r/physicianassistantCAN

I’m considering whether I want to be a physician assistant or a teacher and I’m stuck on what to do.

I know I would find joy in being a teacher. I like that you build a connection with students, have good time off, and get to help with fun ECs on the side but idk whether I’d regret not trying out healthcare. I also don’t know how hard it would be to find a job for I/S sciences.

For being a PA, I do really enjoy applying what you learn and being hands on. Theres also good work life balance and you get to jump specialties whenever you want. But there isn’t much vertical mobility in the career and there’s a salary cap. I feel like I could maybe teach in PA schools later on, and the program is more competitive than teaching so idk if I’d regret not taking this opportunity that I might not get again. Like with teaching, I’m also stuck on whether I’d be able to find a job in Toronto as a PA.

I’d like to hear others thoughts!

I guess I just wanted to share my feelings lol, the wait is so exhausting. I try not to overthink my vMMI answers, as I am sure a lot of us do, but sometimes I just automatically just start worrying about what is gonna happen. That being said, it is a normal feeling, uncertainty can feel scary but its also part of life I guess. But if any of you have tips for coping with this waiting period, would love to hear your thoughts!

Hey guys, I’m in a bit of a conflicting situation and would really appreciate some advice as I have 2 days to figure to out.

I’m currently re-taking first year chemistry this summer which is a 6-unit course that I originally got a C- in during first year. The issue is that I recently found out that when the grade gets replaced, it will count as a third-year course rather than replacing it in the year I originally took it.

Since first year, my grades have improved A LOT. My overall GPA right now is around a 3.4 without re-taking chemistry. It's although being brought down quite a bit by a C- in another 6-unit course and a D in a 3-unit course from first year. If I re-take chemistry and get an A or A+, it could raise my overall GPA by at least 0.1 and would likely improve my final two-year GPA. My third-year GPA is around a 3.99, and I expect my final two-year GPA to likely fall somewhere around a 3.8–3.9 by the time I graduate. Btw my school uses a 4.3 scale.

I’m really hoping to get into the PA programs at UofT and McMaster. Unfortunately, since they’re currently bachelor’s programs, they still look at the overall GPA and use a 4.0 scale, which is why re-taking the course seemed worth it. However, I’ve heard they may be transitioning into master’s programs, and I know a lot of master’s programs tend to focus more on your final two years rather than overall GPA.

So now I feel kind of stuck:

1. Re-take the course and risk getting anything below an A to A+, which could potentially lower my last two-year GPA.
2. Drop the re-take, keep the original C-, and protect my upper-year GPA, but then my overall GPA stays lower.

Another factor is that re-taking the course is expensive, and since I’m going into my last year, this is basically my last chance to re-take it. So if I drop it now, the C- is kind of stuck there.

I’m worried that if Mac and UofT end up switching to only looking at the last two years, I could actually hurt myself more by re-taking it. But at the same time, if they continue focusing on overall GPA, then replacing the C- could help me a lot.

Also, for those familiar with Canadian PA master’s programs or Canadian master’s programs in general, do they tend to require the final two years and overall GPA trend rather than cumulative GPA? I found that some of the other PA schools emphasized that more. 

Would you guys risk the re-take, or protect the upper-year GPA?