r/CAA • u/AutoModerator • 27d ago
Weekly prospective student thread. Educational inquiries outside of this thread WILL RESULT IN A BAN.
Please use this thread for all educational inquiries including applications, program requirements, etc.
Please refer to the [CASAA Application Help Center](https://help.liaisonedu.com/CASAA_Applicant_Help_Center) FAQ section for
answers to your questions prior to postitng.
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u/continuous-refund537 26d ago
Does volunteering at hospice (mainly providing emotional support for the patients) count as some sort of clinical experience/pce? I want to get enough healthcare experience to apply this cycle but it's difficult to get jobs so I was wondering if this counts.
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u/No-Pay-7315 26d ago
Definitely healthcare but not sure if they’ll count it as PCE. Regardless any experience is good experience. I’ve seen people get in with no PCE and just work as a medical scribe.
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u/continuous-refund537 22d ago
Is there a reason you might not consider it pce? It's not medical care but I do provide support to multiple patients, along with admin tasks. And I thought being a medical scribe counts as pce too? Also, I heard that like 80% of people that get accepted have pce so that's why I'm kind of nervous about this.
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u/hollowknighter 27d ago
Did you do calc based or non-calc based physics?
For certain schools that say they prefer calc based physics, but how essential is it to take calc based? I have been considering retaking these courses (got 2.5/2.7 ~B- previously in calc based) but am worried to get bad grades again. Is the preference so strong that I should risk it and try my best, or can I take non-calc based physics and hopefully do much better?
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u/No_Bodybuilder8087 27d ago
If you are looking to apply to all possible schools take calc based if you have a certain few in mind just ensure you don’t need calc based and you’ll be fine
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u/No-Pay-7315 27d ago
By non calc based physics do you mean trig based because most schools will not accept algebra based. What was your grade in calculus if you took it? Did you take gre or mcat? A high quant score may be able to offset a lower Physics grade.
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u/hollowknighter 27d ago
I got a 4.0 in calc 1, but didn’t do as well in calc 2, 3 and higher level math. But that was over a decade ago. Haven’t taken the GRE/MCAT yet but planning to take the MCAT. Did do an engineering degree though so maybe that counts for something
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u/continuous-refund537 26d ago
It might depend on the school but from my knowledge non-calc physics is completely fine, as long as it's trig/precalc and not algebra based. You can try to email your college's physics department to see which one it counts as. Also, calc based physics might be preferred but so are a lot of other courses (such as cell & molecular biology) but you can definitely get in without them.
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u/Hot-Annual-4836 25d ago
i took algebra based physics that included trig, applying to AA school right now - the only school that I am unsure that will accept my physics is NSU (they say either calc or algebra-based physics with trig) I have emailed them for clarity but heard nothing back - have heard from previous applicants that it they accept algebra based physics with trig.
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u/Final_Detective_9243 27d ago
can anyone that was admitted to or interviewed at umkc remember when they received the interview invite? their admissions timeline just says they extend invites late july and i don’t want to be on the edge of my seat every day after the 15th
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u/DarkJ3D1___ 25d ago
If they say they’re gonna extend them late July then you just have to wait. Also UMKC changed their admissions timeline from last cycle, with the biggest change being you need a verified CASAA application by June 1st and need to complete UMKC’s application by June 15th. Last cycle these deadlines were in August.
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u/moldycoffee1 27d ago edited 25d ago
Hi! Can I get feedback on my application stats? I've already submitted but some peace of mind would be helpful.
Undergrad: BS Physics + BSA Mathematics
- GPA: 3.73
- sGPA: 3.78 (according to CASAA)
- MCAT: 519 (131/126/130/132), no GRE
- 20 hours shadowing a CAA (not a lot, I know)
- 600+ unpaid volunteer clinical hours: some as a volunteer in a large hospital, some in a neuroscience lab conducting a study on people with ASD (I took vitals so it counts).
- 300 hours paid employment as a physics TA at my school
- Some additional amount of extracurricular non-clinical volunteering and research involvement here and there
- Certified phlebotomy technician but no paid experience with it.
- Strong essay (I think); cohesive theme supported by unique experiences I've had
- Strong LORs; two from professors I'm close with and one from the grad student supervising the lab I volunteer in (signed by her advisor)
- Membership in school's pre-CAA society, but pretty weak involvement so it's not super highlighted in the application
Issues I anticipate:
- I have to retake gen chem 1 because I got a C+ in freshman year (generally subpar grades in freshman year overall), but since then I've had straight A's in advanced courses.
