Chances of being accepted....

[Recook]

I am applying to Pa school this cycle and I want to know the likelyhood of being accepted with my stats.

 

Here they are:

 

Undergrad overall GPA:3.33

Science GPA: approx 3.7

Post Bac GPA:4.0

 

GRE: 1100 (have not received my writing score yet)

 

Shadowing: 100hrs and will continue to shadow through the end of this year. Shadowing includes clinic and surgery observation.

 

I am currently working as a Research Associate and have been for a little over a year. I have completed one project (on characterizing the vestibular system in Casp-3 deficient mice) and am currently working on another one (on gentamicin ototoxicity).

This summer my supervisor plans on having me be the clinical research assistant for an upcoming clinical research project on Parkinson's Disease.

 

 

I have worked at an internal medicine clinic doing front desk work (scheduling appointments, filing, etc)

I have also worked at a breast center as a radiology tech (preparing mammography films, room prep and clean up, filing, prepping patients for mammograms and bone density exams etc.)

 

I do not have any DIRECT patient care experience. When I shadow my supervisor at her clinic, she has me look in patients ear, nose, and throat. I have assisted with an arch bar removal and I have had experience with doing a flexible laryngoscopy.

 

Any advice would be helpful! Thanks!!

[UGoLong]

I think you could put a good story together and get in somewhere. Go visit a nearby program and speak with their academic coordinator. Good luck!

[Recook]

Thanks! My only other option would be to hold off on applying this year and take an EMT course or something like that and do that until the next app cycle. Should I just apply this year or wait another year?

[marktheshark89]

As long as you apply broadly to places that have no hour requirement, I wouldn't be surprised if you got in somewhere. That being said, if you get some direct patient care experience hours you would have a much better chance.

[marktheshark89]

I would apply this year. It helps to have all of your information entered into CASPA for next year if you aren't accepted this year, and like I said I wouldn't be surprised if you were accepted assuming you apply to schools with 0 hour requirements. I would still plan to take an EMT course or get your CNA or other certification in the mean time, so you can immediately begin to accrue hours in case you aren't accepted this year. Even if you are accepted this year, having direct patient contact experience will be helpful in PA school anyways.

[Recook]

Okay, thanks! Good news is-I already have my CASPA app filled out. I have my 3 letters of recommendation (one from my supervisor who is a clinical physician and 2 from professors-one was the sponsor of the biology honors society that I was President of and one that I was a TA for in undergrad) and all my transcripts have been received. I am just waiting on my GRE scores to be posted so that I can fill that section out and then submit the app.

 

These are the schools I am applying to:

University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston (my top pick-this is where I am currently working and shadowing, I also volunteered here for almost 400hrs while I was in high school)

University of North Texas Health Science Center-Fort Worth

University of Colorado

South University-Georgia

 

Is this a good amount of schools to apply to or should I apply to more?

[UGoLong]

That's not a bad number to apply to. Consider places that you would be willing to go if offered an interview and where you would be willing to move to if accepted.

 

If you haven't talked with the clinical advisor at UT-Galveston's program, you should. It sounds like you're almost a legacy there.

 

As my late Mom used to say, what's the worst thing that could happen? That you won't get into PA school? You're not there now anyway, are you?

 

Good luck!

[marktheshark89]

I would recommend applying to more, assuming you are willing to attend other schools if you get accepted. IMO you should apply to at least 7.

[atheaslet]

Honestly I think with all the research and little HCE you would have a better chance getting into med school. But you are still a great applicant.

[Recook]

Well when I graduated college that was my plan, to take a year off to do research and apply to med school. My plans have since changed since I was introduced to the PA profession. I have talked to my supervisor (a physician), PAs at my doctors office, other physicians, med students, residents and after weighing the pros and cons (family, tests, time, schooling, cost, flexibility, etc) I have decided that PA is the best fit for me. Before I made my final decision though, I wanted to shadow my supervisor at her clinic to see if working in a clinic is what I really wanted to do. I have worked in 2 different clinics in the past but I was never on the "treatment" side of things. I have only done front desk work and the most patient contact I got was taking patients to their room and explaining what was going to happen during their exam (mammogram). So after shadowing her, I made my decision. Not only have I made the decision to be a PA, I have also found a passion for Otolaryngology. I really brushed it off in college but after doing research in this lab I have found that it is so interesting and I find myself looking up publications just for fun now just to learn more about it. I think that getting this job in this lab was really meant to be. I think that it is a stepping stone to building my career. Isn't it funny how things just work out?

Anyways, I am going to apply and hopefully get in because it really is what I want to do. I am ready to get my career started and start a family. Working as a research assistant in a lab is not exactly a stable life-long career, so I need to get things in gear! :)

Thank you all for your comments and encouragement! It means a lot!