bjl12 Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 So I'm taking A+P1 and Microbiology right now, and it's hell. No weekend, and rarely do I get more than two hours to myself to just veg and be dormant. I'm 25 and will be finished all of my prerequisites when I'm 26. My question is: will taking the minimum courses be enough to get me in? Minimum being: Bio1/2, Che 1/2, Org 1/2, A+P 1/2, Microbio Additional courses I'm considering (resume padding), "med school requirements": Phy 1/2, Stat/Calc In addition, I work with individuals with developmental disabilities (primarily autism). I don't know whether that will count toward HCE, and I assume it won't, but some schools list human services as acceptable forms of HCE/HSE. Either way, I'm looking into EMT-B programs for the spring and possibly next summer. Any advice/critique/suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted June 29, 2012 Administrator Share Posted June 29, 2012 Better question: If the minimum courses are not something you enjoy, what makes you think you would enjoy being a PA? I think your characterization of additional relevant science coursework as "resume padding" is an inappropriately negative way to view pre-PA opportunities to broaden and deepen scientific knowledge. Being almost done with PA school at the moment, I wish there was time for me to take the "padding" courses that I didn't get a chance to take, like biochem and nutrition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjl12 Posted June 29, 2012 Author Share Posted June 29, 2012 If the minimum courses are not something you enjoy, what makes you think you would enjoy being a PA? I enjoy these courses, especially micro. I just didn't expect them to be as demanding as they are. A and P 1 and micro are getting you down? Do you know what you are up against? I haven't done this before, so I guess I don't know what I'm up against. How many science courses did you two take per semester? I'm taking two now and feel pushed to the brink. I don't know if I can handle three labs + other non-lab courses and work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffchic Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 In response to your feeling stressed out or at maximum capacity while taking A&P I and Micro, I would say that if you are working full time and doing these two courses in the summer, that is quite a lot. But it also does sound as if perhaps your idea of your expected leisure time is somewhat generous. You may want to look at the specific programs in your area that you intend to apply to for a more focussed choice of higher tier electives or "padding" to use your term. As some programs require genetics, statistics and even a second language such as Spanish. I would definitely plan on taking these types of courses and perhaps pathogenic microbiology, nutrition etc. before say physics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 If A&P and Micro are the first science classes you are taking, then I can understand how it may be difficult for you. It does get easier the more science you know! But you must remember that you should get to the point when science is becoming easier to you while taking advanced classes BEFORE PA school. Are you working? Or just taking those two classes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted June 29, 2012 Moderator Share Posted June 29, 2012 do not take calc for pa school. only 10% of med schools even require it. if you like math and know you will get an A that's fine but otherwise, skip it. physics was a fun class and in my opinion wouild be a better prereq than o-chem but I am in the minority believing this. stats was fun and useful if you have any plans to apply to a dual pa/mph program or if you plan on getting an mph or DHSc anytime in the future. I hate math and stats was the best math course I ever took. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorRRT Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 I have about the same schedule as you do, except I'm in my first semester of PA school, taking almost 20 credit hours. Not to sound cold, but if 6 credits of science overwhelm you, you might want to reconsider PA school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest hubbardtim48 Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 Same here GatorRRT. I am taking 5 classes this summer semester (15 weeks) and work full time as an RT. I am doing very well @ this point, but will be dropping down to part-time or PRN soon! haha. In my undergrad. I took 15-18 credits a semester while working full time as an RT. The last 1 1/2 years I had all science classes, plus did 1 1/2 years of biochem. research (for credit and spent 30-40 hours a week in lab, but did get a published research article out of it! :)). Anyways, I would say if your having a hard time with A & P 1/micro. then you need to realize how much MORE work is coming your way. I don't want to be negative, but just research how many more classes that you will have to take and be much much harder than a&p1 and micro. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator LT_Oneal_PAC Posted June 30, 2012 Moderator Share Posted June 30, 2012 Don't get down if it's tough. Sometimes it's instructors that are tougher, sometimes it's the summer semester and the graduate who doesn't know yet how to teach is given free reign, or whatever. If you enjoy it, keep doing it and it will work out fine. Not everyone is a genius and they will have to work at it. That's okay. IME, graduate school credit hours aren't quite the apples to apples comparison with undergrad. Many of you courses intertwine and studying for one class helps you understand a concept or remember a factoid better in another. A girl who I thought was dumb in high school, but made okay grades because she studied more than the rest of the "geniuses" in our honors class, went to college and became a physicist (going to work at NASA or something awesome like that) because she busted her *** learning something she enjoyed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted June 30, 2012 Administrator Share Posted June 30, 2012 At the peak, I was taking Chem II, Bio II, and OChem I all at the same time while working my full-time job AND active as a volunteer firefighter/EMT. That sucked, and my work performance suffered, but I kept a 4.0. Frankly, working your tail off in prerequisites is a really good practice for PA school, which is generally a much more demanding program than any other graduate program out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briepm Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 In my hardest pre-req semester, I took A&P I, Gen Chem I, Micro and Stats... It was intense, but I hope that semester helped give me a taste of what's to come in the Fall. Just try to keep it in perspective that it's not forever (though it probably will be tough the next few years). If I were looking to take additional courses, I'd personally go for classes that you know will benefit you as a PA (ex.: pathophysiology, more advanced anatomy, Rev Ronin mentioned in another post that he was really glad he took Genetics).. That seems more useful than taking med school requirements, IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjl12 Posted June 30, 2012 Author Share Posted June 30, 2012 The Micro and A+P1 are lab sciences, so they're 8 credits. I just finished a condensed anthropology course (required for undergrad program) and work part-time, and formerly worked two part-time jobs (as of TODAY I only work one part-time job). So it's not like I'm sitting around twiddling my thumbs. I do get an one-two hours to myself at nighttime though, which I spend mostly trying to calm myself down so I can sleep. Neither A+P1 or Micro offer any sort of curve or grade assistance. A friend of mine who recently graduated, double-major from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, informed me that some of his courses were curved (such as A+P and OChem). USciences is no scoff, either. Currently I have a B+ and a B in the two courses, but I expect to improve since I finished Anthropology and have one less job. I could be wrong, but I believe these courses are more difficult than what Bio1/2 or Che1/2 will be. The degree of specificity in each course seems a bit much at times, but I guess that's why I'm the student and not the teacher. And by specificity I mean that exam questions revolve around the most minute detail of structures rather than concepts of physiologic functions, which is what I expected exams to focus on. They contain physiology also, just not at the concentration levels I assumed. I don't mean to sound like I'm complaining, because I am, but the purpose of this post was to gather advice and suggestions from people like yourselves. This is my first summer taking courses, ever, let alone two lab sciences. In the Fall I take 18 credits featuring Bio1/Che1/Stat. It is comforting to learn that some of you can empathize for some of my early-going struggles. I interpret that as meaning these initial stresses may just be part of the journey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjl12 Posted June 30, 2012 Author Share Posted June 30, 2012 In my hardest pre-req semester, I took A&P I, Gen Chem I, Micro and Stats... It was intense, but I hope that semester helped give me a taste of what's to come in the Fall How did you do grade-wise that semester? I can envision myself being able to do a math course, like Stat or something, but I don't believe I could do chem along with two other hard sciences (hard sciences is bio/che for me; I'm more natural with math). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will352ns Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 True that, I have get to be in a class with a curve. Would have been nice with my inorganic chemistries, not a strong area with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eewee Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 Science courses, like almost anything else, are something you can get better at with practice. I felt a lot like you when I started out. I couldn't get an A in Bio I with a bunch of fluff classes my first semester. A few semesters later, I took Organic II, Physics I, Molecular Bio, and Anatomy/Phys with labs and managed to come out with A's in everything. Keep swimming and keep practicing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briepm Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 How did you do grade-wise that semester? I can envision myself being able to do a math course, like Stat or something, but I don't believe I could do chem along with two other hard sciences (hard sciences is bio/che for me; I'm more natural with math). I finished with: Stats: A, Micro: A, A&PI: A, Gen Chem I: A- It was very stressful though, and I studied everyday, including Saturday and Sunday (not after 8pm though, or I can't sleep). To break down the classes in my experience, I loved A&P and Micro. I hated Stats, but mostly because I had so many other things to do and thought it was really boring. Gen Chem was SO HARD (SO HARD!) for me... I hadn't known it would be so much math and was used to learning things quickly without much struggle.. Not to sound like a huge baby, but I cried after almost every class and test. Like, calling home wondering if I was going to fail and if I needed to come up with a serious plan B.. I know that sounds incredibly melodramatic because I ended up with an A-, but the class average was a 65% and they majorly curved at the end. I am, however, really glad that I had that semester because a). it made me tougher and made me stop obsessing with perfection and b) I am a lot smarter than I was before I took those classes. Gen Chem especially really 'turned on' my science brain. I realized that I could problem solve and think critically. My point in going into so much detail, is that yes, stress is part of the whole process.. I am so happy to be on the other side of the pre-reqs and starting PA school this Fall - in just 2 years I'll be a practicing PA!! In a few years, you will be too - just keep the finish line in mind. Best of luck to you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoosier1 Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 Last summer I had 15 credit hours including anatomy and o-chem. I was also working 50 hours a week at my full time IT job but still received a 4.0 including a near perfect score in anatomy. My degree was in business so these were also the first real science course I had taken in 20 years. No offense but if you think 2 science courses at the same time is tough then you are in for a surprise in PA school. I assume you realize you will be in class almost everyday from 9-5 plus actual study time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d3t3rm1n3d Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 The important thing in taking prerequisites is to create a good foundation of knowledge. Taking them just to get credit or pass the class is not the point. If you do better now, you'll do better later on, when you take more advanced classes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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