imomo Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Hello, I am a little concerned after discussing with my brother about PA school. I already have obtained my Bachelors Degree in 07' and just last year decided to have a career change. So, I am now in a local college taking the CORE sciences required for PA schools. I was told that it would look bad if I am not a full-time student when I apply to PA schools once I am ready to apply. Does anyone know if this is true? If it is, I will register for another class now since its the first week of school to make the cut for full time which would be 1 more class. I havent seen this in any of the PA school websites so I thought I'd write a thread to see what others had to say. Thank you! imomo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imomo Posted January 30, 2012 Author Share Posted January 30, 2012 Hello, I am a little concerned after discussing with my brother about PA school. I already have obtained my Bachelors Degree in 07' and just last year decided to have a career change. So, I am now in a local college taking the CORE sciences required for PA schools. I was told that it would look bad if I am not a full-time student when I apply to PA schools once I am ready to apply. Does anyone know if this is true? If it is, I will register for another class now since its the first week of school to make the cut for full time which would be 1 more class. I havent seen this in any of the PA school websites so I thought I'd write a thread to see what others had to say. Thank you! imomo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenmood Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 No. A great many PA applicants work full time. As long as your pre-req classes get done it doesn't matter if you take them all at once or spread out, one at a time, over years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenmood Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 No. A great many PA applicants work full time. As long as your pre-req classes get done it doesn't matter if you take them all at once or spread out, one at a time, over years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimrgal02 Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 That sounds like good advice to me. Adcoms want to know you can handle the rigors of PA school. Unless you are working or the primary caretaker of small children, you should take 12+ hours per semester. The rational is that PA programs are intense, so they want to know you can handle at least 12 hours per semester of science classes. Once you get the basic sciences complete, you can always take medical terminology, Spanish, developmental psychology, etc. to improve/broaden your application. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimrgal02 Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 That sounds like good advice to me. Adcoms want to know you can handle the rigors of PA school. Unless you are working or the primary caretaker of small children, you should take 12+ hours per semester. The rational is that PA programs are intense, so they want to know you can handle at least 12 hours per semester of science classes. Once you get the basic sciences complete, you can always take medical terminology, Spanish, developmental psychology, etc. to improve/broaden your application. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimrgal02 Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 ^..... No. What matters is your grades. Get A's. If you want to go full time, just make sure you get A's. If you want to take one course a semester, be double sure to get A's. It will just make life easier for you to perform well in whatever you take on. If you are working or for some reason cant get good grades becaus you are too busy, by all means, cut back on credit hiurs so your gpa doesn't suffer. But to be a full time student only for the sake of looking busy won't matter as much If you take a hit because you but off too many hours. I worked full time and took a class or two at a time, and nobody ever said a thing to me about it. But, I got A's when I did that. However, back when I took 18 credits a semester and got B's.... Whih do you think I would have rather done? I'll just tell you.... I'd rather have had the A' on my side ^YES, very true and I should have said that. I assumed everyone knows first priority is making As...but we've all heard what they say about assuming. To the OP: take as many classes as you can while getting all As, get quality HCE, volunteer, etc. If you aren't busting your butt 24/7 to get into PA school, realize there is someone else out there who is and who will be more than happy to get "your seat" in your top choice PA program. I was asking during 2 interviews why I didn't take classes full time during certain semesters. I was surprised they asked me because it should have been obvious from my CASPA that I was working during that time, but they asked anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimrgal02 Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 ^..... No. What matters is your grades. Get A's. If you want to go full time, just make sure you get A's. If you want to take one course a semester, be double sure to get A's. It will just make life easier for you to perform well in whatever you take on. If you are working or for some reason cant get good grades becaus you are too busy, by all means, cut back on credit hiurs so your gpa doesn't suffer. But to be a full time student only for the sake of looking busy won't matter as much If you take a hit because you but off too many hours. I worked full time and took a class or two at a time, and nobody ever said a thing to me about it. But, I got A's when I did that. However, back when I took 18 credits a semester and got B's.... Whih do you think I would have rather done? I'll just tell you.... I'd rather have had the A' on my side ^YES, very true and I should have said that. I assumed everyone knows first priority is making As...but we've all heard what they say about assuming. To the OP: take as many classes as you can while getting all As, get quality HCE, volunteer, etc. If you aren't busting your butt 24/7 to get into PA school, realize there is someone else out there who is and who will be more than happy to get "your seat" in your top choice PA program. I was asking during 2 interviews why I didn't take classes full time during certain semesters. I was surprised they asked me because it should have been obvious from my CASPA that I was working during that time, but they asked anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Steve Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Opinions are like arm pits. We all have at least a couple, and they typically stink. There are SO FREAKING MANY VARIABLES for getting into PA school, I think it bears repeating THERE ARE SO MANY FREAKING VARIABLES! People will tell you if you don't wear a power tie at your interview, you won't get selected. They will tell you if you don't take the hardest course possible from the most elite school, you won't get in. They will tell you if you are a Scorpio, and your moon is rising over Aquarius, you won't get in. Holy Cow people...slow down and stop sweating the minutia. We don't know how well you write personal statements or essays. We don't know the power of your letters of recommendation. We don't know your volunteer history, your work history, your current grade status. We don't even know how old you are. Then there is the issue of having no clue how you interview. You may have the charisma of a masterful diplomat and just woo the socks off all those who meet you. Not to mention what schools you are applying to. There are over 140 schools in the country and I just read an article in a journal from the AAPA that there are about 3 new programs coming