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Alternate Career Paths for pre-PA students


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I applied to PA school, but it is highly unlikely that I will be accepted due to a low GPA (>3.0) and a downward grade trend. With that being said I do not intend to do a post-bac or Master's degree to raise it, but would instead like advice on other career paths I could qualify for with career advancement available. I have a B.S. in Applied Nutrition and have experience as both a Medical Assistant and Health and Wellness coach. I also have my EMT-B license, but I do not wish to work in EMS. I wanted a thread that addressed other career paths students in my situation who are not looking to reapply and do not have the financial means to further their education could realistically follow. Thank you in advance!

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No offense to the nurses but...nursing.  Look for accelerated programs or BS-RN, BS to BSN programs.  Its a solid career path with lots of opportunity to branch out into multiple fields within healthcare and elsewhere.  opportunity for upward mobility e.g. NP.  Could also look at the paramedic route with your EMT-B license. ? 

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If you aren't able/willing to pursue further education at this time, you're kind of stuck.  Anything I can remotely think of requires some level of educational training or certificates (RT, Rad tech, MLS, etc etc).  You are essentially sitting exactly where a general biology major is (albeit with a nutrition major).  What careers do nutrition majors have?  The ones I know all pursued RD or MD.

If you aren't too removed from undergrad (and maybe even if you are) see if they have a career counseling office or assistance.

You might qualify for some kind of research positions, but without further training or an advanced degree, career advancement is not a long road.

You could also consider something completely non-medical and just start working your way up.

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  • 2 months later...
On ‎8‎/‎9‎/‎2018 at 2:15 AM, rev ronin said:

Pharmaceutical sales?  If you've got a wellness coaching background, someone will likely hire you to sell something.  Whether what you're ethically willing to do remains profitable enough is another matter...

I actually explored this option this past summer whilst applying to PA school. I had more or less given myself an ultimatum that if I do not get into PA school this cycle, I would have to pursue other career options. I am hoping that this is not the case but due to my ignorance, I believe I have set myself up for failure by applying late in the cycle.

As far as a pharmaceutical sales go, most companies want to see you have at least 2 years of B2B sales (business to business) experience before they would even consider hiring somebody. For good business to business sales experience, I highly recommend working for enterprise or a cell-phone sales company (Verizon I have heard provides great training along with AT&T). However, any outside sales position that distributes a product (not a service) will do just fine. Many pharmaceutical sales companies also require you to obtain a pharm sales certificate.

Let me put it to you this way, I obtained my MS in biomedical sciences as well as my BS from my college in high hopes of opening a ton of doors for myself career-wise. I am a pretty "go with the flow"-type of person so I wanted to be sure I chose a degree/gave myself the opportunities to succeed in every area. Unlike most applicants, I haven't always pursued work in a hospital setting, obtained a handful of certifications or focused on a ton of medically related stuff. I taught anatomy and physiology as a GSA, taught histology as a TA, played a ton of sports, worked for FedEx and a junking company, am currently coaching a competitive rock climbing team, and worked in a ton of other areas outside of medicine in a business related setting as a independent contractor. I applied to stryker, Medtronic, Johnson and Johnson and a ton of other medical device and pharmaceutical sales companies for 3 months like it was a full-time job and obtained 0 interviews. I did get some responses, all telling me I was a good candidate but needed adequate licensure and a year in the field of B2B sales.

My advice to your particular situation, get your MS in nutrition and work in a hospital as a nutritionist! It makes good money and is a super cool job! Maybe you should even obtain a PT certification (preferably NASM) and use your applied nutrition degree in association with some personal training. It is a saturated field but it is a viable option. Something nutrition base is definitely a great option for you and many hospitals need nutritionists as well as retirement homes and other facilities along those lines. You could also try and get into a research setting. Research is always the go to for people that do not want to continue the medical route, but you may need to obtain your doctorate and at the very least obtain a viable MS degree that required a research component (don't go to an MS school that does not include a research component (dissertation yada yada yada), these are not helpful to excel here). Go into sales, go to ATF school and become a pilot in a year for 70,000 dollars (they put you right into a regional airline and you usually get drafted into a commercial airline in 1-2 years because of the HUGE pilot shortage we have), or obtain a surgical technologist certification. There are a ton of options out there, it just takes some digging, some financial investment and a little pinash.

Trust me, I am in the same point of life as well. I am considering doing a accelerated BSN program and then doing my NP primarily online. But who knows! If you don't get in this cycle, reapply, maybe do a MS to get some better grades/ cover topics you will need to in PA school anyways, build up your HCE and make your personal statement even sweeter. Don't give up! Fight the good fight:)

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Thank you for your replies, everyone! I have decided to go to community college for the Medical Lab Tech program. With my bachelors and 2 years of full-time work, I will be able to sit for the exam to be a Clinical Lab Scientist/ Medical Technologist. I can also use transfer credit. I am happy with this choice as it isn't removed from medicine, I'll be able to see diseases directly, and will be able to take care of myself. Thanks Again!

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