BenArline Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Ahh the big question - here is my personal situation. I am a 24 year old male currently in a PhD program in Chemistry. I have a BS in Chemistry from FSU with a 3.7 GPA. I am considering leaving my PhD Program (w/o a master's, I have been in the program less than 1 year). Why might you ask? Well, the job outlook for PhD's in heavy sciences is deplorable. Absolutely dreadful, I might be lucky to grab a postdoc position making 35K$/Yr working 60 hours a week AFTER the 5 years of heartache and pain it takes me to get the degree. I love science, but I do not like feel exploited and taken advantage without some sort of compensation =) - also I have a family, and a stable career is incredibly important to me. My wife is a nurse, and I dont want her to have to be the bread winner forever - she has her own dreams too. I was considering PA school a year ago, and almost finished up my pre-reqs - when I was contacted by UF chemistry program offering me a fellowship to attend. I accepted, and thought - maybe this is where life is taking me. Boy..was I wrong... My question is this. I am looking into PA school again, or RN school. PA school will require probably 2 years of healthcare experience so I am competitive enough of an applicant;perhaps I could receive this with a nursing degree. My options are this: - Get my EMT-B license and make 10$/hr for 2 years and go to PA school (would probably still be more than my stipend though (I get around 22$K/yr atm). - Get my ADN (Associates in nursing degree). There is an accelerated 15month ADN program at a community college where I currently live - this would not cost too much money to do <6000$. - Get my BSN through an accelerated program - these programs are unbelievably expensive >20$K. Here is my question - will I have a hard time finding a job with an EMT-B license? What is really the best option for me? Medical Assistant programs are nearly as long as the ADN program and pay much less. I could do CNA work as well - but I think perhaps an EMT-B license is a little more applicable. What would really be my best option? Thank you for your time, Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paula Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Skip the BSN program. You already have a BS degree. The ADN program might be a better fit and less expensive, plus you will get the nursing experience for your HCE. The EMT-B would give you lots of emergency type experience but you have to ask yourself what kind of hours do you want to work with having a family? Or, you could go ahead and apply for PA school and you never know if you will get in without any significant HCE. It seems some programs are not as strict as they used to be. EMT-B great experience, especially if you are interested in Emergency Medicine. Why are you not considering med school? The money you are thinking of putting into ADN, EMT-B, etc. could be put toward that and med schools require no HCE. You are young so med school might be an option, too. What do you envision yourself doing with a PA degree? There is a new movement for some med schools to go to a three year program. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenArline Posted January 6, 2013 Author Share Posted January 6, 2013 That is a good question - I have considered medical school. It certainly seems like far more of an trek compared to PA school. I have a family, so it almost seems out of the question. Also, medical school is obviously much much more expensive - 3-4x as much as PA school is in FL, and while they do not require and HCE - the entrance competition greatly exceeds what is on my current transcript. While I do have a 3.7 GPA - most of the students I know that got accepted into medical school did so at a much higher GPA (3.9-4.0) and had a multitude of volunteer hours. I am also easily 1 semester behind in prereqs (bio 2 lab - undergraduate level biochemistry with lab) - and then theres the MCAT (which I would have to study for as I don't remember a lot of undergraduate material outside of chemistry. It would be twice as much school as the PA program - including residencies. With a PA degree I would love to just do standard Urgent Care practice - or work in a hospital setting ER type. I enjoy working with people (something not applicable as a scientist in Graduate School - I am so lonely here its debilitating). Thank you for your input. So it comes down to EMT-B program at one semester - or the ADN program at...gosh...3-4 semesters. Perhaps the EMT-B is the better fit as I would accomplish my HCE sooner (but the kicker is - will I even find a job in the EMT setting?) -Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorRRT Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 In your situation the EMT makes sense, so long as you break even when comparing your stipend. You have a favorable GPA already, so spending 2 years getting an RN would be a waste unless you were considering going the NP route. Another thing to consider is if you planned on staying in the Gainesville area with the RN path is you'll have to compete for jobs with a decent amount of new grad BSNs considering UFs nursing school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorRRT Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 As for jobs, check out the Shands website, as well as North Florida Regional to see what the job market looks like up there for EMTs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PM2PA Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 The quicker option is better for you I think. Get your EMT and some experience under your belt. Finish your prerequisites and then apply to PA school. I'm unsure of the EMT job market for N FL, however if you want to work 911 you will most likely