honestly if you are interested in administration the rn degree is a better choice. the directors of most hospital depts are already rn's with an msn, mba, or mha and many of the higher ups as well. to get a ceo type position though you need the md, mha in my experience.
there are pa's out there who are admin directors( as opposed to medical directors) of entire depts occupying positions that an rn mba/mha might normally hold but they are few and far between.
pa is a clinical degree, not an admin degree.
so, would I be better served not to pursue a PA degree and just apply to an MHSA program.
My current situation is that I have two years of clinical sciences from medical school behind me, so I will probably be able to get a year of credit from my school's PA program. It would only take me a year to get a PA degree. I was thinking that one year of schooling for a salary of 75k a year would be a great option since most MHSA's dont even make that much and I would be able to save up some money to invest in an MBA program later. I already have 50k in debt and practicing as a PA for a few years would be an opportunity to clear the slate with this debt. I am also predicting that with a PA degree, I will get a certain level of job security. If I get fired from a consulting job or something, I thought the PA degree would give me more leverage to find a new job. Of course, I dont know how employers would view an applicant for a PA job who had not been working in a clinical environment for some time.
What do you all think? Do I get the PA and save up before an MBA in h.care......or do I not get the PA degree and take the GRE and apply to MHSA programs?
please let me know as your feedback would be greatly appreciated.
one more thing, how much to PA/MBA's in an administrative position make?
Would a PA background help in securing a position in h.care consulting?