anyone out there ever comtemplating 'short cut'

[immanuel11421]

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Becoming a doctor has been my dream for years. I used to tell people that though I do want to make more money than I am now, this goal is not about the money and even if I win the lottery, I would still want to go to med-school and be a doctor.
I am mostly done with pre-med .
I have been struggling to pay for my expenses and school working fulltime and overtime for years.
I started studying for my mcat since this summer but I decided to postpone my test till next years cause I didn't do well in the practice test. I never finished reading in the verbal part and time's up.

Most of my previous classmates in the pre-med classes were already in their PA program doing second year rotation. While I am still struggling with the job that I hate and studying for the mcat, they are already talking about how people in the hospital they were rotating already offer them a job starting 80k a year. They joke about why I make my life so hard. I know life is short and I have some ailments and that's what make me so motivated to be a doctor in the first place.
I told myself a long time ago that I do not want to a nurse or PA because nothing can really compare to being a doctor. But now being still at my regular day job that I hate while struggling between mcat and volunteering in hospital( in order to make my application looks good), I feel like I am starting to envy my classmate. By the way, I really hate volunteering since the LPNs make me do all their work while they chit-chat. I don't know if it's because I hate my day job so much that I just wanted to get out. I have been doing this job for 7 years and last year I was so convinced that I am going to take the mcat in the summer and get in for 2010. But now I have to postpone to take mcat next year and have to wait for 2011. The thought of having to be in my job for 2 more years is discouraging.
Is PA just as fulfulling and the answer of a shortcut of being md?
I used to believe a saying that nothing that's worth having in life is easy nor there's any short cut.
This is my second career and I already picked one that I hate a long time ago. I really want to do it right.
I told myself "I don't want to choose a short cut to become a PA and then end up wishing that I have gone to med-school."
But have u ever heard any doctors who said that they regretted it for spending 8 years of their life to become a doctor and just wish they pick the short cut and be a PA/NP instead ? I was accepted to accelerated nursing school before and I turned it down. Now I am starting to wonder if I make a mistake. Afterall, I am so afraid that would happen to me.

I know I am starting to sound pathetic but I wish someone could really convince me that pursuing md is really the right things to do or tell me the truth if this is really worth it. Please bear with me.
Can anyone of u out there who are already a resident say whole-heartedly that u never regret it or feel like u miss out on life or wish u pick a different route like CRNA or PA.
This is not about proving who's is smart enough to be a MD but it's really about do u feel that all the debts and long hours and years of having no time for your family is worth it? Can u share with me the reason why it's worth it or if u think it's not?

 

[armybound]

Some jobs (NP, PA) absolutely can compare to being a doctor, albeit with less autonomy and scope.

Being a physician isn't for everyone, and depending on your goals, may be impractical. There's nothing wrong with going CRNA, NP, or PA, depending on what you want to do with life. One could argue that it's a better decision than medical school as far as economic and social (i.e. fewer years in school) factors go.

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

You can go towards the NP/PA route if you want. Just don't expect to have the same level of knowledge as a physician. A lot of current NPs/DNPs don't seem to understand this.

 

[KMFDM]

I don't really have much to add, but I do want to say that I think it's reasonable to have some doubts/concerns about entering medicine.

I know I still do. Nothing major really, but I'm not like "omg I've always wanted to be doc since I was 3 weeks old, only thing I could ever do."

 

[TexasPhysician]

I'm an MSIV, and so far I'm glad I did the MD route. I am quite happy and don't feel overworked. I enjoy the knowledge and occassionally I enjoy the hard work. 🙂

If I had to do it all over again, I definitely would consider the PA route. I'm not saying I would choose it, but it is something to consider. You make pretty good money, and all you need is a 3 year masters program (i believe) before you start seeing patients/getting paid. Sure you don't have the power, autonomy, and knowledge of a physician, but it is a great way to balance family life and a good career.

In my limited experience, PA's seem to be better trained than NP's, but I have limited experience so take it for what it is worth. I'd at least consider the PA route if I were you.......

 

[jjmad1201]

I'm an MSIV, and so far I'm glad I did the MD route. I am quite happy and don't feel overworked. I enjoy the knowledge and occassionally I enjoy the hard work. 🙂

If I had to do it all over again, I definitely would consider the PA route. I'm not saying I would choose it, but it is something to consider. You make pretty good money, and all you need is a 3 year masters program (i believe) before you start seeing patients/getting paid. Sure you don't have the power, autonomy, and knowledge of a physician, but it is a great way to balance family life and a good career.