on line (not on line schools, but "on line" as in beginning) every year. With so many choices, so many personalities of AdComs, so many mission statements from so many schools, there is NO FREAKING WAY we can even begin to write much of a blanket statement about what it truly takes to get into PA school. Get your pre reqs done. Follow the no brainer common sense of pattern of getting good grades. Gather some experience. Show that you have investigated the PA world a bit via working, shadowing, talking with Shamans..whatever it takes to gather an understanding of being a PA that you can demonstrate to the school(s) of your choice. If it was me, I'd say go to school part time and WORK IN HEALTH CARE part/full time. There IS NO BETTER EDUCATOR THAN HANDS ON EXPERIENCE. So what if you have to delay application to PA school...you can rush it along and try to force a square stake into a round hole and hope that you may get into some program that is desperate to put butts in seats, or you can take a bit more time, get that stake smoothed off into a great peg, and slide into that perfect school that matches your personality. My Daddy always told me "Son, believe nothing of what you hear, and only half of what you see. You keep that in mind and you'll do alright in the game of life". That being said, I am out of deodorant and I can smell myself. Good luck. ps..go check out the "applicant stats" threads. There are plenty of us in PA school without perfect grades. How did we ever get in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Steve Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Opinions are like arm pits. We all have at least a couple, and they typically stink. There are SO FREAKING MANY VARIABLES for getting into PA school, I think it bears repeating THERE ARE SO MANY FREAKING VARIABLES! People will tell you if you don't wear a power tie at your interview, you won't get selected. They will tell you if you don't take the hardest course possible from the most elite school, you won't get in. They will tell you if you are a Scorpio, and your moon is rising over Aquarius, you won't get in. Holy Cow people...slow down and stop sweating the minutia. We don't know how well you write personal statements or essays. We don't know the power of your letters of recommendation. We don't know your volunteer history, your work history, your current grade status. We don't even know how old you are. Then there is the issue of having no clue how you interview. You may have the charisma of a masterful diplomat and just woo the socks off all those who meet you. Not to mention what schools you are applying to. There are over 140 schools in the country and I just read an article in a journal from the AAPA that there are about 3 new programs coming on line (not on line schools, but "on line" as in beginning) every year. With so many choices, so many personalities of AdComs, so many mission statements from so many schools, there is NO FREAKING WAY we can even begin to write much of a blanket statement about what it truly takes to get into PA school. Get your pre reqs done. Follow the no brainer common sense of pattern of getting good grades. Gather some experience. Show that you have investigated the PA world a bit via working, shadowing, talking with Shamans..whatever it takes to gather an understanding of being a PA that you can demonstrate to the school(s) of your choice. If it was me, I'd say go to school part time and WORK IN HEALTH CARE part/full time. There IS NO BETTER EDUCATOR THAN HANDS ON EXPERIENCE. So what if you have to delay application to PA school...you can rush it along and try to force a square stake into a round hole and hope that you may get into some program that is desperate to put butts in seats, or you can take a bit more time, get that stake smoothed off into a great peg, and slide into that perfect school that matches your personality. My Daddy always told me "Son, believe nothing of what you hear, and only half of what you see. You keep that in mind and you'll do alright in the game of life". That being said, I am out of deodorant and I can smell myself. Good luck. ps..go check out the "applicant stats" threads. There are plenty of us in PA school without perfect grades. How did we ever get in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imomo Posted January 30, 2012 Author Share Posted January 30, 2012 Thank you everyone for your opinions and words of experience. It just was something i had to question JUST IN CASE. I am just starting my first "college" level science courses and Im taking 2 (bio & chem) in 1 semester with labs which I feel is alot for me to handle after not studying science in over 10 years. I will see how I do and also look into gaining some work experience asap. Thank you all again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imomo Posted January 30, 2012 Author Share Posted January 30, 2012 Thank you everyone for your opinions and words of experience. It just was something i had to question JUST IN CASE. I am just starting my first "college" level science courses and Im taking 2 (bio & chem) in 1 semester with labs which I feel is alot for me to handle after not studying science in over 10 years. I will see how I do and also look into gaining some work experience asap. Thank you all again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duchesskre Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 That sounds like good advice to me. Adcoms want to know you can handle the rigors of PA school. Unless you are working or the primary caretaker of small children, you should take 12+ hours per semester. The rational is that PA programs are intense, so they want to know you can handle at least 12 hours per semester of science classes. Once you get the basic sciences complete, you can always take medical terminology, Spanish, developmental psychology, etc. to improve/broaden your application. There are alot of variables when it comes to admissions. If it helps at all, and I am not speaking for all applicants or all schools when I say this, I do not think taking a certain number of classes per semester matters....at least it didnt in my case. I decided to change careers myself and my last three semesters of class I took one class and one lab (chem 1, then chem2, then organic). I also take an online class during chem 2 semester.....I havent had a problems getting interviews or getting acceptances thus far....so I wouldnt think that taking less than a full load would be the reason you wouldnt get in..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duchesskre Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 That sounds like good advice to me. Adcoms want to know you can handle the rigors of PA school. Unless you are working or the primary caretaker of small children, you should take 12+ hours per semester. The rational is that PA programs are intense, so they want to know you can handle at least 12 hours per semester of science classes. Once you get the basic sciences complete, you can always take medical terminology, Spanish, developmental psychology, etc. to improve/broaden your application. There are alot of variables when it comes to admissions. If it helps at all, and I am not speaking for all applicants or all schools when I say this, I do not think taking a certain number of classes per semester matters....at least it didnt in my case. I decided to change careers myself and my last three semesters of class I took one class and one lab (chem 1, then chem2, then organic). I also take an online class during chem 2 semester.....I havent had a problems getting interviews or getting acceptances thus far....so I wouldnt think that taking less than a full load would be the reason you wouldnt get in..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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