You should go straight to PA school if possible, I do not see how being a CNA will help you get into PA school
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I think it will be a BAD idea to apply for a CNA program. Especially if you are not interested in nursing at all.

If you are looking for a unique experience to give you that edge on your CV when applying for P.A. school, I would recommend that you work on a medical research project as a research assistant, coordinator, or project intern. Especially since you already have a bachelors degree.

Try going to the medical center in your town and do a job search. Also, try to go to the university you graduated from and see if there are any projects to work on. Let one of your old professors or counselors know that you plan on applying for graduate school and see how they can help you out. Keep in mind that you can also use them for recommendations that you will also need for your application.

If there aren’t any research projects in your area, check out the volunteer department in the medical center. Many P.A. programs recommended it. Again, recommendations, mentorship, etc are advantages of volunteering.

Also, check out the P.A. school that you plan on applying to and see what the requirements are. For example, check out the link below for a P.A. program in Texas. It gives you a good idea of what you need to get together for your application.

Best of luck to you.

you can become a CNA in as little as 3 weeks and it cost nothing.

any nursing home that accepts Medicare Part A can offer training and certification for the states CNA testing and licensing. most offer this to probable applicants for free or a small fee. Medicare actually pays for these homes to offer the classwork and clinical time preparing for the state boards.

just contact local nursing homes to see if they offer the training and if so if they charge a fee. the states department of health will also have a list of approved facilities that do training.

it is hard under-appreciated work but it can be extremely rewarding and it may help get you in school but generally being a CNA is not a pre-requisite. having actual work experience in the field will be a factor i am sure since you have first hand knowledge of the field of endeavor.