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Nurse to PA


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Hi! 

So after a ton of researching, I decided I wanted to go to PA school:) I finished nursing school in December and now I work on a surgical/telemetry floor at a very well-known trauma I level hospital in Chicago. You may be wondering why I chose PA over NP. The reason I chose PA school is because I like the medical model approach and feel as if NP school does not provide an extensive enough training program for those without years and years of nursing experience (which I am not willing to do.) I also want to work in surgery (which is dominated by PAs) while also having the ability to change specialties down the line. Do you think these are good reasons to choose PA over NP (because I feel like I am really going against the status quo with picking PA over NP as someone who is already a nurse.)

My question is, do you think I have an advantage with getting in because I am a nurse? I will have to get around 1,000 clinical hours before I can apply, but is it better experience if it is nursing experience? I feel like I am not a competitive applicant in terms of my grades. I went to the University of Illinois with a GPA of 3.19. I got my nursing degree through an accelerated BSN program and graduated with a 3.59 gpa. I retook a few science classes and got As/Bs. I am very nervous about not getting in because in Chicago, the PA programs are very competitive. What can I do to increase my chances of getting in?

Also, are there other nurses out there who went to PA school instead of NP? What were your reasons and do you regret it? I keep changing my mind, but I am pretty sure I am making the correct decision to become a PA. 

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One of my classmates was RN to PA and she did very well. Don't stress yourself out over "status quo." If PA is the route you want to take, then go for it. Experience as an RN will make you competitive, even without a perfect GPA. You will bring a different perspective and set of experiences to your cohort that many admission committees will find appealing. Good luck. 

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I'm an ICU RN with 14 years experience and am in my first semester of PA school. I chose PA over NP for many of the reasons you stated. My RN experience has helped a little so far...and I'm sure when we get into more of the disease processes it will become even more helpful. Your experience will be helpful in getting interviews I'm sure, just be prepared to answer that question of why PA over and over again 🙂

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