Casper6060 Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 Ok, I know there are so many " My gpa is low, can I get in posts?" but I feel mine is different since it was so long ago! :) So I have an undergrad degree from 2000 with a GPA of 2.3. Looking back, it's embarrassing! I went back to Rad Tech school and graduated with a 3.8. That program was 72 credit hours. I've been a CT Tech in a Level 1 Trauma Center for 11 years, which is great experience. I'm starting my pre req's in January, which will take me about a year and a half. I hear that the most recent 60 hours of a GPA is mostly looked at. Will my higher GPA counteract my crappy GPA from 15 years ago? I feel it will be ok due to my maturity and work experience, but it's always in the back of my mind that my old GPA will haunt me forever! I know there are so many other factors to get into PA school, but I don't want my GPA to automatically eliminate me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guiriguiri Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 You've gotta crunch the numbers to figure out what will get your cGPA and sGPA up to a 3.0. Should take at least 3 years full time of 4.0 (not factoring in the bump from your rad tech) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casper6060 Posted December 12, 2015 Author Share Posted December 12, 2015 You've gotta crunch the numbers to figure out what will get your cGPA and sGPA up to a 3.0. Should take at least 3 years full time of 4.0 (not factoring in the bump from your rad tech) So the fact that my undergrad degree is 15 years old won't factor in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guiriguiri Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 No, it's all worth the same in terms of GPA calculations. Lots of schools will consider your upward trajectory and will put emphasis on recent work, however, if you don't meet their minimum GPA standards, they'll never look at it in the first place. Look for schools with different minimum GPAs -- I think there are some 2.75 as the min. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casper6060 Posted December 12, 2015 Author Share Posted December 12, 2015 No, it's all worth the same in terms of GPA calculations. Lots of schools will consider your upward trajectory and will put emphasis on recent work, however, if you don't meet their minimum GPA standards, they'll never look at it in the first place. Look for schools with different minimum GPAs -- I think there are some 2.75 as the min. Yeah, that's a bummer. If I calculated correctly, my community college grades plus undergrad plus Rad Tech gives me a 3.1. I guess I better ace my pre-req's! I forgot my freshman/sophomore GPA is better than my total undergrad GPA. Hopefully it'll all add up to be somewhat decent. I am nowhere near the person I was back then! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kwame E Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Go to the CASPA website with your transcript in front of you and calculate your GPA the way they do. Your rad tech GPA will most likely be considered post bacc, however I don't know if those classes will be factored into your science GPA. Do well in your pre-reps and the GRE and shadow some PAs if you haven't. With 11 years of clinical experience you'll have no issue getting in IMO. The PA profession was made for people like you, healthcare workers who want a larger scope of practice w/o having to do med school + residency. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MT2PA Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Your biggest issue will be if/when you GPA automatically filters you out of the initial round of evaluation. The notion that the last 60 credits matter most is inaccurate for a lot of programs. Few actually take the time to calculate your last 45-60 GPA credits - it's a lot of work for them. So unless your CASPA GPA (because how CASPA calculates it is what really matters) is above a 3.0, you will have to selectively apply. With schools getting increasing numbers of apps, there has to be an initial filter and GPA is usually it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UGoLong Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Don't just blindly raise your GPA without talking to a school. If it's been 15 years and you have 11 years of experience, you might be viewed differently. The only relatively surefire way to find out is to visit a school and talk to them. I wouldn't design my life around what a web page says or doesn't say without talking to a human being. Might save a lot of heartache and/or wasted effort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyNameWasUsed Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 I have no statistics to back up my opinion on this but i think you're set. 15 years is a long time and with the whole holistic approach that admission committees are supposedly taking, I think you're good. Just take pre-reqs and apply Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clhook Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 ^ Classic username, and I agree. Push come to shove you could see if the school you're now doing your pre-reqs through offers a general studies degree. Usually you can graduate those programs at 90 hours, and put it in there as a second B.S. If I do not get accepted this round I will just have to bite the bullet, and retake a couple pre-reqs (O Chem, and probably my Bio and A&Ps if they time out). I have roughly 5 years of healthcare experience myself at close to 10,000 hours, and I will also finish a science based Masters this Spring with a GPA of 3.8 assuming I ace the upcoming semester. Good luck to you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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