How to answer the "Why not nurse or PA?" question

[The Remix]

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I was just wondering, how would you guys answer this question in an interview?

 

[tupac_don]

I was just wondering, how would you guys answer this question in an interview?

Just say that nursing and PA are professions of their own and they differ from the medical profession. Note however, make sure you read up on em so that you know exactly what they involve. Two say that as a doctor you want more autonomy and that you enjoy the cognitive and cerebral part of being a doctor. As well MD degree allows you more opportunity to pursue research and different type of research than a nursing degree. And say while being a nurse and PA are very respectable professions they are not for you. You enjoy challenges and medical school poses the ultimate challenge. Just some ideas to get your juices flowing. But more or less they want to test you and see if they can swindle an ulterior motive out of you. Say I have greater earning potential, or I want to be in charge. While these may be very true things, I wouldn't emphasize them, just b/c depending on the interviewer they might take that the wrong way. Another suggestion is to say that you have more ability for different kinds of fields as a doctor, opposed to PA or a nurse. Good luck to you.

 

[WalterSobchakk]

Show with concrete examples that you enjoy leadership roles and responsibility. Definitely make sure you at least know what nurses and PA's do...you'll be working with them someday.

 

[iamgoaloriented]

I was just wondering, how would you guys answer this question in an interview?

I worked as a nurse aide for a year and it seems that nurses run around passing meds, dressing wounds, basically carrying out many treatments that doctors propose, but they are allowed to do almost nothing without doctors approval. If the patient needs a treatment but the doctor hasn't given the order, they can do nothing (at least thats the way it was at my place). I'm not sure exactly what PA's do (are PA's above or below nurses in the pecking order? they are both doctors b!+ch's I know), but in any case you can say that you want to be the person who decides what to do and if you think that something needs to be done you want to have the authority to do it (as well as the training to be able to recognize it) as opposed to just being person who collects information and carries out certain tasks that they can only do if they have to approval to.

 

[krust3]

I strongly urge against using the term "doctors' bitches" when acknowledging the roles of PAs and nurses in health care 👎 . You never know the background of those you are speaking/working with.

Keep in mind nurses are more patient care oriented and are trained along the "behavioral system model" (this is also described as the "nursing model" or "healing model"). In this model, the patient's behaviors are the nurse's object of analysis. The specifics of this appear rather holistic. Frankly, I have no practical familiarity with this.

Their degrees range from certificate and associates to Ph.D. (Ph.D. is applicable only in acedemia). Of course there are nurse practitioners too (masters degree trained), and they can open and run their own clinics independent of M.D.s (I'm not sure I agree with this myself). Many nurse practitioners tend to be primary care oriented, yet some will work for an M.D. or in a hospital as a "mid-level practitioner" like PAs do. In keeping with the "nursing model", only nurses can be nurse practitioners.

Physician assistants are mid-level practitioners just like Nurse Practitioners. PAs, however, are trained along the "biomedical model" (this is also described as the "physician model" or "curative model"). The education is competency based. Meaning students must demonstrate proficiency in various areas of medical knowledge and must meet behavioral and clinical learning objectives. M.D.s, D.O.s, DDSs, and J.D.s follow this model. The educational aspect of this model reduces disease to a disturbance in biochemical processes.

PAs are in every subspecialty of medicine: oncology, ortho, primary care, and 1st assist in surg., etc. They are described as dependent practitioners in that they must have some form of physician supervision. The scope of this rule is broad and largely dependent on PA/M.D. relationship. I'm familiar with PAs that run rural clinics where their supervising M.D. is present once a week, largely for chart review only. I think it is convenient to think of them as "permanent residents".

PAs historically had certificate, associate, or bachelor degrees. Presently, PAs must be masters degree trained (unless grandfathered in with 10+ years of practice). PA education and training is typically oriented toward primary care and intended to address the medically underserved. PAs can also attend residency training in specialty medicine at M.D. residency programs. These residencies are accelerated (1 year post-graduate) and allow PAs to go into differing areas of non-primary care medicine (IE ob-gyn PA transferring to cardiac surg.).

Hope this helps you see some of the differences between the degrees and professions. With some of the similarities (especially PA and M.D.) this can be a tricky question.

best of luck

 

[Mr. Rosewater]

i think that's a really unpopular question. i don't remember being asked that once.

 

[Soleil9]

i think that's a really unpopular question. i don't remember being asked that once.

I'm guessing then, MR. Rosewater, that you are not a woman.....


I WAS asked this question, along with do you plan to raise a family (my husband is also a med student)... I was in SHOCK!

~Soleil~

 

[MeowMix]

there was a whole thread on this from a month or so ago. I got the nurse question, which was perfectly legitimate, and there are some very good ways to answer it.

 

[Fermata]

"My ego is too big." 😀

 

[Ypo.]

