AnthonyNV Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 I am currently in my junior year of undergrad and recently made the decision to pursue PA school. I am wondering if an English major is something that schools will seriously consider. Of course I will be taking the pre reqs for the program like organic, inorganic, and biochemistry. Also I am wondering about grad school loans. I am the sole provider for my family and I have worked full time and attended school full time for years now. Would it be possible to get an additional 30 to 40K on top of tuition? Lastly, when is the correct time to start shadowing PAs? Is it something I should be doing now or should I wait until its closer time for me to apply to schools? I have been a dialysis technician for seven years now so I believe that should cover my healthcare experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsta Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 It doesn't seem to matter what your undergrad degree is in. Schools accept students from all kinds of backgrounds. A non-science major may even make you stand out from other candidates. Health care experience is huge and GPA is very important too. The fact that you have worked full time while attending school will be to your benefit as well. There is no "correct" time to shadow PAs, but I would shadow as much as you can. Shadowing not only increases your competitiveness, but gives you the opportunity to see what it's like to be a PA and to learn about the profession. I had about 40 hours of shadowing when I applied, which probably isn't a lot compared to some people, but it was enough for me to get interviewed at most of the schools I applied to. I don't know a whole lot about loans as I am currently beginning the process of taking out loans myself, but living expenses are factored in to your financial aid. Many PA students use loans to cover all of their expenses as it is usually not feasible to work a job while in school. You may have to take out government loans as well as private loans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sartort Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 I didn't shadow a single PA because I had worked with several. If you haven't worked with them then shadowing could get you the needed recommendation letter and some information on the profession, but if you already have experience with them then I think it's usually unnecessary. You could ask the schools you are considering if they want to see shadowing hours though. I think many programs like to see volunteer work more than shadowing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelleK Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 For the loan question...schools do factor it into your financial aid package, however, you can't request a certain amount. For example, the school I attend is $36,000/year tuition and they allowed us to take out a total of $59,500 (or so) so we had to make do with $23,500 for living expenses. I found a roommate to help cover costs of housing/utilities and my car/cc were paid off a few months before classes started. Health insurance is my biggest cost right now because of a pre-existing condition and my school doesn't offer health ins for their students even though it is required. You learn to live rather frugally. My program only allows a maximum work schedule outside of school of 20 hours but discourages it d/t the intensity of the program. If your grades drop, they can ask you to stop working. Also, the job cannot interfere with clinicals or other required events/classes. The spouses of the married folks in my class do have a job to help with family expenses. It IS doable, just with some sacrifices. But if you make the sacrifices now, you will be rewarded later. Best wishes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnthonyNV Posted January 28, 2013 Author Share Posted January 28, 2013 Thanks for the quick responses and insight. I did realize after posting that there is a pre-pa forum so thank you all for still answering my questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scparker Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 I got in with an English degree - it was unique and made me stand out. Just be sure you can defend why it will help you, not hurt you when it comes to your graduate education. For me, it was that communication skills are essential. I told them they could teach me the medicine, I needed to know about human connections! When I talked to an admissions counselor about whether it was good or bad, he said it was 50/50; some people in admissions won't like it as well as a Biology/Biochem/Chemistry degree, some people will think it's better than a science degree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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