Ways to Evaluate the Best PA Schools
Choosing a PA school can be a difficult task. There is a lot to consider, and choosing the right school can affect your future. We often look at it the other way around, the school chooses you. In some cases you take what you are given; if only one school offers you a spot, you take it.
With that being said when you’re evaluating PA schools and going through the interview process, remember that you’re interviewing the programs and choosing them, just as much they are choosing you.
I’ve talked to PA applicants and it seems like people are often interested in the schools with the best rankings by US News and World Report, but the rankings for this report does not necessarily mean they are the “best” schools. If you look at the methodology, the rankings are “results of peer assessment surveys sent to deans, other administrators and/or faculty at accredited degree programs or schools”. Basically, it is a peer review of what other administrators think of different programs.
Duke University PA program is ranked #1; does that mean it’s the best program? Not necessarily. It may mean it the most well-known. It is the first PA program and because of that everyone knows about it. A newer program might be “better”, but not as well-known.
So, how do you evaluate a PA program and what is important to look at when you’re applying? Here’s a list of things to help you compare PA programs.
1. Cost of PA Program
This is a personal finance blog…so I’m going to put this at the top of the list. Really, your education is probably more important, but how much you’re financially investing in your education is going to carry on much further than graduation. The majority of PA students need help paying for PA school and that typically comes in the form of student loans.
With the average PA student taking out close to $100,000 in student loans, making plans on how you’re going to pay for it and lower cost up front can be a huge help; this typically means staying closer to home. By staying close to home you’ll save a lot in application costs, as you won’t have to travel as far for interviews. A car drive to an interview is going to be much less than a plane ride, plus hotel.
Also, if you’re able to get into a program close to home you might be able to save on tuition. Many public universities have PA programs, and if this is the case in your state, you could save almost half your costs in tuition by going to a public university in your state.
If you plan to move to a different state, make sure you factor that into your cost of school. The cost to attend PA school is much more than the tuition. If you’re looking at schools in California or New York, look into the cost of living in those areas and how much more rent is going to be.
2. PANCE Pass Rate from Previous PA Program Classes
How do you evaluate the education you’re going to get? One way is to look at PANCE pass rates from previous PA classes. Really, the most important thing out of PA school is to pass the PANCE. Everything you do is geared toward this, and most schools supply this information on their website.
Being a great PA is more than just passing the PANCE, but in order to become a PA that’s the first step. Also, you learn a TON in school, but by no means do you learn everything. I like to tell people that PA school is there to get you certified, once you’re certified and working is when you really learn how to practice medicine; and you’ll continue to learn throughout your career.
Along, with PANCE pass rates another statistic to look at is the dropout rate. There are always different reasons for people dropping out of a program, so the numbers alone do not always paint a clear picture; but if there are consistent numbers of people dropping out, or not completing a program, you might want to question why that is happening.
3. Program Resources
Another part of education is what the school has to offer. Are you a hand on learner? If so, do the PA schools you’re looking at offer cadaver labs? I don’t think I could have gotten through anatomy without actually seeing the cadavers and being able to work on dissections. If this is how you learn then it might be important to go to a program that offers this.
Is there a medical school connected to the PA program? It’s not always true, but often if there is a medical school, there might be greater resources for the PA program, such as simulation labs and better clinical rotations.
Not all schools have the same resources and depending on what type of learner you are these extra resources can make learning easier for you. If you know what resources different programs offer, it can help you compare which ones you’re most interested in.
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4. Clinical Rotations Offered
A huge part of your PA education is the clinical rotations. Half of your time in PA school is dedicated to clinical rotations. If you know you’re interested in a certain specialty, are you going to be able to do a rotation in that specialty?
I would not say this is a make or break issue, as part of the beauty of being a PA is that you can change specialties without needing a new certification; but if you know that you’re interested in a certain area going into school, you should make sure that the programs you’re applying to have those options available.
Also, I know some programs offer options for doing clinical rotations abroad. If you are interested in doing missions or working abroad it might be advantageous to look at programs that offer this.
5. Class Size
Every program has a different class size. With a larger class size it makes it easier to get lost among the crowd. If you’re struggling and need more help, it is sometimes easier to get the attention you need with a smaller class size.
I personally think a smaller class size is helpful for learning. You probably have better access to advisers and other people that can help you along the way if you need help. On the other hand for larger class sizes it can be harder to keep track of each individual, so if you want to get lost in the crowd, maybe a larger class size would be good for you.
Overview of Things to Look at When Choosing a PA school
These are just some of the things you should look at when evaluating the best PA program for you. Sometimes the decision on where to go is easy, as you take what you are given, but if you are accepted to multiple programs keep these things in mind.
When I applied to PA school, I only applied to one school and got in my first time around. I know that’s not how it is for everyone, but when I was researching schools I focused on the requirements for that school. I’m not sure if it helped me or not, but I think by only applying to one school it showed I was very interested in that school.
I don’t know if it is true, but I have heard from very qualified applicants that they did not get an offer from certain schools and I wonder if sometimes schools pass on certain applicants because they know they would choose somewhere else if they were to get in somewhere different, so they don’t want to “waste” an offer on someone that isn’t totally interested in going there. That might be a disadvantage to the shot gun approach to applying schools.
If your goal is to pass the PANCE, have the knowledge to be a PA and get a great job; so you can start paying off your loans, there a lot of PA schools out there. It does not mean you have to go to a top 10 US News and World Report ranked program; and by going to one of those programs it does not mean you will automatically get the job you want or a higher salary.
Outside of the PA education realm very few people know the top PA programs. Most administrators who do the hiring will not evaluate your resume on where you went to PA school; so when applying to a PA program look at what is important to you and work on choosing the program that is the best fit for YOU!
In the process of applying for PA school? What are the things you look at when evaluating a PA program? Please comment below the original post, sign up to receive future posts by email and share with your friends!
