FuturePA6813 Posted October 18, 2019 Share Posted October 18, 2019 I’ve applied to about 7 schools and have heard absolutely nothing? No interviews nada... should I be freaking out yet? My CASPA was verified on 7/12/19. Cumulative GPA: 3.52 Science GPA: 3.36 GRE scores: 303 (152V, 151Q, 4.5) Number of hrs and type of PCE: 3500 (medical scribe, medical assistant) Number of hrs and type of HCE: 1200 (ED volunteering, nursing home volunteering, clinical research assistant) Number of hrs of PA shadowing: Worked in the ER so a whole bunch! Was a scribe so my entire time working was basically shadowing experience. Number of hrs of other Physician shadowing: ~100 (rheumatologist) Who wrote your letters of recommendation? emergency medicine PA, orthopedic surgeon MD, microbiology professor (chair of biology) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apollo1 Posted October 18, 2019 Share Posted October 18, 2019 Shadowing Hours could be a negative. Being a passive worker does not replace actively shadowing a PA or doc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuturePA6813 Posted October 18, 2019 Author Share Posted October 18, 2019 8 minutes ago, Apollo1 said: Shadowing Hours could be a negative. Being a passive worker does not replace actively shadowing a PA or doc. Really? I would think that scribing would be better than just passively watching. It's basically shadowing + doing the chart. I would follow the PA for the entire shift. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apollo1 Posted October 18, 2019 Share Posted October 18, 2019 Not all shadowing is just sitting in the corner watching; it depends on you to figure out beforehand how inclusive the doc/PA will be. A good shadowing opportunity will have a doc/PA privately asking you questions about a patient encounter, situation etc; there will be dialogue that furthers your understanding of what they literally do. As a scribe, passively charting notes that they dictate to you or while examining a patient doesn't get it done; you hear what they are doing but you don't know why they are doing it. Knowing the why helps you fully determine whether being a PA is an occupation you truly desire. Shadowing = constant interaction (if you did a good job of determining who to shadow) Scribing = passive/second-hand interaction (at-best) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuturePA6813 Posted October 18, 2019 Author Share Posted October 18, 2019 14 minutes ago, Apollo1 said: Not all shadowing is just sitting in the corner watching; it depends on you to figure out beforehand how inclusive the doc/PA will be. A good shadowing opportunity will have a doc/PA privately asking you questions about a patient encounter, situation etc; there will be dialogue that furthers your understanding of what they literally do. As a scribe, passively charting notes that they dictate to you or while examining a patient doesn't get it done; you hear what they are doing but you don't know why they are doing it. Knowing the why helps you fully determine whether being a PA is an occupation you truly desire. Shadowing = constant interaction (if you did a good job of determining who to shadow) Scribing = passive/second-hand interaction (at-best) The doctor/PAs that I have scribed for always allowed me to ask questions and even asked me about what I thought about various patients as they knew I was applying to PA school. They even walked me through exams and explained why they were doing certain things on the exam. It wasn't really sitting in a corner just typing what they dictated to me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samson113 Posted October 18, 2019 Share Posted October 18, 2019 It seems that your scores may be a bit low. GRE is average, overall GPA is average and science GPA is in the low side. If you applied to schools that prioritized grades and scores, that could be the reason for the cricket noise. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuturePA6813 Posted October 18, 2019 Author Share Posted October 18, 2019 10 minutes ago, Samson113 said: It seems that your scores may be a bit low. GRE is average, overall GPA is average and science GPA is in the low side. If you applied to schools that prioritized grades and scores, that could be the reason for the cricket noise. I guess the best I can do right now is wait.. wish me luck!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apollo1 Posted October 18, 2019 Share Posted October 18, 2019 2 hours ago, FuturePA6813 said: The doctor/PAs that I have scribed for always allowed me to ask questions and even asked me about what I thought about various patients as they knew I was applying to PA school. They even walked me through exams and explained why they were doing certain things on the exam. It wasn't really sitting in a corner just typing what they dictated to me. But your role wasn't to learn from them, and odds are they weren't discussing every patient situation with you; it wouldn't be productive, and you're there to help with charting. Also, the fact that scribing and shadowing are two completely different words helps delineate a difference between them. No one on this board will know for sure why you aren't receiving interview invites; we're making educated guesses. If you get a rejection, ask for application feedback if the school offers it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slammerjammer97 Posted October 18, 2019 Share Posted October 18, 2019 Hey everyone! I have an acceptable, but I'd say "lower" GPA in comparison to the average GPA that applicants have. I have still managed to receive four interview invites this cycle. I recently had my second interview and feel confident that it went more smoothly and I was more confident than my first interview. Definitely more prepared!! However, I am concerned that, although my interview went very well, I will still be waitlisted or rejected because of my GPA. Other than my GPA, my clinical hours, volunteer & leadership hours are all above the average by far. I also was a student athlete during undergrad. I scored a 313 on my GRE . I knew that with a lower GPA, I would have to really excel elsewhere in my application. Do you think that, even though I received interviews, I will still be rejected or waitlisted in comparison to those that do have a good GPA and maybe didn't interview as well? I've heard that once you make it to the interviews, it's an even playing field, but is this truly the case? Any thoughts are very appreciated! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risu611 Posted October 20, 2019 Share Posted October 20, 2019 (edited) For what its worth, I applied to 8 schools and only 3 have ever gotten back to me and its almost November... I would say give it more time (ugh, I know). Also, from what I have been told, no news is still good news. That means you are still in the running! Edited October 20, 2019 by risu611 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mly3025 Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 On 10/18/2019 at 3:46 PM, slammerjammer97 said: Hey everyone! I have an acceptable, but I'd say "lower" GPA in comparison to the average GPA that applicants have. I have still managed to receive four interview invites this cycle. I recently had my second interview and feel confident that it went more smoothly and I was more confident than my first interview. Definitely more prepared!! However, I am concerned that, although my interview went very well, I will still be waitlisted or rejected because of my GPA. Other than my GPA, my clinical hours, volunteer & leadership hours are all above the average by far. I also was a student athlete during undergrad. I scored a 313 on my GRE . I knew that with a lower GPA, I would have to really excel elsewhere in my application. Do you think that, even though I received interviews, I will still be rejected or waitlisted in comparison to those that do have a good GPA and maybe didn't interview as well? I've heard that once you make it to the interviews, it's an even playing field, but is this truly the case? Any thoughts are very appreciated! If you were invited to interview, everyone has an even playing field at that point. Your hard skills (grades, gre score etc) get you the interview. The interview soft skills is what gets you into PA school at that point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia5827 Posted October 24, 2019 Share Posted October 24, 2019 I’m in the same boat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubbles Posted October 25, 2019 Share Posted October 25, 2019 How many of your PCE hours were as a scribe vs MA? Some schools do not consider scribing to be PCE. Just something to consider. If you applied selectively to schools that consider scribing PCE this shouldn't be a concern. You have a solid number of hours and sounds like good LORs. If you have to reapply next cycle, maybe have someone look over your personal statement or use a hired service (just to ensure it is the strongest it can be). You still may hear back this cycle, though, so stay positive! Best of luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slammerjammer97 Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 Just wanted to let you guys know that I was accepted shortly after posting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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