My brain is pretty much jammed to maximum capacity on getting into PA schools right now. I had the flu (yeah yeah, the flu shot worked soooo well this year...), and an over-abundance of free time that I was quarantined at home to commit to researching pa programs even more than I have before. Commenting on the flu: I haven't had it as an adult so I wasn't really sure what to expect other than suckville. I do think I had a relatively mild case (fever never went over 101 and resp symptoms were minimal. tamiflu started asap). Just a dry cough and really really tired all the time (think Mono-esque). I suppose I've been spending a good bit of time thinking about my life plans (with fiance too), and I really knew I had to get back to school soon. As it stands I've been in the field for about 4 years, and the bang-my-head-on-walls quota goes up every time I roll into work. I know PA school isn't really my only option, but it's the one I've consistently come back to time and time again. Life's too short to not at least try to achieve your goals, right?
So, here goes. I am giving myself the next 2ish years to get all the prereqs done (one Chem will need to be repeated bc I took it forever ago), and finish up my BsRT. The different programs I'm interested in are basically all within the south east, but Mercer and Emory being the top two because they will not require an uprooting of life for me. I'm trying to figure out which programs lean more on healthcare experience #'s rather than the fresh-out-of-BS-in-chem-miss-4.0gpa-22yr old (didn't get into med school) that lists "healthcare experience" as a medical assistant in her father's practice (really, this person isn't a joke) for 500 hrs. It's just gotten so competitive to apply for these programs that prior healthcare experience isn't the first thing that's considered anymore. So much so that GPA/GRE need to seriously be above the 3.5/300 range to even have a smidgen of a chance. I do get reasoning behind this shift to focusing on academics with all the intense didactic science that you get thrown at you the first year for diet med school. Applicants need to at least prove that they are capable of handling the a&ps and pharmacology. In some way, I think NPs might have an advantage in my head because they at LEAST had a yr of clinical + 1 yr bedside RN work BEDSIDE. The RT gods would strike me down with lightening bolts if I said that statement aloud. The real truth of that statement also leads back to nursing leaving the breathing/vents/breath sounds/abg interpretation to RT & MDs. Which, is to say that most of the nurse practitioners I've worked with in the last 4 years have been quite humble and asked for my opinions/suggestions on patient care bc they outsourced that shit to RT. But the flip side is I also work with a STELLAR PA that was a RT in past life, so my encounters with her are always fantastic. Eh, kind of conflicting opinions, but I do know that I have to adapt to the rah-rah-PAs-are the-best-go-team attitude before interviews.
Here are the other weird things that I have used my excellent detective skills to uncover:
1. If the interviewers ask you your favorite TV show, do not say Grey's Anatomy. The Wire is my number one choice, followed by Scrubs, GOT, and Always Sunny (the early years). My choices are affirmed by McNulty's bad-assness, JD and Turk bromance, Game of Thrones because, damn, I read ALL of those 1k page epic books, and Always Sunny due to Charlie Day and the night man commeth.
2. I swear, the PA students are basically all hot. Even on par with ENT resident hotness. Is this an unknown boost to applications?
3. Apparently the CASPA application is as long and as detailed as Game of Thrones novels, so I've got that going for me...
4. The personal statements I read so far are chalk full of cliches. I know, I use a fair amount on my blogs as well, but I'm pretty good at editing it out of final drafts.
5. Speaking of personal statements, I think I'm just going to outline how excellent my skills of survival would be during a zombie apocalypse. I do live in Atlanta, just sayin. I'm also always prepared for many emergencies. Maybe I'll think on this one again.
6. Do not rag on MDs for not spending much time with their patients. Because it might be and MD that asks you a question pertaining to why you chose PA over Med schoool... Don't be that guy.
7. Seven is closer to heaven. This doesn't have any real meaning for applying, I just always say that to myself when I park on the 7th floor in the deck, or work all day on 71 floor. And zone out for the list at 7.
8. Try to make your application well rounded, and not your body shape. Seriously. I still don't know why or how all the current students are so damn pretty.
9. You can always re-take classes and explain bad GPA, but you must REALLY outshine in every other category and show epic improvement recently in school grades. At least good enough to score an interview and impress them with all the prettiness you can produce.
10. Ten is the end.
Night night.
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