Is it too late to apply to schools with 1/15 deadlines?

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pinkpremed111

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So for the longest time I've thought I wanted to be a physician, but more recently I've realized that attending PA school would align much more with my educational and future practice goals (I want to be able to change fields, I don't want to run my own practice & many other reasons... plz don't come for my head lol I've really thought this through & its not just 'PA seems easier' because I know it won't be easy).... BUT my question is that with making this realization and fully committing to it and accepting that I want to pull out of my medical school applications at this point ... is it currently too late to apply to PA programs that have 1/15 deadlines? Would it be in my best interest to wait?

Also I know that MD/DO applications flag you as a reapplicant- Does the PA application do this also? It doesn't seem clear to me since not all schools have the same deadlines.

Any advice is helpful as I don't know a ton about this process and only as much as I can find online! Thanks!

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Are you in a position to retool all of your references by then? I think that overall it’s possible, but it seems like a pain to do. And if there are any steps to the process that take time and have some sort of delay built in, you’ll be faced with that kind of thing.

You probably wouldn’t be out anything by applying, and it isn’t something that would tarnish your chances for applying next year. You might even surprise yourself and get in if you are a good candidate. However, you are soooooo late to the application process that you might want to just apply to the next cycle and do so from a dominant position, and can then strategize about the best program for you to attend. I’d rather have tons of good options to choose from next cycle vs a rushed attempt that leaves you with only what’s left.

I applied to Pa school almost a decade ago. I didn’t think I’d get in when I applied, but figured it would be a good experience to try out before I really threw my effort into the next cycle. I got several interviews that I never expected to get. Then I had to make decisions I didn’t expect to have to make, and instead became an NP. But You may end up in the same boat, with options you will have a hard time turning down.
 
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Considering it's still December I would say no it's not too late
 
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Considering it's still December I would say no it's not too late
The gates open in early June I believe. It’s all a matter of what kind of options one wants to choose from among as far as acceptances. If you don’t care about options, then apply now and have lower odds of getting into certain schools that you might want to have a shot at. Apply when the gates open in June, and you have basically everyone to choose from among. Do you want to go to the state school that is close by that has basically got their invites for interviews all out by now, or are you fine with the program that is across the country, private, and expensive, but does have a robust late entry deadline that they adhere to? It’s hard to turn down an offer in hand to a cruddy program vs the possibility of delaying a year to have a mere chance at a program you’d absolutely love.
 
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