OatmealPA Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Hello everyone! First time poster on the forum, though I've been viewing for a bit now. I'm interested in pursuing the PA profession, but I'm not really sure where to start. I'm currently a sophomore in undergrad and don't have any health related experience, so I'm basically starting from scratch. I've been doing well in school (cGPA = 3.67, science GPA = 3.75) and I hope to keep continuing on this success. I'm currently working on obtaining healthcare experience. I will be volunteering at the local hospital starting this semester and also getting my CPR certification this semester. Additionally, this summer I'm looking at getting my EMT certification or CNA certification, so that I can work to build up more experience. I've also looked at graduate programs to see their requirements and to plan my future courses. I guess what I'm looking for is some advice from fellow people on this forum. Am I on the right track? Is there anything else I should be looking for? Do you all have any tips for me? Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfleming Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 When applying, the programs I spoke with recommended I focus on 5 areas of my application: 1) Academics (it sounds like you're already doing well in that area) 2) Shadowing PAs (spend substantial time with at least one so you can obtain a letter of recommendation!) 3) Volunteer work 4) Direct patient care hours 5) Leadership I would say to stick with what you're doing...sounds like you're headed in the right direction. Maybe try to obtain some leadership roles in some of the groups/organizations in which you participate in college or otherwise. I would definitely get your EMT or CNA cetification as soon and possible and start accumulating hours; I personally used my EMT license to work as a technician in the ED and learned a lot (which helped with my application/interviews!). The more experience you have, the better! Also if you find some programs you're really interested in, I would contact them to find out if there is anything specific beyond what they post on their website that you can work on while finishing up your undergraduate degree. I focused on these 5 areas of my application and was accepted this application cycle. I hope the same happens to you! Best of luck in your journey to becoming a PA :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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