mcpikj Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 Hello. I'm hoping I'm not being obnoxious and posting a topic that is too similar to existing ones. I'm currently a sophomore and I have a 3.0 gpa. Last semester I put on too many science classes and had to increase my hours at work due to a cut in financial aid. I got two c's and had to drop a course. This semester I developed kidney stones, was out of class for two weeks and did so poorly on my first test that most likely I'm going to get around a C. I have about two years left of school and I'm starting to doubt if I'll even be a viable candidate for PA school. I've been working in a pharmacy for two years and I'm trying to find a way to get good HCE. I've got years of volunteer work behind me as well. Am I just over thinking this or should I reconsider my career choice? Also I'm a biomedical sciences major and I'm wondering if I should change that. I have no idea what I will do with it if I don't get into PA school. What major did you have? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcpikj Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Hello. I'm hoping I'm not being obnoxious and posting a topic that is too similar to existing ones. I'm currently a sophomore and I have a 3.0 gpa. Last semester I put on too many science classes and had to increase my hours at work due to a cut in financial aid. I got two c's and had to drop a course. This semester I developed kidney stones, was out of class for two weeks and did so poorly on my first test that most likely I'm going to get around a C. I have about two years left of school and I'm starting to doubt if I'll even be a viable candidate for PA school. I've been working in a pharmacy for two years and I'm trying to find a way to get good HCE. I've got years of volunteer work behind me as well. Am I just over thinking this or should I reconsider my career choice? Also I'm a biomedical sciences major and I'm wondering if I should change that. I have no idea what I will do with it if I don't get into PA school. What major did you have? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenRRT Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Major in something that interests you. Doing something that interests you will help you learn to material much easier which will result in good grades! Hope this helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenRRT Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Major in something that interests you. Doing something that interests you will help you learn to material much easier which will result in good grades! Hope this helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul2834 Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 I did computer engineering in my undergrad. Have you had varied exposures to clinical settings where PAs practice? It'll help you decide if being a PA is something you really want to do because we shouldn't be telling a stranger on the Internet what career path to follow. If yes, then how hard are you willing to fight through any trial and sacrifice for it? If you have to study more or differently to learn the material and earn the higher mark, then are you willing to cut out less important things from your life? PA school is going to be many times harder than whatever you're doing right now. Some will even argue that it's more difficult than medical school given the much faster pace and the shorter time. If you can work smarter and harder, then you'll be in better shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul2834 Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 I did computer engineering in my undergrad. Have you had varied exposures to clinical settings where PAs practice? It'll help you decide if being a PA is something you really want to do because we shouldn't be telling a stranger on the Internet what career path to follow. If yes, then how hard are you willing to fight through any trial and sacrifice for it? If you have to study more or differently to learn the material and earn the higher mark, then are you willing to cut out less important things from your life? PA school is going to be many times harder than whatever you're doing right now. Some will even argue that it's more difficult than medical school given the much faster pace and the shorter time. If you can work smarter and harder, then you'll be in better shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcpikj Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 I'm afraid that if I major in something like economics it's going to look completely irrelevant, for good reason, but at the same time I find it hard to focus in classes like botany and zoology (One I did poorly in, the other I'm currently taking). It's not that I find science hard, I just keep getting classes that are minimally relevant at best to medicine and that makes it hard for me to focus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcpikj Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 I'm afraid that if I major in something like economics it's going to look completely irrelevant, for good reason, but at the same time I find it hard to focus in classes like botany and zoology (One I did poorly in, the other I'm currently taking). It's not that I find science hard, I just keep getting classes that are minimally relevant at best to medicine and that makes it hard for me to focus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcpikj Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 I've been trying to find a PA to shadow for a while. Any ideas on how to find one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcpikj Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 I've been trying to find a PA to shadow for a while. Any ideas on how to find one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul2834 Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 I don't think so. If you really like economics, you should go for it. PA school will train you with only the understanding that you've completed the prerequisites and have had some sort of healthcare exposure, ranging from shadowing to years of paid HCE depending on the school. I can't see how any undergrad major can be irrelevant. Remember that being a practitioner isn't all about science, but there's the social aspect to it given that PAs treat people from all types of backgrounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul2834 Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 I don't think so. If you really like economics, you should go for it. PA school will train you with only the understanding that you've completed the prerequisites and have had some sort of healthcare exposure, ranging from shadowing to years of paid HCE depending on the school. I can't see how any undergrad major can be irrelevant. Remember that being a practitioner isn't all about science, but there's the social aspect to it given that PAs treat people from all types of backgrounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcpikj Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 Maybe I will. I guess I'll just talk to the admissions guy at the PA school here. He's really friendly. Thanks for the input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcpikj Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 Maybe I will. I guess I'll just talk to the admissions guy at the PA school here. He's really friendly. Thanks for the input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinntsp Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 It's not that I find science hard, I just keep getting classes that are minimally relevant at best to medicine and that makes it hard for me to focus. That is something you need to overcome for the sake of your GPA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinntsp Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 It's not that I find science hard, I just keep getting classes that are minimally relevant at best to medicine and that makes it hard for me to focus. That is something you need to overcome for the sake of your GPA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taotaox1 Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 The thing is that despite the fact that the information is not directly relevant, going through these classes changes the way you think and makes you a better "scientist". Skills you will need to in medicine like making decisions based off of scientific data, reading medical studies/literature, etc. I found Algebra and chemisty in particular made me a stronger, more robust thinker even though the material is (mostly) not directly pertinant and I remember little of it. On top of that, I have found that my science education allows me to understand medical concepts much faster/more because I know the basic science behind it. Being a PA is not a technician level job where just knowing a + b = c is always acceptable. Also, if you really want to be a PA your grades should damn well interest you even if the material does not. Being able to retain and focus on a subject that bores/you are tired of you shows the dicipline and maturity adcoms are looking for. People with very high GPAs have them as a result of dicipline as much as intelligence. The work issue is understandable, though I know many, including myself, who work full times and kept their grades up. For me it required giving up a nice portion (but not all) of my social life. I apoligize if I am making assumptions that are untrue (feel free to ignore me) but I see this pretty often (with friends of mine) and the problem is usually the person (dicipline/maturity) not the situation. Fortunatly this means something can be done about it! On a positive note having a non traditional degree worked out well for me (English) though I had 60 hours of math/science. Got into Duke and start in Aug. Dont be totally afraid to switch majors if its what you really want and are not just taking the easy way out. AKA: you will have to explain why you changed to a non science major despite the fact you knew you wanted to be a PA. You better have a strong explaination or it will look pretty lame IMO. Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taotaox1 Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 The thing is that despite the fact that the information is not directly relevant, going through these classes changes the way you think and makes you a better "scientist". Skills you will need to in medicine like making decisions based off of scientific data, reading medical studies/literature, etc. I found Algebra and chemisty in particular made me a stronger, more robust thinker even though the material is (mostly) not directly pertinant and I remember little of it. On top of that, I have found that my science education allows me to understand medical concepts much faster/more because I know the basic science behind it. Being a PA is not a technician level job where just knowing a + b = c is always acceptable. Also, if you really want to be a PA your grades should damn well interest you even if the material does not. Being able to retain and focus on a subject that bores/you are tired of you shows the dicipline and maturity adcoms are looking for. People with very high GPAs have them as a result of dicipline as much as intelligence. The work issue is understandable, though I know many, including myself, who work full times and kept their grades up. For me it required giving up a nice portion (but not all) of my social life. I apoligize if I am making assumptions that are untrue (feel free to ignore me) but I see this pretty often (with friends of mine) and the problem is usually the person (dicipline/maturity) not the situation. Fortunatly this means something can be done about it! On a positive note having a non traditional degree worked out well for me (English) though I had 60 hours of math/science. Got into Duke and start in Aug. Dont be totally afraid to switch majors if its what you really want and are not just taking the easy way out. AKA: you will have to explain why you changed to a non science major despite the fact you knew you wanted to be a PA. You better have a strong explaination or it will look pretty lame IMO. Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcpikj Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 The thing is that despite the fact that the information is not directly relevant, going through these classes changes the way you think and makes you a better "scientist". Skills you will need to in medicine like making decisions based off of scientific data, reading medical studies/literature, etc. I found Algebra and chemisty in particular made me a stronger, more robust thinker even though the material is (mostly) not directly pertinant and I remember little of it. On top of that, I have found that my science education allows me to understand medical concepts much faster/more because I know the basic science behind it. Being a PA is not a technician level job where just knowing a + b = c is always acceptable. Also, if you really want to be a PA your grades should damn well interest you even if the material does not. Being able to retain and focus on a subject that bores/you are tired of you shows the dicipline and maturity adcoms are looking for. People with very high GPAs have them as a result of dicipline as much as intelligence. The work issue is understandable, though I know many, including myself, who work full times and kept their grades up. For me it required giving up a nice portion (but not all) of my social life. Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk I think that's actually a good point. I guess I wasn't thinking the right way about it. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcpikj Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 The thing is that despite the fact that the information is not directly relevant, going through these classes changes the way you think and makes you a better "scientist". Skills you will need to in medicine like making decisions based off of scientific data, reading medical studies/literature, etc. I found Algebra and chemisty in particular made me a stronger, more robust thinker even though the material is (mostly) not directly pertinant and I remember little of it. On top of that, I have found that my science education allows me to understand medical concepts much faster/more because I know the basic science behind it. Being a PA is not a technician level job where just knowing a + b = c is always acceptable. Also, if you really want to be a PA your grades should damn well interest you even if the material does not. Being able to retain and focus on a subject that bores/you are tired of you shows the dicipline and maturity adcoms are looking for. People with very high GPAs have them as a result of dicipline as much as intelligence. The work issue is understandable, though I know many, including myself, who work full times and kept their grades up. For me it required giving up a nice portion (but not all) of my social life. Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk I think that's actually a good point. I guess I wasn't thinking the right way about it. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taotaox1 Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 lol your completely welcome. I can't believe I typed all that on my phone. Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taotaox1 Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 lol your completely welcome. I can't believe I typed all that on my phone. Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mktalon Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 I just keep getting classes that are minimally relevant at best to medicine and that makes it hard for me to focus. How are you "getting" classes that are irrelevant? Don't you have any say in what classes you take? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mktalon Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 I just keep getting classes that are minimally relevant at best to medicine and that makes it hard for me to focus. How are you "getting" classes that are irrelevant? Don't you have any say in what classes you take? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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