PA to MD

[Nano]

Is it a good idea to get a bachelors in Physician Assistant and then get into Medical school? would it help me in med school, u know those courses that i would take while i'm doing my pa degree??

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[diosa428]

Is it a good idea to get a bachelors in Physician Assistant and then get into Medical school? would it help me in med school, u know those courses that i would take while i'm doing my pa degree??

Can you do that? I thought a physician assistant degree was only a graduate degree.

 

[baylormed]

No and no.

 

[koennen]

When I saw the title of this thread I thought someone was asking about moving from Pennsylvania to Maryland. My brain is fried.

 

[Dr.Inviz]

When I saw the title of this thread I thought someone was asking about moving from Pennsylvania to Maryland. My brain is fried.

I thought so, too ...

 

[Tired]

I thought so, too ...

"Account on Hold" again!!!

Jeez, what'd you do this time?

 

[spicedmanna]

Cross-posted on the non-trad forum:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=396983

 

[Nano]

Baylormed why do you say no for both? what's your reason? i just wanna know to make right decisions.

and yes PA is offered as bachelors in Howard University. I was going to study civil engineering cuz i think it has no memorization and i can handle that math and physics and all.. but then it's completely out of the story of "medicine"... it has no relationship. Also, i love medicine alot more...so i thought about these bachelor degrees: Physician assistant @ howard, Health System Management @George Mason, or something else ya'll would suggest like Psychology or something? I'm already accepted at GMU, HU i still need to apply... but it dunt think it's big deal.. GMU is harder to get into!

PLEASE TELL ME! I had people say yeah go for it... but i wanna make sure!

 

[spicedmanna]

I was going to study civil engineering cuz i think it has no memorization and i can handle that math and physics and all.. but then it's completely out of the story of "medicine"... it has no relationship.

As I mentioned in my reply to the thread that was cross-posted in the non-trad forum, it doesn't matter what you study in undergrad. What matters is how well you perform and that you complete the prerequisite classes. Do what interests you. If you decide to apply to medical school, the adcoms won't really care what your degree is in. You can keep options open by taking the premedical prereqs and doing some ongoing clinical work, community service, and physician-shadowing.

PLEASE TELL ME! I had people say yeah go for it... but i wanna make sure!

Nobody can tell you what the right move will be. Go for your interest and you should be okay.

 

[Nano]

i'm not trying to show med school what i have graduated in.. i wanna do what's good for me in terms of helping me while i'm in med school. So my question is: is it worth it to go through the PA program? because i think it gives you a little view of how med school is <--- dunt hold this against me! i have many interests but medical field is definately the best! i even thought of changing my whole career to engineering like i've said... but i hate to quit now on MD. ALso... GWU seems to be easier to get into their PA program but it's a masters... so here is another thought i had... should i major in whatever like psychology or health management.. u know, something related... then apply to med school.. if that doesn't work out i got for the PA program in GWU or even dentistry!

 

[lilnoelle]

should i major in whatever like psychology or health management.. u know, something related... then apply to med school.. if that doesn't work out i got for the PA program in GWU or even dentistry!

Thats what most people do.

Where are you in your college journey? Perhaps you should look into the PA curriculum a little more - see what it will be like, how long it is, how time intensive, and the ease with which you can leave it and major in something else if it is not what you like. Maybe even shadow some PA's and see if you like the field (after all, it would be your fall back if you don't get into med school).

Only you can know whats best for you. Do some more research about the fields that interest you and go from there.

 

[spicedmanna]

i'm not trying to show med school what i have graduated in.. i wanna do what's good for me in terms of helping me while i'm in med school. So my question is: is it worth it to go through the PA program? because i think it gives you a little view of how med school is <--- dunt hold this against me! i have many interests but medical field is definately the best! i even thought of changing my whole career to engineering like i've said... but i hate to quit now on MD. ALso... GWU seems to be easier to get into their PA program but it's a masters... so here is another thought i had... should i major in whatever like psychology or health management.. u know, something related... then apply to med school.. if that doesn't work out i got for the PA program in GWU or even dentistry!

I looked into the PA curriculum at Howard, at the upper level. Here it is for those who are curious:

Junior Year, Spring Semester (January-May)
PHAS 021 Clinical Medicine I 4
PHAS 022 Clinical Medicine II 4
PHAS 037 Clinical Medicine III 4
PHAS 023 Pharmacology 3
PHAS 034 Physical Diagnosis II 2
PHAS 316 Principles of Disease 3
AHCC 375 Geriatrics of AHP 2

Senior Year, Fall Semester (August-December)
PHAS 026 Emergency Medicine 2
PHAS 039 Surgery 2
PHAS 035 Physical Diagnosis III 2
PHAS 027 Mental Health 2
PHAS 025 OB/GYN 2
PHAS 029 Child Health 2
AHCC 301 Ethics for HP 2
NUTR 301 **Nutrition 2
PHAS 024 Pharmacotherapeutics 2

Followed by 45 credit hours of clerkship.

