mwb25 Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 Basically, I have had the non-traditional path to applying to PA school. I am applying this upcoming cycle (2016). I know there has been thousands of topics like this. I will just give the short and sweet version. And I know GPA is my weakest link and my HCE is my strongest. Undergrad GPA: 2.96 Undergrad Science: 3.12 Post-bacc Science: 3.48 Post-back GPA: 3.5 Cum. GPA 3.17 Cum. Science: 3.32 Last 60 credits: 3.48 HCE: RRT with 8000 paid hours. Another 1000 as a sleep technologist while in RRT school. I've worked two 1000+ bed hospitals. 80% of my experience is in cardiothoracic ICU. The current hospital is a top 10 hospital for heart/lung surgery. I also have my advanced RRT credential (Adult Critical Care Specialist) and all the American Heart certs to go with it. Shadowing: 20 hours ER PA; it's minimal due to I work with PAs at the bedside every shift. Volunteer: 80 hours as CPR coach LOR: MICU PA, Attending CTICU MD, Education coordinator for RT department (on the RT state board) GRE: Not taken, taking after this semester. Research/Case Studies: I presented a study on the cost savings of inhaled nitric oxide vs inhaled epoprostenol in adult patient population in CT surgery. NCAA athlete in undergrad. Worked part-time in RRT school. Working full time right now as I am retaking my pre-reqs. I have meticulously planned my application on when I should apply so I am not wasting my money. I have been rehabbing my GPA/Pre-reqs. the past two years. With so many credits, it's difficult to move my GPA. I would appreciate any input from anyone's experience/insight to what to focus on for my application. Thank you so much for your time reading this. (maybe it wasn't short and sweet) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted January 30, 2016 Administrator Share Posted January 30, 2016 Initial thoughs: * You are NOT a non-traditional PA student, YOU ARE TRADITIONAL. Kids who work as CNAs on weekends while doing an essentially pre-med undergraduate and getting into PA school at age 20-25? THOSE are the non-traditional applicants, whatever else you may think of them. * You only have one cumulative undergraduate GPA. What's printed on your final undergrad transcript is irrelevant. Lump it all together and calculate it like CASPA does--nothing else will give good guidance. In other words, of the 7 GPAs you gave, the first four are irrelevant, except insofar as your post-bacc shows an upward trend... but your Last 60 GPA tells us this. Yours is low but not impossible given your HCE. * Research is not that important in PA school. PA school is not med school. Apply to schools that favor lots of high-quality HCE and you should do fine. Do not even apply to any school which requires more PA shadowing hours than you already have. Best wishes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanime Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 Apply to programs that appreciate experience! That's what I did & I'm starting at MEDEX this year. Granted, we have different experiences and stats. However, your overall "package" looks great for the schools who appreciate a well-rounded individual who has the potential to bring knowledge/life experience to the program & profession! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MT2PA Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 I agree with Rev - nothing about your app is non-traditional. You know your weakness (GPA) so play to your strengths. Have a good PS and good LORs and apply to programs where you have a chance (i.e. not programs who essentially have an avg matriculant GPA of 3.7+) and hope for the best. Every year it's a matter of what the school is looking for and how you compare to the other applications they get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UGoLong Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 In the current climate, I think you are nontraditional. No matter... Lumping your grades together gets you over a 3.0 apparently, which is OK. The CASPA form the schools get will break out your grades nine ways from Sunday, even more than you did above. Don't sweat the research but get more PA shadowing, especially in settings different from the one you work in. Working in the same ward with someone is not the same as being at their side and focused on what they are doing. You should, however, be able to get some really good recommendations from some of your colleagues. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosslyn Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 On the topic of traditional vs nontraditional, the PA profession was made for people like you. People with experience in healthcare who want to move up so they can have a wider scope of practice. So in that regard, you are traditional and I am nontraditional (mid 20's, no HCE yet, working on a pre-med-ish bachelors, etc). That said, in my opinion you seem like a great applicant. Find programs that won't focus too hard on your GPA and doesn't require more shadowing hours. I disagree with the above, working alongside a profession gives you a good insight into what they do. 20 hours of shadowing on top of that is enough, I think. I work in product management, but I work with some engineers and I know what they do. I don't need to shadow them to know. If in 8k+ hours you don't know what a PA does, then I don't see how anyone else would. