natalizumab Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 I'm in a similar situation to some posters here with a GRE score of 297. My BCP & cumulative are both >/= 3.3 (I'm yet to calculate the final no as I have way too many classes). I have 2 master's degrees and a postbac certificate. I have also completed basic medical sciences at a major Caribbean Medical school but had to withdraw right before taking the USMLE exam (in good standing) due to personal reasons (see my other post in the general forum "PA vs Pharmacy" as to why I'm not going back to med school). I have a descent volunteer and clinical experience from shadowing and medical school intro to clinical medicine course with standardized & real patients, as well as hospital rounds. Do you think I have a shot at PA school? Should I retake the GRE. The schools I'm applying to do not have a cut off score. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmtpnw Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 Hours accrued as part of a training program, in this case med school, won’t be counted towards your patient care or health care experience for PA school. Do you have any other clinical experience outside of your med school? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natalizumab Posted May 30, 2018 Author Share Posted May 30, 2018 1 minute ago, hmtpnw said: Hours accrued as part of a training program, in this case med school, won’t be counted towards your patient care or health care experience for PA school. Do you have any other clinical experience outside of your med school? Yes, I have shadowing (MD & PA), as well as volunteer experience with direct patient contact. Nevertheless, most of the schools I'm applying to do not require healthcare experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmtpnw Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 10 minutes ago, natalizumab said: Yes, I have shadowing (MD & PA), as well as volunteer experience with direct patient contact. Nevertheless, most of the schools I'm applying to do not require healthcare experience. Shadowing is often times not counted towards hour counts either. How many hours of volunteering do you have? Althoigh some schools don’t “require” healthcare experience many will have averages in the thousands. I would recommend looking at class profiles of schools you are applying to so that you can get an idea if you are on par with the average applicant. Overall GPA is average to low for most programs. GRE isn’t worth retaking, but it’s not stellar. I think it will be a challenge to convince adcoms that you want to go to PA school for the right reasons given previous med school attendance, but it can certainly be done. I’m guessing multiple masters degrees and postbac were an attempt to make you more competitive for med school? And you went Caribbean because you couldn’t get in here in the states? Adcoms will see this and wonder if you’re only going to PA because med school didn’t work out. You’ll need really solid letters and a personal statement that’s well crafted. I think with an early, broad application and a careful selection of schools you’ll get a few interviews. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natalizumab Posted May 30, 2018 Author Share Posted May 30, 2018 I find it somewhat strange that some PA programs would consider massage therapy as a patient encounter (nothing against massage therapy) and not actual exposure to patients with real medical problems in a medical school setting doing H&P, writing SOAP notes, interpreting imaging/lab results, etc., which are the same things that PA student do during the clinical year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmtpnw Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 In general hours obtained as a student for credit or for certification are not counted toward hour requirements. That doesn’t mean they aren’t considered a valuable “patient encounter.” Each program decides what they will or won’t accept. Some programs don’t consider things like massage therapy as health care experience. Some do. I would avoid speaking negatively about the professions of others. You can always reach out to programs directly if you have questions about your experiences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natalizumab Posted May 30, 2018 Author Share Posted May 30, 2018 I did not mean to discredit any profession and I stated so above. It's just I can't see how massage therapy can be considered as a patient encounter and not dealing with patients with problems like cancer and hf. I truly appreciate your valuable input though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.