PNKGIRL25 Posted March 26, 2013 Author Share Posted March 26, 2013 I am wrapping up my LVN program and have started to look at PA programs. I found a school in Riverside Ca ( Riverside County Regional Medical Center/Riverside Community College District) that is a community college that offers a PA program with no BA attached. The school look legit but I'm wondering how this is possible? I am 4 classes away from completing my BA (In communications) but have all my sciences done. If I can skip the 4 classes and go right into the PA program that would be AWESOME (I would of course later down the road go back and take the 4 classes). My question is, are people out there really hiring PA's with no BA degrees? Anyone know anything about this school or ever attended? Just seems to good to be true. Based on their website I meet all the pre-reqs (sciences, and 2000 hours in the medical field) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PNKGIRL25 Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 I am wrapping up my LVN program and have started to look at PA programs. I found a school in Riverside Ca ( Riverside County Regional Medical Center/Riverside Community College District) that is a community college that offers a PA program with no BA attached. The school look legit but I'm wondering how this is possible? I am 4 classes away from completing my BA (In communications) but have all my sciences done. If I can skip the 4 classes and go right into the PA program that would be AWESOME (I would of course later down the road go back and take the 4 classes). My question is, are people out there really hiring PA's with no BA degrees? Anyone know anything about this school or ever attended? Just seems to good to be true. Based on their website I meet all the pre-reqs (sciences, and 2000 hours in the medical field) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted March 26, 2013 Moderator Share Posted March 26, 2013 RCC is a great program. tough to get into if you are not a riverside resident and have not previously attended rcc. PA eduation is competency based. the difference between an A.S. and an M.S. is a few courses like research methodology which do not affect pt care in the least. I have a masters and 1/2 of a doctorate and work with guys with no degree at all who are just as good or better than I am. there are still something like 6 certificate or a.s. programs out there. they tend to only take folks with lots of high level prior experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted March 26, 2013 Moderator Share Posted March 26, 2013 RCC is a great program. tough to get into if you are not a riverside resident and have not previously attended rcc. PA eduation is competency based. the difference between an A.S. and an M.S. is a few courses like research methodology which do not affect pt care in the least. I have a masters and 1/2 of a doctorate and work with guys with no degree at all who are just as good or better than I am. there are still something like 6 certificate or a.s. programs out there. they tend to only take folks with lots of high level prior experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PNKGIRL25 Posted March 26, 2013 Author Share Posted March 26, 2013 So not having a BA degree won't make me unhirable in the work force? Yeah I had a feeling that getting in would be tough if you are not a RCC resident or have attended? I have an aunt that live in the riverside area and I was going to see what I can do about using her address or "temporarily" moving in with her prior to applying for the program. I also considered taking a few online classes there a semester before. I'm hoping that between that and the fact that I am a CNA and LVN will give my application some weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PNKGIRL25 Posted March 26, 2013 Author Share Posted March 26, 2013 So not having a BA degree won't make me unhirable in the work force? Yeah I had a feeling that getting in would be tough if you are not a RCC resident or have attended? I have an aunt that live in the riverside area and I was going to see what I can do about using her address or "temporarily" moving in with her prior to applying for the program. I also considered taking a few online classes there a semester before. I'm hoping that between that and the fact that I am a CNA and LVN will give my application some weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PNKGIRL25 Posted March 26, 2013 Author Share Posted March 26, 2013 Also, you mention that there are 6 other AS and Cert programs out there...are these in CA? Mind sharing what schools have them. I have only able to find this one. The other PA programs I found were private schools like USC and Loma Linda...EXPENSIVE!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PNKGIRL25 Posted March 26, 2013 Author Share Posted March 26, 2013 Also, you mention that there are 6 other AS and Cert programs out there...are these in CA? Mind sharing what schools have them. I have only able to find this one. The other PA programs I found were private schools like USC and Loma Linda...EXPENSIVE!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinntsp Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 So not having a BA degree won't make me unhirable in the work force? That is something to seriously consider for the future. With all programs making the switch to the MS level within the decade and the old guard retiring over the next 10-20 years will there be a lot of room for those without a master's? I won't pretend to have the answer but that's food for thought. Also consider that most cert/AS programs are geared toward those with lots of HCE. Seeing as you are just now wrapping up your LVN this may be an issue for you. You might be better served by working as an LVN to earn HCE while finishing a bachelor's and then applying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinntsp Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 So not having a BA degree won't make me unhirable in the work force? That is something to seriously consider for the future. With all programs making the switch to the MS level within the decade and the old guard retiring over the next 10-20 years will there be a lot of room for those without a master's? I won't pretend to have the answer but that's food for thought. Also consider that most cert/AS programs are geared toward those with lots of HCE. Seeing as you are just now wrapping up your LVN this may be an issue for you. You might be better served by working as an LVN to earn HCE while finishing a bachelor's and then applying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PNKGIRL25 Posted March 26, 2013 Author Share Posted March 26, 2013 Okay that makes sense! Thank you! RCC is pretty much the only school I want/can afford to go to. So if