Pre-med vs. Physicians Assistant

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futuredoc44

futuredoc44

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I'm a junior in high school currently, and had been battling with which path to take. I have currently been leaning towards going all the way to becoming an MD. I'm not very focused on the family aspect of things so this seems okay, but I was looking for more insight.
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futuredoc44 said:
I'm a junior in high school currently, and had been battling with which path to take. I have currently been leaning towards going all the way to becoming an MD. I'm not very focused on the family aspect of things so this seems okay, but I was looking for more insight.
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Hi, welcome to the forum :)

First off, they are two totally separate routes.

Sure, lifestyle may be appealing, but depending on who you are, either career may not fit you.

I feel the need to be in control. I want to be the one calling the shots and for my decision to be the final one. I want to be the one primarily saving lives, conducting care and, most of all, I want to have the utmost knowledge on what i'm doing and not just "the basics".

I want to be my own independent practitioner and be a part of a practice, not salaried by a hospital or another person.

I want to be in an "eat what you kill" system where i'm compensated based on my performance as a healthcare provider, not salaried where I have little or no control to the outcome of my financial independence.

Now, this is a pretty simple choice. Physician (or dentistry) would offer me these things along with a comfortable life.

Dentistry will offer a better lifestyle than a dentist, and I wouldn't mind being one at all, but I feel that a better lifestyle doesn't compensate, not monetarily, but emotionally and intellectually as much as being a Physician would.

If you do not mind being salaried, being a "second string" healthcare provider, as opposed to being an independent self employed individual, then obviously the choice is easy.

There is nothing wrong with being a PA. Some people want a decent paycheck and a comfortable living and that's understandable, but just know that these paths (pre-med and PA) are entirely different ways to practice medicine.

Being a PA is an excellent route. I think being a Physician are for people who love learning and exploring and really enjoy helping people as well as living on a middle to upper-middle class paycheck (because let's not kid ourselves, I know many people who go into medicine because they want a comfortable paycheck and a prestigious career and they just happen to be smart enough.)

I wish you luck and I hope that I helped you.

By the way, if you can even think about becoming a Doctor or a PA, think about being a Dentist because I can PROMISE you that being a Dentist is way less nasty and disgusting than some of the things i've seen in medicine (and i'm only talking about my experiences as a volunteer and a Nurse's Assistant). Being a dentist is a great career with great hours, no call, and fantastic pay (190-200,000 dollars a year average).

If you can become a doctor, you can surely deal with looking inside people's mouths all day.

Cheers.
 
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Wow! Thank you so much! I really appreciate it. I'm feeling that I will regret not going all the way through once I'm done, if I don't. I also would really want to ability to have the last say. Like I said, family isn't really an objective to me, that's the last thing on my mind. Thank you so much for the insight, I really appreciate it.
 
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futuredoc44 said:
Wow! Thank you so much! I really appreciate it. I'm feeling that I will regret not going all the way through once I'm done, if I don't. I also would really want to ability to have the last say. Like I said, family isn't really an objective to me, that's the last thing on my mind. Thank you so much for the insight, I really appreciate it.
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Anytime :)

Keep posting and I hope you find what you're looking for eventually :D

Oh, and follow me on Twitter :cool:
 
I will for sure. I'm sure I'll need opinions on a million more things. And I'm pretty sure I did.. Not positive. :)
 
futuredoc44 said:
I will for sure. I'm sure I'll need opinions on a million more things. And I'm pretty sure I did.. Not positive. :)
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Is that picture actually of you?
 
Yes. I'm not sure how it happened actually because it linked with my twitter. I really have no idea what I'm doing here haha.
 
Arijos0222 said:
Hi, welcome to the forum :)

First off, they are two totally separate routes.

Sure, lifestyle may be appealing, but depending on who you are, either career may not fit you.

I feel the need to be in control. I want to be the one calling the shots and for my decision to be the final one. I want to be the one primarily saving lives, conducting care and, most of all, I want to have the utmost knowledge on what i'm doing and not just "the basics".

I want to be my own independent practitioner and be a part of a practice, not salaried by a hospital or another person.

I want to be in an "eat what you kill" system where i'm compensated based on my performance as a healthcare provider, not salaried where I have little or no control to the outcome of my financial independence.

Now, this is a pretty simple choice. Physician (or dentistry) would offer me these things along with a comfortable life.

Dentistry will offer a better lifestyle than a dentist, and I wouldn't mind being one at all, but I feel that a better lifestyle doesn't compensate, not monetarily, but emotionally and intellectually as much as being a Physician would.

If you do not mind being salaried, being a "second string" healthcare provider, being an independent self employed individual, then obviously the choice is easy.

