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Does it really matter what PA program you graduate from?


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I am currently enrolled (just started in Jan 2013) in the PA program at South University Savannah, things are going well and I like the program and the location. The problem is I just got accepted to the George Washington University PA program which starts in May. GWU was my first choice but I'm at South now bc I hadnt gotten in any where at the time South started so I didnt want to take the chance of not getting in anywhere. GWU is much more expensive but also has one of the best reputations for PA education. In the end will it really matter where I graduated from (also considering the large difference in reputation of GWU vs. South)? THANKS for any advice ASAP!

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I think it would be wise to consider the cost of each program also. Graduating from GWU's PA school will not give you any advantage over being a graduate from South when it comes time to apply for jobs. Get the "C" and you will be employable almost anywhere. But if you have personal preferences, acknowledge those and choose the program you feel is the best fit. It would be a shame to go through PA school and not be happy with the program you chose.

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There are a couple of PA schools you absolutely should not go to, and a couple that, if you get in, you must go. For the 125 or so in the middle, everyone else is right, it’s the PA-C that counts, especially after your first year out. Neither of your choices are in the bottom two or the top two of my personal list, so I would say, stay where you are at (not to mention the cost of living difference and the tuition difference between DC and where you are at now). If you want prestige you can get it at one of your first couple of jobs, just pick a good academic medical center, or a post-grad residency. You will be getting paid at least while you accumulate “big names” on your CV.

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I think your qualifier "personal" in "personal list" is important. Everyone is going to have a different set of characteristics they are looking for in a program. For example, I interviewed at and was accepted at school Y. The students I talked to there were excited about the program and I've read positive remarks from other applicants on this forum. However, I didn't feel it was the best fit for me and declined to attend there. Is there anything "wrong" with school Y? No, and I'd likely have received a fine education there. But overall, I felt another school fit me better.

 

to the OP, if you've already started--and you like it--it would make sense to stay there, no?

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