GRE

In early June, I registered to take the GRE on July 25 because I had to take it before August 1st to meet the November 15th deadline. At that point, I knew it covered vocab and math that I hadn't seen since high school. The only math I took at Berry was basic statistics. The first weekend after I signed up I took a diagnostic practice test that accompanied a Kaplan GRE book (along with four full practice full tests) I got from Amazon for like $30.   

The minimum score I need for PA school is 290. Each section can be scored 130 to 170 for a lowest possible of 260 and a highest possible of 340, with 300 being right in the middle. To make the cut, I needed at least 145 in both sections.  

When I took the diagnostic around June 15, I realized just how rusty I was on algebra, but I loved math in high school so I knew it would only take some easy review. The verbal section made my vocabulary feel very small. But it turned out good and I was very happy with the results. I got a 149 on the math and 146 in verbal for a total of 295. This was soooooooo much better than the feeling I had after that first practice MCAT  I took. MY FIRST GRE EVER AND I WAS ABOVE THE SCORE I NEEDED!!

After the diagnostic, I made a study plan to work through  my Kaplan GRE book. Along with my anatomy class and shadowing, my schedule was crazy.I had a practice test scheduled for every weekend and I barely had any free "me" time during the day. The study plan was the ideal scenario though. It didn't even last two days... 

The next practice test was on June 23. I skipped the writing section. My math score stayed the same but the verbal went up SIX points to a 152, for a total of 301! This was really the only practice test I took. I got busy/made excuses until pretty much the week before. At that point, I started reviewing the small deck of flashcards I made with math formulas and such and answering practice questions in my Kaplan book.

I took the real GRE on July 25 and was a bit nervous. The security was similar to the MCAT but it didn't feel as tense or scary. I started around 1:15pm (early - my scheduled time was 1:30pm) and finished at 5:15pm. The hardest part, by far, was the form I had to fill out before they let me go into the testing room - I had to copy a paragraph in CURSIVE! Once I sat down at my computer, I realized they had entered in my name wrong and they had to correct it. 
Anyways, I felt very confident in my two essays. 

The first verbal section had several words I didn't know but I did my 
best to make good guesses and pick up on context clues. 

The first math section was really hard!! I kept skipping questions to come back to at the end,  but when I got to the end, I only had maybe 10 minutes left and like 12 questions that I had skipped!!! I was panicking. I still didn't have time to work most of them out. They were legitimately hard  questions (harder than any practice questions I had worked on) and questions that would take long calculations. I seriously ended that section by guessing 
on about 7 questions at the last minute... yikes. 

I was three sections in and got to take a break next. Halfway done! I walked to the bathroom, prayed, and came back, only using about 4 of my allowed 10 minutes. I needed the break to clear my head and gain control of my nerves. I also remembered that there will be one section that won't count toward my score and I was so hoping that it was that math section I just finished (and felt awful about)! I cleared my head and wasn't going to let that one section affect the rest of the test. I also remembered that the GRE is an adaptive test, meaning if you do well on a section, the next one will be harder (or easier if you did not do well on the previous section). So I must have done very well on the first verbal section because the following math section was very hard.

The next section was a verbal and I felt about the same for that one as well - several words I did  not know but I made my best guesses. It was during this section that I got distracted and noticed that there was a window beside me, to my right, because several airplanes flew over and I heard several sirens. I really had to work to stay focused. 

A math section followed and again was quite hard. The last section.... I knew that one section would not count towards my score. If the last section was math, then one of the (awful) math sections wouldn't count. If it was a verbal, then the awful math section would count towards my score...I clicked "next" and my heart sank. The last section was verbal and both of my math sections would count. I tried not to let it bother me but I was distracted. I didn't finish that section, either. At the end, I had several blank and had to guess. 

I felt nauseous as I waited for my score to pop up. This was one great thing about the GRE, though, instant scores. I waited a month for my MCAT scores. I needed at least 145 in both sections to meet the minimum required score. But I have never had a testing experience like this before. 


So here's my score.. 

math: 151
(UP FIVE POINTS!!!!!)

verbal: 155
(UP THREE POINTS!!!!!)


total: 306 
(FIVE points higher than the practice test and
ELEVEN points higher than the minimum score I needed!!!!!!!)

I knew immediately that I did not take that test by myself.
I had been praying about it and my prayers had been answered!

A few weeks later, I found out that my writing score was a 4 out of 6
(a bit surprising since I felt so confident about them, but that's still good).
This made my overall total 310.

I was on cloud nine on that car ride home.
Mushy brain, tired, but really happy.
And really proud of myself for keeping my nerves under control.
I very easily could have full on panicked. But I did not.

The Lord replied, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
Exodus 33: 14

Should I?

Should I go ahead and register for the GRE? Even though I'm not ready yet?? 

The scores are good for five years and everyone keeps saying 

that I should take it soon...

Words of Wisdom

So.. Dr. Davis is my favorite teacher, by far, that I have had at Berry. 

Possibly my favorite teacher ever, for several reasons. 

