How I got into PA school with an undergrad G.P.A of 2.48. Although I also went to grad school and premed before I applied, I needed to show improvement over the years.
Finally someone with an actual “low g.p.a.” I swear I was getting discouraged by these 3.3 🙄g.p.a. claiming to be low. Thanks for showing there is hope. 👍
I was suspended from university, had problem with alcohol, got a DUI but changed my life around and now I am in dental school. Never give up hope! you can get on the right path
Exactly, this is what I would call a low GPA. All the other "Low GPAs" I have seen is where the students say, "I don't know how I got into med school. I had a 3.998762 GPA. It got all the way down to a "2"
1-research what acadmic courses 2-do patient care hours 3-contact advisors of that PA school and get a private meeting 4-show your face...be active in showing your skills 5-try to attend informational session about your choice schools 6-make friends at those sessions 7-shadow physicians-12 PAs shadowing 8-goal is to stand out in crowd- donate to PA cause only $10 is enough 9-make a great impression on students
Peace be to you my PA colleague! Your story is a true inspiration to anyone desiring to join this AMAZING profession! I hope we can meet at a conference sometime! PEACE! Omar Abdul-Malik DHEd, MPAS, PA-C, CHES
I feel like I have a similar background to yours. Currently doing a Masters in Public Health and my undergrad GPA was not the best (putting it lightly) 3.18. I will have to get my prereqs once I am done with my MPH. In the meantime, I will be volunteering and hopefully getting hands-on training in Health Care before I graduate. Thank you for sharing, subscribed.
Thank you so much for this video! With the CASPA application opening this upcoming week I have been watching every video I could find on tips for PA school and this is by far one of the most informative! Definitely just subscribed. Please keep the videos coming 😊
I think the best way to get all your requirements is to get a Bachelor's in Biology. A biology degree covers everything you will need for med school or PA school or pretty much any grad school for medicine. It's definitely not an easy degree to get. I have to improve on my GPA because most of the classes I've taken are so boring and my heart and mind were not in it but at least I passed them. Working in the ER helps me get all the experience I need and also help to get reference letters.
Thank you so much for the video. You're one of the first to provide information that I haven't heard of yet. My gpa is great but I'm very determined. I definitely appreciate you taking the time to sit down and help us pre-pa students reach our dream. I can't wait for more videos!!
Thank you for making the time to create this video. It is definitely helpful for a prospective PA with a similar obstacle to overcome. Insight like this keeps me moving =]
Hi Matt! First congrats on really showing that hard work does pay off. You truly are an inspiration for us who are struggling pre-PA applicants. Your video's title caught my eye. I have been persistently applying to CASPA. I will be entering my third cycle applying. I learned last year that showing face really does help the programs recognize you. My struggle stems from the multiple transcripts I have accumulated. I feel that CASPA really misrepresents me when it comes down to giving me a cumulative CASPA GPA. I have been working in an anatomy cadaver lab for the past 6 semesters as a lab assistant and TA. I will be TA-ing a PA class this summer (YES, THE IRONY). I would really appreciate if I could contact you via email. I am nearly finished with my application and I would really like some advice if you have the time. Thanks again for sharing your story!
And earlier in another video for health care, there was a lady who said she would forcefully ask her doctor what gpa he had and what his rank was in undergrad and med school to see if he was a good doctor. So much bullying patients. It’s disgusting and I don’t want to deal with them and it makes you not want to do the job some time.
You’re a true inspiration Matt! I want to pursue becoming a PA for a long time now but my GPA is as horrible as it gets. It was a 2.042. Mind you, it was a cumulative grade point average I received at UC Berkeley. And trying to graduate from UC Berkeley was difficult. For a long time now, I’ve had advisors say it’s not possible. Seeing other college peers get into schools and all these requirements that PA schools are looking for got me really discouraged. I’m on the path of becoming a RN. Tell me, is there anything worth salvaging from my poor academic performance in college? I would love to communicate with you and hopefully gain advice if you’ll allow me.
Hi Matt! Thank you so much for the videos regarding applying to PA school, they have given me some hope to on my unwinding journey that feels so hectic right now. I would love to speak to you someway, somehow if possible. My GPA is very similar to your undergrad GPA and it just feels so hopeless right now considering the fact that I will be graduating May 2018. But I know that I can't see myself doing anything else.
Hi Matt! Thank you so much for the video, indeed has given me some hope to journey that feels so intangible right now :(. I would love to speak to you via email or some sort to get your advice on my situation. My GPA is very similar to your undergrad GPA and it just feels so hopeless. But I know that I can't see myself doing anything else.
Hello Matt, I have a 2.8 undergrad GPA. After entering the workforce in my field I've decided to pursue PA school. I am currently taking pre reqs and have applied for a pt care tech position. Do you have any recommendations on how to increase my chances of getting in to PA school? I'd greatly appreciate it! Also, congrats on your achievements! You must be so proud!
What would you advice me… ?? I have 3 years full time working as a hemodialysis patient care technician. However, I still need to take like 5 pre requisites! If I keep working with patients part time I would keep getting experience but earning less money and struggling to pay for rent, classes etc. if I work as a nanny part time I can make what I make working full time as a PCT , have time to take my classes and is flexible job.
Thank you so much for your video. It was very helpful! Im graduating next spring and worried my GPA will a little under 3.0. I am planning on going to grad school before i applied to help strengthen my application. May I ask what you went to grad school for and if it was a postbac or a year long masters progam?
brittany gonzalz thanks for watching. I went to grad school for business for 2 and a half years, after that I did post bac. All of that work brought my grades up
Hi Matt, Thank you so much for this video! It gives me hope. What Master's program did you do? What school? And when you shadowed PAs how many hours did you do with each of them?
Hope you're doing well Matt! I cant thank you enough for posting this video and shedding light on obstaclesyou faced on your path to PA school. Do you mind reviewing and critiquing my personal statement??? I'm having trouble explaining troubles with uGPA in a positive attitude while also illustrating unique identifiers and personal growth deserving of PA program acceptance. Thank you!!! Best, Erica
Hello, my name is Jameelah. I am just really stuck on what I should do at this point. Let me give you my background. I have two associates degrees, one is psychology and the other in applied health sciences from my local community college. I also have a bachelors degree in psychology from my local university. I have been working in the lab as a phlebotomist for 7 years now so I have the patient care hours and majority of the classes done. The only classes I don’t have completed is organic chemistry 1 & 2 and biochemistry. I however have found some PA schools that don’t require those three remaining classes nor the GRE, however, I have a crappy gpa of a 2.45. Chemistry is NOT my thing at all and is the catalyst of my embarrassing gpa. So, I could technically apply to schools that don’t require the organic chemistry or biochemistry and gre but the fact that I don’t have a competitive gpa makes me feel that it’s not really worth me applying. I’ve searched and searched for pa schools the allow low gpa requirements but they are far and few in between. So I thought about maybe taking another associates or bachelors degree in something like respiratory therapy or maybe an online masters program that I can potentially finish in a year such as a masters in health administration, just because I feel that maybe some if not all schools would want to see if I can handle masters level work and this is something of interest but an MHA isn’t something I’d be excited about but I need to be smart in my next steps in regards to doing another program whether it’s an undergrad for respiratory or a masters in health administration. I want to make sure I will get the return of having a good paying job at the end of it with also using whichever new program I decide to go with that id have a better chance at getting into a PA program. But than I’ve also thought maybe I should just not get distracted and try to go to another school that has better chemistry teachers and take the 3 remaining classes I need for most PA programs and apply for that. It’s potentially shorter but doesn’t change my financial situation. But my end goal out of everything is the be a PA. I want and crave to be one so badly that I cry at the thought that I might not be able to. I’m 33 years. I don’t feel my gpa is indicative of my true capabilities. I’ve shadowed and talked to a lot of PA’s and they have all told me they feel I’d e a great one. I just need a school to give me a chance. I don’t know which route I should take. If there’s any other options anyone has that I haven’t already thought of please let me know. I truly need guidance and want to be smart about my time and money. I’ve already maxed out on loans for undergrad so anything that’s taken as under grad I have to pay out of pocked as I’m trying to hold off on using my loans for PA school. I’m sorry I know this is a long message but felt I needed to give a clear explanation on my situation. Thank you 🙏
If your GPA isn’t over a 3.0 (this was the minimum when I applied) the CASPA enrollment won’t accept your application as it filters out people to keep to pool moderate. I recommend taking more classes, whether it’s another degree and do exceptionally well in those classes. PA schools like to see improvement over the years.
