Ask a PA Admissions Director

[paadmissions]

@super duper...Glad it's helped!! Let me know if you have any further questions! Best wishes

[Hoosier1]

@paadmissions,

 

I know you get this question all the time but I'm having issues getting schools to even look at my application. I am a nontraditional student at 43 having spent the last 20 years working in information technology. My CASPA GPA is very low at 2.55 due to grades from 20 years ago. My 1st 90 hours or so were very bad. I had several F's because I never dropped the classes and just lacked the direction and maturity necessary to be successful. Once I got everything on track my next 120 hours have been a 3.75 with the last 70 being a 4.0. This includes all my science pre-req's taken since March 2011. My combined GRE score is a 312. I thought with my recent grades and GRE my application would at least get a look but even a local school that claimed to take a holistic view rejected my application the day they received it.

 

At this point I don't know what to do. I contacted the programs I applied to last year and the ones that responded said to raise my GPA and get some quality HCE. I calculated that even another 60+ hours at a GPA of 4.0 would not raise my GPA above a 3.0. I have also received my EMT license and I'm currently working fulltime to gain health care experience. This is my second application cycle but so far I have been rejected from 4 of the 8 schools I applied to. I have a wonderfully supportive wife but I gave up a six figure income to return to school and work as an EMT. Is there anything else I could do to make application more competitive? Thanks.

 

Gary

[paadmissions]

@GScott Thank you for your questions and sorry for the delay. Have you had the opportunity to sit down with a program representative to give them the opportunity to meet you and to determine if it's the academics, HCE or both that may be holding you back? I do think you've demonstrated, at least through your prerequisite courses and GRE scores, that you have potential to do well in PA school. Taking 120 hours shows a lot of dedication and is very close to obtaining another bachelors degree. It is so difficult to raise an overall GPA and is one reason our program focuses on more recent work and your academic performance in the sciences. It may be that when you begin to get more quality hours as an EMT that your application will become more competitive. Sometimes demonstrating the your clinical competency through HCE can carry more weight. I hope this helps some and trying meeting with them first!

[just_me]

AWESOME THREAD!!! I know how busy faculty/staff can be, so for you to take the time to do this is awesome!!

 

PS definitely not trying to downplay the other PDs that post here because they are awesome, its just nice that pre-pa's have this "go to" thread. Hope it has been made a sticky!!

[TThielen]

Will it hurt me to call the school I interviewed at? I interviewed on Dec 6th. It went really well and they told me I would hear by Xmas. If accepted it comes via phone call. I am assuming if rejected it would come snail mail. I just got today's mail and no bad news. My question is, should I email them now asking my status? Should I wait til tomorrow's mail and if no bad news in it then call them tomorrow afternoon? Xmas is Tuesday, I am sure they won't be open on Xmas eve either, so it seems their last days to work before Xmas is December 21st......maybe they are waiting to see if the world doesn't end!!!

 

Just wanted your thoughts!

[dokbarood]

Hi PaAdmissions

 

Before I ask this question I just wanted to thank you for an opportunity like this! Its a real help to us prospective PA's!

I am currently a Medical technologist, and want to get into a PA program. I am aware that some programs would like to see direct patient care, and the lab

isn't much of a setting for that. Will this hurt my chances for getting into a PA school? Or do you recommend that I get some direct patient care experience?

Also, how important would you say the amount of shadowing hours you have? I've been working full time since I've graduated, and can't find to opportunity to shadow a PA on a weekly basis.

 

Your thought would be much appreciated, thanks! :smile:

Edited December 21, 2012 by dokbarood

[TThielen]

At an interview, what are the schools looking for when they give the interviewee a one question essay to write about that has nothing to do with medicine or being a PA? Any insight? Thanks.

[paadmissions]

@just_me Glad the thread has been helpful and best wishes! Thank you :)

[paadmissions]

@TThielen My apologies for the delay answering this question. I've been out of the office and neglected to check the forum these past few days. If you have not heard back by now I do think a phone call or email is acceptable. I'm hoping you've received god news since this post!

