Paramedic, Low GPA, upward trend, What are my odds?

[mcabo004]

Quick overview of myself,
Age: 25
GPA:
cGPA: 2.69
sGPA: 2.98
HCE:

• 478 patient contact hours from rides and clinical in the EMS program
• 1-1.5 years working for a private ambulance company

Other:
Associates in Science in Emergency Medical Services
Firefighter Certification , Broward Fire Academy

I decided to pursue my goals towards becoming a physician assistant, and closing in on my graduation date in may, I am worried the odds are not in my favor. I have uploaded my grades from a personal spreadsheet I have made. I plan on retaking Gen Chem II and Genetics during the summer, while studying for the GRE. My spread sheet computed that if I was to take an additional 45(A's) credits from this point forward, I would just meet the 3.0 mark for my cGPA. If I reach this will I be even considered. I have called several programs, which stated that the average accepted student has a 3.5-3.6 cGPA. Please be honest, I am thinking of possible alternative career options, but don't wish to give up on this. This is honestly the career I'm passionate on pursuing.

Thank you in Advance for any insight

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[pamac]

PA draws a lot of people in who pursue it with the expectation that health care experience it the ticket to getting in like it used to be. Everything is more competitive these days. My friend went to dental school in the late 90's, and at the time it wasn't nearly as difficult. There was a time when PA was more obscure, and they recruited heavily from the medical field because it just wasn't on someone's radar. You were pretty thorough with your spreadsheet, and that, coupled with what you've heard from programs you've contracted, should guide your way. These days, I feel like candidates need to look at their healthcare experience separately and secondarily to their academic performance. My rule of thumb is that if you don't think you would fare well applying for medical or dental school, then you would only be slightly better applying to PA school. Obviously the requirements are lighter for PA school overall, but I liken it to a car purchase: If you don't have the money for a BMW, you probably still don't have enough for a Lexus.

 

[haiku13]

I'm a medic as well and I just got accepted into pa school. My first time applying I had a 2.99 and I didn't get any interviews next round 3.14 I got 1 interview and I got waitlisted this time around 3.28 and 7000 hce hours over the years and I got 4 interviews so far. If this is your passion I would keep at it and you will eventually get in. Even though I was rejected many times I just kept improving my gpa and getting more hce and it paid off. Good luck

 

[pamac]

3.0 really seems to be the minimum for a school to look at a candidate to see if they are interesting.

From your spreadsheet, you are a classic case of a late bloomer with some scattered struggles in a few classes that I can't really tell much about due to just the course number being shown, but I get the drift. You definately have an upward trend, and probably have a good reason for the courses you flubbed and withdrew from early on. I can sympathize with that kind of transcript a bit, as I wasn't a perfect student. The question you have to ask yourself is, what are you willing to do, and how long will you do it for. How you will pay for that is another big question, because to dig out of that gpa hole will take a lot of time and money just to have a chance of making the big leagues. I didn't want to wait even another year to reapply to my top choice school I didn't get into, so I went to nursing school and am in NP school now. At this point, things are starting to click for you academically, but your anchor dragging you down is going to obscure that. I'd explore nursing school, because your healthcare experience isn't going to open any doors for you. Don't spend 3 years working hard just to have a chance of getting in to school (all your hard work will only get you consideration, and most PA students came in with 3.6or better). Find a nursing school that looks only at a few prereqs, take those prereqs and get A's. Become a nurse and make $85k while you go to NP school, and then become an NP making as much as a PA. Or go to CRNA school and make $170k. Don't dink around for 3 years and call it the price of chasing your dream, because you'll miss out on life.