roundabout Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 I see there are several stories like this, however each is unique and I'm looking for some advice for mine. I'm 28 years old, I've been a Firefighter/Paramedic for 5 years and I've taken a laundry list of college classes. When I was younger I took some classes and failed them and withdrew from a decent amount as well. Some of the classes that I attempted and failed are part of the pre reqs for PA school. I've retaken them and received an A in two of them and a B in two of them. I'm also halfway through my Bachelors in International Business. I have passed all my classes so far in my Bachelors program. My GPA upon receiving my Associates Degree was 2.54. My GPA 24 credits into my International Business degree is 3.4. I'm unsure what my final GPA will be once I've finished my bachelors. But I once I finish I will still need to take a handful of prereqs for PA school. How much will my experience as a Paramedic weigh in the application process? Also will I have to have an outstanding GRE score in order to be considered? My sister is in medical school now and we have aspirations to start a medical practice together. But I don't know if I should invest the time and money into trying to get accepted into PA school if my stats are already tarnished. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hustleforthePAC Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 If you meet the schools minimum requirement they will review your application paramedic experience for healthcare hours are strong all it takes is one interview and one acceptance research the programs and try applying for school you think you are fit for and opening up at medical practice won’t seem so far away Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFatMan Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 Some schools list directly on their website how much a certain category (GPA, GRE, HCE, etc) weighs in the decision process. Some only look at GPA and GRE scores prior to the interview and some will lean towards more HCE. Just have to do your research. Good luck!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted February 21, 2018 Administrator Share Posted February 21, 2018 First, as an undergraduate student you only have one cumulative GPA--it's everything averaged together: F's (not W's), each instance of a class you repeated, and basically every class from everywhere. That essentially needs to be 3.0 to even be looked at, and the more above that it is, the more it helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KPayne Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 Yes, I agree with above- calculate out your overall cumulative GPA, even ones back from years ago. If it's not above a 3.0, then just take some courses, particularly upper level science courses to get that GPA up. Being a paramedic I would argue is the best patient care experience one could have. I just worked as a basic, but all the paramedics I worked alongside were great. I think you will excel in the program, just make sure you meet the requirements! Lots of schools out there take the holistic approach so goodluck friend! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PA-SGuy Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 How many HCE hours do you have? Over 8,000? There is a myriad of programs that value HCE over gpa, these might be your best bet. Also, many programs place more emphasis on your last 60 credits of coursework which may benefit you if you keep doing well. You have the HCE part down, schools now just want to know you will succeed in the difficult curriculum. Continue to excel in your classes, get your GPA to 3.0 or as close as possible, and you will have a good chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roundabout Posted February 21, 2018 Author Share Posted February 21, 2018 Yes I have well over 13,000 hours of HCE. I also teach Paramedic and EMT school on my days off from the Fire Department. I'm not sure if that counts as HCE? Or is benefical on the application. I will also do some medical volunteer work on missions trips and what not. I also volunteer teaching CPR and First Aid to the community. Thank you all for your input. It is greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldEDRN Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 On 2/21/2018 at 11:11 AM, PA-SGuy said: How many HCE hours do you have? Over 8,000? There is a myriad of programs that value HCE over gpa, these might be your best bet. Also, many programs place more emphasis on your last 60 credits of coursework which may benefit you if you keep doing well. You have the HCE part down, schools now just want to know you will succeed in the difficult curriculum. Continue to excel in your classes, get your GPA to 3.0 or as close as possible, and you will have a good chance. Do you happen to know offhand the schools that place emphasis on HCE? 15 years as an RN with a not so great GPA and I am struggling to find a program. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted February 27, 2018 Moderator Share Posted February 27, 2018 41 minutes ago, OldEDRN said: Do you happen to know offhand the schools that place emphasis on HCE? 15 years as an RN with a not so great GPA and I am struggling to find a program. Thanks! look at older programs like U. WA, Stanford, Drexel, stony brook, GW, etc. pretty much any program older than 20 years is a good bet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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