PT vs. PA?

[npatell]

I'm currently a senior, undergrad major of Health Science Studies. Most likely I will graduate with a GPA around 3.4-3.5 with my science being around a 3.0-3.1. I have around 300 hours of shadowing in outpatient rehabilitation, did an internship with a hospital where I helped develop a web program and I am involved in about 7 student organizations, holding leadership positions for 5 of them.
My question is, although I have will have a 3.4 or so by the time I graduate, I do have at least 4-5 C's on my transcript. Also, if I decide to pursue PA instead of PT, I will have to take organic chemistry I and I was planning to do this online post graduation, seeing as I do not have the time to take it while I am concurrently enrolled in 18 hours.
My GRE scores are also average at 147 and 148 with a 4.5 in writing.
Another addition, I also plan to take a year off and work as a medical scribe if I choose to pursue PA or a physical therapy technician if I decide to do PT.
I am more interested in PA, however I am not sure I necessarily have the grades for the competitive pool out there.
Does anyone have some words of wisdom or suggest any schools to look into that may not place high emphasis only on a student's GPA?
Thank you!

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[livelifelifting]

These are two vastly different fields. If you know you want to do PA I would suggest that you focus on doing whatever you can to make yourself more competitive. PT school is also very competitive, I think only like 45% of applicants were admitted anywhere at all last year?

 

[NeuroRehabilitation]

With the amount of shadowing you've done, you should know by now if you want to be a PA or a PT. Additionally, both of these career choices are competitive programs and GPA is only one component of major that adcoms look at. Do not let the likelihood of being accepted into a program decide your career for you. Follow that path that aligns closest with your passion and skillset and do what it takes to get in. Many people on here have went threw multiple cycles before they were admitted. I suggest that you spend more time shadowing both PA's and PT's in different settings. Do some soul searching, pick one, and then go all out to do what is necessary to get into a program. Don't doubt yourself.

 

[Azimuthal]

Of the 5/7 leadership positions you hold in your student organizations, how much impact have you made in them? What is a leader to you? Can you elaborate on each of your roles? Now, with your definition of a leader, do you believe that what you did was leadership? I've noticed a lot of leaders only carry the title. Whether you choose PT or PA, keep in mind that an interview can easily pick that apart. How long did you hold these positions? Also, do you think that you could have improved your sci GPA if you reduced your extracurricular activities? We just had our interviews and I sat in on one. I asked you, because that was asked of the student. I'm pretty sure she went back to her hotel and cried. I would have.

I'm not saying that's you. It was just a good example to bring up.

 

[NewTestament]

I am more interested in PA, however I am not sure I necessarily have the grades for the competitive pool out there.
Thank you!

You answered your own question. Since you are more interested in becoming a PA, then that's where you should direct all you energy. Don't think acceptance to PT school is much easier than acceptance to PA school. I don't know who told you that but that's not true. If you want to apply to PA school, then you're going to need at least a 3.5 pGPA and a 300 total GRE to be competitive, if not higher. Forget being a PT tech and get a job as a scribe. Have you gotten all your volunteer hours? I know PA applicants need at least 500. Not all PA schools require o-chem, but all require at least biochemistry.

Kevin

 

[SuperKirby]

These are two vastly different fields. If you know you want to do PA I would suggest that you focus on doing whatever you can to make yourself more competitive. PT school is also very competitive, I think only like 45% of applicants were admitted anywhere at all last year?

The national average acceptance rate was about 20% in 2012. Out of the 20% accepted, only about half decided to enroll.
http://www.capteonline.org/uploaded...gram_data/aggregateprogramdata_ptprograms.pdf

OP, as far as PA vs PT, I would guess they're evenly competitive. So go where you like the most.

 

[okramango]

The national average acceptance rate was about 20% in 2012. Out of the 20% accepted, only about half decided to enroll.
http://www.capteonline.org/uploaded...gram_data/aggregateprogramdata_ptprograms.pdf

Thanks for posting that CAPTE report. It's really interesting. It looks like about 30% of qualified applicants were offered a seat last year when averaging all PT programs.
The 45% figure above came from the PTCAS applicant report, which only looks at PTCAS programs, implying that PTCAS programs have a higher percentage of offers to qualified applicants. However, I think the reason is that people who apply to PTCAS programs tend to apply to more programs, and so are more likely to decline offers, and therefore PTCAS programs must make more offers in order to fill their class.
http://www.ptcas.org/uploadedFiles/PTCASorg/About_PTCAS/PTCASApplicantDataRpt.pdf

Regardless of the exact figures, it's definitely competitive to get into PT school. I would suggest to the OP to retake the GRE to get above 150 on both sections, and to just do your best to show an upward trend in grades, especially in science courses. You might seek out programs that consider only the last 60 units, rather than cumulative. Good luck!

 

[j1254]

If you want to apply to PA school, then you're going to need at least a 3.5 pGPA and a 300 total GRE to be competitive, if not higher.

Kevin, do you know of a website or resource that I could use to get updated GRE scores for each PA school?

 

[NewTestament]

I don't unfortunately. Maybe CASPA?