2 Important Factors to Consider When Deciding Where to Apply to PA School

Thinking about where to apply to PA school can be exciting. It can also be nerve-wracking. You may have a million questions and zero answers. Where should you apply? What factors should you consider? Are you going to have regrets? Will this school give you the best education for your money? To be honest I didn’t think of many of these questions when I was applying to physician assistant school and I wish I had.

I blindly followed my best friend to her PA program. While I was happy to be in the same town as her again and I ultimately was happy with my education, if I could do it all over again I may have done things a little differently. My hope with this article is to provide factors for pre-PA students to consider before submitting their applications.

Some pre-PA students may be limited to a certain geographic location so they may not be considering where to apply to PA school. This could be due to factors such as having children in school or elderly parents to care for in the evenings. If you do not fall into that category then one of the main things I would consider is picking schools in a low cost of living area. Another important factor that in my opinion is not talked about enough is the cost of attending. Lastly, and most importantly is accreditation status.

Accreditation Status

Accreditation of a PA program is determined by the ARC-PA. Pre-PA students must realize what different accreditation statuses mean. There are three primary statuses that the ARC-PA can give to a program. These include Accreditation-Continued, Accreditation-Provisional and Accreditation-Probation. I would suggest never applying to or considering a school that is under Accreditation-Probation status.

Accreditation-Probation

According to the ARC-PA’s website. A program that is given Accreditation-Probation status means the ARC-PA believes its standards are not up to par or the program may be unable “to provide an acceptable education experience for its students.” If they were to fail requirements they could have their accreditation withdrawn. For some students, this may mean they would be unable to complete their PA program, graduate, and sit for the PANCE. In my opinion, this risk is never worth it. You would be in a better position applying the following year than starting at a school that may lose its accreditation.

Accreditation-Provisional

Accreditation-Provisional is provided to a new program. I would also be cautious when applying to these programs. Do your due diligence and look into the school. If the school has other successful health care programs that are well-established then you are (probably) safe. If the school has a history of other programs losing accreditation then I would be wary. I realize that other programs have different accreditation organizations however it does speak to the caliber of the school as a whole and the ability of the school to provide resources and properly staff programs to meet accreditation requirements.

I attended a program that was under Accreditation-Provisional status when I applied. However, they had several other programs including physical therapy and occupational therapy that were already accredited. I also had my friend who was in their inaugural class and had all the inside information about how well their program was doing.

Accreditation-Continued

Lastly, the status that generally but *not always* indicates a safe bet is Accreditation-Continued status. If you go to the ARC-PA’s website here, you will be able to determine the accreditation status of each program and when their next review is scheduled. My point in all of this is to do your research! Don’t blindly apply and start giving a program on the brink of collapse all of your time and hard-earned money.

Cost to Attend

Behind accreditation, the next important factor I wish I had considered is the cost of the program. At the end of the day if you attend an Accredited-Continued program, graduate, and pass the PANCE you will have the same degree as someone from any of the other 300+ PA programs. If you have parents or someone who is paying for your tuition no matter where you go then that’s great for you, you don’t need to consider this factor. If you’re not someone with parents who are bankrolling your career as a professional student then be sure to compare tuition costs before applying and when making your decision between schools.

Along the same train of thought, be sure to consider the cost of living. Tuition is only one of the factors. You also need to have money to live on while in school. This includes rent, transportation, food, entertainment, etc. If you are only applying to programs in major cities maybe you should consider a program in a rural lost cost-of-living area. This will only save you money in the long run and allow you to keep your spending to a minimum while in school. You may not care much about it now, but believe me when you have finally graduated and are staring numbly at the number to pay back in your student loan account, you will.

Final Thoughts on Where to Apply to PA School

Deciding on where to attend PA school is very important. A lot of people will tell you to pick a top-rated program. I’m here to tell you that 5 years into my career the only thing I care about is paying off my student loan debt not where I attended school. If you have a choice between an expensive program in a high-cost-of-living city that’s rated better or an in-state school where you can live at home and save a ton of money… I would definitely consider picking the latter! You will be so much happier in the long run.

Are you in the process of applying to PA programs or maybe deciding between a few acceptances? What factors are you deciding between? Let us know in the comments below!