Nursing, Biology or Kinesiology degree for PA school??

[Kbassler26]

Hi guys, I'm new to this forum, but from what I've seen there's a lot of super helpful info! So I was hoping you guys might be able to help me out.

A little background info: I'm currently a freshman undergraduate student. Going into college I knew I wanted to do something medical, but I didn't know exactly what. After shadowing in a few hospitals and outpatient offices the PA profession just seemed to stick. It just seems like such a good and enjoyable career to go into. That being said, I completed my first semester of college (as a biochem major) with a 4.0, but it was extremely stressful and I felt like I didn't really have much of a life outside of school and working. On top of that, I'm basically going to school without any financial aid so when I graduate I'll be about 60K in debt with no guarantee of getting into PA school. I even decided to commute to college to cut down on the costs of tuition. I'm extremely worried about keeping a good GPA, staying involved on campus, working and shadowing/volunteering all while trying to maintain relationships with my family and friends. I also know that PA school is getting more and more competitive, so I'm just having second thoughts about the possibility for someone like me to get into PA school.

So after doing a lot of thinking and research, I have found three options that I'm trying to decide between for undergrad. Nursing, Biology or Kinesiology. For nursing, my plan would be to do a 4 year BSN and try to get my PA prerequisite courses in over the summers or even take an extra year after I graduate to work and finish the prereqs. To me, this seems like a good option in case PA school doesn't work out, but it will definitely take a significantly longer amount of time. It would just be nice to know that I will still have a job in healthcare that I can do so much with if I don't get into a school.  Along with this, the nursing program at my university is at a satellite campus so tuition will only be about 30K for 4 years. I know that many will say why don't you just get your NP after nursing, but I'm really not as interested in the NP profession as I am PA. My other two options are Biology and Kinesiology at the main campus. With these degrees, I could finish in the next 3 years (all prereqs included), then work in my current position as a CNA while I go through the process of applying to PA schools. Like stated before, my only concern is being able to keep my GPA decent with one of these majors so that I will still be competitive as an applicant. 

Right now, I'm leaning more toward nursing just because of the safety net and money aspect of it. I think I would enjoy nursing, but I wouldn't be satisfied as a floor nurse and I would always have a longing for the PA profession. Along with this, I know I wouldn't really want to do anything else with a Biology or Kinesiology degree other than PA school. I realize that any path I take isn't going to be easy, but I just can't decide what will be the best for me in the long run. So I'm just stuck in a really hard place, and I hope you guys could provide some insight on what I should do!! Thank you!

[Caligal]

It seems like nursing would be your best bet. I was somewhat in a similar situation as you. I majored in biology and when I was applying to PA programs, I was rejected the first round and started overthinking if I’ll get in the second round, I started looking into nursing as my backup plan but I knew I would be miserable if I did nursing so I kept pushing forward and was able to get in my second cycle. Don’t focus too much on if you’ll get in or not, you still have ways to go. I do know students who did a major in nursing, worked a little bit and applied to PA school, that could be an option for you! But, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what you major in for PA school, just make sure you have your pre-reqs, as you probably already know. When I majored in Bio, I was able to knock out a lot of pre-reqs and I only had to take 4 additional classes to finish those requirements. Just remember, if you want it bad enough, you will make it happen. Good luck to you, you can message me if you want if you have any other questions!

[DiggySRNA]

Do nursing so you can kill two birds with one stone. I wish I had done this. Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to go to NP school with a BSN, you can go to PA school. That's like saying if you have a BS in Public Health, why not do MS in Public Health? 

As a new grad RN, I'm bringing in 73.5K working 37 hrs/week. You'll be able to pay off your school loans within a year before racking up more debt for PA school. Compare that with a useless BS degree (Health Science, Bio, Exercise Physiology, etc). You'll gain some great experience and be compensated well for it.