Canas Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 I'm only going to apply to Cleveland State University/Tri-C's Physician Assistant program for this year, I might apply to other schools if I get rejected and have some healthcare experience.. The deadline is November 1, 2011. I have zero healthcare experience right now, and I graduated in 2009 from Cleveland State University with a Bachelor's of Science degree and I majored in Biology. I have a 3.26 cumulative gpa and a 3.07 Science gpa, I calculated the gpa myself so I might have made a mistake but I have a feeling it's right. I'm going to shadow hopefully several physician assistants in different specialties. I'm also studying for the GRE-Revised and will take it end of September. The reason why my Science gpa is low is because I got a D in Biochemistry in a semester when I had to take care of my sick mother a lot. So if I get rejected, I was looking at certificate programs in a healthcare related field. I was wondering if I should become a Phlebotomist? If they transfer classes from what I took in undergrad I'd probably only need 6-7 credits to get the certificate to become a Phlebotomist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinntsp Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 GPAs on the lower side with no HCE = not competitive and not likely to get accepted anywhere, especially if applying late in the cycle. If I were you, I would forego applying this cycle and work on getting HCE. Take additional upper level science courses at the same time to help show that you are a "new man" as well as raise the GPAs a bit. Retake science courses that you made a C or lower in. You can reach your goal but it's going to take some time and effort. Keep at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canas Posted August 4, 2011 Author Share Posted August 4, 2011 You have to look at my major though, I've taken a lot of hard Science classes. Like General Chemistry I and II which I got solid A's in. Organic Chemistry I, Cell Biology which I got a B in, Introductory Biology I and II, Animal Behavior, Wetland Ecology, College Physics I and II. Oh and I was also thinking of applying next year and just save my energy and resources until I have some healthcare experience. I don't think I'll retake my Science classes because I'm hard on money right now and the averaged grade won't be that impressive anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinntsp Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 You have to look at my major though, I've taken a lot of hard Science classes. Like General Chemistry I and II which I got solid A's in. Organic Chemistry I, Cell Biology which I got a B in, Introductory Biology I and II, Animal Behavior, Wetland Ecology, College Physics I and II. Oh and I was also thinking of applying next year and just save my energy and resources until I have some healthcare experience. I don't think I'll retake my Science classes because I'm hard on money right now and the averaged grade won't be that impressive anyway. 90% of the people you're competing against for PA school slots were science majors, have taken those same classes and made all As, and have a much higher GPA. Take the advice or not but you'll find the advice of everyone else here to be very similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canas Posted August 4, 2011 Author Share Posted August 4, 2011 Lol. That's fine, should I go into Physical Therapy school instead? I have a 3.7 prerequisite gpa for the program at my alma mater. I would have liked to become a Physician Assistant more though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinntsp Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Lol. That's fine, should I go into Physical Therapy school instead? I have a 3.7 prerequisite gpa for the program at my alma mater. I would have liked to become a Physician Assistant more though. Sure, if you'd prefer to be a PT. I definitely suggest saving your money and not applying to PA school if you're not willing to put in the work to make yourself competitive. You'll just be giving it away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canas Posted August 4, 2011 Author Share Posted August 4, 2011 It's not really the work, it's the money. Will retaking classes really help though? I'm not absolutely sure I would get the solid A in Precalculus II, Organic Chemistry I, Population Biology and Biochemistry. Those were the only classes I got C's in and a D in Biochemistry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterallsummer Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Sounds like you're not sure what you want to do. The job roles between PA and PT are vastly different. Why not forgo applying this cycle, which you are already late for and have the odds stacked against you, and work on shadowing various positions and getting a job as a CNA? If you take some pressure off yourself from getting in somewhere this cycle and just relaxed, you could instead invest the time in deciding what it is exactly you want to do. Retaking classes will definitely help whichever route you went. A D is a fail for most universities so at the very least retake that one. And as previously mentioned while those are tough classes most of us have had to take them. Good luck man just take your time and it will all work out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinntsp Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 It's not really the work, it's the money. Will retaking classes really help though? I'm not absolutely sure I would get the solid A in Precalculus II, Organic Chemistry I, Population Biology and Biochemistry. Those were the only classes I got C's in and a D in Biochemistry. Retaking classes will show that you can handle the material and have matured as a student. It shows that you really did get that D because your mom was sick and not because you're lazy. Money is easy to come by with student loans. It sucks owing more money but it's an investment into your future. The hospital I work for has been paying for my classes and books. I haven't spent a dime on the four classes I've taken this year. Perhaps you can get a job somewhere that offers tuition reimbursement as well. There is always a way if you want something badly enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canas Posted August 4, 2011 Author Share Posted August 4, 2011 Oh thanks guys! I'll probably retake at Organic Chemistry I and Biochemistry. The reason why I was so against it was because my dad told me not to retake them and said it wouldn't help. So that's why I thought it wouldn't help. Should I retake the classes at Cleveland State or at Tri-c, a community college, which is a whole lot cheaper? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenmood Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 Most schools don't care where you take the pre-reqs. You can check just in case. Research the professions; it sounds like you don't really know what you want yet, and shadowing in different healthcare fields can help narrow it down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemegroup Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 Zero HCE? Not good. As far as being unsure of the career that would satisfy you most, I suggest shadowing a PT as well as a PA. I was pre-PT until I shadowed one for half a day ... while it is VERY important work, obviously, it just wasn't right for me and I wouldn't have known that if I hadn't shadowed and observed. You might find the same, or you might find exactly the opposite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canas Posted August 5, 2011 Author Share Posted August 5, 2011 Thanks guys. Your input was very much appreciated. I was thinking of retaking Organic Chemistry in Community College too. I was also thinking of getting a certificate to become a Phlebotomist so I could make more money and get the needed