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Abagail
Student
Fayetteville, Arkansas
1
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Advice for a first generation looking at PA schools
#college-advice #medical-education #college-selection #medical-school #paschool #physicianassistant
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2 answers
Brock Allore
Tech Support Management
10
Answers
Mankato, Minnesota
Updated
Brock’s Answer
Don't be afraid of change. I was the first in my family to go to school as well. Apply to many school and temper your expectations. You may not get into your dream school, but you can get a very good education almost anywhere. Unless you are going to the best schools in the country the name of the institution is less important then how well you do and the effort you put in.
If you are able (and the schools offer it due to Covid) campus tours are a great way to get a feel for what the culture of a school is.
If you are able (and the schools offer it due to Covid) campus tours are a great way to get a feel for what the culture of a school is.
Josilynn Wank
Pre-Physician Assistant Student/Registered Behavior Technician
3
Answers
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Updated
Josilynn’s Answer
Hello!
While I am not first-gen., I am also a pre PA student! I personally have a spreadsheet of all the schools I want to go to and every single requirement, from prerequisite classes to amount of patient care hours. If you are able to (according to the program you would like to apply to), take classes at an accredited community college! It is so much cheaper! Another thing I would recommend is getting started on your patient care hours as soon as possible. Some positions like a nursing assistant or health aide require no licensing or certifications and will offer valuable experience. Volunteering is a plus too. I would also (if you can in COVID times) shadow a physician assistant for a shift just to get a feel for what they do and why you would want to be a PA vs. an MD, DO, DPT, CNP, etc. Shadow as many specialties because PAs can do it all! But the biggest thing is go on the program you are interested in's website and find exactly what they require. A 3.0 cumulative and science GPA is standard for most programs. I hope this helps and feel free to reach out if you have any questions!
Josie
http://paprogramsearch.com/
https://www.thepalife.com/pa-program-picker/
https://directory.paeaonline.org/
While I am not first-gen., I am also a pre PA student! I personally have a spreadsheet of all the schools I want to go to and every single requirement, from prerequisite classes to amount of patient care hours. If you are able to (according to the program you would like to apply to), take classes at an accredited community college! It is so much cheaper! Another thing I would recommend is getting started on your patient care hours as soon as possible. Some positions like a nursing assistant or health aide require no licensing or certifications and will offer valuable experience. Volunteering is a plus too. I would also (if you can in COVID times) shadow a physician assistant for a shift just to get a feel for what they do and why you would want to be a PA vs. an MD, DO, DPT, CNP, etc. Shadow as many specialties because PAs can do it all! But the biggest thing is go on the program you are interested in's website and find exactly what they require. A 3.0 cumulative and science GPA is standard for most programs. I hope this helps and feel free to reach out if you have any questions!
Josie
Josilynn recommends the following next steps: