Healthcare Studies Pre PA or BSN to PA

[FuturePA832]

Hello,

 I am currently a senior and am last-minute deciding which college to attend and what to study. My career goal is to become a PA but I'm not sure which track to follow. I have 2 options at 2 different colleges: 

• One university has a great BSN program that I got accepted into and was planning to get my BSN and also take my PA school prereqs as well.
• The other university doesn't offer nursing but has a healthcare studies program that I would take on a pre pa track.

I'm not sure which track to follow. Should I get my BSN so I can get prepared for PA school by knocking my prereqs and getting my patient care hours done and in case I don't get accepted into PA school, I can take a year to work as an RN or should I attend the other university for a pre PA track healthcare studies which would prepare me for PA school but I will have to attain a license for patient care experience hours and risk having a useless degree if I don't get accepted into PA school? Please let me know your thoughts, suggestions, and advice.

[ohiovolffemtp]

There are pro's & con's to both approaches.  From the PA school point of view, your undergrad major doesn't matter as long as you have good healthcare experience, a good overall GPA, a very good science GPA, and interview well.

The BSN route offers you good employability and good healthcare experience.  The caveat is that the science courses that are typically part of a nursing curriculum won't meet the requirements for PA school pre-reqs.  The courses that do are typically the pre-med/science majors courses.  That would be a lot of additional courses on top of the BSN courses.

When the travel nursing market was at its best, travel nurses were routinely making 1.5X PA pay.  It's less now, but still comparable to PA pay.  Regular RN pay is probably ~ 50% of PA pay.

The other advantage of a BSN is that it opens up the NP pathway.

But, shadow some nurses to see if you like to do what they do and shadow some PA's to see if you like to do what they do.  It's very different to think about the schooling to be a RN or PA than it is to experience what life is like as one.

[Con123]

As someone who is a senior in college and fell short of PA school in an ever-increasing competitive field, I STRONGLY encourage you to take the BSN route. My EMT, MA, or CNA salary won't put a roof over my head next year and being a lab tech or working pharm sales or development is not going to get me into PA school. Had I have gone nursing I would be blessed with a solid income and patient care experience to try again. 

[Mfio5]

Please don’t take a spot in a direct admit BSN program unless you feel strongly that nursing is in your future.  Those spots are so competitive and shouldn’t be taken up by people who have no plans to be a nurse.