What is life like as an internal medicine PA?

[livemedicine]

Hi, I am currently a Pre-Health student. I am torn between becoming a PA or MD. I have a strong interest in perusing internal medicine and I was wondering what life is like for internal medicine PAs.

 

What's the day to day like? Average salary? Scope of practice? Hours worked?

 

I know a lot of specialities allow PAs to have a lot of autonomy and I was wondering if this was one of those specialities. I don't mind working under a doctor, but I want to have a decent amount of autonomy.

[wildPAbrendan]

Job shadow one and find out. This is why PA programs want applicants to complete a job shadow. I'm not a PA but from my job shadows and years of working in a hospital the hospitalist PAs (in WA) don't have a doctor following them around or co-signing all of their rx;s