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahbee21 Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 I agree with the advice above, I will also say that if you ever get asked in an essay question to write about your academic history or something along those lines, don't write about that C you got in organic chem. Write about what your life was like while You were in school. NCAA athlete, doing research, post-bac while working, etc. I was told this advice from the admissions director at Wisconsin-Madison and I found it very helpful. Any "optional" essay you should write. Make it personal, give them a reason to want to meet you, even if it's something silly like explaining your childhood nickname ( as long as it's still professional). The admissions director said that its during the essays that they can make the case for granting an interview to someone "not as competitive" because of GPA or something like that. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwb25 Posted January 31, 2016 Author Share Posted January 31, 2016 Thank you everyone for your input. I forgot to mention that I am finishing my pre-reqs this semester. If I get an 'A' in all of them, that will boost my GPA to 3.2. Plus, my pre-req. GPA for the schools I am looking at ranges from 3.4-3.7 (is this weighed more heavily than cumulative?'. It's not that science courses that dragged me down. Another question came to mind, how is the GRE often weighed? Is it just a check in a box? It seems that if you get a 300+ you are good.. I assume it just measures test taking abilities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAtoB Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Started my PA school journey with a 2.8-something GPA that needed big help, and got it to 3.17 by application time, and I got interview invites at all 3 places. Like they said above, focus on your personal statement and LORs at this point; don't dwell on specific grades in your statement. Focus on how you've evolved as a student/learner, etc. Also, don't sweat the GRE. Certainly study and prep for it as you see fit, but many programs would eliminate it if they could. It was a very small piece of the app at my program, for example. But you don't want to bomb the analytical writing portion of it, either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted January 31, 2016 Moderator Share Posted January 31, 2016 apply broadly to places that value experience, write a great statement, nail the interview and you are in. On paper I would take you over the majority of students I see these days. RT work is awesome prep for pa school. best of luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mw1n5d4 Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Basically, I have had the non-traditional path to applying to PA school. I am applying this upcoming cycle (2016). I know there has been thousands of topics like this. I will just give the short and sweet version. And I know GPA is my weakest link and my HCE is my strongest. Undergrad GPA: 2.96 Undergrad Science: 3.12 Post-bacc Science: 3.48 Post-back GPA: 3.5 Cum. GPA 3.17 Cum. Science: 3.32 Last 60 credits: 3.48 HCE: RRT with 8000 paid hours. Another 1000 as a sleep technologist while in RRT school. I've worked two 1000+ bed hospitals. 80% of my experience is in cardiothoracic ICU. The current hospital is a top 10 hospital for heart/lung surgery. I also have my advanced RRT credential (Adult Critical Care Specialist) and all the American Heart certs to go with it. Shadowing: 20 hours ER PA; it's minimal due to I work with PAs at the bedside every shift. Volunteer: 80 hours as CPR coach LOR: MICU PA, Attending CTICU MD, Education coordinator for RT department (on the RT state board) GRE: Not taken, taking after this semester. Research/Case Studies: I presented a study on the cost savings of inhaled nitric oxide vs inhaled epoprostenol in adult patient population in CT surgery. NCAA athlete in undergrad. Worked part-time in RRT school. Working full time right now as I am retaking my pre-reqs. I have meticulously planned my application on when I should apply so I am not wasting my money. I have been rehabbing my GPA/Pre-reqs. the past two years. With so many credits, it's difficult to move my GPA. I would appreciate any input from anyone's experience/insight to what to focus on for my application. Thank you so much for your time reading this. (maybe it wasn't short and sweet) Check out D'Youville College. Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UGoLong Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 The GRE is sometimes a check mark. Get at least 50% in quant and verbal and you're probably good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted February 1, 2016 Administrator Share Posted February 1, 2016 In the current climate, I think you are nontraditional. No matter... You are using 'traditional' in a way that I don't think fits its reasonable & customary usage. I'd agree with 'atypical', 'older', 'more experienced' and the like, but I don't see "current" usage being relevant at all to the definition of traditional. It's semantics, perhaps, but I see too many candidates self-deprecate as if having life experience and patient care experience was actually a BAD thing. That's what I most dislike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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