Taking the leap.... I think...

[EMDream]

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So after years of deliberation I think I have decided to do it and start the path to medical school. MY background. I am a Physician Assistant. 3.7 GPA. Practice autonomously as a hospitalist PA. No attending MDs see my pts unless they are consultant or pt crashes and burns after i leave for the day or codes. Even with this level of autonomy I regret my decision and want to be a doctor. I want to be able to master my specialty completely and have the benefit of a residency to fill in the gaps. I cringe when i think of starting over in medical school. I actually teach residents (gasp). But I know it is neccessary. I am missing a few pre reqs.... calculus and physics . And it's been a while. How long are pre reqs good for? it's been 7 or 8 years since i took gen chem, organic and bio. My plan is to take my remaining prereqs while working full time. Theo ther factors are.. I have a 19 month old son...and wait for it... my husband starts residency this june 😱 . I have put a lot of what i wanted on hold to support him in his trek to becoming an MD, and actually feel constantly sad and depressed because i feel like i haven't lived up to my potential. But even as i type it out it sounds absolutely effing nuts to start pre reqs while working fulltime and a husband doing 80 hour weeks with a toddler at home. ... But if not now then when? I'm 27... I dont want to be 40 and in school 🙁

 

[mspeedwagon]

Sometimes I love SDN. There was another female on here (who was 23) that was weighing the pros/cons of becoming a PA instead of MD. I got the sense in part it was because her bf wanted to become a doctor and she wanted to become a supporting role. My advice to her is that if you want to become a doctor, you will never be happy as a PA. Case and point.

The pre-reqs NEVER expire (few exceptions, but check with the school as they are normally still ok with it). You may have to re-learn material for the MCAT, but they are good for life. A good GPA combined with a good MCAT and you should be able to get into medical school.

I think now is the time to start (while your kid is still young) taking the pre-reqs. I would aim to start close to when your husband completes his residency (in my mind, this would be the easiest time, but I can't speak from experience). At that point his earnings should be able to cover babysitting as needed.

If your husband is starting his residency in June, I think you should start classes in the fall. While he gets his first year, you should get through your remaining pre-reqs. I would spend his second year of residency studying for the MCAT, especially given how long it has been you are going to need a good 6 months to one 1 year to score well. It'll be important for you to score well so you and you have some say in where you end (and you can end up where your husband is). For someone like you, an ED program may make sense (especially if there is only one feasible med school to attend given your situation).

Depending on the length of his residency, in year three or four (whatever his final year of residency), I'd apply to where he intends to take a full-time job. At this point, you'll also have gotten to spend time with your kid growing up (I think the initial years are the most important to have your mom around full-time) and you'll be relatively young (between 30-32).

 

[fizzgig]

prereqs can expire, if schools adhere to what they post on their websites. i remember looking at multiple schools where about 10yrs was the limit. whether or not they'd really disqualify for 11year old prereqs, i don't know. i hope not. but anyway, do check individual school prereq pages to make sure you're good, but if you're outside their mark there's no harm in asking them about it.

 

[southerngrl]

So after years of deliberation I think I have decided to do it and start the path to medical school. MY background. I am a Physician Assistant. 3.7 GPA. Practice autonomously as a hospitalist PA. No attending MDs see my pts unless they are consultant or pt crashes and burns after i leave for the day or codes. Even with this level of autonomy I regret my decision and want to be a doctor. I want to be able to master my specialty completely and have the benefit of a residency to fill in the gaps. I cringe when i think of starting over in medical school. I actually teach residents (gasp). But I know it is neccessary. I am missing a few pre reqs.... calculus and physics . And it's been a while. How long are pre reqs good for? it's been 7 or 8 years since i took gen chem, organic and bio. My plan is to take my remaining prereqs while working full time. Theo ther factors are.. I have a 19 month old son...and wait for it... my husband starts residency this june 😱 . I have put a lot of what i wanted on hold to support him in his trek to becoming an MD, and actually feel constantly sad and depressed because i feel like i haven't lived up to my potential. But even as i type it out it sounds absolutely effing nuts to start pre reqs while working fulltime and a husband doing 80 hour weeks with a toddler at home. ... But if not now then when? I'm 27... I dont want to be 40 and in school 🙁

Uhhhhmmm a few of us on here will be (...😱 gasp...) 40 when we start med school. Not the end of the world. However I see your point, I think you should go for it...

