Just accepted to PA school and having huge regrets

[deleted1125947]

So this post is basically a more detailed description of what the title says. I was just accepted into PA school. Don’t get me wrong, I am excited and extremely grateful. But I have known for a long time that this is my second choice. I was pre-med in undergrad and dreamed of going to medical school. It’s a long complicated story, but I finally switched to pre-PA when my GPA felt too low to save. My GPA increased a little every semester and I worked really hard. Like I know a 3.1 might seem like I slacked off and was not motivated, but I really put in the effort. It was extremely frustrating to graduate with this GPA and I just assumed my pre-med dreams were over and started down the pre-PA track. I shadowed a bunch of PAs and convinced myself that med school was not worth it. I now realize I was very wrong.

I’ve already accepted an offer at a PA school in Philly. Almost every PA I have met while on the Pre-PA track was amazing and I do not mean to talk badly about the profession by posting this in any way. I just feel that the 4 years of medical school and residency would be the most fulfilling to me. I have had some crazy thoughts of just rejecting my PA school offer and taking the MCAT, but I realize that’s not super logical.

Right now I think the best course of action would be to complete PA school, work for 1-2 years while taking the MCAT and then apply to med school. I know this is a tremendous amount to take on but I could see it working for me. If anyone is willing to read this, I greatly appreciate it. Any advice from former PAs who went to med school or anyone who could shed some light on my chances of getting into a med school would help me SOOO much!

Undergrad GPA: 3.1

Undergrad science: 2.75

Masters degree: 3.97

After my low GPA in undergrad, I was extremely worried about getting into PA school and did a 1 year SMP to boost my GPA. I was amazed that I did so well in this program and it ended up getting me into PA school. It was a really intense year and I barely had time to think about what I actually wanted to do with my life so I just immediately filled out PA school apps right after I graduated and submitted them. My overall and science GPAs are now around a 3.40.

Financial situation: So I won’t go into too much detail but I will not have any loans after PA school and would not have any loans after medical school.

I will be 26 when I graduate PA school and will try to apply to med schools around 28-30. I will probably not be interested in having children so supporting a family would not be something to worry about.

Would the experience as a PA and the good grades in the SMP help me in the admissions process at all? Would this make my application stand out or give me any leg up on getting in? I have heard many stories about how PAs go onto medical school and kill it in their classes and rotation which makes a lot of sense, but nothing about how being a PA would help you actually get in to med school.

Lastly, I know my GPA is low so I plan to apply to DO schools. Is it possible with all this extra (unnecessary lol) stuff on my resume I could shoot for MD? I obviously plan to put in tons of work on the MCAT.

So I did not know how to make this post shorter without leaving anything out. If anyone is willing to even read this whole thing, you are already doing me a favor. Any advice would be appreciated so very much!!

​

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Goro]

So this post is basically a more detailed description of what the title says. I was just accepted into PA school. Don’t get me wrong, I am excited and extremely grateful. But I have known for a long time that this is my second choice. I was pre-med in undergrad and dreamed of going to medical school. It’s a long complicated story, but I finally switched to pre-PA when my GPA felt too low to save. My GPA increased a little every semester and I worked really hard. Like I know a 3.1 might seem like I slacked off and was not motivated, but I really put in the effort. It was extremely frustrating to graduate with this GPA and I just assumed my pre-med dreams were over and started down the pre-PA track. I shadowed a bunch of PAs and convinced myself that med school was not worth it. I now realize I was very wrong.

I’ve already accepted an offer at a PA school in Philly. Almost every PA I have met while on the Pre-PA track was amazing and I do not mean to talk badly about the profession by posting this in any way. I just feel that the 4 years of medical school and residency would be the most fulfilling to me. I have had some crazy thoughts of just rejecting my PA school offer and taking the MCAT, but I realize that’s not super logical.

Right now I think the best course of action would be to complete PA school, work for 1-2 years while taking the MCAT and then apply to med school. I know this is a tremendous amount to take on but I could see it working for me. If anyone is willing to read this, I greatly appreciate it. Any advice from former PAs who went to med school or anyone who could shed some light on my chances of getting into a med school would help me SOOO much!

Undergrad GPA: 3.1

Undergrad science: 2.75

Masters degree: 3.97

After my low GPA in undergrad, I was extremely worried about getting into PA school and did a 1 year SMP to boost my GPA. I was amazed that I did so well in this program and it ended up getting me into PA school. It was a really intense year and I barely had time to think about what I actually wanted to do with my life so I just immediately filled out PA school apps right after I graduated and submitted them. My overall and science GPAs are now around a 3.40.

