Ask a PA Admissions Director

[MamboSauce]

I am applying for my first time to PA school. I am sending out applications to about 10 programs and I am curious (just like everyone else) about my chances of acceptance. I don't have the highest GPA but I have great experiences as a CNA, EMT, and Social Epidemiologist.

 

GPA: 3.21

Science: 3.17

PCE: 8000

Most preReqs that I am looking at is about a 3.2-3.4 gpa.

 

I have experience as a EMT,CNA, and Sexual assault advocate. I graduated from graduate school (MPH) with a 3.52. And basically what is holding my gpa back is physics...unfortunately I have about 8 credits worth of Cs in those courses and I know most places do not do grade forgiveness. 

 

Also, I actually did some research in accepted applicants of programs with mediocre  GPA and sGPA as well...

 

Any thoughts or tips on my competitiveness and possible schools :)?

[soal2006]

Hello,@paadmissions.  For elective prerequisites do schools take the classes in which you received the highest grade or do they calculate another way?  I have taken most of the "normal" elective prerequisites such as genetics, immunology, virology, biochemistry I and II, etc.  I received A's in most but do have a couple of B's and C as well.  

 

My second somewhat related question is regarding retakes.  I received C's in both general chemistry and both organic chemistry courses but depending on the above answer I have A's in every other prerequisite outside of B in algebra.  Is it better to retake these and get an A or take other upper level biology courses?  My thought was that I could just retake general chemistry I and organic chemistry I again rather than all of them.  

[JCShelly]

Hello PA admissions,

    

    I see you are overwhelmed by questions so I appreciate the time you put into reading this. I would like to share my situation because, as every other potential applicant here, I am searching for some peace of mind. I realize that PA's come from many backgrounds and there is no specific major required for the undergraduate degree. However I am still concerned that my B.A. in English will cause me to be overlooked. I feel that since my decision to apply to PA school I have poured my heart and soul into the profession (ER volunteer, 2,000 hours of paid HCE, 4.0 GPA thus far in post-bac. prereqs, and shadowing of both PAs and MDs). Will providing sufficient reasoning for the switch in fields in my personal statement be enough to be considered as serious about the medical field or am I putting myself at a disadvantage by not receiving a more traditional pre-pa degree?

  

    With that worry in mind, I am also a Peace Corps volunteer and will be departing for my service this coming January. If you are unfamiliar with the application process I can tell you that describing it as lengthy would be a laughable understatement. I decided to Peace Corps apply long before my decision to become a PA and my general duties in my assigned country of Colombia will have little to do with the medical field and instead focus on education. I have talked with Peace Corps officials about the medical opportunities for me during my service and while they have been encouraging there is no way to know what kind of medical impact I will be able to make until I am actually on location. Again I am worried that I will not be take seriously by PA admissions despite my other efforts.

 

In your opinion, can my dreams of serving in the Peace Corps and becoming a PA coincide or must I make a decision to go with the Peace Corps or stay and complete an additional, science related, undergrad degree?

[RainOnNeptune]

Hello!

I am applying in January to Albany Medical College, which in addition to seeming pretty awesome is also the closest I can get to where my husband's job is. It would be very difficult if not impossible for us to relocate because finances and the fact that my husband has been working at his current job his entire adult life. This fall I begin the senior year of my bachelor's, and I currently have a 4.0 gpa. I haven't taken the GRE yet, but as a high school drop out I am a bit worried about the math. I have about 2100 hours as a medical assistant, and I plan on doing some shadowing in the near future even though the program doesn't require it. By the time I am finished I will also have more than 2 years of independant research, including paid summer research and presenting at the regional undergraduate research conference, but the research has to do with bacteria, not in a subject that directly pertains to being a PA. My question is: is it enough?  What else can I do to make my application stand out? Since all my eggs are going in this one basket really want to impress. I don't know if this is relevant but I'm a 36 year old mom.