There is nothing wrong with being a PA. Some people want a decent paycheck and a comfortable living and that's understandable, but just know that these paths (pre-med and PA) are entirely different ways to practice medicine.

Being a PA is an excellent route. I think being a Physician are for people who love learning and exploring and really enjoy helping people as well as living on a middle to upper-middle class paycheck (because let's not kid ourselves, I know many people who go into medicine because they want a comfortable paycheck and a prestigious career and they just happen to be smart enough.)

I wish you luck and I hope that I helped you.

By the way, if you can even think about becoming a Doctor or a PA, think about being a Dentist because I can PROMISE you that being a Dentist is way less nasty and disgusting than some of the things i've seen in medicine (and i'm only talking about my experiences as a volunteer and a Nurse's Assistant). Being a dentist is a great career with great hours, no call, and fantastic pay (190-200,000 dollars a year average).

If you can become a doctor, you can surely deal with looking inside people's mouths all day.

Cheers.
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That was a pretty great response. :thumbup:
 
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Haha oh boy. Maybe I should take it down. Except I have no idea how. Haha.
 
I think we should focus on helping out rather than all this flattery... :rolleyes:

Just my 2 cents.
 
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Haha I appreciate both, really! But reallyyyy need advice. You can flatter after. Haha :) no but really, thank you for both!
 
futuredoc44 said:
Haha I appreciate both, really! But reallyyyy need advice. You can flatter after. Haha :) no but really, thank you for both!
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How much are you willing to go into debt? How many years are you willing to spend in school?

Before you can become a practicing physician you will need to complete the following:

-Undergraduate School (4 years)
-Medical School (4 years, 7 if you want an MD/PhD [if you're interested in research])
-Residency (Anywhere between 3 and 7 years depending on specialty)
-Fellowship... optional, but good if you want to work at the larger, more well known, academic medical centers. (1-3 years)

So essentially-
Minimum: 11 (A practicing internal medicine doctor)
Maximum: 21 (A neurosurgeon with an MD/PhD and a fellowship in Cerebrovascular Neurosurgery)

On top of the time, there are a lot of exams. MCAT, USMLE 1, 2CK, 2CS, and 3, then about 20 shelf exams during medical school, and inservice exams every year after medical school.


Physician Assistant is much easier to become:
-4 years U grad
-2 years masters

+It pays well. $90,000 per year for only 6 years postsecondary is great ---- and you won't have as much debt as a doctor + No malpractice.

The job outlook for physicians assistant is great. 30% growth over the next 10 years. The growth rate for doctors is a solid 24% to put things in perspective.
 
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OP: I felt like you, the "I'd regret not going all the way" sentiment.

I graduate from medical school next month. But considering the student loan burden, the prospect of three years of residency (emergency medicine) ahead of me, malpractice being what it is in EM, and a slightly uncertain future for medicine, all I can say is that it's hard to tell at this point whether it was worth it.

PAs have nice jobs for reasons already mentioned and don't have to deal with nearly the same headaches. Tradeoff is that you will (a) never have the earning potential that MDs have, (b) not be as well-trained as residency-prepared MDs, and (c) operate under someone else as the title suggests. And then there's the prestige/ego factor for however important that is to you -- not just being an MD, but also the kind of work you might do in certain specialties.

PAs are awesome, but it's just a matter of the kind of role you want to have.

Also, if you're a junior in high school, it's a little early for all of this. Don't forget to think about other, non-medical stuff.
 
Thank you both very much! All of the reasons I am passionate about medicine revolve specializing in cancer. I'm very worried I wouldn't be able to go as in depth into that being a PA. Also, thank you so much for your insight as almost graduating from med school. It's really hard because there are so man positive and negatives to both. I just don't want to be limited when it's all done. Thank you again so much for your insight, I'm sure I'll have plenty more questions..
 
I know this may not seem helpful, but you have TONS of time to figure it out! There will be plenty of opportunities in college for you to get a feel for both professions. Anyways, that's just my two cents. :) Good luck!
 
Thank you! I understand what you're saying. I can be a little overly motivated about the whole situation. But its been going through my mind because the PA program requires a lot of different things going into applying than premed does. I've been shadowing which is always changing my mind, so that helps, but it would be nice to be able to just pick a direction. Thank you for the insight!
 
If you are regretting not becoming a doctor now, think of what it will be like later. Listen to your gut. One should never give up on something because of the time it takes to accomplish it, as that time will pass anyway. :) :thumbup:
 
That helps sooo much. Thank you very much! That's a really great way to look at it.
 
futuredoc44 said:
That helps sooo much. Thank you very much! That's a really great way to look at it.
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My cousin decided to pursue a different career path entirely. She went and became a political scientist ( a subject that she loved ) however after 2-3 years she quit her job and decided to become a doctor.

