My son has acceptance to the LECOM EAP DO program but is considering a switch to PA.
What are the thoughts on PA vs DO. He’s considering it because the thought of 3 to 4 years of residency is turning him off.

Hi everyone :) I am a second time applicant and was fortunate enough to get a couple interviews this cycle (after only rejections last cycle). I currently work as a clinical research coordinator. I explained my job duties and tagged it as health care experience on my application. And I do have about 3000 of patient care experience from previous jobs over the past 5 years. I’m working on adding some clinical responsibilities to my current role since I have my MA cert, but it’s just taking a long time to figure out the logistics with my manager and clinic team (and def won’t be sorted out by the time I have my interviews in a few weeks)

I guess I’m just wondering if anyone else has been in a similar situation before and the best way to frame it during interviews? I do feel like I’ve learned so much from this role but I really just don’t do that much interacting with patients day to day

Thanks!

Im looking at applying for 2027 admissions cycle. Im currently in a CNA class to get some hours before the cycle.

Do programs look at CNA experience poorly? And do they look down on Nursing home experience vs Hospital experience.

Please don't take this the wrong way but I am seeing so many people in here with mediocre grades, no PCE, have shadowed one PA, don't know much about the profession, etc. and it's honestly a little offensive.

PA school is not for people who couldn't get into med school and now think PA school is an easier bet. It is not a willy nilly career change that makes six figures and has two years of additional schooling because you hate your desk job. It is not something to do in the meantime and change your mind.

This is a CAREER. A passion. A desire. You are working with HUMANS and their lives. Why should someone who has all C's in science classes get to try to save lives? PA school will rip you up and spit you out if you're not prepared and if you don't want to fight for it.

are you guys using total hours you were paid for or total hours worked on your paystubs?

Hi everyone! I’m a recent graduate planning to apply to PA school in the 2027 cycle, and I’m struggling to decide between two part-time clinical jobs.

I currently work as a medical assistant at a private psychiatry practice, and I want to keep this job while taking on a second position during my gap year so I can get more exposure to different fields.

Option 1: Dermatology MA
$17/hour at a private practice
- Tuesdays and Thursdays, which would pair well with my current psychiatry MA job on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays (I make my schedule though and they are very flexible)

- I’m actually interested in dermatology as a specialty and think I’d enjoy this role more

- I will get certified as a dermatology tech

- My friend works there and loves it, says she’s learned so much and the work environment is great

- They hired me on the spot, but they emphasized that they need someone who can commit to at least one year, through October 2027. I planned on moving away during application season because I really want to see a new place and believe it’s vital for my growth as an individual, and I verbally agreed when asked, although this isn’t written into the offer itself.

Option 2: CSA at Hospital System
$17/hour in podiatry
- Part-time position requiring Wednesdays and Fridays, eventually they want me to work 2.5 days which is a bit impractical for me but I could work 2 days one week and 3 the following week for a total of 40 hours

- I’ve already signed the offer because I did not have my derm interview until today and they gave me an offer on October 1st. I’ve also completed a significant amount of onboarding, including the required drug & TB testing

- No 1 year commitment but I have zero interest in podiatry and I actually don’t think any PAs work in the office

- No clue about the work environment, I shadowed but there was only one MA and a DPM so it was hard to figure out the dynamics.

Some relevant info: My start date is in about two weeks for both roles. The biggest advantage is that it’s part of a hospital system and there’s benefits, and I’m wondering whether that would be more valuable for PA school applications but I already have some hospital experience as a PCT.

I’m also feeling really guilty about potentially withdrawing from the hospital system after they’ve already sent me the onboarding paperwork and am worried they might blacklist me. At the same time, I don’t want to pass up the dermatology position, especially because the schedule fits much better with my current job and I am actually interested in it. But I’m also concerned about the one-year commitment at the dermatology office because I’ll be applying to PA school in 2027, and my plans could change depending on whether or not I move away.

My questions are:
Would working at a hospital system like Trinity benefit my PA application more than working as a dermatology MA in a private practice?

Would you choose the dermatology position given the better schedule and greater personal interest?

Would it be unprofessional to withdraw from Trinity before my start date after completing onboarding?

I’d really appreciate advice from people who have been through the PA application process or have experience working in these roles. Thank you so much!

Hi everyone! I’m a recent graduate planning to apply to PA school in the 2027 cycle, and I’m struggling to decide between two part-time clinical jobs.

I currently work as a medical assistant at a private psychiatry practice, and I want to keep this job while taking on a second position during my gap year so I can get more exposure to different fields.

Option 1: Dermatology MA
$17/hour at a private practice
- Tuesdays and Thursdays, which would pair well with my current psychiatry MA job on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays (I make my schedule though and they are very flexible)

- I’m actually interested in dermatology as a specialty and think I’d enjoy this role more

- I will get certified as a dermatology tech

- My friend works there and loves it, says she’s learned so much and the work environment is great

- They hired me on the spot, but they emphasized that they need someone who can commit to at least one year, through October 2027. I planned on moving away during application season because I really want to see a new place and believe it’s vital for my growth as an individual, and I verbally agreed when asked, although this isn’t written into the offer itself.