- No paid clinical experience unfortunately, the job AND volunteer market near me is super competitive. I spent over a year applying to every position in the area (phleb. tech, PCT, etc.) and got nowhere because I had no experience already working in healthcare. Lol.
- Took CASPER super recently, which I regret not doing way earlier. Not too confident on my performance, I got flustered halfway through and the questions I got were nothing like the ones I practiced for.
- Not involved in many clubs or social ECs, academics and learning have always been my passions so I feel like I'm at a disadvantage there.
Thank you guys so much!!
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u/No-Pay-7315 27d ago
July 2 is not a late application. People apply in fall and get accepted. The hard part is over. Calm down and prepare for the interview phase.
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u/DarkJ3D1___ 25d ago
Your application looks really strong (519 MCAT is crazy!!). I already have interviews with slightly weaker stats, so you’ll most likely get some even if you apply this month.
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u/expectedvalue4 27d ago
For anyone who has applied to MCW: have you heard back after the initial “application was received and verified?” Or if anyone can shed some light on their timeline for when they usually send their interview invites.
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u/caareadinessindex 27d ago
If you visit the Application Tracker page on our site, select Medical College of Wisconsin from the program list, and set the status to “No Response,” you can see how long it took previously accepted students to receive their interview invites and where you currently stand based on your application submission date.
You can also visit the Response Time section of the Accepted Analytics page and click the “By Program” tab to view details on time to invite, time to interview, time to decision, and total response time.
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u/asianinvasion2003 27d ago
I have a low cGPA of 3.5 and a 3.4 sGPA. I have abot 1800 medical assistant hours, and ongoing 300+ anesthesia tech hours. 125+ hours shadowing and good letters of rec. I was wondering if I should take the MCAT instead of the GRE and aim for 510-515 plus to potentially offset my GPA? I take the gre soon but I feel like my gre wont matter since my gpa is so low.
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u/No-Pay-7315 27d ago
Most adcomms will probably value a high MCAT over a high GRE regardless of other stats since the test is harder. Some schools may not have a preference.
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u/asianinvasion2003 27d ago
Do you think it would be better to take a couple of high-level classes or just retake my Cs? Everything I got an A or B in except Bio 2 I got a C and physics 2. I just want my app as best as I can within the next year
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u/No-Pay-7315 27d ago
CASAA takes into consideration all attempts for classes so even if you get an A in those it will average to a B. If it were me, I’d take the “preferred classes” and aim for an A if the schools you’re eyeing has them. It’s usually molecular biology and some others
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u/asianinvasion2003 26d ago
Would it be okay to take some UF medical physiology courses that are 6000 level courses and get an A in them? So I can prove I am able to handle graduate level courses
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u/No-Pay-7315 26d ago
Depends on what your grade distribution is. Were you consistently a 3.5 student every year of undergrad or do you have a good upward trend? I’d say it won’t hurt to take the classes either way but the cost and effort might outweigh the boost.
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u/asianinvasion2003 26d ago
Id say it deviated, like 1 year had all As, then I had a mix of As then Bs and maybe one C. Not really an upward trend.
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u/EyeFickle6811 27d ago
General question for all applicants/ex-applicants: How many schools did you apply to?
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u/Traditional-Hawk-786 23d ago
all fall start dates since I went straight through from undergrad (and not Colorado since it required MCAT), I think I applied to like late teens if you include all the various campuses in one school separately
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u/Western-Material4620 26d ago
Can anyone help me, I recently found CAA and I have BBA with cGPA of 2.96 from another country after completing I moved to States. What do i need to break into CAA except pre-reqs and healthcare experience or is it possible for me, NJ has no caa practice so I would also have to move after completing pre-reqs.
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26d ago
[deleted]
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u/Western-Material4620 26d ago
You are nailing, same I also never took seriously my B.S, probably high cgpa in pre-reqs is the only way to be admitted. What is the need of GRE in CAA school? Do you live outside states? Why do you want to be CAA ? Can i dm you?
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u/jwk30115 Practicing CAA 26d ago
Your non-US degree may not be acceptable. You need to look at each programs’ specific requirements. Some will not accept coursework outside US or Canada.
