Need Advice!!!!!! PA vs. Caribbean MD

[sofie08]

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Hi,

I am trying to decide whether to return to my caribbean med school or just come back and do PA school? I am in my second year and not sure if I want to continue anymore. I have always wanted to be a doctor, but now I am older and really don't feel the drive to be a doctor like I used to. I knew about PAs before, but never really investigated what it entailed until now and it's making me re-think my decision to continue med school.

Any advice is appreciated!

 

[deleted6669]

hopefully you are at a program with a reasonable residency match potential in the U.S. If that is the case, stay in medschool. the hardest parts of med school are getting in and MS 1&2. you are almost through the hard parts. keep going. a physician has so many more options than a PA. I kick myself every day for going the PA route over med school. stay the course my friend, you will be glad you did.

 

[sofie08]

Thanks so much for your advice you guys for your advice! emedpa, Why do you regret not going to med school? What are the reasons you are no longer satisfied with the PA profession?

 

[deleted6669]

physicians are regarded respect and autonomy based on the initials after their names. As a PA it has taken me almost 20 years to get the kind of jobs I expected within a few years of graduation. positions with a broad scope of practice in which I am respected as a clinician and not looked down on because of the initials after my name. those jobs are all rural. there are VERY few quality jobs for pas with autonomy/respect/good quality scope of practice in urban areas. I drive 3 hrs to get the respect a physician gets by rolling out of bed.

 

[sofie08]

wow, that is unfortunate to hear, I thought PAs are getting more respect these days especially in the US. So did or are you considering going back to medical school at this point?

 

[sofie08]

Are PAs not given more respect that NP or are they just looked upon as being the same in terms of scope of practice?

 

[deleted6669]

wow, that is unfortunate to hear, I thought PAs are getting more respect these days especially in the US. So did or are you considering going back to medical school at this point?

there is a PA to DO 3 yr bridge program with no mcat I considered a few years ago, but financially can't make it work due to family commitments. If it was local I would still go my late 40s.

 

[deleted6669]

Are PAs not given more respect that NP or are they just looked upon as being the same in terms of scope of practice?

PA vs NP is a different discussion altogether. most of the jobs I am interested in NPs are not considered for.
NPs have an advantage with their "independence" in an outpt setting doing primary care or psych, but many/most of the good hospital based jobs go to PAs.

 

[sofie08]

yeah, I recently heard about that program. If I was to pursue PA, I would look into peds. Idk, this decision is tough b/c i always wanted to be a pediatrician but I am getting older and I am trying to find the strength to get though med school at this point b/c I feel like life is passing me by. PA just seemed like a nicer option, b/c you finish in two yrs, you can make good money, time for life outside of work, multiple specialties etc.. idk, b/c I dont want to regret my decision later....??????

 

[deleted6669]

it would likely take you 2 years to even get into PA school. you would be done with medschool by then. then 2 yrs for pa school would have you almost done with residency. dude, just suck it up. you will be glad you did for the rest of your life. if you want to do peds, there are very few peds PA jobs out there. most of those jobs go to NPs...

 

[sofie08]

I have all the pre-req and clinical hours for pa school, I just dont have the gre. So if I started pa school in 2017, I would graduate 2019. So, I would gradate med school around the same time, but I have to hope that I will get US residency by that time as a FMG. (which there is no certainty).....I hear what your saying, I just dont want to graduate as a FMG, with the possibility of not being able to practice in the US later. At least as a PA, one doesnt have to spend so much time/money in school, can work sooner and if one is still not satisfied, later on one can go to the program you mentioned. right??

 

[deleted6669]

PA school is very competitive and admissions folks typically don't look kindly on folks who dropped out of medschool. also, PA school is not cheap....I can't decide for you, but in your shoes I would finish out medschool and go from there. There are also FMG to DO 3 year programs (at least one at a DO program in NYC, probably others) for FMGs who can't match to become US trained/licensed physicians.

