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Margia: Don't be frustrated! you will be there before you know it. If you've worked hard enough to complete the requirements, you certainly deserve a spot in the upcoming class, now it's just the waiting game for an interview and acceptance letter. Let's keep our hopes high :)

Thank you tjl2012. I'm just so frustrated and wanna cry. I want nothing more than to be back in school already. I'm worth so much more than what I'm doing now. I wanna be in PA school and be back in school this sept!!
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I have already been accepted to a Masters program, but have started my application to Sophie Davis being its tuition is much more affordable. The only concern I have is that they only award a Bachelors. By 2020 all programs will be forced to become Masters programs. I wrote AAPA about this concern and they replied with the following:

Thanks for your message. At this point in time, about 93 percent of all accredited PA programs offer a Master’s degree. The training at all accredited programs is quite similar and must meet the accreditation standards developed by the ARC-PA. All programs are designed to give graduates a strong grounding in general medical and surgical practice and prepare them to pass the PANCE. That said, a Master’s credential would help a new graduate compete well against NPs (who all receive Master’s Degrees) and increasingly, fellow PAs. We do not have hard evidence that PAs are having trouble finding positions without a Master’s degree but some anecdotal evidence: we are contacted from time to time by folks who graduated without one and interested in “bridge” programs that award them.

 

Does anybody have the same concern or more information about this scenario. Thanks.

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Hi! First, Congrats on your acceptance, great achievement! Sophie Davis is in my opinion a great program with a good reputation although they award a BS. I've met many alumni of the program and they are very talented. And of course, a big plus is the affordable tuition, you will graduate with almost no debt :). That was a concern for me too, but I'm not worried about it. I plan on doing a PA post-professional masters program offered by some schools like Stonybrook for instance have one, it has an online option or campus format, convenient and affordable since it's a state university. In the end, the amount of debt you will accumulate will still be relatively less. Not a bad idea at all to me, and I have no problem going that route. OR you can go to the masters program and kill 2 birds with one stone if you don't feel like doing any more schooling post PA school.

 

I actually just looked up the tuition rates. Attending Sophie Davis will cost about $14.000 for the entire program. If we consider Stonybrook Post professional program for instance, it's about $380/credit and they require 30 credits for successful completion, that adds up to roughly $12.000.

 

Hope this helps!

TJL

I have already been accepted to a Masters program, but have started my application to Sophie Davis being its tuition is much more affordable. The only concern I have is that they only award a Bachelors. By 2020 all programs will be forced to become Masters programs. I wrote AAPA about this concern and they replied with the following:

Thanks for your message. At this point in time, about 93 percent of all accredited PA programs offer a Master’s degree. The training at all accredited programs is quite similar and must meet the accreditation standards developed by the ARC-PA. All programs are designed to give graduates a strong grounding in general medical and surgical practice and prepare them to pass the PANCE. That said, a Master’s credential would help a new graduate compete well against NPs (who all receive Master’s Degrees) and increasingly, fellow PAs. We do not have hard evidence that PAs are having trouble finding positions without a Master’s degree but some anecdotal evidence: we are contacted from time to time by folks who graduated without one and interested in “bridge” programs that award them.

 

Does anybody have the same concern or more information about this scenario. Thanks.

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Thank you so much for your encouragement tj. I was at work this morning and almost broke down and cried my eyes out. I'm like " I can't do this anymore!" I'm worth so much more than what I'm doing at work. I'm too smart for this. I must have sent out 100's of resumes to doctors and pa's who would let me shadow them and by a blessing I got some but towards late aug/sept of last year. I missed alot if deadlines for other schools because of that. I submitted everything last December. They have everything. I called and they said they do. Ughh, just scared

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I would agree that getting a shadowing opportunity is the hardest part of the application. But from the sound of it, you've done your homework well enough and should not worry much. Who knows? maybe we'll be classmates soon :). I hope you are getting ready for the potential interview. Preparation is key!!! How I prevent myself from breakdowns?? I picture myself getting an interview all the time, acing the interview, then I imagine the day I receive a phone call telling me I'm accepted every night at bedtime, it all feels so real LOL, I feel my dream so near that I can almost grab it LOL. That my dear helps me push away negative feelings. Give yourself the credit that it deserves and feel awesome!!! :)