[paadmissions]

@TThielen..Good question. Since our program doesn't have an essay component to our interview process I'm going to offer my opinion of what programs may be looking for. One obvious thing is your written communication skills. Make sure you explain your thoughts in a clear and logical manner. I'm assuming the question probably doesn't have a right or wrong answer, but they may looking to see how you come to the conclusion (again, kinda following the logical process). Topics could be geared towards evaluating your ethical qualities, your critical thinking skills or if you can think outside the box. So make sure you put a lot of thought into your response before submitting. I don't know how much help this response is, but hope it helps some.

[SungSam]

I'm trying to understand the pros/cons of attending a masters program vs BS/Cert. I imagine that you might have some great insight into this.

[paadmissions]

@dokbarood Thank you for your questions. I think your medical tech experience will be helpful for PA school especially for classes like Lab Medicine. I know our clinical coordinator was a med tech prior to enrolling in PA school and she's obviously done well. I would recommend trying to shadow a PA maybe on the weekends just to show committees that you're getting more exposure to the profession. Double check with the programs you're applying to to see if you'll need a certain amount of shadowing or patient care in addition to your med tech hours. I think somewhere around 50 hours with 1-2 PAs is sufficient. However, I think you should be ok with the med tech hours for most programs, just double check. Hope this helps and best wishes!

[paadmissions]

@SungSam Thank you for your question and it's a god one. One thing you have to keep in mind is that all programs in operation have certain accreditation standards that have to be met, so regardless of what type of program you're considering all programs have to demonstrate compliance with the ARC-PA. Why is this important you may ask...you're guaranteed to get the education that the ARC-PA determines makes a good PA, but all programs have a different approach to how they incorporate these standards into their curriculum. That's why I always recommend you visit the programs to see which one fits your learning style and where you feel the most comfortable.

If you haven't completed your bachelors degree and would prefer a faster route, with the same outcome, a BS/Cert program could be the way to go. The masters level, and probably certificate programs, tend to require more medical prerequisites (coursework and hours) prior to entering. In some instances, that could result in a better medical foundation prior to taking on PA school. Some bachelors programs may have different demographics than what you may see in most master programs (or even certificate programs). Demographics could be ages or medical experience/background prior to entering PA school. While this might not be true for all BS programs, I think that probably is the main difference I can see in the levels of PA school. I also think a masters degree could be helpful if you ever wanted to teach in PA education. Most programs would require you have the terminal degree for the profession, which is a masters degree, and you would have that without having to go back and get that additional degree. I tend to know a lot about the programs in the state of NC, so forgive me, but I'm not too familiar with a lot of bs/cert programs because all programs in NC are at the masters level.

I always go back to the point I made in the first paragraph that visiting the programs would probably help you decide which is best for you. Hope this helps some.

[paadmissions]

Hi guys! Due to the holidays I make take a little longer to respond, but I will answer any questions asap this week. Thanks for your patience and keep the great questions coming!! Happy Holidays!

[lbs431]

I am preparing for my interview and was wondering if you could give a little insight into a couple of aspects of it. We have a PA student panel. I assume we will be meeting with current students, but am unsure of the actual process. Do we as them questions? Do they ask us? Does it tend to be an individual or group meetings. Also, I am to attend a PA class lecture. Is this just to give us a feel of the learning enviroment? I want to prepare myself as best as possible. I have watched the online general admission video, but it does not clerify. If you have any helpful tips that would be great.

 

Have a merry xmas and thank you for taking the time to answer these questions!!!

