PT vs. Anesthesiologist Assistant

[luxsit90]

So I am planning on applying to PT school but then I came across the AA program. Both appeal to me, but I would have to do 8 more hours of O. Chem and 4 hours of Biochemistry and a few observation hours for AA. I already have everything I need for PT, but the 24-month program for AA sounds more appealing.

Could ya'll give me some honest feedback about what the advantages and disadvantages are of each? I'm having a hard time making a decision. Thanks!

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[Mad Jack]

The anesthesia job market is already far tighter than most people are comfortable with. As an AA, groups generally would prefer to pass over you for a CRNA, as they generate the same revenue but can act far more independently. You can't practice as an AA in most states, and even where you can, many markets are satiated. I'd go PA over PT, personally, as the pay is better and you end up with a bunch broader scope of practice and potential practice settings.

Just my .02.

 

[truthseeker]

but then again, with a PA or AA degree/job, you are always doing what someone else tells you to do. PAs maybe have more automony than AAs but PTs at least in the OP setting are quite autonomous.
you have to decide which you like better by job shadowing and pick that profession. 20 years from now, the extra 8-12 months in school will seem inconsequential.

 

[PhysioMD]

My biggest piece of advice: spend as much time as possible shadowing different professions!! Seriously. I would take a month off and spend full-time hours rotating through shadowing experiences (we have many students and kids of MDs who do just that where I work, they spend 8 weeks coming in 2-3x / week and shadowing all health professions to figure out what they like most). This is the MOST IMPORTANT thing you can do for yourself at this stage of your life. You cannot get a good picture of what someone does by shadowing for a day for a few hours, you need to go back consistently for a few weeks and ask yourself "after x number of hours with this person, after seeing how their day to day work is etc, is this still as appealing as I thought it was??"

Also my advice, any job with the title "assistant" in it can be dispensable, you never know how the tides of health care will change, maybe today PAs are a good idea (economically) but maybe next month MDs will decide it's good enough to just have a nurse (whom costs less). Also, as an "assistant" you're always at the mercy of someone else and the economic outlook of their profession, not just your own.

 

[Toujj]

The anesthesia job market is already far tighter than most people are comfortable with. As an AA, groups generally would prefer to pass over you for a CRNA, as they generate the same revenue but can act far more independently.

Just my .02.

For many political reasons this statement is not true. AA school is much shorter than PT school and there is a much higher base salary. But on top of all of that anesthesia is FUN. Its challenging every single day and its very hard to get bored (my opinion). It is the exact same length as PA school, so like everyone else said, you should shadow and find what is right for you.

 

[Mad Jack]

For many political reasons this statement is not true. AA school is much shorter than PT school and there is a much higher base salary. But on top of all of that anesthesia is FUN. Its challenging every single day and its very hard to get bored (my opinion). It is the exact same length as PA school, so like everyone else said, you should shadow and find what is right for you.

AMCs don't bow to the same political pressures as MD groups. As they have proliferated, CRNAs have become the way to go for financial reasons. Less legally required oversight=less need to hire expensive MD/DO anesthesiologists. MD led groups are dying as the old anesthesiologists sell out the young to fund their retirements via practice sales to AMCs. If you want to bet your future on the market of 10 years ago, AA is a great choice. But if you want to base it on the AMC future that is reality- well, let's just say you might want to reconsider.

 

[atstudent]

I'm in athletic trainer. Let me give you my perspective as it relates to PT.

I would consider PT and AA to be two completely different professions that meet the job satisfaction needs of two completely different people. I spent a day observing a surgery recently and really realized that surgery is a beast I would not want anything to do with. There is very little patient interaction in the OR. Meanwhile PTs have TONS of patient interaction constantly... Think about that..

 

[DesertPT]

I'm in athletic trainer. Let me give you my perspective as it relates to PT.

I would consider PT and AA to be two completely different professions that meet the job satisfaction needs of two completely different people. I spent a day observing a surgery recently and really realized that surgery is a beast I would not want anything to do with. There is very little patient interaction in the OR. Meanwhile PTs have TONS of patient interaction constantly... Think about that..

I agree. The two are really not very comprable professions. With that being said, I would choose PT over AA for the reasons @Mad Jack described. Or go PA over AA. Personally I would go PT over any of them because I want to be a PT and don't want to be a PA lol, so that's kind of a biased opinion. However, if making the decision based on purely pragmatic reasons, PA is probably the way to go due largely to the better pay. The OP may find PA school a lot more challenging to get into than PT school though if he/she does not have a good amount of healthcare experience.

There are a lot more factors you need to consider than just the length of the program, OP. In the grand scheme of things, 1 more year of school for PT vs. AA isn't a good enough reason in and of itself to switch professions.