ala27 Posted March 12, 2013 Hello all, I am finally having a revelation that I would prefer to pursue PA over an MD. Much of that has to do with the fact that I would like to gain more clinical experience earlier and I appreciate the primary care aspect of PA as well. I have quite a few questions that would be great to get some opinions on. In terms of prereqs, I have yet to take A&P and Microbio. Additionally, I plan on taking medical terminology and additional bio classes to supplement my knowledge. I am currently in the 2nd quarter of organic chem series and am debating whether or not I should continue on with the next lab and last class of the series? I have definitely struggled with this class and I do not need more classes affecting my gpa. I currently hold an overall of a 3.0 and I am borderline for many of the GPA reqs for lots of PA schools. My science GPA currently falls around a 2.6. I am completely aware that PA schools look for a strong science background and I fear that I fall too weak for many schools. Should I consider doing a Postbac program after I finish my undergrad at UW? Additionally, I am in the middle of taking the general bio series. I did not pass the 2nd quarter of the series and have to retake it this summer and am aiming to earn a 3.0 in that class the second time around. Would you recommend that I finish the series and continue to take a few upper-level biology courses? I plan on taking the A&P, microbio, and any other cellular bio classes at a CC. It would be great to get some advice as to where I am headed. Thank you!
UGoLong Posted March 12, 2013 You may not need a full year of O chem in many PA programs. You may need biochem, so you should check on what the prereqs are for that class. A bigger issue is the trouble you apparently are having in biology. It is probably a bit more like what you will find in some of the major prereqs ahead, such as anatomy, physiology, and micro. While one's performance in a class is not necessarily an indication of what you like to study, it should at least raise some questions for you. Good luck.
Dynamo24 Posted March 13, 2013 You may not need a full year of O chem in many PA programs. You may need biochem, so you should check on what the prereqs are for that class. A bigger issue is the trouble you apparently are having in biology. It is probably a bit more like what you will find in some of the major prereqs ahead, such as anatomy, physiology, and micro. While one's performance in a class is not necessarily an indication of what you like to study, it should at least raise some questions for you. Good luck. When concerning Ochem, I recommend the full year. If you want a GLIMPSE (I stress glimpse) of some of the work load you will experience, take Ochem for a year. You will be surprised how much information you will be able to process and deal with after taking that class. It sucks, but I would say it was one of the better decisions I've made academically. I would make a concerted effort to bust out all A's from here on out. While your GPA is on the lower end now, its not beyond recovery. Try to get to a 3.5 with maybe -.1 in your science GPA. You would be surprised what an upward trend in GPA with a good story/personal statement (e.g. i pulled my head out of my a** and decided on the career I wanted and made a decision to accomplish this goal) will do for someone. Take it from someone that completed 3+ years of pre-med prereqs, pre-pa is NOT NOT NOT any easier. I can't stress that enough. People think pre-PA is an easier route. They are nearly identical. I had to take physics for my degree so that is moot. Otherwise, you are actually packing more classes in (e.g. micro, A&P). I switched to PA because I wanted a better lifestyle for myself, my family (I'm 29, married with an infant), and the ability to switch specialties w/o residency. I didn't switch because its the easier route. Not to mention that first year of PA school is = to nearly the first TWO years of med school. Make the decision to be the best student you can be and accomplish that goal. Put aside going out during the week, get some help via tutors, and work your butt off and you will get there. Not to be cliche, but if I can do it I'm pretty sure most anyone can.
jtreib Posted March 20, 2013 @loomba22 Make sure you do not wear yourself out on science classes. I once took 19 credits of straight science with a lot of upperdivision courses and ended the semester with my worst GPA, a withdrawal from a course, and a lot of explaining on my future applications. Give yourself a break and regroup. Take only 1 science course at a time so you can really concentrate on it and ace it. There are ways to do this with and without a post-bac program. I switched from MD to PA after completing a full year of medical school (with a comfortable GPA). The PA career path was more attractive for a variety of reasons, but to switch paths I had to take A&P and micro all over again (med school courses did not count believe it or not). Since I needed to work full time during the week, I took those courses on the weekend at SCU (http://www.scuhs.edu/) and they were not "easy" but they were simple, no additives, just what you need to know. I took Physiology online (with an online lab) at the University of New England (http://www.une.edu/com/online/). Note: UNE's Physio course was the hardest course I've ever taken (and I was a Genetics major, have a MPH, and took a year of med school). It was convenient so it's appealing, but it is very content heavy, detailed, and if you can pull an A in that course, it is worth it's weight in gold in the clinical field. Above all, take your time getting your courses done. Like you said, you want the clinical experience upfront. Go get it. Work in a medical office, take one course at a time, and keep inspired.
cinntsp Posted March 20, 2013 You need to make As from here on out and start working on accumulating thousands of HCE hours to balance out your GPA. You will need to keep taking classes to show an upward trend and hit the 3.0 s/cGPA mark or your app will be discarded at the vast majority of schools. Hopefully you aren't making the switch to PA because you think it'll be easier to get into with your current grades because that may not be the case(DO grade replacement could be a big help). You can go this route but just realize it's going to take time and effort. Good luck!
MT2PA Posted October 19, 2015 @loomba22 Make sure you do not wear yourself out on science classes. I once took 19 credits of straight science with a lot of upperdivision courses and ended the semester with my worst GPA, a withdrawal from a course, and a lot of explaining on my future applications. Give yourself a break and regroup. Take only 1 science course at a time so you can really concentrate on it and ace it. There are ways to do this with and without a post-bac program. I switched from MD to PA after completing a full year of medical school (with a comfortable GPA). The PA career path was more attractive for a variety of reasons, but to switch paths I had to take A&P and micro all over again (med school courses did not count believe it or not). If the OP is in undergrad still, he/she should be able to handle more than one science course per semester. In fact, if they can't I'd be concerned. Now, 19 credits? Nah, that's a bit much. But a typical full time undergrad science major (which I assume OP is due to being pre-med) should be able to handle 15 credits of science courses, including upper division, because that's what the curriculum requires. OP, we all know why we chose PA, but since you mention the switch and only ask here about grades, I hope that your grades aren't the reason you've decided PA is for you.
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