In my limited experience, PA's seem to be better trained than NP's, but I have limited experience so take it for what it is worth. I'd at least consider the PA route if I were you.......

agreed, but its 27 months of training for PA's at least

 

[Rogue Synapse]

I have worked with some incredible PAs, and I would suggest that taking that route isn't necessarily a short cut [to medicine], just a different cut. One thing to keep in mind - if you ever want to participate in any sort of research like a clinical trial, the MD is the degree for you.

 

[brucecanbeatyou]

Nothing is worse than someone who works with physicians (nurses, DNP's, PA's, whatever) who wish they had gone to medical school. One can imagine how living and working alongside people who are doing what you wish you had done could make you bitter. On the other hand, nothing is better than someone who loves their job. There are a lot of rad health teams out there with people who are happy doing what they signed up to do, whether that's nursing, or medicine, or PAing.

Being a PA is not comparable to being a physician. They require different levels of sacrifice, offer different roles in medicine, and reward you differently. If you really want to be a physician, don't sacrifice your happiness now for your happiness in the long run. If you would be happy being a PA, don't invest time and money doing something that you won't need. I guess my point is that there are no shortcuts to any destination. If you view being a PA as being a shortcut to a physician, you will be disappointed.

 

[Zona Pellucida]

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[azrael87]

I had the exact same dilemma as you did, except I started pre-PA and chose to change to pre-med. For me the decision was partially based on the fact that I'm young (and my family ages well 😀). I have absolutely no problem with the fact that I may not get a serious start on my career until my 30's so long as I'm on the sure path there. If you're more pressured on time and money, and especially if you have to support a family, PA may be a better path.

However it is NOT a shortcut. PA's learn a lot of the same stuff as MD's but its compressed into a shorter time period. In my opinion, I'd rather take more time to learn the stuff and get a more in depth feel for the material. Still it's very much a matter of perspective and your willingness to devote a certain amount of time. You really do have to fully weigh all the pros and cons of each path. Maybe even literally list them and assign them point values for each factor based on how much its worth to you if you want to get really crazy.

However, I have one important question for you. Before you were presented with this regular comparison to the PA career, did you have a problem with the time it would take to become a successful doctor? If you had no other options for being a medical professional would you be okay with it or would you be wishing you DID have other options? If not, maybe you should just step back, take a deep breath, and keep on truckin (for lack of a better phrase...). If so, then perhaps being a PA is the missing piece you've been looking for.

 

[immanuel11421]

I am 32 years old. In 2011, when I finally start medical school, I will be 34 years old. The time it takes to be a successful doctor does bother me sometime. I don't know how normal that is to pursue MD at my age.

On the other hand, I look back at my life, years gone by no matter what I do... I could stand still or I could be working my a** off and years gone by. But yes, being a PA, I probably would be more established financially faster, but is their a 'ceiling' to how much a PA can make or do? It's like a quick fix to get out of my current profession and get into healthcare. In the long run, would I wish I have put in a few more years that would make a lifetime of a difference?
Is it true that no matter how many years og experience that u have being a PA, u can never learn what a MD know?
And as someone pointed out before, the worst thing is that later I realize that I really wanted to be a doctor and having to work alongside with them, I will be really bitter.
But if I pursue a DO route, most likely I would be in family practice.
Would the future of healthcare in family practice eventually be taken over by NP or PA and makes u feel that u have done it the hard way for nothing?

 

[NotSur]

I spoke to a doctor recently and it seems like PA's are often older people with families who can't wait around to start their careers. A lot of them said that if they had been younger, they would've gone for the M.D. degree.

 

[aggie08]

But if I pursue a DO route, most likely I would be in family practice.
Would the future of healthcare in family practice eventually be taken over by NP or PA and makes u feel that u have done it the hard way for nothing?

Are you saying most DOs go into family practice or just that if you did DO you would go into FP?

There are tons of DOs in every division our residency programs here.

 

[FluffyRabbit]

Not really. I want to be able to autonomously practice medicine, do research/clinical trials, and hopefully teach as well. If I were a PA/NP, I would wish I went to medical school every moment at work, and almost certainly be very unhappy.

 

[immanuel11421]

I thought most of the time DO end up in family practice. I know a few get to specialize but thought it's harder to get into if I pursue DO route.
I am interested in endocrinology, pathology, gastro or anesthesia. Are these hard to get into if I pursue DO route?

 

[TexasPhysician]

I thought most of the time DO end up in family practice. I know a few get to specialize but thought it's harder to get into if I pursue DO route.
I am interested in endocrinology, pathology, gastro or anesthesia. Are these hard to get into if I pursue DO route?

It may be more difficult to get into gastro or anesthesia, but it is certainly possible. Path is actually pretty easy to get these days. Endocrin is certainly doable.