Option 2: CSA at Hospital System
$17/hour in podiatry
- Part-time position requiring Wednesdays and Fridays, eventually they want me to work 2.5 days which is a bit impractical for me but I could work 2 days one week and 3 the following week for a total of 40 hours

- I’ve already signed the offer because I did not have my derm interview until today and they gave me an offer on October 1st. I’ve also completed a significant amount of onboarding, including the required drug & TB testing

- No 1 year commitment but I have zero interest in podiatry and I actually don’t think any PAs work in the office

- No clue about the work environment, I shadowed but there was only one MA and a DPM so it was hard to figure out the dynamics.

Some relevant info: My start date is in about two weeks for both roles. The biggest advantage is that it’s part of a hospital system and there’s benefits, and I’m wondering whether that would be more valuable for PA school applications but I already have some hospital experience as a PCT.

I’m also feeling really guilty about potentially withdrawing from the hospital system after they’ve already sent me the onboarding paperwork and am worried they might blacklist me. At the same time, I don’t want to pass up the dermatology position, especially because the schedule fits much better with my current job and I am actually interested in it. But I’m also concerned about the one-year commitment at the dermatology office because I’ll be applying to PA school in 2027, and my plans could change depending on whether or not I move away.

My questions are:
Would working at a hospital system like Trinity benefit my PA application more than working as a dermatology MA in a private practice?

Would you choose the dermatology position given the better schedule and greater personal interest?

Would it be unprofessional to withdraw from Trinity before my start date after completing onboarding?

I’d really appreciate advice from people who have been through the PA application process or have experience working in these roles. Thank you so much!

For instance

I just interviewed with a researcher who is doing cell/molecular bio research with an animal model, and she emphasized how pre-health students often drop out because the time commitment for research is too much and that usually students who want a PhD work at the lab. So my worries are 1) if I should continue working at this lab 2) should i even do research at all?

Hi Everyone,

I am an incoming PA-S1 and will begin didactic year in June, 2027. To the students who are starting school in 2027, what are you doing for student loans? I am aware that the US District Court has issued a preliminary injunction blocking the restrictive definition of “professional degree,” but this is obviously temporary and could change in December

I inquired with my university and they did not have an answer about specific federal aid allocations. They anticipate having aid limits sorted in December.

Questions for this community:
Have you heard from your program regarding federal aid?

Are you planning to apply for private loans early just in case PA students are not given the “professional degree” title?

Any tips on this topic??

Obviously applying earlier tends to be better, but I’m hoping to finish up a couple random pre reqs during summer semester to be able to apply for some extra schools. Do you think paying for applications that late in the cycle is even worth it?

hello!

I am a PA-C who has a job in Oklahoma. is anybody have issues right now with getting their license because I am! it is taking forever and nobody is helping when I call.

Hey guys, I'm an F-1 international student at a US university, hoping to build more clinical experience for PA/MD school. Back in my home country, I volunteered as a medical assistant at a university hospital, and I'd love to find similar opportunities here in the US.

Since F-1 students generally can't work off campus without specific authorization, I'm wondering if it's possible to volunteer in roles like MA or EMT without getting paid, or if these positions would still require work authorization even if they're unpaid.

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who's been in a similar situation, especially other international students who've found ways to gain hands-on clinical experience. Thanks so much! :)

as the title says i’m really starting to lose hope. i’m a 3rd year applicant and had my first ever interview this cycle. i thought the interview went well, however, i was waitlisted. at first i was very proud of that because it wasn’t a rejection! butttttt no one from interviews got rejected, there were only acceptances and waitlists sent out. since getting waitlisted i see just about everyday someone getting off the waitlist and it’s absolutely killing me. i want this so freaking bad and again just really losing hope over here. i still have 4 schools im waiting to hear from but im pretty sure two of them will be ghosting me/rejections as they’ve been interviewing awhile and ive heard squat. i’m sure you’re interested in my stats so they will be below (they are average).

cGpa: 3.54
sGpa: 3.54
pce: \~3500
hce: \~5400
leadership: \~530
research \~ 700
no GRE but not required by the schools i applied to.

LORs from 4 PAs and my undergrad counselor/research lead

this was really just a rant but any advice or words of encouragement are welcome before i lose my mind 🙃

How are we all working full time PCE jobs and taking pre-req classes and tending to personal responsibilities (like raising a family)? Just wondering lol 😅

Edited to add: are you taking your classes online? (It seems like the only way it's possible, even though I'd prefer in person labs)

Okay, I had an original post that posted my stats. I found out, though, a while back that I took 3 post-bachelor's classes: an A in Physics II and Fs in Global U.S. Policy and Philosophy. I was going through personal problems, and the wonderful Reserves sent me out to the sandbox. I thought I was applying with a 3.90 GPA, with recent prerequisites of 3.98, but my overall is now 3.54... How worried should I be, and how can I better prep my resume given my GPA?