Hello Matt. Thank you for the video. Do you advise me to speak to the dean of admissions as soon as possible or wait until the application deadline starts to approach? I'm also thinking about meeting the dean of admissions as soon as possible and then sending an email around the application deadline to thank them for their encouragement.
Hey matt. I watched your videos and they were really inspiring. I have a low GPA as well. I was wondering if I may message you sometime to ask questions on what you and how you did it? I want to go to PA school badly. Thanks in advance. :)
Hey Mat so I bombed orgo 1 and I already have a bachelors degree back from 2014, been financially independent and well worked a lot to pay the bills, previously I was aiming for medical school but I realized that the life style of a PA was much more rewarding and allowed to still have a life outside of the profession. Now my question is I graduated in 2014 with my undergraduate degree. Some schools require you to apply to a program within 5 years of graduation, are all my classes expired now and do I have to take the classes over again? I have started to take some already but THEN I got hit with a C+ in organic chem 1... the professor is still gracious enough to give me a recommendation. Should I take all the pre-reqs over again? At least core classes. This video so informative!
Hey man great video, thank you for posting. How do you feel about taking undergrad courses to improve your GPA versus a structured premedical post-bacc program?
Boris Temkin I appreciate it. Whatever it takes to bring that GPA up will work, as long as you have the prerequisites done and meet the GPA requirements.
Very insigh tful video, thank you for posting...I have one question, which is in your opinion, what age is realistically too old to apply?. I was a medic in the army many, many years ago, but followed a high-tech career, which ended a few years ago. I have been in the healthcare field the past 5 years, and once again would like to dream of one day becoming a PA. I am currently retaking classes to meet my prereqs (I say retake, because it has been longer than 7 years to make use of said courses in order to apply), and feel I am at my prime (even with the grey hair and all lol...Thank you for your response, and keep making more videos :)
Timothy Anderson it's never too late to apply, as cliche as it may sound. Sure the average age of a PA student has gotten younger in the early to mid 20s but I was 10 years older than most of my classmates and was perfectly fine with it. What you have that others lack is life and work experience so use that to your advantage
Thank you for this great video! I am currently a RT with advanced certs in CT and quality management. I have a BS in radiology with my overall GPA 2.55. I went to xray school with a GPA of 3.8. Do you think I have a chance? I also have my MA. I worked in trauma and GP office.
Chris thanks for watching! The only way you will have a chance is by getting that overall GPA and all other GPAs to meet the minimal requirements. This will at least get you in the door (past the automatic filter of applicants). You may have to take more classes to get this done. I cant say that you will or wont have a chance because it's always hard to tell but you do have some good experience behind you. Every year it gets more and more competitive so you have to work extra hard to stand out from the crowd.
Jackie B. Aina each place you work at does something different but it usually says your name and PA or Physician Assistant under your name. But you will find that alot of patients are going to call you “Dr” even after telling them lol
Thanks for the video! I would love to get into pa school. Im not sure how to go about yet. I have 65 crd hrs. I started college over 10 years ago and didnt know what i wanted to do as a profession at the time and was serving in the military. I have no idea if my will "expire" or i would be unable to use them. I know some schools dont like to see A&P classes over 10 years ago. My plan is to finish the associates that i started by taking 2 courses, get a medical assistant certificate for patient care hours and experience, then finish the bachelors and become a medical technician. From there...... i would like to gear more towards pa school. What do you think?
Hi Matt, great video. My GPA is pretty low also, I finished undergrad and have been working as an ophthalmic technician for 1.5 years while taking prerequisites. I have been doing fantastic in all the prerequisites since I have been taking school a lot more seriously-- do you think they will highly consider this?
Great! Programs love to see improvement so keep it up. As long as you have direct patient care you should be good. You may want to double check with programs you plan to apply to, to make sure that you're patient care hours will count.
Hey Matt Thank you so much for doing what you do, I know you dont have to and its greatly appreciated. What was your undergrad major as well as graduate? Do you feel being a grad helped or hurt you? Thanks so much again, Jeremiah
SNDIT1 much appreciated. My undergrad was in communications and my master's was in business. This was all before I even considered PA school but already having a Master's before applying definitely helped because not many applicants already have been to grad school and it shows that you can handle a grad course level workload.
Hey Matt! I am currently going into my Junior year of undergrad and my GPA is pretty low, around a 2.8 and I just made tons of C's on my final sadly. I'm really worried about being able to get into a program and I would love to be able to have a conversation with you. Is there any way we could make that happen through email or a messenger of some type? Thanks!
