PA school harder than medical school?

[username456789]

I go to a medical school that has one of the best PA schools in the US. They take the entire preclinical curriculum with us. Not sure about other schools, but here they are incredibly smart and on top of everything. I can tell you for a fact that they take the same anatomy lab practical we do, and the PA student in my dissection group soundly kicks the rest of our asses every time.

So they have no clinical year? Or are they a 3-4 year program?

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[Psai]

I go to a medical school that has one of the best PA schools in the US. They take the entire preclinical curriculum with us. Not sure about other schools, but here they are incredibly smart and on top of everything. I can tell you for a fact that they take the same anatomy lab practical we do, and the PA student in my dissection group soundly kicks the rest of our asses every time.

Sounds like that pa is a superstar. You guys should step up your game and stop letting yourselves get embarrassed

 

[StevensBibi]

I go to a medical school that has one of the best PA schools in the US. They take the entire preclinical curriculum with us. Not sure about other schools, but here they are incredibly smart and on top of everything. I can tell you for a fact that they take the same anatomy lab practical we do, and the PA student in my dissection group soundly kicks the rest of our asses every time.

LOL being good at an anatomy practical doesn't mean anything

all you do is memorize what structures look like

 

[criticalelement]

Dog Catching School is harder than medical school. Believe me I know. I went to Dog Catching School.

 

[Amba]

haha! whoah there buddy, careful. you might microaggress on some people.

You PC bro?

 

[moy505]

I go to a medical school that has one of the best PA schools in the US. They take the entire preclinical curriculum with us. Not sure about other schools, but here they are incredibly smart and on top of everything. I can tell you for a fact that they take the same anatomy lab practical we do, and the PA student in my dissection group soundly kicks the rest of our asses every time.

Are all the other exams the same too?

From my research, it seems like a bunch of schools are moving towards this model of having pas and med students share some/all classes.

 

[libraryismyhome]

Are all the other exams the same too?

From my research, it seems like a bunch of schools are moving towards this model of having pas and med students share some/all classes.

Those pa schools would receive more apps from hot girls and less from guys.

 

[mpdoc2]

I go to a medical school that has one of the best PA schools in the US. They take the entire preclinical curriculum with us. Not sure about other schools, but here they are incredibly smart and on top of everything. I can tell you for a fact that they take the same anatomy lab practical we do, and the PA student in my dissection group soundly kicks the rest of our asses every time.

speaks volumes of your medschool...

 

[Osteoth]

To quote an older post:

"PA school and medical school are both sprints, at a 6 minute per mile pace, run through the same neighborhood, from the same starting point to the same finish line. It's just that the PA sprint is 2 miles, and the MD/DO sprint is 4 miles. By necessity, the PA students have to keep to the main roads to reach the finish line in only 2 miles. Med students are expected to take every side street and cul-de-sac available in their journey.

At the end, both may know how to navigate the neighborhood, know which streets cross where, and have a good grasp on the demographics of the area. But only the med students will be able to tell you how many cars, what type, and what color sit in every driveway of every house on every street in the entire area. In casual conversation, or even observing them work, you might get the impression that both learned pretty much the same thing from their races. But probe deeper, and you'll find that only one knows that the guy in 2034 on Rainbow Circle prefers charcoal to gas, and that his neighbor's wife is hot."

Lmao hilarious.

 

[moy505]

speaks volumes of your medschool...

wut? I know someone, at a top 30 school, where MDs and PAs share the EXACT same pre-clinical curriculum.

 

[mpdoc2]

wut? I know someone, at a top 30 school, where MDs and PAs share the EXACT same pre-clinical curriculum.

Pre-clinical courses have as little to do with the practice of medicine as undergrad. I was referring to how he said the PA students were doing better at the same pre-clinical courses as the medstudents.

 

[PhillyMed777]

You PC bro?

If there was a spectrum of political correctness, I would be the farthest thing from pc you would ever find in your entire life.

I despise pc.
What keeps me quiet is the fact that if I open my mouth and reveal my true un-pc self, everyone would jump me where I'm from

 

[Stagg737]

wut? I know someone, at a top 30 school, where MDs and PAs share the EXACT same pre-clinical curriculum.

