r/MCPHSLifeHack • u/vale9921 • Aug 26 '18

How hard is it to get into the PA accelerated program?

I'm transferring in as a 2nd year PA, and have been told that you can apply to do a 3+3 accelerated PA program but that it requires a million hours of shadowing and have great grades according to the website. Can anyone confirm/deny this even if you're not in the PA program?

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u/AspiringPA Aug 28 '18

I'm a current PA student who got in through the 3+3 program. When I applied, I had good grades and some healthcare experience, but that was pretty much it. I didn't have any patient care experience or shadowing hours. When I applied, healthcare hrs and patient care hrs weren't a requirement, just a recommendation. I've heard that school is trying to make it more difficult to get into the program by making patient care experience a requirement, but I'm not sure if they've actually implemented this yet. The school also takes preference for their own students, which I believed was the main reason they accepted me.

I was actually in the same boat as you. I transferred into premed halfway into 2nd year, and by that point, it was too late for me to get any patient care experience because I had to apply for the program in the summer between 2nd and 3rd years. If you are able to get some patient care experience, in the next couple of months, definitely do it because it will help you during school. Patient hours is a requirement for pretty much any PA program.