ahc336 Posted March 19, 2016 Share Posted March 19, 2016 I posted this identical post on SDN but figured I post here since their pre-PA seems dead. Please ask if you need any info! Hey all, I spend most of my time in pre-allo since I am indeed a pre-med but I figured I should come here because, brutally honest, I may not get the grades for MD/DO. The job market for PAs is beyond lucrative, you go to school less, and do many of the same things physicians do. To the meat: how can I best prepare myself for both admission to a medical school or PA school? I know obviously I will have to make a decision further down the line (take the MCAT or take the GRE), but until then, how can I best prepare myself extracurricularly and academically for either? This summer I am retaking a pre-req course I had to withdraw from (no W), getting my CNA I, and volunteering at a free clinic. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MT2PA Posted March 19, 2016 Share Posted March 19, 2016 Truth: if you don't have the grades for MD/DO, you probably don't have the grades for PA. You *may* be able to compensate for that with stellar HCE. That said, the paths are similar. A lot of the same pre-reqs. Basically, check out programs you would consider attending/applying to and check what they list for pre-reqs. You shouldn't have any problem covering courses for each. You seriously need to shadow. Picking PA over MD just because you don't have the grades won't be an acceptable reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monte Posted March 19, 2016 Share Posted March 19, 2016 haha precisely... if you can't cut it on the grades for MD then PA school IS NOT a backup! The average GPA of my incoming PA class was 3.65.. with healthcare hours and all that stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahc336 Posted March 19, 2016 Author Share Posted March 19, 2016 I've shadowed an FM MD for about 20 hrs, but not a PA in particular. I honestly see myself having a 3.4/3.5. I will have research experience from my university's vet school as well. edit: I'm currently at a 3.9 from my pre-transfer institution, and a 3.6 at my current institution. Averaged, it's a 3.75 currently but I'm just now taking pre-reqs this semester so it could go down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MT2PA Posted March 19, 2016 Share Posted March 19, 2016 I've shadowed an FM MD for about 20 hrs, but not a PA in particular. I honestly see myself having a 3.4/3.5. I will have research experience from my university's vet school as well. edit: I'm currently at a 3.9 from my pre-transfer institution, and a 3.6 at my current institution. Averaged, it's a 3.75 currently but I'm just now taking pre-reqs this semester so it could go down. I imagine that should be good for MD school. It will be for PA school, too, but PA school requires a lot of HCE and research isn't always top of the list for programs. Couldn't hurt to shadow some PAs and pick a path for the right reasons based on a well informed decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newton9686 Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 Yeah unfortunately PA programs require GPAs similar if not sometimes greater than MD. I'd focus your search on specific MD programs and apply broadly to DO programs. I know PA school sounds like a good substitute, but I can almost guarantee you will never feel fulfilled if pick PA because you were scared to apply to MD/DO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahc336 Posted March 23, 2016 Author Share Posted March 23, 2016 I imagine that should be good for MD school. It will be for PA school, too, but PA school requires a lot of HCE and research isn't always top of the list for programs. Couldn't hurt to shadow some PAs and pick a path for the right reasons based on a well informed decision. That's comforting to hear, but (knowing myself) I know that my GPA will go down. For instance, I had to drop gen chem [for a variety of reasons] but that has caused me to do a considerable amount of thinking (read: worrying) about the future! haha My school of thought is, if I am struggling in 101, how am I going to make it through (or even to) orgo, cell bio, etc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MT2PA Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 That's comforting to hear, but (knowing myself) I know that my GPA will go down. For instance, I had to drop gen chem [for a variety of reasons] but that has caused me to do a considerable amount of thinking (read: worrying) about the future! haha My school of thought is, if I am struggling in 101, how am I going to make it through (or even to) orgo, cell bio, etc? Valid concerns. Undergrad is the time to explore different areas of study. Maybe medicine won't be your thing. Or maybe science in general won't. Maybe you'd be great at sales in healthcare. Don't force yourself into a path; several of my undergrad classmates started pre-med and changed course by junior/senior year because they realized it wasn't for them and/or were exposed to another potential career path that suited them better. Nothing wrong with that. But in general, if you're stressing over gen chem, you will have a long road ahead for MD or PA as the courses just get faster and more detailed both in undergrad and grad/med school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ONE40pt6 Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 If science courses are a concern, nursing might be another path into healthcare. At Purdue, the BSN requirements for chemistry and microbiology are much less demanding than the similar courses offered to science majors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiggySRNA Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 I too struggled with lower level biology/chem courses but you know what, it was completely worth the suffering and borderline depression I experienced. I told myself I will never give up...once I was done with chem I looked forward to cell, genetics, and microbiology because they were relevant courses. Take it day by day, don't worry about graduate school, and definitely DO NOT compare yourself with other candidates (it will only make things worse). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahc336 Posted March 24, 2016 Author Share Posted March 24, 2016 Valid concerns. Undergrad is the time to explore different areas of study. Maybe medicine won't be your thing. Or maybe science in general won't. Maybe you'd be great at sales in healthcare. Don't force yourself into a path; several of my undergrad classmates started pre-med and changed course by junior/senior year because they realized it wasn't for them and/or were exposed to another potential career path that suited them better. Nothing wrong with that. But in general, if you're stressing over gen chem, you will have a long road ahead for MD or PA as the courses just get faster and more detailed both in undergrad and grad/med school. Very true. While I attribute my failure largely to myself, it's also worth noting that the professor was brand new to teaching. My acquaintances still in the class rah'ed and raved when a sub came in and "actually taught chemistry," in their words haha. I'm retaking the course this summer...will keep you guys posted. In other news just smashed a Bio test today, got a Psych test tomorrow. Thanks for the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidccs Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 Not sure if you know, but a lot of PA school require inorganic chem, and some require organic I, and some others even require Biochem. Genetics, Molec Bio, Micro, Anat, Physio, etc are also sometimes either requirements, or suggested classes. So you might not get out of taking those. PS: I have a GPA around what you believe yours will end up being, shadowing, volunteering, above average GRE, and 6 years of high quality HCE and I wasn't as marketable as I thought... And I wasn't applying to the top schools either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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