I have to apply every 2-3 times I'm okay with that. Like you said, in the mean time I can still work as an LVN as well as finish my BA all of which will make me a stronger applicant. I just can't bring myself to pay something like $45k a year x 2 years to go to USC when I can get the same education some place else. They even have a BA-MA bridge for those that have their BA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PNKGIRL25 Posted March 26, 2013 Author Share Posted March 26, 2013 Okay that makes sense! Thank you! RCC is pretty much the only school I want/can afford to go to. So if I have to apply every 2-3 times I'm okay with that. Like you said, in the mean time I can still work as an LVN as well as finish my BA all of which will make me a stronger applicant. I just can't bring myself to pay something like $45k a year x 2 years to go to USC when I can get the same education some place else. They even have a BA-MA bridge for those that have their BA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted March 26, 2013 Moderator Share Posted March 26, 2013 anne arundel community college(maryland) sjvc (ca) medex wa still has a cert option. miami dade has an a.s. program... I forget the rest a few states require a bs to practice. 2 require an m.s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted March 26, 2013 Moderator Share Posted March 26, 2013 anne arundel community college(maryland) sjvc (ca) medex wa still has a cert option. miami dade has an a.s. program... I forget the rest a few states require a bs to practice. 2 require an m.s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sartort Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 You can afford to go if you take out loans. Most people take out huge loans. I also agree with wutthechris that you might have trouble in the future, but you will be with a group of people with the same trouble at least. If you can get a BS initially then it will be easier to do the requirements for an MS in the future if needed, but having to get a BS and then a masters is going to be more difficult. Since California has a few non-BS/MS programs it might be fine to stay there for a long time. Stanford's program is certificate also but there's an online MS option for those with a bachelor degree already. It's significantly cheaper than my program for both CA residents and non-residents too. Matriculants have a lot of HCE as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sartort Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 You can afford to go if you take out loans. Most people take out huge loans. I also agree with wutthechris that you might have trouble in the future, but you will be with a group of people with the same trouble at least. If you can get a BS initially then it will be easier to do the requirements for an MS in the future if needed, but having to get a BS and then a masters is going to be more difficult. Since California has a few non-BS/MS programs it might be fine to stay there for a long time. Stanford's program is certificate also but there's an online MS option for those with a bachelor degree already. It's significantly cheaper than my program for both CA residents and non-residents too. Matriculants have a lot of HCE as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PNKGIRL25 Posted March 26, 2013 Author Share Posted March 26, 2013 I already have 28k in student loans. This was used for part of my BA degree and my LVN program. The thought of taking out another 80k for a PA program scares the crap out of me. That's A LOT of cash to pay back. Plus I'm older...32 so part of me feels like I need to do this NOW. I also have a daughter who is 4 and would like to be done with all this before she turns 7. Are new grad PA's finding it hard to find jobs? This was one of the main reasons I decided to go PA route instead of just doing my RN/BSN. It is taking nurses FOREVER and a day to land their first job due to the lack of exp. I know one RN who was so hard up for a job she took a job in a LTC facility paying her....wait for it.... $14hr (Did I mention she has about $40k in student loans..). It was the only offer she has gotten and she graduated 9 months ago top 3% of her class. That's INSANE. If its anything like this for PA's then I feel even more compelled to "rush" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PNKGIRL25 Posted March 26, 2013 Author Share Posted March 26, 2013 I already have 28k in student loans. This was used for part of my BA degree and my LVN program. The thought of taking out another 80k for a PA program scares the crap out of me. That's A LOT of cash to pay back. Plus I'm older...32 so part of me feels like I need to do this NOW. I also have a daughter who is 4 and would like to be done with all this before she turns 7. Are new grad PA's finding it hard to find jobs? This was one of the main reasons I decided to go PA route instead of just doing my RN/BSN. It is taking nurses FOREVER and a day to land their first job due to the lack of exp. I know one RN who was so hard up for a job she took a job in a LTC facility paying her....wait for it.... $14hr (Did I mention she has about $40k in student loans..). It was the only offer she has gotten and she graduated 9 months ago top 3% of her class. That's INSANE. If its anything like this for PA's then I feel even more compelled to "rush" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sartort Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 This isn't a profession that you can rush into. The programs that require less experience tend to be newer MS programs. The programs that are going to let you get an AS/Cert are going to have a lot of experience either required or at least typical of accepted students. Stanford's program has an average of 5+ years listed on their website. The impression I got from MEDEX after talking with other accepted students for Seattle and the program director is that they typically go for a lot of HCE that is of high quality. They also require a high number of hours compared to others and they recently increased their prerequisites for their bachelors programs. I don't want to discourage you if you want to be a PA but you probably can't rush into this. I don't know how many credits you have toward a bachelors degree but I got mine in 2 and 3/4 years, so I know you can speed things up if that's your goal. If you already have a BA (I'm not clear on that from your previous post since you said part of your BA) an MS program won't take much longer than an AS/BS. PA school is about the same length of time across the board except for USC and a few others that add an extra year for a reason I'm not clear on. I completely understand not wanting to graduate with 100k+ in debt but it's not stopping those of us who are doing it that way. There are also things