I also know a podiatry school that takes the same first year classes and I believe same tests (or at least they used to) as the MD students the school. Doesn't mean I'd consider them equal to a physician just because of that. I'd also guess there's more variability between the quality of PA or podiatry schools than medical schools, though I don't know if that's actually true or not.

 

[Señor S]

wut? I know someone, at a top 30 school, where MDs and PAs share the EXACT same pre-clinical curriculum.

How would this even work? Isn't PA a two-year program? Don't they do rotations?

 

[giantswing]

I also know a podiatry school that takes the same first year classes and I believe same tests (or at least they used to) as the MD students the school. Doesn't mean I'd consider them equal to a physician just because of that. I'd also guess there's more variability between the quality of PA or podiatry schools than medical schools, though I don't know if that's actually true or not.

I think alot of the variability comes w clinical rotations

 

[Stagg737]

I think alot of the variability comes w clinical rotations

For PA, med, or both? I could see that for both, I just don't know at this point.

 

[giantswing]

For PA, med, or both? I could see that for both, I just don't know at this point.

Pods for sure, dunno about pa

 

[moy505]

How would this even work? Isn't PA a two-year program? Don't they do rotations?

It's a shorter pre-clinical curriculum at UIowa. It was also posted about on another thread. Also most PA schools are a bit longer than 2 years. Some are 3 years.

Edit: heres are the links:

http://www.medicine.uiowa.edu/pa/curriculum/

http://www.medicine.uiowa.edu/uploa...ng/Curriculum/Curriculum_2015_2016.pdf?n=8403

 

[AspiringERMD]

wut? I know someone, at a top 30 school, where MDs and PAs share the EXACT same pre-clinical curriculum.

We may be talking about the same place. This describes my school.

 

[AspiringERMD]

It's a shorter pre-clinical curriculum at UIowa. It was also posted about on another thread. Also most PA schools are a bit longer than 2 years. Some are 3 years.

Edit: heres are the links:

http://www.medicine.uiowa.edu/pa/curriculum/

http://www.medicine.uiowa.edu/uploa...ng/Curriculum/Curriculum_2015_2016.pdf?n=8403

That's the one! The PA students here are fantastic.

 

[AspiringERMD]

Pre-clinical courses have as little to do with the practice of medicine as undergrad. I was referring to how he said the PA students were doing better at the same pre-clinical courses as the medstudents.

This was n=1 at our lab table. I can't speak to much more than that personally, but it is the common sentiment among the students I've talked to that the few PA students they take are cream of the crop among PA applicants, as we perceive them to be highly capable. (Not that the MD students aren't.) UIowa switches back and forth between the 1st and 2nd highest ranked PA schools with Duke, so it's expected that they'd get quality applicants. They simply wanted a different career path.

 

[doses&diplomas]

Are they good looking? Hot girls go to pa schools so that they can meet doctors without making themselves look like gold diggers.

If they think that way that means they want to compete and wont be submissive gfs and wives in the future. Just meet hot pa girls who dont think this way and are willing to kneel down and please you.

Definitely, the only reason a woman would decide to further her career and work her 'hot' butt off to become a physician's assistant is because she's a gold digger (and doesn't want you to know).

 

[moy505]

That's the one! The PA students here are fantastic.

Haha yeah I know that Iowa is a top tier med school and PA school. So do you guys really take all the same exams together or only share some of the same exams?

 

[AspiringERMD]

Haha yeah I know that Iowa is a top tier med school and PA school. So do you guys really take all the same exams together or only share some of the same exams?

Every single one! I'm not even sure who all are the PA students. I know a few of them are for sure, and they tend to hang out together, but I don't know who all of them are. They're currently indistinguishable from the MD students as far as I can tell.

 

[cbrons]

To quote an older post:

"PA school and medical school are both sprints, at a 6 minute per mile pace, run through the same neighborhood, from the same starting point to the same finish line. It's just that the PA sprint is 2 miles, and the MD/DO sprint is 4 miles. By necessity, the PA students have to keep to the main roads to reach the finish line in only 2 miles. Med students are expected to take every side street and cul-de-sac available in their journey.

