Hi!
I'm not sure if this is the correct thread to seek advice for Physician Assistant route... I apologize if this is the wrong thread!
I have been trying to get in DPT schools for some years now but had no luck, maybe for a good reason. I've always had interest in any healthcare field and I have done some soul searching by volunteering in various settings, outpatient clinics and SNFs. I've done mostly in the rehabilitation section since that is my area of interest (even as a PA student, I would go in the rehab/sports medicine specialization if it is possible). However, after working for 2.5 years as a therapist aide on top of my volunteer experience in the rehab department, I soon began to feel I won't be able to enjoy the career long term. I began to want to know more than just therapy. I've had the chance to observe medical doctors, nurses and sometimes PA making rotations on the rehab patients; and wondered more and more about PA. My close friends and family have been encouraging me to go to PA school for years and rejected my route for DPT (small frame and short and not that strong. My mom had other concerns besides my frame). I've always had interest in PA in the back of my mind and now that I am changing my route, a whole new wave of anxieties are rushing in.
My stats:
Undergrad Major: Public Health Science. Minor: Psychology (cognitive)
Undergrad cGPA: 2.98 (super horrible.... I went through family loss and I just totally messed up)
Post- Bac cGPA: 3.82
Anatomy and Physiology: A and A, respectively
Physics 1 and 2: A and B, respectively
Bio II: A
Currently taking:
Chem II (retake- hoping to get an A... what are my chances if I get a B??), Medical Terminology
Future courses:
Chem I(retake since initial grade was at a B) , Bio I(retake as no lab was taken as undergrad), Microbio (since I didn't take the lab portion as undergrad), speech
Self reported pGPA: 3.18 (all retakes averaged out)
sGPA: 2.82 (averaged with retakes)
GRE: Verbal: 148 Quantitative: 145 Analytical: 4.0 (May retake... depending on my interest in schools
Volunteer/ Experiences
CNA student: certification but expired 2015 as I was focusing on grad school.
ER volunteer at Veteran's Hospital: 2 years observing and shadowing nurses, NP and occasionally PA and MD (This was in around 2011 ~ 2013
Acupuncture/ Oriental Medicine clinic: 30 hours observing and front desk
Rehab (PT) volunteer at Veteran Hospital: Inpatient and Outpatient hours around 200~ 300 hours each
Physical Therapist Aide (paid work) in conjunction to Orthopedist office: 2.5 years with patient hand's-on care and therapy modalities/ techniques; assist billing, scheduling, insurance verification, administrative work when office manager went on long term maternity leave.
Skilled Nursing Facility: around 150 hours in the rehab department. I got the chance to run around the entire nursing facility assisting nurses and rehab team, and occasionally observed MDs, Orthodontists and other health techs.
Schools of interest:
Mostly schools that won't look at the GRE or MCAT, and hopefully in California (where I live)
I do have all the pre-requisites met to apply but I am holding back to raise my GPA and take some additional courses that can help bump up the GPA. For all the applicants who went through PA application process, please advise me... do I have a chance for PA schools? I have come a long way exploring the areas of healthcare I had and have interests in, and I know that I want to take the PA route after much discussion with my family. I will be turning 29 when I apply next year and I want to be sure that I will be able to apply.
I'm not sure if this is the correct thread to seek advice for Physician Assistant route... I apologize if this is the wrong thread!
I have been trying to get in DPT schools for some years now but had no luck, maybe for a good reason. I've always had interest in any healthcare field and I have done some soul searching by volunteering in various settings, outpatient clinics and SNFs. I've done mostly in the rehabilitation section since that is my area of interest (even as a PA student, I would go in the rehab/sports medicine specialization if it is possible). However, after working for 2.5 years as a therapist aide on top of my volunteer experience in the rehab department, I soon began to feel I won't be able to enjoy the career long term. I began to want to know more than just therapy. I've had the chance to observe medical doctors, nurses and sometimes PA making rotations on the rehab patients; and wondered more and more about PA. My close friends and family have been encouraging me to go to PA school for years and rejected my route for DPT (small frame and short and not that strong. My mom had other concerns besides my frame). I've always had interest in PA in the back of my mind and now that I am changing my route, a whole new wave of anxieties are rushing in.
My stats:
Undergrad Major: Public Health Science. Minor: Psychology (cognitive)
Undergrad cGPA: 2.98 (super horrible.... I went through family loss and I just totally messed up)
Post- Bac cGPA: 3.82
Anatomy and Physiology: A and A, respectively
Physics 1 and 2: A and B, respectively
Bio II: A
Currently taking:
Chem II (retake- hoping to get an A... what are my chances if I get a B??), Medical Terminology
Future courses:
Chem I(retake since initial grade was at a B) , Bio I(retake as no lab was taken as undergrad), Microbio (since I didn't take the lab portion as undergrad), speech
Self reported pGPA: 3.18 (all retakes averaged out)
sGPA: 2.82 (averaged with retakes)
GRE: Verbal: 148 Quantitative: 145 Analytical: 4.0 (May retake... depending on my interest in schools
Volunteer/ Experiences
CNA student: certification but expired 2015 as I was focusing on grad school.
ER volunteer at Veteran's Hospital: 2 years observing and shadowing nurses, NP and occasionally PA and MD (This was in around 2011 ~ 2013
Acupuncture/ Oriental Medicine clinic: 30 hours observing and front desk
Rehab (PT) volunteer at Veteran Hospital: Inpatient and Outpatient hours around 200~ 300 hours each
Physical Therapist Aide (paid work) in conjunction to Orthopedist office: 2.5 years with patient hand's-on care and therapy modalities/ techniques; assist billing, scheduling, insurance verification, administrative work when office manager went on long term maternity leave.
Skilled Nursing Facility: around 150 hours in the rehab department. I got the chance to run around the entire nursing facility assisting nurses and rehab team, and occasionally observed MDs, Orthodontists and other health techs.
Schools of interest:
Mostly schools that won't look at the GRE or MCAT, and hopefully in California (where I live)
I do have all the pre-requisites met to apply but I am holding back to raise my GPA and take some additional courses that can help bump up the GPA. For all the applicants who went through PA application process, please advise me... do I have a chance for PA schools? I have come a long way exploring the areas of healthcare I had and have interests in, and I know that I want to take the PA route after much discussion with my family. I will be turning 29 when I apply next year and I want to be sure that I will be able to apply.