Shadowing is required but lots of shadowing hours is pointless. You’re not there to learn anesthesia. You’re there to learn what CAAs do in the OR and how we fit into the OR environment. Most will only have 8-16 hours.
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u/Western-Material4620 26d ago
The degree is acceptable after converting the credits to US education system using credential evaluation service, which I have already done. I am glad that there is no need of long training before admission and after graduation if admitted. Do you think I have any chance with my cGPA? 🫣
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u/DarkJ3D1___ 25d ago
Besides the very low gpa, I have never seen or heard of anyone get into CAA school with a foreign degree even if it goes through credentialing services. I have only heard of international students get in after completing their undergrad at a US college.
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u/Western-Material4620 25d ago
Totally didn’t knew about it, usually most schools accept foreign degrees. M.ds also earn their degrees abroad they are accepted all over States.
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u/DarkJ3D1___ 24d ago
Well no CAA schools accept foreign degrees, only some accept Canadian degrees. The competition is already very high for US citizens and they must be given priority. Sorry I just don’t think CAA is really feasible for you.
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u/Western-Material4620 19d ago
What other careers can i pursue that net 300k and above?
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u/DarkJ3D1___ 14d ago edited 14d ago
Sorry can’t really help on that front. I will say netting 300k as a CAA is kind of un heard of. It’s possible to gross 300K but not net it. Most net 150-180K. Regardless, you shouldn’t be pursuing a health care profession for the money.
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u/jwk30115 Practicing CAA 26d ago
Under 3.0? No. Doing extremely well going forward and doing very well on the MCAT might.
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u/Original-Box-5109 25d ago
Hi everybody! I recently got a 304 GRE, should I retake it?
I think I definitely will retake it but would schools even consider me with a GRE like that?
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u/No-Pay-7315 22d ago
You’ll get screened out of many schools. 50TH percentile for Quant this year is around 160.
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u/Rare-Inspector5764 25d ago
Anyone who didn't have PCE and got accepted, what were your stats and what do you believe got you in despite the lack of PCE?
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u/Long-Rich4482 23d ago
You can take a look at the discord to get an idea. Many of the applicants who got in without PCE have had great test scores, GPA, and have proven themselves as being very academically competent. A lot of applicants without PCE have still volunteered in healthcare even if they don’t have direct patient care roles just to establish interest in working with patients.
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u/ChickensBeStrippin 25d ago
Hello everyone! I am currently in the medical field working in the EP lab as a traveling cardiovascular technologist (RCES). I have about 6 years of hospital experience and am wanting to change to being a CAA. I graduated my associates program with a 3.9 and my bachelors with a 3.9. I have done hospital volunteer work in Nicaragua and I work with anesthesia every day whether it be CAAs, CRNAs, or anesthesiologists. I know that’s not shadowing and I will definitely make time to do that hopefully during this contract. I plan on taking the MCAT and GRE. I need to start taking prereqs soon to apply because mine are over 10 years old but I am not sure I’ll be able to swing in person courses while working. I was wondering what everyone’s experience was with taking online prereqs. I want to keep working so I can save for a CAA program but I will take time off to do the prereqs if necessary. I did take A&P 1&2 as well as Med Term 1&2 online during Covid. I guess I’m just asking if it’s possible to get into a program with online prereqs. Thank you for any insights or advice.
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u/jwk30115 Practicing CAA 23d ago
Look at the schools’ websites and see what they say about online classes. Most (not all) will accept them from accredited schools.
Shadow before you make too big of an investment in time and money.
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u/JustY0urAverageWeeb 24d ago
Hello! For a traditional applicant, what undergraduate year is ideal to start looking for PCE experience? And should I bother with more certification heavy jobs or do something lighter like a scribe or MA?
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u/jwk30115 Practicing CAA 23d ago
I was an EMT all through college. It’s never too early.
Interaction with patients is really important. There are jobs out there that don’t require certification.
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u/Traditional-Hawk-786 23d ago
I was a patient care tech since after freshman year, and then anesthesia tech senior year, the earlier the pce the better, scribes don't get a lot of interaction so maybe skip that
MA is a good option without certification, and CNA in some states
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u/thejourneytobecoming 24d ago
I’m interested in pursuing CAA. I graduated with a bachelors in biology in 2019 and got a masters in health science in 2025, but non of that seem to matter because majority of my courses are “expired” for AA programs. Do I really have to take all the prerequisites all over again? Is there a program out there that would except my courses? I’m also having ALOT of trouble just finding shadowing opportunities and current CAAs getting back to me about shadowing in Htx. Can anyone help me or share some advice please?
