CanadianPA Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 I'm a 32 year old full time FM PA with a good job, I worked emerg before and would love to do both but that's difficult to set up now as a PA in Canada for various silly reasons to do with funding structures, regulation, and politics.. I'm about to move countries to do the LECOM APAP to become a doc and, ideally, work combined FM and emerg. I do want to be a physician but some fellow Canadian PA friends of mine think I am nuts to go back to school for 3 years plus 3-4 years residency, get more into debt, loose out on income, just to be a doc so I can do a little more than what I am doing now. I don't think I am nuts and I do think that if I don't do it I'll regret not taking the opportunity but they make some good points. Remember, PAs are pretty new here in Canada and I am pretty limited as a PA. But maybe I'll regret doing it too. Who knows. So what do my elder American experienced PA brethren/sistren think? Am I nuts? Or should I do this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted February 26, 2015 Moderator Share Posted February 26, 2015 do it! I wish I was in a position to join you. If The APAP program had started a few years earlier I likely would have applied for class 1. I would have done a 5 yr combined FP/EM residency too. residency is just your first job. the goal is to graduate med school. after that the rest is just work and getting good at your trade whether you do it in a residency or in practice. In the combined fp/em program you can moonlight a lot after yr 2 and make pa level wages by working only a minimal amount. A friend of mine did DO FP/EM and made around 150k/yr by moonlighting in low volume rural ERs years 3-5. paid to sleep and study. doesn't get much better than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKPAC Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 go for it! The answer to you question, "Am I nuts?" I find that adding MD to your name confirms it! seriously, good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianPA Posted February 27, 2015 Author Share Posted February 27, 2015 Thanks, guys. Just easy to doubt such a life-changing decision when the alternative is the easy way out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SocialMedicine Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 not sure I agree staying a PA is the easy way out. Plenty on this forum work autonomously and enjoy their career quite a bit. But good luck to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianPA Posted February 27, 2015 Author Share Posted February 27, 2015 not sure I agree staying a PA is the easy way out. Plenty on this forum work autonomously and enjoy their career quite a bit. But good luck to you. I mean it's the easy way out because I am a successful PA who enjoys his job, makes good money, and has lots of free time and perks and I don't have to do anything or work harder than I am to keep my current lifestyle which is very good. Whereas the path I am going to take involves much more work, loss of income, and loss of free time. It is easy to stay where I am and not change. It is harder to quit my whole life here, move, and start anew down a long path so to speak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paula Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 Life is a journey so you are just headed down another path that will lead you to places you can't imagine. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianPA Posted February 27, 2015 Author Share Posted February 27, 2015 Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LESH Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 Life is too short to have a lot of regrets and what ifs. If you have the opportunity to do something that you think will make you happier, challenge you and contribute to the betterment of all... do it! As far as the PA to Doc thing, it took me a while to get that, but a few of my former students that went on to become physicians helped me understand. So I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWR Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 Follow your heart my friend. If you do not you will regret and kick yourself in later years. There are several of us on this forum that did not go to PA school til in there 40's or 50's so at 32 you are a youngster. At the end of your journey you will feel good about yourself and make a fine physician. There are several ways in this country to get debt forgiveness. JUST DO IT. That's what Cher said in some ad. Very true though!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianPA Posted February 27, 2015 Author Share Posted February 27, 2015 Thanks for all the replies, guys. :) I am going to do it. Just some jitters is all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbrothers98 Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 I mean it's the easy way out because I am a successful PA who enjoys his job, makes good money, and has lots of free time and perks and I don't have to do anything or work harder than I am to keep my current lifestyle which is very good. Whereas the path I am going to take involves much more work, loss of income, and loss of free time. It is easy to stay where I am and not change. It is harder to quit my whole life here, move, and start anew down a long path so to speak. Stay with being a PA because of above. Since before college, I always placed work above a lot else. Likely some of that got me where I am, but I also missed out on things I wished I hadn't. It sounds like you have hit the sweet spot in your life. Work, IMO, is only a means to an end. I want to leave this world with life experiences I choose and time spent with those I cherish. I def wont be wishing I worked harder, longer in the end. Good luck on whatever endeavor you choose. GB PA-C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HJK Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Go for it. If I was 32.. not a PA.. and known about DO then.. haha.. I would have gone for it too.. But now 39.. working as EMPA in a hospital a few miles away.. with good pay.. with good SPs.. with a good part time gig.. getting harder and harder to pursue other dream.. not to mention 2 kids and a wife.. haha.. Goooooooooooooooooood luck!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk732 Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 You sound like you work in Ontario? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianPA Posted March 4, 2015 Author Share Posted March 4, 2015 You sound like you work in Ontario? Yup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CByersPAC Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 Do it. You are not nuts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianPA Posted March 5, 2015 Author Share Posted March 5, 2015 Do it. You are not nuts. Thanks. Yes, I am doing it :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
familygal Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 And I'll add the encouragement to DO IT as well. Obviously, you aren't going back for financial reasons. Your reasoning to go back goes far beyond financial and "practical"..it's much deeper than that. Congratulations on making the jump! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianPA Posted March 5, 2015 Author Share Posted March 5, 2015 And I'll add the encouragement to DO IT as well. Obviously, you aren't going back for financial reasons. Your reasoning to go back goes far beyond financial and "practical"..it's much deeper than that. Congratulations on making the jump! Thanks :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camoman1234 Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 I would stay where you are. Life is too short to waste time in school and get into massive debt. Plus you will be doing 80 hours during residency plus tons of study time from day one. You will be loosing out on at least 10+ years of your life and family...not worth it to me and my family would not be very happy with me if I wasted that much time without them. That MD/DO is not important to me. I got into medicine to help and I have/am helping daily with my PA-C just as well as I could with a MD/DO. That is true for myself in a RHC. That is not the case for everyone. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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