owen4166 Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 For those of you that have been in the direct patient care field- have any of you had success applying to a program? I will admit that I'm a little bitter that a 22 year old straight out of college that has to study a anantomy book and find someone to shadow will probably be chosen over me and my ripe old age. Unfortuantely I am having to go back to school since my RT degree does not count and I don't have any of the required classes in the last 5 years. It's my humble opinion that if your are a registerd healthcare worker-- RT, ARRT, RN etc. with over 10 years direct patient care they should have some type of bridge program but thats neither here nor there. So now that I'm done complaining...any of you old folks out there been through the process??? Thanks!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Steve Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 38 years old. First started treating patients as a volunteer at the age of 15 in 1988. Went full time with medicine in 1990, direct patient care as a Navy Corpsman. Became a surgical tech in 1995, paramedic in 1999. I applied to one school only with a 3.0 sGPA and was picked up on the early interview cycle. If you truly believe that years of direct patient care are a hinderence, I think you are looking at the wrong schools. http://www.washington.edu/medicine/som/depts/medex/ Check these folks out. ps: One classmate just retired after being in the Navy as a Corpsman for 20 years. Got another classmate who has been a flight medic for 15 years. Third classmate just turned 56. My point? Stop shooting yourself in the foot and making excuses. Just get it done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surgtech Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 I had some similar thoughts when I decided to finally do what I always wanted to do. I was a HM-2 during the Viet Nam War. Spent 14-months as an FMF corpsman. I spent 4 months in a general medicine ward at a naval hospital; two years as a Cardiac Tech in an ICU ward; 17- years as a police officer; aonther 2-years as the administrator of a radiological practice; then decided to become as surgical tech (for the past 2-yrs). I have over 10,000 hours of direct patient care. Now at 66, I decide I want to be a PA. I had a BA from Rutgers University, but had to retake all my prereq's over again (GPA now 3.5). I was really concern about my age. I live in Chicago, so I went to meet with the head of admission for Rush Medical School who runs the PA program. That meeting changed my whole out look; although we are older applicants (in my case much older) and still have to meet all the requirements; we have an edge. It is life experience, we are the competition. http://www.washington.edu/medicine/som/depts/medex/ and University of Toledo are my top target schools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duchesskre Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 I am currently going through the process. I am a clinical social worker who has worked with the neurosurgery and trauma team at a level one trauma center since grad school and I have had to go back and take the required pre reqs.....I have found most schools will take classes within 10 years for the majority of classes and 7 for sciences. Call the schools directly and see what requirement they will waive based on your circumstances.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owen4166 Posted August 15, 2011 Author Share Posted August 15, 2011 I dont think it a hinderance at all. I just wanted some others who had been down the road. I have been in school for 2 years getting all my prereqs. It's a slow process for me because I'm a traveler and will have to quit working to take my classes that require labs. Unfortunately have to be home to take lab classes. I think if anything the life experience will help..one would think anyway! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owen4166 Posted August 15, 2011 Author Share Posted August 15, 2011 I had some similar thoughts when I decided to finally do what I always wanted to do. I was a HM-2 during the Viet Nam War. Spent 14-months as an FMF corpsman. I spent 4 months in a general medicine ward at a naval hospital; two years as a Cardiac Tech in an ICU ward; 17- years as a police officer; aonther 2-years as the administrator of a radiological practice; then decided to become as surgical tech (for the past 2-yrs). I have over 10,000 hours of direct patient care. Now at 66, I decide I want to be a PA. I had a BA from Rutgers University, but had to retake all my prereq's over again (GPA now 3.5). I was really concern about my age. I live in Chicago, so I went to meet with the head of admission for Rush Medical School who runs the PA program. That meeting changed my whole out look; although we are older applicants (in my case much older) and still have to meet all the requirements; we have an edge. It is life experience, we are the competition. http://www.washington.edu/medicine/som/depts/medex/ and University of Toledo are my top target schools. Wow..thanks! I have to start from ground zero for school since my RT does not count..I'm looking at least 2-3 years to apply due to my current job situation! I guess I'm never to old! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernie Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 I am a 43 year old paramedic. I began in 1987 as a volunteer first responder, driving an ambulance in Virginia. I went on to become a Florida EMT, and then a paramedic. I now teach EMT and paramedic, and many of my students were born AFTER I went to EMT school. I went back to school, got my classes done, and turned my CASPA application in last month. Buckle down, get it done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fm2384 Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 Yep, afraid you have to get that chip off of your shoulder:;)):. I'm 44 and have been a medic for 7 years, got my B.A. in 1998 and have been knocking out my pre-req's for 3 years in order to get into a P.A. program. Believe me, it sounds like a pain in the butt, but in the end you will benefit from it! Attempting to start a P.A. program without any recent science classes would be a detriment and you would suffer. You will be a more well rounded applicant after finishing biology, chemistry and A&P! Best of luck to you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimbikerun4fun Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 42 years here. dietitian and diabetes educator for (gasp) 20 years. moved from one state to another, took 3 years to get a job in my field because I could not believe what the new grads were willing to take in pay ($14/hour) but finally I accepted things, despite a higher cost of living here, and very sadly took a $25,000 cut in pay, course not comparing apples to apples-I was the director of the diabetes program and am currently just a "staff" dietitian, with responsibilities the same of what i did in 1990 my first year out of school. In my attempts to find a comparable job during those 3 years, doors were slammed in my face with managers and HR people telling me "we would only allow an RN to that"...you can imagine my anger, frustration, and feelings of unworthiness...Friends in medicine, including 6 PA's who knew me well back in the city/state we moved here from, always told me I would be great at being a PA but at that time I had no interest in furthering my education because I had a job I loved and was well paid for, till we relocated for my husband's job. Now working 3 jobs a week, no kidding, dietitian for the state during the week, for the hospital on the weekends, and persontal training 4 nights a week (76 hours/week) in order to make what I made in 32 hours/week in previous job, so I can repay the debt I created for our family while not working for those first 3 years living here...long story short, in my second interview at UND and strongly encourage you to apply, their preference is second career students with solid years of experience in some other medical profession-have read everything I can on becoming a PA, shadowed tons of PAs retook a few classes for refresher (amidst my hundreds of hours on CME's I have for my current profession) and CANNNOOOTTTT WAIT to start school and be a ROCK STAR PA! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IdahoPA Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 I am curious as to why you'd be bitter. Using your example, the 22 yr old has completed the pre-reqs while you have not. That student made the choice to go the HS-->college-->PA school route, while you chose a different path. That's not his/her fault and he/she isn't deserving of your bitterness. I think a more efficient use of your energies would be to knock out the pre-reqs (which hopefully wouldn't be a challenge for you since you've spent a number of years in a related field) and recognize that your experience is a benefit. In a similar vein, I'm not bitter that I'm competing for a PA student seat with people who already had a chance to do what they wanted to in their lives and are now returning to further their education. Why? Because I realize we all have different agendas and time schedules, both of which lend us unique perspectives. Should there be a bridge program? Perhaps. But there isn't, so move on and make the best of it. Certainly the sciences have changed in the last 15 years and you could probably learn quite a bit. Good luck in your undergrad career. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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