HELLO! Awesome video! I have a question. I have pt hours from different activities in my life. I am also trying to get a substantial amount of hours from EMT certification that I just received. Is is looked down upon to add those hours up from different phases of your life? Does the span between receiving those pt hrs matter? FYI: my pt hours contain job shadowing 2 different doctors, first-responder, and EMT hrs so far.
Lanna Janae hey thanks for watching. Yes you're allowed to combine hours from different jobs, especially EMT jobs. You should just verify if the schools will accept hrs from something else. Unfortunately shadowing doesn't count towards patient care hours, it needs to be a job where direct patient contact is required. Shadowing would be put on another part of your application.
I really hope you do not mind me asking, what was the lowest grade you received and what class was it in? I am just concerned about a grade I received. Although I did retake it and received an A-, I am just pretty afraid. Thank you so much for this inspiring video!
Alex Vazquez are you asking about post bac grades? If so, I got a C in biochemistry (which I had an issue with how the course was graded). If you're talking about my lowest grade overall then I went as low as D in undergrad which was a long time ago.
Mine a 2.3 & I want to go back to school for a associates degree to boost my gpa before applying, but a school I looked at said it won’t take any associates courses only bachelor’s.
I heard that pa schools have a cut off on gpa like they dont even look at your application if you don't make the cut off. So how? I am so intrigued by this and it definitely gives me hope. I also want to ask how can I arrange to meet with the dean if I live in Hawaii?
cutepinksocks thanks for listening! Yes you are correct that schools have automatic cutoffs that you must meet in order to get your application seen. It's probably something that they already have in place digitally so that if someone doesn't meet those requirements their application probably won't even been seen they probably will be sent an automated email of rejection. What I had to do to overcome this was go to grad school which bosted my non science GPA and then take premed classes which boosted my science GPA. This brought my overall GPA up which offset my undergrad GPA.
Thank you for replying! So you didn't really have a 2.48 gpa at the time of admission... shucks my science gpa is right at the borderline. I wish there was a way to calculate my own grades. I hope there is still a chance for me since I have retaken classes. I learned the hard way that one bad grade really weighs down your gpa so much... gotta take a lot of classes just to boost it up :(
cutepinksocks my undergrad GPA was 2.48 so after all the classes that I took after graduating my GPA increased to meet most of the requirements. Heres the thing from what I remember when I applied , some school will look at overall GPA, other schools will look at just science GPA, and others will look at science non-science and overall or any combination. You will have to research on what school will require. If you're GPA is borderline and you want to apply soon then look for newer programs to apply to or even city colleges that offer PA programs (city colleges wont be on CASPA but they still will get you a PA degree). Those schools may have more leeway on GPAs.
cutepinksocks it was a few yrs ago but as soon as I get a chance I will see if my CASP info is still on the site. I do remember being rejected from one school because one of my GPA didn't meet the requirement for that school, I think it was my non-science GPA. But at the end of the day you need to bring your GPA up if you have an undergrad GPA like mine.
what graduate program did you do after your undergrad? I am trying to hire my gpa. The school I am trying to get into asked me to a graduate program instead of post bacc so please let me know
I've just recently decided that I want to go to PA school and I was just wondering how would one go about getting patient care hours? What are the most common / convenient ways of doing so?
alvaro chiarella there's a variety of ways to get patient care hrs, it all depends on which type of setting you want to be in. There CNA, EMT, paramedic, ER tech, etc. For me I thought that I was more suited to be an EMT and it seemed like an exciting job and easy way for me to pick up extra hrs (which it was all across the board). Some of these jobs you may need to get certified in so I'm not sure how convenient that could be for you. I also saw that PA programs looked highly upon certain jobs like EMT and paramedics. You just will have to do a little research on this.
Hello Matt, I am taking my gre exam in two days and I am freaking out. Is it possibe to get a 145 verbal and 146 math scores? Mind you, I am second language but, been here since two years old! Are you a good test taker?
This is why I did not apply to schools that required the GRE because I just had no time to study for it. More schools are requiring it now but in my opinion, the test doesn’t really measure your ability to be a PA
@@mattjjpa4048 right! That is the only thing I have left is to study for the GRE! I feel the same way too. But, I have to pray and deal with it! Did you get accepted in your home town?
