Pacific University vs OHSU

[aerten]

Anybody know the pros/cons of each of these programs?

Is one school easier to get into than the other?

What are the strengths/weaknesses of each program?

Does either school give you better opportunities to get a good job later on?

 

Thanks in advance for any thoughts on this!

[kagildersleeve]

These are two GREAT programs, and two totally different programs. I think that both are equally difficult to get into (each receive over 1000 applications and acceptance rates are under 5%), and both have a focus on primary care and cultivating PAs that will provide care in the Pacific NW in particular. The requirements are slightly different: OHSU requires 2,000 hours of HCE and the GRE, while Pacific only requires 1,000 hours of HCE. Also, some of the required courses don't cross over. I sense that OHSU has a slight edge with respect to academic preparation (some courses taken in conjunction with medical students, many courses taught by heads of departments of the medical school) and is probably slightly more demanding academically due to the elevated passing criteria (80%). OHSU has reknowned PANCE scores, while Pacific's PANCE scores have struggled during some years. Pacific also has specialized tracks for those from Hawaii and for those interested in rural healthcare (which I think is definitely a plus if you are interested in doing that). Pacific also really focuses on providing DIVERSE clinical rotations that can take you all over the place, both around the country and abroad. However - if your clinical rotations take you out of the area, you are required to pay for your own housing w/ Pacific, vs OHSU, which will provide your housing for you and pay for it should you be outside the Portland area for rotations. My medical director currently precepts both Pacific students and OHSU students, and says that the OHSU students stand out. I think that OHSU's program attracts people that LIKE an academically rigorous atmosphere, and so you will have many of those type-A students. I personally am a type-A student, and will be attending OHSU in the summer, and am beyond stoked. I got interview invites to both programs, but decided that OHSU was a better fit for me. Again, it really is about what you feel is the better fit for YOU - so go to the campuses, check out the programs, talk to the adcom. They are both stellar programs and will prepare you well as a PA, so you can't go wrong with either one!!

[sartort]

OHSU, which will provide your housing for you and pay for it should you be outside the Portland area for rotations.

 

This is really cool. I didn't know they did this. I am interviewing at OHSU next week and if get accepted will decide between there and MEDEX, which provides housing for some locations, but not all. This could be a huge factor in deciding between the two financially. I was also curious, does OHSU provide textbooks online as well? And are they still having to require PCs for their software? I can't imagine going back to those slow things with all the problems after my macbook.

[aerten]

^^Thanks for your thoughtful responses, and congratulations to both of you for getting asked in for interviews! I am hoping and praying that I will be able to say the same this time next year... I am doing quite well in my pre-req classes, but am a bit humbled by the statistics out there~ <5% acceptance rate is daunting! So, sounds to me like even getting asked in for an interview is a huge accomplishment!

 

Any advice on what helped strengthen your applications to these schools?

 

And, comments from anyone else about either/both PA programs in Oregon very much appreciated. :)

[EMEDPA]

both are good programs although my preference in the pacific nw is the program at u.wa/medex..

the downsides as I see them:

ohsu is not a pro-pa environment. the hospital uses np's for the vast majority of their positions.

pacific does not have enough clinical sites for all of their students, specifically for ob and peds, so many of their students(especially males) don't get peds or ob rotations and have to do "extra fp". it isn't the same thing. you need to see some sick kids and deliver some babies, assist c-sections, etc in pa school. many pacific students don't get to do this.

[aerten]

^Very interesting and helpful. Thanks!

[rev ronin]

I can't speak to OHSU, but was pretty satisfied with my experience at Pacific:

* Pacific students WILL travel outside the Portland area. There are some long-standing sites in Texas, Ohio, and Hawaii, for starters.

* To back up what E said, there were no peds or OB rotation requirements--you could end up successfully navigating a whole 15 months of rotations and only assist in one delivery and no C-sections. I have no idea how well that compares to other programs.

* Of the people I know who interviewed at OHSU and Pacific, the ones who came to Pacific liked the attitude and atmosphere better... But that's a biased sample, because I didn't ever meet anyone who interviewed at Pacific and OHSU and chose OHSU.

 

The programs were doing a PA Week event together this year, which didn't happen during my time. I don't think there's much of a "crosstown rivals" vibe going on, as much as the programs have intentionally different approaches. Rumor has it that of my (2012) class, no one has yet failed the PANCE, and the last few people who had really specific job hunting requirements are finding their dream jobs--or what they think will be--while many of us who were really aggressive about self-promotion had started jobs within weeks of our August graduation.

[EMEDPA]

MANY (?MOST) pa programs REQUIRE both peds and OB rotations....I had 5 weeks of each.

[lang]

I can't speak to OHSU, but was pretty satisfied with my experience at Pacific:

* Pacific students WILL travel outside the Portland area. There are some long-standing sites in Texas, Ohio, and Hawaii, for starters.

* To back up what E said, there were no peds or OB rotation requirements--you could end up successfully navigating a whole 15 months of rotations and only assist in one delivery and no C-sections. I have no idea how well that compares to other programs.

