Canadian Applying To Us Pa - Is 25 Schools Too Much/little?

[OntPremed]

I'll be applying to US PA schools in a few years. I am currently working on obtaining health care experience and wanted advice regarding how many schools to apply to.

 

I'll be applying with a 3.5 cGPA and a 3.5 sGPA. my latter 3 years GPA is high 3.8 to low 3.9. many of my upper year prerequisite courses are 4.0. I will be taking the GRE soon.

 

Given a decent GRE score and 2000+ hours of health care experience, as well as my GPA, would applying to 25 schools be reasonable? I only have 3 application cycles before my prerequisites start expiring. I'll also be applying to UofT, McMaster, and UManitoba. 

[JohnGrisham]

Yes, very - just make sure they actually take international students. 

Also, look into how cross-reciprocity works for a US PA degree, and eligibility for Canadian boards & practice, if you want to keep the door open to coming back and working one day in Canada. Even if that is not your initial plan.

[OntPremed]

Thanks! Could I expect to gain admission in 3 application cycles? My ECs include shadowing a physician for 160 hours, volunteering at hospitals and food banks (100s of hours), employment as a photographer, I speak 4 languages, PTA trained, Exec of 10+ clubs in undergrad including our PA club, Tutor throughout University, & a lot more I can't immediately recall.

 

I have 25 schools that do in fact accept Canadian students. Plus 3 Canadian schools. Coming back to Canada is possible with a USPA degree

[danijaq]

If I were you and wanted to for sure secure admission in the constrained time, I would work on improving experience. You should look into gaining more actual clinical hours and have those hours be the majority of the ones you submit to make you stand out.

[danijaq]

Also I do think that 25 schools is a lot considering how much you have to pay to apply to each one. In addition, writing 25 personal statements/essays is ALOT and you may find you have better chances if you cut that number in half and produce 12 perfected ones (which is still a lot) rather than 25 rushes ones. You should look critically at your stats and compare them to the average stats of those who are accepted at each institution - often minimum GPA requirements are the bare min and the average GPA of acceptance is much higher. Determine which schools your most likely to get into and apply to those ones, at least for your first round of applications. Also make you sure you check all the requirements in the US schools, they have much more restricted requirements and some even require an MCAT or similar standardized test. Best of luck

[OntPremed]

If I were you and wanted to for sure secure admission in the constrained time, I would work on improving experience. You should look into gaining more actual clinical hours and have those hours be the majority of the ones you submit to make you stand out.

I'll have 2000+ by application time, and that will double if I dont get in the first time

[danijaq]

I'll have 2000+ by application time, and that will double if I dont get in the first time

It's not really about the quantity of hours (aside from the minimum requirement), but more of the quality. My advice was not to get more hours, but to get experience that is more CLINICAL. Actual patient treatment, diagnostic testing, history taking and other clinical duties. From what you described in your experience, it sounds like you could do more than just shadowing and volunteering (not quantity, better quality).

[OntPremed]

It's not really about the quantity of hours (aside from the minimum requirement), but more of the quality. My advice was not to get more hours, but to get experience that is more CLINICAL. Actual patient treatment, diagnostic testing, history taking and other clinical duties. From what you described in your experience, it sounds like you could do more than just shadowing and volunteering (not quantity, better quality).

Oh right I should have explained. it's 2000+ paid hours as a Physiotherapy Assistant. 

[danijaq]

Oh then thats great!