sineater Posted April 28, 2016 Share Posted April 28, 2016 Im a US citizen. Started med school abroad in 2002 right out of high school (honors grad) mainly for financial concerns (self supporting and single mother). Had to drop out due to loan problems (defaulted on loans due to depression upon not passing USMLES) and readmitted and completed studies in 2012 (w/3.5 GPA). Now I'm back home with two grandparents w/ advanced dementia, a mother on her way to the same outcome, a MD degree that doesn't mean anything without passing USMLES and a $200,000 hole Im trying to dig myself out of. Trying to manage a shit storm as I know pursuing MD licensing exams is not an option for me anymore. Need perspective and advice. Still interested in patient care and practicing since I practice at home what I cant preach. My life is no laughing matter. I ve been practicing Kaplan PANCE questions and kicking myself half the time as I know the answers, but lack the accreditation (deeper hole) because I wasn't a risk taker anymore after graduating. I know this is the cowards approach as Im too embarrassed to submit my real name. Any chance of me getting into a PA program? No egos or false prides as I have nothing to be proud of yet. Ill take that risk NOW since the only way is up and the noise in the background is dying down. Im a glutton for punishment, again. Gave you all of this information not for pity or sympathy, but my life in a nutshell. Please HELP if you dare to care! TY. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator ventana Posted April 28, 2016 Moderator Share Posted April 28, 2016 Problem is you will be another $100,000-$200,000 in the hole for debt (and two more years of deferred interest on you initial notes) This puts you in the the almost $500,000 debt range Not feasible to support this on a PA salary Yes you will likely gain entry into a PA program Yes you will go deeper and deeper into debt You have the MD degree - figure out a way to pass board/license exams - maybe military reserves? Sorry but the Debt portion of your equation is staggering and no real way to pay it on a 100,000 salary Seriously, figure out a way to license as an MD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sineater Posted April 28, 2016 Author Share Posted April 28, 2016 Thank you for a haste reply, sir or ma'am. I appreciate it. Frustration has been festering inside me since too many dreams and goals and no direction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nds1111 Posted April 28, 2016 Share Posted April 28, 2016 Where is your MD degree from? Why can't you retake USMLES? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuralER/Ortho Posted April 28, 2016 Share Posted April 28, 2016 In the meantime, use that MD for something else! Teach at a university/college, tutor, etc. Be creative, you'll find a use for the degree! I agree with the other posters, PA school probably isn't a great option for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sineater Posted April 28, 2016 Author Share Posted April 28, 2016 Medical University of Silesia, Poland. Family obligations. Money and Time. order of importance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarcyJ Posted April 28, 2016 Share Posted April 28, 2016 How is PA school for two and a half years going to accommodate family obligations better than studying for and taking medical licensing exams? Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MT2PA Posted April 28, 2016 Share Posted April 28, 2016 I'm not sure if this was lost in translation...but you went from high school to med school? I assume you went to undergrad first? Like others have mentioned, financially PA school would be a bad move. But also, your pre-reqs are starting to get old for some programs, and you'll likely have a hard time if your only reason for going the PA route is because you didn't succeed at the MD route. If you don't have the money for med licensing exams, you probably don't have the money for applying/interviewing at PA schools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sineater Posted April 29, 2016 Author Share Posted April 29, 2016 How is PA school for two and a half years going to accommodate family obligations better than studying for and taking medical licensing exams? Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk Family obligations are preventing me from studying continuously (USMLES 1, 2CK are 300+ questions each). I am at the 70% mark for both and I need 75% to pass. Need to pass 1 and 2 to gain certification and even then I have too many gaps between graduating and now so it seems pointless as I know what hiring managers/residency directors want. I am the only English speaking member of my household so everything falls on me. I am finally in a good place, where I have some freedom so I would mostly apply to local programs If I can get in. Ill try to go from there with work, family, and PA school if i can qualify. For PA its just the PANCE so it seems enticing for someone like me whose short on time. Suggestions? Im in for a penny, so why not a pound. its not like my life can get any worse in terms of finances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sineater Posted April 29, 2016 Author Share Posted April 29, 2016 I'm not sure if this was lost in translation...but you went from