Help a lost soul?

[Keberson]

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Hey guys. I've been reading this forum for a long time and I've really enjoyed reading everybody's opinion. I will be graduating with a biomedical science B.S in August and I'm trying to find out what to do next. I had always wanted to go to medical school and was on that path even taking the MCAT and getting an EMT-I. Serious doubts hit me, however, a few months ago and now I can only see the negative aspects of medical school like the length, the vigor, the competition....not to mention the alleged high rates of divorce, drug abuse, alcoholism, and depression among medical students, residents, and doctors. I've been looking into PA and have even filled out the application and am working on getting my rec letters. I know I love medicine and want to work directly with patients everday but I feel like M.D has its ups and downs and PA has its ups and downs. How can I decide...and have time to apply for next year? thanks for the help

 

[deleted6669]

do yourself a favor. check out www.physicianassociate.com for this type of question and an overall balanced picture of the pa profession. all you will get here are premed primadonnas high on themselves.

 

[lloydchristmas]

all you will get here are premed primadonnas high on themselves.

So true...

 

[niko327]

do yourself a favor. check out www.physicianassociate.com for this type of question and an overall balanced picture of the pa profession. all you will get here are premed primadonnas high on themselves.

exactly, well said.

 

[Skialta]

I think the question to ask yourself is what do you think the difference is between an MD and PA. I really don't think it is medical school that causes so many of the problems, maybe it is the lifestyle after out of med school/residency, and if that is the case, a PA has a pretty similar lifestyle with many of the same demands.

I thought about PA for a while also, but in the end I knew once I was a PA that I would look at the doc and say I could do everything that they do. I knew that the truth was I wanted to be an MD, the PA idea was a way to take a short cut to the patient care part. You really have to evaluate these decisions in the long term, medical school and residency are only a small amount of time in terms of your career. If you are young, I would look hard at what you might want in 5 to 10 years. The one thing about an MD degree is the versitility of it.

I have worked with a number of great PAs, I am in no way knocking the profession, it is definitely a great career for the right person.

Good Luck

 

[Keberson]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I'm still in a rut with what to do so i've decided to apply to both, go to the interviews and get to know the students and thier veiws and then decide what to do. I really appreciate all you have to say. 🙂

 

[Keberson]

thanks again

 

[susannaQ]

If you are young, I would look hard at what you might want in 5 to 10 years. The one thing about an MD degree is the versitility of it.

I have worked with a number of great PAs, I am in no way knocking the profession, it is definitely a great career for the right person.

Good Luck

How is being a PA less versatile? I'm not challenging you. I just never took that in to consideration so this is new for me.

 

[Monika]

The options are virtually limitless regarding areas of medicine you wish to pursue as a PA. As long as their is a doc who will supervise your practice of medicine, you are IN. PAs do not have to choose a residency (although that is an option for some PAs, see www.appap.org), so there are many options open to you. From Aerospace medicine to Urology, whatever you choose! 😀

Monika, PA-S II

 

[Skialta]

When I said that an MD degree is versitle I meant that you don't just have to practice medicine. As an MD you could work for a pharmacuetical, insurance, and biomedical companies or you could do research and still make a good living. The PA is more limited to clinical work. I hope that clears it up.

 

[JustaPA]

Hmmmm, I've seen ads for PAs to work for insurance companies, work in forensic medicine, work for the federal govt at embassies. But whats so limiting about working in clinics, they are everywhere.

 

[Monika]

I second that opinion, the PA profession is not limited to the clinical realm by any means. PAs use their training in various positions, such as....

education-faculty & administrators
politics
research
public health
public relations
management in clinical settings

to name a few...the field is wide open

Take care all
Monika

 

[emtp2pac]

essentialy any nonclinical job that an md/do can do a pa can do also. there are ads in the pa journals for expert witnesses, researchers, academic positions, positions selling medical devices, etc.....

 

[PACtoDOC]

The PA profession is way more versatile that the physician profession. Once you are boarded in a particular specialty as a doc, you are usually there for the rest of your career.