MCAT for PA?

[statedintent]

I am still deciding whether to pursue allopathic school or PA school, but am leaning towards PA for many reasons. I'd like to keep my options open until I have to make a decision, which means taking prep exams (I already have all the prereqs for both programs). I'm already registered for the MCAT, but the PA school in my city requires GRE and won't take MCAT instead. Are all PA schools like this? Would having a high MCAT score help my PA school application even if it won't fulfill their requirement (I'd have to take the GRE, too)? I would prefer to take only one exam and, frankly, the MCAT seems more pertinent to PA programs, but oh well. Am I going to need to take both (since I know I'm taking the MCAT)? Has anyone taken both that can speak to differences in difficulty? Thanks!

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[deleted6669]

I am still deciding whether to pursue allopathic school or PA school, but am leaning towards PA for many reasons. I'd like to keep my options open until I have to make a decision, which means taking prep exams (I already have all the prereqs for both programs). I'm already registered for the MCAT, but the PA school in my city requires GRE and won't take MCAT instead. Are all PA schools like this? Would having a high MCAT score help my PA school application even if it won't fulfill their requirement (I'd have to take the GRE, too)? I would prefer to take only one exam and, frankly, the MCAT seems more pertinent to PA programs, but oh well. Am I going to need to take both (since I know I'm taking the MCAT)? Has anyone taken both that can speak to differences in difficulty? Thanks!

masters level pa programs require the gre, don't ask me why.
if you are going to apply md and pa you need to take both.
keep in mind to apply pa you need some prior medical experience to be competitive. best to shadow a few md's and pa's and focus on 1 path and take 1 test.
for general pa info see www.aapa.org
for a pa specific forum see www.physicianassistant.net
for pa residencies(optional at this point) see www.appap.org
good luck whatever you decide

 

[core0]

I am still deciding whether to pursue allopathic school or PA school, but am leaning towards PA for many reasons. I'd like to keep my options open until I have to make a decision, which means taking prep exams (I already have all the prereqs for both programs). I'm already registered for the MCAT, but the PA school in my city requires GRE and won't take MCAT instead. Are all PA schools like this? Would having a high MCAT score help my PA school application even if it won't fulfill their requirement (I'd have to take the GRE, too)? I would prefer to take only one exam and, frankly, the MCAT seems more pertinent to PA programs, but oh well. Am I going to need to take both (since I know I'm taking the MCAT)? Has anyone taken both that can speak to differences in difficulty? Thanks!

If they require the GRE take the GRE. High MCAT's really won't help. Some PA schools used to take the MCAT, I'm not sure if any do. The problem with submitting MCAT's is it may make some programs wonder. There are programs that have been burned in the past when they offered a spot and then the person went to med school.

David Carpenter, PA-C

 

[Apple5]

I am still deciding whether to pursue allopathic school or PA school, but am leaning towards PA for many reasons. I'd like to keep my options open until I have to make a decision, which means taking prep exams (I already have all the prereqs for both programs). I'm already registered for the MCAT, but the PA school in my city requires GRE and won't take MCAT instead. Are all PA schools like this? Would having a high MCAT score help my PA school application even if it won't fulfill their requirement (I'd have to take the GRE, too)? I would prefer to take only one exam and, frankly, the MCAT seems more pertinent to PA programs, but oh well. Am I going to need to take both (since I know I'm taking the MCAT)? Has anyone taken both that can speak to differences in difficulty? Thanks!

I was in the same situation. I was more stubborn then you though. I had taken the MCAT twice and there was no way I wanted to take the GRE. I only applied to Master's programs that only took both or did not even require a GRE score. I know it sounds lame, but its all working out.

I have several 1st year medical student friends who took both. And i can say that only one of them studied for the GRE. In comparision I studied for the MCAT for 4 months the first time and then all summer and took it the following August.

I wish you good luck with your choice. It was the hardest choice I have ever made. Now though that I am certain what I want to do though life is a lot easier! Good luck!

