smithashas Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 I am currently a health Science major with a concentration in PRE-PA at CBU. I will be graduating in spring 2013 with my bachelor's degree and, plan to be in PA school fall 2013. Applying to PA schools is vast approaching and I need to know what exactly is the difference between a PA with a master's degree and a PA with a certificate from a JC such as Riverside Community College? My ultimate fear is that I go through all of this education and can not find a good job. Is is feasible to go to a JC to get a certificate? or bite the bullet, pay out of A** and get a Master's degree? As of now I plan to go into a specialty most likely cardiothoracic surgery or something very similar. If anyone knows of any additional educational requirments that PA specialists need please let me know! As of now I think I will be applyong to Western Univeristy, USC, Loma Linda, and anyother PA schools with MSPA programs in Southern California. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LESH Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 As of now I think I will be applying to Western Univeristy, USC, Loma Linda, and any other PA schools with MSPA programs in Southern California. Sounds like a good plan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KCMA79 Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Go where you can get in since the education/training is the same. Both will allow you to take the PANCE which is what really matters. After graduation if the masters matters all that much you could enroll in one of the bridge programs. But I can tell you from experience that graduate tuition at Loma Linda is horrific. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LESH Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 I need to know what exactly is the difference between a PA with a master's degree and a PA with a certificate from a JC such as Riverside Community College? Disclaimer: These are my observations and there are always exceptions. IMHO the MS PA should be better at research, but I'm just guessing. MS programs tend to be longer by a few months. MS programs tend to have more clinical opportunities in specialty and subspecialty areas (except Riverside because it is a hospital based program associated with a FP residency), the MS programs in So Cal are housed in an Academic Health Center. Non MS programs have more of a primary care out patient focus. They tend to accept students with significant HCE. Tend to have lower GPA admission requirements on paper. All Non MS programs in California have academic affiliations for students (that meet criteria) to get the MS. My ultimate fear is that I go through all of this education and can not find a good job. A valid concern. I would submit that there are multiple factors that go into finding a good job. That's another thread in itself...lol. Is is feasible to go to a JC to get a certificate? Yes, almost half of the programs in California are non MS program. Graduates are getting jobs. As of now I plan to go into a specialty most likely cardiothoracic surgery or something very similar. If anyone knows of any additional educational requirments that PA specialists need please let me know! Good to know what you want to do that will help guide your journey. FYI there are PAs from Riverside's program in CTS, Ortho and General Surg. As of now I think I will be applying to Western Univeristy, USC, Loma Linda, and any other PA schools with MSPA programs in Southern California. Based on information the OP submitted I still think that is a good plan and probably the best if HCE is limited. Plus by 2013 there may be a few more MS PA programs up and running. Good luck in your future PA endeavors. LesH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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