Question to Pas

[December]

hello all,

 

As a pre-pa student, I have done a lot of research about the PA profession. When talking to other medical students, I have learned that they seem to believe that PAs pretty much do exact same thing that a doctor does without getting the same pay. Is this really true?

 

From your own experiences as physician assistants, what do you think are some advantages that you may have over a physician in terms of workload? Do you feel the same stress that a physician may feel?

[EMEDPA]

Same workload as my md colleagues at work. 1 chart rack and we alternate charts.

[davidccs]

I think that some of the benefits of being a PA over an MD is that you only need to be in a program thats 2 years long before you can start practicing instead of 8 years for MD

Another one is the fact that MD's liability insurance is really high and if you find a good PA job you'll be covered under your Supervising Physician's insurance.

Also another is that you can change from specialities without having to go back to school, unlike MDs and DNPs.

And lets not forget the schooling costs are a lot less for PAs than they are for MDs.

 

As far as workload, from what Ive been reading the work is a lot of the same things, for example if you want to work in primary care you would have your own patients that you would see whenever they come to the office, you diagnose, treat and hopefully cure anything they complain of and your SP makes sure you dont make any mistakes, which at first might seem like he or she is ontop of you but as time goes and the relationship between you two develops the trust will grow and the autonomy will grow with it.

But thats just from what Ive read around the forums.

[marilynpac]

I have to disagree with one of your points. MDs do have more mobility now more than ever. When I first start going to my PCP he was a GP, that was five yrs ago and he had a huge practice, many children. Fast forward 5yrs and now he specializes in geriatric medicine. There are no more children's toys at all in his office. Many GPs in rural areas are starting to specialize. One practice is limited to women and children. Another GP does more OccMed than anyone. We never use to see this before but it's becoming more common. My PCP is still a GP, but now the practice is weighted in one area more than another.

[EHOLDENPA-C]

your SP makes sure you dont make any mistakes, which at first might seem like he or she is ontop of you but as time goes and the relationship between you two develops the trust will grow and the autonomy will grow with it.

But thats just from what Ive read around the forums.

 

No one can "make sure you don't make any mistakes" except you. new grads are watched closely at most places but there really isn't as much oversight as you might think...