SopranoKris Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 Hi all, Just joined the forums today. I'm an adult returning student. I graduated with my Associate degree in Microbiology & Physics in 1994. After putting my medical career aspirations on hold for the last 18 years, I finally have the opportunity to pursue my dream. I'm facing a lot of obstacles...mostly the "your credits are too old" obstacles! Even though I made an A in all the pre-reqs, I'm still required to re-take everything...ugh! So, I'm in the home stretch now. All I have left is Organic Chem, Bio Chem, Pathophysiology & Stats. I'm going to be meeting with an advisor at CMU in a few weeks, just to make sure there are no other surprises in store for me. I still have to finish my B.S. but I'm trying to knock out all the pre-reqs first. Question: I noticed the pre-reqs for the nursing program at my current school include many of the pre-reqs for PA school. Do you think I'd have a better chance of being accepted to CMU if I had my RN first? I am currently taking a Phlebotomy class and will have my certification in February, when I complete my externship. I know that phlebotomy counts towards PCE, but since that's only blood draws & various other bodily fluid samples, I'm wondering if getting my BSN would be a better route? What are your thoughts? I know I will need to apply to several different PA schools, but I'd prefer CMU since it's little under an hour drive from here. Any advice would be appreciated! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TThielen Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 IMO sure as an RN you will look good to the adcom but they may ask you the question of why PA and not NP if you are already a nurse? You may want to post this in the Pre-PA general discussion.....you will get a lot more readers/responses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briepm Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 I may be wrong, but doesn't CMU have an extremely high HCE requirement (in the thousands of hours)? That may make a difference for you regardless.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TThielen Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 I may be wrong, but doesn't CMU have an extremely high HCE requirement (in the thousands of hours)? That may make a difference for you regardless.. No, their requirement is 100 hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marvi1kd Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Requirement is 100 hours as TThielen stated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c0untingstars Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 I heard they actually prefer CNAs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SopranoKris Posted October 3, 2012 Author Share Posted October 3, 2012 Hmmm, maybe I should just skip the RN and work as a Phlebotomist while finishing my BS. Nursing appeals to me (undergrad-wise), but I like the idea of being a PA more than an NP. PAs are collaborative with MDs, where as NPs tend to work alone and have more limited abilities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SopranoKris Posted March 15, 2013 Author Share Posted March 15, 2013 I've got an appointment with the Pre-PA advisor at CMU tomorrow (Mar. 15th). Looking forward to getting a lot of questions answered! I'm trying to determine how many classes I have left to get a Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Laboratory Science. I won't know if I'm accepted into nursing school until the last week of April. Even then, I wouldn't start until either Fall 2013 or Spring 2014 (depending on which cohort I'm assigned to). It would take 2 years to finish the RN, plus another 14 months to complete the BSN. According to what I see online, I only need 18 more classes to finish the Biomedical Laboratory Science degree and I could then apply directly to the PA program. I completed by phlebotomy certification (taking the national & state licensure exams in 3 weeks), so I could work as a phlebotomist while finishing the degree. Does anyone know if CMU gives preference to CMU undergrads when applying to PA school? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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