If this were a true statement, I wouldn't be sitting here writing this blog. With a little hard work (Okay- maybe a lot of hard work) and some planning ahead, it is possible to go straight from undergrad to PA school.
While Gap years are great for some people, they aren't for everyone. In my case, I have known I wanted to be a PA since I was 14 years old and I have been ready to get into practice. Knowing this I got my CNA in high school and started planning my college course accordingly. I worked all of my summers and breaks and spent my free time volunteering and shadowing just about anyone who would let me. Because I knew early on in my career, by the time I graduated from college I had been working towards this goal for 8 years. I was ready.
I did spend some time contemplating taking an official gap year, but I ultimately decided to try my luck at applying my junior year of college- again, this took careful planning to ensure that I had completed all of my pre reqs by the time I applied. I applied with the mindset that if I didn't get in, then I simply wasn't ready, and I would use the gap year and apply again next cycle. But the truth is, I WAS ready. Why did I decide to go to PA school without a gap year? Well, a few reasons:
I was ready- When I applied to PA school my junior year of college I had more than enough hours, tons of shadowing, volunteering and community involvement. I had the grades and the relationships to ask for strong LORs. When I thought about taking a gap year, I felt like I would grow more as a person by starting PA school rather than working another year as a CNA. Don't get me wrong, I learned A LOT as a CNA, but I felt like I was coasting, and like I needed to challenge myself in order to continue to grow and eventually become the best provider that I can be.
Staying in School Mode - Another appeal of going straight out of undergrad is the continuation of school mode, if you are going straight from undergrad you have most likely been in school since you were 5, school is just part of your normal routine and life, so the transition into even more school is a little easier than if you had taken time off and been out of the classroom for a few years.
Starting my Career- With knowing I have wanted to be a PA for so long I am so ready and eager to start my career. I am so amazed and in love with the PA profession that I just want to work in it for as long as I can. The longer I am in the field, the more I can learn and hopefully give back to students as so many of my professors and mentors have done for me.
These are a few of the reasons I chose to apply straight. The way I did things isn't better than the way someone else did it, it was just best for me. Despite the people that told me otherwise.
To the student that is going straight and has heard something along the lines of “You are too young, not mature enough, or not ‘READY’- Whoever told you that- is wrong. You were accepted for a reason. You were chosen out of thousands and thousands of applicants for a reason. You are ready for this. You are enough, and you are going to be amazing!
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Side note: I think oftentimes when we talk to people about their thoughts on Gap years, they tend to support the idea that what they did was “Best”. We are all different, and no one's experience is identical to our own. I challenge you to think about YOUR needs and YOUR Personal pro and cons to taking a gap year when making a decision. This is your education, not someone else's. This blog is not meant to sway your opinion, rather to give you an experience and my reasoning so you can make a decision for yourself. Chances are, if you are reading about this you are already ahead of the game. YOU can do this!! Keep going, and don't give up. And if an admissions decision pushes you into a Gap year that you did not initially plan for, take that as a gift of time to learn more and be even more prepared when you do get accepted to absolutely CRUSH it in PA School!
PA school is filled with students of ALL ages. There is no “right” age to go to PA school. Gap years are great because it gives you time to truly immerse yourself in the field and soak up just about everything that you can, it's also great to go straight into school because you are already in school mode, your knowledge is fresh and you are used to having a school routine, this can be helpful in the PA School transition. You have to do what is best for you, and when you do you will come out as an incredible provider and I am truly honored to call you all my future colleagues.
Best of luck to you. I will be cheering for you.
If you have any questions or just want to stay in touch you can follow me on Instagram @JadaMarie.PA
