Chance me please? :)

[amarie30]

I'm a first time applicant and have had next to zero guidance about the application process, so any insight would be helpful! I'm applying in the next cycle and plan to be ready to submit in May. 

 

Stats:

Cumulative GPA: 3.66

Science GPA: 3.56

Undergrad School: University of Southern California, 2015

Undergrad Major: Health & Humanity (basically premed & psych)

Taking GRE on Saturday but should be about V 160, Q 160, W 4.5/5

 

HCE:

FT Clinical Research Asst @ Northwestern since May 2015 - 960 patient hrs, 960 research?

Nurse's aide (basically) for 6 months (took vitals, changed pts, etc) - 104 hrs

2 summers research @ Stanford - 200 research, 200 patient hrs, 40 shadowing (a MD)

Service trip to Guatemala (took vitals, provided meds, triaged) - 80 patient hrs

Hospice volunteering - 40 patient hrs

Psych research - 96 research

ED research - 64 shadowing (a MD) - can't count research hours bc this was for credit?

Shadowing - 3 PA's - 25 hrs

Lots of other non-health care work experience 

 

I think that's 1406 patient hours. On the lower side, I know, but I'm also only 23. 

 

Letters of Rec:

- Current boss at Northwestern (MD who writes beautiful letters)

- Anatomy professor (MD)

- Probably one of the PA's I've shadowed

 

[long] list of schools:

Duke, GW, UColorado, Wake Forest, Drexel, Midwestern (AZ & IL), Rosalind Franklin, USC, Yale, Northwestern, ATSU, Pacific U, Nova Southeastern (Ft Lauderdale), Rush, Touro (CA), Samuel Merritt, Tufts

 

Obviously some of those are reaches but why not? 

 

I've taken Micro online @ UNE, currently taking Physio & will take Biochem over the summer (all online). It's pretty obvious from my transcript that I was premed (and took the MCAT), but I know I need to be clear PA isn't my "second choice" on my application (which it really isn't). 

 

Thank you in advance!! 

 

[UGoLong]

Very good grades; I'm assuming these include all of the prerequisites you need.

 

Not sure how you know what your GRE will be until you actually take it.

 

Some schools won't accept research time as real patient care; might want to beef that up.

 

Good luck!

[EMEDPA]

agree with ugo. many places don't accept research as hce.....

[MT2PA]

And some don't accept volunteering/service trips as patient hrs...

 

For a lot of the schools on your list, even if all 1400 hours count appropriately, you might not be meeting minimums (when I applied, Duke had 2000 hr minimum).  And the applicants you'll be up against will have many more hours (even the 23 yr olds).

 

I don't know how you arrived at your list of schools to apply to, but make sure you meet HCE minimums and make sure they list research as an appropriate HCE/PCE.  If they don't, you might be wasting time and money.

 

With all of your research, good grades, and younger age you should also be prepared (more than most) to explain why PA over MD.

[amarie30]

Thanks for the input. I eliminated programs that require 2000+ prior to making this list and also eliminated schools whose websites distinctly said research doesn't count (and don't allow online classes). I'll inquire with the schools which don't distinctly say research is ok one way or the other. I completely recognize I'm at a disadvantage when it comes to HCE, but I took this research position due to almost all my predecessors getting into PA school (Northwestern & Rosalind Franklin in particular). 

 

As to how I came up with the list, I'm from CA and there really aren't that many options out west so I'm just applying broadly to areas where I wouldn't mind living :)

 

Thanks again friends

[MyNameWasUsed]

Research isn't HCE/PCE. I'm pretty sure you'll get accepted if you apply with your current stats but maybe not to the schools you've listed. You should to target programs that don't list minimum HCE or have low HCE requirements such as WesternU, MCPHS, NYIT if you really want to apply with your current stats. Or you can just take the time now to accumulate actual HCE. It's only feb. You can get around 1000 hours and submit in july. 

[amarie30]

Research isn't HCE/PCE. I'm pretty sure you'll get accepted if you apply with your current stats but maybe not to the schools you've listed. You should to target programs that don't list minimum HCE or have low HCE requirements such as WesternU, MCPHS, NYIT if you really want to apply with your current stats. Or you can just take the time now to accumulate actual HCE. It's only feb. You can get around 1000 hours and submit in july.

Not to be defensive, but that's that's just not true. Off the top of my head, I know Duke specifically lists clinical research assistant as an acceptable position (if you're working with patients obviously). Not saying I can get into Duke, just an example. 

[newton9686]

Agree with the general consensus of low hours, but so was I when I applied. Best of luck. If you are interested in the North Carolina area I encourage you to check out Methodist University. It is an older program >20 yrs, successful alumni (had a clinical experience with one yesterday who owns his own practice) and are truly passionate about graduating top tier PAs.