Well, a NP is a totally different path that doesn't make much sense unless you already have a nursing degree. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you have to become an RN first?

And to get into a PA program requires many many hours of direct patient care, as well as additional classes you probably didn't take as a premed. you would have to go back and take those classes, and then land a job where you'd be able to get the hundreds of hours of direct patient care, all so that you could pick a profession that is similar to being a doctor. The traditional premed often didn't have time to have fulltime job as a paramedic while in school. I think often times the people who pick NP and PAs do so because their backgrounds (work and school) lead up to them in a convenient way. Or else its something you have to have in mind from the beginning.

Anyways, that is why I decided to reapply to medical school this year instead of go the PA or NP route. I got asked that question in my one medical school interview last year, and it threw me. If I were asked that again, I would state why it didn't make sense the way I did above. If pressed for more, I would mention the desire for autonomy, as well as the desire to learn as much about medicine as I can and not be limited in my scope of practice. And then I would just shut up and look the interviewer in the eye (instead of blabbering on and on like I did last year).

Actually I'm kind of bummed I wasn't asked that question this year. I think they can smell when you are prepared for those questions, or something.

 

[Fermata]

Actually, a NP is a doctorate level degree.

You get a BSN, then a MSN, and then you train to become a NP.

 

[Ypo.]

Actually, a NP is a doctorate level degree.

You get a BSN, then a MSN, and then you train to become a NP.

Which is why it doesn't make sense for someone with a BS in Biology to do it 😀
I knew you had to have a BSN, but I didn't know you had to do an MSN next. Is the NP program a four year program?

 

[roja]

Awnser it truthfully. If you haven't thought about it yet, you damn well need to. And regurgitating what a bunch of other people have said is pretty transparent to MOST interviewers.

You need to figure out FOR YOURSELF why you chose to be an MD. Deep down, you know, you just may not have attempted to verbalize it. Sit down with a nice beverage, relax and type out the awnser. You may surprise yourself.

Do NOT regurgitate pat awnsers. I smelled this a mile away when I interviewed and it was a sure fire way to get a crappy eval from me during interviews...

 

[MS3NavyFS2B]

Actually, a NP is a doctorate level degree.

You get a BSN, then a MSN, and then you train to become a NP.

Actually...
Humm...WRONG. NPs need NOT hold a doctorate in anything. They may have gotten, however, a PhD somewhere along the line in a futile attempt to gain acceptance into medical school.

There are doctoral nursing degrees, and the MSN is NOT the terminal degree.

 

[ElKapitan]

Well, a NP is a totally different path that doesn't make much sense unless you already have a nursing degree. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you have to become an RN first?

And to get into a PA program requires many many hours of direct patient care, as well as additional classes you probably didn't take as a premed. you would have to go back and take those classes, and then land a job where you'd be able to get the hundreds of hours of direct patient care, all so that you could pick a profession that is similar to being a doctor. The traditional premed often didn't have time to have fulltime job as a paramedic while in school. I think often times the people who pick NP and PAs do so because their backgrounds (work and school) lead up to them in a convenient way. Or else its something you have to have in mind from the beginning.

Anyways, that is why I decided to reapply to medical school this year instead of go the PA or NP route. I got asked that question in my one medical school interview last year, and it threw me. If I were asked that again, I would state why it didn't make sense the way I did above. If pressed for more, I would mention the desire for autonomy, as well as the desire to learn as much about medicine as I can and not be limited in my scope of practice. And then I would just shut up and look the interviewer in the eye (instead of blabbering on and on like I did last year).

Actually I'm kind of bummed I wasn't asked that question this year. I think they can smell when you are prepared for those questions, or something.

You do technically have to become an RN first. However, there are advanced programs that only take three years to complete, regardless of what you had for an undergraduate degree (there are pre-reqs, but if you are pre-med you probably fullfilled them). I suggest it as a good back-up plan, as it is presently mine. The MGH Institute for Health Professionals in boston was a program that I looked into http://www.mghihp.edu/ . A lot of NP's work much like General Practioners and are becoming more common because, MD's don't want to be General Practioners (most probably, because of the pay.)

You are done in only three years and can make 6 figures. You have better hours than most MD's and if you ever get in a pinch you can work as a RN (which are in high demand at the moment). Not to mention that you can start working as an RN after 3-semesters. I have friends who are RN's and are making 70k a year.

With all of these great reasons to be an NP why then, did I choose to go the MD route? I hate being limited. Anything that hampers my ability hold a higher position, make more money, or have more autonomy, I dislike. I am a stubborn son of a bitch, and that is why I choose MD. Do you think I should sugar coat my answer a little better for the interviews?

 

[roja]

How did this turn into a discussion on variations of nursing degrees? 🙂



Passes some pink colored sugar to go with ElKapitan's awnser. 😀