eric Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Hello. First post here and like so many others I'm looking for advice, feedback, and general information. So before I begin thank you for reading. A little bit about me: I'm about to get out of the US Army after 4 1/2 years serving in aviation operations. I spent a little under a year in Iraq and did some work with air traffic control. Enjoyed it a whole lot. I finished my freshman year of college and I'm hovering around a 3.7 GPA while on active duty attending 4 hour night classes 2-4 times per week. I became interested in medicine after I received training in the Army's combat lifesaver program and my interested furthered after becoming a lifeguard and taking basic first air courses including CPR and eventually I became a rescue diver. I don't have any real experience, just some training. Here in January I'm about to head back home to Ohio attend college at a state university. I'm undecided on my major, but I'm leaning towards something in the humanities because of my interest in learning and PA programs don't require science degrees (at least to my knowledge). I'm also considering the possibility of attempting to complete a 5 year masters degree if I have the opportunity and hopefully doing some volunteer work at a local hospital since my GI Bill will be taking care of me for at least 3 of the likely 4 years I'll be in school. From what I have read, the path to becoming a PA requires a bachelors degree, interview, test scores, etc..., and 24-28 months of training at a school that certifies PAs. I'm really interested in working in an emergency room and just helping save peoples lives. I know it sounds cliche, but I'd like to make a difference for the better. Some specific questions I have are: When applying for a PA program, how will my military background and some of my extra curricular activities and qualifications affect acceptance? Would a masters degree significantly improve my chances over a bachelors in the same area of concentration? What is a typical day like for a PA in an ER or something equivalent? What are some of the better PA programs in Ohio? Thanks again for your time/help/feedback. I'm sure you guys get plenty of threads like this and they can become mundane. <br>-Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splash333 Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 I think it sounds like you have a solid start, I think being in the military is a plus, you have a good gpa. You don't need a masters degree to get into pa school. Just finish your bachelors, it can be in anything, I would recommend something like biology, chemistry, health science just because you need a lot of prereqs and that way they are included in your degree. Shadow a pa and make sure you like it, keep your gpa up, and start fuguring out which programs you want to get into and what their requirements are. If you do everything you need to do you chance of success is 100%. Stay commited, and you can also finish your degree quicker than 4 years. I did my degree in 2.5 years, and you have a year done already, I don't know where you are in ohio, but CSU is a good school, you could major in health science, it only takes 3 years. You may also want to consider using you gi bill for pa school instead of undergrad since it will cost more most likely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splash333 Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 oh and as far as the best program in ohio, I highly reccomend tri-c/csu program. Total cost is about 24000 for tuition probably the cheapest program in the whole country and an excellent program at that, that should be your #1 choice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 Thanks for the encouraging words. The only downside is that I've already been accepted and have had my GI bill, financial aid, etc... rolling into Ohio University for the Winter quarter, so there I will have to earn my degree. I'll look into shadowing a PA and possibly finding work maybe helping to teach Red Cross First Aid or something too while I'm in school since I won't necessarily need a a job. I don't mind moving around after finishing my degree down in Athens and my parents can support me if need be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 I also want to note that I'm 22 years old. Idk if that matters or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splash333 Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 Shadowing is definitely a good idea, I mean you want to find a job you'll enjoy. If you would like to shadow a PA, OAPA maintains lists of PA volunteers by region. Just email oapa@ohiopa.com and ask for the shadow list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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