I had her for organic chem last year, both semesters. Yesterday, I ran into her in the science building. We chatted about my MCAT score and I told her I was considering PA school instead now. She told me not to give up. I don't know if you could consider PA school giving up. Giving up on med school, yes, but not on being in the medical field. I kinda see it as a.. detour. She told me to take a year off and work/volunteer in a hospital/doctor's office to get experience and retake the MCAT. Working in that setting would benefit me no matter which route I took. It could beef up my med school app and I would get the required experience hours for PA school. 

I also met a new teacher in the biology department here while talking to Dr. Davis. His name is Mr. Mingone and he walked up to talk to her, but ended up talking to me after she had left and giving me lots of advice.

I highly value Dr. Davis' opinion. I also believe her husband is an MCAT teacher for Kaplan. So here's what I think I might do now. I will graduate in May. I'll take a year off and find somewhere to work/shadow/volunteer. This will get me the hours I need for PA school and also beef up my med school app. Aaron can get the job he wants to finally have and we can start saving money towards a wedding and starting our lives together. At the same time, I can be studying (long-term) for both the MCAT and the GRE. Then take them both in 2013 or 2014. Apply to PA school in April 2014 (when CASPA opens) and to med school in June 2014 (when AMCAS opens). Maybe we can squeeze a wedding into 2013 or wait until the next year, as long as we're married before I start school. 

Geez, I feel like we are going to be engaged forever.

Back up plan options:

(if both med school and PA school both don't work, oh Lord!)
Phlebotomy.. I heard it only takes two years. 
Nursing.. Eh. This would be the LAST resort. 
Research.. Possibly with stem cells. Fun! :) 
Teaching.. biology, of course, on the high school or college level. 

Cough, cough at Berry College.

I really wish I could figure this all out. Everything is still up in the air. 

GRE

So I have no freaking idea what the GRE is, what it covers, or what's it's like. 

I know NOTHING about this test.. which is kinda bad, 

because I have to take it if I want to apply to PA school. 

From what I have researched so far, this is what I know about the GRE: 

It costs $175 to register.

It takes about 4 hours to take. 

There's three parts: verbal, quantitative, and writing

 Verbal Reasoning: two 30 minute sections of 20 questions. 

Quantitative Reasoning (math): two 35 minute sections of 20 questions.

Analytical Writing: two 30 minute essays, issue task and argument task.

The verbal and math sections are scored 130 - 170.

The essays are scored 0 - 6.

It's computer-based and they provide an onscreen calculator.

I won't have to go all the way to Atlanta to take it, like the MCAT. 

It's only given a few times a year. Upcoming dates:

October 13, 2012

November 10, 2012

April 20, 2013  

Physician Assistant?

After my meeting with Dr. McDade, I looked into PAs. 

*What is a PA?

A physician assistant is a healthcare professional that is nationally certified and state-licensed to practice medicine and provide care under the supervision of a physician. 

 

*What do PAs do?

Physician assistants can do a broad spectrum of tasks. 

They can conduct physical exams, obtain medical histories, 

diagnose and treat illnesses, and assist in surgery. 

They can also order tests and interpret test results, 

counsel patients on preventive health care, and prescribe medications.

*Where do PAs work?

 Physician assistants can work in a private practice or a hospital setting.

They can also work in an HMO (health management organization) and with the military.

 

*How much do PAs make?

The median salary for a physician assistant in 2010 was $90,000.  

The lowest 10 percent earned less than $57,450, 

and the top 10 percent earned more than $117,720.

  Most PAs work 32 hour work weeks. 

*How do you become a PA?

 To apply to a PA program, you must have a bachelor's degree.

Most programs are at least two years long to complete, with no residency.

The average cost of an entire PA program is about $50,000.
Upon finishing, you must take the PANCE for national certification

 before you can test for a state license, which you need to be able to practice.

 You maintain national certification by logging 100 hours of continuing 

education every two years and retaking the exam every six years.

 *What do you need to apply to PA school?

First, you must take the GRE. It has three sections 

(analytical writing, verbal reasoning, and quantitative reasoning)

and takes about three and half hours to take. It costs $175 to register for the GRE. 

Second, you must fill out the CASPA, an online application service.  

It becomes available each April. Into the CASPA, you must also enter

 three letters of reference, a fee, transcripts, and GRE scores.

Third, you must fill out the supplemental application and its corresponding fee.

Some programs request a resume. You will also need many, many, many hours of healthcare experience/exposure that involve direct patient contact or observing direct patient contact. 

PA programs can require anywhere from 200-2000 hours or experience. 

Shadowing a PA,NP, or MD, or volunteering at a hospital are great examples.

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So, I really like the way this PA thing sounds. 

I could do everything I wanted as an MD  but in a SHORTER amount of time 

for LESS money with NO RESIDENCY at the end. 

Now I'm considering not applying to med school this year and taking a year off.

Then possibly applying to PA school next year. 

The only problems? 

No one in my family likes the idea or cares about how I feel about living MY own life. 

They think they know how things work and what's best, 

when truth be told they know NOTHING. 

I'm also missing four of the required classes with no room 

to squeeze them into my senior year schedule. 

I don't have enough shadowing hours. I currently have about 30 hours. 

And I haven't taken the GRE. 

Great.