Bioinformatics?

juillet
Thu, 19 May 2016 09:11:41 +0000

You can major in anything and go to a PA program; you just need to take the prerequisites. So majoring in computer science doesn’t conflict with being pre-health. Bioinformatics is a great field that will be in demand in the coming years (and is now), so if you’re interested in it you should explore it.

Really, the most important thing for you is going to be getting those hours. The vast majority of PA programs require direct patient care experience (the programs, and the career itself, are not really designed for undergrads coming straight from college; they are designed for healthcare professionals looking to advance in the field and take on more responsibility). Most PAs started life as nurses, CNAs, EMTs and paramedics before moving onto PA school. Personally, I think the best way to become a PA (professionally and financially speaking, in terms of the salary and the kind of work you will do) is to get a nursing degree and work as a nurse for several years and then go to PA school. Nurses, especially RNs, have a different professional scope of practice and care than CNAs and EMTs/paramedics. The downside of course is that you’d need to major in nursing in college. or earn a two-year associate’s in nursing and then transfer to a university and get a bachelor’s in whatever - which would probably end up taking around 5-6 years total.

By contrast, CNA training programs seem to take a few weeks - in my state they take 8-12 weeks. EMT training programs can be completed in one semester or one quarter, depending on what system you’re on, and are offered at lots of community colleges and some regional schools. Since you know you want to be a PA I would see if you can get into one of these two programs in the summer between high school and college so you arrive at college prepared to volunteer or work part-time in one of these to get your hours. Then you can volunteer/work 10-15 hours a week for four years to get to 2,000 hours - although that includes summers.