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After looking at PA programs and their entrance requirements, it seems if you can get into PA school you can get into med school. Is this accurate?
Getting into PA = med school
- Thread starter DD214_DOC
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Quite often I think this is true.
I've been on the application review committee at my PA program and have had opportunity to look over many hundreds of highly qualified applicants, all with bachelor's degrees (at least), most with excellent GPAs, the vast majority with significant health care experience. Most had discrete reasons for choosing PA school over the traditional MD/DO route.
Conversely, if I got into PA school, did extraordinarily well, have been in practice for five years and am now applying to med school since my life has changed, will I get into med school? I hope so. I still have to take physics (ick) and the MCAT, though. Bummer.
Lisa PA-C
I've been on the application review committee at my PA program and have had opportunity to look over many hundreds of highly qualified applicants, all with bachelor's degrees (at least), most with excellent GPAs, the vast majority with significant health care experience. Most had discrete reasons for choosing PA school over the traditional MD/DO route.
Conversely, if I got into PA school, did extraordinarily well, have been in practice for five years and am now applying to med school since my life has changed, will I get into med school? I hope so. I still have to take physics (ick) and the MCAT, though. Bummer.
Lisa PA-C
JKDMed said:
D
deleted6669
"I still have to take physics (ick)"
prima- I saw you are in oregon....a few years ago I was thinking about medschool as well and took my prereqs at portland community college. the physics 201,202,203 with labs sequence fulfills medschool prereqs and was actually a lot of fun. try to get laura fellman as a prof if you take it at pcc. good luck-e
prima- I saw you are in oregon....a few years ago I was thinking about medschool as well and took my prereqs at portland community college. the physics 201,202,203 with labs sequence fulfills medschool prereqs and was actually a lot of fun. try to get laura fellman as a prof if you take it at pcc. good luck-e
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This is a difficult question. My quick and fast answer is to say that the average PA student could probably get into med school. Unfortunately, its like comparing apples and oranges. Med school pre-reqs are usually much less stringent, with the only real science pre-reqs being bio, gen chem, org, and physics. None that I know of require A&P, biochem, or any other upper level course. But, the vast majority of med students has a degree in some biomedical science, meaning that most have actually taken the same pre-reqs that PA schools require...to include A&P, nutrition, biochem, genetics, gen physio, etc...
My belief is that unless someone applying for PA school has taken the MCAT, then you can never know if they would get into med school. I think a lot of people that are intimidated by the MCAT these days avoid it and apply for PA instead. Hence the young generation of PA's. But I think you can safely say that if you have the average GPA for med school (3.7 or so in both science and overall), an MCAT 28 or above, and good interview skills, that most will get into med school. Its just honest to goodness that MCAT that is so brutal and is really the weeder out!!
My belief is that unless someone applying for PA school has taken the MCAT, then you can never know if they would get into med school. I think a lot of people that are intimidated by the MCAT these days avoid it and apply for PA instead. Hence the young generation of PA's. But I think you can safely say that if you have the average GPA for med school (3.7 or so in both science and overall), an MCAT 28 or above, and good interview skills, that most will get into med school. Its just honest to goodness that MCAT that is so brutal and is really the weeder out!!
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my experience has been that the PA students that I know are people who could get into med school but don't want to go through the full rigors of an MD/DO education.
I have never met anyone who didn't get into med school and then they decided to become a PA (but then again I only know a handful fo PA's and PA students).....people who don't get into medical school usually apply again, and most figure out a way to make it happen.
I have never met anyone who didn't get into med school and then they decided to become a PA (but then again I only know a handful fo PA's and PA students).....people who don't get into medical school usually apply again, and most figure out a way to make it happen.
