a_caldwell Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Hi... I am just finishing up my applications, but I'm kind of worried that I may not get into any schools because I JUST finished my undergrad. I feel like everywhere I look, people have been RN's, PT's, MST, etc. and have lots of experience. I clearly am not any of these things, I just have an undergrad degree in Biology & Med Diagnostics. I currently work as a scribe in an ED, I get to see patients but I do not physically touch them. I also have about 200 shadowing hours and some volunteer hours. My overall GPA was a 3.35 and about the same in the sciences. Please help?? I don't want to waste $900 applying to lots of schools if it's a waste of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorRRT Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 It depends on where you apply. As you know, your GPA is on the low side of competitive. W/o any significant experience you will have a difficult, but not unimpossible time scoring an interview. How many hours have you worked as a scribe? Is your GPA caspa calculated? Some programs specifically exclude scribing as HCE, so double check the programs you're interested in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorRRT Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Also the students applying asking for advice on the forum are not a great "sample" in regards to the average applicant, so don't stress too much about lacking in high quality HCE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a_caldwell Posted July 23, 2012 Author Share Posted July 23, 2012 my gpa isn't calculated yet since my application isnt 100% complete yet. I think that my calculated GPA should be exactly the same or very close to the calculated GPA, as my school calculated GPA's using the same quality hour scoring system to do our GPA's. So far I have done 120 hours as a scribe (I just started the first week in June) but I will be working all year, and starting in Sept I will be working 40 hr/week. I have checked to see which schools accept scribing (it's not many) and I'm applying to a lot of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timon Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 What state do you live in and are you applying out of state? A good number of schools in California do not require HCE and your stats are close to the avg accepted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a_caldwell Posted July 24, 2012 Author Share Posted July 24, 2012 I'm in NJ and yes I am applying both in and out of states. that's good to know though about CA, I'll look into some schools there. My issue with not doing some kind of professional school next year is that I have boatloads of student loans that will only be deferred if I am full-time in school next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 YES IT'S POSSIBLE!!! I got in with 1 year full time scribing experience. So did every other scribe I work with who applied to PA school (5 of us total)!!! Obviously you have to be smart where you apply. You shouldn't apply to places that say you need 1000 hrs of direct patient care; neither should you limit yourself to schools that say "we accept scribing as experience", either. I chose programs which required no experience or very little experience (under 500 hrs). Still, some of my friends got interviewed at places like GW, which clearly states that you need at least 960 hrs of direct pt care. Clearly they didn't care that it was just scribing experience. If they did, they wouldn't have invited scribes for interviews. Do not be scared to apply! Please, please, please do! NOW!!! It doesn't have to be $900. It can be $500. But honestly..... this is why you are working as a scribe, isn't it? To get into PA school? I almost didn't apply last year because I had the same fear as you, but at the last minute in September decided to do it and got in!! I think the only reason I didn't get more interviews was because I applied so late, not because I had "bad" experience. Message me if you have any questions :). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpackelly Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 You definitely can get in somewhere. Very close to you, in Penn and NY, are a number of small private not famous but not inferior schools who would welcome your degree and experience. If you really want to get in this year, apply to every non-famous private school where you meet the pre-reqs in Florida, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, North Carolina and Massachusetts. Apply to a couple of “reach” schools as well......there is no need to feel inferior about being a scribe with a 3.5 gpa. You may not get into Duke, Yale, Emory, or GW, but surprises happen. I would bet strongly you will get in somewhere that will permit you to become an excellent PA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lassibk Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 I have a 3.2 GPA undergrad, with a 3.0 science GPA. A degree in Chemistry from a very difficult private college. I have minimal direct patient HCE hrs. I worked as a pharmacy tech in a hospital for a while, and have done various internships with doctors and working in ERs. I got in my first try! I only applied to one school. I start in October. I think my saving grace was that I have been working/volunteering in hospitals since I was 14. I have a great passion for medicine, and I was able to prove that in my PS and my interview. I also made straight As in anatomy and phys. at the school where I applied, so that helped A LOT. Make sure to call people at the school you are most interested in and ask for advice. That will help you a lot, them knowing you prior to you sending in your app. Anyway, I just wanted you to know that it CAN be done. I am a rarity bc of my lack of experience, and I am fresh out of undergrad, but I think you are definitely on the right track. I was about to start a scribe job when I got the call that I got in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alght Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 This helped me a lot. Thanks. YES IT'S POSSIBLE!!! I got in with 1 year full time scribing experience. So did every other scribe I work with who applied to PA school (5 of us total)!!! Obviously you have to be smart where you apply. You shouldn't apply to places that say you need 1000 hrs of direct patient care; neither should you limit yourself to schools that say "we accept scribing as experience", either. I chose programs which required no experience or very little experience (under 500 hrs). Still, some of my friends got interviewed at places like GW, which clearly states that you need at least 960 hrs of direct pt care. Clearly they didn't care that it was just scribing experience. If they did, they wouldn't have invited scribes for interviews. Do not be scared to apply! Please, please, please do! NOW!!! It doesn't have to be $900. It can be $500. But honestly..... this is why you are working as a scribe, isn't it? To get into PA school? I almost didn't apply last year because I had the same fear as you, but at the last minute in September decided to do it and got in!! I think the only reason I didn't get more interviews was because I applied so late, not because I had "bad" experience. Message me if you have any questions :). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annemarreb Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 Hi... I am just finishing up my applications, but I'm kind of worried that I may not get into any schools because I JUST finished my undergrad. I feel like everywhere I look, people have been RN's, PT's, MST, etc. and have lots of experience. I clearly am not any of these things, I just have an undergrad degree in Biology & Med Diagnostics. I currently work as a scribe in an ED, I get to see patients but I do not physically touch them. I also have about 200 shadowing hours and some volunteer hours. My overall GPA was a 3.35 and about the same in the sciences. Please help?? I don't want to waste $900 applying to lots of schools if it's a waste of time. Honestly, the only possible way to find out is to apply. The real failure is when you don't even try. PA school's acceptance are unpredictable. Sometimes they would accept someone who has the minimum GPA requirement and we don't even know why. Maybe because that person had an amazing personal statement or LOR. On the other hand, a student with 4.0 may not get accepted because his negative characters might have shown on his interview. So apply! Acceptance is never a guarantee. None in life is anyway! Good luck :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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