Just Curious...

[ciethekid]

Hi All,

I am a later in life college student (read: non-trad student) and I am probably still about 4 years out from actually applying to PA school. After reading over some of the post here, I have a few questions and would appreciate any answers and feedback. 

1) How many schools would you recommend applying to? Obviously the whole eggs in one basket thing applies, but what if your heart is dead set on one school... do you just keep trying?

2) My route to PA school will be a wee bit unorthodox. I am currently enrolled at 2 different schools pursuing two totally different medical degrees. (I am on track to receive my AS in Radiologic Technology next year, while taking the additional pre-reqs required to get my ASN/BSN from the other school) If I am being perfectly honest, I didn't know anything about PAs until about 6 months ago. All of that to say, I don't want to seem flippant about my choice to become a PA. How do I make it clear that I am firm in my decision to pursue becoming a PA after being a Rad Tech and a nurse?

 

Again, thanks for taking the time.. any advice is welcomed.

[moleashish]

If you are dead set on pursuing PA career, then you need to shadow few PAs. 

Also if you really want to go to a particular school, find out their requirements, find out their matriculated student statistics and try to do better than those. You will need decent amount of quality patient care hours along with volunteer hours and shadowing hours. 

That leaves with, how you would use your time efficiently checking in all those boxes. 

I personally don't understand trying to get two different healthcare license/degree at the same time. What is the point of that if your ultimate goal now is PA? I would pick the one that will get my prereqs for PA school checked along with giving me quality patient care exposure and stick with one and save money and time to make my application better. 

I hope you will receive different perspectives from others here. 

[robins53]

2 hours ago, ciethekid said:

Hi All,

I am a later in life college student (read: non-trad student) and I am probably still about 4 years out from actually applying to PA school. After reading over some of the post here, I have a few questions and would appreciate any answers and feedback. 

1) How many schools would you recommend applying to? Obviously the whole eggs in one basket thing applies, but what if your heart is dead set on one school... do you just keep trying?

2) My route to PA school will be a wee bit unorthodox. I am currently enrolled at 2 different schools pursuing two totally different medical degrees. (I am on track to receive my AS in Radiologic Technology next year, while taking the additional pre-reqs required to get my ASN/BSN from the other school) If I am being perfectly honest, I didn't know anything about PAs until about 6 months ago. All of that to say, I don't want to seem flippant about my choice to become a PA. How do I make it clear that I am firm in my decision to pursue becoming a PA after being a Rad Tech and a nurse?

 

Again, thanks for taking the time.. any advice is welcomed.

Good luck on your journey.

1. Please do the research for the school you would like to apply to if that is your top choice. As the above poster stated find out their requirements and work 10x harder to outshine their norm. Personally I would recommend to apply to at least 5 schools. Although that particular school is your top choice have a back up plan. If you do not want to attend any school but that school than you either 1, have to make yourself better than the competition or 2, prepare yourself to apply multiple times. It just depends on your goals and when you plan to be done with your education and want to work in the workforce. 

2. I can see your reasoning for being in two programs. But if you will get your ASN at the same time as the rad tech than drop from the rad tech program. I am only saying this because if you were doing rad tech to get a job while finishing your ASN , think about applying for a Nurse Extern position that way you can pick up hours as a CNA as well before you finish nursing school, and it can be easier for you to get hired as a nurse there. Once you pass the NCLEX and become a nurse immediately enroll in an RN to BSN program that way you can take your courses while accumulating PCE working is while also completeing your pre reqs for PA school. 

Another scenario would be if you complete the rad tech program before the ASN you can see if some of your credits will transfer into the ASN program at the other school and that way it will not take that long to complete the second degree . Although, I am not sure if credits transfer into nursing programs. You will than get a job as a rad tech while working towards your nursing degree and have a foot in the door so when you pass the NCLEX you can get hired where you are working as the tech. And follow the same path as stated above following becoming a nurse. 

Apply and work smarter not harder. This is just my advice and what I would do to save myself time, money and energy. This can help you kill many birds with one stone. 

Good luck on your journey. Feel free to ask me any more questions if you have them. Thanks 

[lccalbert]

It would be a huge waste of time and money to do nursing and rad tech. Why? I feel like that would raise some question marks while they are reading your application. If you want to be a PA, streamline to becoming a PA. 

And shadow before you make up your mind. Cant want something until you REALLY know what it is. Good luck. 

[ciethekid]

Thanks for the helpful insight y'all.. I truly appreciate it.

To answer why the two programs:

My original plan was to get my degree in nursing, but the adviser of the school that I chose to attend stated that no one in their Nursing program can really work because it's too difficult with the school's structure and the rigorous workload. This scared me... because I NEED to work and didn't want to risk falling off in school. So he suggested the RT program (something that I was previously interested in prior). He stated that the workload is still rigorous, however it allows for time to work as well. (My campus doesn't offer the bachelor's route for the RT degree)

I was about 8 months into the first part of the RT program when I found out that a CC in my area has a concurrent ASN/BSN program, so I enrolled there too. Again, I am still about 6 or 7 pre-req classes off from being able to apply to the actual ASN/BSN program, so I am knocking those out of the way. The ASN/BSN program has the pre-reqs that coincide with the PA program plus the bachelor's needed. I won't be able to apply for the nursing program til after I graduate anyways, but at least all my pre-reqs will be out of the way.

