Cornell PA Program Pros and Cons

[kit-kat]

blackpanther,

 

I can't speak for the Cornell adcom, but the general impression I've been getting from the admissions department at schools is that its all about how much patient contact you're getting. Per patient, if you're spending 1/3 of the time with the patient and 2/3 in the lab centrifuging/doing lab paperwork then the hours are 1/3 direct patient contact and 2/3 healthcare related. That's why being a MA or nurse or something similar is considered "better" because your job is primarily taking vitals/histories of the patient (ie 100% patient contact). Hope that helps?

 

Anyone else have any input on how much weight Cornell puts on HCE in general? I know they don't have a set number of hours required. My impression was that they were just looking for evidence that you know what kind of a profession you're getting yourself into.

Edited April 25, 2010 by kit-kat

[Guest blackpanther]

thanx that helps. i was just thinking phlebotomy cuz it's the shortest to get certified. also - i know cornell has surgical focus but does that mean you can only specialize in surgery? or does it just mean more rotations are surgery-related?

[bchernock]

It's really the whole package that matters. Direct patient care experience is preferred but will not overshadow poor grades or any other lacking areas. Likewise, great grade will not overshadow no HCE. You need to have a balance. There were some people in my class with very minimal HCE and others with tons of direct patient care experience. HCE ranged from nurse, paramedic, CNA, nutritionist, clinical researcher, personal trainer, ATC, etc.

[kit-kat]

Bchernock,

Thanks for the info! MUCH appreciated :) I'll be applying in a month and a half!

 

Blackpanther,

My understanding is that Cornell's program will give you a competitive edge when applying to surgical jobs when you graduate because of it's emphasis. However, they have 5 electives (so awesome) you can do in whatever you want and they all could be non-surgical, so you aren't limited to only surgery. And you still have the flexibility to move around in your career specialty-wise just like any other graduate from other programs.

[myrhaohayon]

Hi,

Thank you for your honest feedback regarding the cornell program. It is really helpful in selecting schools that I want to apply to. Unfortunately, money is a big issue and I don't know if I can afford Cornell, but at the same time, I would love to be able to learn at New York Hospital. I was wondering if you could tell me more about the lack of student support. That piece is very important to me. I appreciate you taking time out to answer my question and helping us all out.

Thank you.

Myrha

[dorringer]

 

Do you know how many students get a secondary application? From that pool, do you know how many get an interview? Thanks.

[cornellpa]

No, I do not know about secondary applications and interviews. I know you want answers, but try to find a distraction. ultimately, it all works out.

[little_storm]

I interviewed in early September....still no word from Cornell :( So much for hearing from them in two weeks!?

[Tweetiez17]

I submitted my application right before the deadline. All I got was the confirmation of receipt email and nothing since. I guess thats a reject. Some schools at least give you a timeline as to when you'll hear back. Nothing from these guys. Oh well.

[just_me]

I received a confirmation too.....from that point programs cant take a few weeks to review your app. with Cornell its get reviewed and if they find you fit then they send the supplemental

[powerpower]

thank you so much for the information. When making the decision of where to go, it's really helpful to have the pros and cons laid out by someone who is currently experiencing life as a pa student at weill cornell! can you please give me some more information about the hospital/library building. Where is it located? Also, is there really no drink/food allowed in your classroom?? (yes, it was important enough for me to bring up haha)

[kit-kat]

I interviewed Sept 10th and I still haven't heard anything at all. *sigh*

[nickig117]

Hi, what would you say that your overall GPA needs to be to get accepted, and how much clinical experience are they looking for?

 

thanks

[qnj327]

Hi everyone!

 

I actually also would like to know of those with a GPA of 3.3 or lower who got into the program, what else did you do that made you stand out? I am very curious too about GPA and GRE scores. I have been a dental hygienist for 3 years and thought I'd go into dental school, until I found out about this profession. When I found out about what being a PA entailed and the flexibility it offers (in terms of specializing), I was much more excited about being a PA than I ever have been about dental school. I just am very overwhelmed by the Cornell name and feel like my GPA may not be enough to cut it. It will be about 3.3, perhaps a little higher, when I graduate with a BA in bio.

 

After I get my BA, for financial reasons, I will be working full-time for a year. Though I will be volunteering at a hospital and shadowing a PA this semester, for the year after that all I will have time for is work and shadowing once a week. I'm not sure if that would mean I am seriously lacking in the credentials to make it into this program. I don't know if being a dental hygienist counts as good HCE. Thoughts?