high school to med school? I assume you went to undergrad first? Like others have mentioned, financially PA school would be a bad move. But also, your pre-reqs are starting to get old for some programs, and you'll likely have a hard time if your only reason for going the PA route is because you didn't succeed at the MD route. If you don't have the money for med licensing exams, you probably don't have the money for applying/interviewing at PA schools. I went straight from high school into a 6 year program (no undergrad or MCATs required) and ended up being a 10 year program given my situation. Money is an issue, but I have finally stabilized my fiances and family. My thinking is if I did PA school over here, I would maybe qualify for some financial aid and work part-time (since I am an over-educated fool at this point so the book smarts are all there for the most part). Seems like a better idea then finishing med school on private loans and still no meaningful work. Pre-reqs are most likely out of date, but it doesnt mean Ive lost all of that information (online schooling is my answer to the Pre-reqs and i probably wont have to pay a dime for it either). Family load is greater than work load and USMLE load combined, which is why I want to stay close to home now. I would probably be at the $350,000 hole Im guessing if I got into a PA school and wrap it up in 3 years. I would have a $100,000 career with some meaning to it all and id be 33-34 years old still (so my age is kinda working for me-ish). But the money situation would make anyone think twice. But thats all life is. Eat, Sleep, Work and Family. So hopefully Ill be rewarded somehow for my efforts if not in this life, than maybe in the next. SIGH! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishbum Posted April 29, 2016 Share Posted April 29, 2016 There are some enormous, gaping holes in your logic here. 1) Your financial situation can, in fact, get worse. $350k in debt for a $90k job is atrocious. 2) PANCE may not be a grueling as the USMLE, but it's not the GED test either. You'll have to go to school and work hard for couple of years to take and pass it. Put the same amount of time/effort into studying for USMLE and you ought to be able to ace them. Save a ton of money. 3) Don't count on financial aid for PA school. Don't count on "not paying a dime" for prerequisites, either. I think you have to be a degree-seeking student to get aid and you wouldn't be while working on prerequisites. Either way, please, please, please don't ask taxpayers to take what appears to be a GIGANTIC financial risk on your education (in the form of grants and federal student loans). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyNameWasUsed Posted April 29, 2016 Share Posted April 29, 2016 I'm confuse... you went to medical school in Poland and then you failed the USMLEs in America? Isn't the USMLEs for medical students in America only? I don't think PA is a good route for you. You might as well spend 2 years trying to retake the USMLEs than going to PA school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MT2PA Posted April 29, 2016 Share Posted April 29, 2016 Like doug mentioned, there is no financial aid for PA school - you just take out more loans or pay out of pocket. You also likely won't be able to work part time during PA school - even if you have the knowledge (do you? Is your problem with USMLE testing? Or do you not know the material? Because PA school is a lot of exams.) most schools do not allow working during school, have mandatory attendance, etc. You would have to find the perfect storm of situations to find a program that fits what you imagine and I'm not sure it exists. And online for pre-reqs is mostly fine except for classes with labs (anatomy, biology, etc) which often require in person labs. And again, I'm not sure how you could get these courses for essentially free. I easily paid $600-$1000 per pre-req course even when online. Obviously we aren't going to be able to talk you out of trying to get into PA school if that's what you really want. But you have a romanticized idea of how getting in will go. Do you have any healthcare experience? Anything you did IN med school likely won't count (PA programs don't count experience that was done as part of educational credit) and your med school background won't make up for that. There are a LOT of factors you need to be considering...applying to PA school costs money and you're not a shoe-in (very few people are). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarcyJ Posted May 5, 2016 Share Posted May 5, 2016 There are so many holes and contradictions in this situation that I don't know where to start. I'm wondering how PA school and exams would be such a breeze for you ("since the book smarts are still there"), but you would have to study endlessly to pass the MD licensing exams. You do realize that both professions practice medicine right? And, there will be quite a bit of overlap. I just can't wrap my head around why you think PA school and the PANCE would be so much easier and less time consuming than the USMLE prep. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like either route is going to be an easier one of the two. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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