Is it possible to work full time while going to school? Also, how did you fund your schooling? Honestly, I don't feel that smart to be a PA, but want to be one. Suggestions or advice?
Michaelnolan1988 are you talking about working while in PA school? If thats the case then absolutely not. You will not have any time at all. If you are talking about undergrad, you might be able to work part-time. As far as funding school, it's all through loans. 99% of PA students take loans. You will be in debt but you should have more than enough money to live using grad plus loans.
I went to Johnson and Wales for Business in the hospitality industry. The GPA requirement here was not as competitive as is is for PA school. It all depends on the school, program, and profession
Okay, honest question for the masses: I understand that, obviously, in order to overcome poor initial undergraduate GPAs, one would need to invest a lot of time in post-bacc programs and additional graduate programs. However, does anyone have thoughts on the cost of it? How are people funding their "comeback"? I already took out a large amount of loans for my undergraduate degree, and although I am passionate about becoming a PA, I'm trying to really understand what the financial burden will be after taking out loans for my undergrad, a post-bacc/graduate degree, and then finally a PA degree, during which time I will be unable to work. Does anyone have any advice? I already live well below my means--I've been living with my parents for the past year and working full time as a PCA in order to save, but honestly I'm not sure if I can continue living like this for the next 3-5 years during all of this schooling, all just so I don't have to take out loans for living expenses on top of what I'll be taking out for tuition. Essentially, is there anyone who has advice regarding financial costs?
Lindsey Adams for me personally, that’s exactly what it was...loans. I am not rich by any means. In fact, after undergrad I was out of cosigners for loans because my parents had already co-signed for me and my sister’s undergrad. For post bacc the only option i had was private loans from Discover. Once you’re in PA school loans are much easier to obtain because NOBODY works when in PA school and they know this. Therefore they offer whats called grad plus loans which take care of your tuition as well as your living expenses. Yes I have a ton on student debt but I wanted this so bad for myself and the monthly payments aren’t that bad for my first couple of years working. On top of that I am looking to supplement my income in several ways as a PA.
Hi Matt, Thank you for the tips. I am in the same situation. Holistically I have 10 years of patient care experience, and I am currently taking another Bachelors degree. How do you document your PA shadowing experience?
Sarah Kelechi Okorafor awesome, I'm telling you if you kill it in your 2nd bachelor degree they'll forget about the past or love to see your improvement. I actually just finished a video on shadowing that's currently still uploading but what I did when I shadowed was just write down my hours in my personal file. Some places that you shadow will give you a letter of the hours you shadowed. I don't remember how it's set up in CASPA but I believe CASPA just asks for the total amount of hours you shadowed or there was a section on the extra curricular things you have done that I think you can put shadowing. If there's no section for shadowing then it will be more for individual schools that require it and then they will provide a section of their own.
My bachelors in human biology is 3.0 but my masters in public health and associates in respiratory therapy is 3.75. Do you think it will be a problem because my undergraduate is low? I am currently retaking A&P 2 and Gen. biology to get better grade.
The overall GPA is calculated by combining all courses you ever took and they usually come up with a Science, non-science, and overall GPA and schools you apply to will evaluate that. I know that the minimal overall GPA is 3.0. You have to do your best to exceed minimum requirements and hopefully have a unique or diverse background that schools will be interested in if the GPA is minimum
I have a similar question: My undergrad gpa wasn’t the best but there was an up ward trend all As and Bs in my last two years and then I went to get my Masters ended with a 3.5. I have a lot of PCE. Do you think I have a shot? I’m currently in the process of filling out my CASPA but the transcript portion is where I’m nervous
@@mattjones3226 thanks so much! Did you apply to programs that didn’t require the GRE? i want to apply next cycle but I don’t think I’ll have time to take it with everything I have going on. I might though.
Ana Lozada Quinnipiac Univ, Northeastern Univ, Bridgeport Univ, Pace Univ, Rutgers Univ, Massachusetts School of Pharmacology and Health Sciences, Stony Brook, Drexel, and I forgot the last 2 sorry
j dean are you talking about withdrawal from a class and having a W on your transcript? Having 1 may be ok but you want to try to limit any past that. I had 1 on my transcript and I retook the class and did much better in it. You may get asked about it during an interview so be prepared to explain why you dropped the course.
People! Please refuse to see these low G.P.A. quacks. You have the right to demand to see a fully qualified medical doctor. Your very life may depend on it.
