2 answers
Noella
Student
Fitchburg, Massachusetts
1
Question
Asked
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How many service hours do you need to be accepted into PA school?
How many service hours do you need to be accepted into PA school?
2 answers
Mary Jane Shroyer
Director of Health Professions Career Community
120
Answers
Grinnell, Iowa
Updated
Mary Jane’s Answer
Hi Noella, this really varies by program so it's difficult to give you a hard and fast rule. I would recommend you go to the PAEA school directory and research some of the schools that you may be interested in attending. Here's the link: https://paeaonline.org/our-programs. You can also look at program websites and search for "Profile of the incoming class" or "Profile of the most recent class"; often those will tell you the average number of work and volunteer hours for people who are attending the program, in addition to things like age and GPA.
In my experience, most often programs have a requirement for direct patient care versus a specific number of volunteer hours. Some programs will allow volunteer hours to count for patient care, but there are some programs that want to see paid employment. For those schools, the hours required can range from 100 to 2,000. The latter is equivalent to a full year of full-time employment. Someone who gets a certification (CNA, EMT, medical assisting, etc.) in high school can build up those hours by working while in college but some students will choose to work for a year or two after graduating from college before they apply to PA school. It really just depends on your circumstances but it's very common for PA students to take a gap year, so if that's what you ultimately need to do, don't be scared to take that time!
Research program websites and record their required volunteer and employment hours
If necessary, make a plan to get certified for a direct-patient care job (may require saving up money to pay for training)
In my experience, most often programs have a requirement for direct patient care versus a specific number of volunteer hours. Some programs will allow volunteer hours to count for patient care, but there are some programs that want to see paid employment. For those schools, the hours required can range from 100 to 2,000. The latter is equivalent to a full year of full-time employment. Someone who gets a certification (CNA, EMT, medical assisting, etc.) in high school can build up those hours by working while in college but some students will choose to work for a year or two after graduating from college before they apply to PA school. It really just depends on your circumstances but it's very common for PA students to take a gap year, so if that's what you ultimately need to do, don't be scared to take that time!
Mary Jane recommends the following next steps:
Michael Leaver
Retired professor of nursing
13
Answers
Berkeley, California
Updated
Michael’s Answer
First, know exactly what a PA does, what are the licensing requirements in your state, where are the programs and like Mary Jane said, look up the pre reqs, and types of classes you will need. you are not going to get in without a BA or BS degree so do something in college related to healthcare. You will have to get some hands on work before you even consider applying; I agree CNA work, or volunteer with hospice, or at a local hospital. You have to show you have hands on in the health field, and that you have stamina. Become an acupuncturist or any alternative healer type work first. PA schools are interested in people who do interesting things in health care. Become a volunteer in a nursing home or a pediatrics ward of a hospital to show you have experience with all ages of people. Talk to PA's, set up an informational interview with any you meet who are working and take their advice. Most PA's specialize so think of what area of medicine you are most interested in, is it urology, or neurology, or mental health, or geriatrics, for example.
These programs are very competitive, so find a way to make yourself stand out. Do political work around issues in healthcare, write articles for your local newspaper. Write a blog about your journey, and when you apply you will have an entire written journey of who you are and where you have gone to try to fulfill this dream.
These programs are very competitive, so find a way to make yourself stand out. Do political work around issues in healthcare, write articles for your local newspaper. Write a blog about your journey, and when you apply you will have an entire written journey of who you are and where you have gone to try to fulfill this dream.
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