There's no rush. You have all the time in the world. I know it's a stressful process... I'm going through it too :) We all are on here. I think the best thing to do is to just keep up to date with things that are going on in medicine and keep posting on the site to help other people with their problems and vice versa.

Focus on the next mile... Not the finishing the race :)
 
futuredoc44 said:
That helps sooo much. Thank you very much! That's a really great way to look at it.
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Have you researched any specialties? I know it's a little early.. but it's always fun to think about :) hah
 
arijos0222 said:
my cousin decided to pursue a different career path entirely. She went and became a political scientist ( a subject that she loved ) however after 2-3 years she quit her job and decided to become a doctor.

There's no rush. You have all the time in the world. I know it's a stressful process... I'm going through it too :) we all are on here. I think the best thing to do is to just keep up to date with things that are going on in medicine and keep posting on the site to help other people with their problems and vice versa.

focus on the next mile... Not the finishing the race :)
Click to expand...

yes.
 
Thank you both. :) You both make wonderful points. It's just coming so incredibly fast, it seems. Applications are due in September of senior year for the PA program for them to be on time for full consideration. And it's April, which I can't believe either. (I'll just be becoming a hermit to prepare for finals). It just seems to be getting very real, very fast. Which like Avery said, you all know! Also, yes, I have considered some specialties. I shadow in the Emergency Room in my town and there is something about the rush of emergency medicine and I love it. If I could live there, I probably would. I also feel very passionately about oncology. Dealing with cancer in my family and as a child pushed me to strive to be a doctor so I feel it at least deserves some consideration! How about you guys?
 
futuredoc44 said:
Thank you both. :) You both make wonderful points. It's just coming so incredibly fast, it seems. Applications are due in September of senior year for the PA program for them to be on time for full consideration. And it's April, which I can't believe either. (I'll just be becoming a hermit to prepare for finals). It just seems to be getting very real, very fast. Which like Avery said, you all know! Also, yes, I have considered some specialties. I shadow in the Emergency Room in my town and there is something about the rush of emergency medicine and I love it. If I could live there, I probably would. I also feel very passionately about oncology. Dealing with cancer in my family and as a child pushed me to strive to be a doctor so I feel it at least deserves some consideration! How about you guys?
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Like you I've also considered oncology. I do know that I want to end up working with children. I've been volunteering with an organization that deals with a lot of sick kids and helping them is my passion. I've also considered neurology (I love studying the mechanics of the human mind). Emergency medicine sounds interesting. The ER is very fast paced. I like that. I get bored fast, which is part of the reason why I chose medicine. Medicine is constantly changing. It's pretty spectacular.
 
It really is spectacular. And I feel that all of the specialties would be rewarding in the sense of self accomplishment. I also have considered working with children. The ER is great because you see EVERYTHING. Children to geriatrics, broken bones to heart attacks. Also like you said, it never stops, the sense of not knowing what will come through the door next is a rush. The ability to help people in some of their most urgent times of need is very rewarding too. I had thought about pediatric oncology, but I think that could be really really hard everyday. It could happen though. There are so many options!
 
futuredoc44 said:
It really is spectacular. And I feel that all of the specialties would be rewarding in the sense of self accomplishment. I also have considered working with children. The ER is great because you see EVERYTHING. Children to geriatrics, broken bones to heart attacks. Also like you said, it never stops, the sense of not knowing what will come through the door next is a rush. The ability to help people in some of their most urgent times of need is very rewarding too. I had thought about pediatric oncology, but I think that could be really really hard everyday. It could happen though. There are so many options!
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I feel that taking the doctor route is perfect for me because I don't have to decide on anything in undergraduate. Right now my biggest concern is just understanding the material in undergraduate. With other majors in undergrad you have to consider all of these things and it does seem like it happens way too fast. I'm awful at making decisions (that is my weakness) and the medical field allows me to have many options.
 
I agree completely. It's such a huge decision, I'm glad we have some time because I really don't want to screw it up! I also have difficulty with decisions but at least I know for sure about medicine, I suppose. There are just so many options.
 
futuredoc44 said:
It really is spectacular. And I feel that all of the specialties would be rewarding in the sense of self accomplishment. I also have considered working with children. The ER is great because you see EVERYTHING. Children to geriatrics, broken bones to heart attacks. Also like you said, it never stops, the sense of not knowing what will come through the door next is a rush. The ability to help people in some of their most urgent times of need is very rewarding too. I had thought about pediatric oncology, but I think that could be really really hard everyday. It could happen though. There are so many options!
Click to expand...

