Questions from a re-applicant... Need advice on what to do between now and then..

[mobadia]

Hey all!

I am looking for some advice on what I should do between application processes...I graduated in 2010 with a BS in Biology. Following graduation, I went on a 2 week medical mission trip to Ecuador.. came back and went straight to work as a scribe in February 2011. Since then, I have continued to work as a scribe in the ED and have accrued 3,263 hours. I have shadowed two PAs (176 hours) and had done numerous volunteering throughout undergrad and even became one of the founding officers of the Pre-PA society at my university. The downside: My overall and science GPA are below average, as well as my GRE score.

 

I applied to about 15 PA programs last year (I was just so ready to get in and start school!) and was very pleased when I was offered interviews at three schools: Stony Brook University, UT-Pan American, and Duke University. Following my interviews, I was discouraged when I was not offered admission from 2 of the 3. I am still currently waiting to hear back from the third.

 

I am trying to be proactive and set up a plan of what to do in the time that I am waiting to re-apply, and I have a bit of a dilemma. I know that the application for the next cycle opens up this April (in 2 months). However, between the time of my last application and now, I have only obtained additional work hours as a scribe (2,349 hours to 3,263 hours). So I have considered holding off on this cycle so that I am able to much improve my application in other areas and then re-apply in the spring of 2014.

 

I am trying to decide if it would be most beneficial for me to either:

 

1.) Retake the GRE. Retake any classes that I received C's in. Take additional upper level biology and chemistry courses. Work a part-time job as a MCAT or GRE course instructor.

 

OR

 

2.) Retake the GRE. Add on to my HCE hours and become an EMT.

 

I would greatly appreciate any insight on these options, or any additional advice or other options that you may have. Congratulations to all that have been accepted this cycle, and good luck to those who are applying in these upcoming months!!

[marktheshark89]

I think your best option would be to continue obtaining HCE hours (whether as a scribe or EMT) and also retake classes/take upper level classes to improve your GPA. Given that you were offered interviews at programs like Stony Brook and Duke which require substantial contact hours, its likely that its your GPA and not your HCE that is holding you back. This may be difficult if you have a rotating schedule in the ED, but I think this is your best option. You may consider online courses if it is too difficult to find courses that can fit into your work schedule. For most schools, GRE is not a huge part of the admissions process, and as long as you didn't do absolutely terrible on it, I would put it lowest on my priority list as far as retaking it. Also, I'm not sure how it would even be possible for you to work a part time job as a GRE course instructor if you did less than average on it.

[cinntsp]

GPA?

 

This belongs in the pre-PA forum in the future.

[mackjacks]

Call some of the schools you didn't get interviews at/get in to and see what they say you can do to improve. If you did poorly on the GRE, that can be pretty easy to fix, but if you did okay it might not be worth it. If grades are the big problem, look into taking summer/online classes. If you enroll in summer classes that end in Aug, you can list them as "in progress" on CASPA and e-mail schools your final grades/updated transcripts by the time they start really deciding who to interview. I have heard that online classes from University of New England are well-respected, and I think you can do them at your own pace so you could start ASAP and have a few done to put on CASPA. They're expensive though.

[NatalyaM]

My advice is: don't skip a beat. PAs need to be able to work hard and fast, and "getting everything right" is not always an option in life. It would be nice to plan ahead and get it all together, but I think it may be more respected by the schools you apply to in the next cycle if you do your very very best in the next few months, and reapply right away. Consider a 2 week Red Cross CNA training, followed by very quick certification in your state, and you can get a job at a nursing home, or if you're really lucky, in a hospital. Retake a few classes, definitely, in the summer, and in the fall, like somebody said, and list them as "in progress." Go hard now, and you won't have to delay your goals a year.

[rev ronin]

Always continue to improve your GPA, coursework, and HCE while you're seeking admission. Interviewing and personal statement writing are topics to be improved in the off-season, but the main thing is to keep plugging away at the numbers--GPA averages, so always get A's. HCE accumulates, so get as much as you can while keeping A's in all your classes.