PA vs. MD/DO

[Aviator97]

Hey guys. I'm looking into the healthcare profession, and have narrowed it down to either a PA or MD/DO. I'm leaning towards the PA since there is less schooling involved, and you still get to perform some of what a MD would perform. Of course, the MD gets paid more, but I'm fine with the salary of a PA. I just have three questions about the two:

1. What is more competitive to get into; a PA program, or MD program?

2. Do you have to have prior experience such as EMT, RN, etc. to go to PA school, or can you apply to PA school right out of undergrad?

3. What is daily life like for a PA vs. a MD?

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[Doctor Bob]

1. What is more competitive to get into; a PA program, or MD program?

MD/DO program... in general.

2. Do you have to have prior experience such as EMT, RN, etc. to go to PA school, or can you apply to PA school right out of undergrad?

Just as with medical school, you can apply straight out of undergrad.

3. What is daily life like for a PA vs. a MD?

There are so many variables in play here that there's no straight answer. It depends on the field, depends on the practice structure, depends on many other things.

 

[ciestar]

Just apply to schools that offer a pre-PA option if that's what you want to do.
Schools like Lock Haven and St John's in Queens offer this, and you graduate being eligible to take your boards.

PA school out undergrad is pretty competitive, as you need a TON of clinical experience.

http://www.lhup.edu/colleges/natural_behavorial_health/physician_asst/index.html

For example

 

[manders31]

Both PA and MD/DO are hard to get into.

PA you need TONS of clinical experience before you start. MD/DO you need high GPA and MCAT scores. Both you need Letters of Rec and Extra Curricular activities.

The life of a PA or MD/DO will vary depending on what you go into.

Things that many like about being a PA - you can practice right out of school. No need for a residency. And if you decide you are tired of say family practice (if that was your first job) you can change later in your career to another field that utilizes PAs (Peds, OB/GYN, etc)

An MD/DO has to decide on a residency and have further training after medical school. However, eventually you will be able to practice without being under someone else-something that PAs don't have.

Both are great careers and take a lot of medical knowledge. Very fulfilling way to live your life!

 

[deleted6669]

Shadow several PAs and several docs in a bunch of specialties. before deciding on PA make sure you are ok with doing much of the same work as a physician with none of the recognition or respect. PA is really designed as a second medical career for folks with significant prior medical experience at the level of paramedic, RN, Resp. therapist, etc.
there are programs which will take folks directly out of undergrad. I would be very hesitant to attend one. The entire concept of PA education is that you are building on the framework of your prior job and life experience.
Many older PAs regret their decision to attend PA school and either remain unhappy, leave the field, or return to medical school. Being a PA is really cool for about 5 years until you hit a glass ceiling in terms of autonomy and scope of practice. money is fine but schedule is very similar to a doc's. it really is not a lifestyle career any more than becoming a physician is. the vast majority of PAs that I know(n=hundreds) work as many or more hrs than the docs they work with. docs hire PAs to do the work they don't want to do at the times and places they don't want to do it so they can enjoy their time off.
After almost 2 decades as a PA I have finally found several places that I enjoy working that treat me well. none of them are even remotely convenient to a major metro area. if you are ok with working rural your entire career you can find positions that will treat you well. if you work in a metro area you will be doing eternal scut work that docs don't want to do.
consider yourself warned. extra time spent now in school in your 20s will make you much happier in your 30s and beyond. go to medschool. I wish I did.
also consider that lateral mobility for PAs is likely going to be gone in 10 years. hospitals are requiring significant procedure logs and verification of skills before allowing PAs to change fields with a reasonabale scope of practice. it's the catch 22 of you need experience to get experience. there are pa residencies but that adds training time that could be spent in medschool instead. there are also now PA specialty boards which employers are already discussing with and expecting of job applicants. the future for PAs will be PA school(likely increased to 3 years) followed by a specialty residency of a year, followed by a specialty board exam. bye-bye lateral mobility unless you want to do a second residency.

 

[Aviator97]

Thanks guys. I also am thinking of Psychology as well (Psy.D.). How different is it from medicine?

 

[AuroraX]

Thanks guys. I also am thinking of Psychology as well (Psy.D.). How different is it from medicine?

