Accepted into ABSN -- questioning whether it's the best route

[eidolon]

Hey all,

So I've got a huge decision ahead of me. I've held an interest in healthcare for a little over a decade (I'm 30 now -- was pre-med in college; majored I'm neurobiology and English with an sGPA of 3.67) but life happened and I got slightly derailed. About a year ago, I began looking for other careers in healthcare beyond being a physician, since the lifestyle/debt/time involved has become increasingly less appealing to me. I decided to pursue nursing since it seemed like it would open the most doors. My intention is to become a PA after accruing enough HCE to apply to some good programs. Not terribly interested in becoming an NP--the PA model's emphasis on patho and deeper clinical immersion appeal to me much more, and the PAs I've shadowed have left a big impression on me.

 

Long story short: I got accepted to a well-regarded but heinously expensive ABSN program in my state, and am now at a crossroads about whether to attend or not. The high cost of tuition for my ABSN (~$50k) is hard for me to justify for just a bachelor's degree. My current job -- I work in tech -- also extended and extremely tempting offer to me in an attempt to keep me around for a couple more years.

 

So now, I'm thinking that I might delay for a while, get myself on better financial footing, and then apply to a cheaper ADN program instead. Im a little worried about forgoing  an education at a really good school, though, especially since all of the PA schools in my area are super competitive. My question is basically: will PA schools care about where I went to school/whether I have an ADN vs. a BSN? Is there maybe another better, less financially burdensome route to becoming a PA that I haven't yet considered? 

[TheLastStone]

I agree with mcclane. Whether it's BSN or ADN... you take the NCLEX and that's what you would put as your job title: RN. So, do what is best for you, because I don't think it will matter one bit; ADN or BSN. 

[LT_Oneal_PAC]

If you already have a bachelors, go for the ADN, though it may be more difficult to get job at larger hospitals that want to have an all BSN staff. If you’re goal is just to get HCE though and you aren’t really concerned where you work to get that experience, wouldn’t worry about it.