 

[sofie08]

PA school is very competitive and admissions folks typically don't look kindly on folks who dropped out of medschool. also, PA school is not cheap....I can't decide for you, but in your shoes I would finish out medschool and go from there. There are also FMG to DO 3 year programs (at least one at a DO program in NYC, probably others) for FMGs who can't match to become US trained/licensed physicians.

Some ppl can decide that they find their true purpose is in PA, not to be a physician though. I think PA schools would understand that if a person truly found out that med school was not for them and they always liked a career in PA. ....Okay, thanks so much for your advice.

 

[deleted6669]

Some ppl can decide that they find their true purpose is in PA, not to be a physician though. I think PA schools would understand that if a person truly found out that med school was not for them and they always liked a career in PA. ....Okay, thanks so much for your advice.

both are practicing medicine. if you are ok being treated like as "assistant" your entire career(even when working solo) then PA is fine. for the rest of us it isn't.

 

[sofie08]

well, my mission is to first and for most treat patients, the title/status is secondary. In addition, I know PAs who are happy with there decision. so I guess is all about what you value the most at the end of the day. anyway, thanks for your perspective.

 

[deleted6669]

It's not about status, it's about common decency and lack of respect. the 10th time in a week some random doc refuses to talk to you on the phone about one of your pts , never having met you or had any prior interaction with you, just because you are a pa you will wish you had finished med school.

 

[pamac]

The sharpest PA or NP will still never be an MD/DO. A PA graduate from Yale still goes out and finds a doctor to work under, and that doctor could be an FMG. That physician may make many times what the PA makes, decides when the PA works, when that PA takes call, what holidays they work while the physician goes skiing. Your quality of life will be affected.

Preference among entities for PA's or NP's vary. My ER just started letting PA's back in after they only had NP's for quite some time. Hospitalists here are exclusively NP's. Sometimes facility policy dictates the level of supervision an NP or PA gets from a physician, even where the law might say they don't need it. Across town, one of the other systems uses both PA's and NP's for hospitalist work. I know NP's that have their own practices, and one that is a partner among physicians. But realistically, most NP's here seem to be considered by physicians to be interchangeable with PA's. I really don't think that physicians really dwell on the pecking order below them.

 

[d2305]

I would hate to spend all that money on a foreign medical school and not matching.

 

[pamac]

Then why ever risk attending a Caribbean program at all? I'm mystified as to why the OP even went to his first year if doubt existed in his mind that the end result would be anything other than a match.

I have an acquaintance from college who performed about as well as I did at the time, which pretty much put American medical/dental school just out of grasp barring some work. He ended up going to a medical program on an island down there, (not knowing much about the system, I can't say if he went to a great program or not, but I assume that because of his stats, it was a program that was willing to take on a student on the lower end of par). At the time I was thinking that the possibility existed that he was making a mistake sinking money into the endeavor, in addition to the fact that I knew how his academics had fared. Well, he rocked his exams and matched to exactly what he wanted, where he wanted, and is a resident doc in a sexy field, training in a very decent locale (great weather, people all over the country flocking to move there, great cost of living, cheap/short flights back to where he and his wife have family).

My thoughts after seeing this all play out on facebook over the years?..... that's a guy who wasn't in the game to do anything other than succeed. Didn't have a backup plan. Didn't get discouraged by his grades, mcat scores, failures, lack of landing a seat at a program outside of the Caribbean. Each step of the way he figured out what he needed to do and did it. So if you don't have that kind of attitude, then you probably should be concerned about investing time and money on a program in the Caribbean. Go work for him as a PA if he will have you. He probably will only want to be around PA's from top tier programs like Yale or Washington State, or Utah, because they might be the only ones who can keep up with what he's doing. I'd think that debt for him might be an issue, but it wouldn't surprise me if he has a plan to take care of that as well.

