PotatoHopper Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 I'm trying to gather other people's opinion on my chances on getting into PA school. Mind you, I am not done with my Undergraduate studies yet. I currently hold an overall 3.8 GPA, however I do not have any medical experience what so ever. I have been trying all my hardest to obtain one, but I always end up getting rejected at hospitals, clinics, and even at pharmacies. (Any advice on that?) Although my overall GPA seems great, my basis science courses, not so much: General Biology I : C General Biology II : B- General Chemistry II : C Anatomy & Physiology I : B+ My science grades are lacking, very badly, and I do intend to retake all of them for a better grade, though some have advised me not to. What are your thoughts on this? Also, what are your thoughts on my CURRENT status on getting into PA school? Where do you think I would stand?Thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jchen14 Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 Do you plan on applying next year - 2019 CASPA cycle? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ket131 Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 My advice is improve your grades in your science courses. If you have a goal then it should be easier to focus than if you did not have a goal. Since you are still in undergraduate there is time for your grades to get higher or lower and it is hard to judge. You mention difficulty getting work in healthcare. Is this after interviews, if it is it is how you come off in interviews. If you are getting rejected outright, it is possible you are lacking work experience and/or applying to the wrong jobs, I would consider a job like pca/scribe/ma/cna/dialysis tech. Keep in mind some of these are considered more direct. All are pretty easy to get a job in, speaking from experience. Also, undergraduate time is a good time to get research experience. However, professors will choose people that do well in their classes for research assistants. Cant hurt to volunteer. If there is a VA hospital near you they always need volunteers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PACrankset Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 On the science grades you should consider retaking the two C's you have, the B- and B+ are not worth retaking as the increase even if you get an A will be so minimal. Your overall GPA is great. On the HCE side of things you need to be more proactive about getting some, you cannot expect facilities to hire you with no experience and no prior training. Sometimes you will have to put in some work to get hired somewhere, look at CNA, EMT or MA courses in your area. Yes they may cost you some money but you will have a better chance at getting hired in a job where you will learn something. Without any experience your chances are very slim as you will not meet the minimum requirements for admissions at most schools. Even if you find a job next week you will still likely not accumulate enough hours to meet the minimum this year. For the next cycle (2019/2020) you should be in great shape. By then you will have improved your grades, accumulated a year or so of HCE and maybe taken the GRE if required by the schools you are interested in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PotatoHopper Posted February 25, 2018 Author Share Posted February 25, 2018 1 hour ago, Ket131 said: My advice is improve your grades in your science courses. If you have a goal then it should be easier to focus than if you did not have a goal. Since you are still in undergraduate there is time for your grades to get higher or lower and it is hard to judge. You mention difficulty getting work in healthcare. Is this after interviews, if it is it is how you come off in interviews. If you are getting rejected outright, it is possible you are lacking work experience and/or applying to the wrong jobs, I would consider a job like pca/scribe/ma/cna/dialysis tech. Keep in mind some of these are considered more direct. All are pretty easy to get a job in, speaking from experience. Also, undergraduate time is a good time to get research experience. However, professors will choose people that do well in their classes for research assistants. Cant hurt to volunteer. If there is a VA hospital near you they always need volunteers. The main reason I get rejected is because of the lack of experience. Though, I have applied to become a Pharm Tech to receive some experience and was set on receiving the basic and proper training, the schedule I received didn't align with my school schedule, so I unfortunately had to reject the offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PotatoHopper Posted February 25, 2018 Author Share Posted February 25, 2018 1 hour ago, Jchen14 said: Do you plan on applying next year - 2019 CASPA cycle? No, not at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lccalbert Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 19 hours ago, PotatoHopper said: The main reason I get rejected is because of the lack of experience. Though, I have applied to become a Pharm Tech to receive some experience and was set on receiving the basic and proper training, the schedule I received didn't align with my school schedule, so I unfortunately had to reject the offer. I would try to find a different. Pharm tech might not be considered PCE to most schools. Try to get a CNA, MA, or EMT. Was an EMT during undergrad and got great experience. You need to get yourself into the healthcare field with direct patient contact. If youve never experienced it you wont know if you will like it or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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