tigerlily Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 Hello, I know that the obvious reaction would be to say "No", but thought I should check anyway. I am applying to the MEDEX program this year, I am also a first-time applicant. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerlily Posted July 26, 2012 Author Share Posted July 26, 2012 PAMAC, thank you for your reply. I have about 6500 hours of hce, but I heard there are many applicant with much more than that. I still have time, and I will look to officially shadow a PA in my area if possible. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenmood Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 I was asked during an interview why I had never shadowed a PA. I answered honestly that since I worked with PAs all the time (8000 hours) it seemed silly to take time off work to come back to work to follow someone around all day when I could be there as an active part of the healthcare team. I got in. I also shadowed for two days after that interview so I wouldn't be asked the same question again. ;) Working for pay counts as work, not shadowing. But I agree with PAMAC. You just need to have an answer for why you want to be a PA and how you know it's what you want. Toss a few days of shadowing on top and you'll be fine. Unless the school specifically requires more than that, I don't see the need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted July 27, 2012 Moderator Share Posted July 27, 2012 shadowing is bs. schools started requiring it when applicants stopped knowing what pa's were by working with them. I did not one second of shadowing. do whatever the schools require but it really is just a checkbox on the app. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted July 27, 2012 Moderator Share Posted July 27, 2012 yup. I got the generic "tell us about your understanding of what pa's do" question and I was able to answer based on 5 years of working with them on a daily basis as an er tech and later as a paramedic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joelseff Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 I was never asked about my non existent formal shadowing.... Sent from my myTouch_4G_Slide using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingsquirrel Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 There was one school that I wanted to apply to that specifically required shaddowing...so I did it for 2 shifts total. I also had 12K hours of HCE as a paramedic and wrote about how I worked side by side with PAs and not a day went by were I did not take report from a PA or give report to a PA. Every school I interviewed at was happy with this except one (and the specific one that it was really suprised me) where they tore me a new one about not shadowing more. MEDEX never asked about shadowing (and I was kind of embarassed it was even on my application). They wanted to know my reasons for wanting to be a PA and what I was going to bring to their program and the profession. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Steve Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 I too am a Medex enrollee, never shadowed, but worked with PAs. You're an RN with over 6000 hours and work with/for PAs? I wouldn't be sweating the shadow thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToppDog Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Well, the difference there is that Steve mentioned not shadowing but working with PA's; whereas the guy you saw at the interview did neither. Working with a PA will at least offer an explanation as to why one didn't shadow. But, it's also true that it's another check box with a check in it if it comes down to that. When in doubt, cover all your bases & do some shadowing. Use it as an excuse to see an area of medicine you haven't been exposed to before & broaden your knowledge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted July 27, 2012 Administrator Share Posted July 27, 2012 Use it as an excuse to see an area of medicine you haven't been exposed to before & broaden your knowledge. Excellent advice! There are SO MANY different places PAs work... surely, no pre-PA has worked in every one of those which interest him or her? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinntsp Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 I explained my interactions with PAs in my personal statement and didn't do any shadowing. It's a waste of time if you don't need a better understanding of the profession and healthcare in general. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerlily Posted July 27, 2012 Author Share Posted July 27, 2012 Many of your answers are reassuring. Even though I do not believe that MEDEX considers shadowing as important as understanding the role of a PA, and the applicant's reasons for wanting to be a PA, I will try shadow PAs anyway. Like some of you said, it is better to cover all my bases. To clarify some items: **I am not a RN, I am a LPN trained by the Army. **On CASPA, I only listed my LPN experience as direct HCE, which is about 6500 hours. **I was also a Nutrition Care Specialist in the Army, 4500 hours of that. I don't believe it is considered direct HCE, so I listed under "other HCE" **I do not have much community service, about 220 hours, I've had a busy life. Sooooo...I think it is important to shadow PAs to beef up my application. Other: Overall GPA: 3.46 Pre-req's only GPA: 3.45 Science GPA: 3.67 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Steve Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 It's your application, do what feels good to you but as a person who got into MEDEX and am halfway through it (offered only to demonstrate recent exposure to the process)...your gpa is better than mine, I had no community service in over a decade, I only worked with PAs on a Navy ship in 1996-98. During my time as a paramedic from 1999-2011 I was around PAs in the ER but only to drop off patients, as I was a field based paramedic, not hospital based. I personally believe (meaning its not gospel, correct, or worth the money you paid for my advice) that Medex applicants should NOT have to worry about shadowing as a make/break point in the application process. If your application doesn't make progress through the system, I seriously doubt it is a matter of shadowing. That being said, I am personal friends with a few PAs which gave rise to conversations in regards to the profession. I also cold called and landed a couple of interviews with PAs and bought them lunch, asking them some questions about their field, the profession, and their opinion of the progression of the career field. I found this exposure to the profession to be much more beneficial than hanging out in a clinic watching them do their daily routine of seeing patients. Perhaps people have these sort of conversations with the PA when they shadow but I can tell ya that the conversation is much more relaxed and fluid when you put a coffee/beer in their hand and have their undivided attention for an hour or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted July 27, 2012 Moderator Share Posted July 27, 2012 Dead on Steve. good advice as always. I work with someone just starting at medex now. she has worked with pa's for > 10 yrs on a daily basis. her shadowing consisted of some shifts at a local free clinc(so both shadowing and volunteering) and a few shifts with an fp pa in his clinic. don't think she was even asked about it at her interview as she had several rock solid letters from pa's(including me) which said she was the next best thing to sliced bread and a perfect candidate for their program. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerlily Posted July 27, 2012 Author Share Posted July 27, 2012 That's great information! EMEDPA, you offer a great example!! And Steve, I just moved to WA in April. The last time I lived here was 2005/2006 due to the military. I just landed 2 job interviews and hope to be working again pretty soon. Cold calling is a magnificent idea, I will start right now! So, can I interest you in a coffee or beer then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerlily Posted July 27, 2012 Author Share Posted July 27, 2012 I know you are still in school, the perspective of a student from MEDEX sounds great though. Sorry Steve, I know that was selfish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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