Does it really matter WHICH school you attend?

[abl1206]

Hey everyone!

 

I was accepted so far into the Marywood University and University of the Sciences of Philadelphia PA programs. The cost of attendance is important, but I also want to ensure I have good options for clinical rotations and am getting a good education all around.

 

USciences was my top choice since I first applied to programs last cycle but I fell in love with both schools after attending the open houses and interviews.

 

I love Philadelphia and it's close to my family, which was one of the things that initially attracted me to USciences. Marywood is a little farther and is in, what I would consider, the "boonies" but I thought maybe that could be better to eliminate distractions. 

 

One of the major differences is that USciences is a 3 year program, while Marywood is a 2 year program(no summers off, etc). Not only does that mean USciences is much more costly, but that would also be a whole year I could be working and earning money. I have a ton of loans already from undergrad (triple digits!) so I should take cost into consideration.

 

I was hoping that maybe someone would be familiar with these programs or my situation in general and could give a little bit of insight to help me make my decision. 

 

 

 

Thanks everyone!

[MyNameWasUsed]

probably would help you get a job in the area you did your rotations in 

[PAtoB]

first-time pance pass rate at both schools compared to national avg, and quality/reputation of rotation sites, and then those factors compared to the program cost for 'best value' imo.

[kraftycub34]

I normally look at how experienced the program is, PANCE rates, cost of attendance, and length of program. Some programs are 24 months while others get close to three years. Additionally I find it hard to believe many applicants don't take the cost of a program into account when deciding. I've heard of people graduating with well over $100k in debt not including Undergrad where as others with only $60k.

[Rhizopus]

Depends what you want. Does the three year program have summers off or extra clinical rotations? Extra rotations may be beneficial, especially when job hunting or helping you narrow down a list of specialties that actually interest you. 

 

Education should be the same material didactically. Clinical options vary drastically from program to program. Generally, most clinical rotations are pretty good, but there are always bad ones, even at top programs. Does one school have more of a "focus" in clinical rotations than others? Which one aligns more with your values and job expectations? If you just don't know what you want (which is ok!), then maybe go for the cheaper one? 

[UGoLong]

My advice: pick the school that works best for YOU.

 

The one with the supportive environment, the one you can afford, the one that has good rotations, the one with good PANCE pass rates, and perhaps the one that lets you rotate in an area of the country that you'd like to work in.

 

There is no one right school. That's one reason that there are so many programs to choose from.

 

Good luck!

[Nucs2PA]

Hey everyone!

 

I was accepted so far into the Marywood University and University of the Sciences of Philadelphia PA programs. The cost of attendance is important, but I also want to ensure I have good options for clinical rotations and am getting a good education all around.

 

USciences was my top choice since I first applied to programs last cycle but I fell in love with both schools after attending the open houses and interviews.

 

I love Philadelphia and it's close to my family, which was one of the things that initially attracted me to USciences. Marywood is a little farther and is in, what I would consider, the "boonies" but I thought maybe that could be better to eliminate distractions. 

 

One of the major differences is that USciences is a 3 year program, while Marywood is a 2 year program(no summers off, etc). Not only does that mean USciences is much more costly, but that would also be a whole year I could be working and earning money. I have a ton of loans already from undergrad (triple digits!) so I should take cost into consideration.

 

I was hoping that maybe someone would be familiar with these programs or my situation in general and could give a little bit of insight to help me make my decision. 

 

 

 

Thanks everyone!

It depends. There are lots of PA jobs out there. It depends on where you want to live and if you want to go into a specialty. Reputation can be important if you are particular about geography and specialty. But at the end of the day, I agree with UGoLong. 

[cerebro]

Personally, looking at your previous debt, I'd go with the least expensive option. Several PA's have told me it doesn't really matter where you go to school as long as: Fully accredited and decent PANCE pass rates. The rest doesn't really matter.

 

I would choose the least expensive option if I were in your position. If i didn't have any debt at all then maybe the 3yr program, seems like the program has been well established and is more experienced. 

[Tech to PA]

On 12/1/2016 at 1:37 PM, abl1206 said:

Hey everyone!

 

I was accepted so far into the Marywood University and University of the Sciences of Philadelphia PA programs. The cost of attendance is important, but I also want to ensure I have good options for clinical rotations and am getting a good education all around.

 

USciences was my top choice since I first applied to programs last cycle but I fell in love with both schools after attending the open houses and interviews.

 

I love Philadelphia and it's close to my family, which was one of the things that initially attracted me to USciences. Marywood is a little farther and is in, what I would consider, the "boonies" but I thought maybe that could be better to eliminate distractions. 

 

One of the major differences is that USciences is a 3 year program, while Marywood is a 2 year program(no summers off, etc). Not only does that mean USciences is much more costly, but that would also be a whole year I could be working and earning money. I have a ton of loans already from undergrad (triple digits!) so I should take cost into consideration.

 

I was hoping that maybe someone would be familiar with these programs or my situation in general and could give a little bit of insight to help me make my decision. 

 

 

 

Thanks everyone!

Hi,

I just wanted to ask where you ended up going and why? Are you happy with what you decided? I'm in a similar situation having a hard time choosing between Seton Hall (a three year, more expensive program that is close to home in NJ) and Lock Haven (two years, cheaper and in PA)

Thank you !