I believe Psy.D's focus on counseling and clinically relevant psychological disorders. I think the difference is that they cannot prescribe medication, and that is something that a psychiatrist can do.

 

[sonofva]

That above post is spot on. Esp. The part about taking people straight from undergrad. The pa program associated with my medical school is essentially a joke, and turns out many sub par graduates just so the school can make a buck.

As far as a PsyD, you will have to decide whether counseling is more important to you than prescribing power. It is very rare to find a psychiatry residency that is strong in psychotherapy these days, and more rare to find a job that is heavy on psychotherapy. So if you want to
Do counseling, go the psyd route.

 

[manders31]

If you are interested in psychotherapy another degree route is a masters in social work. It is true psychiatrist mostly prescribe meds. They also do mental health screening in order to diagnose conditions but very little if any therapy.

 

[BioBeaver]

OP: Bottom line of all this is you're still not sure, and that's fine! Naturally if you want to keep the most options open, pursue a Pre-med track and shadow all of those careers while in college.

 

[softballtennis]

I can't decide between being a psychiatrist or a psychologist. I know that I only want to be a shrink so if I went into med school and decided psychiatry wasn't for me, I would have a tough time picking another specialty because I can't imagine myself performing surgeries or doing general medical work. I like that psychs get to prescribe medication but I would probably do the psychotherapy as well.

 

[TangoDown]

I can't decide between being a psychiatrist or a psychologist. I know that I only want to be a shrink so if I went into med school and decided psychiatry wasn't for me, I would have a tough time picking another specialty because I can't imagine myself performing surgeries or doing general medical work. I like that psychs get to prescribe medication but I would probably do the psychotherapy as well.

Psychiatrists are physicians first. Ask yourself if you have the motivation and general interest to learn the basic sciences if all you're interesting in is psych.

If you want to prescribe and do psychotherapy, you could always become a PMHNP (Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner). Of course, you'd have to want to be a nurse first because you'd have to get through nursing school and probably work for a bit as an RN (though you could be a Psych RN) before you do, or while you're doing the NP program (there are direct-entry programs if you already have a BA or BS in something). You also aren't going to be anywhere close to an expert in medicine OR psychology.

PHDs/PsyDs do a lot more than just talk therapy. They do research as well as clinical testing, and are experts in specific areas of psychology. But they can't prescribe (save for the ones who get a special masters degree in psychopharm) and thus make far less than a psychiatrist. You'd also have to put up with grad school and a dissertation and an internship (and there's an APA-accredited internship crisis going on).

 

[styphon]

Hey guys. I'm looking into the healthcare profession, and have narrowed it down to either a PA or MD/DO. I'm leaning towards the PA since there is less schooling involved, and you still get to perform some of what a MD would perform. Of course, the MD gets paid more, but I'm fine with the salary of a PA. I just have three questions about the two:

1. What is more competitive to get into; a PA program, or MD program?

2. Do you have to have prior experience such as EMT, RN, etc. to go to PA school, or can you apply to PA school right out of undergrad?

3. What is daily life like for a PA vs. a MD?

1: An MD program would be more competitive, by the concept - you have more people applying for less spots.

2. You do not need experience like EMT/RN before PA school. I know many PA's as they are integrated into my region - and lots had ZERO clinical experience (outside of the shadowing, etc for their application).

3. A PA and MD may have the same daily life - depending on the field. A PA can shift fields at will - you are not limited by field. My ex-wife went from family med- to intern med- to ICU. No additional training. the PA on my "team", was 10 years OB - and is now doing family med. I know ortho and neuro PA's who suddenly switched to ER without a problem.

In ER - the PA will staff the "Fast track" and usually do most of the sutures, but also see the other patients. In the pediatric ER I was at - the NP/PA did sutures, sprains, possible fractures - I had to see the concussion/GI/other stuff.

In the OR - sometimes the MD will do the surgeries and the PA will be purely outpt - the PA in OB i mentioned above never delivered babies - just did pre-natal and post-partum care. Othertimes the MD will use the PA as 1st assist.

A PA is often salaried as opposed to incentive based pay.

 

[Aviator97]

Thanks guys! I'm gonna try out the PA route and see how it goes.