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- Jan 5, 2012
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Hi, long time lurker on SDN, but don't post much.
Some background on me:
Education-
I am 33 year old with a wife and no kids, currently working as a nurse with a BSN which I got through an accelerated program (15months) without having a previous bach degree (associates loophole). I've worked as nurse for a year now on a cardiac/med surge floor.
My past employment that is relevant-
-6 yrs in USAF as an aircraft electrician, 4 deployments to sandy places and separated honorably with a disability rating and my GI Bill which paid for Nursing school.
-1 years as an ER tech
-2 years CNA on oncology, neuro, cardiology floor
-1 year floor nursing on a card/med-surg floor
Why I'm posting-
I could use some good guidance on a myriad of issues r/t PA schools, admissions, applications, etc. I have read some on this forum but a lot of threads appear old (some years old) and I hope there is enough traffic here to garner relevant and current info.
My story-
I want to attend PA school and become a PA. I have wanted to be a doctor since i was a kid but grew up poor and in a bad family situation which did not lend itself to good school habits. As a teenager high school was a mess but I did graduate.
I messed around in community college failing/withdrawing from a couple classes before I joined the AF and grew up.
When I separated from the AF i was newly married and wanted to achieve my dreams that had escaped me for so long and with my wife's support started taking undergraduate classes. I knew that the GI bill would get me a bach degree in something and that it needed to help support us so I chose nursing for job availability and options.
I graduated my accelerated program with a 3.2 gpa which should've been much higher as school was pretty easy but my study habits aren't well developed and life threw some nasty curveballs to me and my wife while attempting to start a family (i'd rather not expand). There were times I was real depressed during the program but I was able to pick it up and get the 3.2 gpa.
While my supposed dream has alway been to be a doc, i realize that my calling is help the sick and injured and this can happen in a variety of ways. At the age of 33, I have a strong desire to be in my career (acquiring knowledge and expertise) and get on with life, kids, houses, etc. As much as I'd love to be a doctor, the process- 2 more years of pre-reqs at a min, mcat, interviews, than perhaps a glide year, 4 yrs of student-ness with no income, then finally an intern/residency with meager pay and school loan debt to pay back just seems unrealistic where I am in life and what we want for a family etc.
My wife is an up and coming blogger with serious talent and she has made real connections that make us think its only a matter of time before she takes off thus her dreams and talents must be balanced vs mine which is fair and I would not operate any other way.
After much consideration, the PA route is the way for me it seems. Why not NP? I do not enjoy the nursing model of EDUCATION, nursing is an amazingly valuable part of the team and I gathered many valuable skills that will make my patient care so much better. But the fluff, the nursing leadership stuff, the willy nilly wild west model that is NP education (online programs???), I just can't do it but they are truly valuable.
I just didn't fit in well in nursing school, although I am an outstanding nurse according to the many patients I have cared for, and thus don't want to endure 2-3 more years of nursing education (no flames plz, this is not disrespect, its just not for ME).
Going forward-
I am unsure of the process. I have read up a ton on the doctor process in the past. I need to take a handful more science classes/pre-reqs and do well and than take the GRE(input appreciated). I know that 3.0 is the standard cutoff but with a 3.2 am i uncompetitive? I know that I should do as well as possible in my remaining pre-reqs but I am unsure of where a 3.2 puts me for PA apps. I have years of real HCE on multiple levels and roles and I've gathered this is useful? for PA apps (input appreciated).
As for schools, is it like the doctor route where I should apply broadly ? Is there a PA tool like the ama thing that list all the schools averages and such so you know where you fit in with their matriculating classes?
Feel free to add anything else you want to.
I am so sorry this has turned into a term paper, I tried cutting it down but I felt most of this was relevant to my current situation and my current approach to PA.
Some background on me:
Education-
I am 33 year old with a wife and no kids, currently working as a nurse with a BSN which I got through an accelerated program (15months) without having a previous bach degree (associates loophole). I've worked as nurse for a year now on a cardiac/med surge floor.
My past employment that is relevant-
-6 yrs in USAF as an aircraft electrician, 4 deployments to sandy places and separated honorably with a disability rating and my GI Bill which paid for Nursing school.
-1 years as an ER tech
-2 years CNA on oncology, neuro, cardiology floor
-1 year floor nursing on a card/med-surg floor
Why I'm posting-
I could use some good guidance on a myriad of issues r/t PA schools, admissions, applications, etc. I have read some on this forum but a lot of threads appear old (some years old) and I hope there is enough traffic here to garner relevant and current info.
My story-
I want to attend PA school and become a PA. I have wanted to be a doctor since i was a kid but grew up poor and in a bad family situation which did not lend itself to good school habits. As a teenager high school was a mess but I did graduate.
I messed around in community college failing/withdrawing from a couple classes before I joined the AF and grew up.
When I separated from the AF i was newly married and wanted to achieve my dreams that had escaped me for so long and with my wife's support started taking undergraduate classes. I knew that the GI bill would get me a bach degree in something and that it needed to help support us so I chose nursing for job availability and options.
I graduated my accelerated program with a 3.2 gpa which should've been much higher as school was pretty easy but my study habits aren't well developed and life threw some nasty curveballs to me and my wife while attempting to start a family (i'd rather not expand). There were times I was real depressed during the program but I was able to pick it up and get the 3.2 gpa.
While my supposed dream has alway been to be a doc, i realize that my calling is help the sick and injured and this can happen in a variety of ways. At the age of 33, I have a strong desire to be in my career (acquiring knowledge and expertise) and get on with life, kids, houses, etc. As much as I'd love to be a doctor, the process- 2 more years of pre-reqs at a min, mcat, interviews, than perhaps a glide year, 4 yrs of student-ness with no income, then finally an intern/residency with meager pay and school loan debt to pay back just seems unrealistic where I am in life and what we want for a family etc.
My wife is an up and coming blogger with serious talent and she has made real connections that make us think its only a matter of time before she takes off thus her dreams and talents must be balanced vs mine which is fair and I would not operate any other way.
After much consideration, the PA route is the way for me it seems. Why not NP? I do not enjoy the nursing model of EDUCATION, nursing is an amazingly valuable part of the team and I gathered many valuable skills that will make my patient care so much better. But the fluff, the nursing leadership stuff, the willy nilly wild west model that is NP education (online programs???), I just can't do it but they are truly valuable.
I just didn't fit in well in nursing school, although I am an outstanding nurse according to the many patients I have cared for, and thus don't want to endure 2-3 more years of nursing education (no flames plz, this is not disrespect, its just not for ME).
Going forward-
I am unsure of the process. I have read up a ton on the doctor process in the past. I need to take a handful more science classes/pre-reqs and do well and than take the GRE(input appreciated). I know that 3.0 is the standard cutoff but with a 3.2 am i uncompetitive? I know that I should do as well as possible in my remaining pre-reqs but I am unsure of where a 3.2 puts me for PA apps. I have years of real HCE on multiple levels and roles and I've gathered this is useful? for PA apps (input appreciated).
As for schools, is it like the doctor route where I should apply broadly ? Is there a PA tool like the ama thing that list all the schools averages and such so you know where you fit in with their matriculating classes?
Feel free to add anything else you want to.
I am so sorry this has turned into a term paper, I tried cutting it down but I felt most of this was relevant to my current situation and my current approach to PA.
