dep1993 Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 I am a freshman at Texas Tech, and currently majoring in Psychology, and am wondering if the subject I major in has a factor of me getting into pa school. Any suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenmood Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 I don't think most places care. I was a psych major. Had no trouble. Take your pre-reqs and have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contrarian Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 Like MD/DO school... as long as you take the pre-reqs and do well in them... it doesn't matter what your Bachelors degree is in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawnmclane Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 I don't think it really matters. I was accepted into PA school this week and my bachelor's is in accounting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steven.c Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 Well I would venture to say yes, surely a bachelor degree in Microbiology or a similar degree is more impressive to adcoms than a non-health degree in a major such as Accounting. Taking courses such as Immunology, Organic, Biochemistry, Neuro, that are not necessarily required as pre-reqs and passing them with high grades shows more interest in healthcare in my opinion than just doing the bare minimum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contrarian Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 Steven.C... How long YOU been a PA-C...?? How many Admission Committes have YOU been on...??? How many PA schools/programs have YOU interacted with...??? I ask because you just contradicted 3 people who have done some or ALL of the above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steven.c Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 I am speaking purely of what I have been told by several members of admissions committee. Go to any PA school admissions info website. What does it say? Strongly suggested courses includes 300-400 level science classes. Why is it so hard to believe that an adcom would favor a student that has showed the initiative to take higher level courses and do well in them. I understand you can get into PA school with any degree as long as you have the required pre-reqs. However, Student A with a 3.5 GPA in a challenging major such as Microbiology will look much better on paper than Student B with a 3.75 GPA in Accounting. Not bashing on any accounting majors but lets be real in the world of medicine its not going to be useful when dealing with patients. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corymedgar Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 I would have to agree that the Adcom is really not going to make a huge deal out of whatever you major in during your undergrad. My undergrad is in History, which is about as far as one can get from hard sciences and healthcare. Yet, I just got accepted to PA school last week and have been offered interviews at every school I have applied to. In all of my interviews thus far the fact that I majored in History has come up only once. And my interviewer only wanted to know what I felt my history degree would bring to my career as a PA. So as long as you have at least considered that the question might be asked, you should be fine! Just take your prereqs and do well! THAT is the most important thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenmood Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 Nah. A driven, motivated student can prove interest in healthcare by actually doing healthcare. It's when HCE is more than a number or a checkbox on the application. And then they have that amazing background in psychology to help them cope with difficult patients, or the background knowledge to understand the complexities of healthcare as a business. Diversity is the best. Brings excellence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steven.c Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 I didn't disagree that Psychology was not an acceptable major to take in undergrad. I can say this because my girlfriend (ER Attending Doc) went this route. I am simply stating taking a science based courseload in undergrad will not only help you succeed in PA school but can and will be favored in the eyes of the admissions committee. I'm curious corymedgar how did you answer that question when asked what your history degree will bring to the table? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contrarian Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 I am simply stating taking a science based courseload in undergrad will not only help you succeed in PA school but can and will be favored in the eyes of the admissions committee. Since you seem to be unable to get a clue... I'll make it plain: YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKINIG/WRITING ABOUT...!!!!! READ MORE... POST LESS..!!!! Contrarian Btw... we could NOT care any less WHO your gurlfriend is or what her credentials are... it still doesn't make YOU know what YOU are talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawnmclane Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 Well I would venture to say yes, surely a bachelor degree in Microbiology or a similar degree is more impressive to adcoms than a non-health degree in a major such as Accounting. Taking courses such as Immunology, Organic, Biochemistry, Neuro, that are not necessarily required as pre-reqs and passing them with high grades shows more interest in healthcare in my opinion than just doing the bare minimum. The adcoms didn't seem to have an issue with my accounting degree. It never came up in any of my interviews. I did my required classes after graduation. A degree is a degree. Adcoms don't interview degrees. Adcoms don't admit degrees into PA school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contrarian Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 A degree is a degree. Adcoms don't interview degrees. Adcoms don't admit degrees into PA school. As a frequent adcomm member... I can say that the above is the gist of it and very well stated. As a long time member here I can also say that this steven dude is one of the many who still doesn't understand the "folly" and idiocy in trying to contradict and argue with a thread full of folks who is doing... or have done what it appears he is contemplating doing... Reminds me of a security contractor forum I frequent that is moderated by many of the "plank-holders" of the industry who also happen to be the past and current "whos-who" in the Special Operations Community. The mods and many of the members are past and current instructors, and/or selection commitee members in operational units (Delta, SOF, SEALS, PR, PJs, SWCC, Rangers, etc.) and CEOs or in management at high profile Security Comtractor companies (Triple Canopy, Xe, DynCorp, CB, Shadow, etc.) or in state and federal Law Enforcement agencies (FBI, DEA, ATF, CIA, AEA, CBP, DITF, etc). Weekly, dudes come in spouting off all kinds of ill-formed supposition and poorly founded fantasy concerning the recruitment, training,and deployment of these organizations. Lots of them are folks who actually want to join these organizations. Some of them are folks who are