Financial situation: So I won’t go into too much detail but I will not have any loans after PA school and would not have any loans after medical school.

I will be 26 when I graduate PA school and will try to apply to med schools around 28-30. I will probably not be interested in having children so supporting a family would not be something to worry about.

Would the experience as a PA and the good grades in the SMP help me in the admissions process at all? Would this make my application stand out or give me any leg up on getting in? I have heard many stories about how PAs go onto medical school and kill it in their classes and rotation which makes a lot of sense, but nothing about how being a PA would help you actually get in to med school.

Lastly, I know my GPA is low so I plan to apply to DO schools. Is it possible with all this extra (unnecessary lol) stuff on my resume I could shoot for MD? I obviously plan to put in tons of work on the MCAT.

So I did not know how to make this post shorter without leaving anything out. If anyone is willing to even read this whole thing, you are already doing me a favor. Any advice would be appreciated so very much!!

​

The SMP will get you into a DO school, especially with a good MCAT score.

If you don't want to be a PA, now is the time to bail.

 

[Bonne Nuit]

I second bailing now. Don’t go to PA school. You don’t want it.

If you go, I can nearly guarantee you that you won’t get to medical school in the timeframe you envision, if ever at all. Life will happen, you will get busy, you may not be able to simply walk away from your PA career. Even if you did manage to jump right back into the premed waters, it’s not going to look great to medical schools that you immediately abandoned your first career. They may question your commitment to medical school.

 

[Dral]

Agree with others: Try for med school now.

Med school Interviewer now:
"So I see from your app that you got a PA school acceptance, why not continue with that?"
You:
"Well, I always wanted to go to medical school as my first intent. I did an SMP and did very well. Once I thought about it, that convinced me that I could handle medical school and I should thus follow through with my initial plans"

Med school Interviewer down the road:
"So you have been a PA for a year now, you are already taking care of patients, why do you want to throw that whole investment away and go back to medical school?"
You:
"Ummm *insert generic answer about how you want to be the one in charge of patient care and not answer to someone else*"


There are plenty of PAs who will change their mind and get into medical school. That is not my point. My point is that for you, it is easier to just make the switch now.

If you are second guessing just doing it at this point, that may be a subtle sign that you don't really want to do it.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I hope you know the difference between PA and physician in terms of their roles in health care and the level of involvement with patients. This is the point where you decide because you will be working interprofessionally in your education (a few schools will have PAs working with MD or DO students in clinic or sim clinic, and you should not come in harboring any doubts of your role choice. But two years versus four years before licensure exams is a big deal so think carefully. Getting into PA school is very tough right now.

 

[SpinShady]

I second what others have said. If you *REALLY* want to be a doctor bail now and try for med school.
On the other hand, my school has both an MD and PA program and PA students are generally less stressed. Point im trying to make is that there are some core differences in the journey each takes and how demanding the work is.
Getting into PA school is tough, yet the journey is shorter and you still get to be an integral part of patient care. I would really consider all aspects before making a decision.

 

[deleted1125947]

This is just my opinion as a pre-med, so take it with a grain of salt because I don't have the lived experience of being a PA/PA student or a physician/med student.

I think you first need to decide for sure what career you want to pursue. A PA acceptance is a huge deal and not easy to achieve, so congrats!! If this is you having cold feet or feeling inadequate about not pursuing what you originally wanted to pursue rather than genuinely loving medicine and not feeling complete or fulfilled without everything that becoming a physician entails, I'd say take the PA acceptance and commit to being a PA. It's an excellent career and you've seen all they're able to do.

If you decide you don't ultimately want to be a PA, then... don't go to PA school. I understand the urge to somewhat play it safe by becoming a PA and then moving on to MD/DO. I just don't think that's the best use of your time when becoming a physician is already such a long and difficult path, and there's also the factor that you would be taking a seat from someone who wants PA to be their career forever.

Basically what I'm trying to say is that you need to commit to one path or the other and then go for it. There are PAs who go on to medical school, but the majority of them go into PA school thinking that's what they want and then realize throughout the course of their education/practice that they desire more which is a slightly different situation. A 3.97 SMP is EXCELLENT and from what I've seen as long as you do decently well on the MCAT you should have success at DO schools (I'm honestly not sure about MD), so why not dedicate yourself to MCAT studying now, take it in a few months, apply this upcoming cycle, and cut out the middle step? I assume you have all the necessary ECs.