At the end, both may know how to navigate the neighborhood, know which streets cross where, and have a good grasp on the demographics of the area. But only the med students will be able to tell you how many cars, what type, and what color sit in every driveway of every house on every street in the entire area. In casual conversation, or even observing them work, you might get the impression that both learned pretty much the same thing from their races. But probe deeper, and you'll find that only one knows that the guy in 2034 on Rainbow Circle prefers charcoal to gas, and that his neighbor's wife is hot."

I think you forgot the 10 mile detour called residency.

And what does that make NP school? Maybe roller blading instead of running? Or perhaps a nice drive around the neighborhood in a Chrysler Town and Country.

 

[cbrons]

Every single one! I'm not even sure who all are the PA students. I know a few of them are for sure, and they tend to hang out together, but I don't know who all of them are. They're currently indistinguishable from the MD students as far as I can tell.

Get used to it, because in the future, the hospital and .gov will tell you they're indistinguishable from you even after graduation

 

[moy505]

Get used to it, because in the future, the hospital and .gov will tell you they're indistinguishable from you even after graduation

Well these PAs can probably pass Step 1 then since they are taking the exact same preclinical curriculum.

 

[username456789]

Well these PAs can probably pass Step 1 then since they are taking the exact same preclinical curriculum.

There is a lot more to physician training than taking Step 1.

 

[Psai]

Well these PAs can probably pass Step 1 then since they are taking the exact same preclinical curriculum.

Not everyone who reads the same book gets the same experience

 

[username456789]

Obama and I both took the SAT, so I'm not really sure where he gets off thinking he's more qualified for the job of president than me.

 

[moy505]

Obama and I both took the SAT, so I'm not really sure where he gets off thinking he's more qualified for the job of president than me.

Obviously the end product will be different but that is cuz physicians have the ability to do a residency. All Im saying is that I've talked to a few physicians (1 DO FM resident, and a couple of psychiatrists/psych residents) that have pretty much said that getting through MS1/MS2/Step1 was the biggest hurdle for them. Although MS3/M4/residency were difficult, they felt less stressful because they were pretty much guaranteed that they'd be able to pass as long as they maintained their efforts.

I've also heard from an ortho resident that Step 1 was nothing compared to the stress brought on by residency. obvs it depends on your goals after med school.

It just seems like to me that these PA students are getting through the difficult part of med school. If they are interested in being FM PAs, why not just do a bit more schooling (i.e some ms3 and all of ms4) and a 3 year FM residency? They'd make 2-3x as much as an FM PA w/ more autonomy and greater career flexibility.

 

[Mad Jack]

Pa girls are both smarter and better looking than np girls and they are more submissive too (means better and more willing to do things for you in bed)

Med school girls.... Hmmmm you would only get bedroom stuff during vdays or bdays if you are lucky..

What the actual hell are you talking about? I can't tell if you're serious and your brain is just completely lacking a filter to keep ideas like this from spilling out haphazardly, or if this is a case of Poe's law in regard to sexism.

 

[Mad Jack]

The few I know who have dono both say the level of difficulty is roughly the same due to compression, but the material you're required to know is far greater in medical school and the process is far longer, which makes medical school a far more stressful and trying experience.

 

[Mad Jack]

Hahaha... have you ever been to Allnurses.com? On the other hand, and I know this will make me sound like a pretentious douche, we're the cream of the cream relative to the rest of society. We all did generally fairly well in high school, and kicked butt in college. Our definition of "hard" is not what the general public's definition is of hard. The hardest course that nurse might have taken is her nursing courses, and for her it was legitimately hard. Just like there are plenty of EMTs who talk about how "hard" their EMT course is (you know, the 120 hour certificate that's basically advanced first aid). Every time I hear someone complain that courses like those are "hard" I just remind myself to be grateful that my definition of "hard" is not nearly the same as their definition of "hard."

In all fairness, I don't think we're that exceptional in regard to intelligence. Medical school and undergraduate success is far more about persistence, hard work, and mental endurance than it is about being a genius. The thing we're truly exceptional at and that really makes us stand apart is our ability to absorb prolonged, self-inflicted suffering.