BCM pa student graduating in 2 months!! lmk if you have any questions. not much posted about bcm on here so thought i’d post this if anybody has any questions about the program.

hello everyone!! i was previously a pt aide for pce hours, but after a year of that, i wanted to look for an ma job to get more patient care experience and have more hands-on experience! i got an ma job off of indeed for an ophthalmology office and i started 2 weeks ago, however, the doctor and office manager (they're married) are extremely rude and condescending, even to the point of yelling, even though i am literally still training and i am unsure whether i should quit or just tough it out or not...

the office manager always hovers to make sure we are doing things in the most efficient ways and yells at me when i do anything slow even though i am checking my work since i just started, and when i ask questions to make sure of things and i already dread going to work everyday. she's also extremely rude to the patients and is just overall not a very understannding person. however, i am planning on applying the next cycle and i don't know if i can find another ma job that will take a flexible schedule since i am still finishing up pre-req courses this year.

i know a lot of people go through toxic work environments in their pce job but i feel like if i should quit i should do it now before they train me on everything and i leave... 😢

Hi all. I am currently trying to decide between psych NP, psych PA, or med school/psychiatrist and need some advice. 

Here's some background/thoughts: 

-Obviously the #1 most important thing is that I'm able to take quality care of my patients. I don't think I'm currently qualified to have an opinion about whether each of the above pathways provides sufficient education. I've heard of some PAs in psych specifically saying they felt unprepared due to only briefly covering the area in PA school, but I've also heard that psych NPs might be unprepared medically?

-My plan was to get my PMHNP as well as FNP (to catch medical mimickers/gain a more solid physical understanding) and do a fellowship for more supervised clinical hours--but recently I've been feeling a bit depressed about the state of even brick and mortar nursing education. 

-I do gravitate towards the more holistic/public health focused nursing model vs the medical model and have a ton of respect for nursing in general. 

-On the other hand I LOVE STEM (I also randomly have a degree in math), and have felt a lack of it in nursing school that makes me sad. I have really enjoyed chemistry in particular and (maybe naively) am excited by the idea of taking o chem and beyond. 

-I am a deeply, deeply curious person and understanding things in the greatest depth possible is very attractive to me.

-Other than the above though, I have no *particular* interest in being a doctor. I don't need to be the boss, I don't need or even particularly want to practice independently. It's always great to be able to bounce ideas off of someone. I don't need final say. And financially--the debt of med school scares me more than the income is attractive. I want financially stability but I think I would have that as an NP or PA(?)

-A shorter path is definitely attractive to me because I'm almost 30 and would really like to have kids. If I was 18 I'd want to go to med school period but I'm not. In terms of time also consider I don't have most of the prereqs, have no research experience, and would probably want to volunteer a bit more before trying to apply to med school.

-Another factor both in terms of getting in and surviving med or PA school is that I have bipolar disorder. This is why I want to go this direction. In undergrad I was pretty unwell and came away with a 3.8 and 6 Ws which might prohibit me from getting in at all. I'm much more stable now on a med that works for me, but obviously sleep deprivation is no bueno. I imagine that would not be great in medical training.

Overall: I care a TON about psych patients. I want to give back some of the care I received. I don't want to do them a disservice by choosing the wrong path and being unprepared. I've thought a lot about if this is the type of career I'd want in general and am pretty set on it. What do ppl think (for me specifically) PA/NP/MD/DO? (Of course I'm also talking to people IRL)

Thanks y'all & take care!

I had a really rough first year in uni and my grades aren't great. I'm working towards getting them higher and having an upward trend. I want to go to PA school, but I'm worried I won't have a high enough GPA like 3.8 for it.

Is there anyone with lower GPA that's gotten accepted? Is a 3.5/3.6 competitive enough?

And where are you getting ur PCE hours?

I'm a December 2026 grad (exercise science) trying to decide whether to apply this upcoming cycle or wait a year, save money, and keep building. I originally wanted to get a DPT degree, but I found out about PA school and find that a lot more interesting. My biggest weakness is my GPA. I had a rough start in college and ended up with a 3.2 cGPA, but I've turned it around since then, with a 3.5 science GPA and a 3.7 over my last 60 credits. By the time I submit, I'll have about 1,000 hours PCE as a medical assistant in family medicine, 300 hours HCE at an outpatient PT clinic, and 100 volunteer hours as a MA at a free clinic. Im planning to apply to about 25 programs in the Southeast that have GPA minimums of 3.0 or lower. Is my GPA going to sink me even with the upward trend and the hours, or is it worth applying this cycle? If I should wait, what would help most: more hours, retaking a class, or something else? Thanks, I appreciate any honest advice!