MD/DO scope of practice is full no matter what state.
PA has different limited depending on the state, and by default must have a supervising or collaborative physician. In some states they can simply be reachable by phone, and others must be on site. Further restrictions can be added in some cases by the office/hospital/physician with whom they work.
Physicians generally have more knowledge due to school being two years longer plus a required residency in a specific field. Therefore they will be more capable of handling the less common cases.
The difference is seen more with specialization and the mentioned less common cases. For instance when looking in primary care for your common cases, things will be virtually the same between the two professions. Then look further down the road in surgery - only a physician can perform surgery. A PA cannot, but they can assist in surgery. All of the fields in between of some variation between the two "poles."
Also, the autonomy, which was somewhat described above.
PA trains you to be a generalist, and because of that, one can switch fields as they please, or work in multiple fields (i.e. full time in cardiology, with part time or per diem emergency room shifts).
Physicians, while training as generalists upon graduation, must enter residency for a specific field. Even though initially training as a generalist, the residency provides specialization. To switch specialties, one must complete another residency. Residency is 3-7 years long plus potential (optional) fellowships to further specialize.
His GPA is fine for either. His clinical hours are fine for either. His MCAT is on the lower side, but with his PeaceCorps and Americorps volunteering and clinical experience, he will have a solid shot a DO. The MCAT is simply too low for MD. Some PA programs may still require the GRE, and I believe an entrance exam for PA was just created, so there may be a need for that exam now as well, plus he needs the pre-reqs.
Whether he should apply for MD, DO, or PA should not be as much a matter of how many classes he needs, or what MCAT score is needed on a retake, but rather what would he prefer with his long-term goals. Then this becomes less of a comparison of taking classes vs taking MCAT. At that point, once the decision is made based on wants, needs, and career goals, then he will simply have a plan that needs to be completed.