actually in the pipeline/recruiting process of these organizations. A few have had interviews and have been invited to attend training to be evaluated as potential operators with these organizations. Then find that site... and begin posting like steven.c has in this one. They are usually politely corrected once or twice... but as is typical don't heed. Then it gets serious. Its funny because they start popping off at the mouth... and posting "ignorant-outbursts"... but have no idea that the folks reading their nonsense are some of their current and future evaluators. A few of them have been told right there on that site not to even bother getting on the plane... Several have actually gotten all the way to training... and were immeadiately addressed by their screen-name/online persona then told not to unpack and turned around. Further, others were allowed to complete all evolutions of the evaluation process, then disqualed/peered-out. About a handful have actually been prosecuted under the "Stolen Valor" act after posting their "heroics" on that forum. Like those folks... people come here, opine, and supposite about things they know not... even in the face of folks knee deep in what they are trying to do. The saying is... "The game is suppose to be SOLD... not told"... but these folks insist on arguing and contradicting the actual players of the game trying to "give it to them for free." Typically sad... and doomed to a tragic ending....:heheh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaston Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 I didn't disagree that Psychology was not an acceptable major to take in undergrad. I can say this because my girlfriend (ER Attending Doc) went this route. I am simply stating taking a science based courseload in undergrad will not only help you succeed in PA school but can and will be favored in the eyes of the admissions committee. I'm curious corymedgar how did you answer that question when asked what your history degree will bring to the table? I love the fact that your ER M.D. girlfriend makes you an expert on this. I'm assuming you have a degree in Accounting, based on your apparent knowledge of the subject (or lack thereof). For some, science isn't their first interest. Difficult degrees like Accounting and History (yes, I said difficult, I have family members that have these degrees) are valuable in many ways that Science based degrees are not. Schools are always in search of well rounded individuals that don't necessarily have their nose buried in Cecil's Essentials of Medicine. The idea that science based degrees are the most difficult, and therefore the only appropriate ones for PA or MD school is naive and ignorant. It is a good thing you have not, nor hopefully ever will, participate on an admissions committee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mktalon Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 As someone who will be applying to PA school shortly, I can verify that if you go to MANY school's websites you will see that many of them state quite clearly that they do have a preference for science degrees. That is not to say that it makes a HUGE difference, but that all things being equal, the more science you have taken and succeeded with, the more you have demonstrated that you are likely to succeed in a science based masters degree (according to almost all of the schools I have talked to about the issue). How is this so difficult to understand. Being a pre-PA and having done lots of research about what schools are looking for will make someone quite qualified to talk about what schools are looking for. You don't have to be a practicing PA to know what a school is looking for in a candidate when most of them say right on their website that science degrees are preferred but not required. Contrarian, I would throw your advice right back at you "read more" as in, go to schools websites and read that they do put stock in how much science applicants have had and done well with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steven.c Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 As someone who will be applying to PA school shortly, I can verify that if you go to MANY school's websites you will see that many of them state quite clearly that they do have a preference for science degrees. That is not to say that it makes a HUGE difference, but that all things being equal, the more science you have taken and succeeded with, the more you have demonstrated that you are likely to succeed in a science based masters degree (according to almost all of the schools I have talked to about the issue). How is this so difficult to understand. Being a pre-PA and having done lots of research about what schools are looking for will make someone quite qualified to talk about what schools are looking for. You don't have to be a practicing PA to know what a school is looking for in a candidate when most of them say right on their website that science degrees are preferred but not required. Contrarian, I would throw your advice right back at you "read more" as in, go to schools websites and read that they do put stock in how much science applicants have had and done well with. That is all I'm trying to say. I do not claim to know more than you Contrarian but as your username suggests, you like to argue and I'm not here for that. And clearly I used my girlfriend to acknowledge that yes even MD schools have and will accept a Psychology major. In fact it has helped her to deal with psych patients. No I do not think that I am an expert on adcoms criteria. OP asked if the major choice as an undergrad is a factor in getting into PA school. My answer: of course it is. I am entitled to my opinion and the OP is entitled to take our advice with a grain of salt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaston Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 As someone who will be applying to PA school shortly, I can verify that if you go to MANY school's websites you will see that many of them state quite clearly that they do have a preference for science degrees. That is not to say that it makes a HUGE difference, but that all things being equal, the more science you have taken and succeeded with, the more you have demonstrated that you are likely to succeed in a science based masters degree (according to almost all of the schools I have talked to about the issue). How is this so difficult to understand. Being a pre-PA and having done lots of research about what schools are looking for will make someone quite qualified to talk about what schools are looking for. You don't have to be a practicing PA to know what a school is looking for in a candidate when most of them say right on their website that science degrees are preferred but not required. Contrarian, I would throw your advice right back at you "read more" as in, go to schools websites and read that they do put stock in how much science applicants have had and done well with. A word of advice, careful how you speak to those that have already accomplished what you want so badly. Particularly Contrarian. Additionally, insulting someone that regularly participates on adcoms is probably a bad idea. But you opened the can, lets see if you handle it. As a current student in a class full of people with a HUGE