[PAHopeful00]

3) Telling me about all the instruments you play and how you did some really complex chemistry reasearch.....thats all well and good, but I'm interested in why you want to be a PA, why you think you should be accepted and a then some about yourself.

 

Question about this point. So I am a sophomore at a relatively small liberal arts college. Although I am a Bio major, my current priority is getting EMT certified so that I can get involved with my local and campus EMS squads. It's something I've been really wanting to be involved with for a while and figured it was great way to have hand on med. exposure. I also want to spend the next few semesters balancing course work and medical related volunteering whenever possible. HOWEVER, my Bio professor is really pushing me to get involved with Bio research. I love Biology and would love to do something research related but am concerned about time. It seems like other medical related opportunities (EMS, shadowing, hospital volunteering, clinical admin, etc) would be much more important to my pre-PA endeavors than doing Bio research but is this the case? Do they even consider what your research background is on an application?

[tme12]

Does anyone know if Cornell is still sending out secondary applications? I still have not gotten one. I submitted the application 8/8/11 and got confirmation that they received it on 8/30. I have a Masters from NYU. 500 hrs direct patient care. Science GPA 3.8, GRE 1200. I am concerned that I havent received a secondary....

[Strawmaryblonde]

When you say very little student support, what exactly are you referring to? The faculty doesn't support the students, or the students don't support each other much? study groups, interaction? do you feel your class gets along, works well together?

[Strawmaryblonde]

I am a Weill Cornell PA student open to questions about the Cornell PA program. I thought I would make myself available to anyone who might want to find out more about the school.

 

Many students choose Cornell because of its surgical focus and because the name Cornell might serve them in the future. While this is may be true, it is a lot to pay for reputation. The school’s cost with tuition and fees (fees are an additional 20-25% of tuition) is approximately $75,000. Living in New York costs at least another $1500-2000/month. Total debt at the end of two years could be as much as $150,000.

 

I have listed some pros and cons about Cornell's program, because each one of you will be dedicating the next couple of years to studying hard and accruing a considerable debt. Hopefully this list will give you the extra information you need to choose the program that is right for you.

 

Pros:

 

1.Surgically focused program with an awesome surgery professor.

2.Full anatomy dissection course with a great team of doctors. Lots of support and about 6 students per cadaver. (This was an intensive course done in 6 weeks).

3.15 months of rotations in excellent settings.

4.Short didactic year of 10 months.

5.Most professors teach their material well.

 

Cons:

 

1.The program is poorly administered and lacks sufficient staff to administer the program correctly.

2.Very little student support.

3.Schedules are posted weekly, not by semester.

4.Mandatory dress requirement: men must wear ties and women cannot wear open-toed shoes.

5.The program lacks teaching space and has to shuffle its students around at times.

6.Mandatory class attendance.

7.Housing is not guaranteed.

 

 

Again, feel free to contact me with any questions.

 

When you say there is little student support, what exactly are you referring to? Little support from the faculty, or little support from one another? Do you feel that your class works well together, studies well together, etc? Thanks!

[WoNo]

All of my post-bacc courses were completed at a community college in Seattle. Undergrad was completed at a 4-year university in Ohio. Science GPA is 3.9 and overall GPA is 3.9 as well, and I have good HCE as an EMT. Will my community college credits put me at a significant disadvantage?

[Softi]

All of my post-bacc courses were completed at a community college in Seattle. Undergrad was completed at a 4-year university in Ohio. Science GPA is 3.9 and overall GPA is 3.9 as well, and I have good HCE as an EMT. Will my community college credits put me at a significant disadvantage?

 

With that GPA, highly unlikely. I don't think PA schools care about some community college credit

[siddhartha]

Like it or not, name recognition still plays a role. One thing that Cornell has is just that, name recognition.

 

I do know from experience that I got interviews, and job offers based on the fact that I went to Cornell. It would also come out in the interviews, or casual conversations with people during the interviews (when I was walked around the hospital for example, I'd be introduced as "that Cornell guy."). 

 

For better or worse, name recognition does help. It is just the way of the world that an employer might be looking at two identical applications, and see one with "Harvard" at the top, and the other with "Unknown college" and be inclined towards the one with the name they know.

