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Path to PA without parental support.


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Hey guys. I'm a college freshman and my parents are definitely not feeling the whole PA thing and are putting me under a lot of pressure to be a MD. I still haven't broken it to them that I have no plans to be a doctor but that's another issue. I just wanted to ask for some advice on a becoming a PA without the support of Ma and Pa as far as getting HCE, and pretty much everything else. Thanks.

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What do you mean by parental support? Are they not going to pay for school, living expenses in undergrad if you go PA? Are they going to pay for Med school?

 

Why do you want PA over MD?

 

If you're parents are going to float you through Med school, I really see this as a no brainer.

So, you're saying if you had full parental support when you went to PA school, you would have rather pursued an MD/DO? Why didn't you do the MD/DO anyway? I thought medical students (and PA students) can utilize school loans to pay for living expenses while they are in school? 

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You're a college freshman.  You are in the latter stages of adolescence, well on your way toward being an adult.

 

I remember when I was a sophomore in high school, and my anthropology/sociology teacher introduced the concept that in modern American society, there are no specific rites of passage, before which one is a child and after which one is an adult.  I swore that I would prove him wrong.  Then I hit 18 and didn't feel like an adult.  When I hit 21, I still didn't feel completely adult, but gradually kind of forgot about it.  When I was 30, something brought me back to that distinction, and I thought "I have a mortgage, a mini-van, and 2 kids.  I guess I'm an adult now".

 

All this by way of saying that in my estimation, your first priority is learning to relate to both the world and your parents as an adult: You find your options, make your own decisions, and live with the consequences of those decisions.  Part of that is going to be finding answers to the questions O'Neal posed above, and another part of that is just finding who you are as an adult.  My 18 year old son and I are learning how to relate to each other as adult child to parent, and it's something I've never walked through from this side of the relationship before.

The good news is that you have at least 4 years before you should be applying for PA school, which is plenty of time to line things up on a path where you can go MD, PA, or something entirely different if it strikes your fancy.

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So, you're saying if you had full parental support when you went to PA school, you would have rather pursued an MD/DO? Why didn't you do the MD/DO anyway? I thought medical students (and PA students) can utilize school loans to pay for living expenses while they are in school?

Uhhh...yeah, if someone gave me a free ride to Med school vs me taking loans for PA school when I was almost 30 with a kid and already in debt from school, you can be sure I would have chosen med school. I don't think you'll find a rational person who would pay for something vs a free ride. I would be practicing medicine and debt free. I'm unsure what point you are trying to make.

 

IF, and I'm not saying they are, his parents are supporting him to go to med school, then that would make it most economic efficient choice. With no debt as a physician, the OP could work something like 15-20 hours a week and make the same salary as a PA. Sure, I hope that changes one day, but it's a silly bet to take.

 

I ask why he wants to go to PA school over MD/DO because I'm trying to understand better. Does he just want less time in school? Not a good pay off as I said before he could barely work later with a little more effort now. Does he want less responsibility? Not true, you are just as liable as a physician and as a physician you always have people you can consult. PAs don't have a monopoly on that. Does he want better hours? Already established this isn't true and physicians don't hire PAs to work hours they want to be there. They hire them so they can spend more time with their families, not you. Is the OP afraid of the intellectual rigor? It's just as hard as a PA. I hope you get my point. I don't see a good reason unless there is something I don't know about his reasoning.

 

The personal choices that led me to PA school vs med school have no relevance to the OP's situation.

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Previous thread from OP.

 

http://www.physicianassistantforum.com/index.php?/topic/33752-parents-gave-me-a-ultimatum-to-do-pre-med-what-can-i-do-to-still-be-a-pa/

Good find. Didn't think to check his post history. That thread contains every shred of advice I could ever think of.

 

The OP makes it sound as if it's just undergrad that is paid for in that situation. In that case, I refer to 8404s sound and succinct advice.

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7a0d6e44e59ab9a0a524574225d3912b.jpg

 

 

What do you mean by parental support? Are they not going to pay for school, living expenses in undergrad if you go PA? Are they going to pay for Med school?

 

Why do you want PA over MD?

 

If you're parents are going to float you through Med school, I really see this as a no brainer.

Parental support in the most basic sense of the word. Basically a place to stay while I get HCE hours. They haven't had to pay anything for my undergrad, but couldn't even if they had to, so its not a mommy daddy free ride but just basic support from mom and dad.

