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PA-MD Bridge programs and oral/maxillofacial surgeons


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No way. Step 1 tests all kinds of garbage PAs are never taught because they have no direct influence on patient care. Just pick up a First Aid for USMLE Step 1 and see how far you get before you realize you are in over your head...and that is JUST THE BARE MINIMUM REQUIRED TO PASS. Embryology, histology, deep pathophysiology...not enough to know the bugs, must know the virulence factors of each obscure organism, what genetic quirks enable it to escape the host's immune response or our pharmacotherapy (be specific!), and probably some molecular biology thrown in there for good measure. Differentiate all organisms based on unique biochemical tests (does that grow on charcoal yeast or blood agar? At 4 deg C or 30? What are the intermediate hosts and vectors of infection? Why does it infect this ethnic group but not that, or that age group vs. another?)

PAs are perfectly CAPABLE of learning all this step 1 BS. PAs are smart. It just is never taught and would be very difficult to teach yourself without a prior PhD in a life science.

Step 2, no problem. In fact I scored 94th percentile on my Family Med shelf exam last summer after having 2 med school rotations and only M1 completed...and a whole lot of hours of primary care and emergency medicine experience as a PA. This is where we PAs shine--in clinical medicine.

;)

 

That sounds like med tech school...often referred to as "third tier" HCE around here. :) It's nice to know all that stuff will pay off should I want to go to med school down the line.

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Hey trident, I will ask this politely. Stop insulting or demeaning primadonna. As far as I am concerned, you know nothing, and do not have an opinion on this subject in general that I want to hear. Insulting prima, to me, is personal. I take it thus.

 

You have a long way to go to become a pa. Your lack of decorum and understanding about just who you were directly insulting is overwhelming.

 

Please leave.

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Dont be mad, get glad, I was just asking a question :)

 

It's hard to take someone seriously that shows up on these forums wanting to know their chances of getting into PA school while they're currently failing out of a doctoral program. It seems like you're trying to be sneaky--sneaking into PA school and all that.

 

http://www.physicianassistantforum.com/forums/showthread.php/38096-Prospective-PA-what-are-my-chances?p=373896&highlight=#post373896

 

http://www.physicianassistantforum.com/forums/showthread.php/38079-Very-interesting-question-I-would-like-your-help?p=373792&highlight=#post373792

 

That is a very fair response, my current program loads us with 23 credits a semester. We have more work than MD students and as a result my grades suffered. Most PA programs I've looked at give you around 17 credits a semester, I don't see why I wouldn't be able to do better in that type of setting.

 

...lol

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Dont be mad, get glad, I was just asking a question :)

 

It's hard to take someone seriously that shows up on these forums wanting to know their chances of getting into PA school while they're currently failing out of a doctoral program. It seems like you're trying to be sneaky--sneaking into PA school and all that.

 

http://www.physicianassistantforum.com/forums/showthread.php/38096-Prospective-PA-what-are-my-chances?p=373896&highlight=#post373896

 

http://www.physicianassistantforum.com/forums/showthread.php/38079-Very-interesting-question-I-would-like-your-help?p=373792&highlight=#post373792

 

That is a very fair response, my current program loads us with 23 credits a semester. We have more work than MD students and as a result my grades suffered. Most PA programs I've looked at give you around 17 credits a semester, I don't see why I wouldn't be able to do better in that type of setting.

 

...lol

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  • 2 weeks later...

Primadonna is truly inspiring/a genius.. I've been stalking her posts since before I joined the forum and the more I learn the more impressed I am! 34 credits..!

 

Im just a Pre-PA now and I hate to bother you guys (just ignore this and I wont post on this thread again) Is there anything you wish you would've done differently in your first years of college to prepare for that kind of load?

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Hey trident, I will ask this politely. Stop insulting or demeaning primadonna. As far as I am concerned, you know nothing, and do not have an opinion on this subject in general that I want to hear. Insulting prima, to me, is personal. I take it thus.

 

You have a long way to go to become a pa. Your lack of decorum and understanding about just who you were directly insulting is overwhelming.

 

Please leave.

 

Trident - please be primadonna is HIGHLY respected here and has proven her mettle through the test time time and trial by fire. You would be wise to listen to the advice posted.

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Primadonna

 

to hijack this thread a little bit

 

so as you are one of a select few to go through med school (congrats!)

 

I would be very interested in learning what you think would be required to make the transition from PA to MD/DO. All the "useless stuff" I suspect is the knowledge that I would need to minimize that knawing feeling that I get when I realize that I need to go shove my head in a book because I true don't understand something, or ask a question to my doc. I belive PAs are great PCP's and providers, but would be very interested in learning what your thougts are about how much more "formal knowledge" not street knowledge is truly needed to transist to MD/DO.

 

my own opinion from a single sided experience is that we do need more formal education, but that can be shorter then the typcial 2 years, and our residency for IM (or FP or Peds) if you have > 5 years working experience in that field as a PA. Does this sounds even close to reasonable? I ask more out of curiosity - but if they cam out with a condensed schooling and residency who knows... (but getting to old for any more formal schooling for me)

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wow thats crazy I never knew that! that's not a bad trade off. a 22 MCAT score is like the 30th percentile or so that's pretty low. I guess they feel that PA school is worth more than the MCAT at that point. very interesting! I personally wouldnt do both, but its good to know you can get in with such a sneaky way, since that info isnt listed anywhere.

 

Fulfilling educational requirements of any institution, doing the work to not only get in, but to succeed is not "sneaky." It's integrity.

 

On the other hand, I've known people with less than stellar stats who've used mommy/daddy's coattails and contacts, who've used financial "incentives," who've truly found sneaky ways into their chosen professions.....including medical school.

 

Sounds like someone is either bitter or jealous......or both. At the point of entry into LECOM's bridge, applicants haven't just emerged from undergrad and all those wonderful science pre-reqs. They've been working in the field. If they can remember enough Gen Chem, Orgo, Gen. Bio, etc to score a 22 or higher, I'd definitely say experience (PA school) trumps an MCAT score. Seriously, there's no contest.

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