Chances of getting into a PA program, please help!

[Elilly]

I know this thread has been posted so many times and I'm sorry to beat a dead horse but I'm getting sick with worry. I need to know if I am a competitive applicant for PA school or if I'm wasting a lot of time and money trying to get in. Background, I didn't really know I wanted to go to PA school until recently. I ended up having to take most of the science pre requisites after I got my bachelors degree. I majored in Psychology and had initially planned on going to graduate school for psych (only because I didn't know what else to do with my life) So I have a lot of research experience under my belt. In fact I co-authored research with one of my professors that got accepted to a national conference (GSA Gerontological Society of America) well I was really underwhelmed with the field of psychology, but now I am passionate for medicine. However, my undergraduate career doesn't quite reflect that passion since I didn't know what I wanted to be all through undergrad Here are my stats please let me know if I have a competitive chance at PA school or if I'm just wasting my time.

Degree: Psychology
Overall GPA: 3.92
Science GPA: 3.83 (includes all prerequisite work)
HCE: Weak. I currently work as a Medical Scribe but it's virtual. Thinking about enrolling in CNA school but worried it will be a little too late for this cycle
Shadowing: 50+
GRE: also weak, didn't study, planning on retaking - verbal 155 Quantitative 150

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[elia22]

GPA is stellar and what your degree is in does not really matter. From what I've learned, HCE is very important, and medical scribing doesn't really count as direct patient experience (since you are just writing charts and not dealing with patients). A job as CNA will help tremendously... you could look into becoming an MA (medical assistant) as well. Also, your GRE score is fine. It's the average score that most PA schools look for. I don't think you should worry too much.. just get more HCE and write a killer PS.

 

[pamac]

No! Put your time into getting a good GRE. Don't waste time getting a CNA and then the subsequent experience. You can do some research and find a program that will be delighted that you were a scribe. With HCE, you are best served by having either great HCE like RN or Paramedic or RT, or possibly having a lot of mediocre HCE like 3 years of CNA work. Or, if you have grades like yours, you find programs that are fine with scribe experience as long as you have academic skills, and apply to them. That's the best use of your time. It's up to you whether you would rather take a CNA class and heft patients for 6 months to open the doors to a few more schools. I'd rather hit the books and ace the GRE.

 

[Elilly]

GPA is stellar and what your degree is in does not really matter. From what I've learned, HCE is very important, and medical scribing doesn't really count as direct patient experience (since you are just writing charts and not dealing with patients). A job as CNA will help tremendously... you could look into becoming an MA (medical assistant) as well. Also, your GRE score is fine. It's the average score that most PA schools look for. I don't think you should worry too much.. just get more HCE and write a killer PS.

Thank you for taking the time to respond, I appreciate your feedback!

 

[Elilly]

No! Put your time into getting a good GRE. Don't waste time getting a CNA and then the subsequent experience. You can do some research and find a program that will be delighted that you were a scribe. With HCE, you are best served by having either great HCE like RN or Paramedic or RT, or possibly having a lot of mediocre HCE like 3 years of CNA work. Or, if you have grades like yours, you find programs that are fine with scribe experience as long as you have academic skills, and apply to them. That's the best use of your time. It's up to you whether you would rather take a CNA class and heft patients for 6 months to open the doors to a few more schools. I'd rather hit the books and ace the GRE.

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I think this is exactly what I'm going to focus on. I know my strengths and this is something I should highlight. I appreciate your feedback!