you can do to prevent that debt (NHSC scholarship/loan repayment, state loans that are forgiven with service to a HPSA, military service). If you have your BA and the prerequisites done you could always apply to a combination of AS/Cert, BS and MS programs and see if you end up getting into something. If you become a PA in the near future and are flexible on specialty/location you will get a job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sartort Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 This isn't a profession that you can rush into. The programs that require less experience tend to be newer MS programs. The programs that are going to let you get an AS/Cert are going to have a lot of experience either required or at least typical of accepted students. Stanford's program has an average of 5+ years listed on their website. The impression I got from MEDEX after talking with other accepted students for Seattle and the program director is that they typically go for a lot of HCE that is of high quality. They also require a high number of hours compared to others and they recently increased their prerequisites for their bachelors programs. I don't want to discourage you if you want to be a PA but you probably can't rush into this. I don't know how many credits you have toward a bachelors degree but I got mine in 2 and 3/4 years, so I know you can speed things up if that's your goal. If you already have a BA (I'm not clear on that from your previous post since you said part of your BA) an MS program won't take much longer than an AS/BS. PA school is about the same length of time across the board except for USC and a few others that add an extra year for a reason I'm not clear on. I completely understand not wanting to graduate with 100k+ in debt but it's not stopping those of us who are doing it that way. There are also things you can do to prevent that debt (NHSC scholarship/loan repayment, state loans that are forgiven with service to a HPSA, military service). If you have your BA and the prerequisites done you could always apply to a combination of AS/Cert, BS and MS programs and see if you end up getting into something. If you become a PA in the near future and are flexible on specialty/location you will get a job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LESH Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 anne arundel community college(maryland)sjvc (ca) medex wa still has a cert option. miami dade has an a.s. program... I forget the rest a few states require a bs to practice. 2 require an m.s. Red Rocks Commmunity College in Colorado. Malcolm X Community College in Chicago. Miami-Dade has transitioned to BS. Tri-C has merged with Cleveland State I believe. Most of the BS programs are in New York. I'm not aware of any current or future proposals to link degree with licensure in California. The job markets in areas where there are multiple MD/DO/PA/NP schools/programs located were becoming a bit tight. That may all change by 2014 with ACA. All the AS/Cert programs have educational affliations with St. Francis to award a MMS degree. Hope this helps. Good luck in your future PA endeavors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LESH Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 anne arundel community college(maryland)sjvc (ca) medex wa still has a cert option. miami dade has an a.s. program... I forget the rest a few states require a bs to practice. 2 require an m.s. Red Rocks Commmunity College in Colorado. Malcolm X Community College in Chicago. Miami-Dade has transitioned to BS. Tri-C has merged with Cleveland State I believe. Most of the BS programs are in New York. I'm not aware of any current or future proposals to link degree with licensure in California. The job markets in areas where there are multiple MD/DO/PA/NP schools/programs located were becoming a bit tight. That may all change by 2014 with ACA. All the AS/Cert programs have educational affliations with St. Francis to award a MMS degree. Hope this helps. Good luck in your future PA endeavors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LESH Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 I completely understand not wanting to graduate with 100k+ in debt but it's not stopping those of us who are doing it that way. There are also things you can do to prevent that debt (NHSC scholarship/loan repayment, state loans that are forgiven with service to a HPSA, military service). If you have your BA and the prerequisites done you could always apply to a combination of AS/Cert, BS and MS programs and see if you end up getting into something. If you become a PA in the near future and are flexible on specialty/location you will get a job. Sartort, your entire post was excellent, but this is really good advice to the OP IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LESH Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 I completely understand not wanting to graduate with 100k+ in debt but it's not stopping those of us who are doing it that way. There are also things you can do to prevent that debt (NHSC scholarship/loan repayment, state loans that are forgiven with service to a HPSA, military service). If you have your BA and the prerequisites done you could always apply to a combination of AS/Cert, BS and MS programs and see if you end up getting into something. If you become a PA in the near future and are flexible on specialty/location you will get a job. Sartort, your entire post was excellent, but this is really good advice to the OP IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinntsp Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 I already have 28k in student loans. This was used for part of my BA degree and my LVN program. The thought of taking out another 80k for a PA program scares the crap out of me. That's A LOT of cash to pay back. Plus I'm older...32 so part of me feels like I need to do this NOW. I also have a daughter who is 4 and would like to be done with all this before she turns 7. Are new grad PA's finding it hard to find jobs? This was one of the main reasons I decided to go PA route instead of just doing my RN/BSN. It is taking nurses FOREVER and a day to land their first job due to the lack of exp. I know one RN who was so hard up for a job she took a job in a LTC facility paying her....wait for it.... $14hr (Did I mention she has about $40k in student loans..). It was the only offer she has gotten and she graduated 9 months ago top 3% of her class. That's INSANE. If its anything like this for PA's then I feel even more compelled to "rush" You could stick with your 28K in loans and make $14/hr or get 100K in loans and make $50/hr+ and loan repayment options. Think about the big picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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