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Can I start working on my PA app right after HS?


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I'm currently a senior in HS right now. I have 3 summer programs in mind for the summer of 2018 before I head off to college. One would be a research program while the other 2 are your standard volunteering programs. All 3 are pretty big commitment-wise and I will be quite burnt out so I'm not sure if I want to spend my last free summer doing them unless they go towards building my PA application.

Would I be able to put these programs in my PA app since it is technically my college freshman summer? Is it common/standard for PA schools to allow this? Or does this vary among the PA schools and I'll have to individually contact them?

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don't focus on pa school admissions yet. focus on

1. getting a college degree that interests you and fulfills all prereqs for programs you are interested in ( I did medical anthro)

2. getting good grades. 3.5 gpa or better would be best.

3. get some real hce like emt, cna, medical asst., etc and work part-time while in school and during the summers. you are shooting for > 1000 hrs of paid hce to be competitive at most programs. I did an emt program in high school and worked 2 days/week as an er tech during the school year and 60 hrs/week summers during college.  

4. do some pa and md shadowing to make sure pa is really what you want. there are good reasons to go either way.

5. do some volunteer/community service work. does not need to be exhaustive, many folks do a medical mission to a developing nation during a summer break, etc

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Anything that you feel increases your skills/traits, will be a great thing to do. Whether you put those things on a job resume or any kind of graduate school application, it will likely be valued. 

If the research summer program actually interests you, do that one! If the others interest you more, then do that! If you have no real interest or desire to do them at all, that is also fine.

While this may only be anecdotal, I actually put my job when I was 14 years old and filed patient charts at an eye doctors office on my PA school application. Sure it was a really long time ago, but it added to my story on how I got into medicine. A few people from admissions for some programs recognized that and commented on it in a positive way. 

And I just want to second the thoughts from above. Choose a degree you actually like since you will probably naturally get better grades because you are studying something you enjoy. Also, choose a degree that will offer a career you are interested in, regardless if you go on to do some sort of graduate program.

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There are plenty of us that didn't know we would be going to PA school until long after college graduation and we've managed just fine without intentional resume boosters.

Do something because it interests you and you want to do it, not because you are trying to fluff a resume/application.

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try and find a job where you can work around docs and PAs. it really helps in your decision making process. I knew I wanted to be a PA at 18 after working with several ER PAs. the next decade was directed towards meeting that goal:

ER tech job, major with all PA prereqs, Volunteered at several hospitals, worked as phlebotomist, paramedic school, 5 years as a medic

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I do not think the summer before college will impact your PA application post-college. I would choose the position that interests you the most. You will shine doing the things you are passionate about. Alternatively choose the position that would give you an edge job wise to attain a direct patient care position later (i.e. volunteer at a hospital that later you apply to as a CNA). You hopefully will gain some connections that could lead to a job.

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