[paadmissions]

@lbs431 Thanks for your questions. I'm assuming the student panel and lecture may be similar to what our program does so here's my take at what I think they should encompass. Our student panel is a fac/staff-free Q&A with current students to get their perspective on the program. I would recommend having questions prepared to ask and use the panel to get a feel for the program. I think any questions is fair game. The lecture is also an opportunity for you just to get a feel for the teaching environment or "Life as a PA student." It gives applicants an idea of how a regular class is held and the difference in the delivery of material, which tends to be more different that an undergrad class. Just be prepared with questions for the student panel. I usually try to arrange our student panel to reflect the demographics of the applicants coming in that day (age, in-state vs. out-of-state, married student, etc). Hopefully, the program you're interviewing with does the same. Best wishes with your interview and Merry Christmas!

[dokbarood]

Thanks for taking your time to answer my question paadmissions! Happy Holidays!

[kratos23]

Im a student looking in the next year to apply to PA school, unfortunately for a year of my undergraduate schooling, I received an F in Physics 1, a C in chemistry 1 and an NC (not complete.) during my junior year. My mother being diagnosed with breast cancer and working full time to provide for the family really hurt my educational mindset during that time. But now I am receiving A's, what is your perspective on this type of scenario and what should an applicant do to improve his or her chances to get into PA school.

Edited December 30, 2012 by kratos23

[MedicinePower]

While Sick, before treatment

Biology 1 w/lab D

Biology 2 w/lab C

Chemistry 1 w/lab C

Chemistry 2 w/lab C

Organic Chemistry 1 w/lab C+

Organic Chemistry 2 w/lab C

Physics 1 w/lab C

After being treated

Biology 1 w/lab A

Biology 2 w/lab A-

Biochemistry 1 w/lab A-

Physics 2 w/lab B

Statistics A

Biological Psychology A

Drug Calculation A

Medical Terminology A

Anatomy & Physiology II w/lab A- (taking part I this semester)

 

For posterity and continuation of the story I thought I should add in the following grades from this most recent semester (Fall 2012):

 

Microbiology w/lab A

A&P I w/lab B+ (missed an A- by a tiny amount!)

 

I have also been tutoring in the college's tutoring center 20 hours a week in the topics of biology, organic/biochemistry, and statistics. I had over 200 students see me for tutoring and gave mini-lectures on the topics of organic chemistry and biochemistry for upwards of 11 students at a time. It seems I did a good job as the students kept coming back over and over.

 

I am curious what I should do next. Should I retake a general chemistry class? Should I take something harder like a pathophysiology, cell biology, or genetics class? I am hoping for some guidance on this.

 

I am going to send in all my grades to CASPA, my personal statement, and my LORs. I have 5 science professors, 4 physicians, and 1 PA who have "demanded" to write a LOR for me. Is there a limit to the number of LORs that I can have sent in? All of my professors are MDs, PhDs, and in one case an MD/PhD. Everything taught has been very clinically oriented and I am beginning to feel more comfortable with disease and illness. All my professors (especially the MDs) have told me I will make an excellent PA and say I have the academic and analytical knowledge necessary to do very well in PA school.

 

Lastly, I also just got published in the BMJ. Not sure how publications factor into the admission process but thought it might be relevant.

Edited December 30, 2012 by bstone
typo

[sijia]

@whimzical: 1. A lot of schools will focus on the last 30-60 hours of someone's coursework. However, it does not mean we would discount your overall performance, but we would obviously like to see improvement. As mentioned in my initial thread we also will consider other factors like our specific program prerequisite GPA, GRE scores, HCE, personal statement and letters of recommendation. All of these factors come into a decision on whether or not a program deems you competitive.

 

2. GRE questions are difficult to answer because some programs put a lot of emphasis and some do not. It would be best to contact the programs that interest you to see how much weight it carries. Our program, for example, weighs the GRE and prerequisite GPA the heaviest as they have proven to be the best predictors of success in the program and on the PANCE. I would encourage you to retake the GRE, if you haven't already, as most programs do not discount applicants if they've taken it more than once. In your situation with a lower overall GPA it would be beneficial for your application if you had a competitive GRE score.

