Switching from Pharmacy to PA

[Kobethegoat24]

Just need some advice into a very scary chapter in my life. I have read some very scary things about pharmacy field that have made me rethink my course. I have been working towards a pharmacy career and been working as a tech for the last 3 years, but now want to switch to physician assistant.
Was wondering if you good people could give me my chances of getting into PA school right out of college and any other hints or tips...
My Stats so far:
GPA= 3.79
Work experience= 3 years registered Pharmacy technician at CVS
I am right now finishing my 3rd year of college and will graduate in 2018.
I have read some places that pharmacy tech experience counts as PA school HCE and have read at other places that it doesn't.
If i were to work as an EMT or other common HCE for one year before graduating in 2018 would that be good enough to get into PA school?
Just looking for more advice, any is appreciated thanks

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[DizzyJon]

You should check with the schools you will apply to and see if they accept pharmacy tech hours. As you stated, some will and some won't. Even if they do, it certainly wouldn't hurt getting more hands on experience being an EMT. Yes, this would be good enough to get into PA school, but it is very competitive now. There are so many applicants who will be doing the exact same thing you are.

 

[Kobethegoat24]

You should check with the schools you will apply to and see if they accept pharmacy tech hours. As you stated, some will and some won't. Even if they do, it certainly wouldn't hurt getting more hands on experience being an EMT. Yes, this would be good enough to get into PA school, but it is very competitive now. There are so many applicants who will be doing the exact same thing you are.

Ok thanks appreciate the reply

 

[theeasymushroom]

I'm in a similar boat to you where I'm trying to rack up HCE. Just know that if you get a job as an EMT most schools do not count your entire shift as an EMT as HCE, only the hours you're on a call. So keep that in mind when you chose your experiences. But it certainly wouldn't be bad to add more hours as an EMT if you want

 

[Kobethegoat24]

I'm in a similar boat to you where I'm trying to rack up HCE. Just know that if you get a job as an EMT most schools do not count your entire shift as an EMT as HCE, only the hours you're on a call. So keep that in mind when you chose your experiences. But it certainly wouldn't be bad to add more hours as an EMT if you want

Great thanks for the heads up, im not looking into working as a medical assistant or clinical tech. Have you decided which HCE you want to do for PA school, if so any suggestions?

 

[theeasymushroom]

I'm looking into the clinical tech route. I enjoy being in the ER so ER tech is something I'm trying to get. Or some other Patient Care Tech position in other specialties that I'm interested in. Other than that I really don't know what else is out there that could satisfy the amount of hours that are required now. Although I have heard that some schools accept ER scribing if that's something you're interested in. You'll just have to do your research and make sure the schools you want to apply for will accept it

 

[pamac]

I'm a nurse. Would those same schools tell me that I can only count the hours that I work when I'm in direct contact with a patient (not the majority of my shift where I'm typing away at a computer)? I'm guessing the majority of schools don't parse it down that far. Don't mess around with those that do. Send your $80 application fee somewhere else if a program wants you to play that game.

Working as an EMT is as direct patient care as it gets. Its frankly offensive that any school would expect an applicant to determine "hours actually touching a patient". Its not like firefighting, where there are multiple duties to perform, and one of them may be rescuing people. EMT is focused on one thing.... stabilizing a damaged human being. When you aren't actually in contact with said human beings, you are waiting around to STABILIZE a human being. If that doesn't count as sufficient to a school, eff them. Take your 3.79 GPA and $100,000 to one of the majority of programs (and every new program opening up), that don't even care much about HCE anymore.

To be honest, you should have an easy time finding a program that will respect what you have already achieved as a pharmacy tech and a good student. Grades are the most important thing to landing a spot in a PA school. If you have your heart set on a program in particular, then yes, try to tailor your profile to the things they want to see. But overall, just do your homework and find the programs that take folks with backgrounds like yourself. There are a ton of PA schools out there, and they all have individual standards as to what they want to see their applicants have. Some want lots of high quality health care experience like RN's and RT's and paramedics. Others don't care about that aspect, and want to see lots of volunteer work and humanitarian pursuits. Pretty much all of them want folks to have their applicants to have the highest grades they can get. Even though everyone seems to ask....There isn't a program out there that is looking hard for folks that have GPAs below 3.0, mediocre GRE scores, and entry level GPA, but have a sincere desire to become a PA. If a program like that existed, it would be everyone's safety school, and get 20,000 applicants every cycle. But alas, every program wants good students that won't flunk out of PA school, which is demanding, fast paced, and rigorous.

You have a lot going for you. You showed you can go to school while working, and get good grades without struggling with difficult coursework. If you feel like its necessary to go and become an EMT, it may be worthwhile if it isn't detrimental to your academics. But overall, its entry level material that can be obtained quickly by anyone willing to write a check to a EMT school and show up. Instead, I'd suggest you take some extra science electives and do well in them. Study to do well on the GRE. Find the programs that take what you already have. Practice your skills as an interviewee. Shadow some PA's. I think you will do fine.

 

[Kobethegoat24]

pamac thank you very much for your detailed reply. Really appreciate the tips, education always comes first !


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