Medicine is a Journey...right? Advice on applying after denial from PT, PA.

[future_physician2255]

Hello All!

This is my first post so I did my best to locate a thread before I posted but could not find anything. Let me know if this subject is located on another thread!

So I was a collegiate football player and honestly only went to college because of this fact but was later injured and decided to move on to focus on studies..so really it was a blessing in disguise. I had applied to PT school after graduation (3.34 GPA, Allied Health Sciences degree) and did not get in, then worked in medical sales for a year and decided to travel the PA route. I really buckled down, moved back home, and went back to school to take/retake Pre-Requisite classes and worked as a CNA at an LTC as is the usual Pre-PA path.

After submitting my PA application I had landed a job as an ER Tech at a rural ER, most likely because I'm a hard worker and this hospital is a total dumpster fire. I was definitely not qualified to be at this position for the amount that I do, but man the things I have had to do when we were understaffed and there's a code or a priority 1 comes in...you learn fast. Because of those crazy moments though, I developed some really great relationships with the Doctors and Surgeons I work with (for anyone who works in an ER, great relationships are the key to success). After looking back at how much I have learned in such a short time and some pretty honest conversations with our Docs about how they view most of their PAs clinically, I really do not want to be that limited for the rest of my life in medicine. Fear was really the only thing keeping me from being a Doctor.

I did get denied from PA school and when reaching out to most schools it was because my core GPA was a 3.5 which was not competitive enough for the amount of applicants they receive...which I am also looking at as a blessing in disguise. I really do believe that everything happens for a reason and life takes you where you are meant to go...but applying to medical school is also sort of a marketing game and the best candidates don't always get in.

My question is, should I be upfront about my desire to pursue PA last year? Or just say that all my PA prereqs that I took over the past 2 years were geared towards me studying for the MCAT and not mention PA at all?

I do want to be honest as I feel it is best, but I don't want to give the committee any reason to doubt my drive to be a doctor or think I am just applying because I didn't get in to PA school. After having been denied from both PT and PA, I could understand how if a school knew that they would think I am just bouncing around. Anything for advice helps! Thanks!

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[deleted480308]

Do you have an mcat score? That matters more than the story

 

[future_physician2255]

Do you have an mcat score? That matters more than the story

I take the MCAT in 6 weeks so I will be submitting my application 2 weeks before I take the exam. I do feel confident I will do well. I am averaging a 506 on the 2 practice exams I have taken so far. Realistically aiming for above a 510

 

[aformerstudent]

My question is, should I be upfront about my desire to pursue PA last year?

NO

 

[star.buck]

After having been denied from both PT and PA, I could understand how if a school knew that they would think I am just bouncing around. Anything for advice helps! Thanks!

You answered your own question here... Don't bring up PA or PT. There's a high chance you'll get denied if they even get a whiff of the possibility that med school is 3rd best choice in your career path. And, just being honest, but usually actual MCAT is lower than the practice grades (I've heard some say as much as 5-10 points). So, just be realistic in where you apply.

Best of luck to you. And if med school says "no" first time around, but this is REALLY what you want to do... plan B should be: try harder, try again. (IMHO)

 

[BombsAway]

And, just being honest, but usually actual MCAT is lower than the practice grades (I've heard some say as much as 5-10 points). So, just be realistic in where you apply.(IMHO)

The spreadsheet on reddit with hundreds or thousands of entries shows an average increase of 1.5 points from the average of the two FL's to the real deal score.

 

[coppernickel]

Hello All!

This is my first post so I did my best to locate a thread before I posted but could not find anything. Let me know if this subject is located on another thread!

So I was a collegiate football player and honestly only went to college because of this fact but was later injured and decided to move on to focus on studies..so really it was a blessing in disguise. I had applied to PT school after graduation (3.34 GPA, Allied Health Sciences degree) and did not get in, then worked in medical sales for a year and decided to travel the PA route. I really buckled down, moved back home, and went back to school to take/retake Pre-Requisite classes and worked as a CNA at an LTC as is the usual Pre-PA path.

