Hey there! I didn't know where to post this, so I thought I would post it here. First, I would like to start off by saying I am currently a freshman in college majoring in Biology. My original plan was to obtain my biology degree and then get into a PA program and work as a Physician's Assistant. HOWEVER, I have realized I will need clinical experience to become a PA. This got me thinking. I am now thinking that maybe I should take pre-req courses to get into a D.O. program since I do want to work in the healthcare field, and then take the MCATs later on down the road obviously. I am thinking that if I do not get accepted into a D.O. program, then thats okay, I'll just take the year or two off after my bachelor's and gain healthcare experience. This will allow me the experience to get into a PA program, however I can also take that year or two to use that experience towards D.O. school. I would then apply to both PA programs and D.O. schools. Honestly, I would be perfectly fine in either one of these two professions. However, I'm having two conflicts in my head right now. The first is, I'm not sure I want to continue my biology degree, and am thinking maybe I should switch to a nursing degree since it would be a more healthcare, hands-on experience. Would having a nursing degree negatively affect my admissions to either the PA or D.O. program? The other conflict I'm having is more on a personal level, having to do with my own self-doubts. I just have self-doubts on whether I can make high enough marks to get into a D.O. or PA program. I'm a smart guy, I just have personal circumstances that cause me to do a little worse than I could actually be doing such as mental health issues of anxiety and sometimes mild depression that sprouts up as a result of my anxiety (and yes, I went to counseling and it helped tremendously).
I'm sorry its so long, but what are your opinions on this?
I'm sorry its so long, but what are your opinions on this?