Physician Assisstant to MD/DO

[Araa91]

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Hello, I was wondering about anyone's opinion about going to a PA school and working for a X years and then applying to medical school.


Reasons I am fond of include:

• being a PA as a fallback
• using the money to soften the blow of Medical school loans.

As of now I am a Biology major at a community college that got admitted to a Biology program for Spring 2012. However, Biology doesn't necessarily provide any promising future solely off a BS and I know Howard's program in DC is a 4+ year program and 2+ year program for transfer students. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[illegallysmooth]

Hello, I was wondering about anyone's opinion about going to a PA school and working for a X years and then applying to medical school.


Reasons I am fond of include:

• being a PA as a fallback
• using the money to soften the blow of Medical school loans.

As of now I am a Biology major at a community college that got admitted to a Biology program for Spring 2012. However, Biology doesn't necessarily provide any promising future solely off a BS and I know Howard's program in DC is a 4+ year program and 2+ year program for transfer students. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

If you want to be a PA, go be a PA. If you want to go to medical school, GO TO MEDICAL SCHOOL. However many years you spend working as a PA are years you could have been making a physician's salary (minus residency). There's nothing wrong with becoming a PA - it's a shorter track, there's more job flexibility, etc. I know someone that went to DO school after being a PA for 8 years - it's a long, hard process.

Seriously. You'd just be adding on more school years and losing the physician's salary those years you work as a PA.

 

[sylvanthus]

Bad idea imo. First, it is arguably more difficult to get into PA school than medical school. You would need years of direct patient care experience to stand much of a chance of getting into PA school at this point in time. Also, you would likely need to take the GRE as well as the MCAT. That sucks, trust me, I did it and applied to PA school at the same time as DO school.

Furthermore, PA school is stressful and intense. You do not want to do 2 years of PA school and then go back and do medical school and residency. You would likely burn out.

 

[Nymphicus]

This sounds like a horrible idea. Pick PA or Physician. Or do both and spend extra unnecessary years and $100,000+

 

[COTA2Phys]

Become a PA if you want to be a PA. Become a physician if you want to be a physician. That's the conclusion that I drew when I was considering the same thing. There's no reason to go through PA admissions (including the GRE), PA school, and working as a PA all to turn around and apply to medical schools. After that time, most of the prereqs will no longer be fresh in your mind and you would still need to take the MCAT to apply to medical school.

Also, would you truly be happy as a PA knowing that you would rather be a physician? There are those that truly and legitimately want to be a PA and plan to make that their career. Definitely don't do it to soften the blow of medical school tuition as you will likely need to take loans, etc. for PA school as well.

Good luck in whatever you decide

 

[Araa91]

Physician it is. Thank you all for your input.

 

[GraceEuphoria]

It sounds like deep down maybe you're scared to take the plunge to go for the med school thing. I was the exact same way....I finally bit the bullet and went for it. Took two years to get in, but it'll happen if you want it badly enough and jump through all the necessary hoops. Before basing your decision strictly on opinions here, I would recommend talking with and shadowing both. Read pros and cons forums on each. There are reasons people choose one over the other- financial burden, family life to consider, etc. Also, I believe personality plays in a lot- depending on where you work as a PA, your level of supervision will be different as far as I understand. If you don't like answering to someone else, maybe a bad idea to do that. If you're nervous about being the one in charge, maybe it's a great fit for you. This is all just my personal take on it from my experiences, minimal at best. We have one student in our class that was a PA for a while and is now pursuing his DO...I will say, he looks like a rockstar next to most of us lol...but in all seriousness, it's not unheard of to start off as a PA and change your mind. Med school is a tremendous commitment timewise (7 yr minimum with residency included), whereas PAs are usually in it for, what 27 months or so? So the real question is, what are your biggest priorities? Time, money, family, future scope of practice, etc. Good luck with whatever your decide!

 

[Araa91]

You are a great person.

 

[Mbeas]

paragraph

I will commence reading your blog: now.

 

[Mohammed1989]

There's no reason to go through PA admissions (including the GRE),

I am sorry but I was under the impression you don't need to take the GRE anymore for PA schools

 

[costales]

I am sorry but I was under the impression you don't need to take the GRE anymore for PA schools

The better schools require the GRE (for example, Baylor, UT Southwestern, UNTHSC in Texas). Some schools will waive the GRE if you already have a U.S. master's degree.

 

[GraceEuphoria]

I will commence reading your blog: now.

Fantastic 🙂 Tell all your friends, haha...

You are a great person.

Did I miss something? lol

The better schools require the GRE (for example, Baylor, UT Southwestern, UNTHSC in Texas). Some schools will waive the GRE if you already have a U.S. master's degree.

When I was looking at PA programs, they all required the GRE. Maybe that has changed, but I definitely wasn't looking at crazy competitive and well known schools at the time.