vkbrba

@ivincent Thank you for your comment. I am just so torn. With the amount of formal education and 60+ hour weeks in rotations & residency I feel that if I do proceed in my current route it will come at great personal sacrifice like planning for a wedding later and having kids earlier. I just dont see how I could plan a wedding with my current work load as even a first year medical student and much less as a future mother without the hard fact that my career will need to come first. I'm just not sure that aligns with my goals anymore. I believe the PA profession can give me the fulfillment I've wanted by treating patients without having to sacrifice so much of my personal life.

Please help me make a complete list of Pros and Cons of being a PA vs Physician. Pros___________________________________ Physician Assistant: Shorter School Less expensive Work Life Balance Lateral movement in career Doctor: Greater Pay More Autonomy Cons__________________________________ Physician Assistant: Lower Pay Less Autonomy Doctor: Longer Training (residency) Limited to one medical specialty

Well, it is important to me to have that work life balance (like my stepmom does) and have kids at an earlier age. So that is why I need facts to make an objective decision. It is not as easy as this or that. I was more so looking for a Pros and Cons list for both career paths.

Hello Everybody, I am in a very unique situation, and would love everyone's input! I have been wanting to be a doctor my whole life, but after meeting my stepmother 10 years ago (who has been a Physician Assistant for over 20 years) I have grown to have a great admiration for the profession and countless hours of shadowing has given me a deeper understanding of the PA role. When I applied last cycle to PA schools I did not get a single interview invite. I began to internalize the idea that perhaps the Physician Assistant profession was not in the books for me. I decided to apply again this cycle and retake a couple classes to help my science GPA. One of my professors this summer recommended I apply to Podiatry School which will allow me to become a doctor/surgeon with 2 years of didactic, 2 years of rotations and 3 years of residency. I was very desperate to be in medicine and felt like this was my golden ticket, I applied (literally on the last week of the cycle being open for Podiatry) and to my surprise I was accepted! I started podiatry school a few weeks after being notified this August 2020. I had applied again to PA school but given that I did not get a single interview invite, I felt that my odds were low and didn't want to miss out on what might be my only opportunity to be in healthcare. Then to an even bigger surprise I got accepted Into PA School just last month. My dilemma is that, if one year ago I had gotten into PA school that is where I would be, but I am now in medical school and have been struggling internally ever since I received notice of my acceptance into PA school. Now this is me being very very honest. Due to life circumstances, I am almost 30 and just now starting medical school. Although this has been a dream of mine, I can't help but feel that in 7 years when I am done with my residency, I will have career fulfillment but at the expense of personal sacrifice. I am currently engaged and we would like to have kids in the future, but with the way school is going I can't image doing either of those while I'm still in school (although I know it is possible). PA has always been high on my list because of the flexibility it provides. I witnessed my stepmother have the opportunity to easily adjust her work schedule as my brothers were growing up so that she could prioritize her personal life and even switch specialists based on her new interest and schedule desires. I guess I am hoping to get feedback on weather or not I should quite medical school to start PA school next Fall. I know that this is a decision that I alone can make, so I'm hoping that someone can give me the pros and cons to being a Doctor over a PA and a PA over a Doctor. Thanks in advance!

@CaptainRom I am going through a similar situation, is there an email where I can contact you to ask you about your medical journey and about your decision?

@GoldenYoshi I am in a similar situation, can I reach out to you to ask about your current path and the decision you made? Is there an email I can contact you at?