Advice for Odd Situation

[zgotham1]

Hello All,

this is my first post in SDN and I want to say hello! So here is my odd situation.. Im a student at a University in Northern Eastern Pennsylvania currently in undergrad as Sport and Exercise Science and like I stated early in an odd situation. Currently at my university I'm following a Pre-PA track with the intended desire to go to PA school postgraduate. However, deep down inside I always desired to be a doctor rather than a PA. When I was applying for colleges, I always told myself that I "wasn't smart enough to go to med-school", but now that I'm a junior I'm a little torn that I let the fear of failure get the best of me and possibly squish my dream of ever becoming a physician.

Lately, I've been really pondering with the idea of wanting to apply to medical school and not letting the fear of failure get the best of me. To give a little bit of background, the Pre-PA track at my university is essentially a Pre-Med track (without Calculus and Physics 1 and 2 w/Lab).

I have taken thus far:
- BIO 1 and 2 w/labs (Currently in Gross Anatomy w/ lab right now)
**Also have taken a university requirement of Animal Physiology which is essentially a Human Physiology 3 credit course
- 6 Cr of Gen Chem Lecture w/ Lab
- 6 Cr of Organic Chem (in OCHEM 1 lab right now)
- 9 Cr of Psych (Intro, Developmental, Psychopath)
- 3 Cr of Trigonometry
- other courses in philosophy, theology (required Catholic University) and other humanities/lib arts.
Current GPA is 3.75

This brings me to some questions: I've heard that LECOM has a bridge program PA to D.O. and has two routes. A route where you can apply to LECOM after 1 yer of PA school then go to 4 years of their program or finish PA school practice for 1 or 2 years then go back to med school for an accelerated program. Do any of these make sense? Could I get some advice if that sounds like a rational choice? Or does it just sound like prolonged time + extra cash.

Or should I just take an extra semester and take those required courses and then take the MCAT and maybe apply within the next 2 years?

Some advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Z.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[armoman898]

...the Pre-PA track at my university is essentially a Pre-Med track (without Calculus and Physics 1 and 2 w/Lab).

I have taken thus far:
- BIO 1 and 2 w/labs (Currently in Gross Anatomy w/ lab right now)
**Also have taken a university requirement of Animal Physiology which is essentially a Human Physiology 3 credit course
- 6 Cr of Gen Chem Lecture w/ Lab
- 6 Cr of Organic Chem (in OCHEM 1 lab right now)
- 9 Cr of Psych (Intro, Developmental, Psychopath)
- 3 Cr of Trigonometry
- other courses in philosophy, theology (required Catholic University) and other humanities/lib arts.
Current GPA is 3.75

Take Calculus, and physics 1 and 2. Take biochemistry to avoid being shut out of certain schools. Get LORs (either committee or 2sci + 1 non-sci. Try to shadow a DO and get a letter from him. Nothing really changes with your situation compared to others applying DO. You seem to have done your HW on this, lol.

With regards to your mathematics, if trig is the highest you have gotten, this may be the hardest obstacle to tackle. I think you need "pre-calc" in order to take calculus at most schools. Well, math is important, that's nothing new. Fortunately, math is the easiest subject to study, as it only requires one to do a ton of problems over and over again (i.e. less conceptual/memory stuff). Physics is mat heavy, so be ready for that. Make sure to take only algebra-based physics.

This brings me to some questions: I've heard that LECOM has a bridge program PA to D.O. and has two routes. A route where you can apply to LECOM after 1 yer of PA school then go to 4 years of their program or finish PA school practice for 1 or 2 years then go back to med school for an accelerated program. Do any of these make sense? Could I get some advice if that sounds like a rational choice? Or does it just sound like prolonged time + extra cash.

I'm not an authority on this, but it sounds like prolonged time + extra cash. Unless you are a senior about to graduate, I think you should finish the prereqs, take the MCAT, and apply to DO. Wit your GPA, if you get a high enough MCAT, you can even shoot for MD. << that's a better position than a lot of us posting in this sub-section

Just get on it, make a decision and stick with it. "Hesitation is death" in battle.

 

[wysdoc]

You don't need calculus. Take a semester of statistics instead and take algebra-bsed physics.

 

[857770]

Hello All,

this is my first post in SDN and I want to say hello! So here is my odd situation.. Im a student at a University in Northern Eastern Pennsylvania currently in undergrad as Sport and Exercise Science and like I stated early in an odd situation. Currently at my university I'm following a Pre-PA track with the intended desire to go to PA school postgraduate. However, deep down inside I always desired to be a doctor rather than a PA. When I was applying for colleges, I always told myself that I "wasn't smart enough to go to med-school", but now that I'm a junior I'm a little torn that I let the fear of failure get the best of me and possibly squish my dream of ever becoming a physician.

Lately, I've been really pondering with the idea of wanting to apply to medical school and not letting the fear of failure get the best of me. To give a little bit of background, the Pre-PA track at my university is essentially a Pre-Med track (without Calculus and Physics 1 and 2 w/Lab).

I have taken thus far:
- BIO 1 and 2 w/labs (Currently in Gross Anatomy w/ lab right now)
**Also have taken a university requirement of Animal Physiology which is essentially a Human Physiology 3 credit course
- 6 Cr of Gen Chem Lecture w/ Lab
- 6 Cr of Organic Chem (in OCHEM 1 lab right now)
- 9 Cr of Psych (Intro, Developmental, Psychopath)
- 3 Cr of Trigonometry
- other courses in philosophy, theology (required Catholic University) and other humanities/lib arts.
Current GPA is 3.75

This brings me to some questions: I've heard that LECOM has a bridge program PA to D.O. and has two routes. A route where you can apply to LECOM after 1 yer of PA school then go to 4 years of their program or finish PA school practice for 1 or 2 years then go back to med school for an accelerated program. Do any of these make sense? Could I get some advice if that sounds like a rational choice? Or does it just sound like prolonged time + extra cash.

Or should I just take an extra semester and take those required courses and then take the MCAT and maybe apply within the next 2 years?

Some advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Z.

The PA to DO LECOM bridge program is attractive because you do not have to take the MCAT exam and the prerequisites. But, it is very very competitive from what I have heard. There is also the cost of having to pay for the PA program and med school. If you are certain that you want to be a physician, I don't think it is worthwhile going to PA school first, just to do a bridge program.