 

[RedTAQ]

I also was undecided about allopathic and PA, and I ended up choosing PA after I had already taken the MCAT. I applied to 4 schools (all Master's programs) with only my MCAT score and they all accepted it. I was accepted to 3 of the 4 schools (I was missing a requirement at the 4th, so it had nothing to do with the MCAT). I'm not sure what PA schools would consider a high score, but I had a 31 on my MCAT and they never even asked about it in any of the interviews. If I had been asked about it, I probably would have just told them that I was undecided, but pre-healthcare, and wanted to keep my options open during undergrad. PM me if you have more specific questions.

 

[SupergreenMnM]

That is strange, one would think they'd accept the MCAT> The GRE is CAKE by comparison (I took my GRE the day I applied to grad school, walked into their testing center downstairs and took it )

 

[PhysioMan]

What would be the benefit for programs requiring the MCAT? Are there any studies that correlate MCAT scores to PANCE pass rates or score percentages? Seems unnecessary considering the # of PA programs that require Physics as a pre-req.

PA is not an easier path or a stepping stone so make a choice and go for it!

FYI: not an MD here, see my title.

 

[deleted6669]

agree..mcat only correlates with step 1 scores anyway....you know the part of the medschool curriculum that empasizes in depth sciences....the stuff not emphasized in pa school.....so mcat would have no bearing on pa school.....I would also argue that neither would the gre but that's another topic......

emedpa
another 's hater

 

[PhysioMan]

agree..mcat only correlates with step 1 scores anyway....you know the part of the medschool curriculum that empasizes in depth sciences....the stuff not emphasized in pa school.....so mcat would have no bearing on pa school.....I would also argue that neither would the gre but that's another topic......

emedpa
another 's hater

Yeah, we call it the "Graduate Revenue Exam."
Most schools don't even care about the actual scores (especially one part) as long as it meets the minimum cut-off score.

 

[momtwo]

My daughter is a PA. She was undecided about allopathic schools when she took the MCAT. She did decent on the MCAT and that's what she studied for. She didn't study much for the GRE but did GREAT on it. I think just from school(she was a college senior when taking both tests), from studying for the MCAT , etc. I realize the information on the tests isn't the same. She was accepted to Duke, GWU and Philly PA programs. I am not sure which score(s) each school asked for on applications. If they JUST asked for the MCAT I'm sure she'd have tried to get across her GRE score too b/c it did end up very high!

 

[PhysioMan]

Yes, the GRE is meant to be a general "exit" exam. Sorry, but true. I resonate emed's opinion in that the GRE is not a true measure of what it takes to be a PA. Your daughter made a wise choice...

 

[momtwo]

Your daughter made a wise choice...

Yes, she's VERY happy! She's 24, she's practicing in Oncology which is exactly what she hoped to do. I must say, as a parent though that even my other daughter who is headed to medical school this year realizes the difficulty of the PA program. It's not a path that one should think of as the easy way out. Not in the least. Also, on topic, the GRE - - my PA daughter was a studier in school - took her undergrads very seriously and that (IMO) is the reason she probably did so well on her GRE without studying for it.

 

[SupergreenMnM]

What would be the benefit for programs requiring the MCAT? Are there any studies that correlate MCAT scores to PANCE pass rates or score percentages? Seems unnecessary considering the # of PA programs that require Physics as a pre-req.

PA is not an easier path or a stepping stone so make a choice and go for it!

FYI: not an MD here, see my title.

And the GRE does? I think either way they are just using it as an idiot screen.

 

[PhysioMan]

I agree. Hence the meeting the "minimum cut-off score" comment I made. But can't you tell if someone can write coherently from the personal narrative, CASPA entries and supplementary application info?
You can test critical thinking skills and to some degree maturity level through an interview. The GRE is a joke anyways...

 

[SupergreenMnM]

For sure; was just thinking along the lines of someone who has taken the MCAT and the has to go take a GRE on top of that if they decided to do PA instead of MD. Seems kinda silly they wouldn't take the previously done MCAT score.
Oh, OP: Difficulty of GRE vs MCAT is like 3k granny walkathon vs Boston marathon

 

[Muscles00GT]

Here's a link with schools and the tests they require, if any.

https://portal.caspaonline.org/caspa2008/ins_programs.htm