 

3. If you apply via CASPA we can read your personal statement as a part of your application. About 95% of the time we read the entire application for everyone. It gives the applicant a fair chance of us getting to know you outside of your academics.

 

Hope this helps!

==========================================================================

So I have a BA degree (graduated in 2003) majored in Chinese language and literature and my overall GPA was only 2.31 evaluated by WES. I took medical assistant at a local community college in U.S. and worked as a clinical ophthalmic assistant for over a year and half. Now all my medical assistant program and pre-req courses are straight A. Couple of courses like keyborading and psychology were A-. My 71 most recent credits received in U.S. have an overall GPA 3.96. I cannot do better that that. But my overall GPA of combined BA degree and post-BA courses now is only 2.89. The best I can do is to take more science courses and bring it up to about 3.0. I received membership from Phi Theta Kappa this past Fall semester. To me, I have to say that I have the talent of learning science and language but no talent of being a poet or artist. I know my BA degree GPA could be historical low in PA history, but do PA admissions take it into consideration that a student who is not good at art may be good at science? Or they would simply discard my application based on my BA degree GPA? I think I am one of this kind of students. My brain just doesn't have enough nuerons developed in the part responsible for appreciating art (sounds like a joke, but the A&P said so,haha!)

[sijia]

By the way, thank you so much for taking your time on this post. It is very helpful!

[Timon]

==========================================================================

So I have a BA degree (graduated in 2003) majored in Chinese language and literature and my overall GPA was only 2.31 evaluated by WES. I know my BA degree GPA could be historical low in PA history..

 

You would be tied with the lowest. My undergrad GPA was 2.31 (CASPA cGPA) majored in Communications (in 2002). I start school in July!

 

Thanks again for your advice earlier this cycle PAAdmissions!!! All of us appreciate you and what you are doing here on the forums!!!

[BroncoPAS]

You would be tied with the lowest. My undergrad GPA was 2.31 (CASPA cGPA) majored in Communications (in 2002). I start school in July!

 

Thanks again for your advice earlier this cycle PAAdmissions!!! All of us appreciate you and what you are doing here on the forums!!!

 

To sijia:

 

My undergrad GPA was around a 2.3. It took me 5 years of HCE (multiple areas), 2 graduate degrees, MANY certifications, incredible references and all A's in my prerequisite courses to finally get in. It's possible to get in with a bad GPA so don't get discouraged, just do everything you possibly can in 24 hours each day. People change and admissions committees know that. What someone did 10+ years ago in freshman English isn't necessarily an accurate depiction of who they are now. For instance, I couldn't color inside the lines in Kindergarten, but they're not going to hold that against me are they? ;-) People can change and improve, you just have to prove it to them. Good luck.

[sijia]

To sijia:

 

My undergrad GPA was around a 2.3. It took me 5 years of HCE (multiple areas), 2 graduate degrees, MANY certifications, incredible references and all A's in my prerequisite courses to finally get in. It's possible to get in with a bad GPA so don't get discouraged, just do everything you possibly can in 24 hours each day. People change and admissions committees know that. What someone did 10+ years ago in freshman English isn't necessarily an accurate depiction of who they are now. For instance, I couldn't color inside the lines in Kindergarten, but they're not going to hold that against me are they? ;-) People can change and improve, you just have to prove it to them. Good luck.

=======================================================================================================

Thank you so much for your response, Bronco and Timon. It is very encouraging to me! Happy new year!

[shenth1]

Hi paadmissions!

 

I am considering beginning the application cycle starting in April; however, I am not sure if this year is ideal. My stats are the following: overall GPA:3.25, science GPA:3.0, health care hours: just shy of 4000, and new GRE is 309. I am considering taking more science classes to raise my GPA, but if I have a chance I would like to get into school sooner than later. Also, my degree with be in Nutritional Sciences-Dietetics concentration. Any feedback is greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance---Sarah.