Thank you for your advice. I really feel like my desire to go to medical school is coming from a place of a love for medicine and not just I want to call myself Dr. or something. My other concern is that I am missing 4 prerequisites ( orgo 1, orgo 2, phy 1, and phy 2). I decided not to take these in undergrad when I thought I wanted to go to PA school and I also thought forfeiting these hard classes would prevent my GPA from dropping any further. Should I just consider taking these at a community college? I know taking prerequisites at a community college is not ideal but some schools, especially DO, will take them.

 

[deleted1125947]

your SMP GPA is WAYYYYYYYY better than mine and many of my classmates, many of whom (myself included) matriculated into MD schools and the rest into DO schools.

You're very young. Don't do PA because it sounds like you want to be a physician. Far too many premeds are SOOO afraid of taking a gap year where they're doing "nothing" (for you this would be studying for the MCAT). "OMG OMG OMG will it look bad if I take a gap year to study for the MCAT and nothing else?" Is what a lot of them think. Take 3-4 months to REALLY bust your ass for the MCAT, then find a clinical job/volunteer and you'll be alright

Your GPA is EXCELLENT. Depending on your state (if you're not in cali that is) you have a VERY good chance of getting into your state MD school if you get a 506+ on the MCAT and a nearly *guaranteed* chance of getting into MULTIPLE DO schools with a 500+

Thank you for this advice!
I would not mind taking time to study intensely for the MCAT. However, I am still missing four prerequisites for med school (orgo 1, orgo 2, phy 1, phy 2). I did not take these in undergrad which I now regret but I just assumed they would bring my GPA down more. I would have to take the time to complete these before attempting MCAT studying. I could just do it at a community college but I'm not sure if this would look bad on med school apps.

 

[deleted1125947]

So far for my ECs I have:
1 summer as a research assistant for the CDC
1 summer as a research assistant at the UNC Chapel Hill school of medicine
300 hours of hospital volunteering with patients
30 hours of volunteering at a food bank
450 hours as a Certified Nurse Assistant
50 hours of shadowing
various clubs and organizations in undergrad

I'm guessing this will all help me but do I need more research experience? I know lots of med school applicants have lots and I just did not focus on that in undergrad?

Thank you again to everyone that gave me advise! I really appreciate it

 

[Mr.Smile12]

This is quite a decision. So you are missing organic and physics, so while you have a strong masters GPA, there's no guarantee that you can get straight A's for those prerequisites. Add to that you may need to also take biochemistry to prep for the MCAT. You could do well, or you could not and thus you might also jeopardize getting into a PA program.

This is looking to be an additional year or two at best. I also don't know about non clinical community service for the OP.

 

[orthoPA81]

I’m an OMS1 after being a PA for 7 years. If you want to be a physician then do NOT go to PA school. I can go on and on about this so send me a message with specific questions.

 

[deleted1125947]

I’m an OMS1 after being a PA for 7 years. If you want to be a physician then do NOT go to PA school. I can go on and on about this so send me a message with specific questions.

How did you take any remaining prerequisites for med school? And did being a PA hurt or help you during the admissions process?

Thanks for the insight!

 

[deleted1125947]

This is quite a decision. So you are missing organic and physics, so while you have a strong masters GPA, there's no guarantee that you can get straight A's for those prerequisites. Add to that you may need to also take biochemistry to prep for the MCAT. You could do well, or you could not and thus you might also jeopardize getting into a PA program.

This is looking to be an additional year or two at best. I also don't know about non clinical community service for the OP.

I have taken biochem and got an A. I am wondering if it would hurt my application to take the rest of the prerequs at a community college instead of a 4 year university.

 

[orthoPA81]

How did you take any remaining prerequisites for med school? And did being a PA hurt or help you during the admissions process?

Thanks for the insight!

It took me several years before I had a job with flexibility to allow weekday classes. Eventually I got a position in an orthopedic walk-in clinic that was staffed by 3 PAs. I agreed to work every weekend so I could have two days off during the week for classes.

I only applied to one school and they had a track record of admitting PAs (LECOM). I felt like being a PA was an advantage but made sure the rest of my application was solid. You can look at my previous posts for stats.

 

[Bonne Nuit]

I have taken biochem and got an A. I am wondering if it would hurt my application to take the rest of the prerequs at a community college instead of a 4 year university.

4 year is always best, if you can manage it, but state schools and DO schools are often amenable to CC prerequisites - and I think you're going to be most competitive for those schools anyway.

