aaa863 Posted August 24, 2019 Share Posted August 24, 2019 (edited) So I have been considering PA school for the last year. I even wrote my personal essay for this cycle, all my LOR are submitted to CASPA, I have retaken or taken courses, but I have yet to apply. I have applied to schools for a different allied health profession that I believe will offer more job security and would allow me to work in the city of my choice. However, in terms of job description and being able to switch specialities, I would prefer to be a PA. Reading this forum over the last couple of months has me afraid about oversaturation, the pumping of NP and PA students, and an upcoming recession means I would graduate in a lot of debt and without a job. The reason why I am concerned about this is because I graduated from an ivy university with a biology degree, with lots of student loans, and few job prospects. I really would like to avoid a repeat of that situation. I have also done research on the debt to income ratio and the other allied health profession debt to income ratio is much lower than that of PA. I am not sure if I should apply to one PA school, as a back up in case I change my mind or do not get into the allied profession graduate programs. I am stuck between thinking it might be a waste of money though because it will be at least $200 to apply to one program (my stats are not the best and it is a little late in the cycle) as opposed to maybe $50 for the allied health program. Edited August 24, 2019 by aaa863 mispelling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted August 24, 2019 Moderator Share Posted August 24, 2019 What is your other option for career? NP? RT? Xray? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GetMeOuttaThisMess Posted August 24, 2019 Share Posted August 24, 2019 My $.02 worth, you don't have a clear picture of what you want to do, or can do with the degree in hand. This has led to having to consider other options that you might enjoy, however the debt load primarily seems to be holding you back. The way that I see this proceeding is that you're going to have to do something since the biology degree alone isn't going to take you anywhere. You're going to have to get an advanced degree in something medical or start over and chase an MBA or JD or some such. Any direction that you head is going to mean more debt regardless. If medicine, and if you're good at it, there will always be a demand for you. Not the way that I would want to look at it but maybe you need to work the problem backward. Which degree that you can best tolerate offers the greatest and quickest payback so that the debt can be paid off, and then if circumstances allow, reboot and do something else that you really want to do? Look at all the folks here that go to PA school in their fifth decade of life, or maybe even later because they didn't like what they have been doing. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted August 24, 2019 Administrator Share Posted August 24, 2019 If you're not sure about it, I wouldn't spend the money to apply to one PA school--that's a lot, relatively speaking, to invest in a backup plan that's probably tougher to get into than whatever else you're considering. There are plenty of other good options; I remain convinced that PA was the best fit for me, but it isn't for everyone! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UGoLong Posted August 25, 2019 Share Posted August 25, 2019 If you are worrying about wasting $200 on a very late in the cycle backup plan to become a PA, then it likely isn’t what you really want to do with your life now. That’s OK.Do what you want to do. You can always change your mind farther down the road. Good luck.Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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