Does it really matter where you got your undergrad degree?

[hachsa]

First post! Long-time lurker, Hi!

 

I read a post from a while back that PA schools look to see where you went to school & what classes you took there & what grades you got. I'm a little bit stuck in the rut because I go to a "college" which used to be a Community College. They pretty much changed their name from Florida Community College at Jacksonville to Florida State College at Jacksonville. Now the rationale behind this school, is that's a great community college to go to for transferring later on to a "university," while offering some 2-year AS programs. It's local, cheap, & the professors here are incredibly smart & most of the bio & chem department taught at previous Unis. Some of them are just adjunct professors that work here while being full-time at the local University of N. Florida. Now, my predicament is this, FSCJ just opened a new Bachelors degree program, a BS degree in Biomedical Sciences with concentrations in Biological Sciences & Biochemistry. Should I take this road or should I just go to UNF and my Bachelors in Biology degree there, would it really make much of a difference in admissions for PA school?

If anyone is wondering, after I get this degree, I'm planning to apply for Nursing School at UNF for another BS, which is just 3 semesters after you've had a prior undergrad degree. I'm hoping this will get my direct hands-on HCE & make some money in the meantime I'm applying for PA school.

 

I know this seems like a weird question to ask but does it really matter if I got my degree at a previously rendered "Community College"? Would it be "worth" the same?

 

FYI: http://floridastatecollegecatalog.fscj.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=25&poid=4380 this is the program. It's essentially the same as UNF.

 

Also, by the time I get my BS I'll have 4-5 years of Pharmacy Technician experience under my belt, will PA schools see this as an attractive HCE even if its not direct patient care?

[beattie228]

Hascha,

 

In general, it does not matter where you go for your undergraduate work. You will want to check with your desired program(s), but most schools will tell you they do not favor students who went to one school vs the other. I went to a four year program that is virtually unknown once you get outside of a 40 mile radius and I have been invited to interview at each school I applied to, with one of them being an Ivy League program. As far as Pharmacy Technician, most programs want to see quality HCE with direct patient contact. Pharm Tech is a good route to get into a PharmD program. You'll be better off getting an EMT or CNA (certified nurse assistant) certification and working alongside physicians and PAs in a medical office. Not only does it improve the quality of your HCE, but also gives you concrete answers during the interview to questions like "Tell me how your experiences have helped you better understand the role of a PA" or "Tell me what a PA does within an interdisciplinary health care team". Keep in mind the applicant pool you're competing against will have the quality HCE I mentioned as well as GPAs higher than the minimum and extracurricular activities outside of academia so you need to do everything you can to keep yourself afloat amongst that applicant pool (pun intended). Hope that helps!

[alster]

It doesnt really matter where you get your degree as far as PA schools are concerned. Here's a somewhat recent thread that is similar for you to look at.

 

http://www.PhysicianAssistantForum.Com/forums/showthread.php/36661-Where-you-do-undergrad-matter

 

I know on the "ask PA admissions" thread, the admissions person at Methodist university states that they prefer students have experience taking classes at a four year institution, so the school might somewhat matter to some PA programs, but for the most part schools look at your gpa and that you can handle advanced level science classes. Check with schools about pharmacy tech but nursing will be great! Good luck!

[skyfall]

Seems like many PA schools care about overall GPA, but you gotta make sure. In my program, there are quite a few who were transfer students from a CC and they're doing very well. 

[Maynard]

OP: I think you're seriously overestimating the amount of research PA programs will do about your school. Maybe I'm wrong, but unless they're really close by, I think it's highly unlikely they'll ever know your school used to be a CC. Getting credits at a CC isn't that bad anyway, especially if you're going on to a 4-year school to complete higher level, relevant coursework. Even if they know about the school's history, I doubt it would make a huge difference. Given all the advantages you listed, I think it would be silly to alter your plans on the far-fetched possibility that this could break your chances of admission.

 

Also, by the time I get my BS I'll have 4-5 years of Pharmacy Technician experience under my belt, will PA schools see this as an attractive HCE even if its not direct patient care?

I don't think this is attractive HCE. Check with programs to see if they'll accept this as HCE, but you're better off getting a job where you'll be working alongside providers (MDs, PAs, NPs) rather than pharmacists.

[cinntsp]

It doesn't matter.  Just do well.

[PAtoB]

Journalism here as an undergrad with low GPA. 54 community college credits for 99 percent of my pre-reqs, and got offered by 2 programs, one of which accepted only 20 students out of 700-plus applicants. Your undergrad degree matters very little in the grand scheme of the application.

[UGoLong]

It doesn't matter and furthermore, you aren't going to change where you went to school in the past! Don't feel inferior because of you made decisions that were in your own best interests.

 

In life you will find people who will not select you because of their own biases. Such is life. As noted by many other posts, there are plenty of situations where you will be judged fairly, based on your own abilities, drive, and intelligence.

 

Anyone who misjudges you does so at their own peril, not yours.