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Choosing the length of a PA program

Choosing The Length Of A PA Program

There are countless aspects to consider when applying to and selecting a PA program. One of the top considerations for many students is the length of the program they are interested in. Some programs are 24 months start to finish, whereas others are 36 months, and numerous in between. MYPABOX readily has the length of the program under each program description. Follow along to read the advantages and disadvantages of each, and help you select which option is best for you.

24 Months

Advantages: 

  • This is the quickest you can complete the masters program to sit for the PANCE. 
  • You complete your schooling quicker, which allows you to become a provider quicker. 
  • You are paying for tuition and living expenses for only 2 years. Similarly, 24 months makes renting an apartment and a lease seamless, rather than requiring an odd amount of time such as 27 months. 

Disadvantages:

  • The material moves at warp speed to fit all of the information in the 24 months. Which in turn may make it harder to retain the information.
  • Your day to day hours during the didactic year tend to be longer than those of a longer program. For example, these students may be in class from 8am – 5pm, whereas a longer program may be from 9am-4pm. 
  • It is easier to become overwhelmed with exams and assignments due because they must be condensed to fit into the schedule. 
  • Missing out on more family and friend events due to studying during the didactic year and scheduling conflicts during the clinical year is a common complaint of students in the shorter programs.

 

28-32 Months

Advantages: 

  • Happy medium of moving through the material. This will still be fast due to the nature of PA school, but you have a little more time to digest material. Generally you are taking less credits per semester in comparison to the 24 month program, allowing for more time to study and understand the material. 
  • There are more frequent breaks or long weekends in comparison to the 24 month program. 
  • Many people say they are able to prioritize having more time to see friends and family.
  • It is easier to build in time to exercise and prioritize your mental health.

Disadvantages:

  • Spending more time in the didactic year. Many programs that are longer than 24 months increase the amount of time during the didactic year rather than during the clinical year, which means you spend more time in the classroom. Although some people would see this as an advantage!  
  • More time in school means that there will be higher costs. This includes tuition, and cost of living, if you moved to attend your program.

36 Months

Advantages:

  • This time frame allows for the greatest amount of time to learn material, both clinically and in the classroom, prior to sitting for the PANCE. 
  • Longer and more frequent breaks are common with 36 month programs. Many of them even allow for an entire month off during the summer. 
  • There may be more opportunities to volunteer abroad as a class during a break.

Disadvantages:

  • Longer and more frequent breaks can also be seen as a disadvantage due to having to get back into the groove of being a student when you come back to class. Many students say that they need at least a couple of days to get back into the mindset of being a student.
  • The longer the program, the longer you will be paying tuition and not earning an income.

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This is a quick and basic breakdown of the main advantages and disadvantages between different length programs. After running a poll on instagram, these are the general thoughts of PA students in a variety of programs! Let us know below in the comments which length program would be ideal for you!

Check out our other blog article: “How to Choose Your PA Program: Part 2”

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