[Brawn3]

I am currently in the midst of applying to school and since January have acquired over 1000 hours of patient contact. However I was never able to obtain the opportunity to directly shadow a PA. Can this serve as a detriment to my candidacy? 

[paadmissions]

@educatedblkman Thank you for your question. In my opinion just enrolling in the courses you need should be an acceptable option for you, but I guess it depends on the college/university you're looking at attending. For example, at MU anyone needing to take courses for prerequisites is allowed to enroll as an undergrad student who is "non-degree seeking." These students are labeled as "special students," but every university who allows this probably has a different label for the student. I would ask admissions offices if they have an option for non-degree seeking students. Hope this helps!

my issue is that I have been out of school for 10+ years and many schools require that you have prereqs within 7-10 years.  I am up for the challenge of taking prereqs but would i need to obtain another degree or take credit courses recommended.  Many colleges/universities need you to enroll in a program.

[paadmissions]

@bilingualPAHopeful Thank you for your question and interest in our program. Our program would take the highest score out of the retakes. There are some programs that will average the grades together, but you'll need to follow up with them or check out their website to see if that info is on there. We like to see applicants who have exceeded our prerequisite GPA recommendation of 3.2. Typically, competitive applicants are going to range from a 3.4-3.6 in the prereqs. Hope this helps!

Thank you again for all of the positive feedback you've given this community!

 

I'm looking forward to your reply as Methodist is one of the PA programs I am interested in pursuing.

 

I graduated college in with a B.S. in Biology and a B.A. in Spanish. To date, I have a 3.26 overall GPA and a 3.0 science GPA. Currently, I am enrolled in a post-baccalaureate program. The program recommends students take 12 credits per semester and commit to community volunteering. 

 

I am in the program to retake courses that may have expired and also to raise my GPA. At the end of my post-bacc my science GPA is expected to rise to a 3.199 (not quite the 3.2, unless I take an additional course). My estimated prerequisite GPA after post-bacc should be a 3.21, my last 60 credits a 3.7 and my last 30 credits a 4.0. When PA schools calculate their prerequisite GPA do they only include the most recent attempts, or do they average all prerequisite coursework including those from undergrad that have been retaken? 

 

I have just above 4,000 direct patient care hours giving patients injections in an allergy clinic while working alongside 2 PAs and 1 MD. I also plan to obtain between 20-100 hours of shadowing a PA. This month, I will begin volunteering 10 hours a week at a free medical clinic, and will obtain 160 volunteer hours by the end of the semester. I am taking my GRE during winter break.

 

PA has been my goal since undergrad, I have a firm grasp on the profession and I want to make myself as much of a competitive candidate as I can be. I am planning to apply next cycle for matriculation Fall 2017. 

 

Please let me know your thoughts on my current situation as a prospective candidate!

 

Thank you again for all of your help!

[paadmissions]

@pdjags Thank you for your questions and I'm happy to hear that the thread has been helpful. Due to the number of clinical hours you have I think it would be ok to explore other options within health care. The trend in medicine now is a big approach to interdisciplinary training/education so you seeing the "other side" of how things work may be beneficial to your preparation. Should you pursue the administrative position, I would encourage you to pick up some shadowing of PAs on the side just to maintain a clinical connection. Hope this helps!

Good evening! I love being able to constantly reference this thread - it is extremely helpful during this PA process. This is not my first question, so thank you again for your support, insight, and patience to this forum.

My question is related to work experience. I have been a medical assistant for 4 years, in both primary care and surgery, and I find myself particularly frustrated by the job. Although I have learned a tremendous amount, especially when working with PAs, I feel that I have exhausted the job and have mastered its necessary duties. Which is exactly why I want to become a PA!! Since I am still fervently working on attaining that goal, I am considering other work possibilities. Obviously, I would like to remain in the medical field, but I am looking towards surgical scheduling or a higher administrative position. I have thousands of hours of patient care experience, and therefore meet the work requirements for applications. So I would like to know what your opinion is concerning the work CHOICE, should I stay a medical assistant due to the direct patient care, or would it be okay to venture in to other medical positions??