TJL

Thank you so much for your encouragement tj. I was at work this morning and almost broke down and cried my eyes out. I'm like " I can't do this anymore!" I'm worth so much more than what I'm doing at work. I'm too smart for this. I must have sent out 100's of resumes to doctors and pa's who would let me shadow them and by a blessing I got some but towards late aug/sept of last year. I missed alot if deadlines for other schools because of that. I submitted everything last December. They have everything. I called and they said they do. Ughh, just scared
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I would agree that getting a shadowing opportunity is the hardest part of the application. But from the sound of it, you've done your homework well enough and should not worry much. Who knows? maybe we'll be classmates soon :). I hope you are getting ready for the potential interview. Preparation is key!!! How I prevent myself from breakdowns?? I picture myself getting an interview all the time, acing the interview, then I imagine the day I receive a phone call telling me I'm accepted every night at bedtime, it all feels so real LOL, I feel my dream so near that I can almost grab it LOL. That my dear helps me push away negative feelings. Give yourself the credit that it deserves and feel awesome!!! :)

TJL

 

 

You are too awesome tj! Thank you for bringing light to my rough situation. It's very appreciated :) I dunno I'm just worried about not getting in. It's causing me alot of stress. It's hard to remain hopeful in these tough times. I'm worried if I get my hopes up that it won't work in the end. I only applied to 2 other schools. But something inside of me is telling me that there's a small chance of hope with this school. If by a miracle I get in, I do hope we are indeed classmates :)

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tjl2012 I definitely hear what you are saying. If I did not have a b.s. already I'd probably go for this program, being what you said in that they have a good reputation. But in my circumstance it does not make sense. So it comes out to $25,000 less after sophie davis and stony brook combined, but you will have to work by day and study by night for at least a year, or work part time and make less money, which defeats the whole purpose. That's another year of not having a life. The question is if that's worth $25,000. And not to mention the rent costs and living expenses of NYC are astronomical, so the costs iron themselves out.

And you are not guaranteed to even get a spot in the Masters program since you have to reapply all over again.

But if you have your eyes set on Sophie Davis I wish you the best of luck.

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Yes you can sit for the PANCE whether it's from a Masters, Bachelors, or even an Associates program as long as the school is licensed by the ARC - PA. However, when you are competing for a job against someone who has the same exact qualifications as you, except the only difference is you have a Bachelors and they have a Masters, who do you think they are going to hire? And remember you are also competing against Nurse practitioners who hold at least a Masters. And by 2020 all PA programs are required to become Masters programs, which probably means that if you have a Bachelors you will eventually need to get your Masters. The point is do you want to be part of the 7% of programs that are not Masters programs?

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AHh i see your point jag. Very good indeed! Tough call.

 

Yes you can sit for the PANCE whether it's from a Masters, Bachelors, or even an Associates program as long as the school is licensed by the ARC - PA. However, when you are competing for a job against someone who has the same exact qualifications as you, except the only difference is you have a Bachelors and they have a Masters, who do you think they are going to hire? And remember you are also competing against Nurse practitioners who hold at least a Masters. And by 2020 all PA programs are required to become Masters programs, which probably means that if you have a Bachelors you will eventually need to get your Masters. The point is do you want to be part of the 7% of programs that are not Masters programs?
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If I were in your shoes, I would go to the Masters program because you have the opportunity and you should take advantage of it. You'll kill two birds with one stone and get it over with. There is no doubt that the profession is moving towards masters and it's safer for us to have it. I also have a BS already and live in NY, and for many reasons Sophie Davis is among my top choices. I do agree that it will require a lot of sacrifices to do a post-program while trying to settle in a new profession and for some starting a family, but in my situation i'm willing to make the sacrifice. I would also like to mention that the post program is a lot less competitive than the entry level, you also have up to 5 years to complete it and plus it's designed for busy working PAs. If you don't mind me asking, which program did you get into?

tjl2012 I definitely hear what you are saying. If I did not have a b.s. already I'd probably go for this program, being what you said in that they have a good reputation. But in my circumstance it does not make sense. So it comes out to $25,000 less after sophie davis and stony brook combined, but you will have to work by day and study by night for at least a year, or work part time and make less money, which defeats the whole purpose. That's another year of not having a life. The question is if that's worth $25,000. And not to mention the rent costs and living expenses of NYC are astronomical, so the costs iron themselves out.

