Hi everyone. I am a Health Science major and interested in going into medicine. I will be finishing orgo 1 this decemeber and am conflicted if I should go pre-PA or pre-med. My gpa is a 3.6 and sgpa is 3.50. I still haven’t taken orgo 2, physics1/2, or biochem. I’m worried my gpa will continue to decrease and I’ll be in a situation where I won’t have a high enough gpa for pa or med school. What should I do? Go to orgo 2 and try for pre-med or just stop now and try to bring up my gpa for pre-PA school, because I have all the requirements for it.
I’ve always wanted to be a doctor but I’m not sure its the life for me. I would rather have someone telling me what to do. I really enjoy school though. I love learning and cannot think of a life when I’m not in college. Chances of pre-med with a maintained 3.5-6 gpa and sgpa of 3.5?
Have you shadowed both professions? Do you know what the differences are in the day-to-day practices of physicians and PAs?
That should be your first priority: to decide which profession holds more appeal to you.
Right now your stats are still in range for med school, especially if you’re willing to apply broadly and consider osteopathic medical schools. If you live in a “lucky” state that has a strong in-state preference in med admission–that will help also.
Which science classes gave you problems? OChem? Gen chem? All of them? Why do you think you’re having difficulties? What remedies have tried?
You need to know that PA school covers the same material in the same amount of time as med school during the first year. Your sciences need to be strong or you risk failing out of the program.
Also you need to check the admission requirement for PA programs. PA programs generally require a number of additional upper level science courses, like: microbiology, human anatomy, human physiology, biochemistry, statistics.
PA school admission also requires a substantial amount of hands-ons direct patient contact. I’ve seen anywhere from 500 hours to 2000 hours required. Have you started your clinical volunteering? You’ll need it for whichever profession (medicine or PA) you decide to pursue.
BTW, PAs aren’t “told what to do”–they may work under the general direction of a physician, but their supervising physician isn’t there constantly looking over their shoulder. PAs largely work independently, some with only nominal oversight from their supervising physician.
As for learning---learning is lifelong process. It doesn't stop just because you aren't in school. I learn new things everyday. It's just that the mode changes. Learning becomes much less passive as an adult. You can't rely on someone else telling what you need to know; you have to figure out for yourself what things you need to know and then you have to teach yourself or seek out someone who can teach you.
School is a safe place emotionally for many students because you understand the rules. Moving out into the real world is scary. It's new and not something you're familiar with. But for everyone childhood has to end sometime.
Hi, thank you for replying. I live in Florida so UF has a strong in state preference. I am applying for tech positions at the hospitals nearby but no one is hiring. I had problems in gen chem, I think I will be receiving an A in Ochem 1, after anatomy next semester, I will be done with the PA requirements. I will be shadowing a doctor next semester. I am a paid research assistant right now. Still so confused about what to do because I have a feeling my 3.5 sgpa will be decreasing in orgo 2 and physics… they are not required for PA though, so that is really appealing to me.
Time for some informational interviewing. Any alums at your school who are PAs? Why not set up an informal interview with 2-3 of them? Talk to them about why they chose to be PAs instead of MDs, what the advantages and disadvantages are, what they wished they’d known before they’d gone that route - ask for advice and guidance. People are generally very kind to students trying to find their way. Do the same with a few alums who are docs. (And someday, whatever you end up doing, pay it forward).