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Hi PA friends,

 

I just graduated with my BS in Biology with a minor in Spanish in May, 2016. I am currently applying to medical school for the second year. However, I am now leaning towards PA school, pending I fit the requirements. I've read that research is valued but I am not sure how valued. Here is me:

 

-22, has BS in Biology

-worked 2.5 years in biophysics research, with two publications, one 4th place award at poster competition, two more publications still being written

-volunteering hours in a clinical setting: 134.5hrs (I worry this is too low?), and an additional 283hrs in non-clinical

-leadership roles from undergrad

-3.33 gpa

-501 MCAT (haven't taken the GRE)

 

Should I apply? or do I need to wait ANOTHER year and apply after working as a PCA?

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You need a GRE, and hands on clinical hours. PAs are not, generally, researchers. Also, your GPA is on the lower end of average. Consider a few classes to bring it up, some some grad classes maybe.

 

PA school is not a fall back for not getting into med school, and that's what it seems like you're selling. Take a look around the forum and read some posts about people in similar situations.

 

It's getting late in the CASPA season, and you're not the strongest candidate. Consider waiting.

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You need to make sure you actually want to be a PA rather than a doctor or at least be able to convince an adcom of that otherwise you will never get in no matter what your statistics are. PA is not the easy version of MD and that is a touchy subject to anyone involved in the PA world. Also, with your GPA you absolutely need at least some patient care experience. Volunteering (while also valuable) does not count, it needs to be hands on and preferably paid work. Research won't hurt your application but I wouldn't say it is valued. A year of PCE is valued MUCH more highly than a year of research. You should also shadow a PA to demonstrate to the adcom (and to yourself) that you actually know what a PA does. You should not apply this cycle. Many schools with rolling admission have already filled their interview spots and so even with the very best application, the best they could offer you is to put you on a waitlist to interview. You don't necessarily need the GRE depending on what schools you are applying to, for example most of the California schools don't require the GRE.

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Research is generally more valuable for a med school app than a PA app.  If you genuinely want to do PA school, you need upwards of 2000 hrs of patient care experience (a year of full time work) before considering it.  Your grades are also middle of the pack for PA school though I would imagine if you have the pre-reqs for med school you likely have them for PA school.

 

Bottom line, you need to do some research before applying, you certainly aren't ready for this cycle.

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Also something to consider - many PA applications (at least some of the ones that I have found) will ask if you have ever applied to PA or MD/DO programs at that school before, some ask you to list them. If this is the case, you really need a strong reasoning of why you were applying to medical schools for 2 rounds, and then started to apply to PA school. As others have stated, definitely more patient care hours. your volunteer hours are fine, for clinical/non-clinical setting. you will need the GRE, most schools do not take the MCAT as a replacement for that, otherwise look at schools that don't require the GRE.

 

If you somehow get into medical school this year, will you go? If the answer is yes, why are you seriously considering applying to PA school? It just seems like you're young, straight out of college, and just want to get a degree and start working, without really caring if its PA or MD/DO. 

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