i can do to help supplemwnt my application, any advice????? :saddd: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JpMorgan-PA Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 My friend with that GPA is horrible and i mean horrible...... If you get so lucky as to make it to the test. Than you will get anihalated on the interview. Im sorry but that GPA is horrible plus you havent completed the Anatomy Class. You should work on getting that GPA up to a 3.4 or 3..5. The current class is and the previous one almost everybody had 3.4 up to 4.0...... Sorry but im just being honest. Wish you the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christianatkins Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 GPA is not everything, however JPMORGAN is correct in that they are very specific now, you must complete pre-reqs PRIOR to application. Best of luck, Christian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrssmith1017 Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Hello. I've just completed my application for the Jan. 15 deadline. I'm so nervous about applying. I have a 3.0 gpa and have been a RN in ICU for 3.5 years. I know my GPA is low, but not sure how much weight is given to health care experience. What are some positive and negative experiences with Miami Dade College? I'm going to continue to working on completing my BSN while waiting to hear from Miami. If I don't get in I will keep working on my BSN and apply again next year or wait to apply for masters programs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JpMorgan-PA Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 They will bombared you at the interview with the obvious question of why not just become an ARNP? Why PA? The gpa is low but then again its the GPA of a nursing degree so its different. I think at your stage nurse practitioner is a better option but good luck to you anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanthebull Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 I also just turned in my application for the program and my gpa is 3.18 from reading other post it seems kind of low but i am medic with 6 years of experience do you think that might help ? Good Luck to everyone who applied. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JpMorgan-PA Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Yes infact you are in a better position in my opinion than the nurse who posted before you. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrssmith1017 Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Good luck to you too vanthebull. JpMorgan, it seems like you have a beef with nurses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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