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What's the deal with 5 year PA programs?


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There are several of these " accelerated" [bs/ms] type programs in my current state of residence. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the general idea of being a PA was to have a great deal of experience in health care? I can't imagine knowing at 17/18 years old that PA is exactly what I want to do. 

 

Is anyone applying to one or a graduate of one and care to share their thoughts?

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Same concept as BSMD. At my university, there were some BSMD students that drop out of the program and just got a BS in biochemistry instead of going to the med school because they realized they didnt want to be physician. I have a friend thats a second year med student from the BSMD program so it worked out for him. I don't think its that big of a deal. If you decide junior year that you dont wanna be a PA/MD then drop out and just finish your degree. 

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I just interviewed at my top choice program where they have this accelerated degree for PA.  There are only 7 spots available, because the majority of the class (70 total) is filled with these students.  One of the reasons why they have this degree is to get "5 years of tuition, rather than 2" from what I understand.  I'm sure there are other reasons, but that's one that my interviewer mentioned.  

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I agree, at 18 I had no idea what I wanted.  But I had many friends who knew they wanted to go to med school.  In theory, as the PA career becomes more well known, students may know, as much as an 18 yr old can know, what they want to do.  A 5 year program saves you a year of school and tuition (5 vs 4+2) so it benefits the students, too.

 

I may be mistaken, but I believe that in order to pursue the masters/PA part of the 5 yr program students must meet certain standards regarding HCE, volunteering, shadowing, etc - so in theory they are meeting the same pre-reqs and standards as the rest of us applying to regular 2 year programs.

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I like my PAs over 21...something wrong with being able to order morphine but not beer. youngest PA I ever worked with was 19. graduated high school early with cna experience and did a 2 yr AS program. pretty weak clinically. still lived with her folks and drove a high end sports car.

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This is an interesting thread, and I'm happy there is a discussion about the combined BS/MS programs. I'm getting ready to go into my second application cycle at the age of 25, but up until six months ago I was beating myself up about not attending a five year program directly from high school. I was accepted to three of these programs when I was 17, but turned them down for the exact reasons a couple of you mentioned above. At the age of 17, with so little experience managing your own life, how can you REALLY know PA is the route for you? Granted, there are a few individuals who work as CNAs as soon as possible or even take up medical assisting via vo-tech during the high school years. However, I truly believe there is something to be said for "struggling" for this profession -- i.e. balancing pre-reqs with volunteering, shadowing, and significant HCE-- and still having that hunger to be a PA despite the current stress. There were significant life experiences I had in college, such as studying abroad, that I most likely would not have been able to do given the tight schedule of a five year program. Like some of you mentioned, there is no replacement for healthcare experience prior to school. I think it can weed out some people who might have misconceptions about the nature of being a provider. It's just my personal preference that I'd rather know what exactly I'm getting myself into, and I could not have made an informed, mature decision at 17. I envy those who could, but they're few and far between.

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I think this degree is an interesting option, but not for those right out of high school. I second what everyone is saying about not exactly knowing what you want right when you graduate high school. I think this would be an awesome program for someone like myself. I joined the Army straight out of high school and had no college credits when I finished my contract as a medic. I definitely knew I wanted to be a PA at that point but knew I had a few years ahead of me. I went and got my Bachelor's and have now been accepted to a PA program. The way it all worked out, I would have loved to have been able to go to one of these programs. It would have shaved a year off my time and I would have saved a lot of money through applying. Plus an extra years of wages when I retire would be nice. 

 

So, I think they are great for someone in my position, but I did not know enough about them at the time to apply to one. I think what helped me stand out and what will make me a good PA is not what I did in high school, but what I did and learned about healthcare and life in the military. 

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I hear people say 18 is too young to decide to be a PA.  But, put that into perspective, many enter the military right out of high school.  A decision that many make at that age, and is considered norm for many. But at 18 they are making a decision that could very well cost them their life. Fellow soldiers put their lives into each others hands.  As a medic even more weight is put on the decision. There are many serious career decisions made at 18, it's wrong to assume that at 18 a choice can't be made.

 

With the right maturity and performance in high school many can make a good an informed choice to enter a 5 year PA program.  The number of applicants for these programs are similar to the masters only program and typically only 35-40 are accepted so the students attending have been pretty well vetted. The drop out rate is similar to a masters only program. A student still pursues a bachelors degree first, so like college if they change majors they'll add time and courses before they graduate.  Many programs require references, shadowing hours in addition to stellar grades and high SAT/ACT scores. At this age students absorb material like a sponge so while they may not have years of experience they have a good grasp of the material and can apply it as demonstrated in their clinicals.  First time PANCE rates are often 90-95% and higher.   The programs are 5 years so entering at 18 puts a graduate at 23 minimum, so they aren't kids when they graduate.

 

Checkout a typical program http://www.duq.edu/academics/schools/health-sciences/academic-programs/physician-assistant

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