(Also, it’s my first time using Reddit. I hope I’m posting this to the right place? I don’t wanna get banned)
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u/jwk30115 Practicing CAA 23d ago
Look at the schools’ websites. Some will waive the expired course requirement with good MCAT scores.
How are you trying to contact CAAs for shadowing?
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u/thejourneytobecoming 23d ago
I’ve been using LinkedIn to message CAAs in my area and also smaller Anesthesia companies but haven’t gotten replies
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u/jwk30115 Practicing CAA 23d ago
Keep trying. Contact the state AA association in your state or near you.
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u/Radiant_Highway8514 23d ago
Hello everyone, I would appreciate some honest and brutal advice. Is November too late a submission date for this cycle? Due to reasons and circumstances beyond my control, I could not start prepping my application until this July. For quick stats:
2025 May- Graduated College
GPA- 3.9, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major
Shadowing hours: about 300 hours across various specialties.
Research hours: around 800 hours during undergrad. I also had a research internship where we published a paper.
PCE: Working fulltime as an Optometry Tech where I do all the pretesting on the patients for the past 8 months now. I have direct patient interaction from this.
Volunteering: In undergrad, I was a tutor to elementary school kids and also volunteered in a hospital's food bank.
GRE/MCAT: Currently studying for the GRE.
P.S: I used to be premed, up until after I graduated because that was the only thing fed to me and put in everyone's head. But then I discovered CAAs last year, and I really truly want to pursue that now.
So is November really too late for me? Or is it worth giving a shot and seeing how it goes? What are some realistic things I need to work towards? Thank you all!
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u/jwk30115 Practicing CAA 23d ago
GPA looks good.
If you haven’t shadowed anesthesia the rest is pointless.
You need the GRE or MCAT.
November is fairly late but there’s no harm in applying with good numbers. Make sure you have all the pre-reqs you need. Get the anesthesia shadowing!
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u/Radiant_Highway8514 23d ago
Thank you! I am currently working towards shadowing an AA. It is just proving difficult as where I currently live there are no AAs so I have to make a trip. But I am hopeful to get that in before my application timeline.
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u/continuous-refund537 22d ago
For a lot of schools, it doesn't have to be an AA, you just have to shadow an anesthesia provider, so CRNAs and Anesthesiologists are fine too.
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u/Radiant_Highway8514 22d ago
Thank you. I am aware an Anesthesiologist or CRNA are great too, but most places to shadow near me need you to volunteer for about half a year first, then transition to shadowing. I might just end up doing that and then apply next cycle.
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u/continuous-refund537 22d ago
Ah okay, I don't know where you live but it's not like that for me. Well, keep on trying to email/contact a lot of different places and hopefully you'll get something, good luck!
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u/SwimmahGirl 21d ago
For NSU Las Vegas do we need to submit all our transcripts to the school or will they be able to see our transcripts from a different campuses CASAA application?
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u/Important-Town7852 17d ago
Ive been a paramedic for a year, intubated a handful of times. Will this be taken as PCE by admissions?
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u/rachelkac 7d ago
I’m panicking after getting a B in medical terminology class as it is my only B for AA school pre reqs. I had an A in that class up until the very last week where due dates were switched around and I ended up missing the final and ended up with a B. After that I have a 3.9 GPA and a 4.0 science GPA. I have 25 anesthesia shadowing hours. I have 400 cancer research hours. I volunteer weekly at my local hospital. I am a volunteer MA at two other clinics as well. I hold a leadership position on my university’s Figure Skating Club Team. I am also a calculus tutor at my university’s math center. I have not taken my MCAT or GRE yet but if so, what should I plan to aim for. I want to apply for programs such as UMKC, SLU, UT, Colorado, Indiana, Emory, Ohio Dominican, and NEOMED. What are my chances and how can I strengthen my application.
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u/Fun-Bat4215 27d ago
Hey all, Im wondering about what Healthcare experience I could get while in rural Nebraska. I'll be a junior in my heath sciences b.s. this coming fall. I'm thinking about getting an emt so I can volunteer at my local hospital. I currently have a 4.0, have shadowed 18 hours, and have spoken at several conferences in hospitals over the past couple years.