Grad School – Is It For Me?
So Grad school. There’s so many different programs and forms of secondary education that you can go into. Law School. Medical School. Physician Assistant School. Veterinarian School. Business School. Graduate programs to further expertise in your major.
You’re probably thinking, ‘There’s so many options. Where do I go from here?!’
Something I’ve learned this week is this: Remember that we’re young and have our entire lives. Your plan today could very well change tomorrow. You always have the option to change your mind! Don’t stress thinking that if you don’t go to Graduate school right out of Undergrad that it’s not possible for you to go back. It is. Some of my friends’ parents are in Grad school now. I originally came to WPI thinking I would be going to Medical school and my plan has changed. Some people choose not to go to Grad school and that is perfectly okay too! Do whatever is best for YOU!
Now I plan on going into a Physician Assistant (PA) program after I graduate from WPI. Here are some of the steps I’ve done to start getting ready to apply!
1. Talk to an expert: I went to Academic Advising to talk to the Pre-Professional advisor (yes, we have one of those!) about Medical school, PA school, and other options I have. When I went for my meeting my advisor told me about a PA program between WPI and MCPHS where if I meet the qualifications I can be admitted STRAIGHT into MCPHS!! I wouldn’t have known this if I didn’t go to see my advisor!
2. Look up schools: I started looking up PA schools all over the country to see what their programs are like. The length and cost of the program varies from school to school, so do a lot of research to see what will be your best fit!
3. Tour the schools if possible: It’s important to check out the school you will spend the next 2+ years at to see if it will fit you. You can tour the physical campus, or a lot of schools have virtual tours online. Luckily for me MCPHS is right here in Worcester and I was able to go for a tour this summer. I never knew what the campus was like, even when I walked right by it on my way to work everyday. I absolutely loved it!
http://www.perkinswill.com/sites/default/files/project-imagery/MCPHS_Exterior_main1_2.jpg
For now I am making sure I take all the required classes for the PA program I am interested in and keeping my grades up. Soon I’m going to be looking into the application process! Here’s some helpful docs in case you are interested in Graduate or Professional schools:
As always, if you have any questions email us at cdcpeeradvisors14@wpi.edu and check out everyone’s blogs this week: Adam, Sam, Ahmad, and Sebastian!!
Until next week,