And you are not guaranteed to even get a spot in the Masters program since you have to reapply all over again.

But if you have your eyes set on Sophie Davis I wish you the best of luck.

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As a current student at Sophie, I want to address the whole BS vs MS issue. While its true that most programs are MS programs, Sophie is still a BS granting program. The main difference (not the only difference, I know) between a BS & a MS program is the level of research that you do. The faulty has already addressed this concern with the students. Sophie does plan to become an MS program by the deadline & are working on a way to offer a bridging program to all alumni. Every graduate that I have spoken to, has not had a problem finding a job upon graduation. They were never turned down for a job or offered less money because they has a BS vs an MS degree. When you are applying for jobs, your employer is only going to care about whether you passed your boards & are certified.

 

Whether you graduate froma BS or MS program, you sit for the same boards. You take the same PANCE exam. Check out Sophie's PANCE pass rates. They are as better than the majority of schools (Albany, St John's, NYIT) & are as as good as Stony Brook & Cornell. Also, every year NYSSPA holds a tournament for PA schools called Medical Jeopardy. Sophie beat out all these other schools & are now the current NYSSPA Medical Jeopardy champions. Check out the Sohie website. It's on the main screen if you scroll down.

 

I know I may be slightly biased since I'm a current Sophie student, but in my opinion, Sophie offers a top notch education for unbelievable prices. Knowing that as an alumni, I will have the option to get my masters at a later point without having to worry about applying & getting accepting into another school's bridge program,plus doing so at CUNY prices, is a great comfort to me.

 

I'm glad I decided to come here & have not regretted my decision. I would gladly make that decision again in a heartbeat. What many people fail to realize is that in addition to the cost of attendence, you also have the loss of income since you can not hold a job while in PA school. The course load is too intense. Trust me when I say it is intense. I already have a BS in forensics & was able to go to school full-time while holding down a full-time job. PA school is 100x harder & 1000% more intense than regular college. I have quit my job to focus on school & still feel like there are not enough hrs in the day to study. Lol. I think that getting a top rate education & saving money on tuition all while knowing that I will have the opportunity to get an MS later on if I choose to, is a no-brainer to me. Once again, I know that I am biased. Lol. Just my 2 cents.

 

Good luck to all of you that are applying.

 

 

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Honestly Yacosta815, We appreciate having you to address some of our issues on this thread. It's always good to hear it from a current student's perspective. I totally agree with you on this note. You've outlined most of the reasons as to why Sophie is my top choice. Good point!

Thank you for your time again!

TJL

As a current student at Sophie, I want to address the whole BS vs MS issue. While its true that most programs are MS programs, Sophie is still a BS granting program. The main difference (not the only difference, I know) between a BS & a MS program is the level of research that you do. The faulty has already addressed this concern with the students. Sophie does plan to become an MS program by the deadline & are working on a way to offer a bridging program to all alumni. Every graduate that I have spoken to, has not had a problem finding a job upon graduation. They were never turned down for a job or offered less money because they has a BS vs an MS degree. When you are applying for jobs, your employer is only going to care about whether you passed your boards & are certified.

 

Whether you graduate froma BS or MS program, you sit for the same boards. You take the same PANCE exam. Check out Sophie's PANCE pass rates. They are as better than the majority of schools (Albany, St John's, NYIT) & are as as good as Stony Brook & Cornell. Also, every year NYSSPA holds a tournament for PA schools called Medical Jeopardy. Sophie beat out all these other schools & are now the current NYSSPA Medical Jeopardy champions. Check out the Sohie website. It's on the main screen if you scroll down.

 

I know I may be slightly biased since I'm a current Sophie student, but in my opinion, Sophie offers a top notch education for unbelievable prices. Knowing that as an alumni, I will have the option to get my masters at a later point without having to worry about applying & getting accepting into another school's bridge program,plus doing so at CUNY prices, is a great comfort to me.