[paadmissions]

@chris0ph3r Thank you for your questions. If your prerequisite GPA is on the higher end of the scale (3.4) you may be competitive with programs; it would all depend on the prerequisite requirements.  Our range of competitiveness for incoming students is between 3.4-3.6. I would also be curious to see your GRE scores to determine, from our standpoint, how your application rounds out. With your MPH that may enhance your application more and clinical experience looks strong. I hope this helps!

 

I am applying for my first time to PA school. I am sending out applications to about 10 programs and I am curious (just like everyone else) about my chances of acceptance. I don't have the highest GPA but I have great experiences as a CNA, EMT, and Social Epidemiologist.

 

GPA: 3.21

Science: 3.17

PCE: 8000

Most preReqs that I am looking at is about a 3.2-3.4 gpa.

 

I have experience as a EMT,CNA, and Sexual assault advocate. I graduated from graduate school (MPH) with a 3.52. And basically what is holding my gpa back is physics...unfortunately I have about 8 credits worth of Cs in those courses and I know most places do not do grade forgiveness. 

 

Also, I actually did some research in accepted applicants of programs with mediocre  GPA and sGPA as well...

 

Any thoughts or tips on my competitiveness and possible schools :)?

 

[paadmissions]

@soal2006 Thanks for your questions. Which grade programs take is dependent upon the program. Our program takes the highest grade if the applicant retakes a course, but some programs average the grades together.  I agree with your plan to retake some of the chemistry courses. Our program places heavy emphasis on the biology and chemistry requirements (in particular Org I, II and Biochemistry). A rule of thumb I use is a competitive applicant has at least a 3.2 or higher in Gen Chem I-Biochemistry. If you were to prioritize retakes I'd rather see an applicant do well in upper level courses, rather than retaking the basic courses (i.e. Chem I). Upper level courses tend to be a better predictor of success. Hope this helps!

Hello,@paadmissions.  For elective prerequisites do schools take the classes in which you received the highest grade or do they calculate another way?  I have taken most of the "normal" elective prerequisites such as genetics, immunology, virology, biochemistry I and II, etc.  I received A's in most but do have a couple of B's and C as well.  

 

My second somewhat related question is regarding retakes.  I received C's in both general chemistry and both organic chemistry courses but depending on the above answer I have A's in every other prerequisite outside of B in algebra.  Is it better to retake these and get an A or take other upper level biology courses?  My thought was that I could just retake general chemistry I and organic chemistry I again rather than all of them.  

[paadmissions]

@JCShelly Thank you for your question. I can't speak for other programs, but I can assure you from our standpoint, we don't place any emphasis on your degree. What we look for is the student who has prepared themselves for PA school with the prerequisite requirements, clinical experience and life experience. Not everyone has a traditional track that leads them to PA school, which is what makes our cohorts diverse. It may not hurt to address your journey from English to a medical field in your personal statement, but I wouldn't go on and on about it. We like to see applicants talk about how their clinical experiences and life experiences have pushed them to the profession and how it has prepared them for PA school. We've accepted students who have had backgrounds in teaching, business, computers, etc. so you're not alone. Hope this helps and safe travels.

Hello PA admissions,

    

    I see you are overwhelmed by questions so I appreciate the time you put into reading this. I would like to share my situation because, as every other potential applicant here, I am searching for some peace of mind. I realize that PA's come from many backgrounds and there is no specific major required for the undergraduate degree. However I am still concerned that my B.A. in English will cause me to be overlooked. I feel that since my decision to apply to PA school I have poured my heart and soul into the profession (ER volunteer, 2,000 hours of paid HCE, 4.0 GPA thus far in post-bac. prereqs, and shadowing of both PAs and MDs). Will providing sufficient reasoning for the switch in fields in my personal statement be enough to be considered as serious about the medical field or am I putting myself at a disadvantage by not receiving a more traditional pre-pa degree?