I'm with you, I'm hoping to go into emergency medicine. But just remember that it's not all saving lives and making a difference in the world. You have to deal with a lot of crap in that position because you are legally required to give aid to anybody who walks in the door and is in critical condition. That could mean the neighborhood drunk who just beat up her girlfriend and you just sent her off to the ICU. Or the drunk driver that killed two people.

Of course those are extremes, but you really need to understand the atmosphere and cliente emergency medicine encounters. Also you have to think about juggling 10 patients at a time while running around crazy.

I'm not here to dissuade you from EM, I love it. But you need to take all the parts into account. That being said, it's a great lifestyle job with no on call and you scheduling your own schedule (usually). :)
 
Absolutely. I understand completely. We have a prison by our local hospital. So it's a whole different scenario to treat the rapist that tried to commit suicide compared to the little girl in critical condition. Thanks for the insight. I agree 100%! :)
 
futuredoc44 said:
Absolutely. I understand completely. We have a prison by our local hospital. So it's a whole different scenario to treat the rapist that tried to commit suicide compared to the little girl in critical condition. Thanks for the insight. I agree 100%! :)
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I think those experiances will provide you with a new perspective about life. How many people get to say they treat criminals? Not many... it's interesting. One will never know what made someone get to that point of committing those acts. It will definitely be an interesting dynamic.
 
I'm lurking. Just thought I should point that out.
 
It really is! Thanks for being interested! And about the lurking, I understand, I'm kind of awkward on here and don't always know what to say so I do a lot of lurking as well.
 
futuredoc44 said:
It really is! Thanks for being interested! And about the lurking, I understand, I'm kind of awkward on here and don't always know what to say so I do a lot of lurking as well.
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Have you also considered other things such as podiatry, physical therapy, dentistry, nursing, or veterinary medicine?
 
I have to a point. I'm not interesting in veterinary medicine. But I'm not really set on anything I suppose. And you?
 
Oh, and not nursing. Even though I have heard its a good direction to go in.
 
I've considered podiatry and dentistry.

-Pays well
-Good lifestyle
-Option to do surgery (if that's what interests you)
-Basically the same rights that a DO or MD has (in terms of prescribing, surgical procedures, etc.)
 
I was in a very similar situation as you, do I want to go all the way or go for PA? However, I was a freshman in college my adviser told me to slow down then... There were a handful of students who were eventually accepted to very good PA programs who took the exact same classes and I ended up going to medical school. I first started off shadowing a PA at a hospital and a few of them have regrets about not going to MD/DO. My decision to ultimately "go all the way" came because I wanted to learn as much as possible in multiple settings over a a little longer time than PA. Although do not have a family of my own so that may be something to consider. Have fun now and don't take things to seriously. I failed chem in high school and ended up minoring in it in college. So don't get discouraged in high school, it doesn't mean as much as people make it out to be (still do "good" though.)
 
nysegop said:
I've considered podiatry and dentistry.

-Pays well
-Good lifestyle
-Option to do surgery (if that's what interests you)
-Basically the same rights that a DO or MD has (in terms of prescribing, surgical procedures, etc.)
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PODIATRY FTW

I feel like that I should just try for Orthopedic Surgery with the MD route as it is only 1 year more (because I hope to pursue a fellowship) of training

Money isn't that much of a factor in the choice either. I head that the majority of pods make from 180K to 240K which is pretty darn good considering all I want is a used Volvo C70 Convertible and a used honda civic with a decent house in a warm climate not too far from the city so I can spend most of my money eating at restaurants. :)
 
Since I don't know how to directly reply to anyone, since I'm dumb... Those are all great ideas. And thank you for the insight. I've heard a lot of those types of stories too, about NP, PA, and nurses wishing they had gone through with med school. I work with a 35 year old nurse that is going back to school now for her MD. I really really don't want to be in that position. I'd much rather get it right the first time! Thank you all again. I visited a PA school today and it was.... Okay.. I'm not sure what I want. There are just so many options! Thank you all again for the insight though :)
 
futuredoc44 said:
Since I don't know how to directly reply to anyone, since I'm dumb... Those are all great ideas. And thank you for the insight. I've heard a lot of those types of stories too, about NP, PA, and nurses wishing they had gone through with med school. I work with a 35 year old nurse that is going back to school now for her MD. I really really don't want to be in that position. I'd much rather get it right the first time! Thank you all again. I visited a PA school today and it was.... Okay.. I'm not sure what I want. There are just so many options! Thank you all again for the insight though :)
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