Professor to PA

[WoahMama]

Forgive me if this has been covered, after searching various terms, I didn't find anything that might help clarify these uncertainties for me.

 

Background 

I'm currently an assistant professor of English and I'm taking prerequisites for a PA program while also working full-time on the tenure track teaching 4-5 classes a semester, doing committee work...etc. (and being a mom of two with a third--our last planned--due at the end of the month). For many reasons, I've decided (with the support of my husband) to pursue a a PA career path.

 

Questions:

Thus far, I have above a 3.0 in my newly acquired prerequs, but found that the only lab I could take this semester time-wise was with the most difficult professor who required the most stringent amount of work. Rather than have to skip the course this session and lose time, I took it  despite her reputation and am teetering, not based on my performance but on an oddity in her "discussion" portion weighing of the course, on earning a "C," instead of the "B" it looked like I'd earned based on all of my grades (final grades aren't in yet, so this may be jumping the gun a little, but I have reason to be concerned). I have a high B in the lecture component (same professor) so please believe me when I say that it's not a matter of not understanding the material; the class is legitimately difficult and she prides herself on students not earning "A"s. The lecture is worth 3 credits and the lab is worth 1. They do not average together for a final cumulative grade, but stand alone. Should I retake the "C" lab if I do, in fact, earn that grade? I'm certain with another professor I would have earned an "A" in the lab and lecture, but as it appears--I might actually be looking at a "C" in her lab. Suggestions on how to deal with that if I do? Just take the "C" and hope it doesn't pull my overall GPA down? Or retake it and get the "A" I'm sure I could've gotten in another professor's lab?

 

Secondly, I've been reading about what transcript information to put into CASPA and most information on the forum appears to suggest that I should put "everything." With that in mind, does this mean my advanced English degree transcript information, as well? I graduated undergrad in 2002 and went to grad school afterwards, but not in a science-related field. All of my GPAs were well above a 3.0, but how relevant are the grad school transcripts in English to PA applications? An MD friend of mine who taught in a PA program for a short stint said that the juggling I've done and research and so on will look good to PA admission committees, but didn't mention anything about the transcript portion of applications. What do you folks suggest in this regard?

 

Lastly, there are a few courses I still need before I can formally apply. I have read the Online Classes post and am still wondering: does it matter how many different schools I've taken some of these courses from? The local college I've taken my sciences and labs in does not offer "medical terminology". It does offer statistics or college algebra, but with a new baby coming and teaching two online courses myself, I don't think I'm going to have time to take those in person over the summer as I've done in the past (that's when I try to stack my classes since I can reasonably only attend one lab/lecture during a semester given my own teaching schedule and obligations). Does it matter if I take the math from one online program and the medical terminology from a different one? I don't think those factor into my GPA once they're sent to my "home" school, but am I wrong about that? Do they?

 

I think that's everything. For now. Thank you so much for bearing with me thus far and please forgive me if I've overlooked all of this info in my searches. I've been following the forum for about a year, even though I've only just become a member. I appreciate your help.

 

Edited to add: Health Care Experience 

I currently have a few hundred hours working as a scribe and shadowing in the local university hospital with various teams of PA students and med students--ER work and internal medicine. I have more hours lined up in an ENT office to assist with minor in-office procedures. I don't have a medical or health care background technically, but did have the good fortune to work summers in several doctors offices as a high school student and college undergrad, which has--so far--helped me to land some health care hours without being certified in anything. But any other suggestions for HCE are always appreciated!

[UGoLong]

First of all, I salute you for trying to pull all this together. Strong work!

What is the class with the one credit lab? I probably would press on with the other prereqs for now rather than try to repeat it. It sounds like you have several classes to go.

It shouldn't matter how many institutions you attend to get all of your prereqs. I didn't see mention of healthcare experience; that is often a major factor in a school's evaluation criteria.

Best wishes, including the impending baby!


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[WoahMama]

Thanks for the kind words, UGoLong, and the congrats! It's been a tough road, but it does look like I should be able to apply next cycle.

 

The current lab should've been really simple and I'm embarrassed to say it was just Bio II. I thought I didn't need it, since it was not a prerequ for many of the schools I plan to apply to, and successfully took other prerequisites without needing it, but then found it's a prerequ for one of my necessary prerequisites for admission and had to go back and take it after all. Figures! So one extra thing I had to figure into the plan.

 

As for HCE, I currently have a few hundred hours over the last few years working as a scribe and shadowing in the local university hospital with various teams of PA students and med students--ER work and internal medicine. I have more hours lined up in an ENT office to assist with minor in-office procedures. I don't have a medical or health care background technically, but did have the good fortune to work summers in several doctors offices as a high school student and college undergrad, which has--so far--helped me to land some health care hours without being certified in anything (I have not counted the high school and undergrad hours toward HCE since they were eons ago now!). I'm hoping to get a part-time health care position working with patients in the coming year, but we'll see. If it takes an extra year of acquiring the necessary components for a successful application, so be it!