 

[leashBTS]

So after years of deliberation I think I have decided to do it and start the path to medical school. MY background. I am a Physician Assistant. 3.7 GPA. Practice autonomously as a hospitalist PA. No attending MDs see my pts unless they are consultant or pt crashes and burns after i leave for the day or codes. Even with this level of autonomy I regret my decision and want to be a doctor. I want to be able to master my specialty completely and have the benefit of a residency to fill in the gaps. I cringe when i think of starting over in medical school. I actually teach residents (gasp). But I know it is neccessary. I am missing a few pre reqs.... calculus and physics . And it's been a while. How long are pre reqs good for? it's been 7 or 8 years since i took gen chem, organic and bio. My plan is to take my remaining prereqs while working full time. Theo ther factors are.. I have a 19 month old son...and wait for it... my husband starts residency this june 😱 . I have put a lot of what i wanted on hold to support him in his trek to becoming an MD, and actually feel constantly sad and depressed because i feel like i haven't lived up to my potential. But even as i type it out it sounds absolutely effing nuts to start pre reqs while working fulltime and a husband doing 80 hour weeks with a toddler at home. ... But if not now then when? I'm 27... I dont want to be 40 and in school 🙁

I am actually in a similar situation in that I feel like I won't be happy unless I am a doctor. However, I don't have the experience as a PA or any other medical profession. Currently, I am in an accelerated BSN program because I felt I was too old to become a Dr. I knew going into the program that being an RN would not be my end point but I am not sure which way to go from there (PA or MD). I had planned on starting a post discussing why people chose their paths and the major differences between the professions that influenced their decisions.

So, as a PA who realizes you would rather be a Doctor can you tell me what it is about being a MD that you feel would make you feel more fulfilled compared to being a PA. Outside of the length of education what would you say the major differences in the professions?

Thanks!

 

[deleted6669]

as an older pa I have looked at this several times even going so far as taking extra prereqs.
FWIW D.O. programs tend to prefer older applicants with prior medical experience more than MD programs.
I've pretty much decided against medschool at this point as my actual cost is > 1 million dollars(lost salary + cost of school) and I don't know that I would ever catch up before retirement.
at 27 I would certainly go back. in your 40's it's a harder decision to make.
good luck whatever you decide.

 

[DrJosephKim]

You mention that your husband is about to start residency. In what field? I think one of the most important questions is: how will you balance work/life? Who's going to take care of your kid(s) and how much are you willing to sacrifice?

 

[lemurlover87]

Hi EMDream,

I ‘m the 23 yr old female that posted here last week trying to decide between PA school and med school. My boyfriend and I have been dating for 4 years, he is starting med school this August and I just finished my first year of post-bacc. I volunteer in the ER and shadow both the PAs and residents. The PAs will go in and examine the patients first but the attending will also go take a look (since there are usually 2 PAs, 2 residents and 1 attending there at a time) so I don't think the PAs there are very autonomous which would definitely frustrate me, especially as I get older. One of the PAs is currently in a 2 year EM residency so I feel like I would eventually want to do the same to become a better PA, so why not go all the way or at least know I tried my best and pursue PA if I don’t get in.

You said that you are completely on your own to examine and treat the patients so I would also love to know how you think medical school will change your life? In my opinion, it seems PAs earn a good salary and have more time for themselves and their families. Are you worried that you will eventually feel inferior to your husband in terms of knowledge and training? Was becoming a doctor always your dream but you became a PA to complete your degree sooner?

I’m so happy you posted here because I can definitely see myself in your shoes in 5 years if I go through PA school and my boyfriend completes med school. I will always feel like I did not live up to my potential or push myself as far as I could. If you are unfulfilled as a PA and your husband is a doctor, plus you’re still young, I think you should pursue med school 🙂