After submitting my PA application I had landed a job as an ER Tech at a rural ER, most likely because I'm a hard worker and this hospital is a total dumpster fire. I was definitely not qualified to be at this position for the amount that I do, but man the things I have had to do when we were understaffed and there's a code or a priority 1 comes in...you learn fast. Because of those crazy moments though, I developed some really great relationships with the Doctors and Surgeons I work with (for anyone who works in an ER, great relationships are the key to success). After looking back at how much I have learned in such a short time and some pretty honest conversations with our Docs about how they view most of their PAs clinically, I really do not want to be that limited for the rest of my life in medicine. Fear was really the only thing keeping me from being a Doctor.

I did get denied from PA school and when reaching out to most schools it was because my core GPA was a 3.5 which was not competitive enough for the amount of applicants they receive...which I am also looking at as a blessing in disguise. I really do believe that everything happens for a reason and life takes you where you are meant to go...but applying to medical school is also sort of a marketing game and the best candidates don't always get in.

My question is, should I be upfront about my desire to pursue PA last year? Or just say that all my PA prereqs that I took over the past 2 years were geared towards me studying for the MCAT and not mention PA at all?

I do want to be honest as I feel it is best, but I don't want to give the committee any reason to doubt my drive to be a doctor or think I am just applying because I didn't get in to PA school. After having been denied from both PT and PA, I could understand how if a school knew that they would think I am just bouncing around. Anything for advice helps! Thanks!

I don't believe there are so many pa prerequisites that are really different. Maybe it depends on the state but I think it's just medical terminology that's like so not Med school related. I'd categorize your a&p as biology, and just leave the obvious pa preteqs as allied health. My advice is first for you to reach out to more people in real life but I say no, don't bring it up. Definitely don't do it if you feel like you have to. I got my emt and worked but that doesn't mean I wanted to folllow that life path. It is not suspicious. Now if you feel like the experience has transformed your perspective, then maybe. It's not a deal ended but I wouldn't do that personally. You got this, fellow Er tech! I hear you, you want to be genuine, but the Med school app is vastly different from other apps and they are looking for specific qualities.

 

[coppernickel]

I don't believe there are so many pa prerequisites that are really different. Maybe it depends on the state but I think it's just medical terminology that's like so not Med school related. I'd categorize your a&p as biology, and just leave the obvious pa preteqs as allied health. My advice is first for you to reach out to more people in real life but I say no, don't bring it up. Definitely don't do it if you feel like you have to. I got my emt and worked but that doesn't mean I wanted to folllow that life path. It is not suspicious. Now if you feel like the experience has transformed your perspective, then maybe. It's not a deal ended but I wouldn't do that personally. You got this, fellow Er tech! I hear you, you want to be genuine, but the Med school app is vastly different from other apps and they are looking for specific qualities.

If you talk about it, please don't say how you didn't get in. Talk about an interest in higher lever care careers, how you did some research and legwork. Which does sound like what you actually did! Think about how to reframe your story before you commit to the story because you have to repeat it over and over and over again.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Re-apply PT or go RN-to-NP. There's no reason to put in 7 years (minimum) of medicine when that's not something you're really into.

 

[future_physician2255]

I don't believe there are so many pa prerequisites that are really different. Maybe it depends on the state but I think it's just medical terminology that's like so not Med school related. I'd categorize your a&p as biology, and just leave the obvious pa preteqs as allied health. My advice is first for you to reach out to more people in real life but I say no, don't bring it up. Definitely don't do it if you feel like you have to. I got my emt and worked but that doesn't mean I wanted to folllow that life path. It is not suspicious. Now if you feel like the experience has transformed your perspective, then maybe. It's not a deal ended but I wouldn't do that personally. You got this, fellow Er tech! I hear you, you want to be genuine, but the Med school app is vastly different from other apps and they are looking for specific qualities.

Thank you everyone for the kind words and honest answers! I feel medicine is a journey and I do not want to downplay my past experiences as I feel they bring uniqueness to me as a candidate...but after sleeping on it I will probably not say anything about it hahaha. Probably try to frame as all of my past experiences have lead me here...and am reinforced by my love for my job, I wish I could do more to help, and want to be my own provider...something along those lines. THANK YOU ALL