Ugh...So is your aunt of the opinion that an NP that does the same work that she does a lot of the time get paid a lot less than her (because currently physicians tend to make a lot more than Nps)? If she is producing more than an NP, then sure, more compensation should be coming her way based on that. If she’s in surgery, which is something NPs can’t do, then there’s a premium to be paid for her education and training. But if she just wants to be the arbiter of where healthcare dollars go, I’d just suggest she mind her own business. She can think whatever she wants, but if an Np is out diagnosing illness and doing an adequate job of it (which studies show they do), then NPs are earning their wages too. Most NPs I know have a difficult time cracking $140k per year, and most non psyche Nps I know make under $130k per year. Most physicians easily make double that. So what kind of money does she think would be fair for an NP to pull in? $110k per year? I could make that much working a bit of overtime as an RN. I’m not going to sacrifice 3 day RN workweeks with a lot less responsibility than an Np carries without some sort of premium. And the money NPs bring in is significant enough to justify their work and still pay them well. So your aunt would like NPs to hand over more money that they earned to her when she hasn’t earned it? Just because she is there and exists? Forget her.
Here’s the thing.... cost cutting is coming to physician wages in short order.... I predict within 10 years we will have dramatic, unprecedented changes to the lucrative nature of the current status quo for them. In my mind, this will be a bad development that will disincentivise talented students from taking on the significant burden that a medical school pathway demands. I’m all for them making money. They work hard for it. But as society turns on achievers, prodded by folks who claim that those that have achieved things are unduly privileged, you will see the mob come for physicians to cut them down to size. I think the transition will be justified by the mob by having medical school tuition graciously donated by the state and a stipend provided. Then after that, the government will own graduates and call the shots, especially on physician wages (which really isn’t the big driver of healthcare costs that corporate healthcare wants everyone to believe). The push will then be to provide physicians with their initial education debt free, prestige, a decent retirement plan, benefits, job security, and a decent steady income, maybe a work schedule that isn’t taxing, time off with 36 hour work weeks, etc. In return, they won’t have an outlet for pursuing the large payouts you see for those using their talents to grow a thriving practice. Currently, there are plenty of physicians who would take an offer for that kind of deal. Corporate healthcare entities would absolutely love to profit off of that kind of structure. NPs are not the enemy of physicians. They are a small fraction of the healthcare landscape compared to physician numbers.
What psyche Boards are you reading? Are they psychiatrist boards or psyche NP boards? There will be a difference.
Not enough physicians are willing to go into psyche because they are gravitating to more lucrative specialties that have less stigma of dealing with the mentally ill. They have bills to pay, I understand that. NPs are stepping up to make it so folks don’t have to wait 2 months to be seen by a provider or else settle for seeing a general practice doctor. That’s what is making psyche a lucrative path for NPs at the moment.
Read through the posts here because they contain valuable information to help you decide what to do. Direct entry Np isn’t cheap, and I imagine with your OT school, you will have a bit of debt to your name after it’s all said and done. You may be better suited for PA school.
