FuturePAXXXX Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 I’m currently in a MBA program that I will complete during the summer of 2012. I currently work for a FT for a university. I’m 28 and after having my son and being in and out of the hospital with him and speaking with a lot of people in the medical field have decided that I wanted to pursue a career as a PA… My dilemma is that I have 0 hours of HCE I’m in South Fl and have decided that I will probably apply for 2013 after I finish my MBA program and finish my pre reqs. How much will it hurt me that I have 0 HCE hours? Should I try volunteer at a local hospital? My current plan is to take my MBA course as I complete my preqs … I have my bachelors in Communications so I have A LOT of pre reqs to do. Thanks for any and all assistance J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acebecker Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 There are some schools that do not require HCE. That said, and please don't take this personally, you won't be as good a PA student or new graduate PA without at least some experience. The best PAs are the ones who have thousands of hours of prior medical experience in strenuous fields like RN, Paramedic, Athletic Training, etc. I come from an Athletic Training background (in case you don't know that means I completed a 3000 hour internship learning how to evaluate and treat athletic injuries = orthopedics). I had about 6000 hours of HCE on top of my training in various fields including professional work as an Athletic Trainer, CNA and EMT before PA school and I feel like I can only begin to live up to the potential and demand that exists for PAs. So, you'll do yourself and your patients well by getting experience first. That said, again there are some schools that don't require HCE and with your academically diverse background you'll be a good candidate. These schools will train you in what you need to know to pass the PANCE and you will become a PA. Your school will ensure that you achieve competence, which is good. So, with a young one at home and a lot of time committed elsewhere already this is the best option for you. But PA school and your first few years of practice will be MUCH easier for you and better for those you serve if you do get some experience prior to applying. Also, you'll have an even better shot at getting accepted if you have some HCE under your belt - almost all schools recommend it at the very least. So, do you NEED it? No. Is it the best way? Yes (in my opinion), for a variety of reasons. Good luck! Keep us posted. Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenmood Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 Yes, you need it. It will hurt you badly that you have no healthcare experience, and that you didn't try to get any. Guaranteed they will ask why you didn't bother - if you manage to make it to the interview without it - and being busy isn't an excuse. I wasn't aware of specific programs that didn't require any HCE but I'll take it on faith that they exist. If you limit yourself to those programs, well, you're limiting yourself. Unnecessarily, IMO. Schools want to know that you understand what you're getting into, and in my opinion, part of that understanding involves firsthand experience. No number of conversations with people in the medical field can make up for working with patients yourself. Volunteer! Hopefully you'll like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemegroup Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 Isn't this section for PA Students? Posts like this should go in the Pre-PA section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuturePAXXXX Posted August 7, 2011 Author Share Posted August 7, 2011 I guess I need to find some place to volunteer.... I hope the local hospital will be ok. I've also thought about getting certificate or license (EMT, CNA, etc) but am unsure of how I would utilize it as I need to keep my current job to pay my bills. I'm sure I will figure something out thanks for your replies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted August 7, 2011 Administrator Share Posted August 7, 2011 I worked as a volunteer EMT/Firefighter for 4 years before I entered PA school, and did that while taking my prerequisites. Beyond the basics, I took more coursework than I needed, and I took every extra opportunity I could when I was working as an EMT. I took IV, ACLS, and BLS instructor classes, and worked as a simulated patient for EMT-basic classes as soon as I was able. Mind you, my county has a wonderful mix of career, combination, and all-volunteer fire departments; not every county does. Still, I took every bit of advantage I could to throw myself into the field, especially when I decided PA instead of Paramedic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Steve Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 Medicine is a foreign language and culture. I suppose you could write a metaphor that medicine is a country in itself. Yes, you can visit the country for extended periods of time (shadowing) but it's difficult to really understand it until you live there for an extended period of time....dedicating yourself to that country to learn all you can about it. (working in it) You may be able to know how to "order a meal" (a lab or procedure) but it's doubtful you would understand how they made that meal. (the science behind the value, and how it applies to your patient). It's the same idea of someone who studies a foreign language in a stateside school, taught by a non native speaker (for example, studying spanish in college for four years from an American born english speaker), compared to living abroad in a spanish speaking country/culture for one year. Which situation do you think will leave you better prepared and fluent in both culture and language? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryEP Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 To the OP (FuturePAXXXX): I was in a very similar position to yours when I decided to become a PA: professional job, at 40+ hrs/wk; undergraduate degree in unrelated filed; few or no prereqs; no HCE. Based on my experience, having already applied in the past: yes, you need the HCE. End of story. Although I have been able to accumulate nearly 1500 hours of volunteer experience over the years, only about 500 hours of that could legitimately be characterized as patient care experience; the rest was "health care related," such as assisting unit clerks on a busy in-patient unit at a major hospital. And 500 is definitely on the low side. I know for a fact that not having more hurt me in past applications. I believe that responsible volunteer experience will count as HCE, IF you actually had hands-on experience taking care of patients, and IF you make that clear in your application! In my case, I'm able to work directly alongside RNs, LPNs, and CNAs in one of my volunteer placements, doing things like