  

    With that worry in mind, I am also a Peace Corps volunteer and will be departing for my service this coming January. If you are unfamiliar with the application process I can tell you that describing it as lengthy would be a laughable understatement. I decided to Peace Corps apply long before my decision to become a PA and my general duties in my assigned country of Colombia will have little to do with the medical field and instead focus on education. I have talked with Peace Corps officials about the medical opportunities for me during my service and while they have been encouraging there is no way to know what kind of medical impact I will be able to make until I am actually on location. Again I am worried that I will not be take seriously by PA admissions despite my other efforts.

 

In your opinion, can my dreams of serving in the Peace Corps and becoming a PA coincide or must I make a decision to go with the Peace Corps or stay and complete an additional, science related, undergrad degree?

[paadmissions]

@rainonneptune Thanks for your question. As a non-traditional student we would look at your overall coursework, but a lot times it's fair to focus on the most recent work and trends that you've shown through the past few years. Research is not something I've heard a lot of programs put heavy emphasis on, but it can always enhance your application for some programs. If you were to receive an interview with the program, be sure to prepare for it as much as you've prepared your application. Putting your eggs in one basket adds added pressures, I know, so you want to come across as prepared. As I stated in a previous post, not everyone has a traditional path to PA school so your high school days, and maybe early college days if they were bad, may not take away from your application as much as you fear. I hope this helps and best wishes!

Hello!

I am applying in January to Albany Medical College, which in addition to seeming pretty awesome is also the closest I can get to where my husband's job is. It would be very difficult if not impossible for us to relocate because finances and the fact that my husband has been working at his current job his entire adult life. This fall I begin the senior year of my bachelor's, and I currently have a 4.0 gpa. I haven't taken the GRE yet, but as a high school drop out I am a bit worried about the math. I have about 2100 hours as a medical assistant, and I plan on doing some shadowing in the near future even though the program doesn't require it. By the time I am finished I will also have more than 2 years of independant research, including paid summer research and presenting at the regional undergraduate research conference, but the research has to do with bacteria, not in a subject that directly pertains to being a PA. My question is: is it enough?  What else can I do to make my application stand out? Since all my eggs are going in this one basket really want to impress. I don't know if this is relevant but I'm a 36 year old mom.

[paadmissions]

@brawn3 Thanks for your question. If you have a lot of interactions with PAs through your patient contact experience I think this "off-sets" the limited time you have shadowing PAs. However, if you've worked as a pharmacy tech and never been exposed to a PA that can hurt an application (see this just as an example). If you have had no shadowing experience with PAs and had no work exposure to them, it may be difficult to prove on paper how you've come to the conclusion that you want to be a PA. Hope this helps some!

I am currently in the midst of applying to school and since January have acquired over 1000 hours of patient contact. However I was never able to obtain the opportunity to directly shadow a PA. Can this serve as a detriment to my candidacy? 

[PhysAGirl]

Hello!

I am applying in January to Albany Medical College, which in addition to seeming pretty awesome is also the closest I can get to where my husband's job is. It would be very difficult if not impossible for us to relocate because finances and the fact that my husband has been working at his current job his entire adult life. This fall I begin the senior year of my bachelor's, and I currently have a 4.0 gpa. I haven't taken the GRE yet, but as a high school drop out I am a bit worried about the math. I have about 2100 hours as a medical assistant, and I plan on doing some shadowing in the near future even though the program doesn't require it. By the time I am finished I will also have more than 2 years of independant research, including paid summer research and presenting at the regional undergraduate research conference, but the research has to do with bacteria, not in a subject that directly pertains to being a PA. My question is: is it enough?  What else can I do to make my application stand out? Since all my eggs are going in this one basket really want to impress. I don't know if this is relevant but I'm a 36 year old mom.

