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While deciding whether you want to become a PA or physician assistant, every school may appear as good as the next, but selecting the best school is crucial. Your eagerness and excitement about joining this career path may cloud your vision of how to concentrate on choosing a suitable institution for your needs.
Bear in mind that the best school must match your personality, learning style, and lead you to a professional education that suits you best without causing any frustration.
Fortunately, program finders such as My PA Path help find you a school that suits you the best by screening programs against factors such as your academic history and work experience. To avoid any irreversible mistakes in the future, consider these factors in your selection process.
How to Select the Best PA School
Selecting a PA school can be a hard task with different factors to consider. After all, the institution you choose could influence your future. That’s why you should consider using a PA School Finder that goes to great lengths in ensuring you make the right decision. These factors play a significant role in your selection:
The Cost
While your education is perhaps more significant, the amount you invest financially will go beyond graduation. In fact, most students require financial assistance in the form of loans to cover the associated costs.
On average, students take close to $100,000 in loans, making it necessary to have a financial plan. You should consider staying near home so you can save in application expenses. You’ll save because you won’t need to travel for interviews.
A car drive will be much cheaper than a plane ride. If you take a program next to your home, it might be possible to save on tuition as well. Numerous public universities offer PA programs, and if this facility is available in your state, you could possibly save almost half of your tuition costs by attending a public university in your state.
However, if you’re considering schools in New York or California, have an estimate of the cost of living in those areas and the amount you’ll spend on rent.
Program Resources
Different schools offer different resources. Depending on your need, if you could identify the resources various programs provide, you can easily shortlist the right program for you.
Duration
The program’s duration might range from 24-36 months. While you might select a program solely based on this criterion, it could be a deciding factor should you be torn between two comparable schools.
Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing a School
Conducting Insufficient Research
It’s never advisable to apply to an institution before researching the program. Some students base their decisions on the location of the school or referrals from student advisors. It’s imperative you conduct some personal research.
Alternatively, you could consider the reliable services of a PA School Finder such as My PA Path if you don’t want the wealth of information to overwhelm you.
Overlooking Accreditation
Once an institution earns accreditation, it implies the program has attained a particular standard. An accreditation status demonstrates the program organization, curriculum, clinical sites, and instructors have undergone review and met the prerequisites defined by the accrediting organization.
The initial step on your way to becoming a physician assistant is selecting a PA program. Remember, finding a suitable program is crucial in helping you start your career on the right foot. Therefore, you must choose the right institution to avoid future regrets. If you aren’t certain about how to go about it, My PA Path is the best solution.