"Health related training" section of CASPA application

[longhorn2006]

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hi guys,
I was wondering that what kind of health related training PA schools are looking for? In CASPA application there is a section that ask for " Health related training"

I don't have any health related training experience besides volunteering at hospital and some organizations? Would that look bad? What my chances are going to be if I don't have health related training......? Do we have to have that?

My GPA is 3.62 and GRE score is 1040.......i dont know if i will be competitive enough with this stats.

Thanks

 

[bradt9881]

Your grades are fine; the mean for those that entered PA school in 2007 was 3.5. Its the lack of experience that will get you rejected at PA schools that require a minimum number of hours. HCE is considered employment in a hands-on capacity like EMT, RN, CMA, CNA, etc. Many programs accept shadowing as well. Jobs like ward clerk usually don't count.

Not all schools have an absolute requirement for HCE. For those programs, you may have a chance. Getting experience, however, will only make you a better applicant, and in the end, a better PA. Good luck!

 

[longhorn2006]

Thanks for the reply.

What do you think about CIM (Clinical Information Manager) experience? Do you think that would count as a HCE?

Also if I find any position in hospital to fulfill my HCE requirement do you think I am late to do all this because I am applying this cycle (entering class 2010)? Interviews are usually in January so i can get that started........?

 

[deleted6669]

Thanks for the reply.

What do you think about CIM (Clinical Information Manager) experience? Do you think that would count as a HCE?

Nope...has to be hands on direct patient care experience....
do yourself a favor. get some training, skip a cycle or two and reapply.
pa is really not meant to be an entry level career but a second career which builds on prior medical experience.
my whole class was paramedics, nurses, resp. therapists, medical assts., and er techs.....

 

[SevoInduction]

Are you interested at all in Anesthesia? The PA-A/AA-C programs don't have the 2000 hour HCE requirement that a lot of the PA-C schools have.

You need a minimum of 8 hours shadowing an anesthetist/MDA in the OR, that's about it.

 

[deleted6669]

You need a minimum of 8 hours shadowing an anesthetist/MDA in the OR, that's about it.

plus physics, calculus, mcats, biochem, etc
at that point you might as well apply md/do.....

 

[longhorn2006]

Your grades are fine; the mean for those that entered PA school in 2007 was 3.5. Its the lack of experience that will get you rejected at PA schools that require a minimum number of hours. HCE is considered employment in a hands-on capacity like EMT, RN, CMA, CNA, etc. Many programs accept shadowing as well. Jobs like ward clerk usually don't count.

Not all schools have an absolute requirement for HCE. For those programs, you may have a chance. Getting experience, however, will only make you a better applicant, and in the end, a better PA. Good luck!

Hi,
I was wondering approximately how many PA shadowing hours are good enough (means make my application look better) for PA schools? or if you know students applying to PA schools have approximately how many hours?

Also, I am submiting my application by end of the august 2009 and planning to do CNA 6 week course in sept and will be certified in october (before interviews). Do you think that would make any difference in my application? Becasue I will get direct patient contact( hands on health experince) after I am certified nurse assistant, so basically cannot write about CNA in my application but can bring that up during interviews. Just need an idea if doing CNA in sept-oct would make my application look any better? As I have metioned before that I do not have direct hands on experince so basically trying to get that from CNA before interviews, so that i can talk about it during interviews. In my application I can only mentioned that i am doing CNA and will be certified in oct 09.

I do have some ( about 90-100 hours)direct patient contact experince from a community organization I vonlunteer for. It includes taking vital signs, patient health history, giving out health related info etc. but I do not know if this is good enough or not? and if it will count or not becasue it was not in a clinical setting or hospital?

I will really appricate any advice or suggestions...

Thanks

 

[bradt9881]

It varies from school to school. Some program will require work experience, some shadowing is sufficient, and others will only recommend experience but not require it. I have seen as few hours as 500 and as many as 3000. What you really need to do is research the programs you are interested in and find out what they require. And keep in mind, if you want to be competitive, "minimum" is never enough😉.