CatchyName Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 Hi all, I am currently an electrical engineer major(junior). When I was a freshman, my GPA was 4.0 at a university. I transferred my sophomore year and my gpa gradually dropped and now it is 2.92. I wanted to be in the medical field all my life, but I wasn't sure as what. PA was one of the career choices, but I didn't want to box myself into a corner with a bio degree just in case I wanted to do something else. So I decided to be a biomedical engineer, but I soon learned that its more advantageous to be an EE. Around my spring semester of my sophomore year, I was positive I didn't want to do EE, but if I switched majors, I would have had to stay an extra year and I felt as though I wasted my time with the engineering courses. Staying an extra year would also be too expensive. As time went on it became harder and harder to study because I didn't really know why I was going to school or what I was trying to achieve beyond a bachelors. Classes don't interest me and I have no motivation. I became really depressed and my grades plummeted and I even failed one class. At this point it is too late to switch majors, I'm committed to graduating with a EE degree. However, I have decided that that being a PA is something I would enjoy and like to do. Since I know what I'm working towards now, I'm trying to work towards a strong ending and get the best grades possible for my EE degree. I plan on becoming either a CNA or an EMT for experience. I have not taken a few of the prereqs, but I know I can get straight A's in any science class. I got A's in all my chem and physics classes. I love bio so I'm not worried about the grades for the prereqs. I'm more worried about the gpa I graduate with. I have a few C's and one F. Will I still be able to get into a PA school in this situation? Any responses would help! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soad342 Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 Just curious as to what class you got the F in? Regardless, I think you can really prove yourself by retaking the class or a more difficult course and getting an A. Then you could talk about any reasons that might have contributed to you getting the F. Based on what I've read on here, if you can bring your GPA up a bit (atleast above 3.0), you can still be competitive (especially if you are able to build up a significant amount of HCE as a CNA or EMT like you mentioned in the meantime) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatchyName Posted May 13, 2013 Author Share Posted May 13, 2013 Ehh it was GE class. It was an anthropology class called Medicine, Politics, and Culture. I thought it was going to be about health, but it was very anthropological and was about how people suffer which is great, but didn't interest me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 I had an F in a health class (ironic huh?). No one even asked me about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timon Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 I think the biggest concern is the downward grade trending in addition to a 2.92 cGPA. I'm also guessing your science GPA is around a 2.92 or below as well. That being said it may be in your best interest to add a bio minor so you can stay enrolled in school rather than going for a post Bach. Heck maybe double major or change majors and minor in engineering. To answer the original question, no a single F in a gen ed class will not hold you back from getting into a PA program. I got in with a 2.93... However had a strong upward grade trending (2.31 undergrad 2.0 fresh, 2.25 soph, 2.5 jr, 2.7 sr / 3.69 masters / 4.0 post bach) which helped me. In your case your GPA is doing the opposite. That needs to be corrected either by stop taking those engineering classes or by treating them as if you don't get an A you're not going to get in. Just my advice and take it however you want. Speaking from personal experience it's easy for programs to not even glance at your application when everyone has 3.4-3.7 GPAs and thousands of hours of HCE and its only getting more competitive every year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinntsp Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 I had three Fs(and a couple Cs and a D). One was a science class and the other two weren't. I addressed that year in my personal statement. My last 30 were 4.0 and my last 60 were 3.8...so showing an upward trend is crucial. I had 1 interview my first cycle but had 3-4 outstanding prereqs. I finished those and had 6 invites the next year. So for the short answer...an F will not keep you out of PA school if you handle your business. Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UGoLong Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 As a retired engineer, I'm confused about your science grades. What was your average in the science classes required for admission to PA school? Not pulse and digital, etc -- just the bio, chemistry, anatomy, psychiology, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatchyName Posted May 14, 2013 Author Share Posted May 14, 2013 My science class grades: General Chem A Mech Physics A Electro Physics A Quantum Physics B+ I haven't taken any other science courses though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UGoLong Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 "I have not taken a few of the prereqs"? You sound like you are just on the cusp of your prereqs; it's too soon to tell what your relevent grades will be. I can't imagine that you're ready to apply at this stage. You have biology, anatomy, physiology, some psych classes, and -- depending on your schools -- a number of other ones. If you're close to graduation, I'd just graduate and get a job. Then you could use your free time to get healthcare experience and take your prereqs. It took me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SopranoKris Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 I had an F in my 2nd English course due to completely forgetting to complete my assignment when I took an Incomplete in a summer semester back in 1994. At the time, I was finishing my associate's and the school told me they would accept my honors creative writing course in lieu of finishing English 102. I went to drop the course, but it was past the drop date. So, they gave me an Incomplete. I was supposed to turn in 2 papers by the following semester. I completely forgot about them when I started a new job. Fast-forward 18 years: I didn't realize until I went back to school in 2012 that the F was on my transcript. Prior to the F, I had a 3.95 GPA. That dropped me at that particular school to a 3.25. I've had a 4.0 GPA since going back to school and now my cumulative GPA is a 3.65. My point is, keep striving to get as many As as you can to keep increasing your GPA. If your F was a while ago, it might not be such a big deal. I had an interview at a university for a different program and they asked about the F. I explained the situation and it wasn't a big deal. I'll be completing my nursing degree in their program before applying to PA school :D Hopefully, I can keep the GPA up so I'm competitive enough to get in to PA school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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