 

[ssherard28]

I am in the early stages of researching PA programs, careers, etc. and have several questions. I origonally looked at going the MD route, but have since decided a PA route may be a much better fit. However, I am 28 years old with a BS in Business Administration in Health Care Management and a MBA. As you can guess, I lack many of the pre requisits needed for admission. My goal is to begin working on these this semester, but that is a challange for me as I am an Assisted Living Administrator and work 50+ hours a week. I will have to take these classes through a techinal college, as that is the only way to work with my schedule.

 

My questions are:

1. How are technical college classes looked at vs university level classes? Also, I may have to take classes at different schools due to when they are offered. Is this looked down upon?

2. Is there such thing as a Non-Traditional student (returning student after working several years) and are they sought after in PA schools in the same manner as Med school?

3. Does already having a masters degree help in the admission process even though it is in an unrelated field?

 

 

I appreciate any guidance you have.

 

Regards,

 

SS

[JohnnyM2]

1. Students often satisfy pre-reqs through community colleges and that seems to be acceptable to most schools but, if you have a particular school in mind, best call them and ask. Be careful though, some pre-reqs need to be regular college courses (not "chemistry appreciation" for example.

2. Lots of non traditional students post on this forum.

3. A previous graduate degree shows you can handle upper level courses and stick it out to get an advanced degree. Also, you may not have to take the GRE to apply.

 

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

 

[JED617]

This may have been asked before, but I couldn't find anything specific-

 

I interviewed with my top choice (Starts in January) over 3 weeks ago, and I've heard nothing. They're rolling admissions- but, I got accepted to another program that starts in January as well. The program I got accepted to is out of state, and would require a huge move for me.  I also sent in my deposit to secure a seat.

 

I'm really hoping to get into the top choice school (it's local)- should I email admissions to ask for some sort of timeline?  Is that being too pushy?  thanks!  (Admissions did say we could hear as early as a day, or as late as September- but I need to get the ball rolling with relocating myself!)

[kamper]

@paadmissions - I just discovered a typo in one of the supplemental essays I already submitted: I mistakenly wrote "lead" instead of "led." In your opinion, should I correct the mistake and then email the revised version to the school? Or would that just draw unnecessary attention to my typo? I've been given conflicting advice on what to do.

 

I feel so silly. I am normally a scrupulous editor when it comes to my writing. Any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

[JohnnyM2]

Well, that's it. You would have been accepted but with that mis-spelling you have less than a snowball's chance in hell. Just kidding, of course. If that is your only mistake, I wouldn't sweat it. Good luck.

 

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

 

[katiewinfrey]

@paadmissions,

 

Hello! My question is concerning GRE scores.

 

I am extremely concerned that my low GRE scores will keep me out of PA school, despite being competitive in other areas of my application. My scores are: Q 144/ V 142/ W 3.5. I took the test in 2013 while I was in the middle of the toughest semester of RT school. I applied two cycles ago and was rejected (at that time I was still in school and had less HCE). I did not take the GRE again for this cycle due to financial reasons. My cGPA is 3.80 and sGPA is 3.77. I have over 5700 hours of direct patient care experience, 322 hours volunteer, 256 hours research, and 72 hours shadowing 4 PAs. I have passed 2 national board exams to become a registered respiratory therapist. I currently work full-time in an ICU alongside doctors, nurses, and NNPs (no PAs in unit). My personal statement is solid and LORs are from two previous professors as well as my department manager at work.

 

I'm afraid admissions committees will take one look at a test score that captured one day, 4 hours worth of my life and write me off for it.

 

What is your opinion in this matter? How heavily is the GRE weighted in comparison to other points of the PA application? Do you think I am still competitive as an applicant?

 

Thank you in advance for your input!!