have to be a firefighter as well, which is a headache in itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenArline Posted January 7, 2013 Author Share Posted January 7, 2013 The quicker option is better for you I think. Get your EMT and some experience under your belt. Finish your prerequisites and then apply to PA school. I'm unsure of the EMT job market for N FL, however if you want to work 911 you will most likely have to be a firefighter as well, which is a headache in itself. When looking at jobs available in the current area - I have noticed a lot more phlebotomy jobs available. While this profession does not involve the same level of patient care workup as an EMT - do you think PA school would consider it applicable enough for experience? Most of these jobs require some sort of clerical/lab work - something of which I could easily convince them I am capable of...Of course I could spend the extra semester and get both certificates If I couldn't find a job...Honestly compared to my current workload I would be able to do both at the same time but whatever... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackjacks Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 I don't know what kind of applicants the PA programs in FL like to see, but if you are willing to live away from family or your family can move, you can probably get into PA school with much <2 yrs of HCE, maybe even in FL. Some schools focus more on grades. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenArline Posted January 7, 2013 Author Share Posted January 7, 2013 I don't know what kind of applicants the PA programs in FL like to see, but if you are willing to live away from family or your family can move, you can probably get into PA school with much <2 yrs of HCE, maybe even in FL. Some schools focus more on grades. Ive done some more research on this - and it seems to me 6months experience is enough. I've decided I am going to go the phelbotomy route and just supplement as much PA shadowing time as I can. This should be perfectly adequate for getting into UF's program - but I will apply to others as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JMPA Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 Ive done some more research on this - and it seems to me 6months experience is enough. I've decided I am going to go the phelbotomy route and just supplement as much PA shadowing time as I can. This should be perfectly adequate for getting into UF's program - but I will apply to others as well. I strongly suggest emt-b for experience. Shadowing does not reflect experience, its purpose is to expose one to the field of PA firsthand so that they may make an informed decision about the career. EMT-B allows for hands on decision making in critical environments. It is a much stronger selling point then phlebotomy. Good luck. P.S. just my worthless 2 cents Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorRRT Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 For UFs program you need a minimum of 2k hrs. Adds up to 1 yr of work experience. http://pap.med.ufl.edu/admissions/prerequisites-2/patient-care-experience/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted January 7, 2013 Moderator Share Posted January 7, 2013 I strongly suggest emt-b for experience. Shadowing does not reflect experience, its purpose is to expose one to the field of PA firsthand so that they may make an informed decision about the career. EMT-B allows for hands on decision making in critical environments. It is a much stronger selling point then phlebotomy. Good luck. P.S. just my worthless 2 cents agree- phleb is a very basic skill you can learn in an afternoon. my cert for phleb was "draw 10 pts in the presence of an RN" and that got me a license from the state of CA. took a few days while working as an er tech. Takes a bit longer now but still a very basic and limited skill set. emt allows you more skills and access to pts in more situations(ambulance, er, urgent care, icu, etc). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Steve Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 I think you are selling yourself short when you consider med school. Have you talked to your wife about it? Seeing how she is a nurse she probably understands what everything entails. What advice does she give? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boatswain2PA Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 Agree with Just Steve. Don't worry about money getting into med school, it would be well worth it in the future. I would also suggest you reconsider ADN vs EMT. If you go EMT and don't get into PA program, then you're a very well educated EMT with a plexiglass ceiling If you go ADN and don't get into PA program you can do online LPN--BSN, and then get into NP program (not nearly as difficult to get into as PA schools). If you're not careful, you could find yourself hitting 30 years old and locked out of PA school. If you find yourself in that position it would certainly be better to have your ADN or RN..... Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenArline Posted January 7, 2013 Author Share Posted January 7, 2013 Agree with Just Steve. Don't worry about money getting into med school, it would be well worth it in the future. I would also suggest you reconsider ADN vs EMT. If you go EMT and don't get into PA program, then you're a very well educated EMT with a plexiglass ceiling If you go ADN and don't get into PA program you can do online LPN--BSN, and then get into NP program (not nearly as difficult to get into as PA schools). If you're not careful, you could find yourself hitting 30 years old and locked out of PA school. If you find yourself in that position it would certainly be better to have your ADN or RN..... Good luck! I am not interested in Medical School - as my family is extremely important to me. I am not interested in specialty work, extra paperwork, extra responsibility and insurance claim associated with an MD. I know a few PA's and a few MD's. The PA's I know seem to have a better happiness in life - less stress, more time to spend with their family, plenty of money to live on. My wife plans on going to Midwifery school after im finished, our combined income would easily be over 175K$/yr - this is plenty of money for my family to live on and take vacations, etc. An ADN program is 4 semesters of work - you need to realize I have already been in school for 6 years, and am planning another 2 with the PA school. EMT-B can get me out into the work environment in <12 weeks - this is not a long time. If I cannot get into PA school - I could go to Paramedic school/ADN school THEN. I say start small, and work up if needed. I want to meet my goals as quickly as possible - not meander around in a Associated Program (gah!). Even ADN's right now are having a difficult time getting hired my a lot of hospitals (Shand's does not hire them, nor anywhere else in Gainesville because of the surplus of Nurses coming out of the UF program. Thank you for all your input though guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator True Anomaly Posted January 7, 2013 Moderator Share Posted January 7, 2013 I highly doubt I will get rejected to PA school You're so clairvoyant And Honestly - isn't PA school easier to get into than Medical school? Yep! It's WAY easy. Just don't forget to tell the admissions committee that during your interview. They love confidence like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PM2PA Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 I really hope you change your attitude. Either you are a troll or really full of yourself. But I agree with TA, you should try this material out when/if you interview. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knjones87088 Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 I'm convinced my EMT-B experience got me in. My starting situation was very similar to yours. I already had good grades/B.S. Biology/GRE so I didn't focus any additional efforts in the academic part of my app. I couldn't live on the $10/hr EMT wage, so instead I took a well-paying M-F 9-5 job as a research scientist for a big pharma co. and then volunteered 100+ hours/month at a volunteer EMS company to get my HCE. When you volunteer, you can go when it's convenient for YOU (i.e. get your HCE on your own terms/schedule, while still being able to pay your bills and save for school). I think it is great (humbling) experience that varies with each call vs. the limited skills/experience you can get with phleb. My other HCE included a 3 week volunteer medical mission trip to Central America, ~80 hours shadowing PA's (I don't think any more makes a difference) and ~250 hours as OR/PACU Nursing Unit Aide volunteer. Plus, all my HCE was volunteer so I think that showed my genuine interest in the field. Hope this helps and good luck to you... I'm sure you'll have no problem getting in once you beef up your HCE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will352ns Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 I highly doubt I will get rejected to PA school. I am not interested in Medical School - as my family is extremely important to me. I am not interested in specialty work, extra paperwork, extra responsibility and insurance claim associated with an MD. I know a few PA's and a few MD's. The PA's I know seem to have a better happiness in life - less stress, more time to spend with their family, plenty of money to live on. My wife plans on going to Midwifery school after im finished, our combined income would easily be over 175K$/yr - this is plenty of money for my family to live on and take vacations, etc. I have nearly a 4.0 in science GPA with a Chemistry B.S, loads of research, teaching experience and a decent GRE score. As long as I get the HCE requirements, I doubt there will be many applicants who have the resume I do. I plan on shadowing a few PA's and earning myself some contacts as well. An ADN program is 4 semesters of work - you need to realize I have already been in school for 6 years, and am planning another 2 with the PA school. EMT-B can get me out into the work environment in <12 weeks - this is not a long time. If I cannot get into PA school - I could go to Paramedic school/ADN school THEN. I say start small, and work up if needed. I want to meet my goals as quickly as possible - not meander around in a Associated Program (gah!). Even ADN's right now are having a difficult time getting hired my a lot of hospitals (Shand's does not hire them, nor anywhere else in Gainesville because of the surplus of Nurses coming out of the UF program. Thank you for all your input though guys. And Honestly - isn't PA school easier to get into than Medical school? EMT is the best route for you IMO. Easy to get and a bit easier than other fields to find employment....gaining the Paramedic cert is very good if you have the time and effort to put into it. If you don't want to end up as a nurse...don't do it as a stepping stone, purely my opinion. You don't want to med school, got it. I can relate to the issues with the family. That said, don't fool yourself. You know a couple of PA's who seem to have it pretty good. Maybe you can emulate that if you get in....maybe not. I know many PA's. Some have it good....some work harder than their SP's. Nothing is certain. Your degree and GPA are the envy of some students....no problems there. It's the HCE you lack...it IS important for many reasons. PA school, statistically, is just as hard to get into than med school. There are some charts somewhere on the forum showing