* Of the people I know who interviewed at OHSU and Pacific, the ones who came to Pacific liked the attitude and atmosphere better... But that's a biased sample, because I didn't ever meet anyone who interviewed at Pacific and OHSU and chose OHSU.

 

The programs were doing a PA Week event together this year, which didn't happen during my time. I don't think there's much of a "crosstown rivals" vibe going on, as much as the programs have intentionally different approaches. Rumor has it that of my (2012) class, no one has yet failed the PANCE, and the last few people who had really specific job hunting requirements are finding their dream jobs--or what they think will be--while many of us who were really aggressive about self-promotion had started jobs within weeks of our August graduation.

It is possible to request OB and peds rotations though right?

[aerten]

...and the last few people who had really specific job hunting requirements are finding their dream jobs--or what they think will be--while many of us who were really aggressive about self-promotion had started jobs within weeks of our August graduation.

 

Are they finding jobs in Portland, or have they had to look outside the Portland area?

[kagildersleeve]

While PA legislature is a little more friendly in WA than OR right now, I know that things are changing for PAs in Oregon, and that there is a high demand for them. Just check out indeed.com and type in "physician assistant" and Portland, Oregon - you will see how many hits you get! So no, would not be difficult to find a job in OR or specifically in Portland. To see the types of jobs available to PAs around Oregon, check out this link from OHSU's website with a list of some jobs that have been directly passed on to them. http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/education/schools/school-of-medicine/academic-programs/physician-assistant/employment/findjob.cfm#skull

 

Also, w/ respect to clinical rotations for OHSU - you are required to complete (and are given!) 5 week rotations each in both peds and women's health. Lots of catching babies. While your inpatient rotation is physically on the floor at OHSU (and is apparently pretty intense!), most of your rotations will take you away from the hill - that is NOT because the school doesn't value its PA students, but is because Ted, the program director, wants you to get the best hands on experience you can possibly get. If you do a surgical rotation at OHSU, you would prob be observing the surgery in a room with other residents, interns, med students, etc. While you'd get to see a lot of cool things, you wouldn't be able to get your hands that dirty. If you do your surgical rotation at a different hospital, you will very likely be first-assisting. More hands on learning = better experience IMHO.

 

And yes, the fact that OHSU pays for your housing during long-distance rotations will undoubtedly save you a LOT of $$$. Makes a big difference for me. Again, both schools are great, it's just a personal preference! Many of the OHSU students I know also interviewed at Pacific; in both cases, each student just picks the one that feels like the best fit for them if they are lucky enough to get acceptances to both programs.

[rev ronin]

It is possible to request OB and peds rotations though right?

Absolutely! In our year, we had

"community medicine"--which was six weeks of prison, tribal, low-income, or international. A couple of my classmates did a pediatric burn hospital in Costa Rica, another couple worked at the national women's hospital in Costa Rica, and about six did a Kenya rotation that dealt with a lot of OB.

"Primary care focus"--Six weeks of any additional primary care-relevant specialty, which amounted to almost a free elective: OB, Peds, all of these things fit there.

"Elective"--six weeks of ANYTHING.

If you wanted to do Peds, you could theoretically have almost all of your rotations peds: Peds inpatient, peds ER, peds surgery, etc. About the only rotation that *cannot* be peds is Internal Medicine.

[rev ronin]

Are they finding jobs in Portland, or have they had to look outside the Portland area?

 

I really don't have a good breakdown. Many of us didn't *want* jobs in Portland. I got my first position *precisely* in my target geographical area. Well over half the class was from places outside the Pacific Northwest, and most of them wanted to go back where they originally came from.

[EMEDPA]

Absolutely! In our year, we had

"community medicine"--which was six weeks of prison, tribal, low-income, or international. A couple of my classmates did a pediatric burn hospital in Costa Rica, another couple worked at the national women's hospital in Costa Rica, and about six did a Kenya rotation that dealt with a lot of OB.

"Primary care focus"--Six weeks of any additional primary care-relevant specialty, which amounted to almost a free elective: OB, Peds, all of these things fit there.

"Elective"--six weeks of ANYTHING.

If you wanted to do Peds, you could theoretically have almost all of your rotations peds: Peds inpatient, peds ER, peds surgery, etc. About the only rotation that *cannot* be peds is Internal Medicine.

being able to design a focus is nice. I did

trauma surg

inpt medicine

inner city ob

lockdown inner city psych

peds em

community em

fp

em elective (12 weeks).

27 of my 54 weeks were trauma surg, peds em, or em.

[aerten]

^Great menu... makes me wish I were in PA school already, not still banging out pre-reqs!

Hopefully I'll get that chance!

[aerten]

Just had a little more time to read through all these posts... thanks everybody, great info!

[sthall]

Both great programs. Both academically demanding. Pacific also has an 80% minimum pass requirement for all courses. I have worked with both pacific and OHSU grads and the have all been great providers. You will get a job after graduation no matter what program you choose.