- Joined
- Aug 7, 2013
- Messages
- 43
- Reaction score
- 6
Background/disclaimer:
First of all, I know what most of you are thinking. "You shouldn't just go where you can get in, you should take the time to figure out exactly what you want to do, and then do whatever it takes to get there." Hear me out.
I want to work in an ER treating patients. That is the number 1 priority in my life, and I know that I would be awesome at doing it. Whether as an MD, DO, or PA, I could hardly care. I've worked in the ER for 6 months now, and 3 things have become glaringly apparent to me:
1. MD = DO
2. PA = damn close to MD/DO. The only procedure I've seen an MD/DO do that I haven't seen a PA do is a central line placement. Sure, you have to be supervised and blah blah blah, but when it comes down to it, in the ED, 98% of the time you're doing the exact same thing as an MD/DO.
3. PA, MD, DO, makes no difference in personal happiness. I know MD's who hate their lives, I've met PA's who love theirs, vice verse, and on and on, it honestly doesn't seem to make a difference. I honestly feel like most ER MD's would be just as happy now if they had chosen DO or PA route 15 years earlier, and the same goes for DO's and PA's.
As far as school, it seems like there is at least one major disadvantage every way I turn:
MD disadvantage: probably need post-bac school ($40,000 and 2 years of my life)
DO disadvantage: expensive as ****
PA disadvantage: just spent 3 months of my life on the MCAT which would now be wasted, and could I even get into PA school if I applied, since I haven't spent 20 years as a paramedic?
As you can tell by my approach, money is a definite issue here too. I am a very pragmatic person and don't want to be in debt til I'm 70.
Hopefully, you now understand why I will go wherever I can get in. If I could just send out one giant batch application to all MD/DO/PA programs, I would, but unfortunately admission boards live in fantasy land and want you to tell them that you only like their program and its absolutely perfect for you because you're 10000% sure you only want to be an XYZ and blah blah blah. Unfortunately, I live in the real world, and I don't give a **** where I go as long as its cheap, gets me to the ER, and isn't in Minnesota.
_______________________________________________________
My statistics:
MCAT 36
B.S. in Biopsychology at UC Santa Barbara
cGPA 3.1 sGPA/pre-req GPA: 2.7
GPA disclaimer: Very positive upward trend culminating in 3.5 senior year GPA. Worked throughout college, which didn't help my GPA, but honestly the biggest factor was that I spent most of my time in the ocean or chasing girls.
EC's:
1 year volunteer research assistant in neuropharm lab (no independent research)
1 year working as pharmacy technician
1 year working as mental health counselor at a psychiatric center
6 months working as a scribe in 2 different ER's
+ lots of stories about traveling in South America and all the other crazy **** I've done in my life that has made me who I am, which I've heard are pretty useful for essays and interviews
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Minor Question:
I also have a lot of other passions in my life, and am thus drawn by the idea of a lighter workload as a PA. It makes sense to me simply because you're in less debt, so you have to work less to crawl out of the hole, but most people on this forum seem to be preaching that PA's work just as hard if not harder and longer than doc's do. Lifestyle wise, does anyone have any input on which is better if you like doing other things besides working?
_______________________________________________________
Major Question:
Please help me figure out which one I have the best chance at getting accepted to.
__________________________________________________
Thanks for reading my stupidly long post. I know your replies will be helpful to not only myself but to the many others who are in my position... I have about 20 of them as coworkers, and we would all be very grateful for your input.
First of all, I know what most of you are thinking. "You shouldn't just go where you can get in, you should take the time to figure out exactly what you want to do, and then do whatever it takes to get there." Hear me out.
I want to work in an ER treating patients. That is the number 1 priority in my life, and I know that I would be awesome at doing it. Whether as an MD, DO, or PA, I could hardly care. I've worked in the ER for 6 months now, and 3 things have become glaringly apparent to me:
1. MD = DO
2. PA = damn close to MD/DO. The only procedure I've seen an MD/DO do that I haven't seen a PA do is a central line placement. Sure, you have to be supervised and blah blah blah, but when it comes down to it, in the ED, 98% of the time you're doing the exact same thing as an MD/DO.
3. PA, MD, DO, makes no difference in personal happiness. I know MD's who hate their lives, I've met PA's who love theirs, vice verse, and on and on, it honestly doesn't seem to make a difference. I honestly feel like most ER MD's would be just as happy now if they had chosen DO or PA route 15 years earlier, and the same goes for DO's and PA's.
As far as school, it seems like there is at least one major disadvantage every way I turn:
MD disadvantage: probably need post-bac school ($40,000 and 2 years of my life)
DO disadvantage: expensive as ****
PA disadvantage: just spent 3 months of my life on the MCAT which would now be wasted, and could I even get into PA school if I applied, since I haven't spent 20 years as a paramedic?
As you can tell by my approach, money is a definite issue here too. I am a very pragmatic person and don't want to be in debt til I'm 70.
Hopefully, you now understand why I will go wherever I can get in. If I could just send out one giant batch application to all MD/DO/PA programs, I would, but unfortunately admission boards live in fantasy land and want you to tell them that you only like their program and its absolutely perfect for you because you're 10000% sure you only want to be an XYZ and blah blah blah. Unfortunately, I live in the real world, and I don't give a **** where I go as long as its cheap, gets me to the ER, and isn't in Minnesota.
_______________________________________________________
My statistics:
MCAT 36
B.S. in Biopsychology at UC Santa Barbara
cGPA 3.1 sGPA/pre-req GPA: 2.7
GPA disclaimer: Very positive upward trend culminating in 3.5 senior year GPA. Worked throughout college, which didn't help my GPA, but honestly the biggest factor was that I spent most of my time in the ocean or chasing girls.
EC's:
1 year volunteer research assistant in neuropharm lab (no independent research)
1 year working as pharmacy technician
1 year working as mental health counselor at a psychiatric center
6 months working as a scribe in 2 different ER's
+ lots of stories about traveling in South America and all the other crazy **** I've done in my life that has made me who I am, which I've heard are pretty useful for essays and interviews
_______________________________________________________
Minor Question:
I also have a lot of other passions in my life, and am thus drawn by the idea of a lighter workload as a PA. It makes sense to me simply because you're in less debt, so you have to work less to crawl out of the hole, but most people on this forum seem to be preaching that PA's work just as hard if not harder and longer than doc's do. Lifestyle wise, does anyone have any input on which is better if you like doing other things besides working?
_______________________________________________________
Major Question:
Please help me figure out which one I have the best chance at getting accepted to.
__________________________________________________
Thanks for reading my stupidly long post. I know your replies will be helpful to not only myself but to the many others who are in my position... I have about 20 of them as coworkers, and we would all be very grateful for your input.