variety of degree backgrounds in one of the top programs in the country, you have your pre-PA blinders on. Schools list the classes they want their applicants to take. They do not discriminate against degree types. A guy with a business degree, lots of quality HCE and and similar numbers as you will beat you out if the adcoms think he is a better fit for the program. Plain and simple. An English major with better science pre-reqs and a better overall GPA/HCE will beat you if the adcoms like them more. I can't be any more clear than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contrarian Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 Contrarian, I would throw your advice right back at you "read more" as in, go to schools websites and read that they do put stock in how much science applicants have had and done well with. Hmm... That wasn't the question... so before YOU ride in here on your white horse with your cape flapping in the wind as "Capt-save-a hoe"... reread the question. The question was do schools care what degree a applicant has... THEY DON'T...!!! Yes... more, complex, science based classes with good grades on the transcript helps. What degree one holds... holds little weight. When we meet to sift through the applications... we actually make a concerted effort to "balance" the potiential matriculants at several points. First when we select who we will invite for a interview... then later when we actually select the folks we are going to invite to the next yrs class. This "Balance" involves making sure we don't have a classroom full of "lab-rats," or a class full of social science majors. Achieveing this "balance" means that LOTS of folks with HARD-Core science degrees are eliminated early on and NEVER even offered a interview. I'll say this one more time... The degree held DOES NOT weight much in our decision. The pre-reqs either beyond the fact that they were completed... This shouldn't be hard to wrap your mind around when you consider that just about everyone that applies hold 3.7-4.0 GPAs in the pre-req-classes. Any additional science classes... while nice, are often unnecessary for the practice of primary care medicine for underserved populations in underserved areas and actually looked upon with suspicion and as filler. We are usually much more intersted in the music major with a 3.8 in their science pre-reqs... that the 3.9 biology, chemistry major. Part of this also has to do with the suspicion that these folks chose our profession as a "fall-back" when they were unsuccessful in gaining admission into MD/DO school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mktalon Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 First, I did not insult Contrarian. Unless you can specifically state where I did this then I don't really appreciate the accusation. Second, I didn't make claim to knowing more about the profession itself, only that I know what many schools say they are looking for in a candidate. Third, I don't feel the need to never disagree with somebody just because they participate as an adcom. I did not disrespect Contrarian, I merely disagreed with him/her. I also never stated that there wasn't diversity in degree backgrounds. All I said is that all things being equal, many schools state they they like when students have had more sciences. That doesn't mean that those applicants will always get picked over other majors. Just that it is ONE thing that they might look at. We don't need to argue this point. Just visit websites of random programs and tell me that a good lot of them don't say this. I can only comment on what schools SAY they look for. If these schools act differently than what they say then I guess I can't offer much more on the topic. Contrarian can definitely stick up for him or herself and is not the kind of person that needs an ego stroke. I appreciate all that Contrarian brings to the forum, but that doesn't mean I don't have the right to disagree on certain issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mktalon Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 Contrarian, the point I am trying to make, and what many schools have told me is that someone with a Biology major will certainly have more sciences than and English major. It isn't the degree that is important, I agree, but with that said, there is a correlation between the degree one holds and the amount of upper div science courses one has taken. That is not to say that a biology major with a lower GPA has a better change than an english major with higher GPA, but that all things being equal, if somebody has that much more science, schools will give preference (so they say). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mktalon Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 I am not disagreeing for the sake of it, I am just trying to inform the OP of all the information I have gathered after talking to many admissions people about this very issue. The general consensus is NO degree type does not matter but YES more science does matter...so drawing the correlation...a biology major would offer some advantages, albeit not because of the name of the degree but rather because the types of courses that the student likely took. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mktalon Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 But I will certainly admit that I cannot speak to what you specifically look for in a candidate. I can only speak to what other admissions people have told me and what I have read on various schools websites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contrarian Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 Today... I sent my student to my office and had him sit and read for the entire afternoon instead of seeing patients. Why...??? Because while seeing our second patient of the day... when asked a serious and legitimate medical question that he had NO IDEA what the answer was... he started basically making $hit up and "opinionating" ... instead of simply looking the patient in the eye and saying "I DON'T KNOW"... Tomorrow, he has to present the nurses and I with a detailed discussion on the value and necessity of veracity and life-long learning in the practice of medicine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steven.c Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 That wasn't the question... so before YOU ride in here on your white horse with your cape flapping in the wind as "Capt-save-a hoe"... reread the question. Just curious is that typical adcom lingo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contrarian Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 The general consensus is NO degree type does not matter but YES more science does matter...so drawing the correlation...a biology major would offer some advantages, albeit not because of the name of the degree but rather because the types of courses that the student likely took. You should have stopped after the bold. If you actually do get in a PA program... I want you to look around. When you figure out that 1/3rd to 1/2 of you class DOES NOT hold a science degree, I hope you have enough integrity to come back to this thread and post your findings here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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