this. Do a search and you will find it. Don't get cocky, you have a great shot, but guys like you haven't made it in the past. There are other variables. Interview with a sense of entitlement and you will find that it doesn't go over well. Contrary to what you think, there are MANY applicants that have the same profile as you, and or better. Get as much HCE as you can...not to check a box, but to get a good idea of how health care works and start working on you patient interactions; learn the basic skills. Apply to programs that don't have too stringent HCE requirements and you will have a good shot. Or, you can get a real good amount of HCE and apply to just about any program you want...and have a good shot at most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted January 7, 2013 Moderator Share Posted January 7, 2013 . I know many PA's. Some have it good....some work harder than their SP's. Nothing is certain. . the vast majority of pa's I know(hundreds) work significantly more hrs(as well as more nights/weekend/holidays) than their sp's for 1/3 to 1/2 the salary. pa is not a lifestyle career unless you are lucky to get a primary care m-f 9-5 job with no nights/weekends/call or work part time without benefits. not a lot of those around and they tend to not pay very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenArline Posted January 8, 2013 Author Share Posted January 8, 2013 I really hope you change your attitude. Either you are a troll or really full of yourself. But I agree with TA, you should try this material out when/if you interview. Sorry guys, I may have come off a bit cocky - and no way shape or form was I trying to. In all honesty, I AM nervous about getting into PA school, and certainly have a lot to think about - and quite awhile before I get to the point of interviews (at least 2 years from now so I can earn enough HCE). In no way shape or form do I consider myself a better applicant than others - but I am somewhat confident I would have a solid application once I can receive some HCE. HCE can be fixed, GPA and standard BA in Art/Buisness cannot. Nonetheless, becoming a PA is something I have considered for years, and despite every other path I have taken in life (working in industrial setting, going to a PhD program, being a stay at home parent, teaching) - I have always come full circle back to wanting this for myself. If I did not get into PA school on the first try, I would apply during the next round, and so forth - eventually, I think I could get in. As to EMEDPA - Good. No job should be easy (I work holiday's right now). My wife works nights/weekends/holiday's as charge nurse on her floor - she is still really happy with her job. No matter what job you do - you are expected to 'pay your dues' - nonetheless, it is still better than having no job - or a job that pays incredibly little for the work put in (Chemistry in today's market). Another question for you guys though - do you the market within the foreseeable future (10 years) becoming TOO flooded with PA's? Or are the low class sizes an attempt to prevent this from happening (kind of like stabilizing the economic foundation of the PA career)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator True Anomaly Posted January 8, 2013 Moderator Share Posted January 8, 2013 Another question for you guys though - do you the market within the foreseeable future (10 years) becoming TOO flooded with PA's? Or are the low class sizes an attempt to prevent this from happening (kind of like stabilizing the economic foundation of the PA career)? There are a few markets which are already too flooded with PA's, but that's more specialty-dependent. As EMEDPA has highlighted many times on this forum, the first job out of PA school has three components- Location, Specialty and Salary. As a new grad, you'll be able to get 2 out of 3; it's the rare candidate (one who made lots of connections in school or had gobs of prior HCE) that can get all 3. The low class sizes are more of a reflection of the number of available faculty of a program AND the number of available clinical sites. If you can't get together the clinical sites for your program, you can have > 100 students and no where for them to go during their clinical year. There's no movement afoot (that I'm aware of, anyway) to limit PA school sizes simply to improve the market for jobs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badger12 Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 While doing my undergraduate studies I didn't have time (or money) to receive a certificate as an EMT, and although I was certified to do phlebotomy it was nearly impossible to find a position without connections. To receive direct patient care I became a respite provider. Once I found out that this does qualify as health care experience at the programs I wanted to attend I had a job within a week. The hours are very flexible, and they often match you with people you'd be interested in working with. There are so many families out there that would very much appreciate having time off from taking care of their loved ones to do errands or even sleep. It's the most rewarding job I've ever had, and I highly recommend it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator ventana Posted January 9, 2013 Moderator Share Posted January 9, 2013 MODS how about bouncing this to pre-pa doesn't belong in professional Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hotice Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Just apply to PA school. If you are willing to move for PA school, there are many programs that don't require much HCE if any. Search through the schools and see what you can find. Each school is different in what they are looking for as a student. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.