Chances? low-PCE

[collegestudent717 0]

Hi! I just wanted to get some thoughts and comments on my application. I know my patient care experience is pretty low but I've worked so hard as an undergraduate to be involved and maintain consistent grades, but I'm willing to take this gap year to work full time.

Shadowing: 80+ hours

Volunteering: 100+ hours (VA hospital ER transporter, mentor for a special needs student at a children's hospital, and I taught English at an Italian elementary school for a semester)

Involvement: sorority, honors humanities study abroad intersession, study abroad semester, volunteer club, pre-dental club, and completion of senior thesis with help from a professor, pre-PA club

Leadership: campus coordinator for club, study abroad peer mentor

Awards: in-state tuition scholarship, honors scholarship, volunteer awards

GPA: 3.5, sGPA: 3.4, BS Biology

Phlebotomy Certification with 40+ hours externship

Patient care: Vital taker VA hospital (not paid - 100+ hours), lab tech 200+ hours

Gap year plan: full-time phlebotomist after graduation

Are there any schools willing to look past my low PCE or will I be taking a few gap years?

[emily1016 11]

What were your responsibilities as a lab tech? I’m not familiar with that job, so I’m hoping it’s something where you worked hands on directly with patients. 

Your GPA and shadowing/volunteering hours look good, but even with a good personal statement and letters of rec, I think that PCE number is way too low. Most schools have a minimum of 500-1,000 hours, and those are just minimum (not even competitive) 

I would definitely suggest taking some time to work and increase those hours, because PCE is a big deciding factor for admission. 

Maybe you might want to apply to just a few schools this year that don’t put a lot of emphasis on PCE? There are a number of programs who don’t have a minimum. And that way you could familiarize yourself with the application process and become an expert if you need to re apply next year! 

[MT2PA 1,232]

Not all schools count lab tech as PCE, it will count as HCE.

Phlebotomy isn't really the strongest PCE, either.  Check program websites to see who considers it PCE.  Check matriculating student stats to see where your low PCE and average grades are on par with accepted students.

You could very well be taking multiple gap years and/or applying multiple cycles

[PAtoMD 110]

I applied with about 200 hours but I’m my application I had my hours as a continuing experience and said that I would be accruing 40 hours a week until matriculation. I was accepted after graduation so I had about a 6 month “gap year”

 

You could apply but at the end of the day it’s your call.