Curriculum for my medical school, basic science years:

MS I - First Year Curriculum
MED 101 Foundations of Medicine Section - 6 weeks
MED 102 Musculoskeletal Section - 6 weeks
MED 103 Skin, Blood and Lymph Section - 6 weeks
MED 104 Respiratory Section - 6 weeks
MED 105 Cardiovascular Section - 6 weeks
MED 106 Gastrointestinal Section - 5 weeks
BLS Basic Life Support

Early Clinical Experiences

MS II - Second Year Curriculum
MED 201 Renal Section - 6 weeks
MED 202 Endocrine and Metabolism Section - 5 weeks
MED 303 Reproductive Section - 5 weeks
MED 204 Neuroscience Section - 10 weeks
MED 205 Mind, Spirit and Behavior Section - 3 weeks
MED 206 Human Development Section - 3 weeks
MED 207 Integrative Section - 3 weeks
MED 208 Medical Decision Making - 7 weeks
ACLS Advanced Cardiac Life Support

Early Clinical Experiences

As you can see, there's really not too much similarity between the two. Will getting a BS in Physician's Assistant at Howard give you more preparation for medical school? I doubt it, although the clerkship at the end looks very appealing. Might it give you some hint of what to expect in medical school? Maybe. Might it be a good fall back career in case you decide not to go on to medical school? Yes. Is it worth doing? Yes, if you enjoy it.

 

[lilnoelle]

I looked into the PA curriculum at Howard, at the upper level. Here it is for those who are curious:



Curriculum for my medical school, basic science years:



As you can see, there's really not too much similarity between the two. Will getting a BS in Physician's Assistant at Howard give you more preparation for medical school? I doubt it, although the clerkship at the end looks very appealing. Might it give you some hint of what is to expect in medical school? Maybe. Might it be a good fall back career in case you decide not to go on to medical school? Yes. Is it worth doing? Yes, if you enjoy it.

Wow, that sounds like a lot of work for undergrad. I really think the only way I'd do it was if that was my final career choice.

 

[Nano]

thank you guys for ur help! i will do a little more research and see what's best for me! thank youuuu!

 

[mave]

When I saw the title of this thread I thought someone was asking about moving from Pennsylvania to Maryland. My brain is fried.

Yeah, don't worry- I thought the exact same thing. And also that it wouldn't be that hard - the states are pretty much right next to each other!

 

[Critical Mass]

Many PA programs used to be bachelor's level. lilnoelle, should you choose (or get stuck with) the Wichita campus for M3/4, you will meet many bachelor's degree PA's. Wichita State was an undergrad program a few years ago (but I'm not sure if they still are).

I'm thus inclined to think that there are still a few of them around (though I'm sure that you apply to them separately from UG; I doubt that it's something that you just change your major to).

I'd give the same answer that I'd give for nursing. If you can't peg the MCAT, then it's not going to help you get in anywhere regardless of how well you do. Perhaps sadly, the MCAT doesn't cover any of the pathophys and pharm that you encounter in health professions training.

 

[Meatwad]

Civil Engineering??? You said in the other thread you got a D in finite math and a C or something in Calculus, and you want to go into engineering?? That is ambitious, to say the least. Not to say you can't do it, buy geez, you could pick something a bit less.... super-difficult-to-get-high-grades-in.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

You know, I think you'd tick some people off if you went through a PA program and immediately applied to medical school. PA programs are designed to provide needed health care providers, and taking a space in a PA program just to boost your medical school application/success robs us of a another potentially usually PA. Not to say it can't be done, but some schools might hold it against you. Now if you want to become a PA and work as a PA for a few years, it's a different story.

 

[etf]

Yeah, don't worry- I thought the exact same thing. And also that it wouldn't be that hard - the states are pretty much right next to each other!

damn, beat me to it!

 

[emaj1n]

Is it a good idea to get a bachelors in Physician Assistant and then get into Medical school? would it help me in med school, u know those courses that i would take while i'm doing my pa degree??

I've heard of PAs going on to medical school all the time. The difference is, as far as I know, the PAs go to graduate school after undergrad. Some may not have the application to immediately go to medical school. Some others may have originally wanted to be a PA but then realized they didn't want to listen to grumpy doctors for the rest of their life.

I wouldn't recommend getting your B.S. in PA just because you don't know what will happen three, four years from now. Perhaps you'll decide you don't like medicine. Perhaps you'll realize that you'll be studying medicine for the rest of your life and you'd rather invest your undergrad years in another worthwhile area, such as English or psychology.

This is said over and over on SDN. Do not select an undergrad major based on what you think will help you with medical school. It's a fruitless chase from that angle.

 

[Nano]

Civil Engineering??? You said in the other thread you got a D in finite math and a C or something in Calculus, and you want to go into engineering?? That is ambitious, to say the least. Not to say you can't do it, buy geez, you could pick something a bit less.... super-difficult-to-get-high-grades-in.

i actually have a reason for that, though it's stupid of me: i hated the teachers that taught it because they didn't TEACH it... they just wrote what was in the book... so i never really went. Though in highschool i was one of the best and my grades were B+ minimum... mostly As in math. So don't hold that against me! lol

oh yeah, dunt worry guys... i'm not going through the PA program, i am going to major in Sociology cuz i enjoyed both of my sociology classes and then i will take time to study and excell in the sciences and do them after my bachelors!! I REALLY APPRECIATE everyone's advice and help! you guys are GREAT!!

 

[SeminoleFan3]

^^^^You can do your science classes during your bachelors degree.