For your own peace of mind, you should research the admissions requirements for DO schools and your state/regional MD schools before you make any decisions. Medical school admissions websites will often have information about their 4-year vs. CC prerequisite preferences, and if not, that information is definitely included in the MSAR (at least for MD schools).

 

[Medic2MD4me]

PA for 5 years , wrapping up med school in about 3.5 months. Trust me when I say the feeling/drive to go to med school won’t go away. However there’s a real risk of declining your PA ticket and not getting into med school. Shoot me a PM , happy to chat.

 

[deleted1125947]

PA for 5 years , wrapping up med school in about 3.5 months. Trust me when I say the feeling/drive to go to med school won’t go away. However there’s a real risk of declining your PA ticket and not getting into med school. Shoot me a PM , happy to chat.

That's super interesting! How common is it for PAs to go back to medical school? Do you think being a PA helped you get into medical schools or had little effect?

 

[snooper]

"My other concern is that I am missing 4 prerequisites ( orgo 1, orgo 2, phy 1, and phy 2). I decided not to take these in undergrad when I thought I wanted to go to PA school and I also thought forfeiting these hard classes would prevent my GPA from dropping any further. Should I just consider taking these at a community college?"
No, if loans/scholarship aren't top priority, I'd seriously consider a post bac program that lets you link directly to a med school, e.g. Bryn Mawr, Goucher. You can apply January of the postbac year and start med school the same year (no MCAT required). Just make sure that your GPA or even SATs are good enough.

 

[Lcvbtx]

I literally did what you’re describing. Got accepted to my top choice PA school out of undergrad, gave up my seat the day before orientation started because my desire to be a doctor wasn’t fading. Studied hard for the mcat (ended up taking it 3 times) and it took me two application cycles but I am now in my 2nd semester of M1 year at an MD school. Got accepted to PA school at 24 and am now 27, will finish med school at 30. Feel free to message me!

 

[PhD_to_DO]

If you aren't feeling being a PA, then give up the seat and pursue what would make you happy. This is coming from a 50 year old OMS-1 who has had multiple careers and never quite felt fulfilled in any of them. Now that I am in medical school, as tough as it is, I am loving life and looking forward to my next career make over. Life is not infinite and you don't always get multiple opportunities to have a bite of the apple. If medical school is what you want, take your pre-reqs, take the MCAT, and go get it. As to whether or not being a PA will help in the admissions process, if my wife were typing this, she would say it depends. She sits on the admissions committee of one the Arizona DO schools and previously sat on the committee at a California DO school. She occasionally interviews health professionals who have come from other fields, mostly PharmDs and DNPs, but she does get the occasional PA, OT, or DPT. What hurts these applicants in her eyes are the ones who are trying to make the jump to medicine after a year or two (Or those who quit in the middle of their program to apply to medical school). She questions their wisdom/maturity and whether or not they simply want the title of "Physician" as opposed to what they are doing. Those applicants who have invested time in their previous careers, she will ask why they are.making the change but otherwise doesn't bat an eye as these folks have given themselves enough time in the career to see what they like/don't like and are generally making an informed, well-thought out choice regarding their career change. Of course, this is just my wife. Others on her admissions committee (and others at different schools) look at the issue of career changers differently, some favorably and others not so much. If you ultimately decide to spend some time as a PA before attending medical school, just be able to articulate why you want to m make the change. That said, if you ain't feeling PA, don't waste your time.

 

[HelloEE]

I just wanted to add - I feel like PAs spend a lot of time doing notes and documenting vs. physicians who sign off. Of course plenty of physicians write detailed notes, but there are specialties like Anesthesia or EM where it's more forgiving. That is a deal-breaker for me, as I went into the field to see patients and practice medicine, not to document like a scribe and insert statements for all kinds of liabilites. I worked in finance for 6 years prior to Med School and I feel like I sat waaay less in front of a computer than during residency on the wards. Just my 5 cents.

 

[Ryze]

Hey man, i'm in the same boat as you right now. I am 27 and just graduated from PA school. About to start a Hospitalist job position (involving Emergency Medicine and ICU/critical care) in one week. I told myself I will learn USMLE step 1 and 2 materials on my own using online resources like Physeo, Boards and Beyond, Sketchy, First Aid, and Anki. I am going to try and close the knowledge gap between a newly graduate doctor vs PA. And see if I enjoy my work experience as a PA in this specialty. If I am still not fulfilled, I will pursue medical school like you plan to do between ages 28-30.

But if I were to redo my schooling years, I would've chosen the medical school route. Especially if you really love medicine and want to master it. That way you will have no regrets. Hope this helps and best of luck!