Second Thoughts - What do you think?

[mafunk]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I know that I want to work in medicine - specifically with the under served .... In my volunteer work I love the patients and thoroughly enjoy the staff. I can be feeling grouchy or under the weather, but going to 'work' always cheers me up.

BUT... I'm 43 years old and I most definitely do not enjoy long hours of studying boring Physics and Chemistry. I ended up with As in the courses but hated every minute of it. I still have Physics II and Ochem II to take.

I do enjoy the bio courses quite a bit... they are interesting and far easier.

My plan was to apply to DO school (there is one I'm 85% sure I'll get in to - don't ask why, but I'm pretty confident). BUT that means 4 years of medical school AND 3-4 years residency, which does not thrill me.

Or I could apply to PA school, but my chances of getting in are more like 5%. However if I do get in I only have two years of school, then I get to start practicing medicine..... very attractive.

Since I'm interested in family practice in a community clinic setting, I really don't think from a day to day perspective it matters whether I am a DO or a PA. At the clinics I work both get to have lots of patient contact and for the most part do the same things. The docs don't really intervene with the PAs. They are mainly there just to sign off and to administer meds that the PAs can't.

And finally... my husband makes quite a nice income. The money is not important. What is important to me is getting to practice medicine and enjoying what's left of the second half of my life.

What would you do?

 

[QofQuimica]

In your case, I'd go to PA school. For the investment of time and money required, there wouldn't be enough gained by going to med school if you want to do that kind of group primary care. Now if you told me that you want to do academic family medicine, that's obviously a different story and would require you to get an MD or DO. Likewise, if you wanted to go practice solo in rural N. Dakota, not having an MD or DO might be an issue as well. But to work in a group clinic? Absolutely a PA degree would be sufficient, and a lot more efficient.

 

[DrMidlife]

Hating the work doesn't get enough discussion, imho. Specifically, if you hate the work of constant studying, what facts should inform the decision to keep going for med school?

I have a buddy who dropped out of vet school in her first semester. She didn't want to spend one more minute of her life studying like that. She moved on, got an MPH, got a job, got over it.

That's what runs through my mind when I'm at hour 14. Can't help it.

Making myself study, keep studying, keep focused, day after day after day hasn't gotten easier. It's like pulling my own teeth.

I want to believe that this mostly stops after M2. I ask everybody who's in M3 and beyond whether this is true, and so far, it seems to be subjective. There's still studying and exams. There's less schedule freedom. There's more multi-tasking. But it starts being more like a job. I know what to do with a job.

Any thoughts on that from M3+ folks?

Best of luck to you.

 

[QofQuimica]

I want to believe that this mostly stops after M2. I ask everybody who's in M3 and beyond whether this is true, and so far, it seems to be subjective. There's still studying and exams. There's less schedule freedom. There's more multi-tasking. But it starts being more like a job. I know what to do with a job.

Any thoughts on that from M3+ folks?

I'd agree that it's more like a job. But it's a job that still treats you like a student, if that makes sense. I guess I'd say it's more like being an apprentice than being a regular employee or a regular student. You have to work your way up to being a journeyman and then, what, a master craftsman?

 

[GlimmerGlass]

From what I've seen most older non-trads, myself included, have a driving force within us to drop our current careers and become a doctor. This is a force that simply won't go away and so anything less than being a doctor will never fulfill this passion.

It sounds like you do not have this force, my apologies if I misinterpretted and you do, but if you are driven towards the medical field in general then I would recommend the quicker route.

 

[mafunk]

Thanks for the feedback folks. I've been struggling with this dilemma for months - take the guaranteed long and painful route or take the risky shorter route.

I've decided that what I really want is to work with patients as a provider. I do not need to be a doctor to do that. And, it would be nicer not to do a residency or get in such big debt. So, I will keep applying to PA programs until they let me in or I die trying.

The thing about being the 'boss'.. that doesn't matter to me. I just want be part of the team. I guess I'm getting old and don't care to much about being the big fish anymore 🙂

 

[LingoLaine]

Sounds like you've given it significant thought and PA is a very practical career for you. Best of luck!

 

[FrkyBgStok]

The thing about being the 'boss'.. that doesn't matter to me. I just want be part of the team. I guess I'm getting old and don't care to much about being the big fish anymore 🙂

If you can get past this, then PA would be a great option. No offense, but if I were 43, it would be really hard for me to go the medicine route vs. the PA. Just way too much time. One is 2-4 years, the other is 7-10. I am not saying anything about how 43 is too late. It would just cause me to approach things completely differently than i do now. But i am 28.

So good luck. PA is an awesome goal!

 

[Helen Wheels]

From what I've seen most older non-trads, myself included, have a driving force within us to drop our current careers and become a doctor. This is a force that simply won't go away and so anything less than being a doctor will never fulfill this passion.

I struggled with organic chem, I struggled with the MCAT, I applied over two app cycles, had enough rejection letters to wallpaper my entire house. Started med school last semester at age 40, failed a couple courses, still adjusting to being a student and relearning how to study after years of being out of school.

I clawed my way into med school and, apparently, I'll have to claw my way out. Give up? No way. 🙂

I think this is the type of attitude that it takes to get through med school/residency/fellowship as an older nontrad.