PA or DO

[arthur2647]

Hi, im a 2nd year student at a local state university. So ive been having a lot of trouble deciding what path to take. I have only taken one pre req for both tracks so far, and im not sure which one would be more to my liking. Im only 19, and i hear from reading my posts on here and on the pa forums, that if your younger you should just go for medical school. I've also heard after some time working as a PA you basically are expected to perform the same duties and do them as well as the attendings. If i went the med school route id be done around 29,30 or probably 25-26 for the pa route, but somehow time is not a huge issue for me. I dont have many commitments, no girlfriend or anything. Debt is not a huge issue as i had an accident when i was little - it awarded me a large amount of finances-. My parents pay for my schooling now so that money is just sitting in a CD account. But in the end im not sure if i would be rather suited being at the top of the ladder or in the middle. Somehow i like having a very open lifestyle, and being able to ask questions of others if i need it. However, i dont know what will make me happier in the end. I realize if i became an attending i would be able to find a job that gives me a good lifestyle and i would only have to spend another few years then going for PA. How did any of you go about choosing the right path? Thanks.

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[Meerkatology]

comparing DO's to PA's is like comparing MD's to PA's

DO's will make same pay as MD's and have the same practices

the only difference between a DO and MD is that DO school is easier to get into while DO graduates have a harder time getting into residencies than an equivlent MD graduate. however, once residency is done, a DO physician is the same as an MD physician.


if your grades allow, you should always choose to apply to MD school over DO school as you will have an easier time later on. Usually people go to DO schools because they couldn't get into an MD school but still wants to be a doctor and are willing to work harder in grad school to get to the same final place.

as far as whether to choose PA vs. DO/MD thats simply up to your grades and how much effort you want to put into your career for the given return.

 

[Starpower]

as far as whether to choose PA vs. DO/MD thats simply up to your grades and how much effort you want to put into your career for the given return.

Bear in mind that many PA programs have very stringent GPA preferences. Another consideration is that most PA programs also have healthcare experience requirements, whereas medical schools do not.

 

[Meerkatology]

Another consideration is that most PA programs also have healthcare experience requirements, whereas medical schools do not.

I thought this was more for NPs than PAs?

Also by healthcare experience do you mean extended periods of employment as a healthcare worker, or do you also count stuff like volunteering or side jobs during undergrad? Because the later are very much required for DO/MD schools as well.

 

[Cmaj7th]

OP, noone can answer this but yourself. do you want to commit to four years of medical school and 3-7 years of residency or 3 years of PA school? is being a physician worth the extra training? could you be happy as a PA or would it be settling?

you have to just take the time to find where your priorities are. being a PA is a great career path but for someone like me who would rather be a physician I would be unhappy. and I know plenty of great PAs who don't want full responsibility of their patients and prefer being in a more supportive role. different strokes for different folks.

 

[arthur2647]

well, if im interested in primary care for example, can PA's see their own patients? Do they just follow up on the doctors patients or they have their own set?

 

[deleted6669]

well, if im interested in primary care for example, can PA's see their own patients? Do they just follow up on the doctors patients or they have their own set?

depends on the setting. in a rural family practice the pa may see 100% of the pts and the doc never sets foot in the clinic, just does distant supervision via chart review days to weeks later.
in a major metro area the pa may have their own pts or they may share pts with the doc so the pts are followed by all members of the practice.
newer grads tend to have more supervision and oversight than experienced folks. I work solo with distant supervision for the majority of my shifts so a doc never sees my pts unless I transfer them to another facility. at my other jobs there is a doc present but they only see my pts if I ask them to.
most states also allow for a pa to own a practice as long as they have a physician employee/supervisor( who may or may not ever see pts).

 

[arthur2647]

So in the primary care setting, theres really no different between pa's and docs? do the docs get to do anything more?

 

[deleted6669]

So in the primary care setting, theres really no different between pa's and docs? do the docs get to do anything more?

there are are many differences.
a few of the more important ones:
docs can work without oversight.
docs have a broader knowledge base and more clinical training.
docs do some procedures that most pa's have to refer out( sigmoidoscopy/colonoscopy, vasectomy, etc).

 

[arthur2647]

Thanks. Can i ask, why did you become a PA over a physician?

 

[bradt9881]

I became a PA because at age 45 when I retired from the military as a medic, it was the best option to enter medicine. Two years to get the prereqs done then 28 months for PA school was a lot shorter and cheaper than two years of prereqs, four of med school, and three of residency. Attempting to enter the workforce as an attending at age 54 with a large debt load just didn't seem practical.

If I was 19, med school would be my choice. You learn more, do more, and get paid more.....

 

[deleted6669]

at 23 I was a paramedic with a bs in medical anthro and all the pa prereqs. I already had 6 yrs of medical experience under my belt( emt/er tech then paramedic). to get into pa school I just had to apply. to get into md/do would have required 1 more yr of ochem, 1 yr of physics, a semester of math, a genetics course, a kaplan course, and the mcat. hard to schedule while working full time as a paramedic on a rotating schedule. since becoming a pa I have thought about going back to school several times. I even took the genetics, stats, and a yr of physics. now it's more a problem of uprooting my family and losing out on about 1 million dollars in "opportunity cost" ( price of 3 yrs of DO school- the bridge program- plus the loss of 6 yrs of pa salary for school and residency). my only debt now in my 40's is my home mortgage. my wife is an artist( minimal salary, couldn't support us). my kids are in really good schools....if someone gave me 500,000 dollars today I would probably still go.

 

[arthur2647]

does it make sense to go to med school if my main interest in primary care?

 

[bradt9881]

Sure it does, it's where the shortage exists. You may have to train longer but you will make twice the salary, know more, and do more.

 

[Nicole313]

I know this is a little late but my advice is if you are wanting to go to medical school.. go. You don't want to finish PA school and regret that you never went to medical school. Being a PA is great, however there are still things you cannot do and the autonomy is not there in certain specialties. So it depends on what you want to go into and how much time you want to spend in school.
If you want to do FP in a rural setting then being a PA could be perfect. You have to realize straight of PA school you won't know everything and you will still have a huge learning curve. Straight out of medical school and residency you will feel more comfortable treating patients alone.
There is a lot of great PAs out there and a lot of great docs. I'ts your decision on how much time and commitment you want to put in your education.
I'm a EM PA and love my job. I love and respect the PA profession but I keep finding myself wanting to go back to medical school. So instead of studying for the MCAT now I wish I would have taken it before my PA education. My husband is a physician so I know what it takes and it is a long road. However you want to make a decision on what you won't regret later on down the road.

Good luck to you!

 

[arthur2647]

Well i dont want to do FP in rural areas, mostly urban, does that change anything? I guess it would be nice having more authority, i just mainly want to end up having a nice family oriented life, where i have as much control over my patients as i can. And i know im still young so it makes sense to go for it. Do you know, in residency how much is there work vs study? I want to imagine im already working in residency and dont have to worry about school as much. Thanks.

 

[Cmaj7th]

If you're young and you want to go to medical school than go to medical school. I think PA is a good option for healthcare professionals already in the workforce and for people who wouldn't regret not going to medical school. but if you're young and want to be a physician than just go for it. if you choose PA when you'd rather be a doc then you'll be settling which isn't fair to you or the profession.

just think it over you have plenty of time and alot of the pre-reqs overlap. I'd suggest shadowing some PAs and doctors and see which you would prefer.

and don't worry about getting enough work during residency, some specialties push 80 hours a week.

 

[reRESERVEDMD]

Honestly, this is all up to you.

If I were you, I'd go to medical school. It seems as if you do not have any troubles financially or family wise which means that if you're determined and have a passion for it, medical school will be the best way to go for you.

If you feel like you may not want to sacrifice that much time, yet still have passion for helping people in a diagnostic setting, physician assistant is the best route bar none.

Remember! Always aim for the highest education you are able to get. To me it seems like you just need motivation and passion. Go for it!

Hope this helped.