Which path should I choose?

[phobic]

Hi all,

I (30M single, no kids) am currently a Respiratory Therapist seeking to further my medical education. I have a rough academic past where I have 21 units of F grades that I failed to know to withdraw 12 years ago before RT school. I finished my BS R T degree and have a 3.5 GPA. My premed prerequisites are a 3.8 GPA. However, when my 21 units of F are factored in, my cGPA and sGPA are merely 3.1 and 3.2, respectively.

My options are pretty limited - I am aware. I have not taken the MCAT, but I wouldn't wager that I could pull off something in the 90th percentile. Same with the GRE. I have listed my most favorable option as an A A due to my interests in work-life balance, income, and opportunity cost. However, I fear that I will eventually get to a point where I have gone and become a provider instead due to the limiting nature of the work and scope of practice itself. I also looked into becoming a DPM but on SDN I found a lot of negative feedback regarding the future of DPM and the opportunity cost to income ratio being horrible. I do realize I have the option of going to the Caribbean and have considered deploying survivorship bias and going through it and playing the SOAP game instead of the match to increase my chances.

I guess my question is because of my age (30) I realize that A A would be the fastest route (2.5 years), but I fear that I will not get what I want out of the limited scope of practice, dealing with CRNA politics, and decreasing anesthesia reimbursement rates (I realize it's decreasing in a lot of fields too). I believe it might become the next Pharmacy or Optometry with all the schools pumping out anesthesia providers which would make the salary get state at around what it is now.

I have the option to make 100k working 40 hours per week right now as an RT with little to no workload (about 2-4 hours of work during a 12-hour shift). Which makes the opportunity cost higher in pursuing anything. I realize that a CAA is a highly trained professional, but I see it as an "advanced RT" a technical role more so than a provider. I can already do A-lines, intubate, and sit ECMO as an RT and I am not fulfilled by that. I shadowed a nice and personable CRNA and they told me they wish they became a provider instead. Doing 80% of the same work for 40-50% of the pay. I also did not particularly find sitting in the OR titrating propofol for cardiac incisions that exciting. Maybe because I was spectating? These are the reasons I wonder what the right path is... maybe it's to do nothing? I could see myself enjoying being an endocrinologist doing mental masturbation over some hormonal pathways. But is that the way it is now? Or is it 25-30 patients a day where you don't have time get to do that?

I do not mind doing 10 years of school or doing nothing. I am open to anything since I don't have a family or anything yet. I wouldn't mind the nice income of the A A, but after doing the math, it will take me roughly 15 years to get an ROI on my opportunity cost. These 15 years could be used to do a lot of things other than pursuing higher education to make income. I have also considered the academic fresh start of Texas but that would mean doing another bachelors all over again.

Thank you. All feedback is heavily appreciated!

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[Dral]

A lot going on here. Are you intent on becoming a physician (I'm not entirely sure from your post)? From reading everything, you're thinking of a few directions. It's really tough to tell you the direction to go in, but we can give you some advice that can hopefully help you decide.

First off, have you contacted the institution where you got the F grades about retroactively removing them? I believe that can be done sometimes, especially if you can prove you were experiencing some extenuating circumstances at the time.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Have you talked with any physicians you have shadowed about this? Yes, take what your read on our forums and others with a grain of salt, but you should talk to people on the trenches. Being an RT, you have better access than most to get an insight of the career paths you are considering.

Because you ask, what do you find fulfilling in your life? I'm sure intubation could give you an adrenaline rush but I'm sure that has faded fast since COVID-19.

Endocrinologists do a lot more than contemplate pathways for gender identity. Think diabetes for one.

 

[phobic]

A lot going on here. Are you intent on becoming a physician (I'm not entirely sure from your post)? From reading everything, you're thinking of a few directions. It's really tough to tell you the direction to go in, but we can give you some advice that can hopefully help you decide.

First off, have you contacted the institution where you got the F grades about retroactively removing them? I believe that can be done sometimes, especially if you can prove you were experiencing some extenuating circumstances at the time.

I don't believe becoming a physician would help me in the end besides having a big goal to shoot for. I think the lifestyle ultimately will not mesh well with what I'm looking for. The A Aroute is better suited for me regarding lifestyle and opportunity cost. I worry I won't get in due to my grades and I believe I self-sabotage by trying to make the goal even bigger?

I did look into the grade replacement, but you need to have records and proof that you were hospitalized or in jail, etc for them to approve it. Besides not knowing that classes don't automatically drop if you stop showing up, I didn't have any extenuating circumstances.

Have you talked with any physicians you have shadowed about this? Yes, take what your read on our forums and others with a grain of salt, but you should talk to people on the trenches. Being an RT, you have better access than most to get an insight of the career paths you are considering.

Because you ask, what do you find fulfilling in your life? I'm sure intubation could give you an adrenaline rush but I'm sure that has faded fast since COVID-19.

Endocrinologists do a lot more than contemplate pathways for gender identity. Think diabetes for one.

My first thought would be to have options to do different things if I choose to. For example how a physician assistant can switch specialties easily. I think that would appeal to my character instead of sitting in only OR. However, I would also benefit from working hands-on and being able to do my thing instead of seeing countless patients a day and writing notes. Being an RT, I have noticed I enjoy fewer but longer patient interactions. Think ICU vs floor care. I naturally gravitated towards a position that is more technical and less patient/family-facing (think ICU intubated patients during the night).

This leads me to the conclusion that even though I'd like to be a physician ideally or have many options when it comes down to it, the lifestyle and the limited nature of A A would benefit me more than make me miss out on things.

 

[gyngyn]

I do realize I have the option of going to the Caribbean and have considered deploying survivorship bias and going through it and playing the SOAP game instead of the match to increase my chances.

What little reliable data we have would indicate that attending a Caribbean medical is a poor choice for the majority of students.

There is no advantage to skipping the match and going straight to SOAP.
SOAP is not an alternative to the Match. Even if you got a call during SOAP, you would be expected to explain why you think you didn't match. When you tell them that you didn't apply, there will be a predictable response.

 

[BritainKittenMittens]

This leads me to the conclusion that even though I'd like to be a physician ideally or have many options when it comes down to it, the lifestyle and the limited nature of CAA would benefit me more than make me miss out on things.

I had a hard time following the diverging trains of thought, but I believe you've made your decision? I think this is a reasonable one.