If I knew about the concurrent ASN/BSN program first, I would have taken that route but it just didn't work out that way. 

I will definitely do some shadowing because you made a very valid point. I won't know what I'm in for until I see it first hand.

 

Question: I should get DPC hours from being a Rad Tech that's counted as well right? 

[robins53]

7 minutes ago, ciethekid said:

Thanks for the helpful insight y'all.. I truly appreciate it.

To answer why the two programs:

My original plan was to get my degree in nursing, but the adviser of the school that I chose to attend stated that no one in their Nursing program can really work because it's too difficult with the school's structure and the rigorous workload. This scared me... because I NEED to work and didn't want to risk falling off in school. So he suggested the RT program (something that I was previously interested in prior). He stated that the workload is still rigorous, however it allows for time to work as well. (My campus doesn't offer the bachelor's route for the RT degree)

I was about 8 months into the first part of the RT program when I found out that a CC in my area has a concurrent ASN/BSN program, so I enrolled there too. Again, I am still about 6 or 7 pre-req classes off from being able to apply to the actual ASN/BSN program, so I am knocking those out of the way. The ASN/BSN program has the pre-reqs that coincide with the PA program plus the bachelor's needed. I won't be able to apply for the nursing program til after I graduate anyways, but at least all my pre-reqs will be out of the way.

If I knew about the concurrent ASN/BSN program first, I would have taken that route but it just didn't work out that way. 

I will definitely do some shadowing because you made a very valid point. I won't know what I'm in for until I see it first hand.

 

Question: I should get DPC hours from being a Rad Tech that's counted as well right? 

Okay. I understand now. But I’m still wondering why would you get another associates degree if you’ll already get one for rad tech. You can just transfer into a University to finish two more years to recieve a bachelors degree instead of ASN/BSN unless being a nurse is your fall back if not accepted into PA school and your other life goal. (That was my back up plan if I was not accepted. I would have did an ABSN Program or became a chemist , I have a chemistry degree) anyway as a rad tech you will get direct patient care hours.

good luck

[ciethekid]

8 minutes ago, robins53 said:

Okay. I understand now. But I’m still wondering why would you get another associates degree if you’ll already get one for rad tech. You can just transfer into a University to finish two more years to recieve a bachelors degree instead of ASN/BSN unless being a nurse is your fall back if not accepted into PA school and your other life goal. (That was my back up plan if I was not accepted. I would have did an ABSN Program or became a chemist , I have a chemistry degree) anyway as a rad tech you will get direct patient care hours.

good luck

Since the program is concurrent, I'll still receive my bachelor's in two years. My goal was to become a nurse... now I'll just have the added bonus of being a Rad Tech too. I never considered the fall back plan aspect of it.. especially because nursing is something I am very interested in. 

I think I am concerned with schools having the same questions as you all... (Why the RT and RN degree?)

Note: The CC that I attend offers a BS in Radiologic Science, however the additional pre-reqs for the program doesn't coincide with the pre-reqs required for the PA schools I am looking into, the ASN/BSN program does (another reason for going this route).

[robins53]

1 minute ago, ciethekid said:

Since the program is concurrent, I'll still receive my bachelor's in two years. My goal was to become a nurse... now I'll just have the added bonus of being a Rad Tech too. I never considered the fall back plan aspect of it.. especially because nursing is something I am very interested in. 

I think I am concerned with schools having the same questions as you all... (Why the RT and RN degree?)

Note: The CC that I attend offers a BS in Radiologic Science, however the additional pre-reqs for the program doesn't coincide with the pre-reqs required for the PA schools I am looking into, the ASN/BSN program does (another reason for going this route).

That makes sense than . That is smart really cool as well. So when you finish the RT program will you have to take a few more pre reqs for the ASN/BSN? Or will you be able to just apply ? I think schools will be delighted that you have both RT and RN. It’s great. It’s give you a lot of experience. 

[ciethekid]

40 minutes ago, robins53 said:

That makes sense than . That is smart really cool as well. So when you finish the RT program will you have to take a few more pre reqs for the ASN/BSN? Or will you be able to just apply ? I think schools will be delighted that you have both RT and RN. It’s great. It’s give you a lot of experience. 

I am knocking out some of the pre-reqs while doing the RT program. I might have 2 or 3 still to complete after I get my 1st degree, but then I'll be ready to apply to the nursing programs

 

[robins53]

14 minutes ago, ciethekid said:

I am knocking out some of the pre-reqs while doing the RT program. I might have 2 or 3 still to complete after I get my 1st degree, but then I'll be ready to apply to the nursing programs

 

Well sounds like you have a solid plan. Just stick to the plan. If some bumps happen along the road just keep pushing and succeed. Good luck with everything.