[UGoLong]

I don't think I'd repeat a C in a 1 credit bio lab. If you still haven't taken it -- and have time to do so -- you could take pathophysiology (truly the backbone of PA school) and show that you can handle the work.

 

I would think you will attract some interest. PA programs generally like some diversity and having a somewhat older (than 25, I would guess) English professor should buy you a look or two.

 

As far as HCE, shadowing generally doesn't count. At least some schools accept scribing (where I teach does.) Shadowing is generally tracked as a separate category of activity and is also very beneficial.

 

Good luck!

[WoahMama]

Pathophysiology it is. Yes. I'll definitely be returning as an older student--I haven't seen 25 in a dozen years. I don't miss it ;)

 

The shadowing hours aren't ones I suspected would move mountains in terms of HCE, but was hoping the scribing and the ENT office experience would do a little more.

 

If you have some insight, what are your thoughts on this: There's a four course CNA certification program at our local tech school that I've gone through the application process for and was thinking of going that route, as well, to guarantee more competitive HCE hours. Two of those courses are offered this summer. My husband, who is also a professor, has suggested I just jump the academic career ship and focus on finishing the prerequs and getting those HCE hours--a CNA might be a start to that. It wouldn't be the assistant professor salary, but it would be something, at least. We've saved for PA school and expect to take out some loans, but would rather not have to dip into that savings before PA school while I do prerequs/HCE hours. I'm considering whether a semester or summer would be long enough to procure enough HCE hours to be useful.

 

It has truly been a juggling act and one that would be made exponentially harder by trying to add a part-time CNA position to my current teaching load and class-taking load and mom-load. Dropping the teaching position and focusing on the HCE hours with a CNA position might be best. What are your thoughts on a four month full-time CNA position, if possible? Will schools let me complete the HCE hours in the interim between applying to and starting a program?

 

Thanks for your time. I really appreciate your experience on this.

[radtash]

I think you should take an upper level bio. Patho is a killer, so that's a great suggestion. Maybe you can get CPR certified and find a local hospital that will hire you PRN as a patient care tech so that you don't have to get any additional certifications. I would also check craigslist because some small medical offices aren't as stringent about certifications as the hospitals may be. Some schools are tricky about scribe jobs. You have to check with the individual schools to see if they will except it. You need to enter all of the courses that you've ever taken into CASPA. I wouldn't bother repeating the one credit course unless the school that you are interested in requires you to have a B or higher.

 

I applied to PA school after being home with my kids for 4 to 5 years. Be prepared to meet with some resistance as a mom, should you decide to disclose that, and just know that you will find a program eventually that is a good fit. Good luck!

 

 

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[UGoLong]

We have a few moms in our class now, and I was a dad (and shortly after starting, a grandfather) back in my class. No flak at all, and I was 58 the day that I started. I encourage older applicants to not be defensive nor expect to be hassled. Don't come across as either inflexible or defensive!

 

As far as how best to get experience, I'd advise anyone to pick something that you can get, expect to enjoy doing, and gives you a chance to get your hands dirty in healthcare.

 

Healthcare involves dealing with people when they aren't at their best. Not only does your program want to see that you can work in that environment, but you also owe it to yourself to prove to you that healthcare is really for you.

[WoahMama]

Good news...I landed the "B" I had expected so no worries on the "C" front, after all. Now I can just keep moving forward without stressing over that.

 

I do have CPR certification and have been keeping an eye on Craigslist. May have to push adding HCE hours off a little until after the new baby is born (sometime in the next two and a half weeks), but I'm feeling pretty optimistic about prospects.

 

In terms of being an older mom in school again--it's tough to ruffle me on these things. Since I did go to school for a long time and have, as a professor and professional (I've had an array of service jobs, professional jobs..etc. over the years), dealt with all kinds of people on all kinds of fronts (colleagues and students and coworkers and customers, young and old, curmudgeony and kind), I tend to come to the table pretty open-mindedly and with a high willingness to both learn but also observe and assess. I guess some professors feel elitist--I know plenty like this--but I learn from my students and kids every day so am not unfamiliar with or unwilling to be the student. I suspect if I were, I wouldn't consider going back to school. I recognize that being an "expert" in my particular field does not exempt me from having so very much to learn outside of my field or make me unable to recognize that my particular expertise actually means very little outside of what I do. I have an eagerness for learning, which I believe helps me in school and in my interactions with people overall. Perhaps somewhat naively, I tend to think (based on my own experiences) that we are ultimately, in the end, judged by our ability, skill and effort than on how we are stereotyped or labeled. I've been in plenty of situations (I look younger than I am) where I was stereotyped and had to overcome those stereotypes by peers or colleagues...etc. (I'm actually in the midst of this at my job right now having just been voted in as an academic coordinator for our department.) It's not an unexpected or surprising challenge and not one I'm unfamiliar with or unwilling to take on. Again. If one thing is certain in life, it appears to be the need to consistently prove one's self.

 

I appreciate these responses and pieces of advice! Thank you.