Jump to content

Masters before PA school


Recommended Posts

so I’ve completed my BS in biology and I am now trying to figure out if I should retake the prerequisites to get better grades in the course (my gpa is terrible) OR just complete a graduate program in like public health or some sort to start fresh with a new GPA ... and retake some of my Prerequisites that I didn’t get the required grade in for acceptance into a PA program .  
 

I hope this makes sense . 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think you probably will have a tough time convincing a PA program that you can hack the work with your current grades. If you repeat prereqs, that doesn't replace the old grades but just averages the two (a 3 point C becomes a 6 point B with an A for the repeat). And trying to make the application better with experience is iffy since schools often have grade cutoffs for even looking at the rest of the application.

Schools have to post the percentage of students who graduate and pass their boards. A low undergrad GPA can raise their concern that the applicant won't make it through the program. Not only does that make them look bad, but a failing student's seat would remain unoccupied for the rest of the program. That is the mindset you would probably need to offset somehow.

I think that leaves you 3 general strategies: (1) deciding to do something else with your life, (2) letting some time go by while you add to your experience and grades, and (3) going to grad school. The first option is always open. The second option means that it will take a fair amount of time to get good grades (including in advanced science courses) and show a school that you aren't the same person who got the 2.5 "a few years back." The third option may make sense if it is in a field that you'd like to work in even if you never go to PA school. And, whatever it's in, it would probably need to have a strong science component to prove you can do graduate science work.

Just my thoughts. Good luck in whatever you choose to do.

  • Like 1
  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

@UGoLong ideally I’m not wanting to give up . I was a first generation college student with not so great support system . I struggled balancing work and school because my family didn’t allow me to just focus on being a student but I learned a lot from this experience. I just want to know how I should go about proving myself capable . 
 

like should I retake the prerequisites at a community college or should I enroll as a non degree seeking student and retake them or do I wipe the slate clean and just enroll in a grad program to redeem myself . I know what things to do differently this next time around . 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I admire your determination and the way you are looking at the past with an eye on what it taught you. As far as where to take classes, from what I've seen, most schools don't really care. If you are going to work while you go to school, community college offerings often are better suited to your schedule.

Unfortunately grad school doesn't really "wipe the slate clean." CASPA reports your grades from every school you've ever gone to. They do provide the evaluators with your graduate grades as a separate line item, if they want to know.

Just a suggestion, but perhaps thinking of this as a set of little steps might be the way to go. Maybe get a job and take a class or two for the first semester, just proving that you can master the material. Ultimately -- after you've fixed up your basic prereq grades -- you can look for more advanced classes too. My personal favorite is pathophysiology, which is the closest undergrad class to a PA program class. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good question. I personally see no advantage to another bachelors.

A masters only if it opens the door to some new opportunity unrelated to PA school (for a career you would be happy to have if PA is not in the cards) or lets you take some graduate classes you want to but otherwise couldn't otherwise take.  Otherwise I would just take classes, which is a postbacc. You could even take classes at one or more different schools if you wanted to.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest mohmay

As one who is finishing a Master's Degree, I was recently accepted into a Provisional PA Program (Kean University in NJ) and will be matriculating this upcoming Fall Semester into their inaugural class. I definitely feel the other answers in this forum are very valid and would like to share my own experience.

I will be graduating this Summer with a Master's of Biomedical Sciences, the curriculum is a VERY rigorous program that essentially covers all the material you would learn in the 1st year of medical school. Thankfully, I was able to set aside the time (while also working Part-Time for the required HCE/PCE) to be able to bring myself to a 3.4 Graduate Science GPA (My Overall Undergrad GPA was a solid 3.02 and Science GPA was a 2.8).

Some PA Programs will consider retakes and sometimes upper-level or Graduate-Level coursework, but you'd definitely need to look into the programs you're interested in applying to and reach out to their admissions faculty if you can to see their flexibility. The program I was accepted into accepted retakes and also considered my significant upward trend (as well as thousands of hours of HCE, Volunteering, Shadowing, etc.). 

I also wanted to expand on Kean's PA Program currently being a Non-CASPA program under Provisional Accreditation. With that, there are factors to consider such as the fact that the program has never graduated its first class and with that comes the possibility of having issues with clinical clerkships or didactic year. However, you will be graduating from a fully accredited program and you will be able to sit for the PANCE, which at the end of the day is all that truly matters if your ultimate goal is to become a PA. 

I hope this helps a little bit in your search and wishing you all the best in reaching your goal. 🙂 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...
On 5/17/2021 at 1:16 AM, TyShianna said:

so I’ve completed my BS in biology and I am now trying to figure out if I should retake the prerequisites to get better grades in the course (my gpa is terrible) OR just complete a graduate program in like public health or some sort to start fresh with a new GPA ... and retake some of my Prerequisites that I didn’t get the required grade in for acceptance into a PA program .  
 

I hope this makes sense . 

Hi, I am reading this thread and am curious as to what you decided to do and where you are now? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Welcome to the Physician Assistant Forum! This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn More