PA or MD?

[bobduncan851]

I'm currently a freshman in undergrad debating whether to go the pre-med vs pre-pa route. What made you choose PA and if you know, how is it significantly different from MD/DO?

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[scoopdaboop]

PA is better than MD/DO in specific situations.

Every freshman in undergrad should be looking at becoming a MD at a established school. I don't care if you think "the schooling is too much". Trust me, if you aim for what I am saying, you will thank me later. Why do you think every Asian tiger parent wants his kid to succeed. They have seen millionaire docs living the good life lmao. That means aim for high GPA, 510 + MCAT. If you get that, you have chances at high paying specialties (ortho, derm, optho, urology, gen surg etc.) where at most places means you're making 500k+ if not easily breaking 1m+.

Let's say you don't have that drive, and are okay with matching a DO school, well in that case you have to think about your debt burden. If it's going to be less than 300k I still think DO is worth. This would likely mean your parents help pay your rent/food etc. If it's going to be higher, I would say go PA. This is because you're likely looking at IM + fellowship, FM, neurology, psychiatry etc. If you're a hardcore worker, you can match competitive specialties, it'll just be exponentially harder than getting in a reputable MD program.

Let's say you're one of these people : "Eh, I think being a doctor is okay, but being a PA is just so much shorter schooling and I wouldn't have a debt burden, and I don't care i'm not a doctor as long as i work in healthcare", then sure also become a PA. Then the question should naturally become PA or RN to CRNA/NP. I would probably do CRNA in that situation, but that requires bedside nursing which is toxic so idk.

The significant differences is that as a PA you will have patients that want to "see the doctor", and you have to be okay with that, and not let that affect your ego (which I know for a fact affects some peoples). Second is pay. Going to a MD program will open your doors to insanely high paying fields that if you were to be a PA and work in it you would make way less. I know general surgeons making 1 mil + whose PA is maybe? breaking 200k. Another one is the stress. as a PA/NP of say a cardiology service, something goes wrong, they coming after the 700k+ cardiologist, not your measly 150k.

 

[orthoPA81]

There are several other threads dedicated to this exact same question. A quick search will answer all the common questions.

I was a PA prior to medical school so I’ll comment on one misconception I see repeated frequently on this site: “MDs have more liability…PAs don’t get sued as much.” This is absolutely not true. If you are a PA and involved in care of a patient that goes bad (even if no fault of your own), you WILL be included on the malpractice case. Remember that PAs do a lot of the routine follow up for specialists. If a lawyer sees your name on a visit related to the case, you’re getting sued too.

In regards to the big question of PA vs MD, you need to ask yourself if you want to work really hard to get to the middle…then stay there your whole career. If you’re cool with that, then be a PA. It’s great for the right person, just not for everyone.

 

[TranslationalRPh]

You're getting some good advice here IMO. I'm not a PA or a MD. However, I am a PharmD, PhD who holds a position in Pharma that is traditionally held by a Physician. I can say that it was not easy to get this position as a non-MD, and many companies wouldn't consider me for it by function of credentials as opposed to the body of work and knowledge. Also, when my same position is done by a physician, usually the salary range is upwards of $30-$75K base more at a similarly sized company. I also had to fight for continued professional autonomy at times. I also could never occupy a Chief Medical Officer position, even if I was inclined to do so. This would not be true if I was a physician.

Here's my point. I don't regret my path nor hold resentment about how my path has affected career opportunities (overall things are going well and I am happy). That said, if I had known upon application to professional school that this was the path that I was going, I would have just done an MD. Like many allied health professionals, I took didactic, externship, and post doctoral advanced clinical training with medics and/or future medics. I have also become board certified. It would not have been a stretch for me to go to medical school. In my case, I didn't even save time (I did save a lot of money 💰 for school though).

The real answer probably is based on what you want out of a career and life overall. Good luck.

 

[Polocrosse2017]

My finance has chosen to be a PA even though she went all through undergrad planning to be an MD and had great GPA, research etc. When looking at her life goals being a PA matched up financially, work-life balance, emotionally, and time-commitment. She knows she could make a lot more as an MD but after shadowing and working for both the PA jobs fit with her lifestyle and with me going to be a veterinary specialist (hopefully!). We are both very happy with the decision and she starts PA school in August!

 

[bogle8]

PA is better than MD/DO in specific situations.

Every freshman in undergrad should be looking at becoming a MD at a established school. I don't care if you think "the schooling is too much". Trust me, if you aim for what I am saying, you will thank me later. Why do you think every Asian tiger parent wants his kid to succeed. They have seen millionaire docs living the good life lmao. That means aim for high GPA, 510 + MCAT. If you get that, you have chances at high paying specialties (ortho, derm, optho, urology, gen surg etc.) where at most places means you're making 500k+ if not easily breaking 1m+.

Let's say you don't have that drive, and are okay with matching a DO school, well in that case you have to think about your debt burden. If it's going to be less than 300k I still think DO is worth. This would likely mean your parents help pay your rent/food etc. If it's going to be higher, I would say go PA. This is because you're likely looking at IM + fellowship, FM, neurology, psychiatry etc. If you're a hardcore worker, you can match competitive specialties, it'll just be exponentially harder than getting in a reputable MD program.

Let's say you're one of these people : "Eh, I think being a doctor is okay, but being a PA is just so much shorter schooling and I wouldn't have a debt burden, and I don't care i'm not a doctor as long as i work in healthcare", then sure also become a PA. Then the question should naturally become PA or RN to CRNA/NP. I would probably do CRNA in that situation, but that requires bedside nursing which is toxic so idk.

The significant differences is that as a PA you will have patients that want to "see the doctor", and you have to be okay with that, and not let that affect your ego (which I know for a fact affects some peoples). Second is pay. Going to a MD program will open your doors to insanely high paying fields that if you were to be a PA and work in it you would make way less. I know general surgeons making 1 mil + whose PA is maybe? breaking 200k. Another one is the stress. as a PA/NP of say a cardiology service, something goes wrong, they coming after the 700k+ cardiologist, not your measly 150k.

Everyone now understands your probationary status based on the ridiculousness and overall misinformation contained in this one post.

 

[scoopdaboop]

Everyone now understands your probationary status based on the ridiculousness and overall misinformation contained in this one post.

Nothing I said is misinformation

 

[Splenda88]

Nothing I said is misinformation

People don't match into DO. People go to medical school (MD/DO)... DO can match into ortho, urology, radiology etc... albeit more difficult than MD.

As far as MD/DO vs PA, I might be bias here since I am a MD (hospitalist). Based on my observation, in term of salary and flexibility, MD/DO is better. I make 2.64X of what the NP/PA in my group make, but I see an average ~4 more patients per day, and the patients I see are a little bit sicker.

Misconception I see in SDN is that PA has a better work life balance than MD/DO. I dont think it's necessarily true. Physicians work more because of the people this profession attract. But once you've been working for a few years (5+ ), you can cut your hours and you won't have issue to find a PT job in many places. There are a few people in my hospital medicine group who work 10 days/month. I also know a couple of general surgeons at my hospital that only work PT ( 3 days/wk).