Help!

[DocScott254]

My life dilemma with career choices is that I am not sure which one would be the best choice for my current life situation(Med School, PT School, or PA School). A little background about myself is that I was a Corpsman for about 8 years(Mostly spent with the Infantry and finished off my contract working in a ER in the D.C. area). I am currently working as a personal trainer/strength coach and will be graduating with my B.S. in Exercise Science 12/14/2018. I am also married with kids.


So worries of course are that I will not be able to work while in grad school, the time spent away from family, and the amount of time it will take before I am actually working in my chosen career path.


Med school has always been the ultimate goal but of course life happened so I had to readjust. I feel as if I am a little behind the power curve plus I have a family that I need to provide for as well(Side note my wife is in Nursing school)


Physical therapy is also appealing due to the option of opening my own clinic/gym and being my own boss. Plus I get both Medicine and Fitness in one.


PA is also a great option for me due to the time it takes and the amount of medicine I will be able to do. But the downside with being a PA for me is that I will always have to work under a doctors license which worries me because I would hate to work under a Lazy or A-Hole provider.


I do love medicine and I know one of these professions is for me but not sure which one is the best for me and my current situation.


Sorry for typos and sorry so long.

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[truthseeker]

Do some shadowing and see what you enjoy and factor in the cost and commitment of each of the professions. Nobody can make the call but you

 

[ptbusiness]

There are a few accredited online/ part-time PT programs. They are 1 year longer than full-time programs, but you take up to 12 units per trimester. Most people in those programs continue working while in the program and many of them have kids, like you.

 

[starrsgirl]

Are you able to use any military money (GI Bill) for school? My biggest caution with PT right now is the debt to income ratio is ridiculous. IF you can keep costs down, then great...but otherwise, it's a huge hole and we just don't make a lot. You can come out with similar debt loads with med school and PA school and earning potential is much higher. Are you interested in staying military at all? There are some awesome (FREE) options to go to med school, PA school or PT school while earning a LT salary. May be a littler harder with your wife in school, but if you can swing it, those are the best deals out there. I was married with kids (and also prior military) when I went back to school. If you an be patient a few years, you can let your wife graduate, she will earn a solid salary as a nurse and then you can go back. There's no rush on this, what's a few years difference if you can pay for school as you go. If you go PT, choose a state school, see if you can live off your wife's salary, take loans ONLY for tuition and you will be ok.

(I would shadow a PA for sure...I think your vision of them is not correct. I work in a clinic where PAs are the primary care providers. Yes, they work under a doctor technically but that doctor isn't even on site. They just have to call him if they need anything, but they are good to go for general family practice stuff).

I ultimately wanted to go medical school too. I regret, even now as a PT, that I didn't follow my dreams and go. But we just couldn't reasonably pull it off with our family situation. The sacrifices were too high (especially reticency moves and hours). PT is a straight forward day, low stress job, it does balance well with family.