HCE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mktalon Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 Canas, in the future you might reconsider your thoughts about your major being so much more difficult than anyone else's. A lot that people think they are justified for having a lower GPA because they studied biology. Where did this come from, that a biology major is so much more difficult than everything else. Sure there are probably SOME majors out there that are easier to excel in but any comparison is really a flawed way of looking at it... especially if you use that excuse with the adcom. I have excelled in philosophy and biology and math, but put me in a music program and I would flunk out. I have gotten straight A's in biology and philosophy, but think that my philosophy courses were more difficult than the sciences. But that judgment only comes from having experience in studying both AND is based on my individual strengths and weaknesses. A biology degree is NOT more difficult than everything else for everyone, it was only more difficult for you. So I wouldn't use that as an excuse for poor grades. Accept your grades for what they are and why they are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenmood Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 Yeah, I see a lot of people with low-ish GPAs writing "but look at my major"... not really understanding that the difficulty of the courses you've taken only matters if you do well in them. As a positive indicator of your potential as graduate student. It's always better to NOT have to make excuses for yourself if you can avoid it. It distracts from your awesomeness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsRonSwanson Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 I think it would be one thing if they have a lower GPA and lots of great HCE. The bottom line is these schools are getting 1500-2000 applicants for an average of 50 spots (give or take). They don't care if your major was hard because there are kids who had the same major with 3.7, 3.8, 3.9 GPAs. I'm afraid it's all about making yourself competitive and one of the best ways seems to be with GPA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canas Posted August 8, 2011 Author Share Posted August 8, 2011 You actually think that I would tell the admissions committee that I have a lower gpa purely because of my major? Then you must take me for an idiot. To be honest, it's just my opinion that hard Science, Math and Engineering are the hardest majors you can take. I did hear Philosophy is difficult too but I earned an A- in Bioethics and a B in Early Modern Philosophy. Oh and I asked a professor in a Neuroscience doctoral program about gpa, he said if I have a gpa of 3.2 something and I majored in something like Psychology something non-Science, Math, and Engineering it would be looked down upon compared to something like hard Science. So it's not like I'm the only one who thinks that it's harder. Even my friend Nicole, she was going for Pharmacy school but then changed her major to Pharmacy Administration, which is a business degree, and she said it was significantly easier. I can talk about a dozen or so other similar events. Also, I know that there are many people with a Biology degree with a very high gpa. For instance, I know a lot of my fellow classmates who were Biology majors had at least 3.5. I didn't mean to make excuses, but I guess that's how it looked like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorRRT Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 With the lack of HCE you have, I don't see it happening. I have similar stats, but with 4000 hours HCE as a respiratory therapist and a 1270 GRE I consider myself a border-line competitive applicant. Hopefully that puts things in better perspective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canas Posted February 17, 2012 Author Share Posted February 17, 2012 I think I was just being sensitive when I made those posts, I am a female after all. I'd like to apologize. Anyway, after I looked the advice from you guys, I ended up becoming a CNA. So now I'm working as a CNA. I'm going to retake Organic Chemistry I and Biochemistry as well, but I'm still kind of concerned that taking it at a community college would be viewed as inferior to taking it at a university. So would it be seen as a cop-out? I know someone else answered this question earlier but I want more opinions. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Realmadrid Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 I think I was just being sensitive when I made those posts, I am a female after all. not that I'm a raging feminist or anything, but I hate it when women say these kinds of things... Hopefully you'll be able to hold your own in a potentially male-dominated work environment without having to blame your gender for any short comings you may experience. You just expressed an opinion in your own way- heck, I've read some really heated/impulsive posts that I'm sure at least a few were made by males! :) That being said- I agree with what PAMAC says. From the forum, it looks like the general consensus is that classes at CC are absolutely acceptable and hold the same amount of weight as classes taken at a 4-year. I've read a lot of people share their success stories, and it looks like quite a few were accepted to strong programs with a majority of their pre-reqs taken at CC. Best of luck to you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrCats Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 I am a raging feminist - well close to raging - and I also hate when women say these kinds of things... Well said Realmadrid.. I too, agree with PAMAC. Good Luck to you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duchesskre Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 To be honest, it's just my opinion that hard Science, Math and Engineering are the hardest majors you can take. I did hear Philosophy is difficult too but I earned an A- in Bioethics and a B in Early Modern Philosophy. Oh and I asked a professor in a Neuroscience doctoral program about gpa, he said if I have a gpa of 3.2 something and I majored in something like Psychology something non-Science, Math, and Engineering it would be looked down upon compared to something like hard Science. . The nice thing about PA school is they really do look at the individual from a holistic way. Your statement above may hold up if all that is being looked at is school and grades but I can tell you PA schools look at a whole lot more. I had an undergrad GPA of about 3.3 and I was a CRIMINOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY double major. I went on and got a masters in social work and had a 3.4 GPA in grad school. After working for 5 years as a medical social worker, I went back and took all my science pre reqs at a CC and got a 4.0.....my science GPA was a 3.7 (because I had one lab and lecture from undergrad that went into my science gpa)....my over all GPA (cause I had so many credits all together) was only raised to about 3.4. Add my experience into the mix (a decent GRE score) and I got lots of interviews and acceptances to schools including to Duke.....so, dont knock non-science majors even if you didnt have a stellar GPA.....and dont knock classes community classes.....(people have mentioned them on this thread)....neither cc classes or a lower non-science gpa is necessarily a reason a person will have trouble getting in to school...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canas Posted February 18, 2012 Author Share Posted February 18, 2012 Alright, I was wrong in generalizing about women. Not all women are sensitive, even I know that. It's just that I'm particularly sensitive at times. Thanks for all the advice I got, I'll definitely put it to good use! Good luck with all of your personal endeavors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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