 

The importance of this is variable, and also variable in terms of what it's worth to you. I just know from experience that the name recognition has opened doors for me, and while I didn't necessarily have a better education than others (and I sure paid for it!), some perceived it as such.

 

Once you get your dream job this doesn't matter anymore, but up until then (and should you need to switch jobs a bit) it does help.

[aliss929]

[Hopefulfor2014]

Anyone get a supplemental yet this cycle (2014)

[Lisbella]

what are my chances of getting an interview from cornell? my gpa is 3.85 with a bio gpa of 4.0...i'm involved in many honors society, but my gre is lower than the 50% tile? i also worked for a surgeon and shadowed a PA as well. 

[TheGunsnMoses]

I am a Weill Cornell PA student open to questions about the Cornell PA program. I thought I would make myself available to anyone who might want to find out more about the school.

 

Many students choose Cornell because of its surgical focus and because the name Cornell might serve them in the future. While this is may be true, it is a lot to pay for reputation. The school’s cost with tuition and fees (fees are an additional 20-25% of tuition) is approximately $75,000. Living in New York costs at least another $1500-2000/month. Total debt at the end of two years could be as much as $150,000.

 

I have listed some pros and cons about Cornell's program, because each one of you will be dedicating the next couple of years to studying hard and accruing a considerable debt. Hopefully this list will give you the extra information you need to choose the program that is right for you.

 

Pros:

 

1.Surgically focused program with an awesome surgery professor.

2.Full anatomy dissection course with a great team of doctors. Lots of support and about 6 students per cadaver. (This was an intensive course done in 6 weeks).

3.15 months of rotations in excellent settings.

4.Short didactic year of 10 months.

5.Most professors teach their material well.

 

Cons:

 

1.The program is poorly administered and lacks sufficient staff to administer the program correctly.

2.Very little student support.

3.Schedules are posted weekly, not by semester.

4.Mandatory dress requirement: men must wear ties and women cannot wear open-toed shoes.

5.The program lacks teaching space and has to shuffle its students around at times.

6.Mandatory class attendance.

7.Housing is not guaranteed.

 

 

Again, feel free to contact me with any questions.

 

I noticed this post is a little outdated from 2009 so I'll take it upon myself to update it and will address the points above.

 

Pros:

1. One of two surgical PA programs I believe.

2. Full cadaver dissection in a 5-6 student team per cadaver w/doctors who will give you all the support you'll ever need. Done in 6 weeks.

3. 15 months of rotations with 5 elective rotations.  Many programs have 2.

4. Short didactic of 10 months.  If it's gonna be painful might as well make it fast and painful.  

5. Most professors teach their material well.

6. The affiliations and resources you have here are mind-boggling.  

 

Now to address the Cons mentioned.

 

Cons:

1.The program is poorly administered and lacks sufficient staff to administer the program correctly. Some may say this, but I personally believe they get everything that needs to be done in a timely and reasonable manner.  

2.Very little student support.  This is not currently the case.  You will get plenty of support from the faculty and fellow students if you simply ask.  And even if you don't ask for it, they will be on your case.  Faculty genuinely wants you to learn and to improve the program and is open to your suggestions.  

3.Schedules are posted weekly, not by semester.  This changed.  You get a semester schedule in advance which may have small changes here and there, but nothing unreasonable or unexpected. 

4.Mandatory dress requirement: men must wear ties and women cannot wear open-toed shoes.  The PA profession is only 50 years old.  Sliced bread is older than the profession(87 years in case you're wondering).  Many people still do not know what a PA is including other MDs.  It's our job to represent the profession and dressing properly is part of that representation.  Also you will have to dress up anyways when you meet with patients so might as well get used to it.  We also dress better than the med students.

5.The program lacks teaching space and has to shuffle its students around at times. We have our own dedicated teaching space.   

6.Mandatory class attendance. You're paying $75k tuition.  What else would you rather do with your time, lunch specials and happy hour?  Actually, on some days you can go to mandatory class, AND have lunch specials AND happy hour in the same day!

7.Housing is not guaranteed. Everyone who wanted housing eventually got it though you may have to wait a few months, but most people will get it before classes start.

 

I'm open to questions about the program if I know the answer(PM me) but I will not answer what your chances are of getting into the program or read personal statements.  Just know that they will choose a diverse and balanced class, where everyone will have different strengths and weaknesses and different things to offer.