lifting, repositioning, transfering, toileting, bathing, and feeding, so that counts. If you don't do direct patient care but are in a health care setting, that's "health care related," and not as highly valued by admissions committees. That said, I have learned a TON about health care and how it's practiced on a day-to-day basis by being a fly on the wall on the aforementioned in-patient unit, and so I highly recommend that type of experience, if you can make the time. Finally, you may find that you do, indeed, need paid experience only possible with a crediential or license (CNA, EMT, RN, etc.) before applying to PA school. If so, take a deep breath, and ask yourself whether you can cut back your hours at your current or even take a break while completing the training or beginning a new part-time or full-time job. Best of luck! Feel free to PM me if you want to talk more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryEP Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 PAMAC: If you were replying to me: yes, I do believe my volunteer experience was counted as HCE, because it was. I checked with the schools I applied to. None required "paid" experience, and a number explicitly specified that responsible volunteer experience would be counted. They were more concerned with what I actually did than what the position was called, or whether money changed hands. Having said that, my point to the original poster was that s/he might discover, at some point, that picking up paid experience is a very good idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesscbv Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 you have to imagine how you will stack up against people that are steeped in health care experience. if you dont have any significant exposure to the medical field, you will be at a significant disadvantage. This isn't the big issue. From what I can gather (I'm pre-PA student) You're not trying to "compete" against other applicants/students. You're gaining experience to make you the BEST POSSIBLE FUTURE PA. A patient doesn't care if you got picked over so-and-so. A patient will benefit from you having "been there, done that." That comes with experience. A lesson I've learned is not to work on merely what I think the adcoms will be impressed by; rather I should focus on filling in the gaps in my knowledge by immersing myself in different health care settings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryEP Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 This isn't the big issue. From what I can gather (I'm pre-PA student) You're not trying to "compete" against other applicants/students. You're gaining experience to make you the BEST POSSIBLE FUTURE PA. A patient doesn't care if you got picked over so-and-so. A patient will benefit from you having "been there, done that." That comes with experience. A lesson I've learned is not to work on merely what I think the adcoms will be impressed by; rather I should focus on filling in the gaps in my knowledge by immersing myself in different health care settings. Jess: I understand where you're coming from. However, I think we're actually trying to do both: compete successfully against other applicants, and accrue the kind of experience that will make us the best PAs we can possibly be. The second goal is, of course, the main one. However, meeting it as a pre-PA won't do any of us one iota of good if our applications are left on the cutting room floor. Best of luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesscbv Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Yep, you guys are totally correct. My point is not that you "don't have to worry about what the adcoms think" or that it's not a competitive process to get into school. That stuff is true. My point was that when you are looking for things to add to your experience that you should not shoot for the bare minimum, or simply what will look good. You'll be doing yourself and your patients a favor to be introspective and participate in things that enrich your knowledge and experience. Sure it looks good to do X activity for X amount of hours. But if you apply yourself in areas where you really have an interest, where you can learn, and where you can make a difference, that may be the number one option (for your future AND in the eyes of the ADCOMS.) I think we all agree though. You do have to meet the requirements, like you said. And you're not going to be a PA at all if you can't get into school. I think I may have gotten off track here...sorry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesscbv Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 Most def. And you're right about everyone at that interview being impressive. It was inspiring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xx1playgurlxx Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 ok... i totally am with you. the whole threshold thing is something i try to get everyone who is applying to disregard as well. i personally grew the most as a pre PA when i looked at things like you were saying... i asked myself more than simply what i needed to do the be acceptable. rather, i searched for what i needed to do to have a decent shot at standing out. everyone has to come up with their own motivation, and mine was for me to visualize that i had to take every opportunity i had to stand out.... ie had to develop every skill i could with the resources i had. that meant giving up TV, not wasting time, not avoiding challenging roles at work, even finding ways to not be brought down by weaknesses i felt i had. my first interview was medex, and thats where you find applicants that are among the most steeped in experience. the paradigm shifted immediately for me because less BS was permitted in the interviews. you either had the preparation they wanted you to have, or you didnt. the day i went home, i knew that just meeting the base level wasnt going to be enough because everyone there was top notch (with maybe a couple exceptions). but when you are in a room with 26 people, and half arent going to get in, and more than half are very good candidates, you know you need to do more. someone could look around and see a few people they felt they had an edge on just by guessing (and often those kinds of judgements are misplaced), but in a place like that, you are hit square in the face with the fact that there will be no squeaking into a spot. you need to stand out. squeaking through means you can expect to slip past a couple folks. when it involves slipping past 12 or 15, you then lose the illusion that its possible to operate that way. so yeah, i have kind of the same outlook as you, but i approached it by looking at it as a matchup between me and some of the better candidates out there. that kept me motivated. :O yikes!! haha...i think no matter how busy or determined I got I would never give up watching my favorite shows haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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