 

I'm glad I decided to come here & have not regretted my decision. I would gladly make that decision again in a heartbeat. What many people fail to realize is that in addition to the cost of attendence, you also have the loss of income since you can not hold a job while in PA school. The course load is too intense. Trust me when I say it is intense. I already have a BS in forensics & was able to go to school full-time while holding down a full-time job. PA school is 100x harder & 1000% more intense than regular college. I have quit my job to focus on school & still feel like there are not enough hrs in the day to study. Lol. I think that getting a top rate education & saving money on tuition all while knowing that I will have the opportunity to get an MS later on if I choose to, is a no-brainer to me. Once again, I know that I am biased. Lol. Just my 2 cents.

 

Good luck to all of you that are applying.

 

 

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Your'e quite welcome tjl. I know that the "waiting" game & the "not knowing" games are horrible games to play. Any other information that I can give to help, feel free to let me know.

 

Btw, sorry for the typos in my previous message. This is what happens when you only have 4-5 hrs of sleep a night & are typing on an ipad. Lol. I was too lazy to proofread & didn't realize my spelling errors until afterwards. Lol.

 

 

Honestly Yacosta815, We appreciate having you to address some of our issues on this thread. It's always good to hear it from a current student's perspective. I totally agree with you on this note. You've outlined most of the reasons as to why Sophie is my top choice. Good point!

Thank you for your time again!

TJL

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No worries! :) Thank you!!!

Your'e quite welcome tjl. I know that the "waiting" game & the "not knowing" games are horrible games to play. Any other information that I can give to help, feel free to let me know.

 

Btw, sorry for the typos in my previous message. This is what happens when you only have 4-5 hrs of sleep a night & are typing on an ipad. Lol. I was too lazy to proofread & didn't realize my spelling errors until afterwards. Lol.

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  • 2 weeks later...
I think you misread what I wrote. I said you need to write a really strong statement letter, not a really long one. Lol. They do have a limit on what the length is. If you send in a really long one, they may not read it completely or they may reject your application simply because you didn't follow the guidelines.

 

You're absolutely correct, I indeed did misread that. :sweat:

Your info has been great and very helpful.

 

Anyone heard anything yet?

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From what I was told, the essay is just to determine if you are the one that wrote your statement letter. They try to match up the writing skill. Some applicants get ghost writers or professional writers to write their statement letters. When they have to write an essay on the spot, their writing won't match with the writing in their statement letter. If you get someone else to write your essay & pass it off as your own, they might question your ethics. That will be a quick way to dismiss a candidate. Try to not worry about it. The topics are random so you can't study or practice for it.

 

Any info about this essay they give during your interview? do they base your admission based on the essay as well or?
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Btw, TECHNICALLY you start in the fall semester, but the program ACTUALLY starts in July, not in September. You will have a 6 wk orientation with some classes to help you get somewhat acclimated to PA school life, althought nothing can fully prepare you for PA school. Lol.

 

If I am not mistaken, this is near the end of your P1 year?

Any comments on your first year?

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I still need a lot more to finish. Lol. The program is divided into didactic & clinical portion. The didactic portion is 1 & 1/2 yrs & the clinical portion is 1 yr. I started July '12. I won't finish my did action portion until the end of the December '13. So far, it has been ridiculously intense. Right now, I am taking 11 classes. In the summer, we are scheduled to take 13 classes & then another 12 classes in the fall. There is no time to relax or have fun. it's study, study, study all the time. There's never enough time to study & I always wonder how I'm going to remember all of this. But you feel great when you test & actually do well. I kicked butt on an exam today, but now I'm studying for 2 exams & 1 quiz that we are having next week. There is always an exam or quiz. not looking forward to 11 finals in the 5 days of finals week. yikes!!

 

My suggestion, start studying physiology, microbiology & anatomy. Those will be some of the first few classes that you get. If you understand them, if will make other classes somewhat easier. Trust me, I wish someone told me that ahead of time. I constantly find myself going back to review my notes.

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