 

[Psai]

Obviously the end product will be different but that is cuz physicians have the ability to do a residency. All Im saying is that I've talked to a few physicians (1 DO FM resident, and a couple of psychiatrists/psych residents) that have pretty much said that getting through MS1/MS2/Step1 was the biggest hurdle for them. Although MS3/M4/residency were difficult, they felt less stressful because they were pretty much guaranteed that they'd be able to pass as long as they maintained their efforts.

I've also heard from an ortho resident that Step 1 was nothing compared to the stress brought on by residency. obvs it depends on your goals after med school.

It just seems like to me that these PA students are getting through the difficult part of med school. If they are interested in being FM PAs, why not just do a bit more schooling (i.e some ms3 and all of ms4) and a 3 year FM residency? They'd make 2-3x as much as an FM PA w/ more autonomy and greater career flexibility.

You're telling a resident what residents told you about residency. Cool

 

[MD2BE92]

You're telling a resident what residents told you about residency. Cool

This summarized my thoughts exactly.

Also, to add to @cbrons metaphor... DNPs would be speeding through the suburbs in a limo, in a special HOV lane, barking orders at the driver on where to go, with a red carpet awaiting their arrival at the finish line. But hey what do I know, surely if you get to be called 'Doctor' you must = physician right?

 

[NYCdude]

I can't imagine it's that difficult. I overheard some PA students talking the other day in the library and they started studying for "finals" like 2 or 3 days before it. If I crammed for any of my exams I'd have to start at least a week in advance and put in 10-12 hours a day.

 

[Psai]

I can't imagine it's that difficult. I overheard some PA students talking the other day in the library and they started studying for "finals" like 2 or 3 days before it. If I crammed for any of my exams I'd have to start at least a week in advance and put in 10-12 hours a day.

Yeah but what you say and what you do can be vastly different things. Knew a guy who would study literally all day every day but before the test would be telling everyone that he started studying the night before. Don't know why but I guess it made him feel better

 

[ortnakas]

Pa girls are both smarter and better looking than np girls and they are more submissive too (means better and more willing to do things for you in bed)

Med school girls.... Hmmmm you would only get bedroom stuff during vdays or bdays if you are lucky..

These statements are wildly unfair generalizations, not to mention misogynistic and creepy.

 

[W19]

These statements are wildly unfair generalizations, not to mention misogynistic and creepy.

Lets call Gloria Allred!

 

[NYCdude]

Yeah but what you say and what you do can be vastly different things. Knew a guy who would study literally all day every day but before the test would be telling everyone that he started studying the night before. Don't know why but I guess it made him feel better

It's because if they get a 95 on the exam, it would make them seem smarter if they didn't have to study all day every day for it.

 

[The_Sunny_Doc]

If I crammed for any of my exams I'd have to start at least a week in advance and put in 10-12 hours a day.

Agreed!

Med school cramming is a whole different ball game. They need to write this in huge letters on the intro packet you receive at orientation. The Friday, Saturday, and Sunday before our test week is always brutal.

We had 6 finals in 4 days before the end of last block, which left us with 1 day free before the integrated exam. A big group of us pulled all-nighters. The experience will be forever seared into my brain...

 

[jankodejenko]

I've never heard this example before, but I completely agree and love it. Before med school, I went to PA school & think this is accurate. I went to med school to get a deeper understanding.
PA school is tough b/c there's such a short time to learn a bunch of information. But med school is harder because the pace of med school is almost as fast yet with a LOT more information.

Edit: The "LOT more information" is mainly due to the basic sciences during first year of med school.

DDS WE GOT THE CHOPPAS GO GO GO

 

[W19]

In all fairness, I don't think we're that exceptional in regard to intelligence. Medical school and undergraduate success is far more about persistence, hard work, and mental endurance than it is about being a genius. The thing we're truly exceptional at and that really makes us stand apart is our ability to absorb prolonged, self-inflicted suffering.

http://www.medaholic.com/how-smart-are-medical-doctors/

 

[Mad Jack]

http://www.medaholic.com/how-smart-are-medical-doctors/

That doesn't show us being exceptional in intelligence, just above average. Only exceptional physicians pass the genius threshold, even according to that chart.