 

[Darth Doc]

Hi,

I am trying to decide whether to return to my caribbean med school or just come back and do PA school? I am in my second year and not sure if I want to continue anymore. I have always wanted to be a doctor, but now I am older and really don't feel the drive to be a doctor like I used to. I knew about PAs before, but never really investigated what it entailed until now and it's making me re-think my decision to continue med school.

Any advice is appreciated!

All MS2s are burnt out this month. Keep pushing through! I've heard third year makes it worth it. If you wanted PA instead of MD you would have thought of it before now.

 

[hckyplyr]

Listen to EMEDPA, he knows what he's talking about. I'm a PA, graduated in 2013, but found out real fast how much of what EMEDPA says is true. Its unfortunate, but I realized no matter how much I knew, how many years of experience I had, how good my patient outcomes were, how much of a superstar I was, I would always be seen and treated as an "assistant." Docs do whatever the hell they want, whether its right or wrong, they dictate your schedule, your salary, your lifestyle. Thats why I'm in my second semester of medical school right now. Not a day goes by that I regret my decision, no matter how hard schools gets. Stay the course in med school, even if it's a Caribbean school that have horrible matches, you will have a much better shot since you want to go into peds. Good luck

 

[Gastrapathy]

You guys are ignoring the elephant in the room. Many (maybe most) of the people who go to one of these schools don't end up practicing medicine in the US.

 

[d2305]

Seems that anyone can get in a Caribbean school, but they cost almost as much as a US school. I got a letter from St Georges a few years ago, they must look at the PA's state license for their mailing list. There are a few PA graduates that never pass the PA exam, and they too are out close to $100K.

 

[PAC2DO]

Listen to EMEDPA, he knows what he's talking about. I'm a PA, graduated in 2013, but found out real fast how much of what EMEDPA says is true. Its unfortunate, but I realized no matter how much I knew, how many years of experience I had, how good my patient outcomes were, how much of a superstar I was, I would always be seen and treated as an "assistant." Docs do whatever the hell they want, whether its right or wrong, they dictate your schedule, your salary, your lifestyle. Thats why I'm in my second semester of medical school right now. Not a day goes by that I regret my decision, no matter how hard schools gets. Stay the course in med school, even if it's a Caribbean school that have horrible matches, you will have a much better shot since you want to go into peds. Good luck

Which school do you go to??

 

[CMUchicka]

Listen to EMEDPA, he knows what he's talking about. I'm a PA, graduated in 2013, but found out real fast how much of what EMEDPA says is true. Its unfortunate, but I realized no matter how much I knew, how many years of experience I had, how good my patient outcomes were, how much of a superstar I was, I would always be seen and treated as an "assistant." Docs do whatever the hell they want, whether its right or wrong, they dictate your schedule, your salary, your lifestyle. Thats why I'm in my second semester of medical school right now. Not a day goes by that I regret my decision, no matter how hard schools gets. Stay the course in med school, even if it's a Caribbean school that have horrible matches, you will have a much better shot since you want to go into peds. Good luck

Wait so you graduate from PA school in 2013 and you are already in med school? Did you work just for 1-2 years and decide PA wasn't for you?

 

[hckyplyr]

Which school do you go to??

LECOM Erie (Decided NOT to do the bridge, for various reasons, so I'm in the regular 4 yr pathway)

Wait so you graduate from PA school in 2013 and you are already in med school? Did you work just for 1-2 years and decide PA wasn't for you?

Yes, I worked for one year as a PA, and even during that short period of time, I experienced a lot of the things that EMEDPA always mentions. I knew right away in PA school that I made the wrong choice. For me, it was not having enough self confidence in myself and not thinking I was smart enough. Then when I started rotations as a PA student, and I was so much more competent than most med students, I thought, "Hey, if these kids can do it, I definitely can." Even running into some attendings I thought the same thing. You'd be surprised some of the medical students you run into, you think to yourself, "How did this person get through highschool?" PA school was an expensive mistake, but owell. Many of my classmates felt the same way during school. I'm proud of myself for actually going through it and heading back to school. I'm an older MS1, but who cares, I will have plenty of time to practice as an attending.