Katie

 

----UPDATE: ACCEPTED TO SCHOOL OF CHOICE----

[JED617]

@paadmissions - I just discovered a typo in one of the supplemental essays I already submitted: I mistakenly wrote "lead" instead of "led." In your opinion, should I correct the mistake and then email the revised version to the school? Or would that just draw unnecessary attention to my typo? I've been given conflicting advice on what to do.

 

I feel so silly. I am normally a scrupulous editor when it comes to my writing. Any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

A line from my CASPA narrative:

"We're going to take you some doctors"

 

Forgot a "to" - still received 3 interviews & an acceptance. Even when I gave the essay to my peers to read, no one noticed the typo. People make mistakes; that's a very minor one. As long as your essay flows and you have strong grades and recommendations, you're fine!

[MamboSauce]

@katiewinfrey

While reading your summary, honestly everything sounds amazing. Very strong GPA, GRE would not hold you back from schools that do not need them. Te only flaw I found in your application was your LORs. You stated that you had 2 from professors and one from a supervisor. I recently applied to PA programs about a week and half ago and most of the research I found and schools I applied to requested at least 1-2 letters from clinically practicing PAs, NPs, MDs, very few RNs. Hope everything works out well...

[katiewinfrey]

 

 

Thank you so much for your input! Makes me feel a little better about it.

My LORs--- the school I'm applying to does not specify where the letters should come from (however I know it looks better and I totally wish I could have had a PA, MD, or NP write mine.)...So hopefully letters about my academic achievement and work ethic from my superiors will suffice. Thanks again for your advice and knowledge... Good luck to you also this cycle!! 

[meaganp22]

Hello @paadmissions , I was just had a question regarding HCE. When I submitted my first application on CASPA I had a little over five hundred hours, it has been a couple months later and I am almost reaching a thousand hours. As my application is being reviewed by PA programs, do they take into consideration the amount of hours I have accumulated to the date of review or just recognize the hours as they were when the first application was submitted? 

[paadmissions]

@ssherard28 Thank you for your questions! To answer your questions

1. Where you plan to take your courses will depend on the program you're applying to. For example, our program prefers to see prerequisite courses to be taken at the university level (especially Biology and Chemistry requirements). 

2. Non-traditional students are common applicants to PA schools. I always tell prospective students who worry about returning to school that the time out of school or age are not the main focus for admissions committees. I was a non-traditional student who returned to school to get a master's degree (not PA), but I know that the drive from non-traditional students can sometimes be harder and more intense than your younger classmates. I'm not putting every non-traditional student in this category because there are two ends of the spectrum with non-trad students (we've seen both in our program), but what we look for are applicants who are willing to work with classmates, gel with classmates, not act as if "they know everything," be willing to take direction and advice from faculty and preceptors, and be someone who has demonstrated they will be a compassionate provider. If you are this type of person and can demonstrate this through the interview process you will be in a good spot. 

3. Having a master's degree is always a good thing even if it's in a different field. However, programs have requirements for a reason so, in our opinion, regardless if a student has a master's degree, performance in these requirements is very important. It helps us evaluate/predict your mastery of certain courses and concepts that are relevant to PA school. 

 

I hope this helps!

I am in the early stages of researching PA programs, careers, etc. and have several questions. I origonally looked at going the MD route, but have since decided a PA route may be a much better fit. However, I am 28 years old with a BS in Business Administration in Health Care Management and a MBA. As you can guess, I lack many of the pre requisits needed for admission. My goal is to begin working on these this semester, but that is a challange for me as I am an Assisted Living Administrator and work 50+ hours a week. I will have to take these classes through a techinal college, as that is the only way to work with my schedule.

 

My questions are:

1. How are technical college classes looked at vs university level classes? Also, I may have to take classes at different schools due to when they are offered. Is this looked down upon?

2. Is there such thing as a Non-Traditional student (returning student after working several years) and are they sought after in PA schools in the same manner as Med school?

3. Does already having a masters degree help in the admission process even though it is in an unrelated field?

 

 

I appreciate any guidance you have.

 

Regards,

 

SS