what is the best major?

[glitters1]

What is the best major to get a bachelor in to apply for the PA program? I know a lot of people say bio, but I wanted to do something easier and a major I can finish earlier than 4 years if I take summer and winter classes as well! what do you guys recommend? I know a girl who majored in dance and got in PA school. So just wondering what you guys think or majors :)

[EMEDPA]

doesn't matter as long as you get all the prereqs done.I did anthropology. lots of room in there for electives.

[lang]

I noticed you said that you don't want to do bio because you want something easier and able to be completed in 4 years. I would just like to point out that PA school is NOT easy. It will be a real challenge (harder than getting a bio degree), especially without a lot of prior exposure the medicine and proper academic study habits. To be really prepared to handle PA school you should push yourself, not take the easy way. It will only make your life easier later on. Also, if you want to finish in 4 years, then load up your schedule and learn how to do well with that many units of science. And, some of the prereqs might count towards your degree if you are bio but potetially not whan having another major, making them "extra work." In the end, I know you can take another route and still be accepted. This is just another way of looking at the challenge of getting a bio degree.

[Just Steve]

do you want quick/easy to rush into PA school where you get to flounder around, feeling crushed by the weight of studying a difficult topic with little to no base to build your knowledge upon? Or would you prefer taking a little more time now, to build a better foundation, so when PA school rolls around you have actually heard of the topics being discussed before and can visualize some of the information being provided to you?

 

Personally, I vote you do whatever major you want, do the pre reqs, AND work in the medical field, hopefully actually with patients, as a way to prepare for PA school.

[marktheshark89]

I think you should major in whatever you are interested in, and take the pre-reqs for PA school. If you are interested in bio, then choose bio. If you are interested in psych, then do psych. If you don't know, take classes in different subjects in your first year and see what you like. Don't shy away from something because you are worried it will be hard. PA school will be harder than nearly anything you pursue in undergraduate education, and taking the easy way out now will only make the transition to PA school, should you be accepted, much more difficult.

[Will352ns]

You nailed it! That is the secret. Stay away from those pesky "science" degrees. Too much trouble. I mean really, what good will it do for your science based masters? We wouldn't want to put in much effort; it's not like you are going to be diagnosing patients or anything.

 

Okay, sarcasm hat off.

 

I have a lowly Business degree....I know, that and $2.50 might get me a cup of coffee. I was young and dumb, what can I say; it was a long time ago. I know for a fact that I will struggle through certain parts of PA school; no doubt in my mind.

 

The pre-recs are the minimum amount of science required to enter. You will not be a unique flower with only the minimum science and little to no HCE. Not being sarcastic....but, you realize PA school admission is very competitive....right?

 

Another thing that should be mentioned is that your post pretty much indicates that you want to do the easiest course of action....not the best. This indicates to me that you really have no idea of what you are getting into. Also, it has a tendency to irk folks here who had to bust their butts to gain acceptance.

 

Do a lot of research, unless you are a troll...then...troll away.

[EMEDPA]

the nice thing about going for a degree with lots of electives(say anthro) leaves room for a lot of science.

I ended up with 13 bio courses. my bio major wife had 11 because she had to do a lot of math, biochem, physics, chemistry, etc that I didn't.

[lang]

the nice thing about going for a degree with lots of electives(say anthro) leaves room for a lot of science.

I ended up with 13 bio courses. my bio major wife had 11 because she had to do a lot of math, biochem, physics, chemistry, etc that I didn't.

 

Good point. But, chem is almost always a prerequisite. And Biochem is an AMAZING class IMO. It finally ties together the concepts you learned in gen and ochem, plus it gives you incredible insite as to why and how the physiology you learn is working. This is just me tho, I happened to adore my year of biochem :)

As for calc and physics, I know they seem pretty useless but I can say one thing for them. They are very good analytical and critical thinking builders. If those aren't skills you're naturally blessed with, then that could end up being useful to you clinically where critical thinking is an absolute requirement.

Disclaimer: I chose to major in what I was interested also. That just happened to be molecular bio and chemistry. So just like everyone has stated, do what you think you will enjoy but keep in mind that you will need to be prepared for a difficult program. Best of luck! :)

[EMEDPA]

never took calc.

I stopped at stats (although I will be taking another biostats course as part of my doctorate).

I loved physics. I never took ochem or biochem. at the time that I went to school no programs required them. if they had I would have just gone to medschool instead(or stayed an overeducated medic).

when I applied there were 52 programs and only 2 offered an MS (and neither of those required any adv. chem).

[Guest]

You don't want easier. You want the hardest biology-based major your school offers. This way PA school won't seem impossible. Trust me on this. I've lost count how many times I thanked myself for taking very difficult science classes in undergrad, because they are helping me now! I know it is tempting to major in something easy and take pre-reqs but trust me, DON'T DO IT! You will kick yourself in the end. Staying in PA school is A LOT HARDER than getting into PA school

[UGoLong]

When my daughter was considering med school (she ended up becoming a vet instead), we went to the undergrad med advisor at our local, very large state university. He told her to take anything she wanted. I asked, "What was the undergraduate major for the best med school student your university ever had." "Photography," he replied.

 

When you are 18 and trying to pick a career, I would advise you to go broad in your training. You may change your mind about your career (I, for example, got 3 degrees in engineering long before I ever got into medicine) so why let yourself be boxed in at 18? A degree that would independently qualify you for a job other than being a PA sounds wise these days.

 

My advice: take what you want, but be sure to take the requirements for PA school. Not all schools have the same requirements (unlike med school), so look around to be sure you have everything you'll need.

 

So, pick a degree you are interested in-- and can get a job in that you would be willing to do -- take the full suite of PA school requirements, and do well with both. It's hard to see how you can screw up with that plan.

 

Good luck!

 

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Good luck!

[Friction]

You could look into something like public health. My degree program required many of the same per-reqs that PA schools require (A&P, Gen Bio) and has some upper division courses that would certainly help for PA school (Epidemiology, Human Diseases). It also offers a good amount of electives, which you could fill with BIO or CHM classes.

[jdobbs]

BSN: it gives you medical experience and a job should admission never be granted

[Friction]

BSN: it gives you medical experience and a job should admission never be granted

 

I would definitely look at going this route, its why I ended up not doing the Public Health option all the way through. At least as a RN you have good job prospects, it directly applies to PA school in terms of top tier HCE, and it gives you a back up plan that can support you. While BSN programs are though to get into, its nowhere near what PA school would be.

[cinntsp]

BSN: it gives you medical experience and a job should admission never be granted

 

This is true for many health professions: paramedic, med tech, RT, etc. I agree that this is the way to go in today's job climate and insane tuition costs. Don't borrow 50k+ for a degree that doesn't set you up to make a decent wage.