Alliecat419 Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 Hi All, I have a somewhat mediocre GPA and am hoping to go to PA school eventually. I have a decent 3.4 cGPA but my sGPA is around 3.0, in large part due to a horrible grade in organic chemistry several years ago. I obviously intend to raise my GPA but am not sure of the best way to do so. My first instinct is that taking upper level courses would be the best answer, but the two concerns I have with this are the length of time since my other pre-req's were taken (2-5 years), and the fact that they tend to only be offered on a daytime, weekday schedule. I'm not sure I could succeed in upper level courses, not to mention PA school, with such a gap in between, and I also cannot give up my current job. I've been looking into UNE's online courses and they are very pricey but would allow me to keep my full-time job. I could re-take any basic sciences, re-take Organic Chem, and I also still need biochem. However, it seems impractical to re-take other pre-req's when I have no other grades lower than one B-. My HCE is around 1,500 as a CNA in a nursing home. I'm currently interviewing for some very part-time homecare positions, and when my work schedule slows down in the fall I hope to find a part-time CNA position in a hospital. The other option I was considering (which I've posted about before) is doing an RT program and working for a few years. This would allow me to work on my GPA and would definitely prepare me more for PA school experience-wise. It seems like a roundabout route to take for someone who already has a Bachelor's degree though, and I'm worried about the current job market for RT's. I'm also not sure how much it would actually improve my GPA since I've already taken Gen Chem, A&P, etc. Sorry if this is a bit rambling, but there are so many pro's and con's to each path that it's a bit intimidating. Thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAruby Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 My $0.02 is that you should look around locally (community colleges, etc) that offer the sciences you want to take. Most universities offer SOME night class in almost all of the courses, though it may just be one section. Having personally taken the UNE courses, it was SO much harder and 100% more time consuming than if I had just gone to take the class in a classroom (i took basic biology, micro, and O.chem... the first two were manageable and the micro lab was cool and very realistic, but Ochem was nearly impossible and stressed me out to no end... most people that were taking it at the same time as me were struggling immensely and passed with a C or a low B, especially if they worked or had other life commitments. I opted not to take the biochem there because the people I talked to said it was insanely time consuming and they were unanimously struggling...That said, I was like you and had no choice for scheduling and work purposes than to take it online, so I do understand. As far as RT, I'm clueless on that... but best of luck and hopefully someone else can give you good feedback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alliecat419 Posted February 28, 2013 Author Share Posted February 28, 2013 I've actually heard similar thoughts on the UNE courses before...yikes.. definitely a concern considering I would be working full-time and hopefully picking up HCE hours. I'd much rather take them in person but unfortunately the only evening classes I've found are ones I've already gotten a B or above in so in some ways it seems pointless. Thanks for your feedback, very helpful to hear from someone who has actually taken those exact courses at UNE! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorRRT Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 RT employment is geographically and seasonally dependent. What area of the country are you located? Enrolling and excelling in a RT program can be a huge GPA booster. All RT program classes count towards science GPA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alliecat419 Posted February 28, 2013 Author Share Posted February 28, 2013 GatorRRT, I'm in New England Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cnguyenle Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 As someone mentioned above, check community colleges since their cheaper if you're going to retake. But if you go upper level, what kind of upper levels classes would you take? Basically the biggest question for yourself is, will you do better on the retakes, or will taking upper level classes boost you or drop you since its "upper level" classes.... p.s. what do you guys consider as upper level classes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marktheshark89 Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 Upper level = 300 or 400 level courses at most schools (those meant to be taken by juniors and seniors). I would retake prerequisites that you did poorly in. If organic chem is not a prerequisite for the schools you are interested in I would focus more on other classes that you did poorly in, or taking upper level classes. If you are worried that you have lost your science knowledge in 2-5 years and are afraid you would do poorly in upper level courses, then I would read through my old course materials/books in my own time and refresh before taking upper level courses. Also, not to be blunt, but if you can't succeed in a few upper level courses while working a full-time job, it may be difficult for you to succeed in PA school. Many schools have class for about 40 hours a week, plus study time on top of that. You may be taking 20+ graduate level science credits per semester while in school. Challenge yourself and take some tough classes while working (of course still keep it manageable). When you succeed it will go a long way in showing programs that you have what it takes to be a successful PA student. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alliecat419 Posted February 28, 2013 Author Share Posted February 28, 2013 That's my problem. As i mentioned, other than organic chem I, I don't have any other grades below a B. While It would help as a refresher, it doesn't seem like it would make much sense financially or when it comes to CASPA calculations to retake any of those. I didn't save any old textbooks but I'm sure I could find some on Craigslist. I realize what a commitment PA school is, I'm not worried about balancing upper level classes with work (at least after brushing up on basic sciences) but more that any 300-400 level classes are not offered anywhere in the evenings where I am. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marktheshark89 Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 In that case I would continue to search for online upper level courses that you can take that would meet your needs. There is a thread on the PA forum with a running list of online courses. That might be a good resource for you once you have brushed up on the basic sciences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alliecat419 Posted February 28, 2013 Author Share Posted February 28, 2013 Thanks for the input, I'll check out that thread. I agree that it is sounding like the most logical way. I've been balking at online classes due to the cost ($1,400 at UNE I believe) so I was really hoping there was another path I hadn't thought of haha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moiraine57 Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 If you just want to raise your sGPA, you could always take intro classes in different subjects...I.e. intro to physics, intro to geology, etc. Not as impressive or useful as taking upper level bio courses, but as I said, if your main concern is to raise your sGPA, that's the easiest way to do it, IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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