I searched the forum for this exact information but was unable to find what I needed. In a few months I will be finished with the PJ pipeline and will head to my reserve base for about a year of active orders (upgrade training). After that I would like to attend PA school and I have a few questions regarding my plan, I have my four year degree in unrelated field:

1. Will my low (1.9) GPA bar me from acceptance?
2. Do they tend to accept prior PJs more easily?
3. How feasible is this plan?

Thanks for any input.

You will need to coordinate with your Reserve Squadron to see if they will release you. They just spent about $250K and probably more on you to have a being there PJ performing PJ duties.

Also to my knowledge nothing has changed since the last time you asked this question and given the following answer ---> Guidance on PA Career

Most schools have a minimum GPA listed on their sites (my wife who applied in the past is telling me this) and most look for higher than 2.5 or even 3.0 GPA's. Experience is important and your training should help as most civilians who get in have a good amount of experience in clinical applications (EMT, ER, Cath Labs, ect.)

If he is going to a civilian PA school on his dime and time, his being a PJ is generally not a swaying influence as he would not have the prerequisite clinical hours or the actual patient contact experience with just one year performing PJ duties.

What would be a potential problem is having AF Reserve schedule to include deployments and other Air Force mission tasking (NASA for example) that is compatible with his class schedule. Consequently he is still going to have to coordinate his desires with his unit.

If he is seeking admission into a civilian PA program, his questions are best answered by reading the PA program admissions requirements published in the school’s catalog.

Examples:

The Physician Assistant program at Samuel Merritt University

PA program admission requirements-Howard University

PA Program-admissions

Being a Pararescueman has relatively no bearing on your acceptance or denial into a civilian or for that matter the Armed Forces PA Program. I am a practicing PA and a retired PJ. I sit on two accepting boards for two PA Programs and the acceptance criteria are outlined clearly in any school brochure. In answer to your specific questions...

Yes, absolutely your GPA (especially due to the fact that "I have my four year degree") weighs very heavily in the acceptance process. PA School is much like Pararescue Training in that you are required to aquire a vast amount of information in an accellerated time frame. How well you disciplined yourself in your previous "training" gives an indication of how you will do in PA School. Self-discipline is the key.

No... the fact that you are a PJ will not weigh heavier than someone else...UNLESS... you have been a PJ for many years with multiple deployments. The ability to manage your required mission qualifications and still keep up with the deployment tempo does tell alot about your discipline.

Is this a feasible plan? Depends on two criteria. Your PA School admission format AND... more importantly... your PJ Team deployment and employment tempo. Most PA Schools are so time consuming that you will need to spend upwards of 18 hours each and everyday (yep... even weekends) for at least the first year in classroom and study requirements. Where exactly does your PJ Team fit into this? My son is an Active duty PJ and was deployed last year over 250 days. Remember... you are a part of that team and will be required to maintain necessary upgrade and mission qualifications. This upgrade training and mission qualification training is not over after the first year or even after the first 10 years. You will always be training no matter how long you are a PJ...this is a lifestyle...NOT a stepping stone.