PA students or pre-PA's: Wanna talk?

[susannaQ]

Hey there, I hope some people want to talk.
I am taking the last of the prereqs to go to PA school, Organic I is all I really need but I am also going to take Microbio and an Anatomy and Phsyiology course.

Before, I thought I wanted to be a nurse. But then, the nursing students I was with didn't show too much ability for autonomous thinking and not much drive to learn the material(which is very easy material) very well or in-depth for themselves or for their future patients. So, I thought, okay, well, if you don't want this and you still want to have an important role in the medical field and in caring and understanding human health and social problems, you will just have to become a doctor.

I have thought long and hard about this and I've thought, Maybe I really don't want to be a doctor. I don't want to put in 4 years of schooling and 3 years of training. I want to help people autonomously but I don't need to call all of the shots. I dont want to specialise. I want to be more flexible. I just want to be able to see patients and be able to diagnose them and provide treatment, even under the supervision of another healthcare provider. I want to become a PA.

I guess I am posting because I am all alone here. None of my friends are becoming PAs and I don't know any either. My friends are being mean to me: they think being a PA is lowly, educationally limited, and paid little and that, because I get good grades and learn easily, I should go to med school. I wanted to start an optomistic thread with those who have chosen to become PAs so we could talk about our decisons. I wanted to get to know people who are becoming PAs too so that I know who I'm with if I really choose this pathway.
Please talk to me, I have no one to talk to who supports me!!!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Monika]

SusannaQ, you sound like you are well on your way to becoming a future PA with a great attitude. You will meet many on your journey who will be discouraging, and not understand your choices. Of course, we wish everyone would accept all of our decisions, but that's not realistic right? So, you move on & do what you think is best for YOUR life. After all, you are the one who has to make your own decisions right? The one thing that is going to help you tremendously through your educational experience may sounds simple, but is absolutely necessary...a POSITIVE attitude. Don't let the misery or ignorance of others be an obstacle on your path. The field of medicine is a wonderful place to learn & the best part is that you get to enter into people's lives at their most vulnerable times & do your best to help them out. I thank God that I was led to this profession, sure it has it's pitfalls like any other job/vocation, but the rewards are plenty for those who wish to seek them out. Take care & keep studying hard, you sound like you are well on your way to a great career!

Monika, PA-S II

 

[thehealingart04]

Suanna,
Welcome to one of the PA boards around. I sent you an email back with another one you should check out.

The thing about nursing curicculum is that it shuns the medical model while trying to explain disease with a background in psychology and sociology. It's not completely useless but is too dependant on the anecdotal evidence in its psychological and social basis. Medical concepts are too straightforward for them to be blended into the training as most nursing programs would have you believe.

Sadly, the only answer I have found is the same one you are discovering. Cut your losses,get a new set of friends and focus on a meaningful goal. Your ahead of me on the prerequisites. I have until 09 to apply for a graduate degree.

 

[emtp2pac]

follow your heart. if you want to be a pa do that. if you really want to be an md/do take that route

 

[banuchi]

Don't give up in your quest to become a PA. I'm a PA in Dermatology in the state of Florida. I love my job and if you have any questions, please feel free to email me at mike@Physician Associate.Com

 

[fort lincoln]

 

[fort lincoln]

I was your shoes a couple of months ago. I too was taking pre-reqs with nursing students and was totally turned off by the caliber of students and their lack of thirst for medical knowledge. Iam not knocking all of the students ,because some were real bright and motivated, but i felt I didn't fit in. Nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system, but I feel the PA model is a better fit for me .I definitly do not need to call the shots and I feel I want to offer patients more in-depth medical knowledge. I plan to finish my last pre-reqs(algebra,genchem1,2andorganic1)and hope to enter a program in '06. Go the PA route ,feel it out ,then think about MD school.

 

[Tulkin]

IMO, PA is a fairly good profession. PA field is constantly growing and I think that chances to obtain good position after graduation will be high enough. If you are considering medical school in future, PA program would probably give a better background, than nursing would. If you choose PA, make sure that the school you are applying to will give you master's degree. Good luck.

 

[susannaQ]

Nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system, but I feel the PA model is a better fit for me .I definitly do not need to call the shots and I feel I want to offer patients more in-depth medical knowledge.

This is how I feel too.

Thanks everyone for talking to me and offering advice. It makes me feel a whole lot more secure in pursing my pathway. I know and have been forewarned that one shouldn't really take advice on an internet forum too personally or too seriously but honestly, this is the only place I can turn to so I have taken it personally and I find it really helpful and feel supported. To those who have offered to speak with me through email, i will be taking you up on that offer and I thank you.

Healingart, thanks for responding! Didn't think you'd remember me or recognise me dude! Though dropping intrusive and negative friends is positive advice, for me, I can't drop my friends because as bad as they can be sometimes, they are the only family I have and I need them and so I love them anyways. Just gotta run away sometimes to places like this forum.

My situation: I have no experience with patient contact and that is what I'm trying to get now. Though I have worked in pharmacies but that is hardly what you would call high patient contact. So, right now, I have no LORs and no experience=less likeable candidate. The only thing I'm riding on are my grades and a big, shiny smile and squeaky voice: I am going to apply to UMDNJ for Fall 2005 and if rejected, apply to more schools for 2006 so Fort Lincoln man, we might be in the same boat.

The only thing I am worried about is jobs. I've heard on these forums that it is hard to find a job as a PA on the NE coast. Anyone know if that is true?

 

[JustaPA]

Jobs are there if you look for them. Check out the AAPA webpage, it has a jobs listing and most of them are on the East coast if my memory serves me right. Please do not let somebody convince you that PAs are not worthy, you are probably hearing that from RNs that are planning on becoming NPs and they can not hold up to the comparison. They will practice cook book treatment and you will be trained to make medical descisions. Also many schools will look at your clinical experience if you don't make it in on the first try keep plugging away at it. I heard from a student in Albequerque (probably not spelled right) New Mexico that his class was not completely filled you might try there if you need to. There are also programs that require no experience.

 

[medtechv79]

The majority of people who want to go to med school want to help people and practice medicine, but the other half want the prestige and money that comes with being a doctor. Being a PA is just as respectful. I've heard you can earn up to six digit figures for experienced PA's. Maybe u can educate yer friends on how great a profession this really is! I know docs who reccomend PA school to people...not just b/c of money, but its shorter in length etc.....