 

[PAC2DO]

LECOM Erie (Decided NOT to do the bridge, for various reasons, so I'm in the regular 4 yr pathway)


Yes, I worked for one year as a PA, and even during that short period of time, I experienced a lot of the things that EMEDPA always mentions. I knew right away in PA school that I made the wrong choice. For me, it was not having enough self confidence in myself and not thinking I was smart enough. Then when I started rotations as a PA student, and I was so much more competent than most med students, I thought, "Hey, if these kids can do it, I definitely can." Even running into some attendings I thought the same thing. You'd be surprised some of the medical students you run into, you think to yourself, "How did this person get through highschool?" PA school was an expensive mistake, but owell. Many of my classmates felt the same way during school. I'm proud of myself for actually going through it and heading back to school. I'm an older MS1, but who cares, I will have plenty of time to practice as an attending.

I'm in the same boat going to seton hill starting this fall.

 

[Makati2008]

Seems like there are a few of us here who went back.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

 

[CMUchicka]

LECOM Erie (Decided NOT to do the bridge, for various reasons, so I'm in the regular 4 yr pathway)


Yes, I worked for one year as a PA, and even during that short period of time, I experienced a lot of the things that EMEDPA always mentions. I knew right away in PA school that I made the wrong choice. For me, it was not having enough self confidence in myself and not thinking I was smart enough. Then when I started rotations as a PA student, and I was so much more competent than most med students, I thought, "Hey, if these kids can do it, I definitely can." Even running into some attendings I thought the same thing. You'd be surprised some of the medical students you run into, you think to yourself, "How did this person get through highschool?" PA school was an expensive mistake, but owell. Many of my classmates felt the same way during school. I'm proud of myself for actually going through it and heading back to school. I'm an older MS1, but who cares, I will have plenty of time to practice as an attending.

Wow, its great things worked out for you. It's takes a lot to follow what you always want to do. Sometimes its hard to keep yourself motivated to go back to school after you have been in school for so many years. In my case, i am in process of getting accepted to pharmacy school but i have already lost interest in pharmacy. I am just going there so that later i can get into PA school. I know it's sounds stupid. But i feel that after getting PharmD and working for some years , i will be competitive more for PA school. I could apply to PA school right now but i feel like i would need lot of patient care experience which would take year or two and i cant afford to waste my time like that. I would rather get PharmD in mean time which is like 3 years and start working. I have heard that with pharmD+ experience i would be much better candidate for PA.

So are you in MD or DO program? How was applying process for you?Did you feel that you had advantage over other applicant since you were PA? How many school you applied? I have never thought of being doctor may be because of time commitment. i have couple of friends who have been accepted to DO programs,i don't think they are smarter than me since we have same grades. Its just matter of different interest. Who knows may be in future i might even apply to MD/DO instead of PA... Just keeping my options open..

 

[Yadster101]

LECOM Erie (Decided NOT to do the bridge, for various reasons, so I'm in the regular 4 yr pathway)


Yes, I worked for one year as a PA, and even during that short period of time, I experienced a lot of the things that EMEDPA always mentions. I knew right away in PA school that I made the wrong choice. For me, it was not having enough self confidence in myself and not thinking I was smart enough. Then when I started rotations as a PA student, and I was so much more competent than most med students, I thought, "Hey, if these kids can do it, I definitely can." Even running into some attendings I thought the same thing. You'd be surprised some of the medical students you run into, you think to yourself, "How did this person get through highschool?" PA school was an expensive mistake, but owell. Many of my classmates felt the same way during school. I'm proud of myself for actually going through it and heading back to school. I'm an older MS1, but who cares, I will have plenty of time to practice as an attending.

How did the pa didactic year compare to ms1/ms2? I know the clinical years are similar in difficulty but I've always been curious about didactic difficulty comparison