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Parental support in the most basic sense of the word. Basically a place to stay while I get HCE hours. They haven't had to pay anything for my undergrad, but couldn't even if they had to, so its not a mommy daddy free ride but just basic support from mom and dad.

 

Your HCE (in addition to school loans) could allow you to pay for room, board, and miscellaneous. Mine sure is.

 

I stayed home during undergrad leading up to my senior year. Then I bit the bullet and moved out a few months prior to graduation. Working yourself up to the actual moving-out is the scary part...once you're out, it's actually MUCH easier lol.

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Parental support in the most basic sense of the word. Basically a place to stay while I get HCE hours. They haven't had to pay anything for my undergrad, but couldn't even if they had to, so its not a mommy daddy free ride but just basic support from mom and dad.

Wait, they're going to kick you out (or charge you rent) based on your choice of major?  I can understand if you were going to go for something fluff and unemployable, but you're making choices about what sort of health care professional you want to become.

 

I'm not sure if that's better or worse than our previous assumption that they were only going to pay for college if you went the MD route.

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Are you living at home while in undergrad?  If you're living on campus in the dorms - get an HCE job while you're in school - problem solved.  If you're living at home - get an HCE job - and problem still solved.  Working in healthcare does not automatically insinuate a path to PA school.  It just means working, making money, and getting a feel for healthcare in general.

 

Maybe tell your parents you are considering all options (and actually do it) by working an HCE job and seeing how ALL healthcare professional work.  You're a freshman.  A lot can change in 4 years and an HCE job wouldn't hurt a med school app....

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Why are you choosing to be a PA instead of an MD?

I want a career in healthcare but I don't necessarily want to spend 7+ years trying to be doctor, which for me would only be for the bigger paycheck as the other aspects of being an MD as opposed to PA don't really appeal to me much.

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In all honesty, you are a little young to be saying that you have made any absolute decisions. College allows for a lot of growth and it is likely that you will change your mind along the way (you may not end up in health care at all!). Keep an open mind, get a part time job, explore different careers and enjoy college. You don't have to decide today.

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As a parent, I can only say that I am dismayed at your parents' decision to hold this over your head.

 

It is not as though you are getting a degree in medieval French literature which has no employability.

 

Whether you wanted a degree in Electrical Engineering, becoming a plumber or becoming a PA - parents should at least foster their kids' dedication and passions.

 

There is nothing worse than becoming something you truly do not want to be. And all because your parents wanted it "for you". 

 

I paid my way through undergrad with a single mom who paid my car insurance to help me out and I lived at home and worked 20+ hours a week. I paid everything through PA school (or borrowed it...) and my Mom was always there to slip a $20 in my purse when she could or leave me sleeping on her couch when I passed out from being exhausted on a weekend or day off. 

 

She never TOLD me what I could be. She supported me in whatever I did but always demanded commitment and best effort. If something is worth doing - do it well. She wouldn't tolerate lazy.

 

Follow your gut, investigate the possibilities and make sure you choose something you will want to do and are actually good at. Always give best effort and dedication. Try not to be a clock puncher. 

 

Remind your parents that you have to actually do these jobs and do them for 20, 30 or 40+ years. Not them, they will be dead at some point. If they want the "pride" of their children then they should be proud of success and dedication, not a title.

 

Just my old crusty Mom 2 cents....................

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I was technically pre-med and pre-pa for most of my undergrad career. There is quite a bit of overlap. My school requires almost every medical school pre-req except physics. So while I'm not advocating lying to your patients, if I was you id take he pre-req courses that apply to both (general biology and general chemistry) my freshman year, shadow both professions and re-evaluate my decision in a year after I have shadowed both professions. Hell, then if you still can't decide, just get a biology degree and work/volunteer as an EMT. Decide which one you want to do and all you'll have to do is take the entrance exam for whichever route you decide to choose. 

 

But maybe your parents are right, maybe at 18 you should be giving MD/DO a fair shot, but that doesn't mean you can't prepare for PA simultaneously. 

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As others have suggested, it is still very early to make a decision.  One thing to consider is that you may need to spend a few years getting the right amount of health care work hours before applying to PA programs.  In the end, it could be comparable to the seven plus years of work you will do becoming an MD.

 

When you are thirty, you will be thirty regardless of whether you opted to be a PA, a physician, a bartender, or something else.  Don't be intimidated by the amount of years you will need to realize your career, especially as a college freshman.

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